Out of the Picture by Tracy Gardner ~ Review

Out of the Picture by Tracy Gardner ~ Review

Out of the Picture by Tracy Gardner

As an affiliate at retail sites, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. See my disclaimer for more details.

Three reasons you should read this Cozy Mystery:

  • Out of the Picture by Tracy Gardner hit all the high notes of a great cozy mystery.
  • The characters were memorable and made me want to visit again for the next mystery.
  • While I had an inkling of the who-dun-it, I couldn’t figure out the details until the very end.

About Out of the Picture by Tracy Gardner

Title: Out of the Picture
Author: Tracy Gardner
Series: A Shepherd Sisters Mystery #1
Genre: Cozy Mystery

Out of the Picture by Tracy Gardner

Join the Shepherd sisters in solving a mystery…before it’s too late!

This artful cozy mystery is perfect for fans of Krista Davis and Joanne Fluke.

Savanna Shepherd is a former art authenticator—someone who can tell a forgery from the real thing. She’s got a talent for spotting secrets hiding in plain sight.

In the wake of a painful breakup, she moves back to her idyllic hometown on the banks of Lake Michigan. At least she’s close to her sisters again, and she’s enjoying her new job as a grade school art teacher.

Savanna even rediscovers her creative soul when an old family friend hires her to paint a mural. But sad and strange incidents occur at the woman’s mansion, compelling Savanna to investigate. With a little help from her sisters—and from Aidan, the intriguing town doctor—will she be able to figure out what’s wrong with this picture?

This intriguing cozy mystery includes a free Hallmark original recipe for Holy Yum Baked Chicken.

My Review of Out of the Picture:

Out of the Picture by Tracy Gardner is the first Hallmark Mystery I’ve read. And it didn’t disappoint. The Shepherd Sisters were a riot and I want to be their forgotten fourth. The only major problem I had was telling them apart. With all the names starting with S, I got them all confused until the very end. Only Savanna, the main sleuth in this case, stood out.

There’s an interesting mix of murder and theft tied together in Out of the Picture. And it really did seem to take the whole community to solve the case, which was a little different to me. While Savannah was the focal point, she really relied on everyone around her to help put the pieces together and catch the bad guys.

The small-town atmosphere and peeks into family gatherings really brought everything together. It rounded the characters out in a way that I don’t always get to see. The side characters weren’t just there for decoration, they were all very unique to themselves and had a reason for being there.

I’m excited to see where this series goes. And it looks like there are a couple of other Hallmark Mysteries that I may need to check out as well!

Pick up your copy today!

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Racing to Rhapsody by Selena Laurence ~ Review

Racing to Rhapsody by Selena Laurence ~ Review

Racing to Rhapsody by Selena Laurence

As an affiliate at retail sites, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. See my disclaimer for more details.

Three reasons you should read this Rock Star Romance:

  • Racing to Rhapsody by Selena Laurence is a trip back to the Rhapsody crew that I really enjoyed.
  • The sparks between Dez and Shannon were hard to ignore, and only got harder they longer they tried to.
  • While Dez’s parents weren’t major characters, they totally stole the scenes they were in – I loved them!

About Racing to Rhapsody by Selena Laurence

Title: Racing to Rhapsody
Author: Selena Laurence
Series: Rhapsody #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Racing to Rhapsody by Selena Laurence

She’s Racing…
Shannon Gunn lives life in the fast lane. She drives fast, talks fast, and is one of the fastest-rising managers in the music industry. But Shannon’s also scared–scared to fail, scared she won’t be loved, and scared to need someone.

He’s Waiting…
Dez Takimoto lives life in the Zen lane. He’s wise beyond his years, a kind soul, and a highly-respected member of Rhapsody, the rock band he started with his best friend. But what Dez wishes for most in life is passion–the kind that moves mountains, steals hearts, and runs soul-deep.

Two Hearts Collide.
When Shannon and Dez are thrown together for a whirlwind Rhapsody promo tour, she races into his heart and he discovers that true passion can be as intensely painful as it is beautiful.
She won’t slow down long enough to fall, he wants her last race to be to him…the collision could be catastrophic.

My Review of Racing to Rhapsody:

 Racing to Rhapsody by Selena Laurence was a fun look at two very different people who were very right for each other. Both Dez and Shannon were amazing characters. And I couldn’t help but cheer them on the whole way.

Both characters had very different things to overcome. Shannon’s relationship with her father was incredibly toxic. She struggles to walk away from it all and justify her feelings. Success isn’t all there is. And sometimes you do need to slow down.

Dez was a bit of a trip. He was soooo much fun and open-minded that I sometimes wondered how he could possibly like Shannon at all. But it turns he needed a little bit of her drive in his life.

Racing to Rhapsody wasn’t a big rush to the end. While there were plenty of exciting moments, there’s was some much-needed downtime for the characters to connect. it read a lot more real-world romance than many rock star romance I’ve read. And I really appreciate the look at the couple as just two people falling in love.

Pick up your copy today!

More from the Rhapsody series

A Lush Rhapsody by Selena Laurence
Love’s Healing Heart by Claire Colby ~ Review

Love’s Healing Heart by Claire Colby ~ Review

Love's Healing Heart by Claire Colby

Three reasons you should read this Sweet Romance:

  • Love’s Healing Heart by Claire Colby was all about finding your way again and overcoming.
  • Lloyd is a firefighter….need I say more?
  • This was a quick and exciting book that you can read in one afternoon.

About Love’s Healing Heart by Claire Colby

Title: Love’s Healing Heart
Author: Claire Colby
Series: Second Chance at Love #2
Genre: Contemporary Sweet Romance

Love's Healing Heart by Claire Colby

Rose Ronson outran her past all the way to Sweet Grove, Texas. The small town offered warmth and safety, and a friendly fireman right down the street in case of an emergency was an added perk.

Lloyd Martin knew there was something special about his town’s newest resident from his first glance into her guarded green eyes. When Rose asks him to check new alarms she’s installed, he readily agrees to help.
The sheer number of alarms Rose has installed sets off alarms in Lloyd’s head and has him wondering what part of her past she’s running from and if she’ll accept his help when it catches up to her.

Love’s Healing Heart by Claire Colby had a nice dash of suspense added in that made things a bit exciting. Again, the book seemed to move really fast, and I think that’s just how this series goes. The romance seemed to really blossom between Rose and Lloyd. And, as always, I loved seeing the characters from book one again.

Lloyd is your pretty typical hero. Always looking out for everyone and arriving just in time to save the day. While that’s all really great, I wish he had a little more depth.

At times, Rose fell into the same rut as Lloyd. She seemed to be little more than her trauma. Now, I know that can happen to people, and it can take over their lives. But I feel like there was something under the surface that we just weren’t given a chance to see.

The romance is super sweet (and not just that it was a clean romance). When Rose and Lloyd are together, you just want to say, “Awwww….” And there was something I just loved about that.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Pick up your copy today!

More from Second Chance at Love

Love's Healing Home by Claire Colby