Tamsterdam Reads

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A book blog with reviews of my latest reads

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Loving Mrs. Claus and the Halloween Homicide

Oct 29, 2021

Loving Mrs. Claus and the Halloween Homicide

#mrsclausandthehalloweenhomicide #kensingtonbooks #bookreview #bookblog #cozymystery One of the reasons why I love cozy mysteries so much is that I can be transported into a world of interesting and intriguing characters all the while trying to crack a case. I may not be a real life sleuth, but I do enjoy figuring out clues that can lead me to the story’s killer. Mrs. Claus and the Halloween Homicide is the second installment of the Mrs. Claus series by Liz Ireland, which tak

Reviewing A Lady's Formula for Love

Feb 3, 2021

Reviewing A Lady's Formula for Love

#ALadysFormulaforLove #ElizabethEverett #bookreview #bookblog The first in it’s series, A Lady’s Formula for Love is Elizabeth Everett’s debut novel and it was a great one! Not only did this story have swooning moments between scatterbrained but charming Lady Violet and her hired bodyguard, the stoic Arthur, it also played out as a perfect comedic movie. The timing of the quick witted and humorous writing were perfect and provided the right balance of lightheartedness and mys

Ink and Shadows Blog Tour Stop

Jan 25, 2021

Ink and Shadows Blog Tour Stop

#InkAndShadows #ElleryAdams #booktour #blogtour #bookreview Ink and Shadows is the fourth book in the Secret, Book & Scone series. While I haven’t read the previous books, it was easy to be brought up to speed regarding the characters’ pasts. The story of Nora meeting newcomers and local storeowner Celeste and her troubled daughter, Bren was well written. You really got to experience Nora's emotions & learnlearn her thought process throughout the story and how her past affect

Reviewing Betrayal at Ravenswick by Kelly Oliver

Jan 20, 2021

Reviewing Betrayal at Ravenswick by Kelly Oliver

#BetrayalatRavenswick #KellyOliver #bookreview #booktour Betrayal at Ravenswick is a historical mystery novel that delves into the newly divorced, Miss Fiona Figg as she goes undercover for the War Office to undercover a suspected German spy during WWI in London. I really liked Fiona’s character. She was a woman who had to overcome the sense of distrust from a cheating husband and make her way in the male dominated world of war efforts espionage in an age where suffragists we

Reviewing Murder on the Menu

Jan 15, 2021

Reviewing Murder on the Menu

#MurderontheMenu #FionaLeitch #bookreview #bookblog Murder on the Menu is the first in the Nosey Parker series. When I saw that it was a cozy mystery being offered by One More Chapter, I scooped it up. Jodie “Nosey” Parker has moved back to her Cornish birthplace with her 12-year-old daughter, Daisy in tow. After a decade as a cop in London and a divorce from her cheating husband, Nosey was anxious for a fresh start and a new career as a caterer. It doesn’t take long for Nose

Reviewing K.A. Tucker's Say You Still Love Me

Jan 7, 2021

Reviewing K.A. Tucker's Say You Still Love Me

#SayYouStillLoveMe #KATucker #bookreview This was my first K.A. Tucker novel and as always, I’m late to the party. I have been missing out this entire time! Say You Still Love Me immediately made my heart melt right off the bat with the love story of Piper and Kyle, who met at a summer camp one year when they were teens. While reading the story, you get to experience dual time periods for them: when they first met back in 2006 and present day. Normally, I am not a fan of dual

Reviewing Ann Marie Walker's Happy Singles Day

Jan 4, 2021

Reviewing Ann Marie Walker's Happy Singles Day

#HappySinglesDay #AnnMarieWalker #bookreview Happy Singles Day by Ann Marie Walker and was just what I needed at the time. I was on a cozy mystery marathon in December so it was nice to read a light-hearted romcom novel as a palette cleanser. Happy Singles Day finds successful entrepreneur and single, Paige Parker in need of a vacation. Or so her best friend/assistant Samuel says. And so, after filling out an online quiz to find out what her dream vacation was, lands her on t

Enjoyably Devouring Maya Corrigan's Gingerdead Man

Dec 24, 2020

Enjoyably Devouring Maya Corrigan's Gingerdead Man

#GingerdeadManbook #MayaCorrigan #cozymystery #bookreview Val is a café manager who solves murders with her grandfather in Chesapeake Bay. As they take part in the Dickens of a Holiday festival, they both witness Santa Claus keel over when he takes a bite of a gingerdead man cookie given by a mysterious person dressed as the Ghost of Christmas Present. And now Val and granddad can’t help but help investigate who poisoned Santa. Last year I read the advanced reader's copy for

Cheers to A Cup of Holiday Fear

Dec 17, 2020

Cheers to A Cup of Holiday Fear

#ACupofholidayfear #EllieAlexander #cozymystery #bookreview I never would have imagined I would have enjoyed reading about a murder during the holiday season, but A Cup of Holiday Fear was the perfect balance of murder mystery and a ton of baking within a story. As the tenth book in the Bakeshop Mystery series, our beloved protagonist, Jules finds herself once again involved in the investigation of the future investor in the when a murder has happened during the Winchester In

Going Along with The Twelve Dates of Christmas

Dec 15, 2020

Going Along with The Twelve Dates of Christmas

#TheTwelveDatesofChristmas #JennyBayliss #bookreview Next up on the long list of buddy reads for this month was The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss. Kate thinks it’s time to start dating again after a few years long hiatus of relationships. She moved back to her birthplace Bexford, England to be near her father and her best friends Matt and Laura are there too. Laura convinces Kate to enroll in the local dating event, ‘Twelve Dates of Christmas’ where Kate is match

Breaking into the Christina Lauren Fandom with In A Holidaze

Dec 7, 2020

Breaking into the Christina Lauren Fandom with In A Holidaze

#InAHolidaze #ChristinaLauren #bookreview This was my first Christina Lauren novel (I know, crazy right?!) and I’ve loved it. The chemistry between Mae and Andrew were superb and the moment Andrew realized that Mae was into him, made me actually smile. This traditional Groundhog Day approach was the perfect Christmas book with hilarious moments and many sweet moments. It put me in the Christmas spirit at a time when it’s not so cheery in the world; resulting in an amazing esc

Munching on Joanne Fluke's Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder

Dec 1, 2020

Munching on Joanne Fluke's Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder

#chocolatechipcookiemurder #joannefluke #bookreview #cozymystery #cosymystery Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder is the first of the Hannah Swensen cozy mystery series and also the first book I read for this series. My eye was on this series for a while now; especially because of the most adorable covers and titles by this author. I enjoyed this cozy mystery novel and I can see why so many other have as well and why the series has a long life line. It’s helpful to know that this wa

Reviewing The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

Nov 30, 2020

Reviewing The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

#AddieLaRue #bookreview #bookblog #VESchwab This book gave me the feels. It’s a beautiful, whimsical tale about Addie LaRue who essentially makes a deal with the devil to save her from a life of an arranged, restricted marriage for the ability to be free to do whatever she wants. This deal comes at a cost of course; she will be forgotten by all within hours from meeting a person. She cannot even write her own name without it disappearing from a page. To me, this tale had a bi

Whipping Up with Ellie Alexander's Meet Your Baker

Nov 24, 2020

Whipping Up with Ellie Alexander's Meet Your Baker

#meetyourbaker #elliealexander #bookreview #cozymystery Those who know me know I absolutely adore cozy mysteries and I’ve been advocating them since I discovered them awhile ago. I really don’t think they get enough recognition as they should when they’re highly entertaining, adorable and takes you on a ride of twist and turns with all the red herrings. I have read Ellie Alexander before but not her entire series, so I was so happy when I finally did a buddy read with friends

Pairing Up with Melinda Curtis' A Very Merry Match

Nov 23, 2020

Pairing Up with Melinda Curtis' A Very Merry Match

#AVeryMerryMatch #MelindaCurtis #bookreview A Very Merry Match is a great story revolving around a former burlesque dancer turned kindergarten teacher, Mary Margaret in Sunshine Valley. As the second book of the series, it provides enough detail about what the characters experienced to get the reader up to speed for those who haven’t read the first book yet (such as myself). The Widows Club in Sunshine Valley is at it again. This time, they have their sights set on fellow clu

Reviewing Mistletoe and Mr. Right by Sarah Morgenthaler

Nov 1, 2020

Reviewing Mistletoe and Mr. Right by Sarah Morgenthaler

#mistletoeandmrright #sarahmorgenthaler #bookreview Although it’s the season of pumpkin spice lattes, leaves changing colours and Halloween, it’s also the season of holiday book publications! And I’m absolutely loving all the Christmas! Although Easter is my favourite holiday, Christmas comes in a close second and reading Mistletoe and Mr. Right satisfied my Christmas cheer appetite. This is the second book after The Tourist Attraction and I came into this book with the eyes

Experiencing an Action Movie with The Vatican Conspiracies by Peter Hogenkamp

Oct 22, 2020

Experiencing an Action Movie with The Vatican Conspiracies by Peter Hogenkamp

#thevaticanconspiracies #peterhogenkamp #booktour #blogtour #bookreview The Vatican Conspiracy is like an fast-paced action thriller movie placed into a novel. Peter Hogenkamp’s writing takes you on an adventure with Marco Venetti, an Italian priest of a sleepy village within the country. But when he’s visited by his former temptress, Elena, he’s sucked into a world where he is forced to use his former navy training to take out terrorists who are trying to assassinate the pop

Ringing in the Season of Joy by Annie Rains

Oct 13, 2020

Ringing in the Season of Joy by Annie Rains

#seasonofjoy #annierains #bookreview #bookblog I was given a few holiday romance books from Forever and I can’t thank them enough for sending me such endearing and festive novels. One of these novels was Season of Joy by Annie Rains. Let’s start with the cover. How cute is that with a classic holiday red truck, a Christmas tree and adorable dogs? Oh and don’t forget that perfect red barn in the background. But unlike the perfect cover, the love story between protagonists, Joy

Reviewing Coming Home to Penvennan Cove by Linn B. Halton

Oct 12, 2020

Reviewing Coming Home to Penvennan Cove by Linn B. Halton

#cominghometopenvennancove #linnbhalton #booktour #blogtour #bookreview The definition of this book is the word charming. Set in the Cornish village of Penvennan Cove, protagonist Kerra moves back to the quiet, yet gossipy village where she was brought up before moving to London. After her mother passes away, Kerra realizes it is time to sell her successful business and move back to take care of her dad and be free of the work stress and pressures. She comes back to welcoming

Loving The Twelve Dogs of Christmas by Lizzie Shane

Sep 30, 2020

Loving The Twelve Dogs of Christmas by Lizzie Shane

#bookreview #thetwelvedogsofchristmas #lizzieshane #bookblog The Twelve Dogs of Christmas by Lizzie Shane is the perfect holiday cozy romance. It has a small town setting of Pine Hollow, charming characters, such as Deenie and Astrid who were my favourite, sweet heart-melting moments between protagonists Ally and Ben, and dogs. Lots and lots of adorable dogs! Not only were the dogs so cute to read about, but Shane’s writing was so good, she wrote about them in such a way that

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