My Nails and My Book Review - Custom Baked Murder by Liz Mugavero

**NetGalley**

Title: Custom Baked Murder

Series: Pawsitively Organic Mystery #5

Author: Liz Mugavero

Goodreads Summary: Kristan “Stan” Connor gladly turned tail on her high-flying job and moved to a quaint New England town to sell organic pet treats. But with her nose for solving murders, there’s no such thing as a quiet life…

Summer is winding down in Frog Ledge, Connecticut, but Stan’s love life and career are both heating up nicely. In between planning her new pet patisserie and café, Stan is settling into living-in-bliss with sexy pub owner Jake McGee. Love’s on the menu for Stan’s mom, Patricia, too, who’s engaged to Frog Ledge’s mayor, Tony Falco.

Mayor Falco’s dogged ambition isn’t popular among locals, but it’s his executive coach, Eleanor Chang, who’s inspired a dangerous grudge. When Eleanor is found dead, there’s a whole pack of suspects to choose from. Stan has first-hand experience of Eleanor’s unsavory business tactics. But finding out who forced her to take a fatal plunge off the corporate ladder means unearthing some shady secrets…and a killer who’s too close for comfort.

My Review: **I voluntarily reviewed this ARC**

	I loved this book! It was a nice change to read about a family trying to learn how to get along. The mystery itself was really good, although I did figure it out pretty easily. Courtney and Kyle were absolutely hilarious. I was laughing during every scene they were in.

My Manicure: Wow. If you had told me a year ago that I would do a neutral manicure and love it, I would've thought you were crazy. But, although I still love my glitter/holo/multichrome manicures, I'm starting to love a nice, neutral look. I started out with a base of Zoya April, then topped it with Zoya Matte Velvet topcoat. Then I stamped it with Shany SH08 and Bundle Monster Arabica. How cute is that puppy face?

~Kelly

Nail Crazies Unite - Blue and White

**Nothing to Disclose**

Ugh, winter is here. So, my blue and white nails are snowy nails since that is our forecast for the next few days. I started with ORLY Royal Navy. Every time I pull this one out I wonder why I don't wear it more often. I still haven't figured out the answer to that one. Then I stamped with WInstonia Have a Merry Xmas and Bundle Monster Bam! White. Cute, simple, and very fitting for the weather we are having.

~Kelly

My Nails and My Book Review - Bell, Book & Candlemas by Jennifer David Hesse

**NetGalley**

Title: Bell, Book & Candlemas

Series:  Wiccan Wheel Mystery #2

Author: Jennifer David Hesse

Goodreads Summary: A new year has barely begun and Edindale, Illinois, family law attorney Keli Milanni already has her hands full at work. But her private practice—as a Wiccan—may cause her worlds to collide…

The Wiccan holiday of Candlemas is right around the corner, but when vandals target New Age gift shop Moonstone Treasures, the mood is far from festive. Frightening threats and accusations of witchcraft aimed at the owner have some Wiccan patrons calling it a hate crime. And when things escalate to murder, the community turns to Keli…

As a friend and customer, Keli wants to help. But there’s one problem: she’s fiercely private about her religion. How can she stop the harassment, not to mention catch a killer, while keeping her faith hidden from her colleagues, clients, and her promising—and long awaited—new boyfriend? At a time meant to banish darkness, will Keli have to choose between risking the spotlight and keeping her beliefs locked in the proverbial broom closet? Or will she call on her deepest convictions to conjure the perfect path?...

My Review: **I voluntarily reviewed this ARC**

I love the mysteries in this series, but Keli bothers me a bit. Even though she claims to have no issues with Christianity, I keep feeling like she does have issues with it. Plus she keeps saying she wants to be able to talk to her friends about being Wiccan, but is afraid they won't like her once they know. If they don't like her because of it, they weren't truly her friends to begin with. Ok, now that my mini rant is over, I'd like to restate the fact that it is a really good mystery. There is lots going on with a bunch of great suspects, and some funny scenes to balance out the suspense.

My Manicure: Ok, this one was a bit hard for me. I really don't know much about Wicca, and trying to look up symbols didn't help me much. I ended up going with candles because it seems that candles are commonly used during spells. I started with a base of Zoya Marina, then stamped using Bundle Monster H20 and So Metal.

~Kelly

My Nails and My Book Review - Scheduled to Death by Mary Feliz

**NetGalley**

Title: Scheduled to Death

Series:  Maggie McDonald Mystery #2

Author:  Mary Feliz

Goodreads Summary: Professional organizer Maggie McDonald has a knack for cleaning up other people’s messes. So when the fiancée of her latest client turns up dead, it’s up to her to sort through the untidy list of suspects and identify the real killer.
 
Maggie McDonald is hoping to raise the profile of her new Orchard View organizing business via her first high-profile client. Professor Lincoln Sinclair may be up for a Nobel Prize, but he’s hopeless when it comes to organizing anything other than his thoughts. For an academic, he’s also amassed more than his share of enemies. When Sinclair’s fiancée is found dead on the floor of his home laboratory — electrocuted in a puddle of water—Maggie takes on the added task of finding the woman’s murderer. To do so, she’ll have to outmaneuver the suspicious, obnoxious police investigator she’s nicknamed “Detective Awful” before a shadowy figure can check off the first item on their personal to-do list — Kill Maggie McDonald.

My Review: **I voluntarily reviewed this ARC**

	This book was amazing, but just a teensy bit darker than I typically like. It was pretty much nonstop action, so the plot never dragged. I haven't read the first book in this series, but I had no trouble following the story.

My Manicure: This one was a tricky one to figure out. I ended up loosely basing it on my planner, since a simple step to become more organized is to use a planner. I started out with a base of Finger Paints Of Quartz You Can, then stamped with Bundle Monster + paulinaspassions and Straight Up Black. I'm really loving the simplicity of this one.

~Kelly

26 Great Nail Art Ideas - Red and Pink

**Nothing to Disclose**

I feel like I took the lazy way out on this one, but every other red and pink idea I could think of was Valentine's themed, and I know I will be needing those later. So, pink with a red rose. I started out with three coats of OPI Chic From Ears to Tail, and it still ended up a streaky mess. Then I used a rose vinyl from Whats Up Nails and Zoya Renee for the rose. I used the small rose and ended up skipping the leaves because it didn't fit on my nail. But I love how easy this was, and it is a nice look.

~Kelly

My Nails and My Book Review - Temple of Indra's Jewel by Rachael Stapleton

**Press Sample**

Title: Temple of Indra's Jewel

Series: Time-Traveling Bibliophile #1

Author: Rachel Stapleton

Goodreads Summary: This Librarian is Just Killing Time…Travel

Sophia Marcil loves her grandmother’s twisted tales almost as much as the sapphire ring passed down to her. Wearing it, however, could be her downfall. After slipping the jewel onto her finger she is pushed from a cliff—landing splat in the middle of 19th Century Monaco, where a killer plot to seize the throne could consume her entire future—past and present. Sophia believes she’s being forced into an eccentric millionaire’s dinner theatre but a hidden diary, a secret passage and a whispered conversation reveal to her that the role of a princess is not all fun and games. With the help of a man from outside the palace walls, Sophia undertakes a spellbinding journey straight out of a Grimm tale. Learning the gem’s secrets and the powerful curse behind it are only the beginning. With time and the constant threat of death hanging over her, she must take a page out of her own history to hunt down someone who isn't killing by the book. Can she do it before she’s checked out for good?

My Review: **I voluntarily reviewed this ARC**

Wow! That was such a unique book. It did get a bit complicated and hard to follow at times, but it does all come together by the end. The "who" in the past was definitely a shocker. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more of this series.

My Manicure: I love it when I have an excuse to use one of my favorite polishes. Since the book centers around a purple sapphire, it made perfect sense to use KBShimmer Royal to a Fault. Then I stamped a diamond on it with Mash 54 and Bundle Monster So Metal to represent it being cut to fit in a jewelry set. So pretty.

~Kelly

My Nails and My Book Review - Something Foul at Sweetwater by Sandra Bretting

**NetGalley**

Title: Something Foul at Sweetwater

Series: Missy DuBois #2

Author: Sandra Bretting

Goodreads Summary: Louisiana hat maker Miss DuBois is making a name for herself veiling Southern brides-to-be with her sophisticated designs. She’s also gaining a reputation for unveiling murderers . . .

Missy is shocked when she sees the asking price for the Sweetwater mansion . . . in a good way. With business thriving at Crowning Glory, it would be nice to set up shop surrounded by alabaster columns and gleaming mahogany. The Southern connections only deepen when it turns out the real estate agent is Mellette Babineaux, a college classmate and sorority sister. But when Missy drags her best friend Bo along to the mansion for a second look, they barely make it past the live oaks before they discover Mellette’s dead body in a shed. Now, for the sake of her college friend, Missy finds herself investigating everyone from a superstitious Cajun caretaker to a Rolls Royce-driving billionaire—and finding that lots of closet space can mean lots of skeletons, too . . .

My Review: **I voluntarily reviewed this ARC**

This was a good book, but the mystery felt a little too easy. There was a distinct lack of suspects, which made it fairly simple to pick out the murderer. Other than that, I really enjoyed this book. The author has a way with words that just paints a gorgeous picture. I also had fun with all the little southern sayings sprinkled through the book.

My Manicure: So for this one, I went with a bridal veil/lace type look. I started out with a base of Zoya Sue to give it a nice neutral background. Then I stamped with Bundle Monster + Nailstamp4fun and Bam! White. I really don't know why my middle finger is being a brat, I'm guessing maybe the patch is messing with things. 

~Kelly

Nail Crazies Unite - Gold + Silver

**Nothing to Disclose**

Well that ended up a little blingier than I thought it would. My poor camera couldn't even focus properly on it. I started out with a base of Zoya Tilly, then stamped with Bundle Monster + paulinaspassions and Heart of Gold. I probably took the prompt a little too literally. It ended up a bit muddled together. But I am super proud of the nail patch on my middle finger. I seriously can't even tell it is there. After the fiasco with my original bottle of resin, I picked up a small bottle of brush on resin. Oh my gosh it is so much easier to use! And it should also reduce the risk of gluing my fingers (or hands) together.

~Kelly

My Nails and My Book Review - Dead Cold Brew by Cleo Coyle

**NetGalley**

Title: Dead Cold Brew

Series: Coffeehouse Mystery #16

Author: Cleo Coyle

Goodreads Summary: From Cleo Coyle, the New York Times bestselling author of Dead to the Last Drop, comes a gripping new entry in the Coffeehouse Mystery series.
THE PERFECT PROPOSAL LEADS TO A CHILLING COLD CASE...
 
Coffeehouse manager Clare Cosi sheds tears of joy when her NYPD detective boyfriend surprises her with an engagement ring. But her bridal bliss is put on hold when a chilling mystery brings a wave of deadly danger to those she holds dear...
 
After everything Clare and Mike have been through, they deserve a little bit of happily ever after. So when Mike decides to put a ring on Clare's finger, Clare's eccentric octogenarian employer is there to help. She donates the perfect coffee-colored diamonds to include in the setting and the name of a world-famous jeweler who happens to be an old family friend. But while the engagement is steeped in perfection, the celebration is not long lived.

First, a grim-faced attorney interrupts their party with a mysterious letter bequeathing a strange, hidden treasure to Clare's daughter. Next, the renowned jeweler who designed Clare's ring is found poisoned in his shop. Both events appear to be connected to a cold case murder involving a sunken ship, an Italian curse, a suspiciously charming jewel thief, and a shocking family secret. With deadly trouble brewing, Clare must track down clues in some of New York's most secret places before an old vendetta starts producing fresh corpses.

My Review: **I voluntarily reviewed this ARC**

I'm having some mixed feelings about this one. Overall it was a really good book, but the police shooter subplot bothered me. I just feel like it was a little too real, and kind of bad timing with all the police shootings in the news. Other than that I really enjoyed the book. It had so many emotions and twists in it.

My Manicure: Coffee! I love coffee! So, obviously, a coffee shop book means coffee nails. I started with Philly Loves Lacquer 2 AM Coffee Run. Yup, even the base polish is coffee themed. Then I stamped with MoYou London Cookbook 3 and Bundle Monster Annato Clay. I think I accidentally went a little too matchy-matchy on the stamping, but I do still like the look.

~Kelly

My Nails and My Book Review - Glow of Death by Jane K. Cleland

**NetGalley**

Title: Glow of Death

Series: Josie Prescott Antiques Mystery #11

Author: Jane K. Cleland

Goodreads Summary: As a warm ocean breeze ruffles the tall grass along Rocky Point's sandy dunes, Josie Prescott visits the house of a wealthy local couple, Edwin and Ava Belcher. She's been called in to appraise their Tiffany lamp, which everyone is delighted to find is genuine.

Josie's good friend, Police Chief Ellis Hunter, is helping prepare for her annual Fourth of July barbeque when he gets a call that Ava has been murdered. Unable to reach Edwin, Ellis asks Josie to identify the body.
Josie is stunned to discover that the dead woman lying on the Belcher kitchen floor is not the woman she knew as Ava. Astonishment turns to shock when Josie discovers that everything she thought she knew about the Tiffany lamp and the Belchers has been built on lies.

Readers will delight in spending time in Rocky Point as these much-loved characters come together to solve a dastardly crime in the Glow of Death, a masterful addition to Jane Cleland's Josie Prescott series. In this cunning and twisty tale of envy, greed, and revenge, Josie uses her knowledge of antiques to learn the truth about the priceless Tiffany lamp-and to discover Ava's killer.

My Review: **I voluntarily reviewed this ARC**

This was a good book, but at times it felt like it dragged a little. The mystery was well written and very complicated. It was interesting to learn about antique appraisal and how many variables there are. I did feel slightly disconnected from the characters, but I think that's because I haven't read any other books in the series.

My Manicure: I'm going to start this out by apologizing for my poor middle finger. I'll explain what happened later, but trust me when I'm amazed I even got it looking halfway decent. So for this one, I was inspired by the design of the Tiffany lamp. The description of how the glass seems to change color fascinated me, so I grabbed KBShimmer Royal to a Fault as my base since it has a blue/purple shift. Then I stamped a stained glass pattern with Bundle Monster BM-208 and So Metal. I wanted to do black to make it look a little more authentic, but I was afraid it wouldn't pop very much.

Ok, now for the nail story. I was helping out putting the Christmas decorations away when my nail felt really weird. I had been wearing acrygel to help prevent my nail from breaking (it had a small break starting really low). Well, it turns out I ripped part of my nail almost the whole way off. It was far enough down that I can't even cut it far enough down, so I trimmed it and went to patch it. And of course the resin decided to clog. So I'm trying to hold the tip of my nail in place where while attempting to unclog my resin. I ended up applying two layers of silk wrap and resin to hopefully keep my nail from breaking again. It definitely isn't pretty, but at least I have a tiny bit of length left.

~Kelly

My Nails and My Book Review - The Elusive Elixer by Gigi Pandian

**NetGalley**

Title: The Elusive Elixer

Series: An Accidental Alchemist Mystery #3

Author: Gigi Pandian

Goodreads Summary: Dorian Robert-Houdin, the three-and-a-half-foot gargoyle chef who fancies himself a modern-day Poirot, is slowly turning into stone, and it’s up to Zoe Faust to unravel the alchemical secrets that can save him. When they discover that a long-lost stone gargoyle with a connection to Dorian has reappeared in Europe, the stakes are even higher. From Portland to Paris, Zoe searches for the hidden knowledge she needs, but a cold case that harkens back to 1942 throws her off course. With an ailing friend desperately trying to discover his own elixir of life and a new romantic interest offering the first chance at love she’s had in nearly a century, Zoe is torn between a dangerous form of alchemy and her desire for a safer life.

My Review: **I voluntarily reviewed this ARC**

Wow this was a unique book! Alchemy, murder, and a gargoyle who thinks he is Poirot? Crazy, but it works. It is the third book in the series, but I had no trouble following along. I had so much fun reading this book, and I can't wait to catch up on the series.

My Manicure: This was a tricky one to figure out. First I had to find a base that looked elixery. Then I needed to find a design that looked sciencey. I ended up with a base of Zoya Olivera. The shiftyness made me think of a magic potion. Then I stamped it with Bundle Monster H23 and So Metal.

~Kelly

My Nails and My Book Review - A Fatal Twist by Tracy Weber

**NetGalley**

Title: A Fatal Twist

Series: Downward Dog Mystery #4

Author: Tracy Weber

Goodreads Summary: Yoga instructor Kate Davidson’s life takes a chaotic turn once she agrees to not only be the doula for her pregnant best friend, but also play foster mother to two puppies. The chaos only gets worse when Kate finds the dead body of a philandering fertility doctor and Rachel, one of her yoga students, fleeing the scene. 

Kate is convinced her student is innocent, and she sets out to find the real killer before her testimony condemns Rachel to a life behind bars. But her hands are full with caring for three dogs, teaching yoga classes, and gaining an unexpected crime-solving partner. If she’s not careful, Kate’s next yoga pose may be a fatal one.

My Review: **I voluntarily reviewed this ARC**

I've obviously missed a lot by skipping books two and three, but I was still able to follow the story. I was slightly disappointed that Kate didn't have more character growth. I did find pregnant Rene completely hilarious, and the puppy antics sounded very familiar. But there are also some very real issues addressed in this book, and it was interesting to see how that was woven in with the humor.

My Manicure: I decided to keep this one simple. I started with Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer Pink Sugar Sunsets with an accent of Ever After Polish Yum Yum. My thumb is actually painted with Lou It Yourself E Ho'i Mai, but there was no way to fit it into the picture without a horribly awkward pose. But, you still get to see the polish since it is what I used on the pendant I'm holding. The pink and blue are for the babies and puppies in the book. The pendant ties in, too, but also has a personal meaning. In the book, the mother of one of the characters had Alzheimer's. E Ho'i Mai is actually an Alzheimer's awareness polish, and the hummingbird on it is for Grammy (my grandmother).

~Kelly