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