My Nails and My Book Review - It's Your Party, Die If You Want To by Vickie Fee

**NetGalley**

Title: It's Your Party, Die If You Want To

Series: Liv and Di in Dixie #2

Author: Vickie Fee

Goodreads Summary: Between a riverboat gambler-theme engagement party and a murder mystery dinner for charity, Dixie, Tennessee, party planner Liv McKay is far too frenzied to feel festive. Add to the mix her duties at the annual businesswomen’s retreat and the antics of a celebrity ghost-hunting diva, and Liv’s schedule is turning out to be the scariest thing about this Halloween—especially when the ladies stumble across a dead body in a cemetery…

Morgan Robison was a party girl with a penchant for married men and stirring up a cauldron of drama. Any number of scorned wives or frightened philanderers could be behind her death. As Liv and her best friend, Di, set out to dig up the truth, they’ll face the unexpected and find their efforts hampered by a killer with one seriously haunting vendetta…

My Review: **I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review**

Loved it! I really can't put my finger on what exactly I loved about it, but there is just something about it. There are a wide variety of characters, and plenty of quirkiness. There was a nice, cozy southerness to the setting that makes me want to move there. The mystery was a typical “which of the many people that hated the victim killed her” types, but the whodunit was a bit more interesting than most, and I adored the reveal.

My Manicure: So, the major party planning that Liv has to do is plan a huge fundraising Halloween party. Obviously, my mind went "YAY! Halloween nails!" I started out with a base of Sally Hansen Silk Onyx, which is one of their Satin Glam polishes from a few years ago. That awesome satin/matte finish my nails have? That is how this polish dries. This gave me a Halloweenish color base without it being as harsh as straight up black, and it isn't orange (I don't get along well with orange). The stamping is all from MoYou London Festive 15 and Pure Ice Silver Star. Just as a quick summary, from thumb to pinky the images are - cobwebs, skeleton, "Halloween", haunted house, and bats.

~Kelly

My Nails and My Book Review - Murder in G Major by Alexia Gordon

**NetGalley**

Title: Murder in G Major

Series: Gethsemane Brown Mystery #1 

Author: Alexia Gordon

Goodreads Summary: With few other options, African-American classical musician Gethsemane Brown accepts a less-than-ideal position turning a group of rowdy schoolboys into an award-winning orchestra. Stranded without luggage or money in the Irish countryside, she figures any job is better than none. The perk? Housesitting a lovely cliffside cottage. The catch? The ghost of the cottage's murdered owner haunts the place. Falsely accused of killing his wife (and himself), he begs Gethsemane to clear his name so he can rest in peace. Gethsemane's reluctant investigation provokes a dormant killer and she soon finds herself in grave danger. As Gethsemane races to prevent a deadly encore, will she uncover the truth or star in her own farewell performance?

My Review: **I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review**

I chose this book without paying much attention to the description. I saw it was a music based mystery, and went “Ooh, gotta read.” Not always the smarted way to pick a book, but it totally paid off this time. This wasn't just music and mystery, it was also Ireland and paranormal, with tons and tons of sarcasm. The only downside was that I had Irish drinking songs stuck in my head the entire time I was reading it.

My Manicure: Ugh this one gave me so many problems. I tried so many times with my clear stamper and could not get it to pick up a decent image at all. So, I switched back to my Creative Shop stamper, and it picked up with absolutely no issue. The only problem is that I can't see to line up the image, so it ends up stamping funny. Plus I had to chop off my nails because the break finally grew out to where it was unpatchable, and I've never been super comfortable with my nails this short. I started out with three streaky, sloppy coats of China Glaze Dandy Lyin' Around (pretty color, horrific application). The stamping is done with Bundle Monster plate BM-411 and Sinful Colors Black on Black.

~Kelly

My Nails and My Book Review - A Catered Tea Party by Isis Crawford

**NetGalley**

Title: A Catered Tea Party

Series: Mystery With Recipes #12

Author: Isis Crawford

Goodreads Summary: Quiet Longely, New York, is abuzz with excitement over the opening of a revamped art complex—and catering sisters Bernie and Libby Simmons are helping put on an elaborate tea party for the opening night gala fundraiser. But when the billionaire behind the project drops dead, the Simmons sisters find themselves steeped in a whistling kettle of murder . . .

Everyone in Longely is talking about Blue House, an art complex that will bring the town a theater, an art gallery, and even a restaurant and coffee bar. But they’re less than enthusiastic about Ludvoc “Zeb” Zalinsky, the self-made billionaire who’s funding the complex—and rubbing everyone the wrong way. Bernie and Libby reluctantly agree to cater the Alice in Wonderland themed tea party he’s planned, but it quickly becomes clear that Zeb is madder than the hatter he’ll be dressed as . . .

The night of the benefit arrives and Westchester’s finest show up in droves, having paid $500 apiece to attend Zeb’s meticulously-orchestrated tea party. But just when it seems the production is going according to plan, Zeb lifts an electric tea kettle, clutches his chest, and falls to the floor in fittingly dramatic fashion. The kettle shorted out and his pacemaker malfunctioned—but it doesn’t take long for police to decide that this seemingly random accident was actually cold-blooded murder . . .

As Bernie and Libby set out to find the culprit, they realize Zeb might have had more enemies than money. With so many possible culprits to sort through, only one thing is clear: Zeb was poured a steaming cup of revenge—and a second serving may be on the menu… 

My Review: **I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review**

My feelings about this book are a bit complicated. It started off seriously bizarre, but that was to set up the fact that the victim was horrible, possibly insane, and that many people feel he deserved to die. So, even though it was strange, I didn't have a problem with it because it was necessary for the setup. It then jumped right into a twisty mystery that had a lot of potential. I was enjoying the book right up until the ending. It was overly complicated and didn't make much sense. I liked the main characters, although I could've done with less of the subplot of how much they hate their dad's girlfriend.

My Manicure: Tea party nails! Very loosely based on the cover, I went with a nice, pale green instead of blue, and stamped some cute desserts and teapots. I decided to try my Messy Mansion clear stamper 2.0, and I feel that I had a little more luck with it than their original clear stamper. I still had some very minor issues, but I felt it picked up a lot easier. I do wish it was a little squishier, the need to roll seems to distort the images slightly. The base color is Zoya Tiana, which was a little tricky to apply, but not the worst I've dealt with. The stamping was done with Pure Ice Silver Star and MoYou London Cookbbook 7 - a plate completely dedicated to tea parties. Could there be a better plate for this book?

~Kelly

My Nails and My Book Review - Death of a Pumpkin Carver by Lee Hollis

**NetGalley**

Title: Death of a Pumpkin Carver

Series: Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery #8

Author: Lee Hollis

Goodreads Summary: For Hayley Powell, food and cocktails columnist for the Island Times, Halloween is all about costume parties and holiday treats—until a killer crashes the party...

This Halloween, Hayley can’t imagine a worse trick than her ex-husband Danny returning to Bar Harbor. Her kids may be happy to see their dad, but Hayley’s determined not to be taken in by his charms, and suspects he’s in financial trouble—again.

Still, the haunted holiday is about to get a whole lot scarier after Danny’s moonshine-making uncle is found lying dead next to a tombstone in a cemetery—and Danny quickly becomes the prime suspect. To prove her ex is innocent, Hayley will have to dig deep into her own bag of tricks to unmask the real culprit . . . before anyone else—including her—ends up in the graveyard...

My Review: **I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review**

Poor Hayley has her hands full this Halloween. Her ex-husband is back in town, her daughter is working for her ex-boyfriend, and to top it off, she ends up stuck in the middle of yet another murder mystery. There are a couple minor story lines along with the murder, although the romance sub-plot seems to take over the story at times. Overall a nice, quick, easy read.

My Manicure: Is it fall yet? This summer has been ridiculously hot and humid, and even in September temps are in the 80s. I'm really looking forward to fall - the cooler weather, the decorating, the cute clothes, and of course pumpkin spice everything. Ok, back on topic, this book was just begging for a jack-o-lantern manicure. I mean, it's right there in the title. The base is China Glaze Sun Worshiper, a neon orange that is nearly impossible to apply nicely. I stamped using MoYou Festive 15 and Sinful Colors Black on Black. MoYou has this awesome thing where you can buy their plates with regular or XL images. With the regular size, I'd be lucky to fit the image on my nails and I'd have to watch the length of my nails. The downside to the XL images is that there are fewer images per plate, but the ability to stamp easier totally makes up for that. And they have the cutest packaging ever. Each plate comes in a sleeve decorated with the collection it is in.

My Nails and My Book Review - Death Among the Doilies by Mollie Cox Bryan

**NetGalley**

Title: Death Among the Doilies

Series: Cora Crafts Mystery #1

Author: Mollie Cox Bryan

Goodreads Summary: For thirty-something blogger Cora Chevalier, small-town Indigo Gap, North Carolina, seems like the perfect place to reinvent her life. Shedding a stressful past as a counselor for a women’s shelter, Cora is pouring all her talents—and most of her savings—into a craft retreat business, with help from close pal and resident potter Jane Starr. Between transforming her Victorian estate into a crafter’s paradise and babysitting Jane’s daughter, the new entrepreneur has no time for distractions. Especially rumors about the murder of a local school librarian . . .

But when Jane’s fingerprints match those found at the grisly crime scene, Cora not only worries about her friend, but her own reputation. With angry townsfolk eager for justice and both Jane’s innocence and the retreat at risk, she must rely on her creative chops to unlace the truth behind the beloved librarian’s disturbing demise. Because if the killer’s patterns aren’t pinned, Cora’s handiwork could end up in stitches . . .

My Review: **I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review**

At the beginning of the book, I really wasn't sure how I would like it. For a first in series, I was expecting more set up and less dive right into the middle of the story. After a few chapters I was able to follow along with the story, and really enjoyed it. The two main characters are both damaged, and are starting a craft retreat in hopes of being able to heal and start over. As usual, that dream is quickly shattered as things start going wrong before the retreat even starts. But mixed in with the chaos are some heartwarming bonding moments and character growth. The mystery was well written, with some twists and enough clues to give a fair chance at figuring out the murderer.

My Manicure: So this inspiration is doilies. Not only is it right there in the title, but doilies show up in the book, too. I thought the aqua would make a pretty base, not overly bold, but not too subtle. The fact that the cover has a similar shade really is just a coincidence (but I do wish I had planned it). The base is Bonita Dali's Memory. Then I stamped it with Zoya Purity and Pueen 28. I'm absolutely loving this look, and I had better luck with my clear stamper.

~Kelly

My Nails and My Book Review - A Most Curious Murder by Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli

**NetGalley**

Title: A Most Curious Murder

Series: Little Library Mystery #1

Author: Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli

Goodreads Summary: Jenny Weston moves home to Bear Falls, Michigan to nurse her bruised ego back to health after a bitter divorce. But the idyllic vision of her charming hometown crumbles when her mother's little library is destroyed.

The next door neighbor, Zoe Zola, a little person and Lewis Carroll enthusiast, suspects local curmudgeon Adam Cane, but when he's suddenly found dead in Zoe's fairy garden, all roads lead back to her. Jenny, however, believes Zoe innocent, so the two women team up to find the true culprit, investigating the richest family in Bear Falls, interrogating a few odd townspeople and delving into old, hidden transgressions--until another body turns up.

Inspired by Alice in Wonderland, Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli's quaint and compelling series debut A Most Curious Murder will delight cozy mystery readers new and old.

My Review: **I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review**

I was a bit disappointed by this book. As a first in series, it was a strong start, but at times it just felt a bit too muddled. This might have been intentional, since it has a lot of references to Alice in Wonderland. The first chapter also seemed a bit too depressing, dragging on and on while dwelling on two sad events. The mystery itself was interesting, and even though I had my suspicions, I was still surprised at the ending.

My Manicure: Fairies!!! I've been wanting an excuse to use my fairy images, and since Zoe has a fairy garden it was the perfect time to bust them out. I also picked up a clear stamper to try to help with my placement, and it helps, but there is a definite learning curve on it. Since the stamping surface is curved, it creates a lens effect that makes it hard to judge how far you are from the nail. But I do think this is the best placement I've had in a while. I used a base of Vapid Pegasus Poots, then used Pure Ice Silver Star and Winstonia W208.

~Kelly

My Nails and My Book Review - A Story to Kill by Lynn Cahoon

**NetGalley**

Title: A Story to Kill

Series: Cat Latimer Mystery #1

Author: Lynn Cahoon

Goodreads Summary: A new series from the author of the Tourist Trap Mysteries!

Former English professor Cat Latimer is back in Colorado, hosting writers’ retreats in the big blue Victorian she’s inherited, much to her surprise, from none other than her carousing ex-husband! Now it’s an authors’ getaway—but Cat won’t let anyone get away with murder…
The bed-and-breakfast is open for business, and bestselling author Tom Cook is among its first guests. Cat doesn’t know why he came all the way from New York, but she’s glad to have him among the quirkier—and far less famous—attendees.

Cat’s high school sweetheart Seth, who’s fixing up the weathered home, brings on mixed emotions for Cat…some of them a little overpowering. But it’s her uncle, the local police chief, whom she’ll call for help when there’s a surprise ending for Tom Cook in his cozy guest room. Will a killer have the last word on the new life Cat has barely begun?

My Review: **I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review**

Ooooh my gosh. Wow. Every time I thought I knew where the story was going – boom, plot twist. There was a whole lot going on throughout the entire story, but I had absolutely no trouble following everything. It was a really strong start to a brand new series, and the ending left me wanting book two to be out right now. Seriously, I have to know what happens next.

My Manicure: Ooooh this turned out so much better than Monday's manicure. My thought process for this was actually a bit amusing. She's running a writing retreat, and writes books. Ok, that's easy, books. Now, what should I do for the base? Hmmm, it's a murder mystery, I know - blood red! It's the obvious choice, isn't it? So, the base color is Cupcake Polish Blood Hound, and the camera can't capture the holo properly. The pinky is the only one showing any of the effect, and even that doesn't do the polish justice. The stamping is done with Pure Ice Silver Star and MJ JR-2.

~Kelly