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