This Regency romance released on November 7, 2017. I received an ARC copy and have been mulling over the review for two weeks. I love Mary Balogh.
Also, I loved this book. Full recommendation, five stars, all that jazz. When I write reviews, I sometimes comment on writing style, but I won’t for authors whose books I pick up without even reading the back cover blurb because it’s a non-issue. No complaints, only the highest of praise for Mary Balogh because she sets the romance bar higher than most.
I found that I could relate to the characters on a personal level, which is always such a hard thing to find in books. The romance was front and center, love scenes tasteful and unpredictable, and the story believable–even if it takes place before my grandparents were even born. Regency is actually not my favorite time period, but in this book it really doesn’t matter.
I don’t even know what else to say about the story. It’s superb. If I had a microphone, I’d give it to Mary Balogh so she could drop it.
To my blog readers, please note that I will always pick up titles by this author when they come into my view. I will always review them here when I have the opportunity, whether I’m given an ARC (as was the case with this particular title) or I run to the store to buy a copy myself. If you have a favorite title by this author, please do share!
If you’d like to read your own copy, head over to Amazon before Christmas shipping times get ridiculous! 😀 Of course, with a Kindle copy I suppose you can get around that.
Feather boas, strippers, and murder? Oh, my! After a busy few months, Private Investigator Barb Jackson is dreaming of a relaxing vacation with her hot man at her side…but her hopes of a little R&R are abruptly put on hold when an acquaintance from a past case, Cindy, comes to her in desperate need of help. Cindy is a dancer at the Double Trouble Gentlemen’s Club, a somewhat upscale club that caters to somewhat less-than-law-abiding men. Recently two of Cindy’s fellow dancers have been murdered. The police don’t have a clue who killed the girls or why—and as far as Barb can tell, don’t even really care. But with Cindy afraid the killer may strike again, Barb steps in to pick up where the police have left off. Even if her homicide detective boyfriend wishes she’d leave the murder investigations to him and stick to planning their getaway for two. Between an ex-boyfriend with a criminal past, a bouncer with a secret, and enough catty dancers to fill a scantily-clad lineup, Barb has suspects galore. But which one is targeting the ladies of Double Trouble…and just may do so again! Platform heels, outrageous costumes, and body glitter abound when Barb takes on the craziest case of her career!
This title is not a lone book. It is the Barb Jackson Mysteries Book 3, as a matter of fact. The first titles being Bubblegum Blonde and Illegally Blonde, in that order and all featuring Snow’s blonde (obviously) PI, Barb Jackson as the main focus. Jackson, although not a thing like me at all, in any way, is a character I found to be relatable enough and, in this book, the plot was entertaining.
Without giving too much away to other readers, I will say that the story is funny and even though the premise is serious, you wouldn’t really know that by the way it is bundled up and handed to the reader because when there is a relatively dire situation (strippers being murdered, for example), hilarity almost always immediately ensues. In many ways, this is a good thing–after all, I daresay loyal readers of the Barb Jackson Mysteries will appreciate this–but, also, for those looking for something a bit more realistic, I would suggest looking elsewhere. After all, this is not a drama, even if the title includes the word mysteries.
When giving my own personal recommendation for this book (and, I will), I am going to make the note now that I should warn readers that it’s a bit of a funny bone tickler, but should be a great read to have on hand when you want a cup of coffee and a blanket and to just shut the rest of the world out. It is not, however, something I would suggest reading in public because I found myself giggling through much of the story.
On a more personal note, I will read more from this author in the future, but will likely stay away from the funny mysteries for a little while because it just isn’t my typical thing–that is not to say I didn’t enjoy it. I truly did.
This Regency romance released on November 7, 2017. I received an ARC copy and have been mulling over the review for two weeks. I love Mary Balogh. 
Rhiannon Writes On 