Kelsey Cambridge is the director of Barton Farms and is dedicated to preserving history. Right now she's having to deal with a pushy wedding planner, Vianna Pine, who is planning the wedding of her ex-husband Eddie and his fianceé Krissie. She's fighting Kelsey at every turn, who refuses to change anything about the farm to please Krissie - whom, she's told times over, gets what she wants. Krissie's parents are wealthy, and she's their only child, so this is pretty much true.

What she's fighting about now is putting lights in the bell tower of the church, which Kelsey has told Vianna no since it's unstable up there. But when Vianna's body is found below the church, and Kelsey sees someone running away, it's apparent it wasn't an accident. Now both Eddie and Kelsey's friend Benji want Kelsey to prove their respective loves innocent, and unfortunately, she just might have to do so if she's going to save her job and her beloved farm....

I was torn between liking and hating this book. I have always liked the history angle of the farm, but I absolutely cannot stand Krissie, who was worse than a bridezilla. She was a blackmailer (yes), and if I were Kelsey, I wouldn't allow my child to spend a single minute in her company - and would have no hesitation in telling Eddie nor an attorney or judge of Krissie's 'hobby.' Also, what kind of people threaten to take away a mother's child if she doesn't "toe the line" with them? I honestly had a hard time getting through this book because of her.

When the characters aren't likable, it makes for a difficult read (unless said unlikable character is the murder victim). Unfortunately, Krissie isn't. But the mystery itself was done well with plenty of suspects, and I was surprised at the murderer, since there weren't any clues leading to the killer. I would have at least liked to have something to look for, but they were practically non-existent.

In the end, at least Kelsey is coming to an understanding of who she wants to be, which is a good thing, and it might help her become more human in the long run. When the killer is discovered and everything is put together, one understands how unhinged people can become when they allow their pasts to stand in the way of their future - which is exactly what Kelsey has been doing all this time.

Kelsey is made to host her ex-husbands wedding at Barton Farm. Having to deal with all the brides demands doesn’t make it any easier, then throw in a murder to solve and Kelsey had her hands full.
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The Final Vow is the 3rd book in Amanda Flower's A Living History Museum series. Kelsey Cambridge has been told that she has to hosts her ex-husband's wedding along with her other duties as Museum Director. There many twists and turns to finding the real murderer. In fact, when I was reading I really thought it was someone else until the end. I would love to give you a spoiler but I won't because I think you need to read the book yourself.

This is a new cozy mystery series and author I have not read. I loved the attention to detail in the description of the the various building in the living museum. The plot line along with the characters were well developed and I could picture how each person looked and dressed.

It was fun. I was surprised at first how involved Kelsey, as museum director of Barton Farm, was in the wedding process. But since it's the Cherry Foundation pulling the strings, I quickly saw why it was important for this to work out!

This is the third in the Museum Mystery series by Amanda Flower. I do recommend the entire series however this book can be read as a stand alone, Our protagonist is Kelsey Cambridge who is helping prepare for a wedding in a beautiful church. Unfortunately a murder occurs and our protagonist is on the case. The sleuth is exciting and well crafted. The characters are perfection and I enjoy the plot that is very fast paced.
This is a wonderful series and I look forward to the next in series.

This is the third installment in the Living History Museum series and my favorite so far. It is an easy enjoyable entertaining read which is what a cozy mystery should be. Granted, there is a lot going on at this historic farm, but it is a unique and interesting setting. I am looking forward to more in this series and to experiencing her other books as well.

I have enjoyed this series that take place at a living museum. It makes me feel like I have visited the museum, but am glad not to under the circumstances that Kelsey finds Vianna under. Kelsey has her hands full with Vianna and her ideas for a wedding on the grounds, but when Kelsey finds Vianna dead, she realizes she has to find out what has happened so that the museum is not negatively affected.
I appreciated how Kelsey was able to handle herself under the circumstances and think that she has a really exciting job.
I received a copy of the book from the publisher to read and review.

I really wanted to like this series, I need a strong female protagonist that yes has her moments of self doubt but she gets over it and pulls herself up and moves on with her life.

This is number three in a series – and I so wish I had read the first two, well, first. I totally dug the storyline: Kelsey Cambridge, historical farm director gets herself embroiled in a murder mystery. And I dug the characters: bridezilla, jerky ex, perky assistant, grouchy good old boys club, Wonder Woman wedding planner, and uber-supportive wannabe boyfriend. But I struggled to empathize with them, because I didn’t get to know them deeply enough. I almost felt my heartbeat faster when things got a little dicey for Kelsey, but for the most part I was on an even keel, just watching the events unfold but not really feeling them.

I think I need to read number four though. Now that I’ve been introduced to Kelsey et al, I need to see where the romances go, how the Cherry Foundation decides to proceed, and if ringing the bell makes it into daily rotation at Barton Farm. By the end, I was invested, and now I need more!

https://randombookmuses.com/2017/05/29/review-the-final-vow-by-amanda-flower/

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2014151346

Book three in the Living History Museum Mystery series by Amanda Flower is The Final Vow. I had not read any of the previous books but had no trouble following this one. Kelsey is in charge of the Barton Farm and is hosting her ex-husband's wedding. Bride Krissie is a handful and extremely demanding. When her wedding planner is found dead, Krissie is among the suspects. The setting for the book was good. I could not convince myself to like the main character, Kelsey. At times she is a complete pushover and at other times a bully. I would read another book in the series to see if this character flaw was a one-time thing.

The setting-A historical museum farm
The plot-The Bridezilla or not/ The over the top wedding planner
The victim-The wedding planner
The mystery-who dun it/why

All the components of a good Cozy Mystery. I enjoyed the plot. I liked the setting.

The author did a great job of making the reader feel they were a part of the historical farm.

I enjoyed Kelsey and her reactions to all the chaos surrounding the pending wedding of her ex-husband.

After the wedding planner literally falls to her death Kelsey is stuck finishing the last minute details.
Kelsey jumps into trouble and butts heads with the detective who happens to be Kelsey's current boyfriends when she investigates on her own who might have been involved in the death of the wedding planner.

This was a fast paced story filled with twists and turns
and a surprise ending.

This is a cozy mystery. There is no language,graphic crime or nudity. Parents may wish to preview before allowing young adults to read.

I received a complimentary copy from Great Escape Book Tours.

Krissie dreamed about being a June bride and Krissie got what she wanted. Kelsey had met Krissie one year ago. Kelsey had a notebook that deleted all the things she needed to do in every aspect of her life from running the Barton Farm - a living history museum to raising her six year old son Hayden. Kelsey had learned in the last three months planning Krissie’s wedding that it was always better to collect herself before she responded. Benji was Kelsey’s assistant and he told Krissie all would be fine at her wedding and there would be Civil War reenactors and even Abe Lincoln. Kelsey was surprised when Benji said that Kelsey could meet him tomorrow. Krissie was marrying Kelsey’s ex husband. Other than raising her son, saving Barton Farm and all that it could teach people about the past Kelsey’s life mission. Laura’s theory was Krissy stole Kelsey’s ex husband Eddie now she was after Kelsey’s life work. Eddie had an affair with a married woman when he was with Kelsey. Kelsey’s best friend and farm employee within was Laura. Laura was always dramatic. Eddie had hired Krissie as a physical therapist at his P T practice and then they started dating. Krissie was eight years younger than Eddie and as far as Kelsey was concerned Krissie could have Eddie. Kelsey tries to figure people out. There had been murders on the farm grounds and Kelsey almost lost the farm and her son over them. Kelsey’s boyfriend was Chase . Kelsey’s mom died when she was a teen. Kelsey was the director of the farm and had been for the last four years. Someone had signed a directive to the gardener and signed Kelsey’s name and she wasn’t happy about it.
I just couldn’t connect with this story.It did also drag for me. It also didn’t really hold my attention, I am sure others will love this. This story just wasn’t for me.

Amanda Flower has struck gold once again with the third (and final, I believe) installment of the Living History Museum series. Chaos is reigning once again at Barton Farms. With attack chickens, a bridezilla, and a tipsy Abraham Lincoln this book is part murder mystery and part comedy and an all around fun read!

I’m not sure how Amanda Flower is able to take things that sooo don’t belong together (see above) and put them together to make perfect sense. I’m glad she is able to because her books are a delight to read. Her characters are quirky yet realistic and the situations they are put in are sometimes so off the wall you don’t know how they can handle it. Somehow they do and the result is hilarious and heartwarming.

The murder mystery aspect of the book is well done. I was left guessing until the end as to who the murderer was. I had no clue and was surprised at the reveal. I love that Amanda can keep you guessing and on your toes as to who the bad guy (or gal) is.

Knowing that this is the last installment of the series I was happy that the storyline between Kelsey and Chase has closure. I will miss these characters and am hoping that perhaps one day we can make a return trip to Barton Farms and see how everyone is doing.

If you like cozy mysteries then be sure to pick up this one. It is a good read and you won’t want to miss out on it. Don’t worry if you haven’t read the first two books in the series as this can be read as a standalone. I would recommend the first two books though as they are just as fun as this one!

I received a free copy of this book and was not required to write a review. All opinions are mine.

Dollycas’s Thoughts
Barton Farm’s picturesque church is the perfect place for a summer wedding but the next wedding on the calendar is not one Kelsey Cambridge is looking forward to. The wedding planner Vianna Pine is a perfectionist but Kelsey can handle that, it the bridezilla she can do without. Krissie Pumpernickel, her ex’s fiancee is driving both Kelsey and Vianna crazy with her demands. Going so far as to ask the the flowers be removed from the gardens because they draw insects and have lights strung up the steeple. Vianna is bending over backwards to please her client but Kelsey has to think of safety and the farm’s credibility first, no matter what sort of tantrum Krissey throws.

When Kelsey is notified that there is a dead body by the church she hustles over to find it is Vianna. This sends the wedding, the wedding couple, and the bride’s family into a tailspin. They are more concerned about their special day than the dead wedding planner. Her death could mean that Barton Farm could be shutdown. Everyone including the board of trustees turns to Kelsey to solve their problems. They expect her to pick up where Vianna left off with the wedding, save the farm and find the killer since the police seem to think Krissey makes a pretty good suspect. Will the church bells be ringing or will the bride be behind bars??

Amanda Flower brings on the drama in this 3rd Living History Museum Mystery.

Kelsey Cambridge has the patience of a Saint. Single mom, manager of Barton Farm, Eddie’s ex, meaning she has to stay on his and Krissey’s good side because they are rumbling about changing the custody arrangement, friend, daughter, girlfriend, amateur sleuth. She is juggling all these balls in the air and now we add wedding planner. When does this woman sleep? She also does all this with a smile on her face 99% of the time.

The characters in this series are so well crafted. They do leap off the page. The staff at the farm has each other’s back. They work well together and try to protect each other. At least most of them. We saw a different side of Eddie, he truly loves the woman he is marrying. Krissie, while not my favorite character by a mile brought so much to this story. She was almost beyond the term bridezilla. It is a diverse cast of characters and they are all very interesting and truly entertaining. I loved the addition of the Abraham Lincoln reenactor, played by a man who is a little to fond of alcohol. Krissie loved him too. It was a small part but he and Krissie’s reactions made me giggle.

As I said the story is full of drama including a terrifying twist at the end. There were so many turns throughout the story that as the story reached its peak I was totally surprised. The plot was very strong. In addition to the murder mystery some artifacts have gone missing from the museum’s storage. This means law enforcement spends a lot of time there. The pace of the story was very steady until the reveal, then my heart was beating rapidly and invisible steam was coming out of Kindle as I was quickly flipping pages.

For me this book was another Perfect Escape. Each story tops the one before. I can’t wait for the next installment.

When I saw this book advertised, I had to pick it up because I am in totally love with Amanda Flower’s Magical Bookshop Mystery Series. If that series is so awesome, this one has to be good too, right? That was my logic going into the book and Flower doesn’t disappoint.

The Final Vow is the third book in the Living History Museum Mystery Series. It follows museum director, Kelsey Cambridge through her adventures attempting to manage a living history farm, be a Mom, and try to keep all other areas of her life on track. And, of course, murder keeps crossing her path. Here are my top three reasons why you should pick up this book.

It is a setting you’ll fall in love with.

The book takes place at Barton Farm, an old world throwback living history farm in the Cuyahoga Valley of Ohio. The imagery painted throughout the pages of this book makes you long for a trip to this peaceful farm setting (without a murder, of course).

There is a kid in the book!

I don’t know if it’s just the mom in me or what, but I always have to give the author a little virtual fist bump when there is a child written into a cozy mystery. Kids are a normal part of life, but we don’t see them in a lot of cozies. I understand they are not as easy to write into the storyline, but this book does a wonderful job of it and I love the relationship between Kelsey and her son, Hayden.

You’ll laugh out loud. A lot.

From the drunken Abraham Lincoln impersonator, to sheep in the visitor center, to an over the top bridezilla. There was never a shortage of laugh out loud moments woven into these pages that will keep you entertained for hours.

If you enjoy a good mystery, full of romance, humor, and wit, then The Final Vow is one for you!

I had not realized that this was the third book in a series when I started it. And it really doesn't matter as I think anything from previous story lines that I needed to know were toouched on enough that I didn't lose anything. Also, the reflections on previous books was not so overbearing that I felt I was being forced to read several novels at once.

Kelsey is the director of a living heritage museum that includes a farm and period village. To help supplement the income from normal tourists, part of the village is also available to rent for private functions. In this case, Bridezilla wants to use the chapel and wants everything done the way she wants it done no matter what the museum rules are.

Wedding planner Vianna is stuck in the middle between the bride and Kelsey as she tries to find compromises. Until she dies. At first blush, it could have been an accident, but we all know since we are reading a mystery that is is murder! And, as it turns out, there are many with a motive who might want to see Vianna dead.

Just to add to Kelsey's problems, the groom is her ex-husband, historic items have been stolen, and the sheep get out of their pen and go into the visitor's center (which apparently has automatic doors). All things she has to deal with in the course of the book.

This was very entertaining. I can't say that it is a book I will long ponder, but it is a great book to read while sitting in a beach or deck chair whiling away the time this summer.

Twists and turns I didn't expect while trying to figure out who the killer was and why it was Vianna.

So that is my "tag line" for this cozy mystery that took me through a few different emotions because I felt for Kelsey having to deal with her ex getting remarried where she works to someone that is a spoiled person and expects everything to be done her way. Kelsey put up with a lot and on top of that has to figure out who killed Vianna and why. I honestly never suspected the character that killed her but the "why" made sense. Kelsey also has walls up after her marriage to the ex and it makes it harder for her to move on with other relationships - hopefully she and Chase can work things out.

I do enjoy this series - the writing keeps me hooked, the historical side and even the humor.

Final vow is the third book in a series of hidtory and mystery.Although I did not read the previous two books that contsin the same charscters it csn be read on itd oen as we get plenty of background informstion about the characters do it is not a disadvantagr snd by doing so means it can be bought on its own and does not get stale or boring if you do not wsnt to read the ehole series.
Its sn eady read with a good plot thst kerps you guessing sll the time ad it vers into different directions which kerps you on the efge of your seat.
New and interesting characters are introduced which you will either hate or love.Buy the book to read more.

If an author is to ever conclude a series, I hope the read this book first. Amanda Flower concluded one of my favorite cozy mystery series with the perfect book, the suspense was top notch. I was driven to tears in a few spots but only because of the beauty of the scene, or the what-if moment of death.

THE FINAL VOW by Amanda Flower
The Third Living History Museum Mystery

With the fear of losing funding for the museum and custody of her son, Kelsey Cambridge has to put a smile on her face and play nice with her ex-husband's bridezilla and the wedding planner from hell. While she has to attempt to appease the women, Kelsey will not risk safety at Barton Farm and adamantly denies putting lights in the church's steeple. Yet Jason comes rushing to Kelsey's door saying he saw lights in the steeple and, when he went to check it out, a dead woman's body on the ground. Who was attempting to string lights after hours in defiance of Kelsey's edict? Was it an accident? Or did the shadow in the window indicate murder?

The importance of family continues to be the prominent theme of the Living History Museum Family. Above all else, Hayden is Kelsey's primary concern. Her son's life and maintaining custody of him is what makes her do things she would never otherwise do-like host her ex-husband's wedding or investigate a murder. Yet, for better or worse, she is forced to do both.

THE FINAL VOW is a character driven mystery that explores the concept of family. A multitude of motives provide readers with several viable suspects and a variety of paths to explore as preparations for the wedding march on. With drama and humor Amanda Flowers provides readers with another enjoyable read.