Review: This book receives 5++++++ stars out of 5 stars! I absolutely fell in love with this story I didn't want to stop turning pages but then again I didn't want it to end. I felt like I could connect with all the main characters and feel their pain and their strength. I loved that it was largely focused around book lovers. There is mention of the everlasting TBR, literary quotes in the beginning of each chapter and so many references to books compared to life experiences. This book warmed my heart and made me proud to be a bibliophile, made me want to be a bibliotherapist, made me cry, had me on the edge of my seat with suspense and had me smiling through my depression. This book should definitely be a best seller! I would have to say this is one of my top favorite books ever! I recommend this to anyone for whatever they are searching for!

Let me first start by saying, how grateful I am to have been selected to read and review The Secret, Book & Scone Society by Ellery Adams. This book is going to be out October 31st, 2018 and is published by Kensington. This is a book that needs to be on my shelf and and will be forever in my heart! I wished that the world would pause so I could have finished it in one go, but at least this way I savored it! Not your average cozy, and a book that touched me very deeply. It has the trademarks of a cozy, the main characters all starting over, some in a new place and some just deciding then and there to make changes in their lives and alter their paths forever exactly where they are. One of the things I took away most from this book was that it is really never too late to start over and begin again new.

Miracle Springs, North Carolina, is supposed to be a place of healing. People flock to the natural hot springs, five-star cuisine, and a renowned spa. But when none of the usual treatments help they land at Miracle Books. With a fresh-baked “comfort” scone from the Gingerbread House, they tell Nora Pennington their troubles. Nora can always find the perfect book to help them in ways other treatments can’t.

When a visiting businessman speaks with to Nora while sitting on a park bench, she knows exactly which novels will help him. Unfortunately, before he can keep the appointment at Miracle Books, he’s found dead on the train tracks.

Nora doesn’t believe it was an accident, so she forms the Secret, Book, and Scone Society to prove it. Four women with issues of their own gain trust and confidence in each other by helping others. To join the society, members must divulge their darkest secret—the truth that brought them to Miracle Springs in the first place.

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Series: Book 1
Author: Ellery Adams
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Kensington

The Secret, Book & Scone Society is a story of women determined to uncover the truth. What's behind a murder of a stranger. Perhaps the answer can bring a form of redemption or salvation to the women’s lives. Ellery Adams writes as though she fully understands what the women have gone through, and how they each hide what they feel from the world. The story is realistic on many levels. All people have something they do not tell others, and most will do their best to hide the things that hurt them the most.

Nora is not a perfect person; she is scarred physically and emotionally. She moved to Miracle Springs to start over. To bury the past and prevent her heart from ever being broken again. The character is a study in the human condition. Unwilling to get involved with others, afraid to let them in on her secrets Nora nonetheless cares about people and tries to help in the only way she thinks she can.

The other characters, Estella, Hester, and June, are unique in their own way. They have secrets of their own and do not judge each other based on their past. It is interesting to read each chapter and watch as the characters develop into mostly happy people who have taken responsibility for their own wellbeing. Having friends is something they did not anticipate or ever consider but becomes something they don’t want to give up. They are willing to risk their secrets in order to have friends and help when a friend is in trouble.

The other characters in this book are well-rounded and believable. They enhance the story and make it a challenge to figure out who the killer is. Even the “bad” characters make the story a bit more interesting. The reader cheers for revenge and justice, hoping that the killer will pay the ultimate price for their crimes.

Miracle Springs, North Carolina does not exist, but wouldn’t it be great if it did? To know there is a place where a person can go to help ease their worries or heal their pain is a place everyone would visit. More description of the town and the shops, and their owners would be interesting. Hopefully, this will evolve as the series progresses.

Overall The Secret, Book & Scone Society is a well-written book with memorable characters and a plot that although somewhat convoluted, plays well in today’s society. This book is highly recommended for those that love intricate plots and character story-lines that will keep them guessing and turning the page.

This is a new series by Ellery Adams, and it's wonderful. It's set in Miracle Springs, a town where people go when they need to change their lives, and it makes you wish such a town existed in real life.
Go to the bookstore, and Nora will give you the exact books you need. Go to the bakery, and Hester will bake you a a custom comfort scone. The spa that June runs will help you leave your cares behind, and Estella's salon will make you beautiful. These women all have secrets and they keep to themselves until circumstances lead them to form the Secret, Book and Scone Society.

A man comes to town and comes to Nora's bookshop. He says he'll return, but he's found dead on the train tracks. His death feels wrong to Nora, and she doesn't think it's an accident. When she starts to look into it, she gets help from her friend Hester, who brings in June and Estella. The four of them form their secret society, based on the fact that each of them has a secret, and that they will all tell it to the others at some point. Their investigation takes them into a corruption and bribery plot and eventually endangers their lives.

Each of the characters is so well described, and their friendship seems so unlikely yet feels so right.
The plot is interesting and the writing is well done and very readable. I highly recommend this book and I'm looking forward to the future books in this series!

Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I do like a real cozy mystery now and then and Ellery Adam's book did not disappoint, I would say that in many ways she surprised me and delivered more than the normal cozy does.

There are four main characters in this book, 4 women who had a terrible event happen to them or something they did that means that they now live with shame or regret and without having friends. They connect over the death of a man, who had come to Miracle Springs to atone for his sins and make amends for something that he has been involved in, something terrible. He dies before he can do that in what initially looks like suicide.

There is many things to like here: Forming of female friendships, pretty decent representation of a woman living with disfigurement, a woman who to many appears like a "slut" actually being shown as a multi-dimensional person.

A few things that did not work for me where that 4 main characters is just a bit too much for this type of book and so Hester and June kinda melded into one for me and that's the main reason it was an ok read rather than better than ok. There were also too many "potential baddies" and for that reason they were all just a little bland.

All in all though a solid book that I read in a day.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher of this novel for the E-ARC copy.

I will first admit this is not my first time reading this author. I like Ellery Adams and have read some of her other books. I was really pleased though with how much I liked this book. I hadn't read her in quite some time and can tell that she has really grown with her writing. Miracle Springs really comes to life with her storytelling. The hot springs, tourists, and lovely bookstore make this series easy to come back to.

I read this in under 24 hours, it was that hard to put down. I loved the characters, and group of women who band together who each have their own scarred past. The mystery was complex and I didn't see the end coming. I love the bibliotherapy aspect...very unique to consider the healing properties of books. I hope this series continues a liing time. Excited to see what other adventures await the group.

This book is so deeply satisfying to read. I love Adams' character development and complex plot lines. Her books are never disappointing and stand apart from other cozy mysteries. The Queen of Cozy has done it again!

This mystery kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat until the end. I look forward to seeing the friendships started in this book develop, and I really want one of those custom scones!

Thank you so much Netgally and Kensington Books for sending me an advanced copy of this book.
I am a huge fan of Ellery Adams’ Book Retreat Mysteries so imagine my excitement when I found out she has a new series coming out—and she did not disappoint!!
If you like strong females, book references, and a little taste of magic, then this book is for you.
As I started reading, I realized this story was a deeper and a little darker than an average “cozy” mystery which made this story a lot more meaningful.
I loved the flaws of the four main females, and I loved how throughout the book, you got to know each character’s back story and how they came to live in Miracle Springs. As a reader, I felt more invested in these characters and the story itself because of the back stories. And it was fun getting to know each character as the “society” got to know each other as well. Each female was so different and all of them felt real which I absolutely loved. This was a great way to start a new series. This sisterhood is definitely one I want to read more about!
Also, the way Adams’ describes the bookstore and the “comfort” scones are amazing. I wish I could visit Miracle Springs myself—hike the trails, visit the bookstore, and eat my own comfort scone.
Overall, this book was addicting and fun and beautifully written! I cannot wait for the next book in the series.

The first in a new series, this book redefines 'cozy mystery' in an interesting way with a refreshing perspective.

From the opening scene the reader's sense of what's going on is challenged and by the end of the first chapter curiosity quickly builds. What's fascinating about this book are several things. First, it is a well developed mystery. Second, the story works on a couple of levels - there's the mystery, there are finely drawn characters and relationships, and then there is the very important role that books play in this adventure. And finally, there are the comfortable roles characters play in typical cozy mysteries that readers always enjoy.

Without revealing specifics that might give away too much, this novel will delight book lovers, challenge and satisfy cozy mystery readers and offer a little different reading experience for readers in general.

Ellery Adams takes a creative risk with this entry and it pays off. The story is a rich, multi-layered experience that is well crafted and a joy to read.

This book was "okay" but I was disappointed. I did enjoy the scone storyline and the bookstore aspect, however I found it quite dark for a cozy. There was too much going on with the secrets to be shared and I found the whodunit was not interesting. Perhaps it wasn't the book for me.

A little deeper story than your average 'cozy' made this an interesting read.
The characters development was slow but noticeable. The storyline VERY interesting. But the setting? Pure magic!

Ellery Adams hits another home run with her newest series featuring The Secret, Book & Scone Society. Four women who try to help visitors in their town in four different ways. A death of a man wanting to make amends for the things he has done bring these ladies together to find out what really happened. Along the way they share their deepest secrets.
Goodreads

A wonderful start to a new cozy series by Ellery Adams. Reminds me a little of her beloved Books By The Bay series, which has now ended.

This was a fabulous read, if I could give it more than five stars I would. I kept putting the book down while I was reading it, not because I couldn't get into it but because I didn't want it to end. It pulled me in and I wanted to stay there and get to know the characters more. I so wanted to visit Miracle Springs and have a custom made scone and then go to Miracle Books and have a session with Nora wondering what books she would choose to help me. In this first book of the series you'll meet an array of characters who will touch your heart and have you wanting to be part of the secret society. I've always loved books and this one gave me a greater respect for the healing powers that they hold. The secrets told varied, but all were revealing moments and gave me a better grasp of who each character truly was not just who they portrayed themselves to be. I learned that true friendship offers a healing balm to those who trust and believe in it. This book wasn't just a mystery but a beginning to some wonderful friendships. I so look forward to seeing what happens next with this group of women and how ready they are to step out of their comfort zones.

People from all around head to Miracle Springs, North Carolina for answers. A scone from the Gingerbread House can tell you what’s wrong with your life and a session with bookstore owner/bibliotherapist Nora can help you find the right path to make your life everything you always wanted it to be. But one day, after a man makes plans to meet Nora after getting his scone, there’s a terrible accident. He’s found dead on the train tracks and Nora and her friends have to wonder if it was an accident, suicide or something more sinister. I loved this book, Nora starting over after a terrible accident, using books to solve the worlds ills (that’s really works) and the quirky characters in this small town where anything is possible