Described as a "rom-cozy" (a combination romance and cozy mystery), this book is really just a cozy mystery with romantic elements which will likely span the series--which is typical for cozy mysteries. There isn't any more romance or any more of a conclusion that you typically get in other cozy mysteries, so I'm a little confused by the special branding for this one. I think that was a mistake by Kensington, and one I won't fault an author for.

Setting that aside, this cozy mystery was fine. It kept me on my toes, features a fun setting (a golf cart island), an unlikable victim, and a reason for the heroine to get involved (the accused is her brother). But I can't say too many features stood out about this one. I don't think the connection between the heroine and her brother or the heroine and her romantic interest were that strong; I could have definitely used more there, especially because for most of the book the brother seemed so irresponsible and stupid it was hard to be on his side. A stronger relationship between him and the heroine could have solved that. The best characters in this book, hands down, are the heroine's grandparents, who provide much-need comic relief, though the grandma borders on a bit caricature.

I would read a second book in this series to see how things progress and if the author can improve the story with more time to build out the characters, but I can't say this would be a go-to recommendation for me when it comes to cozies.

Thank you to Kensington for my ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4 stars - 6/10

Much Ado about Nauticaling by Gabby Allan is the first book in the new cozy Whit and Whiskers Mystery series. As with most cozy mystery series each of the books in the series will contain their own mystery that will be fully solved so they can be read as a standalone if choosing to do so. The character development from each book will carry over though for those that wish to continue the series.

The Whit and Whiskers Mystery series introduced readers to Whitney Dagner who has chosen to leave her high pressure corporate life in Los Angeles. Whitney has returned to the small island of Santa Catalina just off the California coast where her family has been running their business, Nautically Yours. Whitney and her brother, Nick, are taking over the operation of the business.

Just as Whitney is getting into the swing of her shifts in the gift shop and manning the tours aboard their glass bottom boat, the Sea Bounder, she finds a body has washed up under the boat. Unfortunately everyone on the island is familiar with Jules Tisdale, the victim, and that goes double for Whitney’s brother who doesn’t have an alibi and seems to have a reason to want Mr Tisdale gone. Not only does Whitney have to find a murderer she has to deal with her ex, Felix Ramirez, who is now a policeman on the small island.

I keep telling myself I don’t need to start anymore cozy series but yet here I am again with Much Ado about Nauticaling but who could resist that cute cover? Well, obviously I couldn’t being a love of all things island-y and cute kitties. This was a nice start to the series and I really enjoyed getting to know Whitney and the small town/island setting. The series isn’t overly quirky but just enough that it does have it’s humorous moments and I’ll be interested to see if the author adds to the romance side of the story with the old love interest so I’ll definitely return for book two.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I love to make a start on a series from book one instead of partway through so as a lover of cozy mysteries, I jumped at the chance to read this, Much Ado about Nauticaling by Gabby Allan.

I got to meet Whitney Dagner, who has returned to Santa Catalina Island, her, hometown, after living in Los Angeles. She is running Nautically Yours, her family's tourism company, alongside her brother Nick. They have a gift shop as well as a glass-bottomed boat that Whitney pilots. When a prominent and wealthy businessman and resident of the island, Jules Tisdale is found murdered the finger of suspicion is pointed at Nick who unfortunately has no alibi, so Whitney steps in to assist.

I really enjoyed this intriguing story and I liked Gabby Allan's portrayal of Whit and Nick. Whit's cat, Whiskers played a good part, too. The mystery itself was very well done; there was plenty of suspects and the madcap tale delivers on humour, too. I'm already looking forward to seeing what's in store for Whit in book 2.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Kensington Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

I was excited for Much Ado About Nauticaling because it combines two things I love, romance and a cozy mystery. It is the first in Gabby Allan's new Whit and Whiskers Mystery series.

Having this take place in a small community was great because it allowed for town talk and gossip to help guide Whit in her investigations. Whit was a likeable character and I loved Goldie, I hope to see more of her. Nick was frustrating throughout this story, and I know that was the point but I just felt like Whit was doing the most and he wasn't appreciative of it.

I loved the descriptions of the quaint tourist island where this took place. It made me want to head to a beach or go find a boat tour to go on or hunt for a treasure. I also hope there are more treasure hunts and boat tours in the rest of the series. There wasn't much romance in this one, but as this is a series the romance will likely be more of a slow burn.

I can't wait to see what's next for Whit and this small community.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Gabby Allan’s debut book Much Ado About Nauticaling is a Feldmans good cozy mystery, perfect for a summer beach read.

Whitney and her brother Nick own and operate a flat bottom boat named Nautically Yours on the island of Catalina in California. One of Catalina’s promenade residents is murdered and Nick gets the blame. It doesn’t help that he runs and stays hidden throughout the book casting even more suspicion on him, so it is up to Whitney to clear his name.

The story takes off early, catching your attention and keeping it, in fact, you will find yourself finishing it before you realize it. The writing is clear and engaging and Gabby Allan’s description of Catalina is so visual you can practically see it in your mind. I also loved the times she wrote about them giving tours on the boat. I love sailing, and even though the boat wasn’t a sailboat, I could still visualize the smell of the ocean and the feel of the salty water stinging on my face as it sailed on the wind.

Allan’s characters are all well written. Quirky characters abound in this book and you will quickly find a few favorites, mine was her grandmother Goldie, I could picture her so visibly in my head with the help of Allan’s writing. Several of the secondary character you will also find that you will dislike, For me, Nick was one of them, for the mere reason, he ran off making him look guilty and leaving poor Whitney with running the boat business, her own gift store business and trying to solve the mystery to clear his name. The story wasn't impossible to figure out, but the writer did well at making you doubt yourself on several people.

Much Ado About Nauticaling is the first book in a series by Gabby Allan titled Whit and Whiskers Mystery and I enjoyed Much Ado About Nauticaling enough to want to pick up the second one when it comes out to revisit the island of Catalina and see what Whit has gotten into next.

A nice start to a new series! Whitney was hoping for a slower broader life when she moved back to Santa Catalina. She's helping out with the family business and all is well until......the rotten Jules Tisdale is murdered and her brother Nick is a prime suspect. Well, of course, she has to help clear Nick so off she heads, with Felix, her ex who is also a police officer, not far behind. Its a classic cozy in a great setting. Whitney's family and friends (even Felix) are fun and there are just enough good candidates for the villain to keep you guessing. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I'm looking forward to the next one.

The author did a great job in presenting this mystery with visually descriptive narrative. The dialogue was engaging, the characters were a mixed bag of quirkiness, and the setting made the story pop as the heroine did all that she was able to do. The suspect pool was plentiful, but I liked how the gathering of the clues narrowed the field down to where only one person was left standing. A few of the characters had pivotal roles that enhanced the telling of this tale in addition to a few red herrings that were smothered into the plot. Overall, this was a very enjoyable and I look forward to more jaunts with Whit and her friends in this entertaining debut series.

I love cozy mysteries and I’m always so excited to read a first book in a series to get to known all the new characters. The author did an excellent job of introducing them as well as describing the background to the point you could almost visualize the scenes. I thought the characters were easy to like and I can’t wait to read more!

Entertaining and engaging cozy mystery. My knowledge of the area may have influenced my enjoyment, but certainly not a requirement. A fun place to visit. I am glad to see it is the beginning of a series. I look forward to reading the further adventures of Whitney and her cat. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley.

Much Ado About Nauticaling is being marketed as a rom cozy - the best of a romantic comedy and a cozy mystery together! I liked protagonist Whitney Dagner and her family glass bottom boast business. However, neither the rom com nor the cozy mystery plots were really well developed here. The mystery storyline feels like a bit of an afterthought - we don't find out who the killer is until the very last chapter. There also wasn't all that much romance - although Whitney is excited to flirt with Felix, there's no major sparks or heat in the relationship. It will be interesting to see if the series improves now that the first book and major exposition is done - I would give the author another try since the concept of a rom cozy is appealing.

Thank you to Kensington Books for providing a NetGalley ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC copy of this book from #NetGalley and #KensingtonBooks and am sharing my honest review about this lovable cozy mystery.
Lovable nautical cozy mystery set on The island of Catalina, California. I loved all the characters including Whitney and her grandparents, loved how they went around getting close to solve the murder mystery of a local resident, and overall enjoyed the premise of the story.

Whitney Dagner is your tour guide to a Pacific paradise that's to die for--only to find it's a place people are also willing to kill for--in Gabby Allan's Much Ado About Nauticaling, first in the Whit and Whiskers Mystery series.
I think this has the potential to be a fun series. I will continue and think the characters will become more developed in time. I do like the concept of having her as a boat tour guide.
#MuchAdoaboutNauticaling #NetGalley

This is the first in a new series and while I did enjoy it, it certainly wasn’t memorable. I loved Whit and whiskers and the concept of a cozy murder mystery out at sea is intriguing, the book just left me wanting more. I’m glad I read it but if you ask me in a week what it was about I wouldn’t remember

Promising start to a new series features glass-bottom boat tours run by brother and sister. Please check out complete review at www.reviewingtheevidence.com.

Whitney Dagner has returned home from a job she hated to Santa Catalina Island, where she grew up. She's back running her family's tourism business along with her younger brother, Nick. After giving a glass bottom boat tour to a group of people from the Chamber of Commerce, who are giving an award to Jules Tisdale as the Person of the Year, she's glad to have him off her boat. But later that evening he shows up again -- under the boat, quite dead. With Nick the main suspect, Whitney needs to find out who really killed Jules. Unfortunately, with family and friends not fond of the man, it won't be easy, and no one seems to want to help her -- that is, with the exception of her ex-boyfriend Felix, a police diver and a man who wants to rekindle what they started to have before she left...

I really wanted to like this book more than I did. It had an interesting premise -- a protagonist who runs a glass bottom tour boat and has a souvenir shop; not your usual sleuth who's running away from a bad relationship or returning home completely broke. (I have always wondered what they do with their money if they're leaving a 'high-powered job' yet return broke. Are they giving all their possessions away and blowing all their cash? Just sayin'). Anyway, it started out well enough, and I am a big sucker for pets, especially cats, so I was happy to find out that Whiskers is pretty cute throughout the book.

But then Whitney never really looked for any clues. Anything she garnered came from gossip and just fell into her lap. It started to get boring after that. I don't listen to gossip (and it's not always reliable anyway), so I would rather she used her free time to do a little digging for clues.

She just went from place to place and picked up information, and Whiskers didn't play a big part (if it's a Whit and Whiskers, you'd think the cat would be more of the book). Still, this is a first-in-the-series, and I always try to give a new author a pass on the first book, because I realize that the characters and settings probably need a bit of a 'tweaking' before everything falls into place. Saying that, this was a pretty decent start to a new series, and I will definitely pick up the next to see where it is going to go.

A fun start to a series! Characters are very personable with lots of good humor thrown in. Plenty of twists and turns that keep the reader guessing. I want more of this one! Thanks #netgalley and #Keningston for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Romance, mystery, fun! That's Much Ado About Nauticaling in a nutshell. This is the first in the new Whit and Whiskers cozy mystery series.

This book had a really fun mystery which was a great puzzle to solve. But the thing I really enjoyed about this book was actually all the relationships. Whitney & Nick are great siblings, Pops & Goldy are super fun and sassy. Then there's Felix, the maybe-no-so-ex boyfriend? A great cast of characters, which I love in a cozy series.

Loved the vacation-type setting, too! Great mystery, lots of twists and turns and a surprising resolution. Big thumbs up. I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

The cover of this book drew me in before I knew anything about the story. Boats and cats? I'm sold! This cozy mystery takes place on an island off California, where our main character works for her family's glass bottom boat tour. It sounds like a dream - until someone ends up dead! In this book, we join the search to find the killer! This was a great read and a perfect cozy mystery with all the themes that I love!

Much Ado about Nauticaling is the debut of the Whit and Whiskers Mystery series set on Santa Cantalina Island in California and featuring Whitney Dagner and her furry feline Whiskers. Whitney decides to leave her corporate job and move back to the island along with her best friend Maribel. Whitney opens her own unique gift shop and helps her brother operate Nautically Yours, the family's glass bottom boat business.

The local chamber is hosting an event aboard the Sea Bounder and Jules Tisdale is going to be named Person of the Year for all he does around the island. But when the man ends up floating alongside the boat, strangled by his own tie it becomes evident that he definitely was the most popular person of the year.

Jules was wealthy but also shady in his dealings. In fact, he has made a lot of enemies including Whitney's brother, Nick. Whitney's ex boyfriend turned police diver, Felix Ramirez is quick to point the finger at Nick as a killer but Whitney knows her brother didn't commit the crime and sets out to prove her ex wrong, clear her brother's name and save the family's reputation.

A strong debut with entertaining characters and a quick paced plot. Just the right touch of romance, mystery and laugh out loud moments courtesy of Whitney's grandparents make for a cozy afternoon read. The only thing I wanted was more time on the boat, more descriptions of the aquatic life.

I received an advanced copy of Much Ado about Nauticaling from NetGalley via Kensington Publishing. While not required to write a review I am happy to offer my honest opinion.

Much Ado about Nauticaling

by Gabby Allan is a who-done-it type mystery. I love constantly being caught off guard about what I I thought would happen next. I love the sibling relationship. I love the fact that she zipped around her island in a golf-cart Autoette. I love the self-deprecating humor. I love that she left the corporate world to come back to run a small-town shop and help her brother navigate a glass bottom boat. What I was not so sure about was her ex-boyfriend. Could he be trusted? Guess I'll have to wait and find out in the next book.