HIldy and Omar have a love that can't be broken. Or can it? This is a story of love and loss and love again. Without giving much away, the ending was a surprise and the journey there was quaint. This is a quick read and you will definitely feel for Hildy and even for Omar, in the end.

I have to say this was not very exciting or intriguing. Although the storyline was good, Summer was not very convincing as an amateur sleuth. Somehow I think this book missed the mark on the captivation meter. It was mildly entertaining with little or no excitement.

I absolutely love the cozy mystery genre and I think this book is a wonderful addition to it. Great, easy read. Love Maggie Blackburn.

Loved reading this book and author. If you haven't read it yet I highly recommend her and her books. Happy reading and enjoy

This is book 2 in the Beach Reads Mystery series and can be read as a stand alone. Summer is running her mother's bookstore in North Carolina since she passed away. She took a year sabatical and is still deciding if she want's to return to her academic life. Her mother, Hildy had never married and Summer has discovered she has a family on the island. But that family is deeply involved in an unsolved murder. I like Summer and her family . I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

I was kind of going back and forth between 3 stars and 4 for this one. Overall, I enjoyed it a lot. I loved the setting. It was well written and well paced. The plot was engaging and had plenty of twists that kept things interesting. It held up well as a standalone. There was an extensive cast of interesting and likable secondary characters, and the author threw in a few tasty sounding vegan recipes at the end. All good things.

The main issue with this one is that Summer just isn't a very likable character. At least, this reader didn't find her all that likable. She cops an attitude whenever anyone dares to say anything she doesn't want to hear. She is also judgemental, pompous and rude. It's hard to connect and root for a character that you want to punch in the face 80% of the time. 🤷🏻‍♀️😂

That said, my overall enjoyment of the setting and secondary characters will have me giving book three a chance. And who knows, maybe Summer will grow more likable as the series goes forward. One can always hope, right?

**ARV Via NetGalley**

Summer Merriweather finds herself dealing with many of the same issues she faced the last time I checked in with her. She’s slowly coming to turn with her mother Hildy’s death. She’s debating her future, and whether it involves returning to academia or staying in Brigid’s Island and running her newly inherited store, Beach Reads Bookshop. And oh yeah. Murder and mystery are lurking around every corner.

Yet Summer continues to grow as a character, and it’s a testament to author Maggie Blackburn’s writing that she’s allowed her sleuth the chance to be complicated and evolve over the course of two books. This isn’t to suggest that other cozy mysteries are overly simple—that’s not true—but here, Summer is obviously working through the trauma and complications that follow death. Blackburn doesn’t shy away from exploring that emotional turmoil, and it’s even deeper in this book because she’s added a layer of familial complications.

Even so, that doesn’t mean things aren’t fun and light. This is a cozy after all and Summer falls into many of the wild shenanigans her other contemporary detectives do. Her cadre of bookshop pals band together to help her explore a cold case and the disappearance of a visiting author, and those interactions are really the highlight of the book. Danger might follow Summer, but it’s hard to imagine her not triumphing with this group behind her.

A solid mystery, great fun, and a realistic sense of characters makes Once Upon a Seaside Murder a solid addition to a young series.

Interesting, twisty cozy mystery with a bookstore owner. Lots of background from book 1, but doesn't ruin the mystery of it, so I could still go back and read it.

Finished book 2 of the Beach Reads cozy mystery series by Maggie Blackburn! Once Upon a Seaside Murder was just as fun and interesting as book 1. Summer is a dedicated sleuth, surrounded by a strong cast of characters. And I love mysteries set in bookstores.

Once Upon a Seaside Murder is the second book in the Beach Reads series and is outstanding! The book takes place on Brigid's Island (NC) as Christmas approaches, however for protagonist Summer Merriweather, it will be a difficult holiday since it is the first without her mother. Summer has taken over the running of her mother's bookstore, and during an author's event at the local library, she discovers that one of the author's has based her mystery upon a murder that happened on the island over 30 years prior. Summer discovers that her mother was very interested in this murder, and she's determined to find out why. In the process of investigating her mother's interest in the murder, Summer learns that her biological father's family is involved as well. As Summer uncovers more and more pieces of the puzzle, and the author who wrote about the murder is kidnapped, Summer realizes she's more closely tied to the murder than she realized. Summer eventually solves the mystery around the murder and the author is safely recovered.

There are several puzzling facts - as a bookstore owner, Summer seems to never be present leaving the day-to-day running to one of her mother's employees and when the author is kidnapped, why is Summer the one contacted?

Summer is a complex, if somewhat unlikable character, but the story is enhanced by all of the other quirky characters that are part of Summer's life - from her aunt, cousin and niece to her bookstore employee and mother's friends, to her recently discovered stepbrother, stepsister and grandmother. Clues abound throughout the book to help the reader solve the mystery, but the ending is very much unexpected. Well-written book that can be read as a stand alone.

Although the book has an interesting premise for the mystery, I found this book to be a bit 'heavy' for a Christmas read. Also, I found that I unable to relate to he characters and the relationships seemed forced.

The mystery itself was well-crafted and the book well-written but I don't think that I will be looking for the next book in the series.

I really enjoyed the first book in the Beach Reads series, so I was excited to read the next book. The mystery is well paced and holds your interest. I enjoyed reading about the relationships in Summer’s life … family and friends. The clues are sprinkled throughout the pages and will keep you engaged. This is a well done mystery and has me looking forward to another adventure with Summer.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Summer Merriweather is facing her first Christmas without her mother at her bookstore, Beach Reads. To keep busy, Summer has offered to help with the local library event which is hosting a panel of cozy mystery authors. One of the authors has based her story on a local murder that took place years before and was never solved. What's even more strange is Summer finds a scrapbook of various materials relating to that murder in her mother's things. When the author's life is threatened, and Summer discovers she may be more closely related to this cold case than she would like to be, things get dicey.

I have to say I liked this installment of the Beach Reads mystery series better than I liked the first. Summer's character, especially, is more likable and engaging. The other supporting characters are also developing nicely. One thing we are seeing more of in the cozy genre is the cold case mystery. I am all here for that. I love that this installment involved a cold case and I give kudos to the author for adding this element to the series.

I am very much looking forward to the next book in this series. Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC in exchange for my review.

I found it really difficult to get through book one and actually have to DNF (Did Not Finished) the novel after 58%. I decided to pass on the second book as my main issue was the main character. I found her a real downer about books. I love all genres so it got annoying after awhile. Thank you for the chance to read this novel.

This is the second novel in a series. I have not read the first one but felt this one read rather well on its own. Summer is an interesting character as she has reluctantly taken over her mother's bookstore after her mother's death. She is gone from the store frequently, even before a potential mystery occupies her. Her employees often call, asking where she is, over worked and frazzled during the Christmas season. I found Summer a bit hard to like.

Part of the plot didn't make sense to me. There is an author who wrote a novel about a decades old murder and when her life is in danger, a demand is made on Summer. That demand just did not make sense to me. Near the end of the book, as facts are reviewed, Summer says, “It makes no sense.” (3998/4395) A revealing statement.

I appreciated an exploration of cozy mysteries by a couple of authors visiting the island for the library panel. They say cozy mystery readers do not want blood and gore. They are more interested in the characters, the setting, and the puzzle of the mystery. This novel is more about characters, namely Summer, and the puzzle of the unsolved mystery. I found it interesting that there was not much to the setting. It's on an island and Summer walks the beach and boardwalk but there is nothing about the birds, the kind of sand, or really much description at all.

Blackburn's writing style is clear and I found the novel entertaining.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Summer Merriwether, a professor and Shakespearean scholar on leave from her teaching job, returns to solve another mystery in the second book in the Beach Reads series. The story picks up where it ended in the first book, “Little Bookshop of Murder,” in which Summer’s mother Hildy dies and Summer inherits Hildy’s beloved bookshop, Beach Reads. Still ambivalent about owning a bookshop that focuses heavily on romance novels, Summer nonetheless throws herself into running the store in honor of Hildy, with the help of her Aunt Agatha, cousin Piper, and Piper’s daughter Mia. The local library is sponsoring a cozy mystery book event featuring, among other authors, Mimi Sinclair, whom has written a mystery novel based on a murder involving the secretive family of Summer’s deceased father whom Summer never met. Mimi is staying with Summer during the book event. It quickly becomes clear that someone has an ax to grind with Mimi and her book, and will do whatever it takes to silence her. The plot is very interesting and unusually complex for a cozy mystery. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing, and the characters are unique and well-developed. Blackburn has a writing style that flows naturally and does an excellent job of pacing the plot. I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to the third installment in the series.

This was an engaging mystery and I really enjoyed it. It kept my attention, and I wasn't sure until the end who was responsible for the bad things that were happening. The characters are quirky and fun.

Although not a book I will be ordering in my professional life, it is a title that I will be recommending in my personal life! I love the cozy mystery series set in and around libraries! And the beach...

Picking up where the first one left off but you don’t need to read the first to enjoy this latest Beach Reads Mystery. Professor Summer Merriweather has a lot to learn, from running a bookshop, understanding the importance of the cozy genre, and her mysterious family history. Little did she know that a cozy mystery writer panel would bring up a mysterious murder tied directly to her new family. Summer has so many questions and only two people seem to have the answers, her new grandmother and her deceased Mother, who kept more than one secret. Excellent story development with plenty of backstory sprinkled in to keep you in the loop. Looking forward to the next one as well as making the vegan pumpkin bread and vegan chocolate chip cookie recipes found at the back of the book!

I enjoyed the mystery and trying to figure out "whodunnit." However, Summer isn't a very personable protagonist. She comes off as pompous at times, which got on my nerves.