I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley.

A cute cozy mystery with unique characters and I fun setting.

Jane Steward and her fiancé Edwin are traveling to Oyster Bay, NC to visit their friend Olivia Limoges. The activities are not picture perfect (Edwin ends up in the hospital) while Jane and Olivia work on solving the mystery of a body on the beach with a key to Storyton Hall nearby.

Unfortunately I believe this is the last visit with these characters from Storyton Hall. I was glad to see closure for many of them as well as their ability to solve the mystery. They will be missed.

A visit to Storyton Hall is a trip to a magical world. Jane and her fiance Edwin cannot escape the mysteries even on vacation. With several things going on in addition to the dead body, Jane wonders if it is time for Storyton Hall to have some major changes. I enjoyed the book but am left wondering where we go from here.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this novel. Check it out! It is worth picking up and taking home for the weekend! #NetGalley #Edelweiss

This is the 9th book in the book retreat mystery series, but I haven’t read the earlier books and I still was able to follow and enjoy the story. I am intrigued by what I read and definitely interested in reading the previous books. While I understand the main character’s logic it was a little disheartening to find a magical hidden library of amazing rare or unseen works only to learn it was being dismantled. Jane and Edwin are taking her first true vacation and spending a few days by the beach. Unfortunately Jane’s uncanny ability to stumble upon dead bodies has followed her on vacation and despite the police being confident in their arrest she doesn’t feel like things are really over. It was a pretty good cozy mystery series with some decent twists. I will admit the author did a great job making the murder victim unlikable which gave pretty much everyone at least a small motive for killing him.

From Fantastic Fiction :
Jane and her fiancé, Edwin, are headed to the North Carolina coast for a much-needed vacation. Their harborside loft has floor-to-ceiling bookcases and breathtaking views, but Jane’s hopes of exploring the town with her man are stymied when Edwin steps on a stingray. Things take an even less romantic turn when Jane stumbles across a dead body . . .

Instead of taking leisurely beach strolls, Jane is suddenly on a literary chase through time, unearthing a dark secret in her family tree that threatens all she holds dear back in Storyton. And it’ll take a whole village to help her make amends for the past—and stop a madman bent on exacting justice in the present.

“Readers will find themselves wanting to live in Storyton, no matter how many people end up dead there.” —Suspense Magazine on Murder in the Locked Library

This is the 9th book in the Book Retreat mysteries, set in the mountains of NC. The MC, Jane, runs a book lovers inn called Storyton Hall. In this book, Jane and her fiancé are on vacation at the NC shore, where they stumble upon a murder that affects the priceless book collection back at Storyton Hall.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed as in this review are completely my own.

I loved the intertwining of the two series with Jane and Olivia working on solving a mystery together.
It’s an ending but also a beginning with the secret library coming to a close but Edwin and Jane forging a future together.
The mystery part was good but the real magic is spun back at Storyton Hall.
The ending was sweet.

I love that we got to revisit Oyster Bay in this story! I missed Olivia, Captain Haviland, and the rest of the gang. I hope this isn’t the last book in this series, because I would love to see more of Jane, Edwin, and Olivia.

This is book 9 in the Book retreat mystery series. Jane and her fiancé, Edwin are taking a vacation from Storyton and visiting an island in North Carolina. When Edwin steps on a stingray, Jane is on her own exploring the town and discovers a dead body. With ghost aplenty Jane is tracking the island for the history of her own home, Storyton. With several twists and turns the story is a good one and Jane and Edwin have a great adventure. The book can e read as a stand alone.

Jane and Edwin are going on a couple's weekend at the beach in Oyster Bay. Things get off to a rocky start when Edwin gets hurt at the beach and is taken to the hospital. It gets worse when Jane finds a dead body outside of their hotel. Jane and Edwin go back to Storyton Hall, but the mystery follows them home. There were many possibilities with the murder and it was intricately woven together. I love all of the characters in this series and will be sad if this is the last book in this series.

I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I love this series. I'm glad they got to travel in this book. I can't wait to see what happens next. The mystery kept me guessing. I also love that we got to meet up with a character from another series.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thought it was another person who had committed the murder. So much so, that I think I tuned out other possibilities.

As the book was winding down, it appeared to be the end, or possibly close to the end of this series. There are ways to branch off, especially with Jane’s Uncle Aloysius and his little secret, but that might have to wait until Hem and Fitz grow up. We will have to see since no one ends a series with book #9. Or do they? Maybe there is another secret that we haven’t yet been privy to. Wondering minds what to know.

Jane Steward and Edwin Alcott are off for some time alone, away from the cares of Storyton Hall and the Daily Bread Cafe. Leaving Jane's sons and their poodles (Merry and Pippin) in the care of Jane's aunt and uncle and all the faithful staff at the inn, the couple visits Oyster Bay. As Ellery Adams fans know, the bay is home to Olivia Limoges (from the Books by the Bay mystery series), who had visited Storyton and then invited Jane and Edwin to visit her when they had the chance. Sadly, their rest and relaxation is not meant to be. Edwin steps on a stingray and Jane discovers a dead body with a Storyton keychain nearby. Is this death linked to the inn somehow?

No matter where Jane and Edwin go they are always involved in some sort of mystery. And when they return home, the mystery follows along as they try to find out how that keychain fits in with everything they have learned. All the suspects in the murder were people whose life stories the victim had made his career out of fictionalizing and making a profit from. Could Jane have been his next target for a new book deal? Every family has secrets - the Stewards more than most.

It was entertaining to see Jane and Edwin without the buffer (or interruptions) of everyone at the inn for a short while. And with the tie between the characters from Storyton and Oyster Bay (see Murder in the Cookbook Nook) reinforced by this second murder investigation, fans may hope to see even more crossover between the characters from the two series. A satisfying murder mystery with plenty of book references. As Mrs. Pratt says, "Books can't solve all our problems, but they can always help us escape them for a little while." I hope readers find this an engaging escape from their own concerns. After reading the description of the book lover's loft that the couple stays in for their getaway, I want to find a similar spot to vacation.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Murder In The Book Lover's Loft (Book Retreat Mysteries, #9) by Ellery Adams. The cover of this cozy mystery was super cute and the synopsis intriguing. When I got the notification that I was approved to read this book for free in exchange for my honest review, I was excited.

This book was an easy read as well as super cute and fun. It reminded me a bit of a Nancy Drew book. Although Murder In The Book Lover's Loft was a bit predictable at times, it was thoroughly enjoyable. I really enjoyed the characters of Jane, Edwin, and Olivia. I even liked Mr. Butterworth . . . he reminded me of the butler in the 1998 version of The Parent Trap. There were plenty of suspects throughout the story and plenty of clues pointing to the murderer. However, I couldn't quite figure out who it was because so many of the people had such good motives.

I look forward to reading all the preceding books in the Book Retreat Mystery series and all that come after this installment. Five out of five stars is what I gave Murder In The Book Lover's Loft (Book Retreat Mysteries, #9) by Ellery Adams.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the books in the Book Retreat series by Ellery Adams. Between a book about books and being a cozy mystery, I’m a fan! The characters are well developed and the settings … in Oyster Bay, NC and Virginia were entertaining. There were lots of twists and turns and the story kept you guessing until the end. I have missed a few of the books in the series but will definitely go back and fill in the gaps. It does make a difference if you read them in order.

I strongly encourage you to get lost in the pages of this series. You will find yourself immersed in the story and the lives of the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Cozies for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

Cozy Mystery Series do not get more enjoyable than the Book Retreat Mystery Series by Ellery Adams. To attain the most enjoyment when reading this stellar work wait for a day that is overcast and cool, make a pot of tea, and pull out your favorite blanket. Jane and Edwin leave Storyton Hall for a much-needed vacation and of course stumble upon a murder at the inn at which they are staying. I had a delightful time trying to figure out the 'who-done-it" due to the excellent suspects. If you haven't read the other titles in this series, you may well be moved to go back to the beginning.

Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this title in exchange for a review.

Murder in the Book Lover's Loft is an interesting addition to the Book Retreat Mystery series. Jane and Edwin take a short vacation trip to North Carolina. They meet up with an author that has a reputation of writing books that deal with other people's tragedies. He is also a philanderer and is not well liked in the writing community. When they are out on the beach, Jane notices a man lying in the sand and discovers that it is the author. At the same time she is dealing with Edwin who stepped on a couple of stingrays and has barbs in his feet, the poison causing him to have an allergic reaction. Once Edwin is discharged from the hospital, they head back to Storyton to try and figure out why, Jane's family was the next one on his list to write about. Ellery Adams gives background information about Jane's first husband and the tragedy surrounding his life and death. Will the murderer follow Jane back home?

I liked how Ellery Adams brought Olivia Limoges, the protagonist of her Books by the Bay series into this story. This was another well plotted and developed mystery, with several suspects and twists. Jane knew that whoever the murderer was, they had been to Storyton before, and she was hoping they would appear at the ball they were having at the resort. So many of the characters are moving on to a new life, and all the dangerous books have been sold off or donated, or have they? As I read this story, it felt like the series was coming to an end with so many loose ends tied up, but then there is a scene that leaves the door open. This was another great story, with a mix of mystery and personal stories of the characters. I enjoyed it, but not quite as much as the last one.

This was hard to rate. I enjoyed the mystery part of the story as I always do. But the prude in me was SO VERY DISAPOINTED in the author that I just couldn't let it pass. In fact, as much as I have loved this series, very soon after beginning the book, I decided that this would be the last of the series I would read. I heard another cozy author say that many authors are trying to push the envelope of what they can write. Most of them seem to be going "woke" and include LGBTQ+ characters and scenes, but Ellery Adams has decided to attack different traditional values.

In this book, Janet and Edwin, still unmarried, go off on a romantic vacation together. They share a bedroom, and it is presumed form the text, an intimate relationship. Okay, I know that they are adults. I know that people do this as a matter of course these days. But I was still shocked that this was so flagrant. I believe in the past, Edwin has stayed at Jane's house, but I always had understood that he stayed in a guest room, not with Jane.

And then, the author goes on to state that "Books had taught her about mortality, fostered her independence, and encouraged her dreams and ambitions." So what were the books that a Jane was reading? Probably not Jane Austen who would have NEVER had such a situation be seen as proper. Is there some sort of traditional morality with sex outside of marriage going on in the author's mind? Does she not think that Jane is setting an example for her 12 year old twins who surely can figure out what is going on? Is that the morality that Jane wants for Fitz and Hem?

And then later, when talking about costumes she tells that Geppetto would never offer "sexy costumes." Why not? What is the morality that prohibits Gepetto from making a "sexy costume" and who decides what is "sexy"?

SPOILER:
The way the book ended, this could easily be the last of the Book Retreat series. After all, it seems that now there is no need for the Fins and they are now each free to go about whatever life they want. They are no longer bound to secure the treasure of Storyton Hall.

And while, now married, I needn't worry about that, I have no desire to read Ellery Adams anymore knowing that she has succumbed to the mortality of the current age. This is all the more surprising seeing that Ellery Adams is also an author of the Hope Street Church Mysteries which I also adored. (At least she didn't have Cooper Lee jumping into bed with another character in Hope Street Church!)

So sad. I am being pushed more and more into rereading older books that actually had traditional morality.

Even though this book is not the first in the series, it is the first one I have read. It was easy for me to understand the characters and their roles. I enjoyed the story which has a bit of whimsey to it. Jane and Edwin as set to take a little vacation to North Carolina. They are staying at a resort and in a room that has floor-to-ceiling bookcases. When Jane walks into the bathroom, she finds a skull and a warning note on the mirror. The next day she attends a book event hosted by her friend. Three authors are featured. One of them was the previous occupant of the room Jane is currently staying at the resort. He also has made a nasty habit of writing his stories based on true life tragedies. These tragedies happened in the lives of his fellow authors! He may have Jane's family targeted for his next book! When Jane stumbles upon his body on the beach, it throws her into the case. He is found with a keychain from her own Inn. What is the connection and who really killed him.

Great story. I now have to go read all the previous books in this series! The story was a nice escape and kept me engaged. I like Jane, Edwin, and all the other characters. There are a few twists and turns along the way.