Gator Queen is a cozy mystery, I always attempt to give a chance to cozy mysteries, but for me they just move too slowly, if it comes out in audio I will for sure give it another shot. I really liked the premise and thought it would be so cute, but reading it I found myself bored and needed to stop. I had to DNF this one but will get back to it on audio.

A witty cozy mystery, the kind that genuinely makes you laugh out loud at times. Both busted some of my misconceptions about Florida while also making the state feel larger than life.

In the mood for a warm and cozy mystery & romance combo that is simultaneously a promising start to a brand new book series? Gator Queen has you covered! The first in the new Critters and Criminals series, this book was a nice mental break not just from reality but also from darker books I tend to gravitate towards.

After her dad passed away, Maggie decides to leave her job and life in Boston in order to move back to Wahoo, Florida and continue family’s gator trapping business. Also to be there for her twin Vera who’s also embarking on a new business venture in the form of a romance bookstore. When a rival gator trapper is found dead and Vera becomes a murder suspect, Maggie enlists the help of their new tenant, a criminology professor she just happens to share some intense chemistry with.

This was one of those feel good stories (despite murder, lies, corruption), with likable and/or memorable characters, an adorable kitten called Catsy and a hot criminology prof who walks around shirtless a lot. The mystery wasn’t so mysterious but the investigation and trying to prove things were entertaining. I also really enjoyed the way the author poked fun at all the bizarre news that tends to come out of Florida.

I’ll definitely be picking up the next in this series. The cover was definitely representative of the vibe of this read and I was here for it!

A big thank you to 8th Note Press & NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Gator Queen is a fun read with a spunky FMC that is trying to help her sister start a romance bookstore and take over her fathers gator trapping business after he passed away. A bit of a slow burn with minimal spice level. I look forward to any more in this series in the hopes we get a book about her sister.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A fun romantic mystery set in a wacky small town in Florida. Maggie, recently returned to her hometown of Wahoo, Florida to take over the family business of gator (and other critters) trapping. Home, she reconnects with her twin sister and romance bookstore owner, Vera. The twins are renting a room to hot professor, Jack, who is on sabbatical to work on his book about serial killers. It's quirky and sweet, funny and engaging.

I appreciated how unique of a job Maggie has - and her acknowledgment of the frustration of not being taken seriously as a woman in the industry. As a former Floridian, I appreciated Lush's approach to treating alligators with respect, not treating them like a prop. Maggie's character makes a point in gator catching for the sake of preservation.

My own real critique is sometimes, Florida feels too often the butt of the joke. It gets a little old after the first few jokes.

I enjoyed the Florida aspect of the story -- it brought me right to the swampy state in my mind. I liked the descriptions of the small town. The writing was good, and the characters were just okay to me. I found myself struggling to imagine some of the characters' appearances based on their descriptions at times. Otherwise a great story.

Gator Queen by Tara Lush
✨ Cozy Mystery
✨ Light Spicy Romance
✨ Florida’s Weirdness
✨ Political Corruption

I’ve read somewhere around 10-12 books by Tara Lush and I was so looking forward to her bringing her skills of both Cozy Mysteries and Romance together in Gator Queen. Add in her trademarked Florida Weird elements and I figured nothing could go wrong.


I was wrong.


I thought about DNFing at 43%, kept going, thought again about walking away around 75% but was hoping it would turn around somehow. Finished it and wished I’d just stopped at 43%


Turns out that I REALLY don’t like Maggie. I think she’s rude, pushy, presumptuous, and extremely judgmental of her sister under the guise of “protecting” her. Also the way Maggie’s twin Vera is written felt really condescending in regards to her ADHD personally.


If I had connected to Maggie I probably would have enjoyed the book, but when you want to throat punch the MCs throughout most of it the enjoyment fades.


The Cozy was good, the mystery well written, the Florida weird off the charts, and the romance aspects were fantastic. If you’re looking for a Romantic Cozy Mystery hybrid this may be the book for you.


But it wasn’t for me, and honestly I’m so disappointed by that. 2.5 Stars from me.

Unfortunately, I don't remember much about this book - I finished it quite a few weeks ago - and I lost all the notes I had taken. I do remember being intrigued as I currently live in Florida, and love gators, but thinking this book had only one actual gator rescue and two gator encounters overall...so to call yourself the "Gator Queen" seemed a little strange to me.

The fact that I cannot remember much should not be a deciding factor for you - it's not necessarily that the book wasn't memorable, but more that I rarely remember a ton about books more than a few days after I've finished them unless I really, really loved them...and even then that isn't always a guarantee. Just the way my brain works!

Quirky, cozy and cute! A cozy mystery, sprinkled with romance, instantly captured my attention!
Glad I gave this book a shot. Loved it! I can’t wait to see where the series goes from here and I will definitely be following along. The town and local residents are super quirky, and Maggie was exactly the type of MC I love.

I loved this one, I can’t say enough good things about it. It had all of my favourite genres and aspects in one book without being too overwhelming and a mishmash of things. I loved the mystery, the romance and the humour. The FMC was a badass, quirky, bombshell and the MMC was a swoon worthy criminology professor that had great chemistry with our FMC. I just loved the fake dating hilarity and the murder mystery whodunnit vibes. I saw someone compare this to the Finlay Donovan series and I have to agree! 4.5/5⭐️

Tara Lush can do no wrong in my eyes and she delivered again in this new series. Maggie and Vera, Jack the new neighbor, Alex the new detective in town, and all of the gators you can handle come together to solve the murder of the sisters’ rival in gator trapping. This book has humor, romance and mystery and while elements of the mystery were not too hard to predict, it was fun in how it all came together. I can’t wait to read the next installment in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

If you enjoy stories that feature quirky female leads , lots of laughs with murder mysteries thrown in
then this book is for you .
Maggie has left her job at Boston Zoo and returned home to help her sister set up her Romantic fiction book store .
This also allows her to fulfil her father's last request to keep his Gator trapping business running .
When her main competitor is found murdered , she becomes the Police departments prime suspect........... the bullets that killed
him came from her gun .
Teaming up with a 'hot' visiting professor she is determined to clear her name and find the killer , whilst still trying to help her sister with
the grand opening of the bookstore .

The repartee between the sisters makes for laugh out loud moments , and even though they squabble like sisters can they support
each other when the chips are down
This is a light hearted read with twists and turns aplenty - I look forward to the next book in the series

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Gator Queen is marketed as a funny Mystery with Tiger King vibes. It did not meet my expectations for that, but it might just not be a book for me! It took me a while to realize what I didn't like from the start, but the main character is a late-20's woman who has come home after her dad passed away from cancer. My dad got diagnosed with cancer earlier this year, so please take my dislike of this book with a grain of salt. It might just not have been the book for me right now! All in all, I think it's worth taking a look if none of the below will bother you! It was well written and easy to read!

Things I liked:
1. When the plot was resolved, it didn't hang around and talk about the resolution for 2 chapters. I loved this.
2. Small town bookstore and personal business aspects
3. The hint of (bell pepper) spice and relationship aspect added in.
4. How much both of the sisters loved animals!

Things I didn't like:
1. For someone who is so close to her sister, Maggie sure felt free to trash talk about her to someone they had both just met (Jack). This juxtaposition between what she said and how she acted made it hard to like Maggie. I also think, for twins, their relationship was hard to understand. So Maggie has been back for two months and she doesn't know about her sister's life? If they were so close that they went away to college together, why would their relationship not have carried on? I was very confused by this.
2. At the beginning of the book, Maggie is portrayed as someone who curses often. She did not. It was a strange detail to include if not necessary. It highlighted much more for me how much she didn't curse or how often she used "safe" curse words.
3. Some of the phrasing felt incredibly off for the characters' age ranges. For example, talking about the "sports ball games" playing at a restaurant, the phrase "awesomesauce" or the quote, "Or maybe he really did have pants feelings for me."
4. Not at all important, but if Maggie has been back in town for two months, why would she just now be getting her car tags? It's state law to have it done within 30 days. If Maggie has only taken 1 business call and her dad's estate is all tied up in probate, what has miss ma'am been doing?

Thanks to 8th Note Press and NetGalley for a copy of this book!

GATOR QUEEN, by Tara Lush, is the first book in the Critters and Criminals Mysteries. Part cozy mystery, part sizzling hot contemporary romance, and wholly hilarious, I was glued to the pages from the very first paragraph. The author has created zany characters with witty banter, while writing a mystery to keep the reader guessing. Protagonist Maggie Andrews is a gator trapper in Florida. I love her quirks, and her internal dialog kept me laughing. I found the bits and pieces included about gator trapping to be a fascinating addition. The interaction Maggie has with her twin sister, Vera, owner of a yet-to-be-opened romance bookstore, is both heartwarming and realistic. They support each other in every way possible, but then have their squabbles, like most sisters do.

The mystery itself was well-plotted with plenty of suspects who wanted Maggie’s rival gator trapper. With everything going on in Maggie’s life, between gator trapping, the hot professor love interest, her sister’s bookstore, the murder, the book is fast-paced, and I didn’t want to put it down until I’d read every last word. I can’t wait to pick up the next book in the series!

I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is the first book of a new series and I look forward to more. It was fun, romantic with a bit of mystery and a side of fake dating. I love when you combine laughs with a murder mystery. The characters were fun, I loved the setting, and I can’t wait for more

Gator Queen is totally out of my norm for reading, but I LOVED IT! The main character has just moved back to her hometown to take over her father's gator trapping business and help her sister open a romance only bookstore. It doesn't take long before there's a murder and lots of rumors in this small town. I found the characters to be relatable and honest, funny, and engaging. Even if you're not usually into mystery, I think you might really enjoy this! I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for Tara Lush's other books!

*I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher; this is my honest review.*

This book was cute and fun with reptiles, romance, and a murder mystery. It was more playful than suspenseful, though that’s not a bad thing. I was a little disappointed with how easily and quickly the murder investigation was resolved. I suppose it was meant to be more rom com than murder mystery, which is okay.

I liked the close sisterhood between Maggie and Vera (25). I would compare them to chihuahuas because they’re small and feisty, but I do not find chihuahuas cute at all. The sisters’ fondness for reptiles and their capability as alligator trappers didn’t in any way diminish their femininity. I wasn’t a big fan of the age difference between Maggie and Jack (mid- to late-30s), but that’s just personal preference. As a character, I liked him. Alex (slightly older than Maggie and Vera) could have been developed more, but he was likable, as well; if there is a sequel, I suspect it might follow Vera and Alex more than Maggie and Jack (though I hope they'd be in it still).

Although it wasn’t my favorite book, I liked it enough that I would read a sequel if I found it.

How it ends: (view spoiler)

Note: Some language, including a few f words. Sensuality. Talk about sex.

Lush brings her sharp wit and even sharper eye for detail to this delightfully cozy mystery.
If you're looking for something fun, funny AND with heart, Gator Queen should be your next read. I highly recommend.

Gator Queen is a cozy mystery that was so easy to feel immerse in it, and I must confess I feel like there were some Scooby-doo vibes throughout the story. The town and the residents are quirky, and our main character Maggie is strong while still showing a softer side.

This was a fantastic way to start a new mystery series (Critters and Criminals), with a great and funny plot, making it such an easy read. The bond between the two sisters gave me a realistic vibe which was great and the mystery itself was unique.

Overall, the pace was right on point, and the setting and characters were amazing. The mystery was not cliché and I felt there was the perfect balance between romance, mystery, and funny moments. I recommend it to all that enjoys a good cozy mystery with murder, manipulation and trespassing lizards.

Thank you, NetGalley & the publisher, for approving me to read this arc and write this review.

Gator Queen

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“ Even in the quirky town of Wahoo, Florida, twenty-five-year-old Maggie Andrews is an anomaly—a petite but determined female gator trapper who isn’t afraid to get dirty. But to fulfill her father’s dying wish, Maggie left her job at the Boston Zoo to take over the family business and reunite with her twin sister Vera.”

I loved this one!! The mystery was a good one along with the romance. I love the humor in it which a lot of books lack. The characters are well written and the setting is amazing. I want to visit Wahoo. I will recommend this author and this book to anyone and everyone.