Jess and her business partner are finally ready to open up their social media-ready pink paradise of a bed and breakfast! Jess's high school ex-boyfriend, and now a famous singer, Lars, is set to perform on opening night by their gloriously Instagrammable pool. But that same evening, Lars's stepfather and manager, Bob, shows up dead. With no super star performance and the guests trapped at the resort, it's not exactly the opening weekend Jess was hoping for. Determined to figure out what happened and stop the admittedly sexy detective from using Lars as a scapegoat, Jess begins investigating.

I listened to this book on audio. The narrator was generally fine but I wonder if her voice contributed to my impression that many of the characters were overly stereotypical. Jess' old high school rivalries and nicknames weren't endearing, and her obsession with everything going on social media got a bit grating (I say, as a Bookstagrammer). It also felt like Jess was overlooking the most obvious suspect for the entire book, although I didn't quite predict the "why" of it all. It wasn't my favorite cozy mystery read, even if I adore the pretty pink cover.

Thanks to Dreamscape Media for my ALC and Crooked Lane Books for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3 stars - 5/10

Looking for a super-fun, cozy-vibes read or listen? Well, this is it! As someone who isn't usually a big fan of cozies, I enjoyed the heck out of this one! It was just a good time!

Pearl B&B was having it's grand opening and owner Jess' ex-boyfriend and now rock star, Lars Anderson, was set to both stay and perform for PR. But then he doesn't show and his manager and step-father, Bob is found dead. Everyone is a suspect - especially Lars. But the excitement doesn't stop there, because another murder occurs and things get all kinds of wild. Jess is determined to solve the mystery and save her new B&B from going under because of less than optimal circumstances.

This was a quick-moving, engaging listen. The characters were well-developed and likeable, even when they maybe shouldn't have been. The narration was great and who doesn't love a happy ending?

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC audio of this book in exchange for my honest review. It was a winner in my book! 4.5 stars!

I wasn't sure what to think when I first started this book, but it was so so good. I highly recommend it. I want 47 books in this world!! I really hope it becomes a series.

There were quite a few characters to keep track of and I had to keep trying to remember each one for the story to make sense. It was a little hard for me to follow but overall it was a nice listen, I enjoyed the narrator, Traci Odom . There were a couple of plot twists that kept me guessing until the end. Nice job Sydney Leigh.. Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher for allowing me to access the audio version in exchange for honest feedback.

As a millennial, I can confidently say that this was soooooo millennial. So much pink, Rosé, Instagaram, hashtags and dogs! Peril in Pink was a typical cozy with a likeable MC, a quirky cast of characters and a non-violent murder or two.

Wasn't as much of a fan of this book. The story seemed hard to follow at times and made me feel like I had to keep "going back" because I thought I missed something. The author is a fan of My Favorite Murder, a true crime podcast, and references are made throughout the book. I used to be a fan of this podcast before the hosts became problematic, so I can appreciate the references; but at a point it felt like there were "too many" in the book, especially if the person reading is not familiar with the podcast. Overall it felt like the book had a lot of potential, I see where they were going with the story and the series of events, with a little tweaking I think it could come together really nicely!

I cannot wait to read more of this series! I liked the B&B aspect and the mystery was a solid mystery. Interesting plot, fun events, believable characters; a win!

I received an advanced audio copy. All thoughts are my own.

Fun book, I enjoyed it and the narrator very much. I love B&B books and this seems like a great start to a series. The characters and situations were believable which is a plus.

I'm such a fan of a cozy murder mystery and this one was so darn cozy. Jess and her best friend Kat decide to open a bed and breakfast in their hometown but will the grand opening be the grand closing. Two unsolved murders in one weekend, will Jess use her amateur sleuth skills to solve this mystery or will the killers) get away.
There were several times that I thought I knew who dunnit but boy was I wrong. This was a quick read with lots of humor and twist. This was definitely a game of clue
Thanks @netgalley for the ARC ebook

This was a fun little cozy mystery. I usually avoid cozies because I find that they tend to be rampant with body shaming, weight and looks obsessed characters. I am happy to say I didn't pick up on any of this here!

I really loved that the B&B is a whole family affair- Her brother owns/works the bar, aunt helps at reception and her sister in-law teaches the yoga classes. I also love that her bestie is co-owner. This little B&B seems adorable and despite the murder(s) that happened there- I find myself wishing I capped book a stay!

While I enjoyed this one- I wish there was more focus on the sleuthing and less on intrapersonal drama and gossip- Though I'm sure this could be set up for future books in this series.

I did listen to the audio of this one and the narrator was FANTASTIC! She was animated and engaging but not over the top, kept my interest the whole time. Though her "man" voice was a bit goofy at times. If you like cozies, mysteries or B&B's this one is for you!

Such a cute read! I mostly listened to the audio thanks to Thriller Book Lovers Promotions. The audio definitely kept me interested. I did read the ebook here and there just to be able to finish it faster. I wasn’t really sure what to expect going in but I did enjoy it. If you are a fan of mysteries but prefers a ‘clean’ story, this is for you. It took me almost until the end to realize there were no cuss words. Every time there was about to be one, someone would cut in and interrupt the character talking. I found it kind of funny. Being a Marine Corps veteran wife, cussing doesn’t phase me a bit. But I know it’s a huge put off for some people. There were also no spicy scenes, the spiciest it gets is when it talks about PDA and a couple kissing. There is no on page murders, no graphic descriptions of murders. Definitely falls in the cozy mystery genre.
With all that being said, it was a fun read. It kept me intrigued. There are some very unlikable characters but what’s a book without one. I love how a brother and sister go into business together to start a B&B and a bar. This is a quick #whodunnit mystery, told over the course of a weekend - opening weekend of the B&B to be exact. This is not my typical thriller book but it was a good read/listen.

Happy pub week to Sydney Leigh and Peril in Pink! Thank you to Sydney Leigh, Crooked Lane Books ( @crookedlanebooks ), and NetGalley ( @netgalley ) for allowing me to read this book for an honest review!

📅 Tuesday, March 19, 2024 was the pub date for Peril in Pink. 📅

Cozy mystery fans will definitely enjoy this read. What’s not to love? Murder, mayhem, bed and breakfast, best friends, ex’s, small town…the list goes on and on.

Jessica and bff Kat just opened a pink flamingo themed Bed and Breakfast in their hometown. It’s opening night and everything is looking up! Jessica even arranged for her ex turned popular musician to come back for a hometown performance that night. One slight problem (err, maybe two)…Jessica’s ex never showed for the performance and her step sister found a body in a pond located on the property.

Insert an investigation that flips the script to make the storyline a modern day whodunnit. Everyone is acting suspicious from twin influencers to agents to former high school classmates. In some cases, jealousy rears its ugly head. Is the green eyed monster enough of a motive to convict someone?

The book definitely keeps you guessing as a light is shined on every character. However, I had hoped for some flashbacks to include more history between characters! Pick up this book and see if you can get to the bottom of the murder before the investigators do.

A very cozy mystery, but not one I could get into. If you like small town mean girls, this is for you.

What a fun, cozy, whodunit mystery! I loved Jess and Kat as our main characters! You could tell they were actually best friends from the start with their banter and humor. As this is a series, we had quite a few characters make appearances. I’m interested to see who comes back in book 2!

For the mystery, I love having a good amount of characters and clues, as I didn’t initially pick up whodunit and there were some surprise twists. Overall, it was well paced (quick moving - which I love) and well thought out!

The book catered to the TikTok crowd, which did give me a chuckle as a millennial. At times, it did seem like a little much, but it fit the overall vibe of the book.

A super fun whodunnit book! The author did a great job with characters and explaining back stories. I loved the mix of humor. Loved the ending! Thanks NetGalley!

Firstly, this was not what I expected yet everything I could want in a cosy read yet thrilling read. If the cover and colours didn’t get me, the plot did!

Our main FMC Jess is opening a grand (and pink!!), B&B. It’s the perfect opening night, one that will hit the socials, not only is the b&b aestheticly pleasing but she invites her ex-boyfriend, Lars , a now famous and extremely popular singer to top off the event. The Pearl is sure to be trending!
Unfortunately where Lar’s goes, his manager (and step father) follows.

Things quickly take a turn for the worst when his manager, Bob, is soon found DEAD and Lar’s is the prime suspect. Lar’s manages to rope Jess into a hunt for the truth and to clear his name. This just leads to absolute chaos and questions. Is Lar’s really innocent?

I really enjoyed this entire story. The fact that I listened to this audiobook without having to pause for a couple of days really goes to show how much I enjoyed as me and audio’s don’t usually gel!

I loved the narrator, her voice was so good to listen to for this thrilling cosy murder mystery. It matched the book so well.

This debut thriller kept me entertained and on the edge of my seat! I needed to know what happened next. Packed full of plot twists and heart thumping moments, I literally felt like I was investigating this murder. Not usually something I would go for but so glad I got the chance to listen and experience!

I really enjoyed listening to Jess trying to figure out if Lar’s was truly innocent, and then finding twist after twist putting doubt in her mind and the listeners. It was very well done and quite funny too.

Highly recommend if looking for a small town vibes and a cosy story but with a twist!

Thanks to Dreamscape & NetGalley for providing an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was cute enough, and I feel like most cozy fans would like it: HS buds Jess & Kat have opened a PINK themed B&B in the Hudson Valley, and Jess, our FMC and POV, has invited her HS sweetheart, who is now a big singing star, to play a poolside set on opening night. He cancels at the last minute (and I don't know if we ever learned why? Maybe I wasn't paying attention - this book has A LOT of fluff) and the next morning his icky stepfather/manager has been murdered in a nearby pond.

There was a great deal of work done around the vibe of this B&B, the various guests, and even what everyone was drinking by the pool, which was unfortunately less interesting to me than the actual mystery, which felt like it took a backseat to these details. I understand the author was trying to establish the setting and set up potential red herrings, but it fell a little flat to me. I did appreciate the way she illustrated the thought process that solved the mystery, but the rest of the stuff surrounding the murder(s) didn't feel realistic. Also, for two people during opening weekend of their new business venture, these two had a lot of free time - not that I read cozies for realism, but still. Traci Odom does a capable job of narrating but doesn't capture the essence of a 28 year old (not that the dialog does either - there aren't enough hashtags in the world, I suspect)

Two and a half stars rounded up. My search for a great cozy mystery continues.

This book was so freaking cute! I loved the warm fuzziness I got, even though it was a mystery. I also really wish this B&B was real because it sounds right up my alley. I was definitely guessing until the very end when everything came together. Definitely suggest the audio because it was perfection.

Thank you to Thriller Book Lovers Promotions, Crooked Lane Books, and Dreamscape Media for the copies to review!

This was a super fun cozy mystery that I absolutely enjoyed! It’s the grand opening of The Pearl B&B and owner Jess Byrne has the rosé flowing and is ready. Her ex-boyfriend, reality singing sensation Lars Armstrong, has showed up to perform live, and she has the support from most everyone in her hometown. All things are going well, until Bob, Lars’ stepdad-turned-manager turns up dead. Oh and Lars is the main suspect.

This was such a great read, I loved the setup, the hometown and the people, and of course the mystery to solve. Jess Byrne was a great protagonist and I’m so glad this is the first in a series, I definitely will be continuing on when the next book is out. I really enjoyed the audio also, and highly recommend adding this to your list!

This is a very enjoyable cozy mystery. The location and characters really make this book a winner for me. It’s a must read.