Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC of February Fever!

This was my first introduction to Jess Lourey’s Mira James series, and while the murder mystery aboard a snowbound train had potential, I ultimately found myself a bit underwhelmed. The setting and premise were great for building suspense, and Mira is a likable protagonist, but there was just too much going on for my taste. At times, it felt like the story was trying to do too much, which made the pacing uneven and some moments feel unnecessary or out of nowhere.

I also wasn’t expecting spice in this book. While I understand it might appeal to other readers, it’s not really my thing, and I found it unnecessary to the plot. It didn’t add much for me and even detracted from the overall experience.

Since I haven’t read the earlier books in the series, I felt a bit confused by some of the references to past events and relationships. While this book has made me curious about the series, the unexpected tone and busy plot have left me hesitant to continue, especially if spice is a regular feature.

3.5⭐️ - This is my first time reading this author, jumped in with book 10 of the series. It definitely had its moments. It made me laugh. The sarcastic humor is right up my alley, but it did have a few too many bodily function jokes for me. The first few were funny, but then it just got weird & awkward. lol I liked the plot, the train vibe - which, strangely, actually made me feel a little claustrophobic at times, but the characters... I just didn't really care about any of them. Well, maybe one. I didn't expect the ending. I'm curious to read the next book to see if the ending is what it seems. I hope not.
Thank you to Thomas & Mercer at NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

February Fever by Jess Lourey is a fast-paced, suspenseful mystery that keeps readers on edge. Mira James, on a seemingly straightforward train trip to a PI conference, finds herself trapped in the Rockies during a winter storm, with a murder and a missing family adding chaos to the situation. With limited trust among the passengers and mounting tension, Mira must use her detective skills to uncover the truth while navigating dangerous twists. Lourey crafts a tense, atmospheric setting and a clever plot, making this a thrilling read for fans of locked-room mysteries and amateur sleuths.

I think this is the best yet in the series. This was a fast-paced, emotional rollercoaster of a read. The twists were strategically placed and definitely kept me wanting to keep reading. The ending of this one got me straight in the feels though. I honestly can't imagine any in this series topping this one! I now need to go calm myself down and try to stop my tears from flowing.

Wow. I had no idea my heart would be ripped out today. I did not see this ending coming!!

Yet another book that I jumped into and then realized I was in the middle of a series! But once again….its fine! Man, I’m lucky. The author references past things, but she does it in such a way that you really dont feel like you’re missing out on anything. It just makes me want to read the other books so badly now!

The whole cast was so colorful and interesting. My favorite had to be Mrs Berns. Why am I picturing patti lapone when I read her bits?? This cozy mystery is funny witty unique and also might make you cry. It made me cry.

I highly recommend this book, but I believe the first book in the series is called May Day.

This. Was. Hilarious! The characters were Fantastic! (for a while)
After cringing thru the bit of spice right off the bat it really picked up and made me LOL so many times; but then all the talk about poop, spicy jokes/blatant innuendos, and pot was just Way too much for me.
I literally became so annoyed with and detached from the characters and just felt depressed after reading this book. Im giving it 3 stars for all of the actual LOL moments though, to be fair.
Thank you to Thomas & Mercer at NetGalley for this ARC. xox

Such an entertaining read. Mira and her friends have to solve a stranded train mystery. I find Mira to be a fun character and love reading how she handles being stuck with a murderer. A great read for the winter.

I do not think I have read any of the previous Mira monthly mysteries, and so February Fever was a first novel in this series for me. I now realize I have missed out on a terrific series of mysteries, since February Fever is such a good novel. There is a lot of humor, so much so that at one point I was laughing so much I was sure I was about to fall out of my chair. And yet, February Fever is also a novel with such deep tragedy that it made me cry. Not all authors can achieve that kind of response, and having now discovered Jess Lourey novels, I will continue to seek out her books. The descriptions are well done it is easy to imagine everyone and every location. There are terrific characters, as well. It was easy to visualize these characters, to picture them physically but also understand their lives.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC. These are my honest feelings after finishing February Fever I do definitely recommend this novel.

Scenery to die for!

This review is for the 2025 revised edition of the book.

Johnny Leeson is relocating to Oregon for an internship. After leaving the library in the dubious hands of Mayor Kenny G., Mira, Mrs. Berns, and Jed board a train to attend a PI convention and give Mira a few more days with Johnny.

The scenic trip is soon marooned by winter storms, interrupted by murder, and missing children. There is more than enough to keep Mira busy looking for clues and trying to stay out of danger for the entire trip.


The book has a healthy combination of mystery, suspense, and humor but the ending had me crying. Jess Lourey is one of my favorite cozy authors. I received a free copy but my review is honest and voluntary.

I don’t know how I started with February first, but I’m so excited there’s a whole backlist of other months to read through now that I’ve finished this one because it was such a joy to read!

Firstly thank you to the publishers for my early access in exchange for a review.
I’ve reviewed a few of this authors books and this is definitely one of their strongest .
Thought provoking and well written

First and foremost, I’d like to thank NetGalley, Jess Lourey, and Thomas & Mercer Publishing for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Book number 10 in this series did not disappoint! I loved that Mira, Mrs. Berns, and Jed embarked on an adventure that low-key turns into The Murder on the Orient Express. While this installment felt more serious in tone compared to its predecessors, it was still a gripping read. I did miss the lighter humor present in the first nine books, but don’t get me wrong—there are still plenty of funny moments. That said, this one also had me shedding tears by the end.

Mira and her crew’s hijinks never fail to entertain, and this book was no exception. I wholeheartedly recommend February Fever and the entire series to anyone looking for a fun, thrilling romcom mystery series. Jess Lourey has done it again!

This was my first Jess Lourey book, and *February Fever* was such a fun intro to the series! Even though it’s the tenth in the *Murder by Month* mysteries, it worked perfectly as a standalone.

The train-bound setting was perfect for a cozy mystery. When a murder happens in the next cabin and a family vanishes, Mira James can’t help but get involved. The whole vibe reminded me of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum books—quirky characters, laugh-out-loud moments, and a lovable amateur sleuth.

If you’re looking for a light, entertaining read with a mix of mystery and humor, this is a great pick. Now I need to get my hands on the rest of the series!

I love a good cozy mystery, so the plot of this book on a train intrigued me. I didn’t realize this was part of a series, but I was able to follow along with the story and characters easily despite not reading the previous novels in the series.

This book fell a little flat to me, mainly due to the main character, Mira. I am the same age as the main character, but found it hard to relate to her. I can’t name a single person I know under 70 that doesn’t have a cell phone, but Mira, a 29 year old, claims she finds them pointless. I think I am probably not the target demographic for this book. There are definitely redeeming moments and I the plot twist (and revealed killer) at the end was well written and a surprise.

Thank you, Jess Lourey and Net Galley for the ARC!

Mira James is heading to Oregon by rail with two of her best friends to attend a PI conference. Even better, she’ll see Johnny, the love of her life, who’s in Portland for an internship. It’ll be scenic, swift, and safe. Until it isn’t! Good book!! This book was a great read! I’m not sure why but I thought it was going to be like a cozy mystery but it definitely had some grit! It was funny also and had suspense, fantastic characters, murder, great mystery, intriguing, a good who done it and some crazy twists! The story was interesting! I definitely recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Such a good book…. Kept my interest, all back stories getting answered, thought I had it figured out, however I was wrong but glad to be wrong

This was a well written lighthearted cozy set on a train. This book had suspense, a twisty plot, and a generous sprinkling of humor, usually involving the hilarious antics of Mira's elderly friend, Mrs. Berns. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the next book in this series.

February Fever Jess Lourey. Number 10 in the Murder by Month Mystery series. Mira and Johnny's romance heats up with a fairly descriptive love scene at the beginning. A bit of a mystery with many funny moments. Mrs Berns has the best LOL moments. An entertaining read.
Thank you to Jess Lourey, Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

Thank you so much for letting me review read this gem of a book.

February fever is part of an ongoing series, it's the 10th book to be exact. Before I started reading this I didn't know and found that you can definitely read this as a standalone book.

After reading this I might read the whole series, it's so cozy. I really enjoyed the banter between the FMC and her friends and the way the story unfolds is really good. It's not a scary murder mystery, so if you don't like the scary stuff but are intrigued by murder mysteries this is a good series to begin.

Mira and Mrs. Berns head to Portland (on a train!) to visit Johnny on his new internship. But it wouldn’t be Mira if she didn’t find a dead body. Which brings up a traumatic incident in Mira’s past that she has to work through. This was quite an adventure with lots of laughs and quite a few tears by the time they reach their destination. Love this series and all the quirky characters that Mira encounters. Looking forward to more mysteries with my favorite besties!

*ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.