Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

I'm a fan of Allison Brennan but this one was a little bit different from past books of hers I have read. This was more like a cozy mystery with a little bit of romance, a little bit of who done it...to the grand reveal. If you are looking for a low-key mystery with not too much dark tension this is for you!

3 stars

Mia Crawford is on an enforced vacation. She's been at her financial planning firm for five years and, as a an anniversary present, she's on a ferry to a private island in the Carribean. She tried to get the cash equivalent but was roundly dismissed. She's a little wary because she'd rather read a book than have a grand adventure.
The resort is an interesting place. It's owned by a reclusive billionaire. It's also the site of a recent disappearance, a woman who was at the resort left the island on a day trip but never returned. Mia is connected to this woman when she picks up a book from the take a book/leave a book pile at the resort and it is filled with handwritten notes that directly relate to other guests on the island.
Though Mia is used to being on her own, she befriends the daughter of one of the other guests. She also starts spending time with the handsome bartender Jason. But both relationships may pull her into danger.
Overall a lovely story though my suspension of disbelief was pulled pretty taut several times.

Three and a half stars
This book came out June 17, 2025
ARC kindly provided by Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds by Allison Brennan is another one of her fantastic stories. We meet Mia Crawford, who is sent on an all-expenses paid vacation to the exclusive St. Caire Island; since she has just been promoted to partner for her job as an accountant. Mia is looking forward to relaxing, reading and maybe flirt. Mia learns that someone at the resort has recently disappeared from the island; and since she bought a book in the gift shop, she discovers that someone wrote in the book, all kinds of clues that must have been done by the person who is still missing. Mia can’t resist playing detective, piecing the clues hidden in the pages.

Soon it is discovered that the missing women was found murdered, with Mia finding out that the victim was blackmailing other guests. The situation becomes dangerous, as a second murder shakes the island.

Mia does meet the island’s handsome and charming bartender, Jason Mallory. In a short time, they both find themselves attracted to each other. Jason helps Mia work together as a partner in the crime solving mystery. The chemistry between Mia and Jason was sizzling, and I really liked them together. I enjoyed how Mia befriended Brie, and Brie was determined to stop her father from remarrying an evil witch. They made a great team, though at times it was tense. There was a group of wonderful characters, good and bad, who were either fun or dangerous.

Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds was a wonderful mix of suspense, action, murder, romance and a gripping mystery. The island environment, with the Caribbean tropical setting, beaches were very well done. The ending was sort of a surprise, especially a major twist. Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds was so very well written by Allison Brennan. This was a terrific mystery, and a wonderful romantic story.

Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds is a lovely romance with mystery, friendship, an amazing setting and a bit of a scam all mixed together. Mia Crawford is a workaholic and responsible to a fault. She is a financial advisor and is taking care of her grandmother, who has no idea about money. When she isn't working, she's reading. She makes video reviews which she posts, but otherwise she does nothing else. Her bosses want to make her a partner, but before they do, she has to take a vacation that they planned and paid for. She is whisked off to a fully inclusive resort on a luxurious private island. Her two friends tell her to let loose and have a vacation fling so she can enjoy herself for a change. She agrees, but isn't sure how to go about it. so now it's time to live like one of the heroines from her favourite novels. When she arrives she realizes that almost everyone is part of a couple, so off she goes to find herself a book. When she finds out about the woman who disappeared while vacationing at the resort and realizes that the book she picked up on the used book table is full of clues and information, she decides that maybe she can figure out what happened to the missing woman. Asking questions and poking her nose where it doesn't belong might just put her in danger though.

I enjoyed this story and Mia as the main character. She is dealing with baggage that her father shared with her, and having lived with no money in the past. She is extremely cautious about what she does in life, so this investigation she begins is definitely out of character. She meets a handsome bartender, and they have a bit of a fling, but there is some hesitation on Mia's part. He lives on St. Clair and she has to go home. She also befriends a teenager whose father is dating a gold digger, but he doesn't see it. She wants Mia's help in breaking them up. With lots going on, Mia finding a dead body, having her room broken into and more, I raced through this one. I really liked how each chapter was introduced. There was a quote from a book that gave hints about what would be happening in the chapter. If you enjoy a good vacation story, in a great setting, one with a mystery, interesting characters and even a mystery thrown in, then I recommend you pick up Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds.

Did I fall for the cover of this book and the title? Yes. Did it live up to the hype? Also yes!

This was a delightful book that got me out of a month-long slump where I was struggling hard to finish a book. The mystery kept me guessing and the hot bartender kept me interested! I really loved the pacing and the characters in this book!

The only downside was there was SO many characters that I was often trying to remember who certain people were/what their stories were.

Overall it was a delight to read!

Thank you to NetGalley and MIRA for the eARC copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

So, a lot of our patrons love Allison Brennan's books. I had not read any of her books, so I was excited to get an ARC of this one. I was surprised that so many loved her books when I was reading this one. I know these patrons, and this did not seem like the type of book they would read. Now that the book has been released, I have received feedback that this is not like her other mysteries.

Mia Crawford is forced to go on vacation. She is obsessed with mysteries and is now involved in one in real life. She starts investigating the disappearance of a female guest that went missing right before she got there. She sees everyone as a possible abductor.

I should preface this by saying I've read a lot of mystery thrillers recently, so I think I'm a bit burnt out of the genre...perhaps this is a case of good book bad time to read it. I thought there were too many characters to keep track of, it felt slow paced and low stakes, and the romance wasn't integrated as well as it could have been. But I did like the beachy setting and the fact that the MC was a bookworm.

Ready for a thrilling escape? ☀️ Dive into Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds by Allison Brennan, a captivating blend of cozy mystery and romantic suspense that's perfect for your next getaway (or staycation!).

Meet Mia Crawford, a responsible bibliophile who's forced into a luxurious island vacation. Her plan? Relax with a good book. Her reality? Uncovering a real-life mystery when cryptic notes in an old novel lead her to a missing guest! 🕵️‍♀️

Brennan delivers a sun-drenched setting, intriguing secrets, and a delightful touch of romance as Mia navigates a resort full of hidden agendas. If you love a good whodunit with charming characters and a picturesque backdrop, this one's for you!

Brennan is not the first name that comes to mind when you think of frothy beach reads. This novel is a significant departure for the thriller writer and will not be to everyone’s taste. I enjoyed Mia and her amateur detective escapades and hope to see more in this vein.

BEACH READS AND DEADLY DEEDS by Allison Brennan was a disappointment. I read as much as I could, but I was quickly bored with the main character's pre-occupation with finding a cute guy and having a (apparently quite out of character) fling on her vacation. Are readers supposed to believe that that this person would totally change her personality? And if she was looking for romance, why not insist on a vacation locale that catered to similarly inclined singles? For me, it did not make sense, and I quickly grew tired of reading her ruminations (to back up my perception, I tried some word counts – alone appears 59 times and couple appears 72); it is not even funny ... just sad. Based on reader reviews at Amazon, BEACH READS AND DEADLY DEEDS will have appeal for those who like this type of "beach read." The Goodreads score is much lower, though, and perhaps reflects the disappointment of fans of the other mystery series (e.g., Quinn & Costa) which best-selling author Allison Brennan has written. A couple of years ago, I read her fast-paced North of Nowhere and would recommend that instead of this new title.

This is my second read by Allison Brennan and she has yet to disappoint me. While Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds was very different from the Quinn & Costa series they were both five star reads for me.

Normally I'm not a huge fan of books being the center focus of a story. But Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds does it so well. I loved the little quotes from other books as a precursor to the chapters. As I was read I would be trying to tie the quote into what was happening in the chapter.

I really loved the cozy mystery feel of the story. It was the perfect mix of mystery and romance. While I did see one of the twists coming at the end. It actually made me like the story even more. Jason was the perfect amount of relaxed and spontaneous to get Mia out of her head and actually let go on vacation... well minus the murder that happened.

St. Claire is a beautiful tropical island that is the perfect getaway for the well to do elite. But with that comes drama when a murder rocks their shores and everyone becomes a suspect. On her first day on the island Mia finds a book on the free shelf that changes the course of her vacation. She finds out the woman who was murdered was blackmailing the majority of people on the island. Now instead of relaxing she's out to catch a killer.

Mia meets Brie young woman who is visiting the island with her father and his girlfriend. They become fast friends. Brie makes the perfect Watson to Mia's Sherlock. Brie knows everyone on the island from her many trips with her father. People also overlooked her because of her age which means she knew everyone's business. She is also super tech savvy and is able to find out all the dirt on the islands guests.

One of my favorite parts of the book is the puzzles. The Murdered woman loved puzzles and she left clues to each of her blackmails. It was super fun deciphering what was happening and why.

Overall, Breach Reads and Deadly Deeds is a great summer read and I can't recommend it enough.


Thank you to Net Galley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for gifting me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Fun read! I really enjoyed the mix of romance and mystery which is always a good combination. This was my first book by Brennan and it inspired me to add more to my TBR list. It was a nice, easy read but a tab predictable.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Net Galley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I absolutely love this book and enjoyed everything about it. I loved the chapter titles referred to books. I love the friendships made in this book. It was a fun read. The mystery kept me guessing. I loved the romance. I just enjoyed everything about this book. It was lush and I could imagine myself in a beach chair next to MIa. If you are looking for an escape read this book.

I liked the way that books played into this, but there were a lot of characters and I had a hard time keeping them all straight.

Mia Crawford never takes a vacation. She follows a strict lifestyle built around responsibility and planning for the future. When her company forces her to take an all expenses paid vacation to private island, she decides to try out things she doesn't allow for in her current life life flirting, relaxing, and making friends with other vacationers. When she picks up a book left by another guest, she realizes that the notes in the margins are more than just mindless doodles and the book belonged to the recent guest who is currently missing. Mia has picked up a new vacation hobby - solving a mystery.

This is a fun take on a vacation thriller. It has a little bit of everything in it and I did not see the final twist coming. This book has a large cast of characters that took me a long time to sort out who was who. Definitely a great beach read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing MIRA for the ARC of Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds.

3.5 stars!

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin for this eArc. My thoughts and opinion are my own.

I enjoyed this one! This book is about Mia. She is so overworked in her life she takes a long overdue vacation. Then another guest disappears and Mia has the clues in a book she found to help solve the mystery. I enjoyed this one. I loved how there are quotes to different books at the beginning of each chapter. This book has a little bit of everything including mystery, romance, suspense. This book would be fun to pick up on the beach or at the pool.

The main character in this book annoyed me. She's on vacation by herself and telling everyone both her first AND last name. Who does that!? Then she's obsessed with the lady that was murdered. She becomes besties with an 18 year old and hooks up with a bartender that never hooks up with anyone else (yeah right). I think the title and the cover sucked me into this, but then it really did suck...

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC.

#BeachReadsandDeadlyDeeds #NetGalley

Based on the title and the cover of this book I was expecting more of a light hearted fluff read. But this was not that, which I was happy about. Personally I love a good thriller mystery so this hit the spot for me.

I am a fan of Allison's writing so this one hit the spot for me. However the background of the main character took me a little bit to get used to. What business does a financial planner have investigating a murder? That was a bit of an oddity with this book. We start out saying she's risk adverse and then we have her galivanting through the jungle and falling in holes.

I was pleasantly surprised that our vacation romance intertwined into our mystery and not in a nefarious type of way.

Overall would read again however will not make my top five for the year

**Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds** by Allison Brennan is a fast-paced, totally fun mystery perfect for summer. It has all the right ingredients: a sunny beach setting, a clever amateur sleuth, and just enough twists to keep you guessing without getting too dark. It’s the kind of book you can’t wait to bring on vacation — light, engaging, and thoroughly entertaining. A great pick for anyone who loves a mix of cozy vibes and smart suspense!

Mia Crawford is responsible to a fault—with no time for anything but work, caregiving, and her beloved books. But when she's forced to take a vacation on a luxe private island, she figures it’s the perfect chance to finally live like one of her favorite fictional heroines.

That is, until she stumbles onto a real-life mystery hidden in the margins of an old book. With a fellow guest missing and secrets lurking behind every cabana, Mia’s quiet getaway turns into a high-stakes whodunit—and she just might be next.

This book is the perfect mystery to bring along for a long beach day—light, fun, and just the right amount of spunky. I loved the dreamy vibes of St. Claire and honestly, I can only hope to be rich enough one day to vacation somewhere like that and stumble into my own Jason.

Some plot points felt a bit rushed and a few twists were easy to spot, and I did wish the main character had a bit more depth. But overall, it was a charming, breezy read that hit the vacation-read sweet spot.
Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing & NetGalley for the ARC.
3 stars