I'm a bit conflicted on this one. (But you should know that comic mysteries and romantic suspense are hit or miss for me.)

I loved the idea of a buttoned-up CPA on vacation who decides to solve a mystery and have a vacay fling. It had a bit of a Romancing the Stone feel if you remember that movie. But combining suspense, romance and humor in one book is a lot. I think the book did succeed on some fronts. I found the mystery to be pretty good and that was the part that this author said was new to her, and I think she did a great job!

The romance was not my favorite part. (I have reasons, which are under spoiler protection in my Goodreads review.)

If Allison Brennan continues to write romantic suspense, I will try another. It used to be SO popular and I was always a fan but has cooled in popularity a LOT so I'm ready for a comeback.

The perfect mix of romance + murder mystery! The FMC is a bibliophile that stumbles upon a book left by a missing guest with mysterious clues left in the margins. I loved the FMC in this one and her side amateur sleuthing was so relatable. If you love romance and mystery, you’ll want this for your summer TBR!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4-Star Review: Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds by Allison Brennan

If you're looking for the perfect summer escape between the pages, Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds absolutely delivers! Set on a dreamy island resort that feels tailor-made for a sun-soaked thriller, this standalone mystery is everything a beach read should be—fun, fast-paced, and just the right amount of twisty.

The mystery kept me hooked with its action-packed plot, red herrings, and gasp-worthy turns. Just when I thought I had it figured out—bam! Another layer peeled back. And the romance? Oh yes. It’s got that irresistible vacation vibe, complete with a broody, secretive man who may or may not be what he seems (yes please).

What I really appreciated was how different this is from Brennan’s usual series work—lighter in tone, but still packed with the same thoughtfulness and intricate plotting. The characters are well-drawn and layered just enough to make you care while still keeping the story breezy and unputdownable.

The only reason I knocked off a star? It read a bit long in places. A few scenes felt like they lingered just a little too much, slowing the momentum. But even with that, I stayed fully invested in the story—and that island setting was such a delicious backdrop I almost didn’t mind the detour.

All in all, an excellent beach read this summer—equal parts mystery, suspense, and romance, with a salty breeze of danger blowing through. 📚☀️🌴

Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds is a mysterious romance fictional novel! It was a fun, easy book to read. Mia’s romance with Jason gives her a fresh perspective on life, inspiring her to live with more gusto than always playing it safe. While the romance wasn’t front and center, it was a little spicy.

Brennan Expands Her Storytelling In A New And Refreshing Direction. Long time fans of Brennan, and even those who have only started reading her this decade like me, know she is most well known for very *dark* murder tales and the teams investigating them.

This book is not that. At all. While it retains *some* elements of that - bodies are piling up rather rapidly at a small private island resort - this is much more a pure romantic suspense with strong island vibes. Thus, we get a lot more tropical/ island feel here than is typical of Brennan's writing to date... and that is an *amazing* thing to see, as she executes it so well. About the only thing Brennan could have done to be even more different than her usual style would be to go pure bubblegum pop romcom, and while this is nowhere near that... there are certainly both comedic and spicy moments, making the reader literally laugh out loud at times while offering perhaps around a jalapeno level spice - more than a warm glass of milk, but also far less than the ghost peppers of books I read earlier in the week before reading this book.

Truly well done, and a very welcome and refreshing departure from where Brennan has been these last several years at minimum, this reader at least is hoping both sides of her storytelling will continue.

Very much recommend.

Allison Brennan deftly blends chills, thrills, intrigue and romance in her terrific new novel, Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds.

Responsible is Mia Crawford’s middle name. Every day, she juggles her stressful and demanding career with taking care of her grandmother and her cats. With barely time to draw breath, Mia’s diary is always full to the brim leaving her with next to no time for self-care. Luckily for bookworm Mia, she always manages to squeeze in a chapter from the latest novel she’s devouring. Whether it’s a nail-biting mystery or a heart-pounding romance, Mia loves escaping between the pages of her favorite books. However, little does she realize that she’s about to have an adventure of her own worthy of any romantic heroine!

Unexpectedly finding herself on a luxurious private island in an exclusive resort, Mia has the time to indulge herself – and get even more reading done. When she finds some strange notes in the margins of an old book, Mia is intrigued – especially as they turn out to be clues linked to the disappearance of a fellow guest. Finding herself plunged into a world of danger and deception, Mia needs to tread carefully and solve this mystery – or she might be the next guest to meet a grisly end!

Allison Brennan’s Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds is a bit of a departure from her high-octane tales of suspense, however, once I started reading her latest novel, I found it absolutely impossible to put down. Witty, breezy, exciting and unpredictable, Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds has a delightful heroine readers will love, humor aplenty, twists and turns that will keep everyone guessing and a heartfelt romantic thread running through the book that left me with a big smile of my smile.

Readers looking for a summer read that will make them laugh, cry and gasp need to add Allison Brennan’s Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds to their auto-buy list.

A book-loving accountant looks for love and finds a mystery on a Caribbean island vacation. This would make a great beach or poolside read because It a nice blend of romance and cozy mystery. I found the main character to be a little to "man crazy," but other than that I enjoyed the first person narration and tropical setting.

This one might be a case of “it’s not you, it’s me.” On paper, this book has all the elements I normally love: a bibliophile theme, a cozy mystery, and an island setting. But for some reason, it just didn’t click. The pacing felt off, I was bored for much of the story, and I found myself struggling to stay invested.

The ending was fantastic (sharp, twisty, and truly captivating), but by the time I got there, it felt a bit too late to redeem the slower, meandering middle. The large cast of characters also made it harder to keep track of who was who, which didn’t help.

If you’re a die-hard cozy mystery fan, this might land better for you, especially if you don’t mind a slow build and a hefty character list. As for me, this one just missed the mark.

I quite enjoyed this book! It took me several chapters to wrap my head around all the different characters and their relationships with each other, but I was somewhat figuring it out alongside the main character, which was fun! The writing was clear and easy to digest. The ending seemed rushed to me, which is the only reason I didn't give 5 stars. Regardless, I still highly recommend this as a great read!

I want to thank NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC of Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds by Allison Brennan.

The title is clever and intriguing. What a fun and entertaining whodunit tale! Situated on an all-inclusive resort on a Caribbean Island there is lust, love, greed and blackmail. Everything tied up in a nice little story that had me waiting to finish what I was doing to get back to the characters in the book.

We are first introduced to Mia, a workaholic who is forced to go on a vacation by her boss. She has no boyfriend and financially takes care of her grandma. She sees no marriage or family in her future because she has her life planned out and with this new promotion, there will be no time for dating let alone marriage. When Mia arrives on the island, there is news of a missing woman. An oddity on this normally very safe, secluded island. She finds a book with notes on it that she believes belongs to the missing woman. This brings Mia to starting a secret investigation to solve the puzzle of the woman's disappearance with the help of a younger guest Brie and a handsome bartender Jason. The more she looks into the disappearance the more she realizes everyone on the island has secrets and some secrets are worth killing for!

This is the perfect laid back, summer read. The story moves fast and keeps the reader entertained. I know of a few people already who I would recommend this book too.

This was the perfect beach read! It had a good mystery, it had a steamy romance, it had friendship, and drama, a book loving MC, and it all took place in a beautiful setting! It was a fun easy read that kept me hooked from start to finish. It also has me dreaming of a vacation to a private island! Would love for this to be a series because I want to solve more mysteries with Mia. Definitely recommending this one to all the mystery and romance readers.

Well, this is different for this author. This reads like a cozy mystery…sort of. I am a big fan of this author but this is not my favorite.

Mia is finally taking a much needed vacation, even though she does not want to. She is a workaholic and that is where she wants to be. But, since she has been forced to go to a luxurious private island, she is going to make the best of it. That is until, she comes upon a dead body.

Mia, to me, is a bit wishy washy. I expected more out of her. She is such a powerhouse at work but very inhibited and a bit naive everywhere else.

I did enjoy the setting and all the book references. This was music to my ears!

The narrator, Vanessa Johansson, is one of my favs. And this is probably the reason I continued with this book. She makes the characters come alive.

Advertisement

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

A fun read, different from most of Allison Brennan’s books. Good characters who were well-developed. The whodunnit stumped me. Everything tied up nicely. Happy ending.

I love a good beach read. Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds was so much more than a beach read and I absolutely loved it. It is the story of a woman who goes on a solo island vacation as a gift from her firm, only to discover the body of a dead woman and an old novel with handwritten clues in it, leading her to start her own investigation. This book is a love letter to book nerds everywhere. Quotes from books open each chapter and the protagonist talks about her favorite books and posts on Bookstagram. All with a tropical setting, a bit of a romance and a murder mystery - it was the perfect mash up of so many genres. I was hooked and devoured it.

Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds is a blend of mystery, thriller, and romance that kept me hooked from start to finish. The story follows Mia, a book-loving woman on a much-needed vacation to a luxurious private island. But her relaxing getaway quickly takes a dark turn when a murder disrupts the peaceful paradise. As Mia dives into uncovering the truth, she realizes the island has more secrets than she ever imagined.

This was my first book to read by Allison Brennan, I was not disappointed. It was a well-written, fast-paced read with complex characters and an engaging plot. The genre-blending was executed perfectly, and the story held my attention throughout. Be sure to check out the trigger warnings before reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and Allison Brennan for the opportunity to get an early release of this book, and find a new author to read.

Unfortunately this book really missed the mark for me. The MC was insufferable and the mystery moved at. a. snail’s pace. The cover is quite eye catching though. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

Mia Crawford is a financial planner with her whole life planned out. Her financial life, that is. When she's offered a promotion to partner and a mandatory vacation to the Virgin Islands, Mia is determined to have a fun fling before she devotes her life to constant work. On the ferry to Saint Claire, Mia discovers another guest has gone missing from the resort. When a clue falls into Mia's lap, she starts sleuthing with the help of Brie, a teen on vacation with her pro baseball player dad. A light and flirty cozy mystery that hits the mark as a beach read. My quibble is that the repetitive thoughts Mia has about never vacationing again or finding love due to her promotion are absurd and should have been edited down.

Thank you Netgalley and Mira for the chance to read an ARC of Beach reads and deadly deeds by Allison Brennan. The author has been on my "want to read" list for awhile, and has several suspense/thriller series that I am dying to read. Beach reads and deadly deeds is more of a cozy mystery than thriller, and I was drawn to it because the main character, Mia Crawford was described as a "risk-averse bibliophile"! At first the story was a bit of a let-down, and was too slow-placed for me, but as I continued to read, I really started to enjoy the characters, and the many book quotes and nods was a great bibliography! Some of the twists were obvious, but what had me changing the 3 star review to 4 stars was the ending! I loved it!!! This is the perfect cottage/beach read!!!

mia is a CPA who is getting promoted to partner and was forced on a vacation before she officially starts her new position. she would much rather stick to her comfort zone: being too invested in work and reading at home with her cats during her free time. her first day on the private island, she finds a used book in the gift shop and takes it to read on the beach. she soon realizes that the previous owner of the book is the woman who went missing from the island a few days prior to her arrival, and she left clues in the margins of the book. mia finds herself super invested into the investigation, finally stepping out of her comfort zone to figure out what happened to the missing woman.

this book had me hooked literally the moment i picked it up. it has the perfect blend of summer romance, whodunnit murder investigation, and beachy private island vibes. i loved how bookish mia was and i related to her so much! i’m always a sucker for book references in books, so this book was right up my alley.

the plot was super interesting and i loved following along with mia as she investigated. there were a few twists that i was so surprised by and that fit into the story so well - they weren’t just included for shock factor. i absolutely loved the ending, it was the perfect wrap up for mia’s character and showed how the week on the island and the people she met there influenced her.

thank you so much to mira and netgalley for the opportunity to read this book early!

Mia Crawford, an accountant is practical. She loves her grandmother, her cats and most of all her books. She loves getting lost in a story and always has a book on the go. When her company wants to send her on a vacation, she would rather have the money to put in her retirement fund, but she relents. Mia needs a life. An exciting life like the characters in her books.

Mia heads out to a private island for her vacation. She is ready to relax, read, and maybe have a fling. When she gets to the island, she goes to find a book in the gift shop and picks up one that a guest has left behind. Mia has no idea when she opens the first page how the book will change her life. Soon she is embroiled in a mystery, the pages of the book giving her clues, and Mia does not know who to trust and who just may be the next victim.

Twists, turns, mysteries and a romance all tied into one a fabulous book by Allison Brennan. I loved the story and the characters. I had no clue who was guilty until the very end of the book. As usual for Ms. Brennan, just when you think you have it figure out, she goes in a different direction. My sincere thanks to Allison Brennan, Harlequin Trade Publishing and Netgalley for my advanced copy which I read and reviewed voluntarily. A perfect beach read for the summer.