This was a super fun read! I loved the humor and found myself chuckling or cackling with each chapter. The banter is in fact witty and full of puns. Also, I didn't really see the reveal coming when all mysteries were solved, so good on the authors! I would definitely recommend this to a mystery reader who enjoys the supernatural (and is an Ally).

Okay, so imagine one of those cozy British murder shows except that it takes place in a little town in Oregon and the two people trying to solve the crime are the owners of the town’s bed and breakfast and are also an odd couple, gay, married, and vampires.

That is Dead & Breakfast.

This book is absolutely delightful. It’s sweet, it’s funny. There is murder. The werewolf owns the local coffee shop and is also a lawyer. There is a very important underlying theme of bigotry and ignorance and belonging. There are exceptionally incredible puns. There are some twists on vampire lore that will make you laugh so loud you will scare your pets. Great dentist jokes.

I… I just really needed this book right now. I’ve already recommended it to several friends I wish could read it right now but are going to have to wait until October but I’m sure will need it then just as much, if not more. I kept texting two of my writer friends bits and pieces as I was going along because I knew they would appreciate not only the silly but the clever and the touching and the vision of vampire Oscar and Felix (yes, we are all olds) on a teal, tandem bike.

Also, there is a reference to Maria Dahavana Headley’s Beowulf translation, which would have sold me if I hadn’t already been very, extremely sold (it is the best translation, and if you do not why, I will be very happy to tell you IN GREAT DETAIL).

In a world where I’m increasingly fine with one-offs, I really hope there are more of these.

A gay vampire, a werewolf, and a Black woman meet in a cafe… Kinda sounds like the start of a joke. It is the start of Arthur Miller’s (no relations) investigation into who killed the mayor of Tristan Falls, Oregon. This is the first book in a new series featuring a gay couple, Arthur and Salvatore, who attempt to run an inn in a town with a strong anti-paranormal sentiment. I could not help but see parallels to recent years and even today.

Arthur’s straitlaced, little stuck in the past, buttoned-up personality contrasts with Salvatore’s over-the-top, flamboyant one. Nora, a Black woman, back in town to take a new job, is campaigning for acceptance and inclusion of all, which doesn’t sit well with everyone. Thought having an ex-actor be anti-paranormal is a different twist since actors often are characterized as open-minded.

The authors fully lean into the paranormal and do not just use it as a ploy to get readers in. Every part of the story includes it. Along the way, myths are busted and friendships are made. It seems nearly everyone is covered in this story: Jews, African Americans, Asian Americans, LGBTQIA+, dwarfism, and more. While not spoiling the whodunit, I will share that the message on embracing what makes us different and accepting each other is prevalent and strong. There are several funny moments, of course, courtesy of Salvatore, that keep the story light.

As the first book in the series, there are introductions of characters that I assume will appear in upcoming stories, like Lore, the elf coroner, and Theo, the werewolf lawyer turned coffee shop owner.

While a good story, the paranormal genre, even as a cozy mystery, is not for me. If it’s your thing, this is a good, maybe slightly too long, read.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #PenguinRandomHouse for the opportunity to do an early read and share my thoughts on the story.

Happy Reading!

This is a fun, entertaining sapphic cozy mystery. Married vampire couple, Arthur and Sal, open a Bed & Breakfast in the idyllic town of Trident Falls, Oregon. They just want to stay out of trouble, and run their business. But trouble finds them when the mayor is discovered dead in their begonias with two puncture wounds in his neck. They team up with some townies, including a werewolf barista, to prove they're innocent. This was a cute, quick read. The mystery was a bit predictable but overall it was entertaining enough. I think newbies to cozy mysteries will like this one.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

I loved this book until the Harry Potter reference at about 85% in. It felt like a stab in the back tbh. It was completely and wholly unnecessary too. As a book written by at least one nonbinary person, I am shocked. As a genderfluid person myself, I cannot give this book a good rating because of that reference. I will be checking the final copy to see if it made it in, but as it stands I am deflated and disappointed.

This was cute and cozy and I liked the characters, I just found myself having a hard time focusing on the story. It didn't engage me enough. And while I liked the main couple, SAlvatore tended to annoy me a bit, bu in an endearing way. upon a reread I might find myself thinking differently, but who is to say I'll pick this back up again.

I was hooked from the concept and cover and thought it was a fantastic overall journey. This took the vampire concept and creates something engaging and new in this world. I loved the mystery element and how Arthur and Sal were so human and fantastic to read. I thought it took the paranormal mystery into a strong direction. Kat Hillis and Rosiee Thor wrote a strong murder mystery with a great paranormal twist.

Was cute story! Loved the relationship between Salvatore and Arthur! but sadly felt the story was pretty predictable after a certian point.

+ Vampires
+ Werewolves
+ Fae
+ Murder Mystery
+ LGBTQIA

This book is a marvelous take on cozy mysteries! Arthur Miller (no relation) and his fabulous husband Salvatore run a very normal bed and breakfast, despite the fact that they are both paranormal. Business is not booming in their little Oregonian town, where there is a lot of anti-paranormal sentiment. When they find the mayor's dead body among their flower beds and Salvatore is accused of the crime, Arthur, with the assistance of new city manager and the bed and breakfast's only guest Nora, coroner and elf Lore, and barista/lawyer/annoying werewolf Theo, takes out his tiny notebook and starts to solve the mystery of the mayor's murder. This book was great fun, with wonderful side characters and a fabulous feline sidekick. I enjoyed steadfast Arthur and dramatic Sal's relationship. Dead & Breakfast is the perfect queer cozy mystery for anyone who likes a bit of paranormal with their stories!

I found this book to be an enjoyable read. The story kept me engaged from start to finish and had some moments that really stood out. Overall, it offered an entertaining reading experience.

Dead and Breakfast by Kat Hillis & Rosiee Thor is a great paranormal cozy mystery. Arthur and Sal, two vampires, are trying to make a go at running a B&B while settling down for a cozy future together. Their only guest is the new city manager. All three are surprised to find the mayor of their town, Trident Falls, dead in the back garden. The perhaps inept sheriff believes that the focus for the suspect should be among the paranormal population.

There are a lot of over-the-top situations and humor in this book—funny but not forced, and it really just plays into the outrageousness. The mystery itself was okay. There were some attempts to throw in red herrings, but it was pretty clear who the culprit was. However, the pacing was good and the charming characters more than made up for a middling mystery.

Alongside the fun, there were some deeper topics like longing to belong, finding a forever home, developing a community, especially in the face of bigotry that provided some depth that isn’t always present in a cozy mystery. Outside of pretty brief glimpses of a fae forensics tech and a werewolf who is a lawyer/coffee bar owner, there was not much background given on the size or composition of the paranormal community. That could have brought an even greater understanding of Sal and Arthur’s situation.

Overall, despite a few little things, this was so entertaining and sweet. There is potential for a series and hopefully that will happen. Arthur and Sal deserve more time in the world!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the eARC.

This pitch had all the makings of something I could really love, but I just couldn't get into it. I appreciate the use of vampires as an allegory for queerness and the way that society holds them at arm's length. However, I struggled with how much I was hit over the head with that refrain. More showing, less telling would've been appreciated. But for those who can read past this, the relationships that develop are cute and the mystery can be a worthwhile one.

Paranormal cozy mystery? I love them! LGBTQ vampire characters? You've just become one of my favorite books in the whole world! I absolutely loved this one. It's funny, charming, and has an amazing cast of characters that I won't be forgetting about. I hope this is a series because I'm going to need more books!

3.5 stars. A breezy read that fully embraces its own cheesiness. Vampire husbands Arthur and Salvatore open a bed-and-breakfast in small-town Oregon, only to find themselves the prime suspects of the anti-paranormal sheriff when the mayor is found murdered in their flower beds. Lots of warm, silly moments and a light-hearted read.

I had a hard time connecting with Salvatore; while he was over-the-top dramatic, he also had no sense for a long-lived vampire. Arthur grew on me, and is the heart of the book (along with Rumble the cat). The murder mystery itself was hampered by the small cast of characters that pointed the finger early and resolution via unforced confession by the culprit.

When read for the witty repartee and its sweet heart, Dead & Breakfast delivers exactly that.

Thanks to Kat Hillis, Rosiee Thor, Berkley, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have had a bit of a streak of saying this, but I must say it again: I wanted to like this one, but it just lost me... I was so intrigued by the concept and set up here. I love the title and cover. The blurb drew me in, as did the characters - initially. But the build was SO slow and the characters came to seem like caricatures, and things just never developed into the snappy read I was expecting after the initial chapters. This one wasn't a good fit for me.

If you want a cozy, quirky, queer paranormal murder mystery, I have your new favorite read

Dead & Breakfast follows Arthur and Salvatore, a vampire couple who run a bed and breakfast in a quiet mountain town, who unexpectedly find the dead mayor laying up all in their flowers (incredibly inconsiderate!!) When Sal gets accused, Arthur makes it his mission to find the culprit with the help of a few new friends along the way.

I overall really enjoyed this read! I think the deeper theme of how deep bigotry can run in a person and town was really interesting to explore in this type of genre and I hope the series continues to do that. Salvatore is an absolute diva and I am obsessed deeply with him! I enjoyed Arthur too, but not as much. Maybe because he was the sole narrator and the writing style wasn’t for me? He is incredibly analytical, which is great for a murder mystery, but not when he is hung up on people who are very obviously not the culprit. I think this was an easier mystery to figure out, but I think people getting into this genre would really enjoy it!! I do wish we had a bit of a faster pace but still an enjoyable weekend read

Thank you so much to netgalley for allowing me to have an arc!

An absolutely fun romp of a book for fans of What We Do in the Shadows and those who ship Crowley & Aziraphale. Perfect for spooky season, this paranormal twist on cozy mysteries is full of puns, debunking of classic vampire lore, and queer joy.

I am always down for a great cozy paranormal, so I requested thinking this would fit the bill which it definitely did. Sal and Arthur are such a fun and cute couple, and I just loved them so much. Add in a great mystery that really kept me guessing in a great way, I was entertained the whole time. To be honest, I have to admit I was a tad put off with how wordy it was and thought about giving this a four star, but since it’s more of a personal preference and the rest was so great, I had to give it five. This is a great cozy paranormal, and I’m looking forward to hopefully more. Highly recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

An odd-couple romantic comedy with a queer, supernatural twist. A super cute cozy mystery stocked with eccentric characters.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Dead & Breakfast by Kat Hills, Rosiee Thor

* Cozy murder mystery
* Vampires
* High Banter
* Queer Rep.
* Found family

“The new vampires in town are sinking their teeth into solving a murder…Married odd couple Arthur and Sal are totally normal. They wear sunscreen, not because the sun can kill them, but because even the undead need a skincare regimen. They eat garlic whenever they want, though it gives Sal indigestion. They can talk to creatures of the night, but only the raccoons that rifle through their garbage. Really, they don’t bite… except into delicious baked goods. Ready to settle down and stay out of trouble, the two have opened a bed & breakfast in the idyllic, if not-so-paranormal-friendly, town of Trident Falls, Oregon. But trouble finds them when the mayor is discovered dead in their begonias with two puncture wounds in his neck. With the help of a werewolf barista, the elven town coroner, and a very human city manager, Arthur and Sal will need to prove they aren’t literally out for blood by catching a killer…”

This was an absolute delight! I fell in love with Arthur and Sal! The residents of Trident Falls, Oregon, are amazing. This is the first book by the author, and I hope this becomes a series. I have laughed throughout the whole book. It was a quick, fun read, and anyone who loves cozy mysteries should read it when it comes out!

The entire cast makes the book a must-read. I would love to book a night at this B&B! I wouldn't even mind getting stuck as a suspect lol

Thank you, NetGalley and the Berkley Publishing Group, for this wonderful read!

#vampires #myserty #adult #cozymyserty #cozy #fiction #queer #netgalley #berkley