I liked this beach read. I do feel like there's parts of the story that could have been slowed down (most of the climaxes of the story towards the end of the book were sped through).

A great book cover can be a powerful lure, and that's precisely what drew me to Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds. The cover promised a cozy mystery with a sunny, tropical twist—the perfect escape. However, while the premise was intriguing, the execution didn't quite hold my attention.
The main character, Mia Crawford, is a relatable workaholic in desperate need of a break. The idea of her trying to step out of her comfort zone on a luxurious private island, inspired by the heroines in her favorite novels, is a fun concept. Unfortunately, the story stalls a bit in the beginning, and Mia's transformation from cautious bookworm to impromptu detective feels a little forced. The mystery itself, centered on cryptic notes in a book and a missing guest, has potential, but the pacing felt uneven, making it difficult to fully immerse myself in the plot.
While the setting is great and the mystery eventually gets going, the book didn't quite live up to the promise of its striking cover. It's a decent read for a rainy afternoon, but it won't be one I come back to.

I'm typically not a fan of cozy mysteries, but this one was really cute! I really enjoyed the mix of mystery and romance! Definitely cheesy, but this makes a great mindless beach read!

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.

I just finished Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds by Allison Brennan and here are my thoughts.

Mia lives to work. She is responsible and hardworking, not taking any time for herself… Except to read. She loves her books! When the company she works for promotes her, they also send her on a forced vacation to a remote island. Deciding to take the time to read, she comes across a book at the hotel with notes in the margins.. Clues to a woman who just went missing on the island and Mia can’t help inserting herself into a real life mystery.

Well color me surprised. This was actually a really enjoyable audiobook. I thought the main character, Mia, was going to annoy me the whole way through but she grew on me. The narrator did an excellent job of bringing the book to life for me.

I actually went from being ambivalent to Mia to actually loving her. She really found herself and I loved the ending where she found the strength to live the life she wanted and not the one that was safer.

I thought the plot was great, it had a really cozy feel to it without it being a cozy mystery because the tone of the book was a bit more ominous and it really had a great balance in my humble opinion. I liked how the mystery unraveled and I didn’t figure out what was what and I was kept in the dark which I liked a lot. It was clever, beautifully written, with a great pace and entertaining AF!

4.5 stars

I wasn’t a massive fan of Jason… I didn’t warm to him, hence the loss of half a star!

Thank you to @netgalley and @htpbooks_audio for my gifted ALC

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a mystery with a bit of romance.. I liked that each chapter started with a quote from a book. I liked the characters. The story moved pretty quickly. I did think some of it was predictable, but it was still a fun read.

The narrator did okay, but I felt like she could have been more distinctive with the voices.

Loved how this book gave me a little bit of Vanderpump with murder mystery on the side. I adored how nosey Mia Crawford was, trying to solve the crime of what the notes on the pages of the book meant, what happened to the previous owner of said book. Cause, TBH I would be just like that if I was in her shoes. The tension between her and Jason was awesome, the relationship she started with Bri was amazing, it was just a great audiobook! Vanessa Johansson was a fabulous narrator!

Thanks to NetGalley & Harlequin Audio for the advanced copy

This was ok! It was pretty confusing on the audio to figure out who was talking sometimes but I love that a book starts the scavenger hunt/ mystery with a book!

I was a tad bored throughout most of it. I didn’t figure out the twist because I was too confused about what was happening

Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds was a fun beach read.

When Mia arrives at a private island resort, she learns that a woman has gone missing from the resort. When she picks up one of the books from the lending library at the resort, she finds notes about the resort guests in the margins.

She decides to start investigating the missing woman, using what she has learned from reading mysteries and thrillers. Everyone is a suspect, especially as Mia decodes the notes in her book.

I enjoyed the mystery and the romance between Mia and the bartender, and her friendship with Bri.

That said, I did frequently wonder why Mia took on such an intense investigation while on vacation. Thinking about my time at an island all-inclusive, there’s no way I would have spent my time running around the island versus sitting on the beach with a book and a tropical drink. Maybe it’s just me?

This was the perfect summer read. Thank you to Harlequin Audio for the #gifted audiobook!

Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds has the witty thoughts of a romcom and the storyline of a cozy mystery. The perfect beachy escape with a lovable narrator.

This book had me on my toes, let me tell you. I thought we were going in one direction and then by the next chapter I was doubting myself.

I related so much to our FMC, Mia. A book girlie.. and a little (lot) bit nosy as well?? Say LESS. Jason, Bri, Amber.. really all the other characters had their own little backstories and personalities and it really made the story stand out - I felt annoyed with some of them, suspicious of some, envious of some, the whole spectrum.

Vanessa Johansson was a fantastic narrator and really kept me captivated throughout the story as well.

Overall 3.75 stars, round up to 4

I love a cozy mystery, but this one fell like it was missing something. The FMC went from being a complete controlled and calculated person to being outgoing and adventurous the next. The murder mystery had so much build up and the ending felt rushed.
I liked the quotes from books at the beginning of each chapter.
The audio was good, I enjoyed the narration.

Mia has finally been made a partner in her financial planning firm. They send her on a lovely beach vacation for a week before this happens. Mia wants a fling and a lot of reading. What she gets is an investigation into the disappearance of a woman from the resort, and more than she bargained for.

Fun, quirky, and entertaining. I really enjoyed this.

This book had me hooked from the beginning! Chapter One starts with 𝘐 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬. This is a 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 of a cozy 𝗺𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘆 and swoony 𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲. There were a few characters in the story, but it was easy to keep track. The narrator did a fabulous job - I was really drawn into this story, and she brought every character to life so well.

Mia, the main character, is a bookworm who is taking a break from work. She goes to a resort on a private island. One of the guests disappears, and she is trying to solve the mystery.

I found myself smiling, gasping, and even laughing out loud at times. This was such a 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹-𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 that kept me guessing without ever feeling too heavy.

I got this book from the library, and I received an audiobook from NetGalley and Harlequin (you know how much I like a 📖 +🎧combo)! I’m considering buying my copy because it was so much fun. PLUS the cover is just lovely.

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. I did a read listen and enjoyed the narration by Vanessa Johansson. She gave the characters believable voices and added enough tone and expression to make the story come alive. I recommend this one in whichever format you prefer.

I received a copy of this audiobook from netGalley for a honest review.

This book made me happy and curious about what would happen. I guessed Jason secret fairly early but the others were much more interesting. I loved the ending and hope to read more by this author. It's hard to find great mysteries that have fun romances in them!

I really liked the main character in this book. I enjoyed the mystery. I liked the setting, the amount of suspects, and the romance.

Even though I don’t think that this is going to be a series, I would absolutely read more Mia Crawford mysteries.

The chapter heading from popular books and shows like Veronica Mars and Meg Cabot was really fun!

I've been reading Allison Brennan books for a couple of years now, following one of the series she authors, so I was excited to get the opportunity to listen to Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds because it sounded so different from the other titles I've read of hers. I absolutely LOVED this book. It was a nice change of pace from some of the more serious and darker books that I've read from the same author. The fact that it was a cross between a cozy, romance, and regular mystery worked perfectly for this book.

This was the perfect, fun summer read!

I listened to this on thanks to an ARC via Net Galley.

I’m not quite sure how I ultimately felt about this one overall, or how it all ended.

Here’s what I liked:
-the quotes at the beginning of chapters from current popular books and authors! I recognized so many! Including the Invisible Life of Addie La Rue, Agatha Christie, etc.
-it reminded me of “Everytime I go on vacation someone dies” and others like it.
-the tropical setting

Some of the things I didn’t like:
-I’m a bit over amateur detectives unpacking super cryptic clues that really make no sense
-insta love
-a persons character changing so much in just a few days (being so rigid, and then going overnight on a boat, riding a ski doo, with a guy you just met?)
-too many characters to follow

I think many will love this one! And I think I would have preferred to read a physical copy & really get into the story!

Fun, cozy mystery! ☀️🔍

A beach trip, a mystery novel, and… a missing woman? Mia came for rest and romance, but ended up playing detective by reading scribbled clues and dodging danger.

Light, twisty, and totally bingeable. Perfect for fans of cozy chaos and amateur detectives!