The Secret, Book & Scone Society Series

This series has been on my radar for years. Thanks to Libby's history, I can see that I checked out the first ebook in 2023 but never read it. The cover didn't look that appealing to me, and I guess the blurb didn't grab me either, compared to other books on my TBR. But I checked out the ebook again earlier in October and as soon as I started reading, I was hooked. I had to get the whole series and can't wait for the eighth (and beyond?!) installments.

The Secret, Book & Scone Society by Ellery Adams. I’d heard of this series but the cover seemed pretty bland to me so I never picked it up. However, I needed a new ebook to read and this was available, so I gave it a try. I’m so glad I did! I love the depth and diversity of the characters and how their friendship began to form. I liked the mystery as well, and though I don’t typically like books that end on a blatant cliffhanger, I’ll allow it this time because I’m definitely going to keep reading it.

The Whispered Word by Ellery Adams. I’m loving this series! Each mystery is so interesting and has great twists that I don’t think of but don’t seem hokey or manufactured.

The Book of Candlelight by Ellery Adams. Absolutely love the new characters introduced here, but the mystery felt a bit disjointed. Still felt cozy, though, and made me eager to read the next to ensure some of the new additions stuck around.

Ink and Shadows by Ellery Adams. This has been my least favorite installment in the series. The mystery wasn’t compelling to me and I felt like the women speaking out against “witchcraft” and banned books went silent way too easily compared to how things would have escalated in real life.

The Vanishing Type by Ellery Adams. I liked this a bit more than the last installment in the series but it still wasn’t my favorite. I do love McCabe and Bobbie being more active characters though.

Paper Cuts by Ellery Adams. I was glad to see some of Nora’s past coming after her in this book. After sharing the secret, then Bobbie coming into play, I thought something more would have to happen. This was a really good one, it felt a bit more dramatic and realistic than cozy, in a good way though. A series staying on the same level would get boring, so I appreciate how this mixed things up.

The Little Lost Library by Ellery Adams. This mystery was fun and made me wish I could see the little books Nora found! I also really liked the “A Rose for Emily” vibes with a twist.

The Tattered Cover by Ellery Adams. Review to come as soon as I get my hands on it!

The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer

The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer

This might be one of my new favorite books. 

From the start, I was totally immersed in Clover’s world. I really identified with her in so many ways, probably more than any other character I’ve “met.” She's quirky, but not in one of those "not like other girls" ways - she's genuinely a bit strange and hermit-y, and that's definitely something I can identify with.

I loved the different ideas around death and that it felt like I was visiting death cafes and talking to these people right along with Clover. I also enjoyed how Clover kept notes for the people she worked with and shared some of those regrets. It really made me think of what regrets I might have.

The only downside is that I thought the romance was a bit rushed and too romance-novel-y at the end. However, I buy that it can happen that way. It definitely seemed like a nice payoff for Clover at the end, and overall this was so good that I’ll admit maybe I’m just jealous of what she found after all that time.

The story idea was fantastic and the writing style really elevated it. I also enjoyed the recommended/similar books at the end. I can't wait to read the author's next book!