"The Big Picture" by Laura Bradford

About this book:

  “With Hannah Prentiss’s wedding drawing closer every day, she and her fiancé, Liam, decide it’s time to find their forever home. While touring one of the houses for sale, they realize the windows outside do not match the number of rooms inside. Curious, Hannah explores the house—and discovers a sealed-off room!
    Apparently, she’s not the first one to do so, because inside is a box of art supplies with the name of a Blackberry Valley High School teacher on it. Hannah decides to return it to her… only to learn that this art kit went missing almost twenty years before. The teacher had received it from her fiancé, who died days later in a car accident, making it even more crushing that his last gift to her had disappeared.
    Can Hannah discover how the kit wound up in a hidden room all those years ago and bring closure to one of Blackberry Valley’s most beloved teachers?”


Series: Book #15 in the “Mysteries of Blackberry Valley” series. Reviews of Book #1, Book #2, Book #3, Book #4, Book #5, Book #6, Book #7, Book #8, Book #9, Book #10, Book #11, Book #12, Book #13, and Book #14!


Spiritual Content- James 1:17 at the beginning; A Scripture is quoted; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Mentions of God, His timing, & His plans; Mentions of prayers, praying, & Praising God; Mentions of church, church going, a pastor, a sermon, & services; A few mentions of blessings; 
             *Note: Religious phrases: a ‘good heavens’; A few mentions of luck & being lucky.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘drat’ and a ‘dumb’; Some eye rolling; Many mentions of deaths (from a car accident, cancer, and a heart issue) & grief (including for parents, a woman for her fiancé, a man for his wife, & a pet dog); Many mentions of car accidents, a death, & injuries (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of crimes, trespassing, & vandalism; Mentions of thefts, a thief, & stolen items; A few mentions of fires; A couple mentions of jealousy; A mention of a teen sneaking out of school; A mention of rumors; 
             *Note: Mentions of car brands; A few mentions of children’s books (‘The Best Nest’, ‘Kindergarten, Here I Come’, & ‘The Wonderful Things You Will Be’); A couple mentions of a fictional character (Nancy Drew); A couple mentions of painters (Renoir & Picasso); A mention of a movie (‘Singin’ in the Rain’); A mention of a brand name (Formica); A quote from Pablo Picasso.
 
 
Sexual Content Three hand/fingers kisses, three head kisses, a cheek kiss, a not-detailed kisses, and two barely-above-not-detailed kisses; Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, Warmth, & Nearness (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of boyfriends/girlfriends, dating, break-ups, & exes; Mentions of crushes (including teen boys on a young female teacher); A mention of a married couple sharing a kiss; Love, being in love, & the emotions; 
             *Note: Being with a woman in labor (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of labor & contractions; As a note for parents of younger readers possibly interested in this series, Hannah and Liam do spend some time alone together in her apartment (on the couch) and talk (nothing sexual happens besides him kissing her palm twice; They are engaged and are in their late thirties).
 
-Hannah Prentiss
                                P.O.V. switches between them 
                                                        259 pages
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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

Ah, this was such a good one for this series! The mystery was interesting with a lot of threads to follow, but I particularly enjoyed the scenes of Hannah and her fiancé! 

 

As far as the mystery, there were a few parts where the reader was left out—or at least, that’s how I felt about some reveals and conversations that made me feel like I missed a hint or clue in the prior conversation. Which had me a bit confused at times and wondering “what did I miss? 🤔” The ending of the mystery wraps-up a little quick, but it was still a good ending, if not a little sad. 

 

The parts of Hannah with her fiancé were so adorable! I loved the parts about them dreaming about the future and having kids one day as they are currently house hunting. I was quite literally grinning at my Kindle like a ninny at those parts! They are really cute together and I like how light and innocent the romance content has been.

 

 

See y’all on Wednesday with a new review! 

*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

"Smoke and Mirrors" by Laura Bradford

About this book:

  “Hannah Prentiss is touched by the belated birthday luncheon her friends throw in her honor, complete with thoughtful and charming gifts! When Hannah opens an unlabeled box, she questions who it’s from—especially when she finds a beautifully crafted creamer inside, eliciting a shocked reaction from her friend, police department receptionist Vanessa Lodge.
    Vanessa explains that the creamer is a piece from a unique set of pottery dishes that her grandmother made by hand—and that it is also one of two pieces that went missing decades ago. Who could have anonymously gifted the creamer to Hannah? And what happened to the matching sugar bowl? Hannah is determined to find the answers for Vanessa’s sake as well as her own. But as long-held secrets begin to reveal themselves, she wonders if some stories are best left in the past.”


Series: Book #8 in the “Mysteries of Blackberry Valley” series. Reviews of Book #1, Book #2, Book #3, Book #4, Book #5, Book #6, and Book #7!


Spiritual Content- Isaiah 64:8 at the beginning; A Scripture is quoted; A few talks about God; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Mentions of God & God-given gifts; Mentions of prayers, praying, & thanking God; Mentions of churches, church going, services, a pastor, youth group, & mission trip; Mentions of blessings & being blessed; A couple mentions of Bibles; A mention of a godsend; A mention of a church’s Christmas pageant; A mention of the religion section at a bookstore; 
             *Note: Hannah believes someone who has passed away was able to watch an event on earth just like she believes her late mother is watching her; Mentions of luck & being lucky; A mention of being psychic (teasing).
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: Some sarcasm & eye rolling; Hannah and her family comment on missing her mom (who passed away nine years prior); All about & many mentions of stolen/missing items; Mentions of deaths, grief, illnesses, & cancer (including Hannah and her family grieving for her mother who died from cancer); Mentions of fires & arson; Mentions of vandalism & arrests; Mentions of rumors & gossip; A few mentions of jealousy; A couple mentions of manure; A mention of the Revolutionary War; 
             *Note: Hannah faces a couple (mostly well-meaning) comments where the speaker implies that Hannah doesn’t have a direction in her life because she isn’t married or have children (these bother Hannah for a bit, but then she tells someone else that God made everyone different and she’s where she’s supposed to be right now); A quote from Jhumpa Lahiri; Mentions of fictional characters (Nancy Drew); Mentions of a car brand; A mention of a brand name (Uno card game).
 
 
Sexual Content- Three forehead kisses; Some touches, embraces, hand holding, nearness, & smelling (barely-above-not-detailed); Blushes; Mentions of boyfriends/girlfriends, dates, & dating; A couple mentions of crushes; A couple mentions of a man making “puppy-dog eyes” at his girlfriend; Very light love, falling in love, & the emotions; 
             *Note: *Spoiler, about a side character’s pregnancy* Hannah’s best friend, Lacy, is sick throughout the book and at the end it’s revealed that she is pregnant *End of Spoiler*; As a note for parents of younger readers possibly interested in this series, Hannah and Liam do spend some time alone together in her apartment (on the couch) and talk (nothing sexual happens besides her leaning against his arm and he kisses her forehead; They talk instead of watching a movie; Their ages are 36 and 38, respectively).
 
-Hannah Prentiss, age 36
                                P.O.V. of Hannah 
                                                        278 pages
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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

This was a fun mystery set in January to read in that month! I’ll admit I couldn’t keep track well of the different families mentioned, but I really enjoyed seeing more of the light romance between Hannah and Liam! They were adorable—I’m pretty sure I was smiling the whole time of their late night walk around the park. Overall a cute and chill story!

 

 

See y’all on Friday with a new review! 

*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

"Where There's Smoke" by Laura Bradford

About this book:

  “Hannah Prentiss has barely opened the doors of the Hot Spot, her new restaurant in Blackberry Valley's old firehouse, when she receives a lukewarm review from a local food critic. She's determined to prove him wrong―and to prove to herself that she has what it takes to run a successful business.
    But then Hannah hears about a fire in the home of her friend, Miriam Spencer. She doesn't hesitate to reach out and help, along with other members of her church's women's group. During the cleanup process, Hannah discovers a secret compartment under the scorched floorboards of Miriam's living room.
    Inside is an exquisite ruby brooch that Miriam and her son claim to know nothing about. But there's evidence that somebody in Blackberry Valley does. As Hannah works to discover the origin of the brooch, she finds secrets that have been buried at least as long as it has. But what will be the cost of revealing them?”


Series: Book #1 in the “Mysteries of Blackberry Valley” series. 


Spiritual Content- A Scripture is mentioned and quoted; A prayer; Church going; Mentions of God & forgiveness; Mentions of prayers, praying, praising and thanking God, & blessings over food; Mentions of churches, church going, pastors, sermons, services, & church groups; Mentions of blessings & being Blessed; A couple mentions of a Christmas pageant; A mention of streaming a church service; 
             *Note: The phrase ‘for heaven’s sake’ is said once; Mentions of luck & being lucky; A couple mentions of fate.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: an ‘oh my word’; Some eye rolling; Some grief (Hannah for her late mother); All about & many mentions of stolen items, stealing, & thieves; All about & many mentions of fires, damage, how they can start, and possible arson; Mentions of deaths (including from a sickness and a car accident) & grief (including Hannah for her late mother & a young boy for his mother); Mentions of intruders; A few mentions of lies & lying; A couple mentions of smoking & cigarettes; 
             *Note: Mentions of books, authors, & fictional characters (including a couple of quotes; ‘Anna Karenina’ by Leo Tolstoy, ‘War and Peace’, ‘The Little House’ by Virginia Lee Burton, Sherlock Homes, Hercule Poirot, Batman, & Nancy Drew); Mentions of car brands; A couple mentions of a group & song (the Dixie Cups); A mention of an actor (Warren Beatty); A mention of a brand name (Henley).
 
 
Sexual Content- Seeing a married couple kiss (no details); Blushes; Noticing (barely-above-not-detailed); Reading a journal with entries about the writer falling in love; Hannah says she’s too busy with the restaurant to even think about dating when her dad asks her about it (twice); Mentions of dates, dating, cute/handsome guys, crushes, & flirting; A couple mentions of blushes; A mention of girls swooning over an actor.
 
-Hannah Prentiss, age 35
                                P.O.V. of Hannah 
                                                        260 pages

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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

Like every beginning book of a Guideposts cozy mystery series, this first book has a lot of characters we’re introduced to as the world of this book. So I definitely made use of the search feature in my Kindle while reading this book and recommend doing that as well if you need help keeping everyone straight! 

 

I really liked our main character, Hannah, even if she felt a bit too much like a Hallmark armchair sleuth at times, haha! Some of her questioning and actions reminded me of those movies, which wasn’t my favorite, but I did like her overall. 

 

There’s already the start of a potential light romance and I’m really excited to see where it goes as the series continues. 

 

I do think the culprit of the mystery was a wee bit obvious, but as an avid mystery reader, it’s rare for an ending to take me by surprise. All in all, I enjoyed the start to this new series!

 

 

See y’all on Friday with a new review! 

*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

"A Little Bird Told Me" by Laura Bradford

About this book:

  “Harriet Bailey’s job as a veterinarian often means reassuring pet owners about their adored animals. So, when a local resident is distraught over her missing cat, Harriet does her best to calm the woman’s frayed nerves, advising her to wait a bit to see if the cat returns on her own. However, the arrival of a mysterious envelope containing a ransom note immediately proves Harriet wrong. Someone has taken Nessie!
    As Harriet investigates, she discovers that Nessie is the subject of her late grandad’s most valuable painting, due to the highly publicized story of how Old Doc Bailey rescued and rehomed her as a kitten. When more pets are nabbed, Harriet redoubles her efforts to find the thief. In her search for answers, she discovers old tape recordings of her grandad sharing the stories behind his artwork. Could Old Doc Bailey’s own words about Nessie be the key to reuniting the famous feline and the other animals with their families?”


Series: Book #6 in the “Mysteries of Cobble Hill Farm” series. Review of Book #1 Here!, Book #2 Here!, Book #3 Here!, Book #4 Here!, and Book #5 Here!


Spiritual Content- Ephesians 4:32 at the beginning; A Scripture is mentioned & quoted; Church going; A couple Talks about God; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Harriet feels comforted by being in church and not alone while in His presence; Mentions of God; Mentions of prayers, praying, thanking God, & blessings over food; Mentions of church, church going, services, sermons, & a pastor; Mentions of blessings; A mention of Bible study;
             *Note: The phrase “thanking his lucky stars” is said once; A mention of jinxing one’s self; A mention of tempting fate.
 

Negative Content- A bit of eye rolling; Some grief (Harriet for her grandfather & starting to feel homesickness); All about & many mentions of missing/stolen/abducted pets, the culprit and motives, the worried owners, & ransom notes (including a threatening note); Many mentions of break-in, a stolen painting, & the thief; Mentions of deaths & grief (including for a grandfather, a wife, & a mother);  A few mentions of jail; A few mentions of a pub; A few mentions of lying & a liar; A few mentions of jealousy; A couple mentions of rumors; A mention of a car accident; A mention of a cat being rescued from a burning bin;
             *Note: Mentions of a car brand; A mention of an author (Ernest Hemingway).
 
 
Sexual Content- A tiny bit of noticing & blushes; A handful of mentions of dates & dating; A couple mentions of blushes; A mention of an implied handsome man (Polly when she tries to watch the new handyman). 
 
-Harriet Bailey, age 31 (?)
                                P.O.V. of Harriet 
                                                        257 pages

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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

It drove me a bit batty that Harriet doesn’t have cameras around the clinic or the galley, but I suppose having cameras doesn’t always solve the problem of who is trespassing and up to no good. 

 

I actually wasn’t quite sure who the culprit was until the end when everything was revealed, so this mystery kept me on my toes as well. That doesn’t happen too often, so I would say I was invested in and impressed by this mystery! 

 

Like many of the other books in this series, this sixth book was very clean and I would say it’s safe for avid reader preteens as well, especially those who like animals. 

 

 

 

See y’all on Friday with a new review! 

*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.