I received this book for free from Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Series: A Jane Ladling Mystery #5
on September 25, 2023
Genres: Cozy Mystery
Pages: 185
Format: eBook
Source: Advance Reader Copy
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Jane Ladling presents the perfect fail-proof “Don’t Fall Deeper In Love With Your Boyfriend” Checklist!
Remember the family curse—check (ish)
Keep your mind focused on his bid for sheriff—check
Never find his competition dead in their home—check mate?For too long, Jane has lived in fear of a generational curse. Fall in love, lose the guy; marry him and watch him die. Finally, this quirky ray of sunshine is determined to experience all life offers. With the help of the world’s most amazing guardcat, she preserves Garden of Memories, a landlocked cemetery and heaven on earth. At her side is the best ragtag team of friends in history. Plus, she’s dating the tastiest snack in Aurelian Hills, Georgia. Protective grump and future sheriff Conrad Ryan. There’s just one problem: someone murdered Conrad’s only opponent.
Of course, like any expert amateur sleuth, Jane dives heart first into an investigation. Except, the hotter the leads, the colder the case. From feuding neighbors to secret blackmailers and a missing crime boss, reality proves stranger than fiction. As new buddies and old enemies emerge, Jane will stop at nothing to uncover the truth. And maybe, just maybe, she’ll win her own campaign along the way: being crowned Miss Happily Ever After.
This was one of my favorites so far in the Jane Ladling series. I love this fun, cozy, and romantic series.
Quick background: Jane is the caretaker of an old cemetery that has been in her family for generations. Dead bodies keep finding her though, so she has become a bit of a detective. She’s quirky, she’s funny, she’s got a unique perspective on all the cases. She also believes her family is cursed in love and their partners will die due to the curse. She’s finally at the point where she’s starting to believe in love and not the curse. Enter her boyfriend Conrad Ryan.
Jane Ladling is out and about posting fliers for her boyfriend. He’s running for Sheriff. She winds up finding a dead body…and it’s her boyfriend’s competition, the current deputy. Or, the late deputy, it would seem. Obviously this doesn’t look good for either of them. But more determined that ever to crack this case, Jane finds that she’ll need all of her friends, new and old. And that she’ll make friends in places she never would have thought.
The clever twist that helped solve the case really got me! And I really feel like this whole series encompasses the cozy mystery vibe. If you aren’t a cozy mystery fan, you will be after you read this series.
With Gena and Jill’s trademark wit and wordsmithing, this book will climb to the top of your favorites. Read this book. See Jane solve crimes. See Jane win the day. See Jane find love. And for the love of all that’s holy, give Rolex his due as the best cat ever.
***ARC courtesy of the author’s publicist team