A serial killer. A dangerous road. And a cell phone going straight to voicemail…
A string of murders happening just across the state line makes residents of idyllic Maple Springs nervous. While Michelle Watson is obsessed with finding the killer’s pattern, her twin Chelsea disagrees with her involvement.
Reading the victims’ stories makes Michelle face the decisions she’s been trying to ignore. Determined to live her life to the fullest, she makes an innocent choice that takes a life-threatening turn.
When Michelle stops answering her phone, Chelsea can’t ignore the feeling that something is wrong. Very wrong. With friends and family, Chelsea sets out to find her sister, all while questioning if her faith is strong enough to weather the trial.
Time is running out and the last thing Chelsea wants to do is file a missing person’s report for her twin.
4 stars. I’ve been eagerly awaiting this book ever since A.M. Heath & Amanda Tero announced their collaboration on this cozy mystery series. This is definitely a great beginning!
First off, the small town setting is super cute. Also the autumn feels. Super cozy. (Surprise, surprise.) Both authors did a great job merging their styles so the story felt seamless but the twins sounded totally different! I definitely enjoyed seeing how they balanced each other out, with Heath/Michelle’s signature romance and emotion and Tero/Chelsea’s more practical, intellectual perspective. I loved both Ryan and Justin (specially Justin though tbh—but Ryan is epic—so yeah they’re basically equals). Kyle was pretty awesome too.
Now the plot was not what I expected, and it was what bugged me most. I really loved the whole serial-killer-tracking, and Chelsea + Michelle facing off on how to handle it. I did NOT expect to immediately be thrown into a tense romantic situation wrapping up in a sort of odd triangle… and I didn’t understand Michelle very well, but I kinda did, so that was also confusing personally… And the ending was EXTREMELY open-ended. I am certain it’s gonna be explained in the upcoming books, or I’d be mad. xD Besides that part, though, I really enjoyed the nail-biting suspense, the searching, the accident, the wrap-up… yes. Super fun. So yeah, a fun novella prequel and I’m very eager for book 1!
Content: slight kissing, hugging, etc, between an engaged couple.
A Favourite Quote: “You ever struggle to trust God … not because you don’t trust God … But because you know how evil the world can be, and that sometimes evil triumphs because we’re just in the temporal world? Like, God is all powerful, but sometimes you know He allows bad things to happen because He won’t control people’s choices?” … “Yeah. But Chelsea, that’s what trust is. That, no matter what God allows, He will use it for good. Regardless what choices evil people make, God can still redeem it to make something beautiful…. You have to trust that He will work all things together for good for those who love Him. Worrying only keeps our hearts from the peace of trusting God.” A Favourite Humorous Quote: Chelsea stared at me. I knew what was coming even as she opened her mouth and said, “Psalm 37 says, ‘Do not fret because of evildoers.’” I wracked my mind for the rest of the passage. “It also says, ‘Trust in the Lord and do good.’” I made sure to emphasize the last part. Chelsea raised an eyebrow. “It also says ‘Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way… who brings wicked schemes to pass.’” My mind scrambled. I was not going to let Chelsea win this argument.
*I received a free copy of this book for promotional purposes. I was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions. Download your own copy here: https://subscribepage.io/hours-we-reg...*
Likes: ~Fun cover. I'm liking the mystery vibe going on. ~Chelsea and Michelle were such fun and believable characters. I loved their interactions. ~A+ Christian content! Scripture, moments of prayer, and relying on God. ~The suspense kept me reading. ~Pizza crust with honey? I'm most intrigued. ~The POV switches were fantastic! ~The unexpected relationship issue was refreshing.
Dislikes: ~As much I enjoyed the head-scratching solution I was disappointed with the open ending. Making guesses is fun, but I really wanted answers. ~I need more ASAP!
Overall: ~4.5 stars!! I really really enjoyed this and, as I said, I need more! ~Highly recommend this to readers of Christian fiction, cozy mysteries, and suspense. There was next to no violence.
3.5 stars, personally ✨ Christian Fiction - Mystery/Suspense
About this book:
“A serial killer. A dangerous road. And a cell phone going straight to voicemail… A string of murders happening just across the state line makes residents of idyllic Maple Springs nervous. While Michelle Watson is obsessed with finding the killer’s pattern, her twin Chelsea disagrees with her involvement. Reading the victims’ stories makes Michelle face the decisions she’s been trying to ignore. Determined to live her life to the fullest, she makes an innocent choice that takes a life-threatening turn. When Michelle stops answering her phone, Chelsea can’t ignore the feeling that something is wrong. Very wrong. With friends and family, Chelsea sets out to find her sister, all while questioning if her faith is strong enough to weather the trial. Time is running out and the last thing Chelsea wants to do is file a missing person’s report for her twin.”
Series: Book #.5 in the “Watson Twins Mystery” series.
Spiritual Content- Scriptures are quoted, mentioned, read, & thoughts over; Prayers; Talks about God & trusting Him; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Mentions of God; Mentions of prayers, praying, & prayer chains; A few mentions of those & events in the Bible; A few mentions of the Holy Spirit; A couple mentions of churches & a pastor’s wife; A couple mentions of angels; A mention of Heaven; A mention of being Blessed.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘gosh’ and two ‘shut up’; A mention of a curse (said, not written); Some eye rolling & sarcasm; Being ran off the road, a car accident, fear (for herself and a loved one), pain, & passing out (up to semi-detailed); Michelle is concerned about the serial killer in their area & wants to come up with a plan from keeping her and Chelsea from becoming victims; Michelle is bothered by the thought of the victims having plans they never got to do; Many mentions of a serial killer, his victims, the bodies, & being ran off the road (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of a car crash/accident, injuries, & pain; A few mentions of lies & lying; A couple mentions of a bomber; A couple mentions of gossip; A mention of kidnappers; A mention of the death of a grandparent & grief; A mention of the grief of losing children (Job in the Bible); *Note: Mentions of car brands; Mentions of stores & places (Walmart); A few mentions of a TV show, movie, & actor (Diagnosis Murder, North and South, You’ve Got Mail, Richard Armitage); A mention of Facebook.
Sexual Content- Four hair/head kisses and a cheek kiss; Touches, Embraces, Nearness, & Smelling (barely-above-not-detailed); Noticing (barely-above-not-detailed); Michelle is unsure if she really loves the guy she is dating and *Spoiler*; Mentions of dates, dating, boyfriends, exes, & break-ups; A mention of Michelle setting Chelsea up on a blind date with a man around their father’s age.
-Michelle Watson, age 26 -Chelsea Watson, age 26 1st person P.O.V. switches between them 110 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Pre Teens- One Star New Teens- One Star (and a half) Early High School Teens- Three Stars Older High School Teens- Four Stars My personal Rating- Three Stars (and a half)
This is just a short prequel to the series, so it’s more of setting the stage by introducing us to the cast of characters in a bite-sized story that you can read in around an hour.
I thought this was going to be more of a cozy mystery, but it ended up being more of a suspenseful read for me. One thing I thought was great was despite it being more on the suspenseful side, the serial killer and all of the things relating to him were kept very minor. We aren’t even told how he killed his victims, only that he ran them off the road and the bodies were found elsewhere. This makes me appreciative, but also think that this book and series may be an option for slightly younger teens unlike most Christian Fiction Suspense books that have heavier content. We’ll just have to see how the rest of the series goes!
I’ve had my eye on this series since it first released and since we don’t have everything answered in this short story, I’m looking forward to continuing the books to see what happens next! I was disappointed that we don’t get answers to what happened in this book fully, but I suspect (and expect) that it will all be brought back up again in a future book.
2026 Reread This was fun to reread. I think I enjoyed it more this time because I knew Chelsea and Michelle better from the other books.
I’m not much of a cozy mystery fan, but I have enjoyed everything Amanda Tero has written, so I decided I’d give her new co-authored series a try. I really enjoyed this first story. I wasn’t sure about how things were going to turn out, but I am now eager to see what the next story is like. Having grown up with twins as my best friends, it’s fun to read stories where twins are the main characters. Especially twin sisters. Chelsea and Michelle are so different, but each one is fun in her own way. And I like how they are there for each other.
There is talk about a serial killer, and a rather creepy guy, but nothing descriptive.
So I have an advanced copy of book 3 in this "mini" series, so I figured, when the books were on sale for .99, I would pick the series up to read before I review book 3! This is an author duo under the name Chelsea Michelle. It is a Christian Cozy Mystery Mini Series, meaning the books are short novellas. This one is meant to be a very fast, prequel introduction to the series and characters. While it's short, we are introduced to Chelsea and Michelle, twin sisters in this small town and danger arises when one of them goes missing and they have been discussing the serial killer on the loose so the stress arises when one of them went missing. There is a bit of romance drama too with one of the sisters throughout.
I liked the overall setup, especially the way the story explores fear versus faith and the close twin sister relationship. The pacing kept me engaged and I certainly wanted to keep reading to figure out what happened. But because it's a novella/shorter story, you do want to keep going and wish it had a more closed ending, but it's meant for you to move on to the next one I suppose, haha.
That said, it’s clear this story is meant to introduce readers to the series and characters, so I’m curious to see how things develop in the next installments.
If you enjoy small-town Christian cozies with light suspense, family themes, and nice faith moments with prayer, this is a nice, easy read to kick off the series.
A very interesting and somewhat mysterious cozy. The characters, although twins, are where the resemblance stops. When Michelle decides to take off after a break up with her boyfriend, her sister Chelsea desperately tries to contact her.
The story has faith elements that add another layer to the story. The mystery and suspense is handled very well and leaves you pondering the outcome. A lovely, and at times, querky read about the closeness of twins and their family and friends who are steadfast with support.
I received an ARC from the author and voluntarily choose to review it. All opinions are my own.
I’ve been eagerly anticipating reading this book ever since I first heard about the possibility that it was coming! It took a little while to get through my TBR stack enough to start this, and in retrospect, I wish I hadn’t waited. This is such a short, easy-to-read story! It only took me about an hour to read, and I must say…if the series continues in the same vein as this one, it’s likely to become one of my most favorite cozy mystery series ever. The sibling banter was spot-on and so much fun, and the mystery had a bit of the “thrill” factor without becoming a thriller. This was a great book, and I can’t wait for more stories about these characters to come available!
Favorite quote: “As a police officer, he would understand. As a stick in the mud, he always sided with Chelsea.” —Michelle
The authors gave away free copies of this ebook, but I was under no obligation to write a review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.
Highly highly recommend this interactive cozy mystery! It wasn't at all what I was expecting, it was fun, humorous and sweet, had so many good lessons and plot twists, and oh, did I mention it was interactive? I can't wait for more of these twins!
(Chelsea Michelle Mini Mysteries: book 1/Chelsea Michelle collection: book 1)
This is a good cozy mystery novella! I have so many thoughts...
First, I really enjoyed the faith content. Characters pray frequently and share Bible verses with each other. There's also a clear theme of trusting God despite uncertain situations, which I loved!
I also appreciated how the story doesn't give excessive details about intense topics. There's a serial killer, which is discussed as part of the mystery, and the situation does set the tone (especially in the beginning), but details involving the killer and past victims are kept to a minimum, so the story overall doesn't feel too dark or ominous, which was great.
The mystery actually focuses more on Michelle's disappearance. And I have mixed feelings about Michelle. She seems quite impulsive, and I didn't always understand the motivations for her actions (especially toward a certain side character - who will remain unnamed for spoiler reasons).
Overall, the mystery also feels VERY open ended. And... well... I had theories. My theories are still hanging (because I'm refusing to let them go so easily). I just needed MORE information. I'm hoping my questions will be answered in the next books.
* Content to note* .....May contain minor spoilers..... Discussions of serial killer running victims off road/maps of where victims were found (very minimal details/not graphic). Car accident/concussion (not graphic). Mentions of possible kidnappers. Fear over loved one gone missing.
**Thank you to the authors for providing me with a complimentary e-copy of this book. All thoughts expressed are my own.**
I love a good cosy mystery, so when the authors announced this project, I was immediately onboard!
The twin aspect was super fun - Chelsea’s a girl after my own heart, and Michelle… well, I’m still learning to understand her, haha. The side characters were lovely, particularly Kyle & Ryan. And the themes of trust & community were beautifully done!
As for the mystery itself, it’s the proper balance of intrigue & spookiness. This isn’t the kind of book that you read late at night & then regret all your life choices as you analyze every night sound. No. It’s pretty tame & not at all scary. 😉
The ending is pretty open-ended, and I’m excited to see what comes next for the Watson Twins!
This was a delightful, one-sitting, hold-your-breath kind of read. I highly enjoyed the sisters' dynamic and different POVs. Also, I have strong shipping opinions. ;) I was a little disappointed by how open-ended it was, so I'm hoping there will be a payoff in later books. It didn't go as dark as it could have, and I highly appreciated that.
I have been wanting to read this series since it came out and now I can not belive I waited so long!
It is a good thing this is a short one sitting read! (1-2 hours depending on your reading speed). You will definitely have a burning desire to see how this ends! And when it does end you will immediately want to dive right into the next book! ... though if I tell you why that could be spoilery... make sure you do not have to do anything, like make dinner, before you start this as you will not want to put it down.
This dual point of view cozy mystery drew me in right away with the twin sisters banter, then kept me as their stories unfolded. You become equally invested in the characters lives as you are in the "who done it". Because of this I am hooked and can not wait to read the rest of the books. I enjoyed the emphasis on finding your peace in God when things are going wrong, something we could all remember more often.
With these authors newest book in the series coming out this summer it is a great time to start reading!
I was given a copy of the book by the authors. All opinions, as always, are my own.
This was a fun mystery novella :-) It's kind of a prequel to the Watson Twins mystery series, and I haven't read any other books in this Christian fiction series yet, so I can tell you it works great as an introduction, too. You don't need to know the characters already.
This is never super-suspenseful, but it does get pretty tense for a few chapters.
I would rate it PG-13 for scary situations involving memory loss, disorientation, and possible abduction. No cuss words, no smut, no gory violence.
I don’t read many mysteries but this one was really good. The ending is unresolved so I hope what happened becomes clear in future books. It’s so neat to have twins as the main characters with very different personalities. I look forward to the next book!
The first offering of a new dual authoring team. Twins. One (Michelle) is obsessed with news reports of a serial killer. Her boyfriend happened to go to the bank and talked to her sister (Chelsea) before talking to Michelle, and now Michelle wants to break up. (a bit of a stretch, there) and she decided to take a day trip and not tell anyone.
The end of the story supplies a link for you to leave answers to a poll as to what you feel what is real and what's not. A different concept for an adult book (I used to read Encyclopedia Brown when I was young).
I think this series will do well as it continues to "grow".
Hours We Regret is a fabulous beginning to a new series by Chelsea Michelle!
The setting is charming, the plot is riveting, and the characters are relatable, entertaining, and witty! I love how clean and faith-based this novella is! It is definitely one I can freely recommend to anyone without having to give a disclaimer first.
I absolutely *cannot* wait to read book one in this series so I can watch this story continue to unfold! If you enjoy reading cozies written by authors like Sara Rosett, or if you enjoy watching Hallmark mysteries, you're sure to love this Watson Twin Mysteries prequel!
I loved reading this wonderful book . Loved that the family all had their faith in God. Such a wonderful read, can't wait to read more by these authors. I highly it...
As an introduction to the Watson twins, Chelsea and Michelle, as well as family and friends, this was a great start! The twins' personalities are brought out clearly in the events of the story. The action is fast paced and the reader is carried along for the literal "ride." There's even a "hmm, was that...?" situation left for future answer(s). Would highly recommend.
I wasn't sure what to expect going into this book! I guess I was anticipating a bit more of a cozy mystery - but it was a bit dark... Considering this is a prequel it leaves us with a lot of questions and personally for me some conflicting emotions! But overall I enjoyed this story, it kept me hooked and I loved how deeply the faith element was woven in for Chelsea. And the brother-sister bonds 😍😍. I'm eagerly awaiting more Watson Twins stories!!
I've seen this series around for a little while now and have been curious about it, but I admit I'm not always impressed with cozy mysteries. As such, I'm just now getting to it, but I'm glad I finally read this one. It wasn't quite what I would have expected, but then again, I really wasn't sure what to expect, so maybe it was? I had hoped for an enjoyable read, and it delivered. Well... mostly, although I do have some questions. This one was definitely more suspenseful than I had expected, especially for a cozy mystery, but I loved that aspect.
The setting, writing, and characters were all nice surprises, and made for an interesting read. I enjoyed how different the sisters were, and liked seeing the story from both perspectives, but it did take me a few chapters before I felt like I really knew either of them. I'm still not quite as sure about Michelle's motivations and hope that her character becomes easier to understand as the series continues. In part, there's a somewhat odd reference to a potential love triangle, the mystery of her missing hours, the disturbing stranger, and, well... what sparked this sudden life-changing spree of hers in the first place was all slightly uncertain in this one. Her more freethinker attitude was the one thing that I felt was well done and clear from early on. She's a sensitive and emotional character, but lovable all the same, and I did enjoy seeing that part of her in the story.
Overall, though, I felt that Chelsea's character was a little more clear-cut and easy to follow in this story. She, along with Ryan and Kyle, was an easily lovable character, and I enjoyed seeing them working together. The story was fun, but felt very... open-ended (which, admittedly, I hate when that happens 😅). Still, as a prequel and part of a series, I'm hoping there will be answers to why that is in later books?? I actually don't mind cliffhangers, but it wasn't overly clear if there would be answers to come, or if the next book would move on completely without ever addressing it, so hopefully we get some resolution. But for setting up the setting and characters, this one does deliver on that. I'm excited for more adventures with these two, and am curious to see what other trouble they find themselves caught up in along the way.
*I was given an ecopy from the author. This does not affect my review. This review is voluntary.*
This is my first Watson Mini Twins Mysteries book and I did enjoy this story. The book features twins Chelsea and Michelle Watson. The twins live together and are close but they are also different Chelsea is the more practice one where as Michelle is more the carefree one. Both twins love watching mystery shows and I did love the reference to Diagnosis Murder.
At the start of the book Michelle is mapping the locations of a serial killers crimes. She thinks she can find a pattern if she tries hard enough. Chelsea thinks she's getting obsessed. After a conversation with her boyfriend leaving Michelle upset and needing alone time her sister can't find her. Is she the next victim?
I enjoyed this story and its an easy read. I also like that we see the story from both twins Points of View. Being a novella I can't give more info but if you like Cozy mysteries I think you will enjoy this story. I plan to start book 2 tonight.
Hours We Regret is the first book I have read by A.M. Heath and the second book I’ve read by Amanda Tero. This was a mini mystery, so it was a quick read with a fast-paced plot. I enjoyed the different aspect of romance, as it started off with an early breakup, but it wasn’t a horrible one.
The twins, Chelsea and Michelle, have completely different personalities. I liked the switching point of view between them.
Kyle was very sweet and protective, and I’m slightly hoping he gets back together with the girl he was dating (hopefully that’s not too much of a spoiler!).
There wasn’t much detail given about the serial killer mystery, and the ending was very open-ended. I really hope to find out what actually happened in the next books!
The Christian aspect was very strong, with prayers and Scripture throughout.
I look forward to reading more of the Watson twins cozy mysteries!
✨ I received a copy of the book and chose to review it. All opinions are my own.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Chelsea and Michelle, twin sisters, are concerned about a serial killer. One more than the other. Chelsea thinks Michelle is going overboard with ideas for protection. Chelsea leaves for work at the bank. Michelle’s boyfriend stops at the bank to make some transactions before going to spend the day with Michelle. But when he gets to their house, Michelle dumps him. Then she decides to take off for the day, without telling anybody. Chelsea texts and calls Michelle throughout the day but Michelle never responds. Fearing the worst, Chelsea contacts her brothers and the boyfriend (not knowing of the breakup) to search for her. This is an enjoyable novella introducing a new series. The story telling was good, and the different viewpoints of the main characters were presented well. The only point I didn’t care for was too many open ended issues at the end.
Michelle and Chelsea are twins but they have very different personalities. Michelle is obsessed with trying to figure out the pattern of a serial killer. She is also feeling unsettled and broke up with her boyfriend. She goes on a shopping trip and ends up missing. Chelsea is super worried and starts to hunt for her.
While this is slated as a cozy mystery story, the only mystery is where Michelle is. And unless the story picks up where this one left off in the next book, nothing really happened. At the end, there is one character that you could start to be suspicious of, but again nothing happens.