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Christmas in Harrogate #2
Holly and Homicide: A Holiday Cozy Romantic Mystery
When your cheating husband drops dead in your cozy Christmas cat café, the proper response is not to shout, “I didn’t do it!”
Showing up at his funeral with a plate of sympathy cupcakes after he’s just been poisoned by your signature Santa’s Surprise confection is… also not the correct response.
To be fair, if your husband walked into your café unannounced after stealing your hard-earned money and moving his pregnant mistress into your home, most people would understand if you bashed him over the head with a frying pan.
However, I would never defile eggnog cream filling with cyanide!
Too bad.
He had it coming.
Now the whole town thinks I did it.
Including the hot lawyer who’s visiting next door.
And by next door, I mean visiting his great-aunt, who lives across from Gran in the retirement home where I had to move because my husband evicted me from my own goddamn house.
Yeah, I definitely have a motive for offing the cheating bastard.
Thankfully, Marius has been volun-told to take my case.
When he scowls, I remind him, “’Tis the season of giving… and Marius is giving annoyance and disbelief.”
For someone who is working for free as my lawyer after being guilt-tripped by his elderly relative, he lacks customer-service skills, and there are an awful lot of questions and commands like “Are you sure you didn’t kill him?” and “Do not lie to your lawyer, so help me God…”
I don’t care what Mr. Tall Dark and Obnoxious thinks. I need my café to stay open and my name cleared. I’m done with men. My twenty cats and I are going to spend Christmas Eve sharing a roast turkey and binge-watching Hallmark movies.
Okay, I may have a problem.
Especially after kissing the guy who thinks I’m a murderous cat lady…
Showing up at his funeral with a plate of sympathy cupcakes after he’s just been poisoned by your signature Santa’s Surprise confection is… also not the correct response.
To be fair, if your husband walked into your café unannounced after stealing your hard-earned money and moving his pregnant mistress into your home, most people would understand if you bashed him over the head with a frying pan.
However, I would never defile eggnog cream filling with cyanide!
Too bad.
He had it coming.
Now the whole town thinks I did it.
Including the hot lawyer who’s visiting next door.
And by next door, I mean visiting his great-aunt, who lives across from Gran in the retirement home where I had to move because my husband evicted me from my own goddamn house.
Yeah, I definitely have a motive for offing the cheating bastard.
Thankfully, Marius has been volun-told to take my case.
When he scowls, I remind him, “’Tis the season of giving… and Marius is giving annoyance and disbelief.”
For someone who is working for free as my lawyer after being guilt-tripped by his elderly relative, he lacks customer-service skills, and there are an awful lot of questions and commands like “Are you sure you didn’t kill him?” and “Do not lie to your lawyer, so help me God…”
I don’t care what Mr. Tall Dark and Obnoxious thinks. I need my café to stay open and my name cleared. I’m done with men. My twenty cats and I are going to spend Christmas Eve sharing a roast turkey and binge-watching Hallmark movies.
Okay, I may have a problem.
Especially after kissing the guy who thinks I’m a murderous cat lady…
209 pages, Paperback
Published December 3, 2024
540 people are currently reading
481 people want to read
About the author
Alina Jacobs
87 books1,577 followersIf you like steamy romantic comedies with a creative streak, then I'm your girl!
Architect by day, writer by night, I love matcha green tea, chocolate, and books! So many books…
Sign up for my mailing list to get special bonus content, free books, giveaways, and more!
http://alinajacobs.com/mailinglist.html
Architect by day, writer by night, I love matcha green tea, chocolate, and books! So many books…
Sign up for my mailing list to get special bonus content, free books, giveaways, and more!
http://alinajacobs.com/mailinglist.html
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews
December 22, 2024
i realize i usually only leave one-star reviews but this is so i don’t accidentally read another book by this author because i have the memory of a newborn and am easily led astray by cute covers and romantic mysteries, especially holiday ones.
this, however, is like getting the cheap, joke gift at a White Elephant gift exchange after trading away a new Keurig.
the MMC is over the top rude and dismissive yet randomly falls in love with the FMC in the span of a week, the FMC goes from being a crybaby at the top of a hat to full-on porn star, and characters and locations are randomly dropped into the story as if we’re supposed to know who they are or how the characters got to that location. at one point, marius (unrelated—i absolutely hated his name) says in his POV “theo, yes that theo” like what?? do i know theo? who is theo? are there other theos i should be comparing this theo to? no one has last names, no one has any description, and no one walks into a scene, it’s just suddenly a first name speaking dialogue riddled with exclamation points.
there is zero chemistry, the one sex scene made me cringe deeply and the “mystery” literally made zero sense, especially how the MCs escape.
i apparently read the first book in this series and didn’t hate it enough to review it but i’ll be damned if i accidentally read another one.
this, however, is like getting the cheap, joke gift at a White Elephant gift exchange after trading away a new Keurig.
the MMC is over the top rude and dismissive yet randomly falls in love with the FMC in the span of a week, the FMC goes from being a crybaby at the top of a hat to full-on porn star, and characters and locations are randomly dropped into the story as if we’re supposed to know who they are or how the characters got to that location. at one point, marius (unrelated—i absolutely hated his name) says in his POV “theo, yes that theo” like what?? do i know theo? who is theo? are there other theos i should be comparing this theo to? no one has last names, no one has any description, and no one walks into a scene, it’s just suddenly a first name speaking dialogue riddled with exclamation points.
there is zero chemistry, the one sex scene made me cringe deeply and the “mystery” literally made zero sense, especially how the MCs escape.
i apparently read the first book in this series and didn’t hate it enough to review it but i’ll be damned if i accidentally read another one.
December 3, 2024
I am here for any holiday-themed cozy mystery, but this books starts on a low note and goes directly to the gutter before draining into the sewer. My expectations and standards are pretty low for holiday themed cozy mysteries. In the sense that words are spelled and used correctly, this book is A+. Everything else in the book is F-.
The book starts mid mise-en-scène with a café full of people screaming. I suspect that the author thought their gratuitous use of exclamation marks and characters all talking over each other was humorous, but they missed the mark completely. I genuinely felt embarrassed for the author and whomever edited for them that this was the best they could do. Some of the other books in the series were cute, despite the wayy-over-the-top graphic sexual scenarios that are best skipped, but this one stinks. None of the characters are good. No part of the story is enjoyable to read.
Honestly, I could not get past the gag-a-maggot idea that someone runs a bakery with 20 cats in it that are only not permitted in the kitchen when she is actively baking. Add in the other woman screaming about how much she loves @n@l, the ex-husband screaming like a toddler, the random person standing in line screaming that they’re waiting, the pro-cat people screaming that they want feral cats on the street, the anti-cat people screaming that cats are unsanitary, I was left wondering why anyone would read to the end.
The book starts mid mise-en-scène with a café full of people screaming. I suspect that the author thought their gratuitous use of exclamation marks and characters all talking over each other was humorous, but they missed the mark completely. I genuinely felt embarrassed for the author and whomever edited for them that this was the best they could do. Some of the other books in the series were cute, despite the wayy-over-the-top graphic sexual scenarios that are best skipped, but this one stinks. None of the characters are good. No part of the story is enjoyable to read.
Honestly, I could not get past the gag-a-maggot idea that someone runs a bakery with 20 cats in it that are only not permitted in the kitchen when she is actively baking. Add in the other woman screaming about how much she loves @n@l, the ex-husband screaming like a toddler, the random person standing in line screaming that they’re waiting, the pro-cat people screaming that they want feral cats on the street, the anti-cat people screaming that cats are unsanitary, I was left wondering why anyone would read to the end.
December 15, 2024
I laughed way too hard at this book! I thought Lilliths book was funny. No it had nothing on Emmie's story. She was an absolute disaster and I was here for it all. I couldn't stop laughing. Everywhere Emmie turned she was getting into more trouble. Marius wasn't that great and I wasn't a fan, but whatever makes Emmie happy. Though she really does have bad taste in men. I can't wait to read the next book because lord this series is a disaster
December 7, 2024
The chaotic nature of this book from page 1 gave me an anxiety attack
January 4, 2025
This book felt like a fever dream combined with a 2015 Wattpad read. I literally don't know how else to describe it.
I should say that my dad got this for me as my 2024 holiday romance book of the year per tradition. He specifically gave me this one though because he looked up the author and got scared he was about to gift my 17-year-old cousin something spicy, so she got something YA and I got this.
Emmie and Marius are characters. Emmie has been through some shit. She has three personality traits: (1) baker, (2) was cheated on, (3) wants a child. Marius's entire character is mean and insufferable lawyer that doesn't want to help anyone. However, they eventually give Marius a backstory of some ilk, so points for that. These characters also make zero sense together. Well I guess they could make sense, but they barely have a conversation outside of what they are going to do about Emmie's muder case, so we have no real idea whether they make sense.
This is also a mystery romance. They reveal makes zero sense at the end, and by the time we got to the reveal I remembered nothing about the character who allegedly committed the murder. But seriously, I flipped back to the beginning of the book to try to figure out who the heck this girl was and still was not entirely sure. The book does get points for her reasoning making the reasoning make sense though.
This book was very close to getting a two star rating from me, but I decided since none of the many cats die, and in fact help to save the day, I would give it that extra star. Additionally, I would feel bad rating the annual Christmas book that badly.
Overall, this book was a chaotic and cheesy read that I would deem "poorly written." Others can disagree.
I should say that my dad got this for me as my 2024 holiday romance book of the year per tradition. He specifically gave me this one though because he looked up the author and got scared he was about to gift my 17-year-old cousin something spicy, so she got something YA and I got this.
Emmie and Marius are characters. Emmie has been through some shit. She has three personality traits: (1) baker, (2) was cheated on, (3) wants a child. Marius's entire character is mean and insufferable lawyer that doesn't want to help anyone. However, they eventually give Marius a backstory of some ilk, so points for that. These characters also make zero sense together. Well I guess they could make sense, but they barely have a conversation outside of what they are going to do about Emmie's muder case, so we have no real idea whether they make sense.
This is also a mystery romance. They reveal makes zero sense at the end, and by the time we got to the reveal I remembered nothing about the character who allegedly committed the murder. But seriously, I flipped back to the beginning of the book to try to figure out who the heck this girl was and still was not entirely sure. The book does get points for her reasoning making the reasoning make sense though.
This book was very close to getting a two star rating from me, but I decided since none of the many cats die, and in fact help to save the day, I would give it that extra star. Additionally, I would feel bad rating the annual Christmas book that badly.
Overall, this book was a chaotic and cheesy read that I would deem "poorly written." Others can disagree.
December 6, 2024
Not the greatest, but at least you can keep guessing for who the murderer is.
The description of this book sounded intriguing, and I figured it wasn't very long, so if I didn't love it, at least it wasn't going to take too much time to get through. It ended up that I didn't love it, so I'm thankful that it was short.
I have a few things in particular that made me disappointed with this read. Firstly, you don't really see the development of Marius's feelings towards Emmie. He doesn't want to deal with her more than he has to. Suddenly, he's buying her Christmas ornaments, helping her find suspects for who killed her (cheating) husband, and is being touchy-feely with her. Secondly, I understand the book is only 208 pages, but things happen ridiculously quickly and out of nowhere. It doesn't flow well at all, in my opinion.
Also, if it's such a small town and everyone knows everyone, then why did Emmie and Marius not know each other already? She knew Brooks from high school. Marius also went to school with Brooks. Meanwhile, Emmie was surprised when Marius let slip that he knew Brooks before he died. It's mentioned later that Marius was a couple of grades above her, apparently, so this could explain it a bit.
Anyway, in regards to whodunnit, it wasn't a huge surprise. However, you do have about five suspects to choose from, and they all had a motive to take Brooks out. I will say this book had that going for it. You keep guessing who the murderer was, then change your mind when you think it was someone else!
The description of this book sounded intriguing, and I figured it wasn't very long, so if I didn't love it, at least it wasn't going to take too much time to get through. It ended up that I didn't love it, so I'm thankful that it was short.
I have a few things in particular that made me disappointed with this read. Firstly, you don't really see the development of Marius's feelings towards Emmie. He doesn't want to deal with her more than he has to. Suddenly, he's buying her Christmas ornaments, helping her find suspects for who killed her (cheating) husband, and is being touchy-feely with her. Secondly, I understand the book is only 208 pages, but things happen ridiculously quickly and out of nowhere. It doesn't flow well at all, in my opinion.
Also, if it's such a small town and everyone knows everyone, then why did Emmie and Marius not know each other already? She knew Brooks from high school. Marius also went to school with Brooks. Meanwhile, Emmie was surprised when Marius let slip that he knew Brooks before he died. It's mentioned later that Marius was a couple of grades above her, apparently, so this could explain it a bit.
Anyway, in regards to whodunnit, it wasn't a huge surprise. However, you do have about five suspects to choose from, and they all had a motive to take Brooks out. I will say this book had that going for it. You keep guessing who the murderer was, then change your mind when you think it was someone else!
December 22, 2024
I still have no idea wtf happened. This book is absurd. I loved it.
November 27, 2025
This was such a fun book. It took me a while to figure out who the murderer was. Emmie grows up a lot as she tries to solve the murder. Marcus definitely learns to lossen up a lot. The senior ladies are flat out hilarious. Can't wait to read more in this series.
December 10, 2024
Not Alina's best work but still a fun read. I think this book was rushed as occasionally it felt like chapters were missing or a character did a 180. Despite that, it was still an enjoyable read and a cozy murder mystery romance.
December 1, 2024
I kind of don’t know what I just read, but holy moly! That was fun. As with everything else that’s involved Harrogate, it kind of went off the deep end right from the very beginning. But, that’s what I love the most about this author’s work: the pure absurdity of it all. Marius is nothing like your typical knight in bespoke Armani, though Emmie might be the poster child for “damsel in distress”. I had so much fun watching this pair bicker and spar their way to solving a murder and falling in love. Plus, the epilogue might be one of the cutest things I’ve read in while, and Moose (and company) absolutely stole the show.
I received a complimentary advance copy of this book through Booksprout.
I received a complimentary advance copy of this book through Booksprout.
December 5, 2024
Another fun and silly comedy romance from this author - set before Christmas in a small town filled with over the top, nosey characters. Who is the murderer? It could be almost anyone in this town, including the H/h. Leave reality behind and immerse yourself in lighthearted entertainment. 3.5 stars. 😅🎄
December 27, 2024
The first scene of this book felt like an aneurysm. And the vibe kind of kept up the rest of the book. Too many characters to keep track of, none of them fleshed out enough, including the fmc. The mmc is the only one who comes close to having a discernible personality but even he, like everyone else, just does random stuff for no clear reason or a sort of reason will be stated but we also don’t have enough context for it to make sense? Like so much happens where I’m like wait why is this character stating this as fact when we’ve had no other explanation of this information. So many little bits where I was like wait, what? And again, way too many characters to the point where I couldn’t tell you the role of the murderer once we find out I’m like yeah I recognize this name but couldn’t tell you who they are in the story. Everyone just has generic quirky townsperson beginning of a personality. The motives of the fmc and mmc are kind of all over the place, and their romance is nonsensical too. No tension or buildup just poof all of a sudden we’re actually super into each other and now crazy horny for each other too. Overall it’s a cute concept, and I think it would work better as a play, where you could visually keep up with who’s who and the quirkiness of the town and its citizens would translate better and be funnier instead of kinda cringe lol. Especially the first scene I was like this is giving play energy, not novel. I’d prob give 2.5 if possible but it feels mean since it was overall cute, but yeah nothing was fleshed out enough. Even the murderer reveal was like ok? And? Lol
December 12, 2024
Cute Story but
This book had potential with its intriguing premise, but the execution left me struggling to stay engaged. The writing felt jarring and disjointed, with abrupt transitions and missing context that often made scenes confusing. For example, the MMC might suddenly say something like, *"Don’t spray that in here,"* with no prior mention of what was being sprayed or who was doing it. This happened frequently, creating a fast, jumpy narrative that pulled me out of the story.
The relationship between the leads also felt rushed and unconvincing. The FMC’s sudden transformation from an innocent baker to a highly sexual character (not to her reactions later in the book to her dead husbands life insurance money and house, like wow, kind of came off like a gold digger, id be scared if I was the MMC and heard what the FMC said to Zoe) happened in just one chapter, making it hard to believe or connect with her development. Meanwhile, the MMC, who was meant to be cold and tough, almost immediately began helping the FMC without much resistance, undermining the vibe the author seemed to be going for. He was warm yet standoffish. Their interactions moved so quickly that there was little room for meaningful buildup or chemistry.
While the book had its moments of charm, cute banter, and some comedy, the uneven pacing, lack of setup, and inconsistent character development made it difficult for me to fully enjoy. Readers who prefer ultra fast-moving romances might find it more appealing, but it wasn’t the right fit for me. I like a good quick & short read as much as the next person, but this was way too quick & jumpy. It could have definitely been extended just by a bit to make certain parts more meaningful and by adding more context.
This book had potential with its intriguing premise, but the execution left me struggling to stay engaged. The writing felt jarring and disjointed, with abrupt transitions and missing context that often made scenes confusing. For example, the MMC might suddenly say something like, *"Don’t spray that in here,"* with no prior mention of what was being sprayed or who was doing it. This happened frequently, creating a fast, jumpy narrative that pulled me out of the story.
The relationship between the leads also felt rushed and unconvincing. The FMC’s sudden transformation from an innocent baker to a highly sexual character (not to her reactions later in the book to her dead husbands life insurance money and house, like wow, kind of came off like a gold digger, id be scared if I was the MMC and heard what the FMC said to Zoe) happened in just one chapter, making it hard to believe or connect with her development. Meanwhile, the MMC, who was meant to be cold and tough, almost immediately began helping the FMC without much resistance, undermining the vibe the author seemed to be going for. He was warm yet standoffish. Their interactions moved so quickly that there was little room for meaningful buildup or chemistry.
While the book had its moments of charm, cute banter, and some comedy, the uneven pacing, lack of setup, and inconsistent character development made it difficult for me to fully enjoy. Readers who prefer ultra fast-moving romances might find it more appealing, but it wasn’t the right fit for me. I like a good quick & short read as much as the next person, but this was way too quick & jumpy. It could have definitely been extended just by a bit to make certain parts more meaningful and by adding more context.
December 2, 2024
Emmie will freely admit to having homicidal thoughts toward her cheating husband after he kicked her out of her house and moved in his pregnant mistress. She would never, ever poison one of the signature cupcakes that she makes in her Christmas themed cat cafe with cyanide. Unfortunately, when her not quite ex drops dead in her cozy cafe, the entire town of Harrogate is ready to see her convicted of the crime she vehemently denies committing. Marius is only in his hometown to spend Christmas with his great-aunt, and yet she is insisting that he represent her good friend's granddaughter against the murder charges she is facing.
Oh, my goodness! I laughed so hard I was gasping for breath! I love this author's characters and all of the kooky, sometimes over the top residents of Harrogate that are always laugh out loud and hysterically funny. Steamy interactions between the main characters, fast-paced and highly entertaining dialog, surprising twists in the plot, and a happily ever make this a must-read Christmas themed romantic comedy.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book that I received from Book Sprout.
Oh, my goodness! I laughed so hard I was gasping for breath! I love this author's characters and all of the kooky, sometimes over the top residents of Harrogate that are always laugh out loud and hysterically funny. Steamy interactions between the main characters, fast-paced and highly entertaining dialog, surprising twists in the plot, and a happily ever make this a must-read Christmas themed romantic comedy.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book that I received from Book Sprout.
December 20, 2025
This small-town murder mystery definitely had its moments and an interesting setup. I loved that the murder took place in a cat café—such a fun and unique setting—and the fact that the victim was technically the FMC’s ex-husband immediately raised the stakes. Of course, she becomes the number one suspect, which made for an engaging premise. I also enjoyed the idea of her falling for her lawyer; it’s a trope I’m usually a fan of.
The mystery itself had a lot of layers and so many suspects. While that kept things intriguing for a while, by the time the real murderer was revealed, I found myself a bit worn out rather than surprised.
The romance, unfortunately, didn’t fully work for me. It felt rushed and forced, like it came out of nowhere. One chapter he seems genuinely annoyed with her, and the next he’s taking her clothes off—there wasn’t enough buildup to make it feel believable.
Overall, it’s an okay read with a creative premise and some entertaining moments, but the execution—especially the romance—fell a little flat for me.
The mystery itself had a lot of layers and so many suspects. While that kept things intriguing for a while, by the time the real murderer was revealed, I found myself a bit worn out rather than surprised.
The romance, unfortunately, didn’t fully work for me. It felt rushed and forced, like it came out of nowhere. One chapter he seems genuinely annoyed with her, and the next he’s taking her clothes off—there wasn’t enough buildup to make it feel believable.
Overall, it’s an okay read with a creative premise and some entertaining moments, but the execution—especially the romance—fell a little flat for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 10, 2025
Wildly entertaining cozy mystery packed with small-town drama and holiday charm. The real star of the show is Emmie. She’s an absolute troublemaker in the most lovable, chaotic way. Every time she shows up, something is either going wrong, catching fire, or falling apart, and I loved her for it.
Then there’s Marius, the endlessly impatient lawyer who keeps getting dragged into Emmie’s disasters. Their dynamic is hilarious - pure “grumpy meets chaotic tornado,” and it works perfectly.
The mystery kicks off when Emmie’s soon-to-be ex-husband collapses and dies in her bakery while berating Emmie with his mistress - sending the whole town into a frenzy. From there, it’s fast-paced, funny, and filled with quirky characters and festive mayhem.
If you enjoy cozy mysteries with humor, holiday vibes, and a heroine who cannot stay out of trouble no matter how hard she tries, this one is a total treat.
Then there’s Marius, the endlessly impatient lawyer who keeps getting dragged into Emmie’s disasters. Their dynamic is hilarious - pure “grumpy meets chaotic tornado,” and it works perfectly.
The mystery kicks off when Emmie’s soon-to-be ex-husband collapses and dies in her bakery while berating Emmie with his mistress - sending the whole town into a frenzy. From there, it’s fast-paced, funny, and filled with quirky characters and festive mayhem.
If you enjoy cozy mysteries with humor, holiday vibes, and a heroine who cannot stay out of trouble no matter how hard she tries, this one is a total treat.
December 24, 2025
Second in the Christmas in Harrogate series, and just as fun as the first one. A different woman, a different mystery involving a dead body to solve. In this installment, our MFC has started her own cozy cafe in the small town after separating from her cheating husband. The husband with one of his many girlfriends visits the busy cafe, eats a treat and dies from poisoning. Our MFC is set out to prove her innocence, as well as find out the real culprit behind the murder.
There is discovering ones true friends, getting revenge in round about ways, falling for a guy, and a lot of spice involved. I put it in the cozy mystery category and really enjoyed it. Our MFC from the first in the series makes an appearance and the town is the center location, so it moves smoothly from one book in the series to the next.
There is discovering ones true friends, getting revenge in round about ways, falling for a guy, and a lot of spice involved. I put it in the cozy mystery category and really enjoyed it. Our MFC from the first in the series makes an appearance and the town is the center location, so it moves smoothly from one book in the series to the next.
December 31, 2024
Holly and Homicide was everything one would imagine in a goofy, oddball rom-com about a cat cafe owner and city lawyer. The book opens with Emmie's ex accosting her at her cupcake/cat cafe and subsequently dying of poison...from one of her confections. Marius is at the cafe and his aunt, Emmie's grandmother's best friend, pushes him to defend her. Marius does so begrudgingly but finds himself becoming enamored with his client, who proclaims her innocence. The story is laugh-out-loud funny, with witty banter and a few spicy scenes thrown in as they work to solve the mystery.
I received a free copy of this book via Cherrylily ARCs and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Cherrylily ARCs and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 7, 2025
Spiked eggnog cream filling
Holly and Homicide is the second book in the Christmas in Harrogate series. I had read the first book, Sleigh Bells and Slaughter, last year and really loved it. So I figured I knew what I was in for with this book...and it delivered fully on the promise. It is a quirky, funny, holiday homicide mystery with crazy family, and a lot of delicious naughtiness, just keep your hands off the eggnog cream filling. You will find yourself laughing out loud as the whole array of quirky and eccentric characters, swooning over Marius the MMC, and cheering Holly on as she makes the best of the situation she finds herself in.
Holly and Homicide is the second book in the Christmas in Harrogate series. I had read the first book, Sleigh Bells and Slaughter, last year and really loved it. So I figured I knew what I was in for with this book...and it delivered fully on the promise. It is a quirky, funny, holiday homicide mystery with crazy family, and a lot of delicious naughtiness, just keep your hands off the eggnog cream filling. You will find yourself laughing out loud as the whole array of quirky and eccentric characters, swooning over Marius the MMC, and cheering Holly on as she makes the best of the situation she finds herself in.
December 3, 2025
Another Murder in Harrogate
Emmie runs a cat cafe where her number one item is her delicious cupcakes. Chaos erupts when her cheating not-quite-ex husband and affair partner make a scene in her cafe. They accuse her of poisoning his cupcakes. And then he drops dead. Enter Marius, lawyer from the big city. But instead of your Hallmark holiday romance, you get the typical Alina Jacobs treatment.
People fall in love and lust quickly in Harrogate. The mystery was a fun little storyline and I know the books are meant to be short and sassy, but I imagine they'd be really good with more depth. A fun holiday read.
Emmie runs a cat cafe where her number one item is her delicious cupcakes. Chaos erupts when her cheating not-quite-ex husband and affair partner make a scene in her cafe. They accuse her of poisoning his cupcakes. And then he drops dead. Enter Marius, lawyer from the big city. But instead of your Hallmark holiday romance, you get the typical Alina Jacobs treatment.
People fall in love and lust quickly in Harrogate. The mystery was a fun little storyline and I know the books are meant to be short and sassy, but I imagine they'd be really good with more depth. A fun holiday read.
December 17, 2024
I gave this a very generous 4 Stars because I liked the book in it's entirety but there were some serious "wtf" moments while I was reading.
The biggest one being the flip switch of Marius wanting nothing to do with Emmie to being all about her. One page he can't stand her, the next they're canoodling.
I thought I'd accidentally skipped some pages nd missed the moment where his feelings changed, but alas, it was never written.
The murder mystery aspect was great tho. Kept me flip flopping between suspects thruout.
The biggest one being the flip switch of Marius wanting nothing to do with Emmie to being all about her. One page he can't stand her, the next they're canoodling.
I thought I'd accidentally skipped some pages nd missed the moment where his feelings changed, but alas, it was never written.
The murder mystery aspect was great tho. Kept me flip flopping between suspects thruout.
December 27, 2024
Holly and Homicide by Alina Jacobs was an okay read, but it didn't quite live up to the first book in the series. The plot was enjoyable, but the sheer number of characters made it difficult to keep track of everyone, which took away from the overall experience. On the plus side, it was a very fast read, making it perfect for a quick escape. Fans of spicy romance will appreciate the extra heat in this installment, though it might not be for everyone. While it wasn't my favorite, it had its moments and may still appeal to readers who enjoy fast-paced and steamy mysteries.
December 12, 2025
This was crazy! Everyone was having sex with everyone
Emmie's husband dies in her shop while he is there with his pregnant girlfriend. Everyone assumes its he cos they were arguing before but honestly he kind of deserved to die
Marius is a dick to her. He thinks she did it for a long time. At one point all she did was cry and all he did was say mean things to everyone
Again in this one there are so many names to remember in such a short book.
Nothing really happens in this to be honest. They find out who it was and its over at 75%. Again it was written weird, like we were in a rush to get to the end
Then we get a bunch of chapters for another book. Hate that
Emmie's husband dies in her shop while he is there with his pregnant girlfriend. Everyone assumes its he cos they were arguing before but honestly he kind of deserved to die
Marius is a dick to her. He thinks she did it for a long time. At one point all she did was cry and all he did was say mean things to everyone
Again in this one there are so many names to remember in such a short book.
Nothing really happens in this to be honest. They find out who it was and its over at 75%. Again it was written weird, like we were in a rush to get to the end
Then we get a bunch of chapters for another book. Hate that
December 16, 2025
Not one of my favorites by this author. I felt that the change from Marius’s desire to get outta Dodge to his sudden lust for Emmie happened for no reason. There didn’t seem to be a gradual transition.
Why was Oakley faking pregnancy while Brooks was alive? There was no inheritance to be had at that time. Were either she or Theo planning to kill Brooks? Also, she was banging at least one other man. Wouldn’t the fake pregnancy be obvious? There was far too much infidelity for my taste.
This wasn’t truly a holiday read; more like Christmas adjacent.
Why was Oakley faking pregnancy while Brooks was alive? There was no inheritance to be had at that time. Were either she or Theo planning to kill Brooks? Also, she was banging at least one other man. Wouldn’t the fake pregnancy be obvious? There was far too much infidelity for my taste.
This wasn’t truly a holiday read; more like Christmas adjacent.
December 19, 2024
holly jolly murder mystery
Plot:⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
Spice:🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Romance:♥️♥️♥️♥️/5
Holiday cheer: 🎄🎄🎄🎄/5
Fun murder mystery with plenty of Alina’s usual comedy and flare for the dramatics. Minimal spice, like maybe two scenes tops. But they were good.
Emmie and Marius complimented each other very well. The romance between the two happened quickly. It seemed a bit out of nowhere but it was enjoyable
Plot:⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
Spice:🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Romance:♥️♥️♥️♥️/5
Holiday cheer: 🎄🎄🎄🎄/5
Fun murder mystery with plenty of Alina’s usual comedy and flare for the dramatics. Minimal spice, like maybe two scenes tops. But they were good.
Emmie and Marius complimented each other very well. The romance between the two happened quickly. It seemed a bit out of nowhere but it was enjoyable
December 29, 2024
3.5 ***
Not my favourite Alina Jacobs title, but fun nonetheless. Holly and Homicide is an entertaining, over-the-top romantic comedy meets cozy mystery with scorned ex-wife Emmie the number one suspect in her husband's murder, and reluctant "neighbour" Marius tasked with defending her. Then hijinks ensue thanks to some Christmas cupcakes! Happy holidays.
I received a free copy of this book via Cherrylily ARCs and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Not my favourite Alina Jacobs title, but fun nonetheless. Holly and Homicide is an entertaining, over-the-top romantic comedy meets cozy mystery with scorned ex-wife Emmie the number one suspect in her husband's murder, and reluctant "neighbour" Marius tasked with defending her. Then hijinks ensue thanks to some Christmas cupcakes! Happy holidays.
I received a free copy of this book via Cherrylily ARCs and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 8, 2025
Vulgarity is not a substitute for plot!
This book was so so bad, I could not even get to the halfway point. The writer is very vulgar, there was no plot or character building. She just used the so called dialog to curse and use profane language. If your into reading porn then this book is for you. If your looking for a good murder mystery you won't find it here. This book should be rated xxx.
This book was so so bad, I could not even get to the halfway point. The writer is very vulgar, there was no plot or character building. She just used the so called dialog to curse and use profane language. If your into reading porn then this book is for you. If your looking for a good murder mystery you won't find it here. This book should be rated xxx.
December 2, 2025
The main story was great but the author was all over the place. You are dropped into chaos and it never ends. First the lawyer believes she’s guilty then he is sleeping with her but you don’t know when his option really changed. The characters are doing one thing and the next sentence they are somewhere completely different. Same with their personalities. I managed to finish the book but never connected to the characters, town or the story.
December 18, 2025
love AJ, but this series feels… off….
This series feels like it could be great, with maybe a better editor or something. It’s choppy, and the sex scenes honestly feel like they don’t belong, and the author was just forced to splice them randomly into a book. It doesn’t even seem like she wrote them. Overall, a cute story, but be prepared to feel pulled randomly into different scenes.
This series feels like it could be great, with maybe a better editor or something. It’s choppy, and the sex scenes honestly feel like they don’t belong, and the author was just forced to splice them randomly into a book. It doesn’t even seem like she wrote them. Overall, a cute story, but be prepared to feel pulled randomly into different scenes.
December 13, 2024
Tasty Recipe of a Story
Murder Cupcake Cafe is a perfect location for romance… and murder, right? There were so many twists and turns in this mystery, it definitely kept me guessing and I was not prepared for the ending. I’m beginning to think that there isn’t anything that Alina Jacobs can’t write. Emmie is a cupcake shop owner and about to be a divorcee, but there’s so much more to this story than meets the eye. Marius grew up in this small town but ran as quickly as he could to the big city. Is he going to find everything he didn’t know he was looking for? This book had me from the first page! Go read it!
Murder Cupcake Cafe is a perfect location for romance… and murder, right? There were so many twists and turns in this mystery, it definitely kept me guessing and I was not prepared for the ending. I’m beginning to think that there isn’t anything that Alina Jacobs can’t write. Emmie is a cupcake shop owner and about to be a divorcee, but there’s so much more to this story than meets the eye. Marius grew up in this small town but ran as quickly as he could to the big city. Is he going to find everything he didn’t know he was looking for? This book had me from the first page! Go read it!
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