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Read Wine Bookstore #1
Friends and Foes
There's a fine line between wine and crime...
Aspiring business owner Trixie Pristine is ready to make all of her dreams come true. She's fulfilling every girl's fantasy by surrounding herself in coffee, wine, treats, and books. What more could she want? Teaming up with her closest friends, Cora Taylor and Sally Greeves, the three women are about to embark upon an opportunity of a lifetime, opening the quaint bookstore, Read Wine.
But suddenly, this new endeavor isn't all that Trixie hoped it would be. As strange things begin to happen, the women realize someone is out to sabotage their new business venture. Refusing to put down the coffee or relinquish the wine, the three friends meddle in police affairs to get to the bottom of the mysterious events.
Grab your favorite bottle of red, curl up, and get ready to uncover how Read Wine all started.
***Previously published under author name Laina Turner
Aspiring business owner Trixie Pristine is ready to make all of her dreams come true. She's fulfilling every girl's fantasy by surrounding herself in coffee, wine, treats, and books. What more could she want? Teaming up with her closest friends, Cora Taylor and Sally Greeves, the three women are about to embark upon an opportunity of a lifetime, opening the quaint bookstore, Read Wine.
But suddenly, this new endeavor isn't all that Trixie hoped it would be. As strange things begin to happen, the women realize someone is out to sabotage their new business venture. Refusing to put down the coffee or relinquish the wine, the three friends meddle in police affairs to get to the bottom of the mysterious events.
Grab your favorite bottle of red, curl up, and get ready to uncover how Read Wine all started.
***Previously published under author name Laina Turner
88 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 20, 2012
1387 people are currently reading
889 people want to read
About the author
Laina Turner
127 books332 followersAs a child, Laina thought she would either be a truck driver (thanks to Jerry Reed in Smokey and the Bandit) or work at Taco Bell (her favorite restaurant as a child). As she grew older, she realized her talents lay in other areas, and for the last several years has been a college professor teaching business and English.
Through all her career choices, she has continued to have a passion for writing stemming from childhood, where, as an only child, she developed a vivid imagination.
She is proud of her vast experiences in life from barrel racing, to being on the dance team for a semi-pro basketball team, to being a mom of 2 amazing kids.
She decided to follow her dream as an author in 2009 and has worked her way up to having 5 fans (maybe 6 now). She often tells her family and friends that no one is safe from his or her ventures slipping into her books. Her blog, In Pursuit of Fabulous, was launched to share the daily fun in her life as a Real Midlife Housewife of the Midwest.
To find out more information about Laina and her books, check out her website at http://www.lainaturner.com/
Through all her career choices, she has continued to have a passion for writing stemming from childhood, where, as an only child, she developed a vivid imagination.
She is proud of her vast experiences in life from barrel racing, to being on the dance team for a semi-pro basketball team, to being a mom of 2 amazing kids.
She decided to follow her dream as an author in 2009 and has worked her way up to having 5 fans (maybe 6 now). She often tells her family and friends that no one is safe from his or her ventures slipping into her books. Her blog, In Pursuit of Fabulous, was launched to share the daily fun in her life as a Real Midlife Housewife of the Midwest.
To find out more information about Laina and her books, check out her website at http://www.lainaturner.com/
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 154 reviews
March 7, 2025
A fun little prequel of how a group of women set up a bookstore in their small town. 5 ⭐
August 17, 2014
This was fun read that did an excellent job setting up the series. Definitely left you hanging. I loved it and I am enjoying the rest of the books in this series as well as MS. Turners books in her other series as well.
December 31, 2019
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.Friends and Foes by Laina Turner is a short read that tells us how the bookstore with a coffee and wine bar came to be.
Who is sabotaging the opening of the used bookstore?
We have a few sleuths in this book. So, let's start with our point of view character.
Trixie
Trixie is one of the partners in the used bookstore with a wine bar and coffee bar inside. What a unique idea. I love it. Trixie is the local librarian; she is divorced with a young boy. Her ex-husband is about the worst ex you can have, but he is a good dad. So, Trixie forgives him for things that I don't know if I could. However, Trixie is a sweet person, and she has the idea for the used bookstore, which she says is her dream. Although she is one of those overly cautious people with the help of her friends, she may be able to pull this whole plan off.
Sally
Sally is also a partner in the used bookstore. She is unemployed and currently divorcing her cheating husband. Oh, Sally is getting everything that she can from him, like the building that the bookstore will be in. However, she is still very bitter about her unfaithful spouse and his current girlfriend. She needs the bookstore to be her outlet, or she may explode.
The Mystery
This story is how the ladies set up the partnership for the store, all of the issues and sabotage that they encountered on the way to opening day. It is fast-paced, and the culprit is easy to figure out if you follow the clues.
Four Stars for Friends and Foes by Laina Turner
I think Friends and Foes by Laina Turner is great. But, I just wanted more, so I guess now I will have to read the rest of the series. I am giving it a rating of four stars. Oh, and I recommend this to all you wine-loving cozy mystery lovers out there.
Who is sabotaging the opening of the used bookstore?
We have a few sleuths in this book. So, let's start with our point of view character.
Trixie
Trixie is one of the partners in the used bookstore with a wine bar and coffee bar inside. What a unique idea. I love it. Trixie is the local librarian; she is divorced with a young boy. Her ex-husband is about the worst ex you can have, but he is a good dad. So, Trixie forgives him for things that I don't know if I could. However, Trixie is a sweet person, and she has the idea for the used bookstore, which she says is her dream. Although she is one of those overly cautious people with the help of her friends, she may be able to pull this whole plan off.
Sally
Sally is also a partner in the used bookstore. She is unemployed and currently divorcing her cheating husband. Oh, Sally is getting everything that she can from him, like the building that the bookstore will be in. However, she is still very bitter about her unfaithful spouse and his current girlfriend. She needs the bookstore to be her outlet, or she may explode.
The Mystery
This story is how the ladies set up the partnership for the store, all of the issues and sabotage that they encountered on the way to opening day. It is fast-paced, and the culprit is easy to figure out if you follow the clues.
Four Stars for Friends and Foes by Laina Turner
I think Friends and Foes by Laina Turner is great. But, I just wanted more, so I guess now I will have to read the rest of the series. I am giving it a rating of four stars. Oh, and I recommend this to all you wine-loving cozy mystery lovers out there.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Friends and Foes by Laina Turner.
This Guest Review is for Baroness' Book Trove. Thank you for the opportunity to review this book on your site and to the author for supplying this marvelous book.
Until the next time,
This review was originally posted on Baroness' Book Trove
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April 7, 2014This is not a book, it's about 50 pages of set up for the first book in the series. It is called a 'prequel' on the author's web site.
My own fault, I didn't do any research ahead of time, I usually don't when it's free. The reason I am so upset is, I was really enjoying this. Even with some editing issues, and awkward sentence structure in places, I found it to be totally enjoyable, something that I had not experienced with a book in awhile.
So, they find the first body & that's where the 'book' ends.
I will not be purchasing any of the books in this series. The first one is $3.00 for 100 pages. If you extrapolate that, a normal paperback of 300 pages would be $9.00, for the ebook version. It ain't happening. I feel the prices for ebooks have gotten ridiculous. I can always reread my print books, get ebooks from my library, & get the ones I consider reasonably priced.
My library doesn't carry this author. So, the main reason I'm pissed is I really liked the characters, the writing, & the story, what I did read of it.
because i I really liked the little bit of story, but feel 'ripped off', even though I didn't pay money for it, I'm not giving it a rating.
My own fault, I didn't do any research ahead of time, I usually don't when it's free. The reason I am so upset is, I was really enjoying this. Even with some editing issues, and awkward sentence structure in places, I found it to be totally enjoyable, something that I had not experienced with a book in awhile.
So, they find the first body & that's where the 'book' ends.
I will not be purchasing any of the books in this series. The first one is $3.00 for 100 pages. If you extrapolate that, a normal paperback of 300 pages would be $9.00, for the ebook version. It ain't happening. I feel the prices for ebooks have gotten ridiculous. I can always reread my print books, get ebooks from my library, & get the ones I consider reasonably priced.
My library doesn't carry this author. So, the main reason I'm pissed is I really liked the characters, the writing, & the story, what I did read of it.
because i I really liked the little bit of story, but feel 'ripped off', even though I didn't pay money for it, I'm not giving it a rating.
January 11, 2020
What Happens Next!
I really love a good cozy read. Read Wine Bookstore has many of the needed elements for a good read...
However there a few glaring problems.
The lack of editing with regards to punctuation and grammar makes a person have to stop and re-read a number of passages in order to follow the dialog and to know who is speaking when and in regards to what topic.
Our heroine is not the brightest bulb in the pack...I'll let you come to your own conclusion as to why I've made that statement.
But there is still a good premise and good story line at work here.
I want to read more about these three women and their dream of combining their interests in a bid to become self employed doing what they love.
Enjoy.
I really love a good cozy read. Read Wine Bookstore has many of the needed elements for a good read...
However there a few glaring problems.
The lack of editing with regards to punctuation and grammar makes a person have to stop and re-read a number of passages in order to follow the dialog and to know who is speaking when and in regards to what topic.
Our heroine is not the brightest bulb in the pack...I'll let you come to your own conclusion as to why I've made that statement.
But there is still a good premise and good story line at work here.
I want to read more about these three women and their dream of combining their interests in a bid to become self employed doing what they love.
Enjoy.
June 14, 2020
It was okay. This is a prequel to a series so I expected it to be short which it is. I did not expect a cliffhanger. I assume the mystery goes on to be solved in the first book but there really wasn't enough story in this prequel to make me want to read the next book. The characters are interesting and warm but the plot is limited.
June 11, 2019
A very pathetic read. Kind of reminded me of something a high-schooler would turn in when assigned the chore of writing an essay. To go into all of the misconceptions, unrealistic happenings and other faux pas's would take me probably longer than it took for this book to be written.
Just to mention a few - if your husband, or anyone, steals money from you by forging one or more of your checks, that is a felony. Also, writing a check that bounces is also a felony. The lame-brained Sheriff friend of said husband talks her out of it. Let's see, if she contacted the DA's office, charges would be filed against him and he would go before a judge. Most likely, in cases such as this, he would be put on probation (you can't work and pay back money if you are in jail and the judge is aware of that), but a court order would be put in effect whereby he will pay x number of dollars, weekly, monthly, whatever Should he fail to do so, he would be in contempt of court and would be arrested. All of this without it costing you one dime.
The other scenario - If she were to get him to sign an agreement to pay her back in lieu of filing charges and he should fail to keep that agreement, she would have to take him to court and sue him to get the money back, get a judgment, execute on the judgment - all of which would take considerable time and money for legal fees. So which way would be the most obvious way to go about getting your money back?
And, additionally, she should file a complaint in municipal court for his writing of a bad check. Bet he wouldn't play games with her anymore.
Research, my dear, research.
Then there is Mama who is on vacation in Europe, who always keeps upwards of $50,000 in her checking account (who in their right mind would do that?) who writes a check and mails it - just plain mails a $50,000 check. No Certified Mail, No Special Delivery, nothing - just plain mail - and from Europe to boot. Come on, let's be real.
Then, while she is in her lawyer's office, someone, on a public street, in broad daylight, runs around her car slashing each and every one of her tires - and no one sees this. Really? We are not talking New York or some big city here. We are talking a small town where everybody knows everybody else and their business. I think not.
There's more, but I think I have gotten my point across.
And, because the writer fears (and justly so) that no one will bother reading any more of her books, she ends the book by having the three woman enter their store, which they just finished repairing from the vandalism that occurred, and saying "Oh NO!" And I guess this solidifies in the writer's mind that the readers will buy and read her next book.
Well, here's one that won't. And, further, not that it means anything to her or the general public, but her name gets entered on my Authors Non Grata list.
Just to mention a few - if your husband, or anyone, steals money from you by forging one or more of your checks, that is a felony. Also, writing a check that bounces is also a felony. The lame-brained Sheriff friend of said husband talks her out of it. Let's see, if she contacted the DA's office, charges would be filed against him and he would go before a judge. Most likely, in cases such as this, he would be put on probation (you can't work and pay back money if you are in jail and the judge is aware of that), but a court order would be put in effect whereby he will pay x number of dollars, weekly, monthly, whatever Should he fail to do so, he would be in contempt of court and would be arrested. All of this without it costing you one dime.
The other scenario - If she were to get him to sign an agreement to pay her back in lieu of filing charges and he should fail to keep that agreement, she would have to take him to court and sue him to get the money back, get a judgment, execute on the judgment - all of which would take considerable time and money for legal fees. So which way would be the most obvious way to go about getting your money back?
And, additionally, she should file a complaint in municipal court for his writing of a bad check. Bet he wouldn't play games with her anymore.
Research, my dear, research.
Then there is Mama who is on vacation in Europe, who always keeps upwards of $50,000 in her checking account (who in their right mind would do that?) who writes a check and mails it - just plain mails a $50,000 check. No Certified Mail, No Special Delivery, nothing - just plain mail - and from Europe to boot. Come on, let's be real.
Then, while she is in her lawyer's office, someone, on a public street, in broad daylight, runs around her car slashing each and every one of her tires - and no one sees this. Really? We are not talking New York or some big city here. We are talking a small town where everybody knows everybody else and their business. I think not.
There's more, but I think I have gotten my point across.
And, because the writer fears (and justly so) that no one will bother reading any more of her books, she ends the book by having the three woman enter their store, which they just finished repairing from the vandalism that occurred, and saying "Oh NO!" And I guess this solidifies in the writer's mind that the readers will buy and read her next book.
Well, here's one that won't. And, further, not that it means anything to her or the general public, but her name gets entered on my Authors Non Grata list.
January 16, 2020
The Red Wine Bookstore
What a good Evening read. I felt as if Sally,Cora and Trixie and I was my friends. That's how well each character was displayed. Good Friends decided to open up a unique Lil bookstore and a lot of the town folks doesn't like the new idea of another buisness opening up. Each page keeps you wanting more. I absolutely enjoyed the book and I look forward to more.
What a good Evening read. I felt as if Sally,Cora and Trixie and I was my friends. That's how well each character was displayed. Good Friends decided to open up a unique Lil bookstore and a lot of the town folks doesn't like the new idea of another buisness opening up. Each page keeps you wanting more. I absolutely enjoyed the book and I look forward to more.
June 18, 2012
This is a fun and clean read. I really enjoyed Laina Turner's style. She created some great characters and the plot kept you interested. My e book version had some serious editing problems with run on sentences and grammeer, but I recommend this book for a bit of light hearted fun.
October 1, 2019
This is a short (75 pages) prequel into a series about 3 friends that are starting a used bookstore and a c0ffee/wine bar. After they finally come up with the place and money. it seems someone is out to stop them from opening their new business. This could have been a good story. Sentence structure is all over the pages and sometimes the location just doesn't make sense. Add to that the fact that this is a cliff hanger...something that I hate, especially if not told ahead of time. I will NOT let an author pressure me into buying her books.
July 11, 2020
Got this for a quick read. Very middle class american. 3 late 30s divorcees, bored with their jobs, decide to open a bookstore come wine bar ( no business plan), pack in their jobs (even though they've got small kids to look after), go to draw out their savings to finance it (have a lot more than women in a similar situation over here would have), one of them finds her ex husband has forged her signature on several cheques and withdrawn all her savings from an account just in her name,bank doesn't seem bothered and sheriff talks her into not pressing charges as she wouldn't get her money back anyway (sheriff just happens to be a friend of her ex) then her mother suddenly finds an old bank account that she'd forgotten about and sends her a cheque for 50,000 (like you do). They blackmail another ex into giving them a shop building in the best part of town and set up business, all while drinking their way through several bottles of wine a day, the kids are presumably looking after themselves all this time, even though the eldest is only around 8. Not even slightly funny, just a tale of everyday life (not!!). Not sure if I can be bothered to read the rest. Apparently there's a whole series of these books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 8, 2021
A pleasant read. I liked it!
Trixie has played it safe all her life. Her dream is to open a bookshop where customers can also drink coffee or wine. It’s time to take a risk. Together with two friends. Trying to find her path in life.
The first 65% of the book was more chick-lit than mystery, but I thought it was a pleasant read. Friendly. I liked it! The case didn’t start until 65%, I had thought it would happen sooner, but that mini-mystery was resolved and completed. Fair warning: after that, there IS a sort of cliffhanger. Maybe I’d better call it a teaser. Something that will continue in the next book. It showed potential! I will be reading more!
Trixie has played it safe all her life. Her dream is to open a bookshop where customers can also drink coffee or wine. It’s time to take a risk. Together with two friends. Trying to find her path in life.
The first 65% of the book was more chick-lit than mystery, but I thought it was a pleasant read. Friendly. I liked it! The case didn’t start until 65%, I had thought it would happen sooner, but that mini-mystery was resolved and completed. Fair warning: after that, there IS a sort of cliffhanger. Maybe I’d better call it a teaser. Something that will continue in the next book. It showed potential! I will be reading more!
November 27, 2018
Three women disappointed in their jobs and love (one's husband cheated on her and is stalling on te divorce, another's husband has a gambling problem and used her nestegg to pay of his debts) decide to go into business together and open up a used bookstore-slash-coffeeshop-slash-winebar (whoever said for a successful business you need to focus and not be all over the place?)
They suffer a lot of vandalism to their cars and to their shop and even an angry yelling from a old lady that owns the diner and is afraid of the competition the bookshop/coffeeshop/winebar will cause. This doesn't turn into much of a mystery - as the unsub just steps up to the women one day and treathens them.
Basically, it takes the author 75 pages to build up a story until the middle part, then skips the middle and wraps up the end in under five pages. It's almost as if she had wanted to write an eighty page story and got flustered when she saw she had almost reach her page limit. That, or she had no idea how the write the middle part. Which I can't really believe because the flips and twists in the build up are quite good.
They suffer a lot of vandalism to their cars and to their shop and even an angry yelling from a old lady that owns the diner and is afraid of the competition the bookshop/coffeeshop/winebar will cause. This doesn't turn into much of a mystery - as the unsub just steps up to the women one day and treathens them.
Basically, it takes the author 75 pages to build up a story until the middle part, then skips the middle and wraps up the end in under five pages. It's almost as if she had wanted to write an eighty page story and got flustered when she saw she had almost reach her page limit. That, or she had no idea how the write the middle part. Which I can't really believe because the flips and twists in the build up are quite good.
July 2, 2023
This is the first book in the series. It only has 89 pages so it doesn't go into a lot of depth! It was entertaining and I'm going to read the second one in the series to see if it has a little more to it!
Amazon synopsis:
Trixie Pristine is ready to make all of her dreams come true by opening a bookstore. But it’s not just any bookstore—it will have books, of course, but customers will also get wine, baked goods, tea, and coffee drinks. What more could they ask for?
Trixie is teaming up with her closest friends, Cora Taylor and Sally Greeves, to embark upon an opportunity of a lifetime. They’ve even thought of the perfect name—Read Wine, a play on words for red wine and books you read.
But before the friends can open their doors, strange and nefarious things begin to happen, and the women realize someone is out to sabotage their new business venture.
There’s only one thing left to do if they want to save their burgeoning business—find out who is out to get them and their little bookstore.
Amazon synopsis:
Trixie Pristine is ready to make all of her dreams come true by opening a bookstore. But it’s not just any bookstore—it will have books, of course, but customers will also get wine, baked goods, tea, and coffee drinks. What more could they ask for?
Trixie is teaming up with her closest friends, Cora Taylor and Sally Greeves, to embark upon an opportunity of a lifetime. They’ve even thought of the perfect name—Read Wine, a play on words for red wine and books you read.
But before the friends can open their doors, strange and nefarious things begin to happen, and the women realize someone is out to sabotage their new business venture.
There’s only one thing left to do if they want to save their burgeoning business—find out who is out to get them and their little bookstore.
October 4, 2019
FRIENDS AND FOES by Laina Turner
A Prequel to the Read Wine Bookstore Cozy Mystery Series
Trixie has always been the practical one, but with library layoffs on the horizon Sally's idea of opening their dream shop is very tempting. As Sally, along with their third best friend, Cora, start looking at logistics Trixie decides to see what her banker thinks of her finances. The path to their dream is not easy when Trixie discovers an issue with her retirement savings. Not only that, the trio soon find themselves victims of sabotage. Sally is quick to blame her ex-husband's new girlfriend, but could someone else have it in for them?
FRIENDS AND FOES is a very quick read that shows how the Read Wine Bookstore came to be. Trixie, Sally, and Cora are all likeable women, who, though flawed, are working to make their lives better. All three are intelligent, if sometimes blinded by their own preconceived notions, and work together capitalizing on each other's strengths, showing ingenuity and fortitude.
The villain had a solid motive, so I was a bit disappointed when the author added a stereotypical easy reason for the behavior. While there was a definite climax and conclusion, readers are also left with a cliff hanger.
Books, wine, coffee, and determined women are the heart of FRIENDS AND FOES, a lightening fast, enjoyable read.
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me an e-copy of this book in the hopes I would review it.
A Prequel to the Read Wine Bookstore Cozy Mystery Series
Trixie has always been the practical one, but with library layoffs on the horizon Sally's idea of opening their dream shop is very tempting. As Sally, along with their third best friend, Cora, start looking at logistics Trixie decides to see what her banker thinks of her finances. The path to their dream is not easy when Trixie discovers an issue with her retirement savings. Not only that, the trio soon find themselves victims of sabotage. Sally is quick to blame her ex-husband's new girlfriend, but could someone else have it in for them?
FRIENDS AND FOES is a very quick read that shows how the Read Wine Bookstore came to be. Trixie, Sally, and Cora are all likeable women, who, though flawed, are working to make their lives better. All three are intelligent, if sometimes blinded by their own preconceived notions, and work together capitalizing on each other's strengths, showing ingenuity and fortitude.
The villain had a solid motive, so I was a bit disappointed when the author added a stereotypical easy reason for the behavior. While there was a definite climax and conclusion, readers are also left with a cliff hanger.
Books, wine, coffee, and determined women are the heart of FRIENDS AND FOES, a lightening fast, enjoyable read.
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me an e-copy of this book in the hopes I would review it.
June 19, 2019
Friends and Foes
Trixie, Sally, and Cora are friends who share at least a couple of attributes. They all have had man troubles and they all want to start a used bookstore with a wine and coffee bar. Sally uses info that she found about her soon to be ex-husband to blackmail him into selling her a storefront for $1. Trixie finds out that her ex-husband has stolen most of her retirement money. However, a windfall of money from her mother, allows her to buy into the partnership.
Just when it looks like everything is a go for the bookshop, weird things start happening like sugar in the gas tank, slashed tires, and vandalism of the store.
One thing that bothered me about this book is that the author stopped the book with a cliffhanger and in mid sentence. I’ll try one more book before I determine if this is a signature move of the author.
Trixie, Sally, and Cora are friends who share at least a couple of attributes. They all have had man troubles and they all want to start a used bookstore with a wine and coffee bar. Sally uses info that she found about her soon to be ex-husband to blackmail him into selling her a storefront for $1. Trixie finds out that her ex-husband has stolen most of her retirement money. However, a windfall of money from her mother, allows her to buy into the partnership.
Just when it looks like everything is a go for the bookshop, weird things start happening like sugar in the gas tank, slashed tires, and vandalism of the store.
One thing that bothered me about this book is that the author stopped the book with a cliffhanger and in mid sentence. I’ll try one more book before I determine if this is a signature move of the author.
January 1, 2020
Es una precuela tipo novella de muy pocas páginas, súper simple y básica. Es una historia de misterio que no trae nada nuevo. Comprendo que al ser precuela no se desarrolle mucho. Sin embargo, presenta una gran cantidad de personajes que marean. No es muy verosímil, por la cantidad de malas pasadas que tienen las chicas en tan pocos caracteres. Sin embargo, en algunas cosas que me gustaron como el positivismo y la pasión de Sally. Muestra bien en claro que cuando alguien desea algo fuertemente, no importa lo que se cruce en su camino, lo va a lograr. La ambición y el deseo son un fuego imporante. Considero que es una novelita simple para pasar una tarde entretenida en algo sin mucho que pensar. Tiene un final completamente abrupto, totalmente hecho a propósito para que compres el 1er libro de la tetralogía (bah, creo que son 4)
En fin, lo recomiendo si querés distraerte un rato.
En fin, lo recomiendo si querés distraerte un rato.
July 28, 2019
Fun Little Read
This is a simple easy little read which surprised me when it abruptly ended. I did expect the story to come to a better conclusion.
Set in a small town, like those cute little towns on tv shows where everyone knows each other (ie: Gilmore Girls) you have three young-ish ladies who decide to open a business together....take that leap and follow a dream. Of course, things happen Lao g the way and everyone to whom they turn for help was someone with whom they went to high school. But, knowing everyone also helps in knowing who to call to get things up and rolling for the business.
A lot of short little books like this would just disappear from my reading but I may have to read the next in the series just to see what does happen.
This is a simple easy little read which surprised me when it abruptly ended. I did expect the story to come to a better conclusion.
Set in a small town, like those cute little towns on tv shows where everyone knows each other (ie: Gilmore Girls) you have three young-ish ladies who decide to open a business together....take that leap and follow a dream. Of course, things happen Lao g the way and everyone to whom they turn for help was someone with whom they went to high school. But, knowing everyone also helps in knowing who to call to get things up and rolling for the business.
A lot of short little books like this would just disappear from my reading but I may have to read the next in the series just to see what does happen.
December 22, 2020
I really enjoyed this new series novella. Three friends, Trixie, Sally and Cora, pool their money to open a used bookstore, coffee shop, wine bar. Trixie is divorced with a young son, Sally is in the process of getting a divorce and has 3 kids and Cora just dumped a guy so they are all looking to make changes in their lives. But as they work to open the store, things keep happening and it could be either of two locals who don't like Sally or don't want them to open the store. Plus Trixie second guesses her relationship with her boyfriend Jack. It is all intriguing and enjoyable! Make sure you have the next book in the series Books Aren't Just For Reading because the novella has a cliffhanger ending that picks up in the 2nd book.
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January 19, 2021Friends and Foes is the first book I've read by L. C. Turner. The main character of the book is Trixie Pristine, thirty-eight year old divorced mother of a young son. She is the librarian in Romero, Michigan. Her dream is to open a bookstore/coffee bar/wine bar with her two friends, Sally and Cora. When the three women decide to make the dream a reality, bad things seem to keep happening and they don't know who the culprit is. This book is an easy one sitting read at less than 80 pages long and I would have liked it to be longer. It has interesting characters and a good flow, but it ends on a cliffhanger. The beginning of the next book, Snow globes and Secrets, is included at the end, which I appreciated.
May 21, 2023
Librarian Trixie Pristine is doing what she always wanted to do - open a bookstore. Along with her best friends, Sally and Cora, they are determined to make their new bookstore, Read Wine, a success. However, someone else doesn’t want that to happen and will do anything to stop these women from succeeding.
This is a prequel to the Read Wine Cozy Mystery series and it’s off to a good start. It’s a quick read and gives us a taste of what the series will be like. I enjoyed this bite-sized mystery. It made for a nice couple of hours of reading. Trixie and her friends look to be fun characters.
There is a cliffhanger involved. So, if you are going to read this series, I recommend starting with this prequel. I'm hoping to read the rest of the series soon.
This is a prequel to the Read Wine Cozy Mystery series and it’s off to a good start. It’s a quick read and gives us a taste of what the series will be like. I enjoyed this bite-sized mystery. It made for a nice couple of hours of reading. Trixie and her friends look to be fun characters.
There is a cliffhanger involved. So, if you are going to read this series, I recommend starting with this prequel. I'm hoping to read the rest of the series soon.
December 29, 2018
Trixie and Berklie are two ladies that I can truly relate to from the very beginning of the book. Their circumstances in life mirror those of everyday people. The desire to open a business together and the obstacles that they faced to see this dream come to be are something that many of us strive for in life. Often times when we face circumstances like Trixie did, we often fail to continue to do as we have dreamed or desired. I did find myself a little bit upset with Trixie and how she dealt with her ex. I think that she was being too considerate of him. Personally, I can truly appreciate knowing that the book takes place in Michigan where soft drinks are called pop. Thank you for using the proper term.
July 28, 2019
Three best friends, Trixie, Sally and Cora decide to open a used bookstore. It will also have a coffee bar and a wine bar. There's a few obstacles to doing this including Trixie's IRA being almost totally empty and finding a good, affordable place. Once these are overcome, the cleaning begins, but Sally ends up with sugar in her gas tank and there's overnight vandalism at the store. I really enjoyed trying to figure out who was causing so many problems to keep them from opening. I love the main characters and the plot. This is a good prequel to a cozy mystery series. I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next one.
July 29, 2019
A pleasant read. I liked it!
Trixie has played it safe all her life. Her dream is to open a bookshop where customers can also drink coffee or wine. It’s time to take a risk. Together with two friends. Trying to find her path in life.
The first 65% of the book was more chick-lit than mystery, but I thought it was a pleasant read. Friendly. I liked it! The case didn’t start until 65%, I had thought it would happen sooner, but that mini-mystery was resolved and completed. Fair warning: after that, there IS a sort of cliffhanger. Maybe I’d better call it a teaser. Something that will continue in the next book. It showed potential! I will be reading more!
Trixie has played it safe all her life. Her dream is to open a bookshop where customers can also drink coffee or wine. It’s time to take a risk. Together with two friends. Trying to find her path in life.
The first 65% of the book was more chick-lit than mystery, but I thought it was a pleasant read. Friendly. I liked it! The case didn’t start until 65%, I had thought it would happen sooner, but that mini-mystery was resolved and completed. Fair warning: after that, there IS a sort of cliffhanger. Maybe I’d better call it a teaser. Something that will continue in the next book. It showed potential! I will be reading more!
July 16, 2020
Short mini Story
I would have given this 5 stars except the story was dropped and abruptly cut off at the end for a quick ending. This book could have been a great read if the author would have filled it out and made the "mystery" more elusive. Great setting, storyline and characters but dropped the ball.
What happened to Jared? Would like to see him pay up.
What happened to Sally?
Give us more details on their business and help the reader "see" this shop materialize.
Show each woman gaining control of their life and clean up tenuous relationships. This booklet could become so much more.
I would have given this 5 stars except the story was dropped and abruptly cut off at the end for a quick ending. This book could have been a great read if the author would have filled it out and made the "mystery" more elusive. Great setting, storyline and characters but dropped the ball.
What happened to Jared? Would like to see him pay up.
What happened to Sally?
Give us more details on their business and help the reader "see" this shop materialize.
Show each woman gaining control of their life and clean up tenuous relationships. This booklet could become so much more.
June 19, 2022
This is a fun and clean read :
Three women disappointed in their jobs and love , go into business together
After a lot ( and I mean a LOT ) of 'if 's and but's " the show goes on the road
That's where the short story ends
A nice read for a short train ride or waiting for an appointment at the doc's / dentist
In the next books in this series i hope to get answers to :
What happened to Jared?
What happened to Sally?
Give us more details on their business and help the reader "see" this shop materialize.
Show each woman gaining control of their life and clean up tenuous relationships
Three women disappointed in their jobs and love , go into business together
After a lot ( and I mean a LOT ) of 'if 's and but's " the show goes on the road
That's where the short story ends
A nice read for a short train ride or waiting for an appointment at the doc's / dentist
In the next books in this series i hope to get answers to :
What happened to Jared?
What happened to Sally?
Give us more details on their business and help the reader "see" this shop materialize.
Show each woman gaining control of their life and clean up tenuous relationships
December 3, 2023
I positively despise cliffhangers
Kind of an annoying book. Drags on with no real center to it...and that's kind of hard to do in only 75 pages. I don't usually bother with short stories, so I can't imagine how it got into my library. Maybe because it's called Book 1, so I thought it was full length, but at the end, in the list of author's title, it's called a Prequel. Anyway, it wanders around, then all of a sudden it ends, and in literally the last sentence the author drops a gaping chasm in front of you. Not the most enjoyable hour I've spent, so not going to be buying into the ploy to get me to buy the next book. Goodbye, author.
Kind of an annoying book. Drags on with no real center to it...and that's kind of hard to do in only 75 pages. I don't usually bother with short stories, so I can't imagine how it got into my library. Maybe because it's called Book 1, so I thought it was full length, but at the end, in the list of author's title, it's called a Prequel. Anyway, it wanders around, then all of a sudden it ends, and in literally the last sentence the author drops a gaping chasm in front of you. Not the most enjoyable hour I've spent, so not going to be buying into the ploy to get me to buy the next book. Goodbye, author.
November 30, 2019
Irritating
I thought the book was decent,not the worse I've read..
But, though it's a 'stand alone' story, it does end on a cliffhanger. Which is what I don't generally buy any book of a series because I don't want to get sucked into them & not be able to finish them. We're on a budget so I can't just buy the next book.
For signing up for her email list, I received a free book. However, it's mobi which I don't have on my kindle.
So, unless you can afford all of them in the series skip it. It's not as if you'll miss much.
I thought the book was decent,not the worse I've read..
But, though it's a 'stand alone' story, it does end on a cliffhanger. Which is what I don't generally buy any book of a series because I don't want to get sucked into them & not be able to finish them. We're on a budget so I can't just buy the next book.
For signing up for her email list, I received a free book. However, it's mobi which I don't have on my kindle.
So, unless you can afford all of them in the series skip it. It's not as if you'll miss much.
March 28, 2020
Quick & Painful
I loved that the heroine was my age, gray hair and all. And it was a VERY short read, perfect for an hour alone. Unfortunately, the cons are longer than the book itself.
The writing was underdeveloped. The characters lacked depth. The story was choppy and had no consistency. The world building is non existent. Even the formatting was full of mistakes.
I’m confused by the appearance of a whole series of these books. Do they get better? Is it worth the money to find out? Wanted to like the book but I cannot give more than one star.
I loved that the heroine was my age, gray hair and all. And it was a VERY short read, perfect for an hour alone. Unfortunately, the cons are longer than the book itself.
The writing was underdeveloped. The characters lacked depth. The story was choppy and had no consistency. The world building is non existent. Even the formatting was full of mistakes.
I’m confused by the appearance of a whole series of these books. Do they get better? Is it worth the money to find out? Wanted to like the book but I cannot give more than one star.
November 3, 2020
Decent story
This was a decent story to read but needed some serious editing. Many times throughout the book a character would be speaking and in the middle of a paragraph another character would start speaking without saying who it was. Just became confusing at times and had to reread part of it to know who was saying what. Also this book ended with a Cliffhanger. Many of these books by her lately end in the middle of a story which is not a good idea. I will not buy another book that has a cliffhanger from her.
This was a decent story to read but needed some serious editing. Many times throughout the book a character would be speaking and in the middle of a paragraph another character would start speaking without saying who it was. Just became confusing at times and had to reread part of it to know who was saying what. Also this book ended with a Cliffhanger. Many of these books by her lately end in the middle of a story which is not a good idea. I will not buy another book that has a cliffhanger from her.
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