Book Review (and a Giveaway!): Engaged in Trouble by Jenny B. Jones

When a washed-up pop star inherits a wedding planning business, it’s all bouquets and bliss until a bride turns up dead.

Paisley Sutton shot to stardom as a teenage rock sensation, but ten years later that star has fizzled out, just like her bank account. When she unexpectedly inherits her aunt’s wedding planning business, Paisley leaves the glamour of Los Angeles for a charming small town in Arkansas. Thinking she’ll arrive in Sugar Creek and liquidate the moldly property, Paisley’s shocked to find Enchanted Events has experienced a major makeover and is now the place for brides. She’s got two months to keep Enchanted Events afloat if she wants to sell and rekindle her music career with the profits.

Paisley’s tossed into a world of vows and venues, but her most difficult challenge comes in the form of one demanding bride. When this Bridezilla’s found facedown in her cake, all fingers point to Paisley as the prime murder suspect. And she does not look good in prison orange.

This former pop princess will need the help of her gun-toting, ex-CIA grandmother and her handsome neighbor, Beau Hudson, to unravel the mystery and clear her good name. As she and her unruly posse dig into Bridezilla’s life, she discovers the woman had a long list of enemies. The closer Paisley gets to the truth, the more her own life is in danger.

Love is in the air this wedding season, but before Paisley can help the ladies of Sugar Creek say, “I do,” she’s got to unveil a killer. Or find herself the next target.

Engaged in Trouble is the first book in the long-awaited Enchanted Events cozy mystery series by award-winning author Jenny B. Jones. If you like laugh-out-loud adventures, small-town romance, unforgettable, sassy characters, and a mystery to keep you guessing, then you’ll love this new page-turning series.

SERIES: Enchanted Events #1
GENRE: Cozy Mystery
PUBLISHER: Sweet Pea Productions
RELEASE DATE: March 30, 2017
PAGES: 368

“I felt as if I’d requested a ride on a carousel, yet somehow wound up in the front cart of a roller coaster.”

First things first: COVER LOVE!!!! Who’s with me?!?

Second – WHOLE BOOK LOVE!!

I adore this book, these characters, and Jenny B. Jones’ style. Hilarity abounds between Paisley’s sassy narrative voice, a small Southern town, and her grandmother’s group of sexy-book-reading-matchmaking former spies. Sylvie (grandmother) says completely delightful things like:

“And if we need to, we’ll prove [your innocence] to the whole world…Or surgically alter your face and send you to my friends in Nairobi.”

And then there’s:

“Any man who spray tans that much can’t be of sound mind.”

The mystery is really well-plotted with several potential suspects and just as many opportunities for Grandma Sylvie and her CIA cohort … or Beau (more on him in a moment) to help Paisley keep herself out of jail. In typical cozy mystery fashion, of course.

Third – BEAU LOVE!!!

Let’s all take a moment to appreciate Beau…. sexy, next-door-neighbor Beau with a gravelly drawl and a tender spot for Paisley and some awesome ex-military moves. The romantic tension in this book is fabulously swoonlicious but it won’t overpower the story for those readers who prefer more cozy mystery and less cozying up. But … I mean… how can you resist this?

His eyes … reflected his protective nature, his loyalty, and unspoken stories he unwittingly carried like the shrapnel in his leg. On the drive, I kept finding myself asking Beau questions just to hear his voice. It was a voice that could narrate books – and a girl’s fantasies.

Oh be still my book-boyfriend-collecting heart! I have never in my life wanted to go fishing, but if he asked … after his fishing scene with Paisley … I would say yes in a heartbeat. Well… as long as he baited all the hooks. He’s hot and all but c’mon. Let’s not go crazy. We’re still talking about worms and bugs and grossness. But we’re also talking about Beau… so … all in all, it’s a fair trade 🙂

FOURTH – JENNY B. JONES LOVE!

This is my first Jenny B. Jones book and it will not be my last! The way she turns a phrase, the perfect comedic timing, the beautiful imagery her words evoke. I’m going to be adding her backlist to my TBR pile post-haste. This quote is perhaps my favorite part of the entire book (and that includes Beau’s scenes! lol):

This was home.
For most of my life I’d wanted nothing to do with it.
But it welcomed me back all the same, gathered me to its freshly laundered bosom, and said, “Child, I’m gonna love you anyway.”
Home.

Y’all. That’s grace summed up in 4 sentences. Just beautiful.

Bottom Line: Engaged in Trouble by Jenny B. Jones is a truly enjoyable read from page 1 until the very end. It’s laugh-out-loud funny, keep-a-fan-handy swoony and Southern-belle sassy – all while weaving a mystery that will keep you guessing! Jenny B. Jones’ way with words and her sense of humor are the icing on the wedding cake in this bridal-salon-turned-crime-scene mystery novel. And while this is not Christian fiction, the author’s faith is clearly – if gently – felt.

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.)

My Rating: 5 stars / In a class of its own!

KissingBook Level: 4 / Keep those fans and fainting couches close at hand!

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Award-winning, best-selling author Jenny B. Jones writes romance, cozies, and YA with sass and Southern charm. Since she has very little free time, Jenny believes in spending her spare hours in meaningful, intellectual pursuits, such as eating ice cream, watching puppy videos, and reading celebrity gossip. She lives in the beautiful state of Arkansas and has worked in public education for half of forever. She loves bluegrass, a good laugh, and strong tea. She adores hearing from readers.

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