Caffeinated Bookish Mom

06/27/2025

Book review time!
Ranch & Red Herrings
By:
Genre: cozy mystery

Cussy Hollingsworth is shocked to find out that her Uncle Amos left her his whole ranch when he died, skipping over his own children. Then, she almost immediately finds out that there was more to his death than just a heart attack. Could it be murder?! And who is that mysterious cowboy that runs the ranch?

This is the first book in a delightful new series by the author of the Killer Coffee Mysteries and Campers & Criminals Mysteries (soon to be a Hallmark series!). It has a slightly different than her other cozies, but still has alllll the Southern charm and hidden secrets!

I loved the glimpse into ranch life, and watching Cussy try to adapt from city girl to country girl was quite entertaining. Her bestie Rowan is the kind of friend we all want! I loved that Cussy was able to get a second chance with the family she missed as a child. I love that she fell in love with the ranch life, and we got to be right there with her for it!

I'm excited for what's next for Cussy and the mysterious cowboy, C**t. Is that a budding relationship I see???

Ranch & Red Herrings is out now and available in KU!

06/07/2025

I came across this quote today. I've read it before, but it struck me a little differently today. Our culture is so full of noise and mess. It's easy to get caught up in it all! There are so many books that celebrate the mess of the world, and those seem to be the "popular" books. As Christians, we are called to be set apart. We are called to guard our hearts, minds, eyes, and ears. That includes what we are reading. That's why I'm on a mission to share as many books as I can that align with my values. I want to help others sort through the noise to find books that we can feel good reading!

I know romance is a big one, but what are some of the other genres you love, but have a hard time finding wholesome books in?

06/07/2025

I have thoughts about this. One thing I dislike in romance novels is insta-love. I mean... I almost dislike it as much as the miscommunication trope. With that said, I think there's a difference between insta-love and instant chemistry. I can handle instant chemistry if the story moves at a pace that gives them time to develop actual depth. Either way, I'm more of a slow burn girl!

What are your thoughts? Are insta-love and instant chemistry the same thing? Do you prefer a slow burn? I want to hear it all!

05/23/2025

It's the first day of summer break, and that means it's time for alllll the summer reading! I have a stack of series that I want to finish (or at least make progress on) this summer!

Series featured on my TBR this summer ~

Love and Treasure (closed-door romcom) by

Falling for Summer author collaboration (closed-door romance)

Jonathon Island (closed-door romance) by

Campers & Criminals (cozy mystery) by

Desolation (clean YA) by

Trending Topics (cozy mystery) by

What series are you reading right now???

05/23/2025

All of these ...

05/22/2025

🩷🩷🩷 BOOK REVIEW 🩷🩷🩷
Fake Dating My Best Friend
By: Leah Blair
Closed-Door Romance
https://amzn.to/3YYq3w1 (affiliate link)

Loved this! I couldn't stop grinning the whole time! I loved that he tried to use hints from her romance novels to try to win her over.

Thank you .author and !

05/17/2025

New book review live on the blog today! This YA cozy fantasty is sure to delight fans of Hogwarts and Ferngully!

https://caffeinatedbookishmom.com/evergreen-academy-a-book-review/

05/11/2025

I'm so very thankful for the little family God gave me!

05/03/2025

Do you ever wish you could just escape to the places you're reading about??? These are a few I would go to in a heartbeat!

Meet Me at the Grand from and ~ I would love a weekend getaway to Jonathon Island! I love the idea of no gas-powered vehicles, slow days in the lake, and evenings on the community hotel porch.

Love at On Deck Cafe by ~ Mapleton sounds like the most delightful place to live! Small town, close-knit community, and all the festivals! I would thoroughly enjoy watching a baseball game from the outdoor seating of On Deck Cafe!

Condos and Corpses by ~ I'd spend a day walking the boardwalk and stopping in all of the little shops in Sapphire Beach, Florida. I'd go kayaking and then enjoy dinner at Gallagher's Tropical Shack!

Scene of the Grind by ~ A coffee shop that hosts pets up for adoption? Yes, please! And then tucking away in the spa resort? I'm all for it! I'll spend a week in Honey Springs, Kentucky!

Austenland by ~ A whole resort dedicated to Jane Austen! Sign me up! I'll gladly get lost in the romance and mystery of it all!

Evergreen Academy by ~ I'm reading this right now, and I'm obsessed with this school! I can't get over that library and treehouse offices! It sounds beyond beautiful!

What fictional place would you go visit?

05/03/2025

Let's talk about cozies. When someone says "cozy mystery," what do you think? Did you know that it's a specific subgenre all on its own? Did you know that there are specific elements that make a cozy mystery a cozy?

Think about a mystery series that you would find on the Hallmark Channel. Aurora Teagarden, Flower Shop Mysteries, Hannah Swensen... all of those were originally a cozy mystery book series.

Cozy mysteries usually adhere to some basic "rules."
*The story features an amateur sleuth and the relationships surrounding them.
*The murder is not usually gory and it happens "off stage."
*The setting is usually a small town with a close-knit community
*The tone is light and sometimes humorous with quirky characters.
*The sleuth usually has a niche or relatable job or hobby (bakery owner, crafter, bookstore owner, etc).
*The focus of the story is the puzzle of solving the mystery, and the bad guy always gets caught.
*Very often, the title will have a pun or play on words.

Have you ever read a cozy mystery? If you have, share a favorite in the comments!

12/21/2022

I definitely think book yoga should be a thing!

(Source: speedbump.com)

11/23/2022

How much coffee does it take to convince you to leave your comfy reading spot???