GOWN WITH THE WIND
A Wedding Planner Mystery #4
by
Stephanie Blackmoore
A Wedding Planner Mystery #4
by
Stephanie Blackmoore
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Kensington
Publication Date: December 18, 2018
Number of Pages: 336
Publication Date: December 18, 2018
Number of Pages: 336
SCROLL DOWN FOR THE GIVEAWAY!
Professional wedding planner Mallory Shepard knows her job is challenging under any circumstances. But when the groom is your ex and someone invites murder, there may never be another tomorrow . . .
Mallory’s fine—really—handling the wedding arrangements for her ex, Keith. But his fiancée, Becca, has at the last minute decided to switch from a Japanese-cherry-blossom theme to a Gone with the Wind theme. She wants to honor her ailing grandmother, who owns an impressive collection of GWTW memorabilia—and who is fiercely at odds with the groom’s mother over the nuptial plans. But among other complications, Becca gets into a fight with an old childhood rival over a replica Scarlett O’Hara wedding gown. She wins the dress—but soon becomes a murder suspect when the other woman is found dead in Becca’s swimming pool. And it’s up to Mallory to solve the mystery behind this unhappy occasion, before a different kind of civil war breaks out . . .
Mallory’s fine—really—handling the wedding arrangements for her ex, Keith. But his fiancée, Becca, has at the last minute decided to switch from a Japanese-cherry-blossom theme to a Gone with the Wind theme. She wants to honor her ailing grandmother, who owns an impressive collection of GWTW memorabilia—and who is fiercely at odds with the groom’s mother over the nuptial plans. But among other complications, Becca gets into a fight with an old childhood rival over a replica Scarlett O’Hara wedding gown. She wins the dress—but soon becomes a murder suspect when the other woman is found dead in Becca’s swimming pool. And it’s up to Mallory to solve the mystery behind this unhappy occasion, before a different kind of civil war breaks out . . .
I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest and thoughtful review.
While this book was slightly out of my comfort zone in terms of the wedding planner angle, I was so intrigued by the idea of how this connected to an iconic book such as Gone with the Wind. I’m so glad that I had the chance to read it! Incredibly lighthearted and fast-paced, this is a great choice for a fun escape especially during the spring or early summer and filled with every reason why I am not a wedding planner or B&B hostess!
There are a dizzying number of suspicious characters all with their own motives and quite a few concurrent mysteries to solve; however, this seemed to really add to that whirlwind feeling that surrounds weddings in general. You’ll definitely experience how busy Mallory is trying to keep everything in order! The frenzy, indecisiveness, and over-the-top drama were all on high alert with this story and it was so much fun! There are also quite a few twists and turns to keep you guessing until the very unexpected end.
Although this was the fourth book in the series, I never felt that I was missing anything from the previous installments and look forward to starting from the first book to get to know these characters even better. Between the bridezilla antics, the overbearing and domineering maternal figures, and haughty family dynamics, there are A LOT of unlikable people. Ultimately, so much ugliness showcased just how incredibly impressive the connections shared between Mallory and Truman, the Chief of Police and her potential father-in-law, as well as between her and her sister, Rachel, became, while also adding some much needed calm to the story. Mallory’s welcoming personality and outstanding resourcefulness combine to make her a fantastic planner and amateur sleuth.
Overall, this was a solid introduction to a new series that frankly my dears I can’t wait to read more of!
There are a dizzying number of suspicious characters all with their own motives and quite a few concurrent mysteries to solve; however, this seemed to really add to that whirlwind feeling that surrounds weddings in general. You’ll definitely experience how busy Mallory is trying to keep everything in order! The frenzy, indecisiveness, and over-the-top drama were all on high alert with this story and it was so much fun! There are also quite a few twists and turns to keep you guessing until the very unexpected end.
Although this was the fourth book in the series, I never felt that I was missing anything from the previous installments and look forward to starting from the first book to get to know these characters even better. Between the bridezilla antics, the overbearing and domineering maternal figures, and haughty family dynamics, there are A LOT of unlikable people. Ultimately, so much ugliness showcased just how incredibly impressive the connections shared between Mallory and Truman, the Chief of Police and her potential father-in-law, as well as between her and her sister, Rachel, became, while also adding some much needed calm to the story. Mallory’s welcoming personality and outstanding resourcefulness combine to make her a fantastic planner and amateur sleuth.
Overall, this was a solid introduction to a new series that frankly my dears I can’t wait to read more of!
A native Pittsburgher, Stephanie Blackmoore now lives in Missouri with her husband, son, and two-spirited cats. She was an attorney in Pittsburgh and a librarian in Florida before becoming a writer. Stephanie is a fan of everything black-and-yellow. She is hard at work on her next Wedding Planner mystery. Connect with Stephanie at the links below.
GIVEAWAY INFO!
BEST OF LUCK!
Many thanks to Great Escapes Virtual Blog Tours and Stephanie Blackmoore! It was an pleasure reading, reviewing, and hosting! And be sure to check out the other stops on the tour for more opinions and author extras!
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
January 7 – The Montana Bookaholic – REVIEW
January 7 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT
January 7 – Laura`s Interests – CHARACTER GUEST POST
January 7 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
January 7 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT
January 7 – Laura`s Interests – CHARACTER GUEST POST
January 7 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
January 8 – Mallory Heart’s Cozies – REVIEW
January 8 – Cinnamon, Sugar, and a Little Bit of Murder – REVIEW, RECIPE
January 8 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
January 9 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW
January 9 – Carla Loves To Read – REVIEW
January 9 – Ruff Drafts – GUEST POST
January 10 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW
January 10 – Cozy Up With Kathy – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
January 10 – View from the Birdhouse– SPOTLIGHT
January 11 – Varietats – REVIEW
January 11 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT
January 11 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT
January 11 – My Journey Back-The Journey Back – SPOTLIGHT
January 12 – That’s What She’s Reading – REVIEW, RECIPE
January 12 – A Blue Million Books – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
January 12 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
January 13 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW
January 13 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST
January 13 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
That's What She's Reading 
Thank you for your review on \”Gown with the Wind\” by Stephanie Blackmoore and for being part of the book tour.Fabulous sounding book that I can't wait for the chance to read. Definitely on my TBR list.The recipe for Cherry Almond Cake sounds to die for. As one that loves to bake, I will definitely be giving this one a try.2clowns at arkansas dot net
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