Reviews

A Fiancée's Guide to First Wives and Murder by Dianne Freeman

charlierose22's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

emilybordelovewrites's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious

madeline33's review

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mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

3.5

nerdyholler's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

mhmissey's review

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4.0

So much fun but also hate the whole premise

rcoffey22's review

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slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

sgigi's review

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funny lighthearted mysterious relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

bookish_kristina's review

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4.0

Another cozy murder!
This series is a delight, with each story similar and yet unique enough to not get monotonous. I found this book to be quite witty and pithy, with Frances’ dry humour much more on display. The mystery itself was interesting and had many players and twists, though I did guess the murderer, this could be just because I’ve read too many of these, as I don’t think I’d say it was very obvious. These are all easily and nicely wrapped up and the victim is never anyone of consequence so you can laugh and enjoy without shame, even if it may be a bit callous, but such is cozy mystery after all. I love the little historical elements to this, where we are grounded in the times with things like the advent of motorcars and telegrams and quick trips across country by train. George again causes problems here, luckily he has Frances to sort them out for him in the end. Still, he doesn’t seem like much of a spy and I’m still on the fence about him, but I guess she’s marrying him so we are stuck with him in this series.
Overall a good addition to the group, and a nice easy read to pass the time.

sarah_moynihan's review

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4.0

'For Frances Wynn, widow to the late Earl of Harleigh, life has a cosmopolitan flavor of late. No sooner has she sent her mother and daughter off on a shopping trip to Paris than she and her fiancé, George Hazleton, are socializing with visiting members of the Russian royal family. Yet amid this whirlwind, scandal also comes calling when Inspector Delaney turns up outside Frances's house with a young French woman with a shocking claim: she is Mrs. George Hazelton.

As the future Mrs. George Hazelton, Frances assumes the woman is either lying or demented. Mrs. Hazelton, aka Irena, makes other outrageous statements. Among them, she insists that she is the illegitimate daughter of Russian royalty, that she has been abducted and held for ransom many times, and that someone is sending her threatening letters. When George arrives, he clarifies that he is certainly not married to Irena--though he can confirm her royal parentage. But even as he agrees to investigate whether Irena's life is in danger, her claim proves tragically true. Irena is found strangled in Frances' garden.

To uncover a killer--and clear their own names--Frances and George must determine which of Irena's outlandish stories were based in fact, and who stood to benefit from her death. And as the search reaches a shocking conclusion, they may find that villainy lurks all too close to home...'
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4.5 stars, rounded down to 4 stars.

A Fiancée's Guide to First Wives and Murder is the fourth book in Dianne Freeman's Countess of Harleigh Mystery series and is a historical mystery.

Ugh, I honestly adore the dynamic between Frances and George. They're such a good investigative team and couple. In this book, their relationship and engagement are put to the test when a woman arrives claiming to be Mrs. George Hazelton. Trust tested and they have to face gossip and disapproving public opinion.

I loved how the mystery unfolded in this book. Clues came together at the perfect pace, so that it didn't give things away too early. There some tense moments and some danger, our characters are put into some fairly uncomfortable situations, but the banter and wit carries throughout without being too much. The wit is one if the key characteristics of this series and I adore it, I hope there will be several more book to come.

I recommend this book and the series as a whole. You don't necessarily have to read them together and in order, this could serve as a stand-alone. But I think one would enjoy them more read in order. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series and whatever mystery they'll face next.
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I would like to thank Kensington Books and NetGalley for sharing an eARC of A Fiancée's Guide to First Wives and Murder with me. This is my honest review.

jillmlong's review

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2.0

This book was just ok for me. I liked the characters of Frances and George. They have a lovely relationship with each other and have a lot of respect for the others opinions. The mystery however left me bored. There were so many characters and it moved very slowly.