Reviews

The Pinnacle Hotel Mystery series gives me all of the cozy vibes and makes me laugh every single time. S.K. Golden knows how to write an over-the-top character, and though I know she won't be everyone's cup of tea, I myself am a huge fan of Evelyn. In the second installment of the series, The Socialite’s Guide to Death and Dating, Evelyn very quickly finds a dead body, and thanks to a new detective, instantly becomes a suspect. Things basically go downhill from there as her father comes for a visit and is less than impressed with her new suitor, Malcolm. The end made me SO SAD, and Golden better remedy it in the next book or I am going to be one very upset fan. 😤

Amara Jasper who narrated the audiobook for the first book, came back to narrate The Socialite’s Guide to Death and Dating and it was weird because I actually thought it was a different person at first! Thankfully it was not, and I think Jasper is the bee's knees when it comes to being the voice of Evelyn. She puts her heart and soul into the narration, making it an even more fun experience than it already is. The whodunnit surprised me and I am very quickly becoming a huge fan of Detective Hodgson. I can't wait for more books to come out for this series, and I would recommend this if you love cozy mysteries and extravagant female narrators. You definitely need to read the series in order to get maximum enjoyment as well.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

readingwithadi's review against another edition

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mysterious fast-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

lyndsay_reads_a_lot's review against another edition

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fast-paced

5.0

bookish_kristina's review against another edition

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4.0

A good second instalment, but not as tight as the first.

I’m still enjoying this series and really like the somewhat spoiled, slightly air-headed lead. Her charm and intelligence help her solve cases and win people over, but her desire to have the perfect outfit when she does it makes me laugh and adds a nice silliness to the mystery. This still gives off Clueless vibes and I’m still really enjoying the 1950s Manhattan setting. Evelyn’s struggles with anxiety and agoraphobia are very realistic and add depth to her somewhat shallow character as do her troubled past and rocky relationship with her Daddy Warbucks-esque father.
The middle of this book did drag though and I’d love to see these books under 300 pages. The mystery here was much more complex than the first book and a very action packed murderer confrontation happened at the end that I enjoyed quite a bit. However the romance with Mac ended on sad note

Spoiler

and I hope this is just a cliff hanger for the next book and not a permanent thing. I have a theory that his leaving involved her father’s machinations and hope that will push a confrontation with him in the next book as the relationship there is also up in the air.

One little annoyance in this book for me was the fashion; the author goes out of her way to describe outfits and styles from the era, but also makes up some brand names as well. The made up brand names annoyed me. I prefer consistency, use real brand names and real luxury items that existed to keep the authenticity of the time period and the character. It’s weird to have mostly real but then some made up, just use Hermès as the expensive purse, or Chanel, don’t make up some Archambeau brand.
Other than that small quibble and the slightly bloated mystery, this was a good read. Looking forward to the next.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

b97's review

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adventurous lighthearted mysterious

3.5

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