dnf. saw I want even halfway through and just couldn't. more later. ( )

DNF. Couldn't stand the constant man-bashing. ( )

Cute, in a women's lit. sort of way. I would like to fall into friendships the way these characters did (but without the murders). And these are not the kinds of scones I'm familiar with, but I learned that they're legitimately called scones anyway, even if they aren't crumbly minimally-flavored wedges.

The title still annoys me because it should not have a comma. But I did find out that "The Book, Scone, and Secret Society" was not quite the author's intent. And I had an excuse to read something different from usual fare that wasn't a waste of time. ( )

Loved it! Danger and mystery in a small North Carolina mountain town. This is the type of book that draws you into the easy chair pulls your attention and never let's go. A cozy mystery with more heart than humor. Characters you get to know and feel at home with. I believe I am hooked on this series. ( )

I very much enjoyed this cozy mystery first book in a series.
The cover is lovely and suits the atmosphere of the book perfectly.
The main character, Nora, creates the Secret, Book, and Scone Society.
A small group of women who each have their own set of hurts and secrets join together in a sisterhood. If you like the idea of women helping each other, cozy mysteries and small town settings, this will be a good choice for you.

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Cozy mystery solving undertaken by unlikely detectives in a small North Carolina town, Miracle Springs. The detectives are four women carrying secrets they have not trusted anyone else to share with until they are drawn together into solving a murder of a visitor to their town. Each chapter began with a literary quote, which was a nice touch for a story in which a former train depot turned unique bookstore and its “bibliotherapist” owner, Nora Pennington, occupy the center. ( )

Not sure I'm into the "cozy mystery" thing. Lots of descriptions that didn't add anything to the story and were a little distracting. And every single character had some sort of traumatic backstory. Even the hot paramedic's dog had some sort of trauma. I don't know if it was explained or if I was just skimming by then. I finished the book, so it was good enough, but I don't think I'll read the sequel. ( )

The Secret, Book & Scone Society is a light and easy, cozy mystery read. It's a little on the slow and predictable side, but that doesn't hurt the story to much. I liked Nora and Hester. I like what they do for business, and how they help people. Estella and June just didn't appeal to me at all, I just didn't really care about their characters to much. Maybe that will change after reading the next book in the series. We shall see! ( )

Nora has scars, both visible and invisible. A bookstore owner and self-taught bibliotherapist, she discerns her customers' pain and suggests books that could help. Bakery owner Hester does the same thing with customized scones. June and Estella are a spa manager and salon owner, respectively, and each brings her own brand of courage and humor to the group. All four women have secrets. Together, they are the Secret, Book, & Scone Society.

This is a pretty standard cozy mystery, and the author's attention to minute detail evokes Debbie Macomber's books - with a little more spice. (I actually looked up photos of the author to verify that Ellery Adams is not a pseudonym for Ms. Macomber.) The writing style, along with the presence of Jedediah, the handsome, brave, and highly moral EMT who shows promise as Nora's love interest, nudges the book into romance category; that's why it's funny that at one point Nora scoffs at romance novels with handsome, brave knights in shining armor.

Along with the romance, there's a subtle touch of magic; Hester's scones, each one intuitively crafted for its intended customer, evoke healing childhood memories while Nora's book recommendations, also specially selected for the recipient, inspire epiphanies and clarity.

There is one awkward literary device - the author uses "me" instead of "I" twice, as in "Me and Lucy like matte lip gloss." (Not an actual sentence in the book.) At first I wondered how these errors slipped past editors and proofreaders, then I realized that both times the same character was speaking. It feels like an attempt at colloquial dialogue, and it doesn't work.

The mystery component in this plot is pleasantly complex, but the best part of the book is the books. I'm grateful for the author's penchant for specificity. Nora references an eclectic selection of classic and popular literature that any reader could use to build a nice reading list, and she includes both titles and authors. I'm disappointed that there aren't any corresponding scone recipes from Hester, but I've only read the first book so there's always hope. I'll be checking future books in the series for recipes. Oh - and I'll also be checking to find out what the answer is to a mystery that involves EMT Jed and his mother. I think I know what it is . . . . ( )

enjoyable while reading but immediately forgettable. some of the premise is really good but the execution lacked a little. probably not quite the audience for this. if you're looking for a beach read with little commitment required, would recommend. ( )

I’m confused about the comma. Is it secret, book, and scone or secret, book and scone?
Enjoy the book recommendations to help people. ( )

Great story about female friendship, mystery solving, and greed. Looking forward to reading more in the series with these ladies. ( )

Falling under a sub-genre that I rarely read, this book is definitely a "Cozy Mystery", which is why I gave it only 2 stars. But in the spirit of trying to step out of my box, so to speak, I through I'd give it a try. With a former Librarian who now owns a book store, a group of spunky women, a little (very little) danger, handsome paramedics and hundreds of literary quotes and references, I should have LOVED this book! But I just didn't. I guess my tastes have gotten a big more gritty. I purchased the audio version from Audible on their Daily Deal so it wasn't a complete waste, and since I was listening to it while going about my daily errands, it helped pass the time. It did hold my interest all the way through, just not as exciting as others I've read. The story was perfectly set up for a sequel or a series to follow which I now see is the authors intention. ( )

Cozy mystery! Friends, romance, murder, oh my! ( )

Every now and again my book club decides to read a lighter book. This time around we chose Ellery Adams' cozy mystery start to the Secret, Book and Scone Society series. This is the very definition of a cozy mystery, amateur sleuths, not too grisly, and set in a small town. It's a pleasant read for book lovers who enjoy this genre.

Nora Pennington came to Miracle Springs to try and heal from trauma. She is scarred from surviving a fiery accident and keeps herself fairly closed off. When she moved to town, she opened a bookstore and discovered a special affinity as a bibliotherapist, connecting people with the books that they need to read, the books that will help them heal or move them through the problems they are pondering. When Nora meets a man on a park bench and tells him about the magical comfort scones from The Gingerbread House, she also tells him to meet her at the bookstore after he's eaten and she'll help him find a book. He never shows, and is later found dead, having been hit by the train that comes through town. Was it suicide or was he pushed? Nora feels confident that the man she talked to, while clearly worried over something, would never have died by suicide and since the local sheriff comes to the opposite conclusion suspiciously quickly, she resolves to investigate.

Nora will not be investigating alone though. Several other women in town, the baker, a spa employee, and a beautician, who all have secrets and hard things in their pasts come together with Nora to form the Secret, Book and Scone Society. They will support each other, learn to open up to the group, and solve the murder. There are bumps in the road of the women's fledgling friendship and then a second murder occurs and one of their own is accused of it. The women will have to step up their investigation if they want to exonerate their friend.

The story is very bookish, filled with references and quotes which will delight book lovers. Each chapter starts with a quote from a fairly well known book and gives a small hint of the upcoming chapter. The tone is light but there are some darker issues covered both in the secrets held by the women and in the story behind the murders. There is danger but there are also scones. The investigating is balanced by the growing relationship between the women. The end of the book wraps up the mystery tidily but also gives an intriguing tease for the next adventure. All in all a nice read. ( )

The most important thing I could tell you is, read this book. It is a reader’s delight. There are quotes and book mentions that will have you taking a delightful stroll down memory lane. The story is awesome! I love books that really let me meet the characters and getting to know them, faults, warts and all. The books that become my comfort books always allow me to quickly become great friends with the characters. This is one of those. The mystery was intriguing but I’m not telling you anything else about it. Anything said could be a clue that might spoil your reading pleasure. The author includes book club discussion questions. I love those so much and tend to answer them even if I am reading solo.
Get a favorite beverage, get comfortable and settle in for a good time. ( )

Book on CD read by Cris Dukehart
2.5***

From the book jacket: The first in a new series set within a quirky small-town club where the key to happiness, friendship—or solving a murder—can all be found within the pages of the right book . . . Miracle Springs, North Carolina, is a place of healing. Strangers flock here hoping the natural hot springs, five-star cuisine, and renowned spa can cure their ills. If none of that works, they often find their way to Miracle Books, where, over a fresh-baked “comfort” scone from the Gingerbread House bakery, they exchange their stories with owner Nora Pennington in return for a carefully chosen book. That’s Nora’s special talent—prescribing the perfect novel to ease a person’s deepest pain and lighten their heaviest burden.

My reactions:
I really like Adams’ “Books By the Bay” mystery series and thought I’d give this one a try, though I was skeptical about the “comfort scones” and Nora’s ability to cure someone’s ills by recommending the right book.

Nora and her friends – Hester (who owns the bakery), Estella (owns the beauty salon) and June (who works at the spa pools) – form the society to read and discuss books that will help each of them get over past traumas and move forward with courage and grace. But they are immediately intrigued by the tragic death of a partner in a real estate development, and more so by the sheriff’s quick assessment that it was suicide. So, they decide to investigate.

That decision made little sense to me. They had no vested interest in the development or in this relative stranger to town. Yes, he’d spoken to Nora (who’d given him a book recommendation), and she’d referred him to the bakery so Hester could concoct one of her special comfort scones for him, but that was the extent of their involvement. Of course, once a second murder occurs, and one of their group gets arrested, they have ever reason to continue looking for clues.

By the end of the book we’ve learned each of the women’s terrible secret, and there are a couple of promising romantic relationships. But I just got the feeling that Adams was trying too hard.

Still, I did really love all the book references!

Cris Dukeheart does a good job of narrating the audio book. She has a lot of characters to interpret and she has the vocal range to differentiate them, for the most part. (I had to pay close attention when three or four women were meeting together, to be sure I understood who was speaking.) ( )

This is a story that is clearly designed to appeal to bibliophiles, with its bookstore setting and a protagonist with a gift for choosing the perfect book. But, sadly for us bibliophiles, the tale proves to be a plodding, formulaic murder mystery afflicted by pointless descriptions and statements of the obvious. I wanted to like this but the writing is just so ham-handed and sloppy, I simply cannot bear it.

I received a copy of this book free from the publisher for review.

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I like cozy mysteries - especially those that are set around books.
I had never heard of Ellery Adams before today.

Now I want to read pretty much all of Ellery's earlier books. At least all the books series and the antiques & collectibles series.

The first book I have just finished reading, was the Secret, Book and Scone Society.

The basic story is that of four lonely women (in their 40s and 50s I think) coming together because they are damaged in some way, either physically or emotionally. They also all love books and reading. One of these ladies runs the only bookstore in town. Another runs the hairdressing salon and spa. The third lady bakes wonderfully tasting scones, breads and pastries, and the fourth lady works in the thermal hot pools that the town is famous for.

It intrigues me that the word SCONE is actually used correctly. Because in the southern USA, they are usually known as BISCUITS. What I grew up calling bicuits are what in America, are usually call COOKIES.

I always thought that Scones were a British thing. As in scones with jam and clotted cream...

I was thrown a bit by all the book titles that were flung at me in the first few chapters. There were some titles and some author names I recognised, but most I did not know.

The thought did cross my mind. Was I supposed to be reading all of these books? I couldn't do that. I will admit that my reading tastes are quite specific!! Pretty much mostly the social sciences and humanities. Not very much of the psychology, and the philosophy. And not a lot of fiction either.

The ladies are dragged into a murder case when the sheriff thinks that the nice middle aged man whom they briefly met committed suicide. They don't believe that conclusion, so they set about trying to dig for the truth. What they do end up uncovering was a rather large financial fraud scam that would have damaged pretty much the whole town if it had not been uncovered.

During the course of uncovering this mystery, we learn the backstories of the ladies in this society. The book shop owner also meets a potential love interest. He also has a secret and a back story.

I am also NOT a dog person. I grew up with cats. So even if I were not married, Jed, (the potential love interest who happens to be a paramedic) and I would not have a common interest in animals, no matter how good looking the paramedic might be. I do hope that we learn his back story soon.

I gave this 4 stars. There was one line that seemed to not fit - In chapter 4 where Hester and Nora are trying to trick Annette, one of the ladies involved with the fraud scam, into mentioning the name of the dead man. We are told what she is thinking. But since we (the reader) do not yet know if or how Annette is involved, why would we need to know what she is thinking? That one line - Clever Hester, Annette thought. She's making me say his name.

That line would have fitted in much better if it had actually said - Clever Hester, Nora thought, She's trying to make Annette say his name.

I could not make any sense of that line, so I left it and continued reading. It turned to not be all that important. By the time Annette confessed what she knew, the fact that she had known the dead man was no longer a secret.

But other than that, this was a very enjoyable read. I cannot wait to read more in this series. Nor can I wait to read the other series that Ellery Adams has written.
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“No one has ever lost by becoming addicted to stories—to the lessons learned by those who possess enough courage to put pen to paper.”

Miracle Springs is a small town hidden between the mountains in North Carolina where people come to heal. Nora is the owner of Miracle Books and she uses her bibliotherapy skills to introduce the right books to the right people and help them heal from whatever has broken them. Hester, the owner and baker from Gingerbread House is famous for her custom scones which bring back memories for each of the customer and make them smile. Estella, the serial dater is beautiful and helps everyone realize their own beauty and confidence through the work in her spa. June is an employee at the Thermal Pools, whose waters are supposed to be miraculous. All these women have secrets from their past which they are trying to forget but are forced to confront them when not one, but two murders rock this little town. They become fast friends, call themselves the Secret, Book & Scone Society and decide to find the culprits themselves because the local law enforcement seems incompetent or even complicit.

“Stories are just like people. If you don’t approach them with an open mind and a healthy dose of respect, they won’t reveal their hidden selves to you. In that event, you’ll miss out on what they have to offer. You’ll walk through life an empty husk instead of a vibrant kaleidoscope of passion, wisdom, and experience.”

I fell in love with the book from the first page. Even though this is supposed to be a cozy mystery, all the four women characters are well developed. They are all scarred by their past but it doesn’t stop them from trying to help and better the lives of others. The mystery is also quite good and I really couldn’t guess some of the villains till the end. But the best part of the book is the love that almost all characters share for books. Everyone is a book lover which is awesome. Miracle Books is an amazing store and the way it’s nooks and crannies are described, I fell in love with it. I love everything about it – the books, the shelf enhancers, the coffees named after authors, Nora’s collection of coffee mugs with amazing quotes on them and so on and so forth. I just want to go there, order a Louisa May Alcott coffee, pick up a cozy mystery and relax. What bliss would that be!!!

“It’s always that way when you’re looking at books. An hour goes by in a minute: you don’t know where the hell the time went.”

Note: This book has so many book recommendations within the story that your TBR pile will become just unmanageable. But hey, it’s just Books – the more, the merrier.

PS: Thank you so much Kensington Books and Netgalley for providing me an opportunity to read and review the ARC of this wonderful book. ( )

Working in a bookshop doesn’t mean Nora has a boring life. When she sets out to find out what happened to a prospective customer, she makes some friends and shares some secrets along the way. This had all the makings of a delightful read, but was just a little bit over the top at times. I enjoyed the many book references! ( )

The Secret, Book and Scone Society tells the story of four women who have secrets in their backgrounds, secrets that have turned them away from friends and family. These women find each other in Miracle Springs, NC, a town where many people come to heal. They are: Nora Pennington, a woman who runs a bookstore. She has an intuition which enables her to find the right books for anyone dealing with a problem. Hester Winthrop, who is a baker and makes wonderful scones. Estella Sadler who manages Magnolia Salon and Spa and is always looking for a new man to flirt with. And June Dixon, who is an employee at the local thermal pool. June once had a higher station in life, but tried to do something nice and paid an enormous price for her efforts.

After a man passing through Miracle Springs dies in an unusual train accident, these women, who originally got together to help each other deal with their own problems, become amateur detectives to find out what really happened to that man. It is fun watching the way they try to solve the case.

The writing could have been tighter, but the characters, especially Nora, were strong and the book hooked me. ( )

A nice blend of two of my favorite genres: cozy mystery and books about books. This also has just a touch of magical realism to it, with a bibliotherapist who prescribes books to help people with their emotional and mental challenges and a baker who intuits just the right ingredients to make the perfect comfort scone for them too. The four friends who join forces to become the Secret, Book, and Scone Society, sharing their deepest secrets as they unravel a murder coverup, are an engaging mix of personalities to spend time with. I'm putting the next in the series on my TBR list.. ( )

Miracle Springs is a place people visit for healing, but the four main protagonists of this story have moved there for new beginnings. Each has a secret hidden deep within herself, and it takes a murder for them to reveal their secrets to each other. They form a society, and the bond that unites them is their shared shameful secrets. Each of the four women are able to help visitors on their paths to healing, with books, scones, spa visits, and more. When a man is murdered, they resolve to avenge his death, especially when the sherif says it was suicide. The novel is many layered, with the back stories of the women, the current death, and a real estate development that may not be on the up and up. The book is a bit vague and slow moving at first, but it doesn’t take long to be fully engrossed in the mystery. The characters are complex, and it will be interesting to see how their lives evolve in future books. This audio version was nicely narrated by Cris Dukehart. Background music played throughout all of the narration, and while at times it did enhance the tale, at other times it seemed more of a distraction. ( )

To be honest I wasn’t expecting to really like this book much since I haven’t read a mystery novel since ‘The Boxcar Children’ in elementary school. But, I greatly enjoyed it. There were a few leaps of logic that didn’t seem fluid and some times we find out later that even though a scene didn’t mention something happening, it supposedly did. However, on the whole it held together and made sense.

I personally liked the constant book references - being a book lover myself I really connected with this aspect of the book. And I did like how we slowly learned more about the backstory of each of the leading 4 female characters. On the whole they felt well developed and each was of course different from the others. There was some clique things throughout the book, but, I don’t feel they ruined it or overwhelmed it either.

If you’re not sure if mystery is your thing or not, this might be a light way to try it out. ( )