Josi S. Kilpack

Get ready for a fun cozy mystery with a delightfully quirky heroine, a puzzling whodunit, & a touch of faith in Someone is After LuLu Dupree by Josi S. Kilpack. Lulu’s such a funny, original heroine whose personality completely changed after a car accident left her with a traumatic brain injury. When she believes her diet peach Snapple has been poisoned & someone tries to burn down her house, she enlists the help of Mr. Hernandez, a local attorney, to help her solve the mystery of who’s show more out to get her.

I loved the beautiful Sedona setting & unraveling the clues to Lulu’s past as she investigates who’s after her. After the car accident five years ago, she suffers from memory loss & neurodivergent thoughts, but she still has her lie detecting ability intact which definitely helps her sift through suspects. Lulu’s delightfully quirky & her sweet optimism carries her through the difficulties. From pink flamingos to her green purse named Kermit, Lulu kept me smiling. She’s an original character & I loved following her clever thought process & ability to detect lies.

The mystery definitely kept me guessing. There’s a whole slew of suspects with different motivations & some who tie in to her past. As each nugget of memory slowly returns, the pieces of the puzzle really start to come together. There’s also a hint of romance & it’ll be fun to see how things all work out in future books.

Definitely recommend to cozy mystery fans! Looking forward to LuLu’s next adventure. I received an advanced copy from the publisher with no expectation of a positive review. All opinions are my own & provided voluntarily. show less

Cassie is the youngest of six daughters, and her parents have a strict rule that only one of their daughters may be out in society at a time. This worked fine for Cassie's four eldest sisters, all of whom are now married, but Cassie is tired of waiting for her shy and anxious sister Lenora, now in her third Season, to find a husband. When Lenora meets a man at a ball, Cassie starts to hope that her wait may soon be over -- but Lenora is too shy to pursue the connection. Cassie decides to show more take matters into her own hands: posing as Lenora, she writes a letter to the mysterious gentleman. As their correspondence continues, Cassie frequently must remind herself that she is courting the fellow for Leonora, as she is in danger of falling in love with him herself.

I picked up this inspirational romance because of the Cyrano de Bergerac connection, though fortunately this doesn't try to be a retelling, exactly -- it is its own story. Like many Regency romances, this one is not 100% true to the period, as many characters' actions and opinions are a bit more modern, but if you're not a stickler for that sort of detail and you enjoy clean historical romance, this is a sweet one that's worth the read. show less

I absolutely adore fairytale retellings! Josi Kilpack’s The Valet’s Secret is a creative twist on Cinderella with a “prince” in disguise and a second chance love story to boot. It isn’t very often you see Regency romances with characters who are in their 40’s and I loved this more mature take on falling in love again.

Kenneth and Rebecca are both at a crossroads. Having both lost their spouses and with grown children, each is anticipating a new start in life. Kenneth is now the show more heir to an earldom after the death of his cousin and Rebecca is forced to live with her father after her husband’s death. The two meet when Kenneth nearly runs Rebecca down with his horse. There’s an immediate attraction that leads to a surprising first kiss, but more than anything, they see in each other the loneliness and longing for connection.

Dressed as his valet, Kenneth knows he should reveal his true identity, but he wants more than anything to prolong contact with Rebecca. As the two meet again and again, each meeting is more powerful than the last, but when Kenneth’s secret is discovered, will they risk everything to forge a life together or will society, duty, and family push them apart?

Josi Kilpack is a marvel at creating complex yet sympathetic characters. I couldn’t help but cheer for Kenneth and Rebecca to find a way. The side characters are interesting with some who are domineering and abusive and others like Baroness Konold who are delightful.

Rebecca was such an enjoyable character. She’s passionate, talented, self assured, strong, and resourceful. One of my favorite parts was when she pelts Kenneth with walnuts for deceiving her. Kenneth is not the typical earl to be. He’s artistic, sports a shaved head, and is more comfortable dressed as a valet than a peer. I love that while other women are introduced to him he can’t forget Rebecca.

I didn’t realize this was a fairytale retelling until towards the end. I appreciated that many elements from Cinderella were there but with a unique spin. With a passionate yet clean romance and enjoyable characters, this story really drew me in and touched my heart. Highly recommend to fairytale retelling and Regency romance lovers. I received an advanced copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own and my review is left voluntarily. show less

Amber Sterlington is all the rage during her first London season, and she expects to take her pick of the eligible bachelors. When she begins losing hair at an alarming rate, everything changes. Sent away from town to live in a rustic Yorkshire cottage, Amber fears that her life as she knew it is over. However, her new circumstances have many things to teach her — and at least one of her suitors has not given up on her.

I’m a bit torn on this one. On one hand, I found it compulsively show more readable. Kilpack does a good job of balancing Amber’s initially unlikable character with the much pleasanter Thomas (and how unusual it is for the male romantic lead to be a point of view character!). However, I was a little put off by the insta-love (at least on his part), and even after her moral transformation I felt that he deserved better. A certain scene in the garden, near the end of the book, was also off-putting. All in all, though, I think readers looking for clean Regency romances will enjoy this. show less