https://girllostinabook.com/2022/11/14/review-the-great-jewel-robbery-by-elizabe... ( )

Author's guest post at my blog:
https://bookfare.blogspot.com/2022/03/foodfic-please-welcome-elizabeth.html

~I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review~

I bow down to an author who can make a friendship from college seem like it was from childhood. They way Emma and Grace flow together make it seem like they have known each other their whole lives which is the friendships I love to read about.

Emma and Grace are very well written. The author reveals a little bit about where they came from without it feeling like it takes away from the overall plot. She makes this seem so effortless and flawless. You can see the love she had for her characters. Again, I bow down to her.

The first couple of pages seemed very slow but they really were not, I was just extremely tired when I tried to start reading this book. So, I started again the next morning and I really enjoyed it. I love that the introduction to Emma and Grace was when Emma wanted a doughnut in a gas station but someone bought it before her. She was disappointed and that was when I felt a very strong connection with her. The writing was amazing and I plan on checking out her other books whenever I get a second. ( )

This is a cute, lightly funny, and definitely not boring mystery with all sorts of unexpected twists...and a few blunders... along the way.

Emma agrees to accompany her best friend to an annual charity ball, although the world of the wealthy isn't really her cup of tea. While trying to not to stick out to much, Emma watches her friend cover the party for an article in the magazine they both work for. And it works until the charity auction ends with the theft of $3 million jewels. Knowing that an incident during the ball has placed her on the suspect list, Emma still agrees to help her friend find the criminal on their own. But soon she wonders if they have a chance, and if it's the biggest mistake they could ever make.

Emma is a very sweet character with a few quirks and a heart of gold. Her insecurities, especially when placed in the environment of the wealthy, make her easy to like and root for. She isn't super keen on solving the mystery, and her intentions of helping out her best friend make her that much more golden. She's clever but makes mistakes, and she's a bit awkward yet still on top of her game when it counts. Her decision and deductions are pretty understandable, and her sometimes brutal honesty adds nice pokes of humor.

The mystery is pretty straight forward without becoming overly obvious. It keeps the read light hearted, while interesting enough to want to keep reading until the last page. I had no trouble reading it in one sitting and enjoyed every page. There is romance, but it only dusts the main plot and could have been worked in a bit more at the end. Still, it was a treat and I can't wait to see what the next book in the series will hold.

I received a complimentary copy and enjoyed the tale enough to want to leave my honest thoughts. ( )

This is a murder mystery which is,also, a fun read! Laced with humor, the author has created a captivating, intriguing, mystery, with a touch of romance.
Former college roommates, present journalist colleagues, Emma and Grace were raised in two different worlds, but that has not hindered their close friendship. Since Grace's date "bailed" on her, Emma is her Guest at a High profile social event... An event that could be an opportunity to earn the promotion they each seek. Will they be the first to solve the crime?
The characters are very endearing - even the bad guys! The reader can easily feel he/she is a part of the scenes and event. The Title is "fitting" as is the Book Cover Image.
This is well-written and very entertaining.

* Although this book was gifted me, there were no stipulations for a positive review. This is my honest Review. ( )