Thus With a Kiss — C.J. Love

At the annual Valentine's Day Ball, everyone is convinced Paris Nobleman is on the verge of proposing marriage to Juliet Da Vinci. However, Juliet is not sure how she'll respond if he does. She needs to sort out her feelings for Nicolo Montague, but meanwhile she's off with the family for a vacation to their ancestral village in Italy. Once Juliet returns home to Verona's Vineyard, Paris's big question recedes to the back of her mind. A young woman in their social circle has been murdered and witnesses put Paris at the scene of the crime. Forget working with the police-Paris goes on the lam. Juliet and her mother are house guests of the bereaved family; Juliet is tracking clues in the murder and trying to find out where Paris took off to; and just about the time she's sure she knows who the real killer is, another murder happens. Among the suspects are most members of the wacky household where she's staying, not to mention the flower shop owner whose balloon ribbons keep showing up around dead bodies and the scary cooks at the Jinlin Dine-in who have a pretty lucrative little shakedown scheme going. In her own inimitable style, Juliet tracks the clues and follows right behind Paris with questions of her own. Such as, who's the girl he has kept secret for the past nine months? And just maybe, while she's at it, she'll discover whether Paris is just a good friend or something more. The nonstop action and zany cast of characters in this romantic mystery series is sure to appeal to fans of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series. Praise for CJ Love and the Verona's Vineyard Cozy Mysteries: A delightful mystery with a fun dash of rom-com and the dynamics of a big Italian family. Juliet is a spunky heroine who will make you laugh and will capture your heart. I can't wait to read the next in this series! -Connie Shelton, USA Today bestselling author C. J. Love's Juliet and Dead Romeo innovates by melding modern parlance with reference to a great classic, throwing out alluring clues and revealing the development of a nervous, doubt-ridden girl into an adventurous, self-confident woman poised to solve more mysteries in future volumes. -Feathered Quill Book Reviews You have to read this book!! The author is witty and charming, and the mystery is FABULOUS. - 5 stars, Amazon This book is a delight! It is a true picture of my Italian family, with a twist! - 5 star online review Headstrong, well meaning Juliet leads you on a merry chase to catch the killer while protecting her family name, and uncovering well kept family secrets! - 5 stars, Amazon ... even those who have never read a word of Shakespeare's plays will be hooked by the strong personalities and the action-packed storyline in this strong new offering. - Feathered Quill