Book: The Best Little Motel in Texas by Lyla Lane
Reviewed by Maggie Hayes
Rating: 4/5
I was pleasantly surprised by this cozy romance. The premise alone deserves points for originality: a very straight-laced librarian inherits a brothel run by three women in their sixties. When a client dies in bed with one of them, it launches a mystery involving the church, shady real estate developers, an FBI agent, and—yes—a leather banana hammock. The whole thing moves quickly and has a quietly hilarious tone. I wasn’t full-on laughing out loud, but I definitely spent most of the book with a steady chuckle.
My one real frustration was the romance. Cordelia and Archer have fantastic banter and serious childhood-enemies-to-lovers energy, and I found myself wishing their relationship progressed a bit further. The chemistry is there—I just wanted more of it.
Given how the story ends, it definitely feels like a sequel is coming, and I’ll absolutely be picking it up when it does.
Thank you to Harper Perennial and NetGalley for providing an ARC!
4.25/5 stars