Read chapter one here: https://www.dianevallere.com/pearls-gone-wild

Pearls Gone Wild is another excellent installment in Vallere's Samantha Kidd series. This book takes place at Christmas while Sam is on vacation, but unfortunately murder happens once again. Sam's friend, Cat, is not only eight months pregnant but has just been abandoned by her husband. When Cat's estranged husband is found murdered, it's Sam to the rescue to find out who did it.

I absolutely love the secondary characters in this series because each character really adds to the book's story line but also brings out a different side of Sam. I loved seeing Eddie, Cat, Dante, Nick, and especially Logan back in this new adventure. Vallere does a great job with using each character to further the plot but also prepare Sam for a big decision by book's end. I also liked how the book brought up the Nick/Sam/Dante triangle giving it a satisfying resolution.

Pearls Gone Wild had a good mystery that grabbed the reader's attention from the very beginning and didn't let go until the end. The book had enough twists and turns to keep the reader engaged from beginning to end, and I really enjoyed the Christmas time setting. Overall Pearls Gone Wild was a great read, and I look forward to reading Sam's next adventure.

Received a copy of Pearls Gone Wild from the author in exchange for an honest review. ( )

PEARLS GONE WILD is the sixth book in Diane Vallere’s Style & Error Fashion Mystery series featuring Samantha Kidd. If you’ve already met Samantha, you know she is smart, talented, witty, reckless, foolhardy, loyal, honest and caring – and a lot of fun. Who can resist someone who says things like, “Her lashes were so long I felt a breeze when she blinked.” or “I ran after him but the lack of support in the ta-ta region slowed me down.” When we last spent time with Samantha, she was still all those things, but also calming down and growing up. The Charming and Handsome Nick Taylor was still close, and getting closer.

In Pearls Gone Wild, we go on a different adventure. At first the story doesn’t even really seem to be about Samantha at all, but more about her friend Cat. It’s the Christmas holiday and Sam is on vacation so there are few mentions of work (which seems to be going just fine, thank you very much). Cat is eight months pregnant and abandoned by her husband George the week before Christmas. Cat’s boutique, Catnip, is the scene of George’s murder and the theft of a lot of very expensive pearls. Cat is a suspect in the murder because it happened in her store, right after she argued with George and threw a drink in his face at a party, and of course Sam jumps right in to figure it out. I was a little surprised by the murder of Cat’s husband George. I thought he would just come to his senses and all would end well. This is a darker story than our usual adventure with Samantha.

But it is done well and the story IS about Samantha after all, because this is decision time – will she continue to be the new introspective, grown up Sam. Will she commit to being a friend or will she be left behind? Eddie – Dude - and Cat call her out on her lack of involvement as a friend and she needs to step up or lose her friends. She must make some decisions about Nick – and Dante.

I really enjoyed this story. It’s a good mystery, with lots of details that kept me on my toes and held my interest, and I couldn’t figure it out right away. Nick is such a keeper. Remembering his and Sam’s initial meeting always makes me laugh and feel warm and fuzzy at the same time. They have an adult relationship now – but Kidd is still Kidd. And Nick bless him is still Nick. Dante is still in Sam’s thoughts though: when is he coming? Where is he staying? Does my hair look okay? But the situation doesn’t turn into a tiresome threesome, and Sam doesn’t devalue Nick’s affection. There are still stunning – and sometimes stunningly funny – descriptions of Samantha’s outfits, but they are not the focus this time. She isn’t so much in disguise as dressing for the part. Eddie, Logan and Detective Loncar are comfortable returning players. And did I mention the humor? We can easily picture Cat as Connie Corleone smashing plates, Sam’s vocabulary getting a good-ectomy, or Marlon Brando and Adrian Zmed doing whatever. You have to be OLD to get that reference, but it works. I’ll let you figure out “in love with his spicy salami” on your own. And by the way, take a look at all the covers in the series. Fabulous!

Pearls Gone Wild is the best in the series to date. I am so pleased to see how this series is evolving. Samantha is in more in control of her life, but hasn’t lost her wit and humor. I laughed out loud, but cared about what would happen next. Vallere happily pretty much closes the door on the Dante romance sideline, but I don’t expect the next book to open with Nick & Sam and their 3 kids living in the suburbs. I can’t wait to find out what’s next for the irrepressible Samantha Kidd (Taylor??).

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. ( )