Read chapter one here: https://www.dianevallere.com/cement-stilettos

Cement Stilettos is another excellent adventure in Vallere's Samantha Kidd mystery series. Samantha is newly engaged, finally working at a steady job again, and ready to pitch her new fantastic marketing idea. Naturally just as everything seems to be going right for Sam, she finds a dead body at her fiancee's work place. When Sam discovers the victim has mob ties, Sam decides to take on the mob to save her beloved Nick, her new job, and her new fashion shoot.

I really loved that Cement Stilettos really focused on Sam and Nick's relationship providing them with the opportunity to work on their relationship as well as solve the case and save each other from the mob. I loved seeing how much Sam has grown and matured in that she tries to avoid past mistakes and be a new Sam 2.0. I also loved how the story provided more depth to the Nick character as well. Vallere does such a great job at making the reader love and root for these characters. Once again I also loved seeing my favorite secondary characters like Eddie, Loncar, and Logan as well as some fun new characters.

Overall Cement Stilettos proved to be an amazing read that I would most definitely recommend. I look forward to reading Kidd's new adventure.

Received a copy of Cement Stilettos from the author in exchange for an honest review. ( )

When CEMENT STILETTOS, the seventh book in Diane Vallere’s Style & Error Fashion Mystery series featuring Samantha Kidd opens, it seems all our dreams have come true. Samantha is well-settled in her job at Tradava, with a promising future, her association with Detective Loncar has reached a state of almost-friendship, she hasn’t found a dead body in a couple of days, and she and Nick are engaged. Finally! But of course this is Samantha Kidd we’re talking about here, so don’t expect this calm sense of well-being to last. And it doesn’t. Sam is finishing up a (rather boring) vacation and she and Nick are arguing about her accompanying him on a factory tour. They agree to instead meet for dinner later, but she presents an idea at work that is fabulous – and requires an empty factory – and off she goes.

You know she’s going to find that body. And then Sam discovers that the Mafia is in Ribbon – and might also have ties to Nick. So it’s murder and danger and mystery and conflict – and suspicion. Nick hasn’t been entirely truthful, and Sam doesn’t know how she’ll deal with that.

If you’ve already met Samantha, you know she is smart, talented, witty, reckless, foolhardy, loyal, honest and caring – and a lot of fun. As always when I’m on a journey with Samantha Kidd, I’m hooked from the first page to the last. This trip to SamanthaLand is no different. Her antics are as funny as ever, her Mafia Girl clothes are hilarious, sidekick Eddie is a welcome repeat performer, her relationship with Nick’s Dad is touching and sweet, and her love for Nick is obvious. At the end of the previous book, Pearls Gone Wild, she was still all those things, but also calming down and growing up, determined to become the new and improved Samantha, Samantha 2.0, a little more introspective and committed to her friends.

I love Vallere’s Style & Error Fashion Mystery series, and this story was a wonderful addition. The characters are fun and well-developed and the mystery has enough detail to keep you guessing. Sam is doing pretty well with version 2.0, but I think her communication skills could use a little improvement and her loyalty and trust need a reality check. Nick has always been such a keeper that I found the degree of her concern about maintaining her own identify and career after marriage a little much. He’s never held her back before. And when she learned of his link to the mob her reaction seemed rash and harsh and panicky, and a little bit hypocritical. Nick does need to be forthright and truthful, but Sam needs to remember that part of her personality has always been her ability to justify omitting unpleasant details and bend or skirt the truth when it’s served her purpose in the name of solving a crime. Her reaction put his business and perhaps his life in peril.

I spent a good portion of this book mad at Sam, which didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the story in the least, but in fact added more dimension to Sam’s character. I love her zaniness and care about her, but she’s like the friend you want to smack on the head sometimes. I laughed out loud, but also cared and worried about what would happen next. I don’t think I’m quite ready for suburban Nick & Sam and their 3 kids, but I don’t want her to mess this up. I highly recommend CEMENT STILETTOS and can’t wait to find out what’s next for the always fascinating, sometimes irritating Samantha Kidd.

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