Let's take a look at romance in cozy mysteries and find out about a few free cozy mysteries perfect for Valentines Day.
If you're looking for fantastic Valentine's day cozy mystery reads, you can't go wrong visiting Cozy Mystery List's Valentine's Day suggestions or checking out Cozy Mystery Unlimited's Valentine's-Themed Cozies page.
If you're looking for a free cozy mystery read, I've added three books to our library that just might make perfect reads this weekend. And if you're looking for real-life love advice, try some of the articles listed below. Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!
Read a Free Valentine’s Cozy Mystery
Elisabeth Crabtree
Hatter's Cove Mystery Series Book 1, a cozy 44k word novella takes place on Valentine’s day in Hatter’s Cove, where food columnist Kat Archer is assigned to the opening of Miss Dolly’s Cookie and Sweets’ emporium. The event of the year turns into Kat’s biggest story when an employee is poisoned.
Sweetheart in High Heels (High Heels Mysteries short story #5.75): A Funny Romantic Mystery short story
Gemma Halliday
Fashion designer turned amateur sleuth, Maddie Springer, is determined not to let her police officer husband’s latest case ruin their romantic Valentine’s day plan in this short story to accompany the High Heels Mysteries series.
*Be Still My Beading Heart: A Humorous Cozy Mini-Mystery for Valentine's Day (Glass Bead Mystery Series)
Janice Peacock
Jax O’Connell must find her red VW Bug and a date in this free mini-Valentine’s day mystery. Story accompanies the Glass Bead Mystery Series.
*This sale has ended, but the book will be permafree in the future. Check back for updates.
BeSwitched, Paranormal Romance (The BeSwitched Series Book 1)
Molly Snow
Bold, black cat Surla runs away from her witch family and meets painfully shy teen Cathy Phillips, who’s too timid to ask her crush out for a date. Will temporarily switching bodies help the two find happiness?
*This next one’s not a cozy mystery, so I didn't include it in the library, but I thought I’d include it here since it looked like a cute cozy romance for Valentine’s.
The Romance of Cozy Mysteries
Why do we love reading romantic cozies? What makes romance in books special? If we writer's knew the secret ingredients to a perfect relationship, we'd love to give all our characters happy ever afters. But break ups, lover's quarrels, and mismatched partners happen in real life and on the page.
And maybe that's not a bad thing. Maybe both people and book characters grow from their heartbreaks or learn that love, like everything in life, is a struggle worth fighting for. After all, there is a saying that nothing worth having is easily attained.
The characters in cozy mysteries usually (not always) meet their partners-to-be in perhaps the worst way possible - through a murder. Courtship starting with a corpse isn't ideal, especially when sparks fly between a detective and a suspect. Many of the sleuths start out being accused of murder, forcing them into finding the real culprit before they end up behind bars themselves.
The situations makes for friction between the sleuth, usually a woman, and a detective, usually an attractive man. But friction soon gives way to fellowship as they work together to solve the crime. At the height of the action the attraction heats up and inevitably romance follows.
Of course, not all romantic cozies follow this pattern. Sometimes, the sleuth finds herself falling for the wrong person - maybe even a murderer? Then again, sometimes a suspect turns out to be guilty only of being Mr. Right. Whatever the case may be, the tension and suspense of a mystery is only the starting point to a romance for our hero and heroine. Only by reading a whole series do we really know whether our sleuth gets her, or his, happily ever after.
If You're Looking for Love That Lasts:
What makes a romance last in books and in real life? If you're interested in what modern Psychology says about love, here are some articles for those of you seeking to strengthen your love for a love everlasting:
14 Dynamics in Healthy Relationships - Article by Psychology Today
A Guy Read 50 Years Worth of Relationship Studies. He came up with 17 Strategies - A Time article summarizing what associate professor Brian Ogolsky found in his meta-analysis of studies in love.
The Gottman Institute - A research center that shares their knowledge of love with couples interested in strengthening their relationships. You can find a lot of helpful articles on their website.
What have you learned about love in your life? Any tips or lessons you've learned that you'd love to share with others?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments or on social media!
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