Burgundy

I'm dropping this series because of two reasons: first the lack of mystery/suspense, second Lily Bard. 

- There's way too much descriptions and telling what Lily is going to do from Monday to Sunday. It's always the same routine anyway. Than she will eventually find a dead body, speculate while working or making out with Jack and just getting nowhere. All the while the reader exactly knows who did it because the culprit is just so obvious, but only in the last chapter does Lily find out and do we get some action. At first I paid attention to the descriptions and Lily's daily life since I thought there was a purpose to it and there might be clues. Nope, just there to fill pages. 

- Lily Bard's point of view is quite hypocritical. She doesn't hesitate to inflict upon others what she has been through. For example her behaviour vis-à-vis Deedra Dean (and women in general): In Lily's point of view Deedra is a slut. She has casual sex and leads a 'risky life'. It's not even out of concern for Deedra because Lily doesn't like Deedra because of her lifestyle. Never mind the fact that sexual intercourse takes two people. The woman is pointed with the finger and called slut, while the man is not mentioned and seen as desirable if he sleeps around. 

Also up till this book, to my knowledge Deedra has been sleeping with Marcus (the ex-neighbour) and that's it. Meanwhile, suddenly after 4 years Lily seems to be the most desirable women in town and had 6 potential love interests. And can have sexual intercourse after 5 minutes meeting a random guy in a supermarket. I don't care about Lily's relationship with Jack at all. 

In Shakespeare's Christmas, Lily desperately tries to validate herself and wants people to recognise her as a strong woman. Physically. 
She's also persuaded that everybody knows her past and will behave accordingly. This stretched credibility. It has been 7 years. Meanwhile people come and go. Yes people talk but people also forget or don't care or don't talk to each other. 

I'm not invested in this series. I prefer the Harper Connelly series, which I recommend. The Harper Connelly series is more mysterious, darker, and the romance is believable.