REVIEW: Vanilla Beaned

 Vanilla Beaned
Author: Jenn McKinlay

This 8th book in the Cupcake Bakery Mystery series has Mel, Angie and Tate traveling to Las Vegas in an attempt to franchise out the bakery. Throw in an Elvis impersonator contest, a show girl who wants to be a baker, and a murder and plans quickly go awry. Someone seems to be willing to kill to stop a Las Vegas location from becoming reality.   

This book is my least favorite in the series so far. The main characters spent too much time arguing over the proposed new direction for the bakery and the Angie/Tate romance is just a bit cheesy for me. I want more mystery....less love life.  Mel's relationship issues with Joe is dragging out too long in my opinion. Either get married, or don't. The cliff hanger at the end of this book I found more annoying than interesting. I'm even getting tired of the Marty/Olivia dating angle.Olivia is my least favorite character in the series. Her constant attempts to insult and sabotage Mel are just waxing a bit old.

That being said, I'm enjoying this series. And I hope the plots find a new angle or two besides romance and Olivia being horrible. Something new would be nice. And I'm hoping a Holly/Manny romance angle doesn't enter into the picture. Way too many characters pairing off into couples. More mystery -- less romance. I hope!  

Moving on to the next book -- Caramel Crush!

REVIEW: Dark Chocolate Demise

 Dark Chocolate Demise
Author: Jenn McKinlay

This 7th book in the Cupcake Bakery Mystery series has my favorite cover art! So cute! 

This time, the cupcake gang is providing sweet treats for a local zombie walk event. Mel, Angie and the crew even dress up as zombies to get into the spirit of the festivities. Soon, the fun is put on hold though when a dead body is discovered in a prop casket. Things get pretty dicey as members of the bakery staff find themselves the targets of a dangerous killer. 

Lots of interesting character development in this book. The side plots are rapidly becoming just as entertaining as the mystery in each book. Was glad to find that my least favorite side character in this series didn't really figure into this book. It was a nice break from wanting to jump into the book and smack a character. :) 

The story lived up to the cool cover -- I enjoyed this one! 

On to the next book -- which I will say has my second favorite cover -- Vanilla Beaned! 

 

REVIEW: Sugar and Iced

 Sugar and Iced
Author: Jenn McKinlay

Yep. I did it again. 

 I binge read yet another book in this series. Sugar and Iced is the 6th book in the Cupcake Bakery series. And I raced through it cover to cover in no time. 

I just really like this series. It's light, entertaining, humorous and just fun to read. I like the main characters, and the background plot of a 1950's themed bakery. Plus, the mystery in each one has kept my attention from start to finish.  

And, right now, with everything going on in the world, I just really need a series that is just happy and fun. With just an edge of romantic drama here and there. 

In Sugar and Iced, Mel, Angie and the gang are baking cupcakes for a local beauty pageant. When one of the judges with a particularly nasty personality ends up dead under a table, things really heat up around the bakery. Part of their crew are even suspects in the murder. Once again the gang from Fairy Tale Cupcakes is on the trail of a killer. 

Great read! I enjoyed every word!

Now moving on to the next book in this series - Dark Chocolate Demise!  I have really been looking forward to this book because it has a Halloween themed cover!! Halloween is my favorite holiday, so I will definitely enjoy a Halloween theme book in this series! 

REVIEW: Going, Going, Ganache

 Going, Going, Ganache
Author: Jenn McKinlay

When a photo shoot at the cupcake bakery goes awry, Mel and the gang find their space invaded by a group of fighting magazine employees. The week long corporate boot camp is supposed to foster team building, but all it really does is lead to murder. Will they be able to bake 1000 cupcakes for charity and catch a killer, too?

I read this 5th book in the Cupcake Bakery mystery series in record time. I couldn't put it down. The mystery moves at a nice pace, and there are plenty of suspects and twists. There are also some character developments I didn't see coming. Can't wait to find out what happens in the next book! 

This series is entertaining and just fun to read. There are also recipes in the back. This time there is a grain free one! I will have to experiment to see how I can cut down the sugar as well before I try baking cupcakes I can eat. :) At least the experiment will be fun! 

On to the next book -- Sugar and Iced!

 

 

Review: Red Velvet Revenge

 Red Velvet Revenge
Author: Jenn McKinlay

Mel and the cupcake crew are headed to the rodeo in this 4th book in the Cupcake Bakery series. Soon their plans to sell cupcakes at the event go awry. A shooting followed by a dead body and sabotaged cupcakes soon have them on the trail of a killer. 

I enjoy the characters, the background plot of a 1950's theme cupcake bakery, and the mix of humor and mystery in this series. I needed something light and entertaining to read. This series fits that perfectly. 

So far I have been happily binge reading my way through these books. Luckily, I have the entire series on my shelf so I can binge read to my heart's content up until the final page of the newest book. Yay! 

The newest main character -- Oz -- is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. As well as Marty. :) 

Moving on to the next book -- Going, Going Ganache!

REVIEW: Death by the Dozen

 Death by the Dozen
Author: Jenn McKinlay

I am really loving this series! I have all of the books on my shelf. They've been there for some time. I kept passing this series up for shorter ones from my TBR pile. I have a thing about having to read a series from start to finish. And 16 books is a big commitment. 

Finally, I picked up book one and read it. Quickly. Total binge read. Then book 2....and now book 3. I now see that I will zip through all the way to book 16, finish the last page, and then find myself wishing there were more books! 

I love the background theme of a cupcake bakery with 1950's decor. I like the main characters and the setting. The mystery always keeps me engaged, and I find myself finishing one book and then picking up the next one immediately. There are also recipes in the back of the books! I eat grain free for medical reasons, so there are no "real' cupcakes in my future, but I can certainly bake some for my son! :) 

In this 3rd book, Mel and Angie are participating in a baking contest. It's a pretty big deal with celebrity chefs judging and a lot of public attention. Unfortunately, a local rival and a sly killer make the event stressful. First one dead body....then another. Can Mel figure out who the culprit is before they target anyone else? 

There is some nice character development in this book, as well as an addition that made me smile! Not giving it away -- read the book!! 

 On to book 4 -- I must keep reading!! :) 

First time I've binge read a cozy series in a long time! Having fun!! 

REVIEW: Buttercream Bump Off

Buttercream Bump Off
Author: Jenn McKinlay

I have a really bad cold, so I decided to spend this weekend resting, sipping hot tea and reading. Not just to recover from my cold, but to escape from the world for just a little while. 

I've had the Cupcake Bakery Mystery series on my bookshelves for quite awhile. I kept passing it up and choosing other series that had fewer books. I have this thing where I have to read a series in order from start to finish.....and I just thought 16 books was a lot to commit to. Something about feeling like death warmed over and the state of current events just drew me into a series about a cupcake bakery that has cheery bright colored covers.  

There's not many things that are happier than cupcakes. 

 So, I finally started reading my way through this series! Finished the first two books quickly. It might not take me too long to get through the whole series at this rate! 

In this second book, Mel Cooper's mom decides she is ready to start dating again. When her date is murdered, Mel and crew find themselves caught up in amateur sleuthing to clear her mom's name. And there's a little bit of love triangle drama. All in all, a very enjoyable read! The mystery moved along at a nice pace. There was some good character development for the main characters. And there were plenty of twists and interesting developments. 

I am really enjoying this series! I'm not sure if I'm binge reading because the books are so much fun to read or if I'm just reading faster as I know I still have 14 books to go? I think it's a combination of those two reasons! 

 On to book 3! :) 

REVIEW: Sprinkle With Murder

 Sprinkle With Murder
Author: Jenn McKinley

I desperately needed a distraction from the world. Just too many horrible things going on lately. I needed a smile and a break from reality. So, I started looking through my bookshelf. What is something happy that can get me away from it all for a little while?

Cupcakes. 

 Yep....cupcakes. 

 I've had the Cupcake Bakery Mystery series on my bookshelf for some time now. The entire series. But I kept reading other things first. I'm one of those people who has to read an entire series in order. And there's just something about committing to 16 books that just kept me grabbing trilogies or smaller series first. 

But, the colorful covers for this series and the cute background theme made me finally smile and grab book 1 off my shelf. 

I'm glad I did! 

Sprinkle With Murder is just a fun read! I found myself unable to put it down. I love the idea of a cupcake bakery all decked out in a grey, pink and white color scheme. I like the characters and found myself engaging in the story immediately. The mystery moves along at a nice pace, with plenty of amateur sleuthing and twists. 

And, there are recipes in the back!! I'm strictly grain free so there is no cupcake eating in my future, but I am very tempted to bake some for my son! Or attempt a grain free version as a treat for both of us. 

I'm very glad I finally started this series! I had a great time reading book one, and when I finally read my way through all 16 of the books I will free up quite a bit of space on my bookshelves for new books! 

I think I will make that a goal for 2025 -- reading my own books!  I have so many paperback mysteries that they are double stacked on my shelves. I need to read as many as I can and clear out space!! 

Moving on to book 2 in this series -- Buttercream Bump Off! If I read all the books as quickly as I did the first one, it won't take me all that long to get through all 16! The goal is to accomplish that before the next book comes out!

REVIEW: Cabin by Patrick Hutchinson

 Cabin
Author: Patrick Hutchison

DIY is not my forte in any way. The talents involved are just not in my skill set. I'm an office job sort of person. So, the basic plot of this book spoke to me. 

I can't imagine buying a dilapidated cabin in the woods as a project, and learning by trial and error how to fix it up. Patrick Hutchison shares his saga of buying a cabin in the Pacific Northwest that is in pretty bad condition and how that project changes his life. He has to work to afford the cabin project and often finds himself wishing he was there when he needs to be at the office. 

I had a great time reading about his six year renovation project. I can't imagine jumping into a huge project like that with very little knowledge about renovation and carpentry. Kudos to Patrick for pulling it off and for persevering even when he realized he had bitten off way way more than he could chew. 

This book became a national bestseller. I hope for readers' sanity that it did not motivate a bunch of people to buy old cabins with dreams of renovating them.

Very entertaining and interesting read. 

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from St Martins Press. All opinions expressed are entirely my own**

REVIEW: Sleep in Heavenly Pizza

 Sleep in Heavenly Pizza
Author: Mindy Quigley

I enjoy the Deep Dish mystery series. This newest book is an entertaining addition to the series. 

It's the holiday season in Geneva Bay, and the town is hosting its annual ice sculpting championship.  The whole town is transformed into a winter wonderland. Delilah O'Leary finds herself busily catering events leading up to the contest. 

But as with most holidays, things start to go wrong. An unexpected visitor shows up. A party guest disappears. And then.....a body is discovered. Delilah finds herself navigating drama.....and a murder. 

I had the best time reading this newest mystery in this series. It was snowing outside as I read which just gave the perfect atmosphere for enjoying this book. 

Ice sculptures are so pretty, and I could just imagine this whole town gearing up for hosting this event. And then to have the festivities put on ice because of a murder. Delilah and her sidekicks had quite the adventure with holiday drama! I had fun reading this story. The mystery moves along at a nice pace. There is plenty of background plot as well, which I also enjoyed. Delilah and her crew do an excellent job of amateur sleuthing. There were plenty of suspects and a few twists and turns I didn't see coming. 

 All in all, a great addition to this series! I look forward to the next book!

 **I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from St Martins Press. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

REVIEW: Curiosity Thrilled the Cat

 Curiosity Thrilled the Cat
Author: Sofie Kelly

I started reading this series several years ago. But then life got busy and I lost track of the series. Circling back around. I decided just to start over at the beginning and read from Book 1. After several years, I remembered the basics of the series but not so much detail that I already knew the killer's identity. 

The Basics: Kathleen Paulson moves from Boston to Mayville, MN to oversee the restoration of the town's library. She finds friends, a new purpose for her life, and two cute cats. Her cats seem unusual but Kathleen is still learning just how unusual they are. The town is gearing up for a music festival when a special guest for the festival is found dead.Kathleen finds herself a suspect in the case, so jumps in to do some amateur sleuthing to clear her name. 

I'm glad I read this book again. The plot and characters are entertaining. The mystery moves along at a good pace and has plenty of suspects and twists to keep a reader interested. The antics of the cats, Hercules and Owen, are endearing and fun. I like the background plot of the library restoration and life in Mayville.  

All in all, a very entertaining read. Moving on to book two! 

REVIEW: If You've Got it, Haunt It

 If You've Got It, Haunt It
Author: Rose Pressey 

This is a re-read for me. I read this book several years ago but then lost track of the series when life got in the way. Darn adulting cutting into my reading time! 

So....I have started the series all over again. :) 

If You've Got It, Haunt It is the first book in the Haunted Vintage cozy mystery series. 

I enjoy the mix of humor, supernatural and mystery. The vintage clothing background plot is interesting as well. I have no real interest in vintage clothing or designer brand, but Rose Pressey used it to skillfully craft an entertaining cozy mystery. The idea of a vintage clothing shop is intriguing. I live in a large metro region and I think a shop like that would be very successful here. Outfits that are different and one of a kind have an appeal for a lot of people. I like the main character, Cookie Chanel. She's smart, a skilled business-woman and a convincing amateur sleuth. Her bestie is a great character and her ghost side-kick is also likable. 

The cover art is very colorful and fits the series. 

 Overall, a fun read. 

I'm glad I'm revisiting this series! Enjoying it! 

Moving on to book 2! 

 

REVIEW: Death by Dumpling

 Death by Dumpling
Author Vivien Chien

I found myself craving Chinese food on multiple occasions while reading this book! 

 The basics: Lana Lee returns home after breaking off a bad relationship. She works at her family's restaurant. When the property manager is murdered, she finds herself investigating the death to save the reputation of Ho-Lee Noodle House. 

This story is a great start for the Noodle Shop Mystery series. I like the characters and the setting. The mystery moved along at a nice pace, and the characters for the series were introduced and developed enough for me to want to read the next book. 

I've had this series waiting on my bookshelf for some time. I'm glad I finally started reading! 

I have already started reading the second book - Dim Sum of All Fears. Enjoying it! And I see a couple Chinese food runs in the near future!