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!