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The mayor race is heating up in Briar Creek. The Lemon, Ms. Cole, has a definite advantage. But things take a turn when a body's discovered in her car. She has no idea what happened, but rumors are flying.Lindsey and Beth vow to uncover the truth before Ms. Cole does something she'll regret- like drop out of the race. Lindsey can't believe that Ms. Cole had a rebellious youth, but sometimes rumors don't lie. Could someone be targeting Ms. Cole to keep her from becoming the next mayor?
Scarlett and the gang are back! Harrison's aunt comes into the hat shop looking for a way to make her corgi stand out in the Pets and Wellness Society's annual dog show. Aunt Betty and Freddy have been previously been the runner's up. But this year they are determined to be the winners. Aunt Betty wants matching hats for her and her dog.My Thoughts: I was so happy to hear about this newest installment of the Hat Shop Mysteries! I love this series. And this book was super cute. I loved the dog show and reading about all the cute dogs. I loved reading about my favorite characters, especially Harrison and Scarlett after their engagement. I would be happy reading more in this series (including a wedding story!)
But Aunt Betty gets into trouble with the society when she announces that the dog food supplied by the sponsor made her dog sick and it's contaminated. Her paperwork goes missing and Scarlett's forced to step in as the Freddy's handler.
When Freddy discovers the sponsor dead on the course, Aunt Betty's the prime suspect. Scarlett and her friends are determined to uncover the truth and clear Aunt Betty.
* Book 11 in the Cupcake Bakery series *Mel is so not interested in her fifteenth high school reunion. But Angie convinces her to go - and not just because the reunion hosts want to hire the bakery for the cupcakes. Angie knows that Mel needs closure on her demons from high school - she wants Mel to look everyone in the eyes and show them how successful she turned out. Mel doesn't care what those people think about her.My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this addition to this charming series. Of course, I'm with Mel. I'm not interested in attending any high school reunions and I can see why she didn't want to either. But I was impressed with her bravery and her courage to attend. It was interesting to see how people grow and change since high school - and even the ones that stay the same. The cast of characters was entertaining if not the nicest bunch of people. This book contains all the fun of the others in the series - some romance, strong friendship, witty banter, and loveable characters. So looking forward to the next book in the series.
When Mel arrives with her handsome fiancé on her arm, she does find a certain amount of satisfaction standing up to the people who made her life miserable - until the Queen Bee turns up dead in the bathroom. A note written in lipstick makes Mel the prime suspect. She's not about to go down without a fight.
* Book 8 in the Bakeshop Mystery series *Jules is desperately trying to keep the wedding that's throwing her mother a surprise. She's disguised it as part of her party at her new vineyard. Even Carlos and his son are coming to celebrate; she's nervous about meeting Romero for the first time.My Thoughts: I adore this series - for the small town charm, the characters, and the bakery. Each book makes me mouth water and I have the strongest urge to go into the kitchen and whip something up. I loved seeing Carlos again - he might have won me over. I liked meeting his son. Of course, the wedding was amazing and I loved how everything came together. I loved that the whole town was involved. I felt bad for Lance, he's been through the ringer lately. I can't wait to read the next installment of this series!
Her best friend Lance is back from his vacation, but he's not well rested. He's convinced that his brother is trying to murder his father and that he's being followed. He begs Jules to invite his brother and his entourage to the wedding so they can keep tabs on him.
When his father dies and a wedding guest collapses, things are looking poorly. Lance and Jules search for clues only to discover that the poisoned wine was given to the wrong person. The glass was meant for Jules.
Jules just returned from a week aboard a cruise ship - and her old life. Since she's been gone, things have taken a turn for her best friend Lance. The Shakespeare Festival is about to open and he's convinced the board wants to fire him.My Thoughts: I really love this series - for several reasons. I love the description of the bakery goodies; this series always makes me want to bake. I love the comradery of the bakery employees. I love the small town charm and the characters in town. I enjoyed a bigger glimpse into the theater world and the behind the scenes snapshots. I loved the ending and I can't wait to read the next book to discover how that plays out.
Lance's lead actor seems to be wooing the board in his favor. Lance can't believe the gall of the man, after Lance took a chance on him. When Lance stumbles across the lead actor's body after a party, things go from bad to worse. He's the number one suspect.
He needs Jules now more than ever to help clear his name.
Angie and Tate are getting married in just a few short days. While our running wedding errands, Mel and Angie stumble across a dead body. This time it's the wedding photographer. Later they discover the limo driver has also been murdered - and it's obvious the connection between the two is Angie and Tate. Is someone trying to keep their wedding from happening? No one is resting until this case is solved, giving Angie and Tate their day in the sun.My Thoughts: I really love this series. I enjoyed the wedding planning and watching Angie's family come together to support her. I always find the brothers entertaining. I really liked the famous author's book and how it was like a train wreck that you couldn't stop reading. Another tasty mystery from Jenn McKinlay.
Before a social event, one of Sophie's acquaintances reveals he thinks he's being poisoned. He asked her advice. At a pop-up gourmet party, Sophie witnesses the same friend in a series of awkward social interactions. When he turns up dead later that night, Sophie knows something fishy is happening. Everyone's pointing the finger at someone else, but someone's lying. Can Sophie uncover the truth?My Thoughts: I'm so glad this series is back; I've missed it. I loved reading my old friends and seeing what they were up to again. As usual, I enjoyed the moments between Sophie and Natasha. I felt terrible for Hollis's family and what all of them went through. I loved the aftermath of the storm and how everyone came together to eat. I love the bit in the library and the romance. I liked trying to unravel all the secrets and lies told in this one, the ending kept me guessing. So looking forward to the next book in this fun series!
Carlos calls Jules asking her to fill in for a few weeks aboard the ship in between pastry chefs. At first, she says no, but then Carlos offers her mother and the professor a free vacation. After scrambling to make sure everything's covered at Torte, the three of them leave for a vacation.My Thoughts: I really love this series - it makes my mouth water and it makes me want to whip up a delicious sweet. I loved seeing Jules on the ship for the first time. It helped me understand more about her former life. I liked learning more about the ship and the way things work. I loved being in the kitchen with the chefs. I loved the personal moments with Jules and her mother and the professor. I enjoyed seeing more of Carlos. While I enjoyed the variation on the setting, I'm eager to get back to Torte. I can't wait for the next book in the series out in January.
Jules enjoys returning to the ship, although not the long days. Her staff's amazing and they whip some thousands of desserts. Early one morning on a walk about the deck, Jules spots a body in the pool. It's the same woman she's been seeing in odd places all over the ship. The professor takes on the case, asking questions about the ship and seeing what Jules might be able to overhear.
With more people acting suspiciously, Jules isn't sure what to make of the crew. They certainly have their secrets. Could one of them committed murder?
Library Recommendation: A winner of a series perfect for public libraries, especially those who gobble up foodie books.
Jules and her mother have projects in the work: a new remodeling, new ovens for the bakeshop, a possible expansion for the bakeshop, and a chocolate festival to prepare for. Jules has the schedule down, but it's going to take a lot of work, but everything will be worth it. They're hoping to make a big splash for Torte at the chocolate festival; some very big names will be there.My Thoughts: I really adore this series. I love the forward movement with the bakeshop and all the improvements going into the shop. If I lived in this town, I would frequent this bakeshop, everything sounds so amazing! I loved the Chocolate Festival, although reading about all the prep work made me crave chocolate something fierce! I loved the creating (baking and decorating) of the treats in this book. It did make me want to make something delicious. I liked learning about the other vendors at the chocolate festival and their products. I did guess the culprit and the weapon earlier than the main character. I'm looking forward to seeing what comes next for Jules and for Torte.
One of the biggest names in the chocolate world dies after eating Jules's treat. He was severely allergic to nuts, but there were no nuts in her chocolate. Could it have been murder? Evan wasn't the nicest guy, but his last words hint at a deadly demise. Will his death stop the chocolate festival or can Jules help solve his murder?
Someone mails Julia's mother a missing family heirloom, worth a fortune in the dead of winter. Julia's determined to uncover more details about her mother's long lost family. They squabbled over the family fortune and split up years ago. This is the first contact Julia's ever had with that side of the family.My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book. I loved Julia tracking down how the package came to her family - including her time in the historical society. I loved learning about the family from the past - especially how they made their fortune. I loved meeting her new family members - what a cast of characters. I loved how this new information changes everything for Julia and her family. I can't wait to see what happens next! I love how the action happened right before a huge snow storm and Julia needed to get home before then, it increased the tension in the book. A perfect cozy to read during the winter, snuggled up under a blanket.
With the help of information from the historical society and the internet, Julia's able to track her family down in Boston. But when she arrives, a family member has just died - murdered.
Now Julia's trying to untangle the truth from reality amidst all the family drama. Could one of them be responsible for murder?
Final Thoughts: Another great addition to the series, be sure to scoop this one up. Highly recommended for cozy sections in all public libraries.
