Culinary

The Perfect Catch by Cassidy Carter

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perfect catch

Pages: 270 (eBook)

Publisher: Hallmark Publishing

Published: March 27, 2018

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

After high school Jessica Parker stayed in Parker Falls to run her family’s diner and raise her son, Wesley. Lately both have been harder than she expected. Business has fallen off at the diner and her son is missing not having a dad to teach him baseball. Her high school love and MLB player, Chase Taynor has come back home as he awaits his new MLB home after a bad play that causes his team to lose the World Series. Jessica and Chase fall right back into the friendship they have always had but will Chase decide to stay in Parker Falls or will the call of fame and fortune lure him away?

This book is based on the Hallmark movie of the same name which I have not watched. It is a sweet story with a predictable ending but that is what you want and expect when it comes to Hallmark. You know you will finish the book with a smile.

A clean romance for all ages from a young teenager say 14 to my 90 year old grandma. No sex, no foul language and no violence.

I received a complimentary copy from Hallmark Publishing through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the review are my own.

The Diva Cooks Up a Storm (A Domestic Diva Mystery #11) by Krista Davis

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diva storm

Pages: 352 (eBook)

Publisher: Kensington Books

Published: May 29, 2018

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Sophie and her best friend Nina are excited to spend their vacation on the beach but before they can leave they attend the trend of an underground dinner. The next day one of the diners is found dead. What or who had it in for him?

I absolutely adore this series. Sophie is your quintessential girl next door that everyone wants to be around. She not only can cook yummy dishes she also has a knack for solving the latest murder around town. Her ex-husband lives down the street and they share custody of Daisy, the most lovable dog ever and get this, Sophie and Mars get along. At times it makes you wonder if a certain someone was out of the picture would they get back together.

When you read a Diva book not only are you solving murders you are also learning so much about decorating, baking, cooking and general etiquette. I find that so very fun. It’s like reading Ann Landers all over again.

While each book can be read as a stand alone I suggest to get the full experience you read them in order. So far there are eleven books:
1. The Diva Runs Out of Thyme
2. The Diva Takes the Cake
3. The Diva Paints the Town
4. The Diva Cooks a Goose
5. The Diva Haunts the House
6. The Diva Digs Up the Dirt
7. The Diva Frosts a Cupcake
8. The Diva Wraps it Up
9. The Diva Steals a Chocolate Kiss
10. The Diva Serves High Tea
11. The Diva Cooks Up a Storm

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Kensington through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Battered Body (Supper Club Mysteries #5) by Ellery Adams

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battered

Pages: 328 (eBook)

Publisher: Beyond the Page

Published: May 3, 2018

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Hint: A surprise that will take your breath away!

Life is amping up for James and his dad in the fifth book of the Supper Club Mysteries. It is Christmas time and James’ dad is getting married to Milla and James is looking to buy his first house. Milla’s sister is coming to Quincy’s Gap to bake the wedding cake. Her sister is known as the “Diva of Dough” and can be quite the handful. Unfortunately while visiting the “Diva” finds herself with a mouthful of batter and dead. Can the Supper Club figure out who the murder is and keep the wedding on for Christmas Eve?

I have to start off with THE CHEESE DOODLES make their appearance again. YAY! No matter how much James changes and grows if the cheese doodles are around I know he is still the librarian I have come to love. This series has become a true joy to read. It may be because I can relate to the yo-yo dieting and frustration of wanting to enjoy food and eat healthy all at the same time.

There is a surprise in this book that will make your jaw drop and tears come to your eyes. It is so precious and Ellery Adams handled it with such loving care that you will fall in love with James if you haven’t already.

I also found myself wanting to hug Ellery for how she handled Milla and James’ relationship. He may be an adult but he graciously accepts her as his stepmom and openly calls his dad and her his parents. I am a stepmom and sometimes that little acceptance goes such a long way. Beautiful.

If you like to read cozy mysteries and read about food this is a series you should seriously think about picking up on your eReader.

Stiffs and Swine (Supper Club Mystery #4) by Ellery Adams

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stiffs

Pages: 288 (eBook)

Publisher: Beyond the Page

Published: March 27, 2018

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

The Flab Five have been so successful in solving murders around Quincy’s Gap, a local Hog Fest has asked them to be guest judges. The group decides it sounds exciting enough to give themselves the weekend off from dieting and enjoy BBQ and all the festival treats. Unfortunately, murder has followed them to the festival and they decide to solve it if it is the last thing they do.

This was an exciting read from beginning to end. We are starting to get more backstory on everyone in the Flab Five and seeing the true colors of some other characters. This book has a mystery within a mystery for James. He must try and figure out what is going on with the teenagers on Friday nights in the library and help solve a murder. I like how James is evolving in each book. He is coming to realize that he is not only just a librarian. He is a boyfriend, lover, son, friend and respected pillar of the community. Everyone looks to him when help is needed to figure out problems. What a wonderful trait to have that others trust and respect you enough to look up to you.

James’ romance life is still topsy turvy. Don’t be looking for smooth sailing in this book. I have mixed feelings on how things turned out. I cannot talk much as I don’t want to give too much away.

My biggest disappointment…cheese doddles did not make an appearance for the second book in a row. If James every needed comfort with his cheese doddles he needed them at the festival. Yes, I think of his cheese doodles as a character. They are part of who James is and I do not see that as a bad thing.

More yummy recipes are included in the back of the book just in time for a summer BBQ.

I have already downloaded the fifth book in the series to keep up with the Flab Five. Come on weekend so I can delve right back in.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley from Beyond the Page. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Chili Con Corpses (Supper Club Mystery #3) by J.B. Stanley (aka Ellery Adams)

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chili.jpg

Pages: 275 (eBook)

Publisher: Midnight Ink

Published: January 1, 2008

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

James has finally lost some weight and got the girl but not for long. Lucy has been focusing all her time and attention on passing the physical test to become a policy officer for Quincy’s Gap, VA. As they struggle to come together they join a Mexican cooking class with the rest of the Flab Five. Will this heat up the relationship or will another murder cool it down even more?

This has been my favorite book of the series so far but all are wonderfully good. I find all the characters so real and relatable to whatever stage you are going through in your life. We have all had those relationships we couldn’t wait to get into and once we did things cooled after awhile and made us question if we were doing the right thing. James takes us through his experience and doesn’t hold anything back. He reminds us that love is hard and take work on all sides involved.

The recipes shared throughout the book sound so inviting and I cannot wait to have a Mexican themed dinner one night to try them. If you love Mexican food you need to read the book for the recipes alone. I found my mouth watering more than once. he recipes are for all levels off cooks from no experience to experienced.

Grab a margarita and pop open the book and enjoy!

Fit to Die (Supper Club #2) by Ellery Adams

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Pages: 279 (eBook and audiobook)

Publisher: Beyond the Page

Published: February 26, 2018

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

The Flab Five is back at it again solving a murder when a new ice cream shop in Quincy’s Gap burns down with a body inside. Suspects are tallying up faster than one can lose weight with Witness to Fitness. Are they are on the right trail or are they cranky and out of sorts from the cardboard meals they must eat with their new diet plan?

I am gobbling this series up faster than I can eat my own cheese doodles. James, the librarian, is so likely and loveable that I just want to jump in the book and give him a squeeze but I’m afraid Lucy might come after me with her steely glare of jealousy. I enjoy his awkwardness because it makes me realize everyone has a little bit of awkwardness to them.

I enjoyed getting to know more about James’ dad and seeing another side of him. I am anxious to see how he is in the next book, Chili Con Corpses. Will he still be mellow and more understanding of his son or will he revert back to the grouchy old man?

It was pleasant not to read a love triangle per se but I am wondering if one is not on the horizon between James, Lucy and Murphy. I think Murphy has a little spunk in her that could make Lucy work harder for James’ affections. This could be a good love triangle and not one that is pesky and unnecessary.

I hope I continue to get new books mentioned by James and the twins to add to my already overflowing TBR pile. I love learning of new authors and what better person to get them from than librarians.

I am on to the third book in the series, Chili Con Corpses. The name is making me hungry because of the word Chili. Yum!

 

Town in a Strawberry Swirl (Candy Holliday Mystery #5) by B.B. Haywood

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strawberry.jpg

Pages: 308 (Paperback)

Publisher: Berkley

Published: February 4, 2014

Rating: 4 stars

I LOVE this culinary series. It is closely getting ready to eke out the Hannah Swenson series as my favorite culinary series and that says a lot. There is something about candy that makes me happy when I read her. Maybe because I feel like I could be really good friends with her if she was real. She is down to earth and a really good person. She cares about her community, friends and family. I wish there was more people like her in the real world.

It is strawberry season (yummy!) and that means summer is beginning and time for a festival. Miles is the local strawberry supplier and has for over 30 years but there is a nasty rumor going around that he may be selling out. Does this mean that subdivisions are in the future of Cape Willington marring the beautiful farm land? Unfortunately Doc, Candy’s dad, finds Miles dead with a Blueberry Acres shovel next to him. Will Doc and Candy find themselves on the wrong side of the law?

Not only will you find yourself immersed in strawberry land as you read you will also be craving the delectable fruit. I am anxiously awaiting strawberry season here in Kentucky.

I enjoyed how this book brought the underlying mystery throughout the entire series to the forefront but still did not solve it. A mystery in a mystery is right up my alley. Again I was stumped on the whodunit until it came to light.

Pressing the Issue (Cookbook Nook Mystery #6) by Daryl Wood Gerber

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pressing.jpg

Pages: 350 (eBook)

Publisher: Beyond the Page Publishing

Published: February 20, 2018

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Jenna is loving being back her hometown of Crystal Cove, CA especially during the Renaissance Fair. Her store, Cookbook Nook, is packed with tourists enjoying the yummy treats her resident chef has created and the books are flying off the shelves. Her close friend, Bailey, is getting married in a couple of weeks and wants Jenna to go with her to finalize some details at the venue, a local vineyard. Upon entering the vineyard’s stately mansion they discover someone did not think too highly of the owner. He is found dead by a winepress. Can Jenna solve the murder with so many possibilities floating around?

Pressing the Issue is the sixth book in the Cookbook Nook Mystery series but I am very happy I started with this book. I have been reading mixed reviews on the series but I am in love with it already. Jenna is cute, fun and fearless. She likes to see justice served whether by her or the local police chief, Cinnamon. Her cat, Tigger, is fun also. He makes me miss having a cat of my own.

I am not a fan of Renaissance Fairs but this book has definitely piqued my interest. I did not realize there was so much to do at one. I had to look up Renaissance Fairs to see if all were as active as this one and they truly are full of fun things to do. I always just thought you watched reenactments and ate food from that time period.

The recipes in the back of the book are extremely tempting. You can learn how to make rosewater, raspberry cheesecake bites and shepherd’s pie among a few other tasty treats. I am thinking of trying a few myself in the next several weeks.

The romance in this book is tasteful and not overbearing of the murder mystery. I hope it continues in that fashion.

I have added this to my growing list of summer TBR series. I am beginning to think it will become my summer/fall TBR list.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Beyond the Page through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Killer Jam (Dewberry Farm #1) by Karen MacInerney

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Pages: 274 (eBook)

Publisher: Thomas and Mercer

Published: July 28, 2015

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Lucy has decided to buy her grandmother’s farm and live life on her own terms but first she must fight the previous owner on the rights to the oil in the middle of her broccoli patch. Before she can get very far the previous owner is found dead next to a broken jar of Lucy’s Dewberry Jam at the Founders’ Day Festival. Can Lucy overcome this obstacle before losing the farm in more ways than one?

I am absolutely in love with this series and so happy I started reading from the beginning. Every character is believable and the situations they get in are as well. Not once did I sit there and go “Really?”. Lucy is a trip. You will have many laugh out loud moments that you find others staring at you as you read because you can’t help but laugh out loud.

There is a smidgen of romance but in no way does it take up the entire story line. I like the fact that the romance may come later in the series but right now we are learning who Lucy is and what makes her the perfect amateur sleuth.

Blossom the cow is the best character yet. She is trouble with a capital T and don’t think she doesn’t know it. I cannot wait to see what she gets herself into in the future books. Lucy best just have an account open at the flower center for replacement geraniums as Blossom seems to have a taste for them.

Recipes are included in the back of the book even one for Dewberry Jam which I did not know was a real fruit. It seems they are similar to blackberries.

 

As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles (A Food Lovers Village Mystery #5) by Leslie Budewitz

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Pages: 288 (eBook)

Publisher: Midnight Ink

Published: June 8, 2018

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

The snow is falling and the Christmas spirit is rising in Jewel Bay, Montana. Oh so one thinks. Erin, the Merc, manager has befriended the two pariah, Merrily Thornton. Almost twenty years ago her family shunned her when she pled guilty to taking money from her place of employment. She has comeback trying to make amends with her family and finds herself dead on her parents property. Erin cannot resist sticking her nose into the investigation but will she live to see her Christmas dream wedding come true?

This is the fifth book in the Food Lovers’ Village Mystery series but my first and I am hooked. I already want to start looking for the first four books in the series. Erin, the main character, is a perfect amateur sleuth for me. She is feisty, sweet and loves her family. I have been reading a lot of cozy mysteries where the sleuth is not close with her/his family so I found this a great twist for me. I love the Sunday family dinners her family has. Her mother would drive me crazy just popping in and taking over her house but I understand why she does.

One of my favorite things about the book is their is not a love triangle. Erin is perfectly happy with her fiancé and he is not a jerk. Sometimes I find the love triangle over takes the story in cozy mysteries. With the main character already in love and pretty much settled we can focus on the mystery.

As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles may be a Christmas book but I believe you will enjoy it anytime of the year. Grab your warm blanket, a hot cup of yumminess and sit back and relax and get to know the residents of Jewel Bay. You will be glad you did.

Thank you to NetGalley and Midnight Ink for a copy to read in exchange for my honest review in my own words.