reneeguill's review against another edition
5.0
This was such a good read. I admit, I was a bit worried, cause I didn't read the first one, but happy to announce, you do not need to read them in order. I'm sure it might help with the characterizations, but not totally necessary.
I was in a reading slump, thanks to this it got me out of it.
It's about a girl who inherits a chocolate shop in a small beach town. She has a lot of family mystery, as her siblings try to take it away from her.
In this story she has a murder during a music festival that she was in charge of. I am usually pretty good at figuring out who dun it early on. I was right, but the there was a few times I second guessed myself. I loved that, it hardly happens.
If you like beaches, chocolate, and mysteries, then I would highly recommend this one.
Looking forward to reading the others in this series.
I was in a reading slump, thanks to this it got me out of it.
It's about a girl who inherits a chocolate shop in a small beach town. She has a lot of family mystery, as her siblings try to take it away from her.
In this story she has a murder during a music festival that she was in charge of. I am usually pretty good at figuring out who dun it early on. I was right, but the there was a few times I second guessed myself. I loved that, it hardly happens.
If you like beaches, chocolate, and mysteries, then I would highly recommend this one.
Looking forward to reading the others in this series.
lunifur's review against another edition
4.0
**I voluntarily read this ARC**
An enjoyable addition to the series. It was a nice improvement over Asking For Truffle. The mystery was well written, although I did feel that some of the drama was unnecessary. It was a surprising ending, and I am still amazed at how horrible some of the characters were revealed to be.
An enjoyable addition to the series. It was a nice improvement over Asking For Truffle. The mystery was well written, although I did feel that some of the drama was unnecessary. It was a surprising ending, and I am still amazed at how horrible some of the characters were revealed to be.
valerielong's review against another edition
4.0
This is a fun new series. I'm enjoying getting to know Charity (who prefers to go by Penn), Bertie, Harley and the rest of the characters. They're well-written and developed characters. We find out a little more about their nature and backgrounds with each book, which is how I like it!
The setting descriptions are perfect. I'm not one for overly-wordy descriptions, but I still want to be able to imagine the place in my head. I can do that here without feeling tired of all the descriptions. Ms. St. James does a good job with this.
The plotline was well-thought-out, full of red herrings, and exciting. I did have an inkling of the killer before the book was done, but I wasn't positive I was right until he/she was revealed.
If you choose to read the series, I would start with Asking for Truffle, the first book in the series. It really has some background information that you need to have for going forward. Each mystery itself stands on its own, but the overall arc of the series needs to be experienced by reading them in order!
The setting descriptions are perfect. I'm not one for overly-wordy descriptions, but I still want to be able to imagine the place in my head. I can do that here without feeling tired of all the descriptions. Ms. St. James does a good job with this.
The plotline was well-thought-out, full of red herrings, and exciting. I did have an inkling of the killer before the book was done, but I wasn't positive I was right until he/she was revealed.
If you choose to read the series, I would start with Asking for Truffle, the first book in the series. It really has some background information that you need to have for going forward. Each mystery itself stands on its own, but the overall arc of the series needs to be experienced by reading them in order!
dollycas's review against another edition
5.0
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Camellia Beach is going to be filled with music and people as the Beach Music Festival begins. Thanks to a little help from her half-sister Tina, Penn is able to book the famous Bixby Lewis to be the headliner of the festival. The event is also going to mean The Chocolate Box is going to have tons of customers. She is still learning to make the perfect bonbon, but with Bertie’s help, they will have enough chocolate treats to serve the masses.
But the first night of the festival brings tragedy. A body is found in the bonfire and Penn can’t help but jump right into the investigation. She is also helping Bixby with a stalker, trying to keep her business open after several freaky occurrences, plus she is dealing with a lawsuit over ownership of The Chocolate Box and oh, she also wants to create her own special spicy hot bonbon while trying to find her birth mother.
We are getting to know these characters better and Penn is opening up more in this story. She is making friends and getting involved in the happenings in Camellia Beach. But top on her list is finding her mother and proving that the chocolate shop left to her should be solely hers. I don’t know how any person could handle everything that she had to deal with in this short time span. Thankfully she had her friends and her sister to lean on and step in while she was running all over town chasing down leads and trying to keep the festival on track.
The author really blends two mysteries together in this book. A murder mystery and the search for Penn’s mother. They coexist very naturally together. Both have surprising twists. The main mystery, the murder, had many topsy-turvy turns. There was so much going on and I was not sure how the whole plot was going to come together, but when we reached the end, it all did.
I usually read a book like this over 2 evenings, but I was having a very hard time putting this book down the first night. Finally, my body made the decision for me, when I could no longer keep my eyes open. I hated having to work the next day because I would have rather been reading, but I escaped back into it before supper was even on the table. The ending was surprising and not what I was expecting at all. Fantastic storytelling by this author.
I can’t forget to mention the bonbons, the truffles and all the other goodies for sale at The Chocolate Box. You may want to have some chocolate on hand while reading this story because the descriptions will have you drooling.
I enjoyed everything about this story. Dorothy St. James has packed these pages full of mystery, drama, action, and chocolate. I am excited for the continuation of this series.
Camellia Beach is going to be filled with music and people as the Beach Music Festival begins. Thanks to a little help from her half-sister Tina, Penn is able to book the famous Bixby Lewis to be the headliner of the festival. The event is also going to mean The Chocolate Box is going to have tons of customers. She is still learning to make the perfect bonbon, but with Bertie’s help, they will have enough chocolate treats to serve the masses.
But the first night of the festival brings tragedy. A body is found in the bonfire and Penn can’t help but jump right into the investigation. She is also helping Bixby with a stalker, trying to keep her business open after several freaky occurrences, plus she is dealing with a lawsuit over ownership of The Chocolate Box and oh, she also wants to create her own special spicy hot bonbon while trying to find her birth mother.
We are getting to know these characters better and Penn is opening up more in this story. She is making friends and getting involved in the happenings in Camellia Beach. But top on her list is finding her mother and proving that the chocolate shop left to her should be solely hers. I don’t know how any person could handle everything that she had to deal with in this short time span. Thankfully she had her friends and her sister to lean on and step in while she was running all over town chasing down leads and trying to keep the festival on track.
The author really blends two mysteries together in this book. A murder mystery and the search for Penn’s mother. They coexist very naturally together. Both have surprising twists. The main mystery, the murder, had many topsy-turvy turns. There was so much going on and I was not sure how the whole plot was going to come together, but when we reached the end, it all did.
I usually read a book like this over 2 evenings, but I was having a very hard time putting this book down the first night. Finally, my body made the decision for me, when I could no longer keep my eyes open. I hated having to work the next day because I would have rather been reading, but I escaped back into it before supper was even on the table. The ending was surprising and not what I was expecting at all. Fantastic storytelling by this author.
I can’t forget to mention the bonbons, the truffles and all the other goodies for sale at The Chocolate Box. You may want to have some chocolate on hand while reading this story because the descriptions will have you drooling.
I enjoyed everything about this story. Dorothy St. James has packed these pages full of mystery, drama, action, and chocolate. I am excited for the continuation of this series.
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