justkeyreads's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This wax such a charming Southern cozy mystery that gave me all the vibesamand I really loved not only the main character, but the family relationships as well. I’m excited to see where this cozy mystery goes from here.
abooklikeyou's review against another edition
slow-paced
2.5
I enjoyed the southern setting of this book - the Georgia peach farm, the quirky characters with all their southern sayings, etc. I also thought the final reveal was well done. However, I really feel like the book drug on. I just lost interest about halfway through the book. I could recommend this one to people who have read and enjoyed a lot of cozies, but it's definitely pretty average in comparison to some others I've read.
lolasreviews's review against another edition
3.0
This was a fun cozy mystery where the main character her family own a peach orchard. All the mentions of peaches and peach related dishes made my mouth water and now I am craving peach cobbler. I also liked the southern feel the book had and the small town feel with all the gossipers. It did take me a while to get through the book and while I did enjoy it it also felt like something was missing for me to really enjoy it, I just never got fully invested in the story. nevertheless it was a good start of the series and I am curious where the series goes next.
The murder mystery was done well, but I felt like the main character didn't really actively participate in solving it. It is becoming a bit cliché in cozy mysteries now that the police officer either is the love interest or does such a bad job that someone else needs to help the case. In this case it's the latter, the officer believes Hollis is the murderer. And Hollis is the husband of the main character her sister and as they value family here, the main character and her brother get involved in helping solve the crime and there's a private investigator they hire as well. Although the private investigator didn't really seem to contribute anything to the investigation and was just there to add some conflict and conversation scenes and stir up the issue about what happened in Nola her past. The main character mainly seemed to go and talk with a gossiper in the nail salon, ran into someone at the right moment and only had a few intentional trying to figure things out moment.
There was an interesting twist towards the end on how the murder mystery got solved, but I wasn't really surprised either. There are multiple suspects form the first moment and one of my main suspects turned out to be the killer. There are some obvious hints that made sure I knew who was involved, just not sure exactly how. There's also a small storyline about the main character her past and the main character never reveals what really happened until the end. I though the mystery didn't really work there and rather just had known what had happened from the beginning as then I would've understood better. Now every time there was this hint about the mysterious happening that scared her away.
The main character Nola was okay enough. I liked her devotion to her family and how fervently she kept believing Hollis was innocent. She also does a lot to help her family farm and it was nice seeing her return to her home town and seeing her fit in the town. She did have a dump moment or two. And I never really fully felt invested or cared about her, but I am hoping that might change in the second book. There are some fun side characters, but mostly it stayed a bit flat and I had a hard time really getting a feel for anyone. I did like her two nieces, her friend Hattie and her neighbour Joe.
There is also a hint of romance, I thought for a bit it would be a love triangle, but it seemed the one guy was part of her past only. So I am kinda glad it won't be a love triangle,but still didn't really care about the romance. I liked both characters well enough, but just never really felt their connection.
To summarize: This was a fun and peachy cozy mystery. I liked the focus on peaches and the orchard. The story does a good job of giving you that southern small town feel feeling and I thought it was well done. The mystery was a bit predictable, as it was obvious who was involved in the murder it just wasn't clear to me how they were involved. There was a nice twist at the end. The mystery about Nola her past fell a bit flat for me. I did like the characters well enough, but never fully got invested in their lives. I did like how Nola cared about her family and tried to help were possible. The romance didn't really do anything for me, but I am glad it won't be a love triangle. All in all it was a fun read and I will probably continue the series.
The murder mystery was done well, but I felt like the main character didn't really actively participate in solving it. It is becoming a bit cliché in cozy mysteries now that the police officer either is the love interest or does such a bad job that someone else needs to help the case. In this case it's the latter, the officer believes Hollis is the murderer. And Hollis is the husband of the main character her sister and as they value family here, the main character and her brother get involved in helping solve the crime and there's a private investigator they hire as well. Although the private investigator didn't really seem to contribute anything to the investigation and was just there to add some conflict and conversation scenes and stir up the issue about what happened in Nola her past. The main character mainly seemed to go and talk with a gossiper in the nail salon, ran into someone at the right moment and only had a few intentional trying to figure things out moment.
There was an interesting twist towards the end on how the murder mystery got solved, but I wasn't really surprised either. There are multiple suspects form the first moment and one of my main suspects turned out to be the killer. There are some obvious hints that made sure I knew who was involved, just not sure exactly how. There's also a small storyline about the main character her past and the main character never reveals what really happened until the end. I though the mystery didn't really work there and rather just had known what had happened from the beginning as then I would've understood better. Now every time there was this hint about the mysterious happening that scared her away.
The main character Nola was okay enough. I liked her devotion to her family and how fervently she kept believing Hollis was innocent. She also does a lot to help her family farm and it was nice seeing her return to her home town and seeing her fit in the town. She did have a dump moment or two. And I never really fully felt invested or cared about her, but I am hoping that might change in the second book. There are some fun side characters, but mostly it stayed a bit flat and I had a hard time really getting a feel for anyone. I did like her two nieces, her friend Hattie and her neighbour Joe.
There is also a hint of romance, I thought for a bit it would be a love triangle, but it seemed the one guy was part of her past only. So I am kinda glad it won't be a love triangle,but still didn't really care about the romance. I liked both characters well enough, but just never really felt their connection.
To summarize: This was a fun and peachy cozy mystery. I liked the focus on peaches and the orchard. The story does a good job of giving you that southern small town feel feeling and I thought it was well done. The mystery was a bit predictable, as it was obvious who was involved in the murder it just wasn't clear to me how they were involved. There was a nice twist at the end. The mystery about Nola her past fell a bit flat for me. I did like the characters well enough, but never fully got invested in their lives. I did like how Nola cared about her family and tried to help were possible. The romance didn't really do anything for me, but I am glad it won't be a love triangle. All in all it was a fun read and I will probably continue the series.
caitkom's review against another edition
4.0
Nola Mae Harper has returned to Cays Mill to help her parents on their peach orchard while they take a much needed vacation. Her sister, Ida, the perfect southern belle has planned a huge going away party for them during which a local business man is found dead with Ida's scarf wrapped around his neck. The local sheriff, a high school rival of Ida's has her sights set on pinning the murder on Ida's husband and Nola has to figure out a way to prove his innocent, but he isn't making it easy for her. On top of that she realizes the orchard isn't doing so great and she is the only one who can save it. Very good book. I am looking forward to reading more in the series.
abigail0630's review
4.0
Amazing!
This cozy mystery kept me hooked from the first page! An array of characters and get it isn't hard to follow at all! All the twists were done so well. Can't wait to pick up the next book in this series!
This cozy mystery kept me hooked from the first page! An array of characters and get it isn't hard to follow at all! All the twists were done so well. Can't wait to pick up the next book in this series!
cozymysterychuck's review against another edition
4.0
A highly enjoyable read with quirky characters. A few grammatical errors towards the end though made me think it was rushed at the final chapter (publisher notified)
rynflynn12's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.5
_bookdreamer's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book! I love shows like Gilmore Girls and Hart of Dixie, where its just a small town. This book reminded me a lot of those shows in the sense that it had that small town feel to it. Nola comes back after being away and is quickly transported back into the southern world of Georgia and into her families peach farms. The setting is perfect for a nice cozy mystery. I loved all the characters. They all were so distinct from one another, with a lot of southern charm. The description of the peach stuff was amazing. I am a big fan of peaches (I eat them all summer long every summer) so I loved that there was a lot of description about Nola on her peach farm. There was like every good book, two different love interests. The mystery was amazing. Through out the book I kept questioning every character. I often switched who my prime suspect was, and then right at the last minute I was shocked! I couldn’t figure it out. Brilliant!
If you like cozy mysteries, southern charm, small town settings, and peaches this book is a great one to read!
If you like cozy mysteries, southern charm, small town settings, and peaches this book is a great one to read!
downthelaine's review against another edition
2.0
Uggh! The story was stale and the characters are insufferable. Would not recommend.