The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
ashwaar's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Violence, Blood, and Grief
Minor: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Car accident, Fatphobia, Addiction, and Body shaming
emily_mh's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This was enjoyable and entertaining, which is all I really ask of a “cosy mystery”. I was really pleasantly surprised that this one went deeper by bringing in a complicated family dynamic: Lila felt a lot of tension over wanting to support her elders in thanks for their sacrifices, while also wanting to be independent and do her own thing. I also love how much food was centred in the story. It was mouthwatering to read about and themed the narrative well.
The plot itself was investigation-focussed with multiple avenues being explored at once, which was fantastic for me as it drove the story and also meant I could speculate and form different theories. The resolution ended up being well-suited.
The characterisation was excellent. This book has a large cast but each character felt distinct, including Lila the MC who was stubborn, loving, and confused about what she wanted. She was a realistic depiction of a 25 year-old, as someone who is very nearly 25. I do think that her character development could have been better realised, though, as it felt a little quick.
I have two other criticisms. The first is that the romance (in the form of a love triangle) was totally unnecessary, and there was also no chemistry whatsoever with either LI. The second is that Lila was smart enough to have figured out more of the mystery on her own, but instead we got a little villain monologue.
But overall, as I said before, I enjoyed this read. I definitely want to continue with the series!
Rep: Filipina-American MC, Filipino-American SCs, Muslim Pakistani-American LI, biracial white/Korean-American LI, lesbian Muslim Pakistani-American SC, biracial white/Korean-American SC, sapphic Mexican-American SC, Black SC, Japanese-American SC
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Death
Moderate: Car accident, Drug abuse, Kidnapping, Infidelity, Violence, and Addiction
Minor: Body shaming, Medical content, Alcohol, Sexism, Bullying, Racism, Xenophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Domestic abuse, Blood, Grief, Abandonment, Deportation, Ableism, Fatphobia, Alcoholism, Addiction, Misogyny, Colonisation, Death of parent, Vomit, Drug use, Hate crime, Gun violence, Homophobia, and Physical abuse
Major: medical emergency, false legal accusations Moderate: imprisonment, break-in Minor: loss of a loved one, gambling, police corruption, extortion, disordered eating, blackmail, sick loved onekatiesendlesstbr's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I'm a sucker for any book with a dachshund involved, so maybe I'm biased, but I really enjoyed this! I thought it was very cute and fun, and I was absolutely craving lumpia every time I sat down to read this. This is a 'cozy mystery', so there's a lot of things that are unrealistic, but if you're looking for something fun, I do recommend (with a caveat).
Something to note, particularly after reading Katie Colson's review - while the author did add what I thought was a nice content warning in the very beginning, she absolutely did not warn of the ableism concerning diabetes. One character's diabetes is treated VERY insensitively by the main character and her family, so if that is something that will upset you, give this book a pass.
Something to note, particularly after reading Katie Colson's review - while the author did add what I thought was a nice content warning in the very beginning, she absolutely did not warn of the ableism concerning diabetes. One character's diabetes is treated VERY insensitively by the main character and her family, so if that is something that will upset you, give this book a pass.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Blood, Murder, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Addiction, and Violence
Minor: Car accident
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