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A review by daybreak1012
Sugar and Iced by Jenn McKinlay
4.0
Like a cartoon snowball rolling down a hill, the further I got into this book, the faster I found myself reading. This series, after a somewhat awkward start and a little bit of a hiccup recently, has finally figured out what it is, and I couldn't be more delighted.
What I liked about Sugar and Iced:
The conversational tone - It reads comfortably, which means when I reach a point where the pages start to turn themselves, it's so easy to keep up because this author writes the way I think -- the vocabulary, the cadence of the words. It runs through my brain with a very natural feel. That's a rare find for me.
Joe DeLaura - Easily one of my top book-character crushes, ranking right up there with Derek Stone (from the Bibliophile Mysteries) and Jamie Fraser (of the Outlander series). Swoon.
Finally, a movie quote that someone had to think about! - It's no secret that quoting movie lines and naming them is a tradition for this quirky group. But no one ever misses a beat! Until now. Maybe it seems silly, but it made the characters feel more real to me as a result.
Mel's romantic struggles - I am typically not a fan of drawn out love triangles (in books or tv shows) but I can really appreciate *why* Mel is stuck and I like that we got right to understanding where her mind is on this. There's a valid reason for her hesitation and given her history, it feels right that it's giving her pause.
Chapter endings - I kind of like that each chapter feels like it ends in a mini cliffhanger. It gives me an excuse for why I need to read "just one more chapter."
What I didn't care for:
The actual case - Sure the Lupe story was predictable, but would I expect any less? Of course not. But the actual case involving the murder felt as though it could have been anyone so I never got a sense of whodunnit. It wasn't even that I was off track. It just seemed as though it could have been anyone and I had no guesses whatsoever. Odd, for me, with this genre. I'm not always right about who or why, but to have no suspicions or ability to narrow the wide field? Odd.
I truly enjoy this series. I might even put it in my top three cozy mystery series. (Please don't make me actually choose!) I am so disappointed by the final scene (I don't want to elaborate for fear of spoilers) but I am hopeful that maybe we'll sort it out in the next book or two? I know I'll be there to find out!
What I liked about Sugar and Iced:
The conversational tone - It reads comfortably, which means when I reach a point where the pages start to turn themselves, it's so easy to keep up because this author writes the way I think -- the vocabulary, the cadence of the words. It runs through my brain with a very natural feel. That's a rare find for me.
Joe DeLaura - Easily one of my top book-character crushes, ranking right up there with Derek Stone (from the Bibliophile Mysteries) and Jamie Fraser (of the Outlander series). Swoon.
Finally, a movie quote that someone had to think about! - It's no secret that quoting movie lines and naming them is a tradition for this quirky group. But no one ever misses a beat! Until now. Maybe it seems silly, but it made the characters feel more real to me as a result.
Mel's romantic struggles - I am typically not a fan of drawn out love triangles (in books or tv shows) but I can really appreciate *why* Mel is stuck and I like that we got right to understanding where her mind is on this. There's a valid reason for her hesitation and given her history, it feels right that it's giving her pause.
Chapter endings - I kind of like that each chapter feels like it ends in a mini cliffhanger. It gives me an excuse for why I need to read "just one more chapter."
What I didn't care for:
The actual case - Sure the Lupe story was predictable, but would I expect any less? Of course not. But the actual case involving the murder felt as though it could have been anyone so I never got a sense of whodunnit. It wasn't even that I was off track. It just seemed as though it could have been anyone and I had no guesses whatsoever. Odd, for me, with this genre. I'm not always right about who or why, but to have no suspicions or ability to narrow the wide field? Odd.
I truly enjoy this series. I might even put it in my top three cozy mystery series. (Please don't make me actually choose!) I am so disappointed by the final scene (I don't want to elaborate for fear of spoilers) but I am hopeful that maybe we'll sort it out in the next book or two? I know I'll be there to find out!