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3.42 AVERAGE
3.42 AVERAGE
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Loved the twist and the ending (though Mike is SUCH a sexist pig (in more ways than one, acab) and this book firmly cemented me in the camp of #teamnorman)
These are so dippy and dorky but kind of fun. This one had less plot and intrigue than most...felt almost like a mid-series novella...but it was cute and sweet. I like Hannah and Lake Eden is nothing if not predictable.
I honestly don't know why Hannah isn't a baker by day and doing night shifts at the police department lol. I enjoy this series and plan to continue reading. I like that she includes recipes in the books and always wondered if the recipes are good. I should definitely test at least one out. I feel like that would make the books even better to know the recipes are real and delicious.
I enjoyed the simple storyline; however, this was painful on audio. I ended up finishing it in ebook format, which was better. I probably won't read any more of these, but it was a nice change from the heavier stuff I've been reading and listening to.
This should’ve been a lot longer. The pacing was just so off. The murder didn’t even take place u til about 70 pages in.
This wasn’t the best of the Hannah Swenson series. At some points it was just as focused on the food as the mystery. It was also much shorter than most and only looks long because it contains over 50 recipes in the back. In my opinion it’s the mystery book equivalent of a bottle episode of television.
*I won this book in a GoodReads Giveaway*
First things first - don't be fooled. This book is not 350 pages. It's 168 pages of story and the rest - yes, the entire rest of it, are recipes.
Luckily enough, in this book, it works. I wouldn't have wanted the author to try to drag it out. There just wasn't enough going on for the book to be any longer than it was. Kind of unsure why the author doesn't just write cookbooks though.
As for the story itself - the murder/mystery was fine. Nothing special or particularly surprising, but I think the author has a very pleasing writing style (with the exception of what I mention below) that helped move the book along at a good pace. The reason why I can't justify giving it a fourth star (this type of book I don't think can possibly be a five star) is that the characters were so mean, petty, jealous and hypocritical - yes, even our heroine Hannah - in fact, I'd go so far to say especially our heroine. I wish we could trade her out for someone else. I know it's a small town - but I wish that gossipy, judgmental, holier-than-thou rhetoric this book pushes could've died instead of Brandi. It took away from the story. I entered the giveaway because I enjoyed the Hallmark movies. That Hannah was so much better.
I rounded up - but really 2.5 stars.
First things first - don't be fooled. This book is not 350 pages. It's 168 pages of story and the rest - yes, the entire rest of it, are recipes.
Luckily enough, in this book, it works. I wouldn't have wanted the author to try to drag it out. There just wasn't enough going on for the book to be any longer than it was. Kind of unsure why the author doesn't just write cookbooks though.
As for the story itself - the murder/mystery was fine. Nothing special or particularly surprising, but I think the author has a very pleasing writing style (with the exception of what I mention below) that helped move the book along at a good pace. The reason why I can't justify giving it a fourth star (this type of book I don't think can possibly be a five star) is that the characters were so mean, petty, jealous and hypocritical - yes, even our heroine Hannah - in fact, I'd go so far to say especially our heroine. I wish we could trade her out for someone else. I know it's a small town - but I wish that gossipy, judgmental, holier-than-thou rhetoric this book pushes could've died instead of Brandi. It took away from the story. I entered the giveaway because I enjoyed the Hallmark movies. That Hannah was so much better.
I rounded up - but really 2.5 stars.