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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
A fun read, especially for fans of the Great British Baking Show. The plot had me suspending my disbelief a little more than I like to with mysteries, but I enjoyed it anyway.
A contemporary mystery set on the grounds of a British manor during the filming of a baking show (think: Great British Bake Off).
I mixed feelings about this cozy mystery. Let me begin with a few things about me: I like cozy mysteries and I like mysteries with foodie elements, but I'm not much of a romance reader. This mystery felt like a romance under the guise of a murder mystery instead of mystery with a little romance. So, if you're a romance lover, then you will likely have a completely different reading experience than I did.
Claire, a high school history teacher who dreams of having a bakery/cafe, is thrilled to have been chosen as one of this season's contestants on a popular baking show (filmed under a tent on a estate in Britain).
The Viscount of Colburn (Jonny) has somewhat reluctantly allowed the show to be filmed on his historic estate. He's a bit of a recluse and works as an investment banker.
After the first day or so of filming, Claire goes for a walk on the estate and discovers a woman dead near the old grain mill. The murder has been staged to mimic the 250-year-old suspicious death of the 10th Viscountess of Colburn. And so starts the investigation into who is the murderer among them.
The local village detective asks Claire and Jonny to lend a hand with solving the murder. As they start to work together, Claire and Jonny begin to have feelings for each other. The plot involves the double tension of the cooking show and the fear of another murder.
I'm not completely sure why, but I never did get caught up in the murder investigation or the baking contest. I ended up skimming/speed reading the last third just to learn what ultimately happens with the show, with the investigation, and with Claire and Jonny.
My main problem with the novel--for me--was the romantic relationship. Claire and Jonny are both adults and working professionals, but the descriptions of their feelings and their reactions to each other reminded me of a middle grade crush. It really bothered me and kept pulling me out of the story.
Note that most of the cozy mysteries I read do, in fact, have some kind of romantic relationship, so that's not the issue. But in Crime Brulee, the romance seemed center stage and a bit immature. Your mileage may vary.
Thanks to Shadow Mountain for the egalley.
I mixed feelings about this cozy mystery. Let me begin with a few things about me: I like cozy mysteries and I like mysteries with foodie elements, but I'm not much of a romance reader. This mystery felt like a romance under the guise of a murder mystery instead of mystery with a little romance. So, if you're a romance lover, then you will likely have a completely different reading experience than I did.
Claire, a high school history teacher who dreams of having a bakery/cafe, is thrilled to have been chosen as one of this season's contestants on a popular baking show (filmed under a tent on a estate in Britain).
The Viscount of Colburn (Jonny) has somewhat reluctantly allowed the show to be filmed on his historic estate. He's a bit of a recluse and works as an investment banker.
After the first day or so of filming, Claire goes for a walk on the estate and discovers a woman dead near the old grain mill. The murder has been staged to mimic the 250-year-old suspicious death of the 10th Viscountess of Colburn. And so starts the investigation into who is the murderer among them.
The local village detective asks Claire and Jonny to lend a hand with solving the murder. As they start to work together, Claire and Jonny begin to have feelings for each other. The plot involves the double tension of the cooking show and the fear of another murder.
I'm not completely sure why, but I never did get caught up in the murder investigation or the baking contest. I ended up skimming/speed reading the last third just to learn what ultimately happens with the show, with the investigation, and with Claire and Jonny.
My main problem with the novel--for me--was the romantic relationship. Claire and Jonny are both adults and working professionals, but the descriptions of their feelings and their reactions to each other reminded me of a middle grade crush. It really bothered me and kept pulling me out of the story.
Note that most of the cozy mysteries I read do, in fact, have some kind of romantic relationship, so that's not the issue. But in Crime Brulee, the romance seemed center stage and a bit immature. Your mileage may vary.
Thanks to Shadow Mountain for the egalley.
A murder mystery set during a GBBO-style baking competition? I didn’t even know that was my niche, but here we are. The Crime Brûlée Bake Off serves up murder, pastries, and a dash of romance—and I ate it up.
The setup is irresistible: contestants baking under pressure while someone in the tent might be a murderer. It’s cozy crime with high-stakes piping bags and just enough tension to keep you guessing. But what really stole the show for me? The slow-burn, banter-filled romance between Claire and the Viscount. Baker’s kiss, truly. Every glance and awkward moment was pure serotonin.
This was such a fun read—light enough to breeze through but layered enough to keep me hooked. A solid four stars from me.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review—and the recipes at the end? Absolute winners. No extra cookbook needed when you've got crème brûlée in chapter form.
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I very much liked this wholesome romance with a twist of mystery to it. I would have liked it better if the mystery was a bit more front and center of the story, but it was still a lot of fun to read and I loved reading about all of the fun baked goods everyone was making.
The story is told from the two viewpoints of the main characters, Claire and Jonathan. They are both very sweet and kind characters with some quirks to them. Claire is very outgoing and likes meeting people and talking about baking. I was at first a little bit annoyed by her swearing using baking terms like ‘son of a biscuit’, but they soon grew on me and some of them were even cute. I loved how calm and competent she was while trying to solve a mystery and win a baking contest at the same time. Jonathan was outwardly grumpy but had a kind heart and I loved his inner dialogue. The romance was very wholesome and was nicely developed over the course of the story and I really enjoyed the two of them together. Their banter was a lot of fun.
The secondary characters were all nicely developed as well, and there were a lot of them. We didn’t get a lot of development on each of them, but enough to understand who they were as people. I especially liked Freya, the youngest of the group, as she often added moments of levity to tense situations. I have never watched the baking show this one is styled after, or any reality show similar to this one, but I felt that the scenes that revolved around the show were realistic enough. I liked the banter between the bakers and the hosts.
My biggest disappointment was the underdeveloped mystery. Both Claire and Jonathan were really reluctant detectives. They didn’t seem to even want to solve the mystery, but just sort of blundered around until it was obvious who the culprit was. They were more interested in investigating their feelings about each other. Also the mystery surrounding the death of the Viscountess 250 years ago had very little to do with the current murder, and it wasn’t even solved. This is apparently the first in a series, so perhaps the old mystery will eventually be solved? I certainly hope so.
If you like wholesome romances and enjoy baking or even just watching those baking shows, then this is a book you will enjoy. If you want a solid mystery that you can wrap your head around, this isn’t what you are looking for. This is a very light cozy mystery with a fun and sweet romance. The best part is the recipes in the back for some of the deserts they made in the story. Yum!
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lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
It’s a cozy story, but the climactic moment was a bit much for my stressed out heart. LOL Would recommend this for anyone looking for a cozy read with a bit more thrill (not a thriller, though!). Also, definitely for fans of TGBBO/TGBBS!
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-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