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sjholmes's review
4.0
Felicity Koerber has her life back on track, maybe. At least until she finds a body outside of her bar-to-chocolate store on Galveston island. Or at least until she realizes that her assistant Mateo (who replaced her murdered assistant) has disappeared and is either the most likely suspect, or also dead. And then there’s the young widow’s confusion over whether she might be ready for romance again.
This book is just the second of a series. The plot does stand alone, though readers will miss the deeper character development that occurs in this volume without reading the first book. The story moves quickly, with twists and turns giving an opportunity to get insight into the trafficking of exotic animals, the endangered Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle that nests on the island, and, of course, making chocolate.
I greatly enjoyed my time on the island with Felicity, her friends, and her family. These engaging characters and thoughtful storylines will keep me returning to this series.
This book is just the second of a series. The plot does stand alone, though readers will miss the deeper character development that occurs in this volume without reading the first book. The story moves quickly, with twists and turns giving an opportunity to get insight into the trafficking of exotic animals, the endangered Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle that nests on the island, and, of course, making chocolate.
I greatly enjoyed my time on the island with Felicity, her friends, and her family. These engaging characters and thoughtful storylines will keep me returning to this series.
hugbandit7's review
5.0
Calling all chocolate lovers! This cozy series will keep you entertained and salivating over truffles, chocolate bars, and many other treats that are whipped up in the Greetings and Felicitations shop in Galveston. Too bad it isn't a real shop that I could go visit in the future!
This is the second book in this series and it does help to read the first book to get a feel for all of the characters and their back story. Felicity is running a shop that was supposed to be with her husband before he died unexpectedly. She still has many fond memories of her husband and their plans, but she moves forward without him but not without some sad moments. Logan is the potential new guy in her life that we met in the first book. They both have reservations and there are some good conversations between them and what they might be able to have going forward. Of course, there are some misunderstandings and dates with others before they get to that point. Felicity is set up with her ex-boyfriend's girlfriend's brother, Wallace. Wallace is a bit of an odd duck and really doesn't knock Felicity's socks off. It is an awkward situation for sure considering all involved parties.
I really enjoyed the variety of characters and their quirkiness. The author does a great job of bringing in multiple cultures, beliefs, interests, and personality types. It is hard to know which character to like or dislike and are they involved in the murder of Fabian found outside the front door of Felicity's shop? It takes a fair amount of digging by Felicity and Logan to get to the bottom of the murder. I had to crack up at one of the characters that Felicity called "Fake Leslie." This woman knew what she was doing and what she wanted to discover and wasn't afraid to use anyone else to get the information she needed.
There is a surprising animal that could have stolen the book, Clive the octopus that is Mateo's pet. I learned a bit about this breed and how you could have an octopus as a pet. Not that I want one, but fascinating information. The author also sheds life on sea turtles and how some are on the road to becoming extinct which is a shame.
The mystery is not an easy one to solve but I have to say that I did suspect the right character, I just didn't know why or at least not all of the potential details. I don't want to spoil anything so it is hard to share too many details about why I suspected this character. The character's behavior near the end, when discovered, was a bit strange, but made sense all things considered.
There is so much to like about this series and I look forward to future installments and learning more about hand-crafted chocolate. We give this book 5 paws up.
This is the second book in this series and it does help to read the first book to get a feel for all of the characters and their back story. Felicity is running a shop that was supposed to be with her husband before he died unexpectedly. She still has many fond memories of her husband and their plans, but she moves forward without him but not without some sad moments. Logan is the potential new guy in her life that we met in the first book. They both have reservations and there are some good conversations between them and what they might be able to have going forward. Of course, there are some misunderstandings and dates with others before they get to that point. Felicity is set up with her ex-boyfriend's girlfriend's brother, Wallace. Wallace is a bit of an odd duck and really doesn't knock Felicity's socks off. It is an awkward situation for sure considering all involved parties.
I really enjoyed the variety of characters and their quirkiness. The author does a great job of bringing in multiple cultures, beliefs, interests, and personality types. It is hard to know which character to like or dislike and are they involved in the murder of Fabian found outside the front door of Felicity's shop? It takes a fair amount of digging by Felicity and Logan to get to the bottom of the murder. I had to crack up at one of the characters that Felicity called "Fake Leslie." This woman knew what she was doing and what she wanted to discover and wasn't afraid to use anyone else to get the information she needed.
There is a surprising animal that could have stolen the book, Clive the octopus that is Mateo's pet. I learned a bit about this breed and how you could have an octopus as a pet. Not that I want one, but fascinating information. The author also sheds life on sea turtles and how some are on the road to becoming extinct which is a shame.
The mystery is not an easy one to solve but I have to say that I did suspect the right character, I just didn't know why or at least not all of the potential details. I don't want to spoil anything so it is hard to share too many details about why I suspected this character. The character's behavior near the end, when discovered, was a bit strange, but made sense all things considered.
There is so much to like about this series and I look forward to future installments and learning more about hand-crafted chocolate. We give this book 5 paws up.
annarella's review
4.0
I enjoyed the second installment in this series as it's fast paced and compelling.
I was glad to catch up with the characters, enjoyed the descriptions of the shop and the chocolate.
The mystery is full of twists and turns, it kept me guessing.
Even if it can be read as a stand alone it's better to read the series in order
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
I was glad to catch up with the characters, enjoyed the descriptions of the shop and the chocolate.
The mystery is full of twists and turns, it kept me guessing.
Even if it can be read as a stand alone it's better to read the series in order
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
mchavarria228's review
5.0
70% Dark Intentions is the second book in Amber Royer’s “Bean to Bar” Mystery series, and it doesn’t disappoint. Having read the first in the series, I feel like it helped provide me the background of the characters and the relationships that were already formed and that continue to form. When Felicity stumbles upon another dead body at her chocolate shop, it’s up to her to clear the dark cloud looming over the reputation of the brand-new shop – all while taking care of Clive the pet octopus!
This book is entertaining and engaging. What I like the most about this series is it’s not just about the mystery, but there’s depth to the characters and their stories are entertaining as well. The mystery did keep you guessing, but it left you intrigued. I look forward to future books in this series – I hope it continues!
This book is entertaining and engaging. What I like the most about this series is it’s not just about the mystery, but there’s depth to the characters and their stories are entertaining as well. The mystery did keep you guessing, but it left you intrigued. I look forward to future books in this series – I hope it continues!
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