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auudrey's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-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
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Physical abuse, Violence, Alcoholism, Infidelity, Emotional abuse, and Abandonment
Minor: Suicide attempt and Addiction
theblushbookworm's review
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I really like Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mysteries for their lighthearted simplicity. In “Blackmail and Bibingka”, Lila’s cousin Ronnie is back in Shady Palms, becoming the latest Macapagal ensnared in a murder investigation. Lila remains ever nosy and inserts herself into the investigation with lots of snarky judgement towards her cousin. I always enjoy the humor in this series, though sometimes it’s a little cringe for my taste (looking at you Adeena), and “Blackmail and Bibingka” is back to a lighter humor and topic like “Arsenic and Adobo”. I listened to this book as an audiobook and listening really brought the characters to life, especially Tita Rosie, Lola Flor, and the Calendar Crew. These mysteries are perfect for a reading slump or someone trying to get into reading!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Minor: Suicide attempt
kekepania's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-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? No
5.0
This is my favorite of the original 3 books in the series. The characters are likable, the mysteries are serious but we don't dwell on anything too scary or gross, and the Filipino cultural references are so interesting! The main character Lila is written as intelligent and friendly, a competent business woman, but not without flaws. Plus there's plenty of mention of the main doggo!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Suicide attempt
uranaishi's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Drug use, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death, Emotional abuse, Classism, Kidnapping, Medical content, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Grief, Gun violence, and Infidelity
Minor: Sexual content, Infertility, Pregnancy, and Stalking
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