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things100's review
mysterious
reflective
tense
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
4.0
Another great book from the tita Rosie’s kitchen mysteries series where finally our fmc chooses a love interest and we find out what’s going on with the shady palms winery
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Moderate: Addiction, Alcohol, and Alcoholism
Minor: Death of parent
kiala's review
lighthearted
mysterious
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Alcohol
knunderb's review
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-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
4.0
A really fun mystery story. 5 stars for the story, 3 for the narration. The narrator takes really long pause between some periods and commas. It sounds very choppy at times.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Alcoholism and Alcohol
jenny_bean_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
The third in a charming series I really enjoy! This book, while a fun read, was not as enjoyable as the previous two books in the series to me. I would still absolutely recommend you read it. The Macapagals are back in Shady Palms, IL and we meet more of the loving Filipino-American family in this book. The mysterious cousin Ronnie comes back to town and hijinks ensue.
I feel like this particular book felt more like a vehicle to introduce more characters that will become a part of the main cast in future books than about the usual crime hunting and family ties. I think perhaps that may have been on purpose, because the crime that occurs in this book feels more senseless to the FMC at the end as well.
I did myself a disservice in not re-reading the first two books in the series before reading this one, a mistake I won't make when I read the fourth book. The world building is so good in the first two, and the character development of the FMC, if I recall correctly, was much more visible in the first two books as well. In this book she's more straight to business of crime investigation. Detective Park is much more protective of letting her get involved, and she actually listens(!!) which I think is the most growth we see out of Lila in this series.
This story did keep me guessing until the reveal. As characters started being eliminated as suspects either by Lila or by circumstance, I still did not have the twist at the end. I figured it had to be one of the newer people on the scene with such focus on the new people in this book, but I did NOT have that pegged down. It added to the cruelty and senselessness of the crimes in this book.
I may update this after re-reading the series for the fourth book, and I would definitely still recommend this awesome series.
I feel like this particular book felt more like a vehicle to introduce more characters that will become a part of the main cast in future books than about the usual crime hunting and family ties. I think perhaps that may have been on purpose, because the crime that occurs in this book feels more senseless to the FMC at the end as well.
I did myself a disservice in not re-reading the first two books in the series before reading this one, a mistake I won't make when I read the fourth book. The world building is so good in the first two, and the character development of the FMC, if I recall correctly, was much more visible in the first two books as well. In this book she's more straight to business of crime investigation. Detective Park is much more protective of letting her get involved, and she actually listens(!!) which I think is the most growth we see out of Lila in this series.
This story did keep me guessing until the reveal. As characters started being eliminated as suspects either by Lila or by circumstance, I still did not have the twist at the end. I figured it had to be one of the newer people on the scene with such focus on the new people in this book, but I did NOT have that pegged down. It added to the cruelty and senselessness of the crimes in this book.
I may update this after re-reading the series for the fourth book, and I would definitely still recommend this awesome series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Infidelity
skye_era_books's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Oh my GULAY (in Lila’s words) I loved this book so much - even more so than the first two in the series!!! I always love the chaos of this crazy family.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Murder
Minor: Alcoholism
lmcarr0314's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I enjoyed this book. Just like the other two they were enjoyable reads for me
Content Warnings
Minor: Addiction and Murder
agnesjlopez's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Alcohol, and Murder
Moderate: Classism, Grief, Infidelity, Addiction, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death of parent and Kidnapping
cheypreston's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
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
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder and Violence
caseythereader's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Abandonment, Alcohol, Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Kidnapping, and Murder
emelynreads's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
A cozy light-hearted read that even my non Filipino husband enjoyed reading! This was the first book I read in the serious and even though I could catch hints of the other books, it wasn't necessary for me to have read them prior. I was fully hungry throughout the book and laughed/gasped out loud a few times (my mom did too). I loved this book for connecting me to my culture and all the niche experiences within a Filipino family captured so entertainingly. The recipes at the end were a nice treat.
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcoholism, Death, and Murder