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flyinglark's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
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
3.5
I'm always down for a family-oriented, food-based cozy mystery. As the third instalment of A Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery, we find Lila in a better headspace preparing for the Winter Bash. A thorn in her side, her cousin Ronnie is back in town and is bound to cause trouble. She wasn't expecting it to be blackmail and murder.
I was interested in Ronnie and his frayed relationships with his family. Can people change and be better? How much does Ronnie need to prove to show he is not a screw-up? How can he reintegrate into the family? Her aunt and her grandma have raised Lila and she understands the pain Ronnie caused when dipped out. It's understandable why she is hostile. But does it mean she will still help him just because he is family?
I don't remember the first book's plot, and it didn't wow me to pick up the second right away. I'm glad I did after years because the characters are growing. The mystery overall was okay, and the romance between Dr. Park and Lila was minimal. The food descriptions are mouthwatering, and the narrator embodies the aunties well.
amcngstars's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
thereticentseer's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book as much as the last installments. The mystery, the characters and the food were all great as always. But a minor bummer was the fact that Lila and Jae had less screen time lol.
mrsclicquot's review against another edition
3.0
Cute cozy mystery. I felt it did a good job in depicting how multifaceted a family dynamic is. The one constant (of course) is the love they have for each other and while this theme is so cliche, I feel like it was a good reminder.
Read it in one day. Liked it way more than Halo-Halo and Homicide. Can’t wait to read the next one.
Read it in one day. Liked it way more than Halo-Halo and Homicide. Can’t wait to read the next one.
annie1017's review against another edition
3.0
I had a long review written before Goodreads crashed and now I can’t be damned to write it all again. Tldr, listened to this on audiobook. The narrator has a fun voice but reads way too slow and pauses at the weirdest spots, often in the middle of sentences. I ended up listening to it at 1.1x speed but that made the random pauses even more obnoxious. I love the diversity representation and it’s a light and quick read/listen. But let’s be real: the writing is just ok, the plot is just ok, and the characters are all completely flat.
shann_nat's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.0
taypoor's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-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
3.5