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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
Hannah and her zany orange cat Moisha are back at it again. A baking contest has come to Lake Eden, and Hannah is making her famous Strawberry Shortcake Swenson (yum! I always get so hungry and want to fill my house with cupcakes reading Joanne Fluke’s cozies with all the delicious descriptions and recipes!)
But when one of the judges is murdered, and it happens to be the basketball coach who Hannah knows has been abusing his wife Danielle, suspicion turns to her. Hannah and her sister Andrea have to figure out what other clues there are and what other suspects there could be before the police make it a too-easy case of domestic abuse turned murder. This one was fun for all the twists, Hannah running all over town with a million cookies in the back of her truck, and the way the plot eventually worked out. I always love settling down in Lake Eden for a good cozy.
But when one of the judges is murdered, and it happens to be the basketball coach who Hannah knows has been abusing his wife Danielle, suspicion turns to her. Hannah and her sister Andrea have to figure out what other clues there are and what other suspects there could be before the police make it a too-easy case of domestic abuse turned murder. This one was fun for all the twists, Hannah running all over town with a million cookies in the back of her truck, and the way the plot eventually worked out. I always love settling down in Lake Eden for a good cozy.
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
Wasn’t a fan of Anorexia being referred to as a diet and didn’t like at all that the R slur was used. It was used in regards to someone who may have had a speech impediment.
I'm starting to adore this series. I love how the sisters are total different personalities but they always help each other out without the asking for it.
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Domestic abuse
Minor: Drug use, Eating disorder
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
Maybe reading the series back-to-back was a bad idea...
In this second installment of the Hannah Swensen series, the author took a hard right turn into Hallmark territory and I was not a fan. The "love triangle" our main character finds herself in did not develop much; she's sort of seeing both men but nothing serious with either of them. We get suggestions of adult themes, but mainly of the pg joke variety (ex. If you're worried about the killer, you don't have to go home alone...) On one hand, I get it: both men are pretty boring and lackluster. But why bother to include it at all?!
The mystery this time has more going on with it, but I was really offended by how dumb she was this time around. Once we get a major break in the case, we immediately get introduced to a new character with direct ties to this clue but she is completely oblivious. Heck, at multiple times she acknowledges the growing connections but shakes it off for who knows what reason. I was just so angry with her.
However, what I found most absurd is how popular her cookie shop is! For living in a small Minnesota town I'm shocked that her cookie store (note: it isn't a bakery or coffee shop) is so busy in the morning AND she has to be mindful of the afternoon rush. Plus, I'm over the main theme of the series; I get it, she likes cookies, but they are everywhere and she treats them like drugs (she pushes them on her sister to calm her down and regularly tries to get her cookie/chocolate/sugar fix).
I MIGHT come back for the third book, but for now, I need to take a break from this saccharine series.
In this second installment of the Hannah Swensen series, the author took a hard right turn into Hallmark territory and I was not a fan. The "love triangle" our main character finds herself in did not develop much; she's sort of seeing both men but nothing serious with either of them. We get suggestions of adult themes, but mainly of the pg joke variety (ex. If you're worried about the killer, you don't have to go home alone...) On one hand, I get it: both men are pretty boring and lackluster. But why bother to include it at all?!
The mystery this time has more going on with it, but I was really offended by how dumb she was this time around. Once we get a major break in the case, we immediately get introduced to a new character with direct ties to this clue but she is completely oblivious. Heck, at multiple times she acknowledges the growing connections but shakes it off for who knows what reason. I was just so angry with her.
However, what I found most absurd is how popular her cookie shop is! For living in a small Minnesota town I'm shocked that her cookie store (note: it isn't a bakery or coffee shop) is so busy in the morning AND she has to be mindful of the afternoon rush. Plus, I'm over the main theme of the series; I get it, she likes cookies, but they are everywhere and she treats them like drugs (she pushes them on her sister to calm her down and regularly tries to get her cookie/chocolate/sugar fix).
I MIGHT come back for the third book, but for now, I need to take a break from this saccharine series.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Murder
challenging
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
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:
Complicated
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Body shaming, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Racism
Minor: Ableism, Domestic abuse
Another really good book I'm really starting to love these cosy murder books this year is the first time I've tried them didn't even know this was a thing so Hannah is part of a bake off she's one of the judges and so is the wife beater Danielle's husband I really don't like his character and how he made a few of and how he made a few the contestants upset he could have been nicer even if he did not like their cakes more fool him though because he ends up dead and now there's just trying to find out if Danielle did it it or was it somebody else I love these books because I never guess who did it and all the great recipes what are in there always makes me hungry though I love Hannah and Mike's characters and all the characters in this book apart from the one who died and what happened in the beginning with the catnip and the cat has he thought it was an intruder but it was just her cat she was stupid for leaving the catnip out lol