Scan barcode
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 against another edition
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
anntharai's review against another edition
adventurous
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
Still on my insta-buy author list, I love everything about this series and always finish the book hungrier than I started.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Murder
Moderate: Suicide, Infidelity, Addiction, Toxic relationship, Death, Alcoholism, and Abandonment
thewellreadlabrador's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder and Death
siriface's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
smagzisreading's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-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
Moderate: Death and Murder
Minor: Suicide
marandra's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
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
3.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Murder and Toxic relationship
bellebriones's review against another edition
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Alcoholism and Infidelity
pinesandpages's review against another edition
3.0
This was perfectly fine which I was quite taken aback by since the second book in this series was one of my top 15 books of 2022. And to have this be just ok was a huge let down.
The writing felt much more “tell” not very “show.” It was a lot of exposition. At one point Lila finds a hidden note and literally thinks to herself: “A hidden note usually means someone has something to hide.” (This is not a direct quote, but a fairly accurate paraphrasing imo.)
Bc everyone involved in the murder plot was new (cousin Ronnie, the winery partners, the investors), I didn’t really care about them. I was not invested in either clearing their names or implicating them bc I simply didn’t know about them - they were introduced so briefly and sparingly.
Also, why would these new people confide so heavily in Lila, a complete (yet friendly) stranger? I was baffled by how much they disclosed to her at almost every turn.
It seems like Lila was fully over her PTSD, as if it had never existed, and had forgotten all of her previous emotional breakthroughs too. This novel felt much more surface level, just a basic mystery without the heart of the previous two.
And what was going on with Jay? The first two were fun in this department bc there was a brief love triangle possibility, there was flirting, there were some emotions. This one has none of that. Jay was just…..there. He was nice, he occasionally helped Lila out but they never flirted nor did their relationship progress in the slightest.
And, my final note: idk how Lila or Tita Rosie are staying in business with the amount of free food/drinks they give away. It was constant and always thoroughly described.
The writing felt much more “tell” not very “show.” It was a lot of exposition. At one point Lila finds a hidden note and literally thinks to herself: “A hidden note usually means someone has something to hide.” (This is not a direct quote, but a fairly accurate paraphrasing imo.)
Bc everyone involved in the murder plot was new (cousin Ronnie, the winery partners, the investors), I didn’t really care about them. I was not invested in either clearing their names or implicating them bc I simply didn’t know about them - they were introduced so briefly and sparingly.
Also, why would these new people confide so heavily in Lila, a complete (yet friendly) stranger? I was baffled by how much they disclosed to her at almost every turn.
It seems like Lila was fully over her PTSD, as if it had never existed, and had forgotten all of her previous emotional breakthroughs too. This novel felt much more surface level, just a basic mystery without the heart of the previous two.
And what was going on with Jay? The first two were fun in this department bc there was a brief love triangle possibility, there was flirting, there were some emotions. This one has none of that. Jay was just…..there. He was nice, he occasionally helped Lila out but they never flirted nor did their relationship progress in the slightest.
And, my final note: idk how Lila or Tita Rosie are staying in business with the amount of free food/drinks they give away. It was constant and always thoroughly described.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder and Alcohol
ukponge's review against another edition
adventurous
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Murder