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sparklingreader's review
4.0
Thoughts: I haven’t read this author before but will be looking for more of her books. I had a little trouble getting into the story…it was a little slow for me and the multiple points of view (instead of just the main character) was a little different. But once I got into the story, I did enjoy it. All the cozy mystery tropes are there: (relatively) small town, amateur sleuth, lots of friends to help with clue-finding, friend in jeopardy, and more. The clues are there, but the villain isn’t obvious. Also, even though I haven’t read the first two books in the series, it wasn’t hard to follow who was who and the relationships among all the characters. In this book, there are actually a couple of mysteries going on—the main one (who killed Yvette) and a secondary one (who is attacking college students where Spencer works and pinning them to the walls).
What I liked: the characters are well done and easily relatable. Dani was fed up with her corporate life and downsized to run her own catering business—which seems to be doing well. Spencer is a good counter for her with his own background issues. And the girls who live with Dani are fun. They keep the age level from being too one-sided and add another layer to the story. The ending was satisfying, solving the mystery while leaving threads dangling so you know there is more to come.
What I didn’t like: very little. It’s a sweet cozy mystery—though told from two points of view (Dani and Spencer) which makes it a little different than others. It does get a little slow sometimes and usually, with a “food” cozy, there are recipes included which there aren’t here. So some things that make it different than others. But that is not necessarily a bad thing.
Recommendation: If you like cozy mysteries, definitely check this one out as well as others by the author.
Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in hopes of an honest review. All opinions are my own and are not influenced by anyone.
What I liked: the characters are well done and easily relatable. Dani was fed up with her corporate life and downsized to run her own catering business—which seems to be doing well. Spencer is a good counter for her with his own background issues. And the girls who live with Dani are fun. They keep the age level from being too one-sided and add another layer to the story. The ending was satisfying, solving the mystery while leaving threads dangling so you know there is more to come.
What I didn’t like: very little. It’s a sweet cozy mystery—though told from two points of view (Dani and Spencer) which makes it a little different than others. It does get a little slow sometimes and usually, with a “food” cozy, there are recipes included which there aren’t here. So some things that make it different than others. But that is not necessarily a bad thing.
Recommendation: If you like cozy mysteries, definitely check this one out as well as others by the author.
Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in hopes of an honest review. All opinions are my own and are not influenced by anyone.
alireadsandknits's review
2.0
I enjoyed the first two books of this series. This one, not so much.
My first issue is Spencer's possessiveness of Dani. It made me cringe. They've had about 6 or 8 dates and his actions and thoughts gave me bad vibes. Second, her father's verbal abuse was disturbing. If I had not been reading a cozy mystery, I would have thought I was reading a book about the warning signs for domestic abuse.
This is the end of the series for me.
My first issue is Spencer's possessiveness of Dani. It made me cringe. They've had about 6 or 8 dates and his actions and thoughts gave me bad vibes. Second, her father's verbal abuse was disturbing. If I had not been reading a cozy mystery, I would have thought I was reading a book about the warning signs for domestic abuse.
This is the end of the series for me.
jennalajoki's review
3.0
I really went in to this book with low expectations because I felt like the title was cheesy which might translate to the book being cheesy. I have to say I was surprised. I was engaged the entire book and really like the characters, especially Dani. The only reason this book got 3 stars was because of the ending. I really thought some of the side stories were going to tie in to the murder and there would be a shocking reveal that everything was connected. Unfortunately that didn’t happen so I felt like some of the side stories were unnecessary. It just ended a little flat. Other than that, I really did have a great time reading this.
kookie327's review
5.0
*4.5 This series is fantastic! I love the characters, I love the setting, I love the mysteries! There was however something holding me back from giving this one a full 5 stars. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but nonetheless, this was great! Excited for the next book to come out!
johnw613's review
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
3.5
A wealthy socialite is murdered at her engagement party. Dani Sloan is catering the event and finds herself wrapped up in the investigation when the list of suspects comes to include the security officer she’s dating…who happens to be the victim’s ex husband! This third Chef-to-Go mystery features some deepening of the portraits of the main characters and some intriguing backstory. Other characters seem to be made more from cardboard and author Denise Swanson has a regrettable tendency to load in superfluous side plots like salt on a batch of French fries. Some of the prose is downright clunky as well, though the culinary angle is an effective hook. She’s closer to hitting her stride, though, and I’m curious to explore Dani’s troubled relationship with her widowed father.
wildflowerz76's review
3.0
In this 3rd entry in the Chef-ToGo series, Dani is hired to cater the engagement party of the owner of the local minor league baseball team. And if all goes well, she hopes to get the job for all the wedding-related events. But when a terrible storm collapses the tent the event is held in, the bride-to-be is left dead...and it looks like it's no accident!
This wasn't my favorite of Swanson's books, though she's definitely one of my favorite cozy writers. I found Dani to be rather a prude and all the main characters to feel unrealistic. The mystery wasn't bad and I'll continue with the series, but I didn't love it.
This wasn't my favorite of Swanson's books, though she's definitely one of my favorite cozy writers. I found Dani to be rather a prude and all the main characters to feel unrealistic. The mystery wasn't bad and I'll continue with the series, but I didn't love it.
ncrabb's review
4.0
In this third book in the series, Chef Dani overhears a disturbing conversation at a wedding engagement party. The evil bride-to-be is the ex-wife of Dani's campus cop boyfriend, Spencer. While a large gathering sits at tables under a tent enjoying Dani's repast, a tornado breaks over the tent, collapsing it. By the time the able attendees rescue those who are trapped under the tent, the evil bride-to-be is dead. Someone murdered her, and it relates to that snatch of conversation Chef Dani heard earlier.
This isn't my favorite series Swanson writes, but it's outstanding just the same. I always look forward to my visits with the Illinois college town and this cadre of characters that has come to matter so much to me. It's the kind of series you want to immerse yourself in without having to expend huge amounts of concentration. There aren't so many characters that can confuse you, and thankfully she doesn't resort to the tiresome trope of telling stories in two time frames. I'm so sick of that style I could scream.
This isn't my favorite series Swanson writes, but it's outstanding just the same. I always look forward to my visits with the Illinois college town and this cadre of characters that has come to matter so much to me. It's the kind of series you want to immerse yourself in without having to expend huge amounts of concentration. There aren't so many characters that can confuse you, and thankfully she doesn't resort to the tiresome trope of telling stories in two time frames. I'm so sick of that style I could scream.