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ncrabb's review
2.0
I’ve enjoyed the other books in this series I’ve read because you learn so much about life as a chef—all that high pressure, the sometimes-cutthroat nature of the restaurant worker culture—it’s all fascinating in addition to the mystery. Sadly, in this mystery, things just fell short for me all around.
Chloe Carter mourns the breakup in an earlier book with her lover, Josh, who jetted off to Hawaii to be a private chef for a family there. So devastated is Chloe that she can’t move on no matter what she does. And that’s one of the problems I encountered with the book. Her teenage girl angst seems to fill endless pages and pages, and the mystery plot seemed ridiculously thin.
I came to think less of Chloe Carter, too. She’s pursuing a degree in social work, and she clearly hates the option. She is jobless as the book begins, and she’s seriously in debt. But she sheepishly drops money she doesn’t really have on things she doesn’t need. It is that joblessness that motivates her to look for a job on a social networking site. The son of a famous domineering chef wants a writer/editor who can help with a cookbook he’s preparing. Chloe jumps at the job, and she gets it. The job involves convincing a mix of obscure and well-known chefs in Boston to provide recipes for the book and comments on the recipe. One of the people she targets first is her ex-boyfriend’s former roommate, Digger. He agrees to give her a demonstration of his recipes at his modest house, and Chloe invites her new boss and his domineering father along. When they get there, Digger’s place is in flames, and Digger died in the conflagration.
I’m writing the review for this only two days after finishing the book, and already I struggle to remember the details of how things turn out so unremarkable is the mystery part of the plot for me. Naturally, Josh comes home from Hawaii when he hears of Digger’s death, and there’s the obligatory swoon reunion. Good heavens!
Chloe Carter mourns the breakup in an earlier book with her lover, Josh, who jetted off to Hawaii to be a private chef for a family there. So devastated is Chloe that she can’t move on no matter what she does. And that’s one of the problems I encountered with the book. Her teenage girl angst seems to fill endless pages and pages, and the mystery plot seemed ridiculously thin.
I came to think less of Chloe Carter, too. She’s pursuing a degree in social work, and she clearly hates the option. She is jobless as the book begins, and she’s seriously in debt. But she sheepishly drops money she doesn’t really have on things she doesn’t need. It is that joblessness that motivates her to look for a job on a social networking site. The son of a famous domineering chef wants a writer/editor who can help with a cookbook he’s preparing. Chloe jumps at the job, and she gets it. The job involves convincing a mix of obscure and well-known chefs in Boston to provide recipes for the book and comments on the recipe. One of the people she targets first is her ex-boyfriend’s former roommate, Digger. He agrees to give her a demonstration of his recipes at his modest house, and Chloe invites her new boss and his domineering father along. When they get there, Digger’s place is in flames, and Digger died in the conflagration.
I’m writing the review for this only two days after finishing the book, and already I struggle to remember the details of how things turn out so unremarkable is the mystery part of the plot for me. Naturally, Josh comes home from Hawaii when he hears of Digger’s death, and there’s the obligatory swoon reunion. Good heavens!
cozyreads1988's review
3.0
This book had some of the best scenes of the series and some of the most annoying. Would have been 4 stars but wasn’t a fan of ending. Overall an entertaining series, I recommend listening to it on audiobook. Great narrator.
_kristiew_'s review
5.0
This was an excellent book. I really loved the ending and am so sad that the series isn't continuing. Just like the other books in this series, it was well written, humorous, and the mystery plot was very good. (I'd give more details, but I'd spoil the book for you lol!)
jebbie74's review
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I love cozy mysteries with a foodie theme. And the Conants are pretty good at setting up a mystery. This one had more to do with character development with a little too much romance/break up, but that can be forgiven. Chloe whines just a little too much about not living Josh but that also can be forgiven. I’d never try the recipes at the end as they’re too high faluting for me but they do sound a little yummy.
tiffster's review
3.0
When I first started reading this book, the main character had the most annoying, whiny, valley girl voice, in my head. It took a good 60 pages to get rid of that. For half of the book, Chloe was missing her ex-boyfriend Josh. Was near tears, at every moment. Even though she missed him, she wanted nothing to do with him. You would not get that from the fact that she mentions Josh on every page of the book. For a while I was counting how many times Josh was mentioned, but stopped when I got to 95,000. I suspect that the grand total is somewhere near 1 bajillion. The mystery of the murder was solved within the last 10 pages or so. It seemed like there was an attitude of, 'if the murder gets solved, it gets solved... if it doesn't, it doesnt'. And then, bam you did this is shouted at the culprit and the book is essentially over. No worries, because Josh is mentioned a few more times. Overall, kind of entertaining, that's why it gets three stars.
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