Summer Prescott

Melissa Gladstone-Beckett owns Cupcakes in Paradise and created "Luck O' the Irish" cupcakes for the elementary school festival and the popularity of the luscious treats has instigated orders for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. The bakery is located in Calgon, Florida, aside Beach House B&B, owned with her husband, Detective Chas Beckett. In asking his wife if he can help when Melissa says she has a lot on her mind, Chas suggests a getaway with friends to upstate New York, not realizing that he'll soon be in the midst of a case outside his jurisdiction.

I loved the detective taking time away when there were no recent homicide cases to investigate in Calgon. The mystery and intrigue of the familial connection of the setting, a charity event, and friendship links enhanced the red herrings. I was quite surprised by the reveal. There's also an intriguing secret yet to unfold by a character who already seemed a man of mystery, and my curiosity is on hold for future developments.

Culinary cozy readers will not find a specific recipe, but they can easily use the mouth-watering description in Chapter 1 to create delectable cupcake treats for holiday celebrations or any time a bit of luck and celebration is shared with family and friends.

Thank you to Summer Prescott for an Amazon gift card win from a recent newsletter giveaway. This cozy was on my tbr list. I was captivated by the series title, "The INNcredibly Sweet Series," as I liked the clever highlighting of turning incredibly to INNcredibly. I wondered about the journalistic questions of who, what, where, when, why, and how of the inn. In addition, how can one pass a cover with shamrocks and a title with Irish Crème before St. Patrick's Day or any time of the year?

Reviewer's Note: As I was already intrigued by the cover, I only read the blurb once I downloaded the cozy. The blurb indicates,

"For those of you who love Missy, Chas, and the rest of the gang in the Frosted Love series, this next chapter in their story…"

I can't wait to read more of the series, and I've added the "Frosted Love" series to my tbr.… (more)

I was blown away by this box set. I was familiar with all the authors but had only read books by two of the authors, Tonya Kappes and Jenna St James. Mona Marple and Summer Prescott were new to me in the sense that I had not yet read their books.
The first story is Christmas Parties Are Murder by Jenna St James. This was a hilarious cozy. If you need to read a quick story that will lift your spirits, choose this one. It was super fun and will quickly hook you into wanting more from Nan and Amanda. You might even find yourself looking forward to your holiday office party.
The second story is The Candy Cane Killer by Mona Marple. The entire time I read this story, I honestly felt like I was back in my teen years reading Nancy Drew! If you are a Nancy Drew fan and are feeling nostalgic for her, choose this story. The sleuths are teen sisters making this an excellent story to share with the pre-teen and up in your life. I am looking into her books to see about a Christmas gift for the special pre-teen in my life.
The third book is A Charming Blend by Tonya Kappes. The characters in this story are from her Killer Coffee series and her Magical Cures series. If you are hoping to put a little paranormal magic into your holiday, choose this one. If you aren’t familiar with the two series you will become interested in them, I’m sure. If you are familiar, you might want to catch up a bit with the Killer Coffee series. This blend has a spoiler for it if you are not caught up.
The fourth book is A Lime to Kill by Summer Prescott. If you are feeling the need to completely get lost in a somewhat complicated relationship cozy and forget the hustle bustle going on, choose this story. I love the relationship between mom and daughter. It is a very realistic portrait of real relationships, the deep love yet growing up complexity that happens when your child is suddenly an adult. This was a carefully crafted mystery that builds slow then springs on you, leading to non-stop reading. This is a, ‘just one more chapter, oh my I’m done book.’
This holiday set will have you de-stressed in no time. Definitely add this one to your Christmas reading list, (it will work for Christmas in July too!).… (more)