Jumping back into the wonderful world of Ashland and once again seeing some of my favorite comfort characters, was just what I needed. Despite the murders that Juliet always seems to uncover, there is something so comfortable about opening up one of the bakeshop mysteries. From the alluring descriptions of action in the bakeshop itself to the characters who are always there to support one another, there is such a feeling of nostalgia for a place I have never even been.
I love watching Juliet and Carlos navigate their life together in new ways. They never let anything stop them from always looking on the bright side of things, even when they have to deal with customers who start making ridiculous demands and making a weekend in the woods miserable for everyone around them. It was interesting to watch as our usual favorite characters have to work with new and unpredictable personalities. It really showed their growth and ability to work together as a team.
The mystery was well done and stayed interesting the entire time. The wide range of strong personalities really kept me invested into the motivations behind the crime. My only complaint was that the case seemed to wrap up quickly, and wasn’t as fast paced or high stakes as cases from the past. The place that this was the most evident was the beginning before the mystery had a chance to start. While I loved getting a glimpse in the day to day life of Juliet and her crew, I would have loved to see the mystery take the stage for a bit longer.
My final complaint is really the most important of all my complaints. There was not enough Lance. He always steals the show for me, and while he had some big parts, it was simply not enough, but I suppose it never will be enough.
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.
The Novel Llama 