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Wedding Cake Mysteries #2
The Look of Love
Piper Donovan accepts when the owner of Elysium, an exclusive spa and plastic surgery center, offers her an all-expenses-paid trip to Los Angeles to create a dazzling and unique wedding cake. The job also gives Piper the time and distance she needs to sort out her feelings for handsome FBI agent Jack Lombardi.
The ultra-luxurious spa caters to the rich and famous in need of a little “refreshing”—a nip here, a tuck there, a little Botox, a little detox. Nestled in the Hollywood Hills, Elysium seems picture-perfect: the grounds, the staff, even the guests. But no sooner does Piper arrive than a guest is brutally murdered in one of the private bungalows. Someone, it seems, wants to make sure Elysium’s beautiful director, Jillian Abernathy, never gets to walk down the aisle. Piper soon discovers that beneath the glamorous surface of this idyllic oasis lies an ugly truth—and a cold-blooded plan for murder.
The ultra-luxurious spa caters to the rich and famous in need of a little “refreshing”—a nip here, a tuck there, a little Botox, a little detox. Nestled in the Hollywood Hills, Elysium seems picture-perfect: the grounds, the staff, even the guests. But no sooner does Piper arrive than a guest is brutally murdered in one of the private bungalows. Someone, it seems, wants to make sure Elysium’s beautiful director, Jillian Abernathy, never gets to walk down the aisle. Piper soon discovers that beneath the glamorous surface of this idyllic oasis lies an ugly truth—and a cold-blooded plan for murder.
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First published December 27, 2011
133 people are currently reading
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About the author
Mary Jane Clark
41 books464 followersMary Jane Elizabeth Behrends Clark (1954-) is the author of thirteen novels, including 12 in the KEY News media thriller series, and one in her new Wedding Cake mystery series. A veteran writer and producer for CBS News, Clark worked for almost three decades at the network’s New York City headquarters. Her books are published in twenty-three languages. She lives in New Jersey and Florida.
Clark's former mother-in-law and sister-in-law are the authors Mary Higgins Clark and Carol Higgins Clark, respectively.
Clark's former mother-in-law and sister-in-law are the authors Mary Higgins Clark and Carol Higgins Clark, respectively.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 208 reviews
June 11, 2019
I absolutely love this book!
October 5, 2022
A great cozy Wedding Cake Mystery....love the main character!
May 20, 2023
Not quite a cozy but super cheesy in all the right places.
March 27, 2017
I LOVE this series. LOVE. IT. And there were SO many people who COULD have done it that I just never knew who to choose! And then when it was revealed, I was surprised, but not shocked. Twisted. Very, very twisted. The things people do for what they believe is "love".
February 12, 2015
You wait and wait to find out who is trying to harm Jillian, only to get a snippet of an explanation that wrapped up without any details. What happend ?!?!? Again, one and two page chapters are extremely annoying.
February 13, 2016
Easy, clean read.
January 29, 2013
Originally posted at Nose in a Book
I picked this book up for the cover. If I had shame I wouldn’t tell you that. Good for all of you I have no shame. I was in a book slump. Sad but true. You’d think with 300+ books in my waiting to be read queue, I wouldn’t have that problem. Sadly, it happened.
So when I was at the library last week I picked this up.Late one night I decided you know what, lets read it. Then the problem happened I got sucked into this book and the next thing I know it is two am and I’m reading a murder mystery and everyone is asleep.This book was a fast, quick, cozy read. I enjoyed it. It was the second book in the series, I haven’t read the first one and I still enjoyed it.
I want to know more about Piper and her struggling actress career who happens to be amazing at baking. I want to know more about her guy friend that she happens to be in love with yet spends most of the book in denial about their love. Piper is smart, caring, and she doesn’t fall for a lot of shit. She cares and yet she stands up for herself and doesn’t let people walk all over here. I related to Piper a lot more than I thought I would because we have next to nothing in common, but I shockingly related to her a lot more than I ever thought I would. Which was a lovely surprise.
I can’t recommend this book more for someone who is looking for a quick, fun mystery.
I picked this book up for the cover. If I had shame I wouldn’t tell you that. Good for all of you I have no shame. I was in a book slump. Sad but true. You’d think with 300+ books in my waiting to be read queue, I wouldn’t have that problem. Sadly, it happened.
So when I was at the library last week I picked this up.Late one night I decided you know what, lets read it. Then the problem happened I got sucked into this book and the next thing I know it is two am and I’m reading a murder mystery and everyone is asleep.This book was a fast, quick, cozy read. I enjoyed it. It was the second book in the series, I haven’t read the first one and I still enjoyed it.
I want to know more about Piper and her struggling actress career who happens to be amazing at baking. I want to know more about her guy friend that she happens to be in love with yet spends most of the book in denial about their love. Piper is smart, caring, and she doesn’t fall for a lot of shit. She cares and yet she stands up for herself and doesn’t let people walk all over here. I related to Piper a lot more than I thought I would because we have next to nothing in common, but I shockingly related to her a lot more than I ever thought I would. Which was a lovely surprise.
I can’t recommend this book more for someone who is looking for a quick, fun mystery.
March 25, 2023
I am surprising myself at how much I am enjoying Mary Jane Clark's wedding cake mysteries. I don't enjoy romances but prefer thrillers and good mysteries. This fills the bill. Will move on to number three. BTW, I didn't guess whodunit. But all the clues were there!
August 29, 2020
Don’t like this series as well as the KEY News Mysteres by the same author, but still an enjoyable read
December 7, 2011
Piper Donovan isn't the average wedding cake baker. In fact she's only made one wedding cake before, but what a cake it was. On the basis of that one cake, she has been asked to come to Los Angeles and make a cake for Jillian Abernathy, director of Elysium. A trip to LA, a wedding cake, some acid in the face and a few murders are all ingredients in The Look of Love by Mary Jane Clark.
Piper may not be a traditional wedding cake baker/decorator but she does have excellent skills. These skills are definitely going to be put to the test as she only has a few weeks to design and decorate the cake. Piper isn't worried, although her father and friend Jack are wary. Jillian's maid recent was the victim of an acid attack and needless to say Jack and Mr. Donovan don't feel that Piper's trip will be uneventful.
Piper isn't a foolhardy young woman. She knows that she wants to be an actor and that there are more opportunities in LA than in New York. She also knows that doing a cake for Jillian Abernathy, not to mention an all-expense paid trip to California and a stay at a topnotch spa resort is an excellent opportunity. Or is it? Unfortunately there is a murder at the spa on the day of Piper's arrival. Is this a sign of things to come?
I'm not quite sure why this is classified as a Piper Donovan mystery as Piper seems to be more of a bystander and not actively involved in the murders. She does get dragged into a minor investigation into the antics of one of the spa's employees by an undercover journalist. However, she's not really involved in the murders or murder investigations other than being in the same facility at approximately the same time.
There's some intrigue involved in this story but it didn't really keep my interest. The characters are relatively realistic but I had difficulty accepting that Jillian could deal with having such a high-pressure job, director of an elite spa, but quickly fall apart over everything else. There were parts of the story that worked and worked quite well: Piper and her friendship with Jack, Piper's overprotective father and his worrying, and the investigation by the undercover journalist. In the end, I didn't really find The Look of Love all that mysterious or captivating a read. It's a decent read but it didn't work for me.
Piper may not be a traditional wedding cake baker/decorator but she does have excellent skills. These skills are definitely going to be put to the test as she only has a few weeks to design and decorate the cake. Piper isn't worried, although her father and friend Jack are wary. Jillian's maid recent was the victim of an acid attack and needless to say Jack and Mr. Donovan don't feel that Piper's trip will be uneventful.
Piper isn't a foolhardy young woman. She knows that she wants to be an actor and that there are more opportunities in LA than in New York. She also knows that doing a cake for Jillian Abernathy, not to mention an all-expense paid trip to California and a stay at a topnotch spa resort is an excellent opportunity. Or is it? Unfortunately there is a murder at the spa on the day of Piper's arrival. Is this a sign of things to come?
I'm not quite sure why this is classified as a Piper Donovan mystery as Piper seems to be more of a bystander and not actively involved in the murders. She does get dragged into a minor investigation into the antics of one of the spa's employees by an undercover journalist. However, she's not really involved in the murders or murder investigations other than being in the same facility at approximately the same time.
There's some intrigue involved in this story but it didn't really keep my interest. The characters are relatively realistic but I had difficulty accepting that Jillian could deal with having such a high-pressure job, director of an elite spa, but quickly fall apart over everything else. There were parts of the story that worked and worked quite well: Piper and her friendship with Jack, Piper's overprotective father and his worrying, and the investigation by the undercover journalist. In the end, I didn't really find The Look of Love all that mysterious or captivating a read. It's a decent read but it didn't work for me.
April 27, 2023
Like... 🥱
I get 30-40 chapters, even more than 40, when it's necessary, but it had 110 almost!!! Why?? After every 3-4 sentences there was already a new one beginning!
It had interesting storyline from the beginning. Some plotlines I have never read before. But.
I hated so much that Latina woman character is stereotypically (as Americans like it) housemaid character and is made really weak, only dependent on others, as if her life doesn't have any value if she isn't serving someone.
I hated that 85% of character, mainly women, are blonde and blue-eyed and attractive who are, of course, love interests of some... men of theirs 😪
I hated that, I don't know what's up with this author, but she demonizes face disfigurement SO much. Like, what the heck is happening, Mary Jane Clark? Disfigured character girl is that insecure she doesn't want to live as if author thinks there are disfigured people only existing this way and not the other. Several times are mentioned that "WHO WOULD EVER LOVE A FACE LIKE THAT/A FACE WITHOUT A NOSE/WHO WOULD WANT TO LIVE THIS *UGLY* ANYWAY". Like, shame on you, screw you!
Haven't you ever heard about disabled and face-disfigured people being motivational speakers, activists, just normal people going with their lives with their families, being models, influencers, social media celebrities, sportsmen, i don't know, there's so much going on, and you think just because someone doesn't have little white nose like main character Piper Donovan and isn't blonde and doesn't have a love interest, or is Latina housemaid, you think they are helpless and add insult into injury, in YOUR eyes, they have to have disfigured, "abnormal" face to BE COMPLETELY WRETCHED. 🥴🤕 right??😵
Also, this is only a slightly-intense hallmark movie-book, if this was a movie, it would be hallmark's or like hallmark.
I get 30-40 chapters, even more than 40, when it's necessary, but it had 110 almost!!! Why?? After every 3-4 sentences there was already a new one beginning!
It had interesting storyline from the beginning. Some plotlines I have never read before. But.
I hated so much that Latina woman character is stereotypically (as Americans like it) housemaid character and is made really weak, only dependent on others, as if her life doesn't have any value if she isn't serving someone.
I hated that 85% of character, mainly women, are blonde and blue-eyed and attractive who are, of course, love interests of some... men of theirs 😪
I hated that, I don't know what's up with this author, but she demonizes face disfigurement SO much. Like, what the heck is happening, Mary Jane Clark? Disfigured character girl is that insecure she doesn't want to live as if author thinks there are disfigured people only existing this way and not the other. Several times are mentioned that "WHO WOULD EVER LOVE A FACE LIKE THAT/A FACE WITHOUT A NOSE/WHO WOULD WANT TO LIVE THIS *UGLY* ANYWAY". Like, shame on you, screw you!
Haven't you ever heard about disabled and face-disfigured people being motivational speakers, activists, just normal people going with their lives with their families, being models, influencers, social media celebrities, sportsmen, i don't know, there's so much going on, and you think just because someone doesn't have little white nose like main character Piper Donovan and isn't blonde and doesn't have a love interest, or is Latina housemaid, you think they are helpless and add insult into injury, in YOUR eyes, they have to have disfigured, "abnormal" face to BE COMPLETELY WRETCHED. 🥴🤕 right??😵
Also, this is only a slightly-intense hallmark movie-book, if this was a movie, it would be hallmark's or like hallmark.
December 27, 2018
I enjoyed reading this mystery. It didn't take long and was very light. Not as complicated as some other mysteries, but had a good twist
August 23, 2019
Dans la famille des écrivaines Clark, je demande la belle-fille, Mary Jane ! Je découvre sa plume après avoir lu de multiples romans par Mary et Carol Higgins Clark. J’avais déjà énormément apprécié les enquêtes de Regan Reilly, et j’ai eu l’impression de retrouver cet univers de cozy mystery à travers le personnage de Piper Donovan, aspirante actrice / pâtissière, à la différence qu’il y a plus d’hémoglobine et de détails un peu gores propres au genre du polar.
L’auteure nous plonge dans l’univers superficiel et glamour d’un luxueux établissement de Los Angeles où se croisent madame Toutlemonde et des stars incognito pour une séance spa et (pourquoi pas) une intervention esthétique (attention, ça tourne très mal pour certaines comme la pauvre Wendy !). Plusieurs enjeux se croisent dans cet antre promettant une jeunesse éternelle. Jalousies, secrets et tentatives de meurtres. Tous les ingrédients sont réunis pour ménager le suspense et brouiller les pistes. La narration est rythmée, les personnages bien campés et les rebondissements s’enchaînent sans temps mort (sans jeu de mots !). Comme avec les enquêtes de Regan Reilly, je vais me retrouver à lire celles de Piper Donovan dans le désordre, mais ce n’est pas gênant. Chaque enquête reste bien autonome et les clins d’œil aux précédents romans sont indiqués.
À la prochaine enquête !
L’auteure nous plonge dans l’univers superficiel et glamour d’un luxueux établissement de Los Angeles où se croisent madame Toutlemonde et des stars incognito pour une séance spa et (pourquoi pas) une intervention esthétique (attention, ça tourne très mal pour certaines comme la pauvre Wendy !). Plusieurs enjeux se croisent dans cet antre promettant une jeunesse éternelle. Jalousies, secrets et tentatives de meurtres. Tous les ingrédients sont réunis pour ménager le suspense et brouiller les pistes. La narration est rythmée, les personnages bien campés et les rebondissements s’enchaînent sans temps mort (sans jeu de mots !). Comme avec les enquêtes de Regan Reilly, je vais me retrouver à lire celles de Piper Donovan dans le désordre, mais ce n’est pas gênant. Chaque enquête reste bien autonome et les clins d’œil aux précédents romans sont indiqués.
À la prochaine enquête !
September 16, 2018
Une enquête de Piper Donovan - Tome 2
On retrouve piper, jeune actrice au chômage qui, en attendant de trouver le rôle de sa vie, aide sa mère dans sa pâtisserie en réalisant et décorant des gâteaux.
La voilà cette fois partie pour Hollywood, où Jillian Abernathy, fille du propriétaire de l'Elysium, un centre de beauté/spa/clinique de chirurgie esthétique pour fortunés, l'a engagé pour la réalisation de la pièce montée de son mariage.
Cette coupure va faire du bien à Piper, elle est en plein questionnement sur sa relation avec Jack, agent du FBI, en effet depuis sa rupture avec son ex elle n'arrive pas à faire confiance aux hommes.
La voilà de nouveau mêlée à une sombre affaire de meurtre, mais aussi entraîné par une journaliste Anastasia, venue incognito au centre, dans une sombre affaire d'attouchements....
J'ai lu avec facilité ce roman, toujours avec des chapitres très courts, une multitude de personnages, tous plus suspects les uns que les autres, une héroïne qui malgré elle se trouve mêlé à une enquête de meurtre. Pas de longueur avec des descriptions à ne plus en finir, ni scénario où il faut se torturer les méninges pour tout comprendre. Une lecture bien agréable, un dénouement et une fin un peu trop rapide à mon goût mais bon ça n'a pas gâché mon plaisir.
On retrouve piper, jeune actrice au chômage qui, en attendant de trouver le rôle de sa vie, aide sa mère dans sa pâtisserie en réalisant et décorant des gâteaux.
La voilà cette fois partie pour Hollywood, où Jillian Abernathy, fille du propriétaire de l'Elysium, un centre de beauté/spa/clinique de chirurgie esthétique pour fortunés, l'a engagé pour la réalisation de la pièce montée de son mariage.
Cette coupure va faire du bien à Piper, elle est en plein questionnement sur sa relation avec Jack, agent du FBI, en effet depuis sa rupture avec son ex elle n'arrive pas à faire confiance aux hommes.
La voilà de nouveau mêlée à une sombre affaire de meurtre, mais aussi entraîné par une journaliste Anastasia, venue incognito au centre, dans une sombre affaire d'attouchements....
J'ai lu avec facilité ce roman, toujours avec des chapitres très courts, une multitude de personnages, tous plus suspects les uns que les autres, une héroïne qui malgré elle se trouve mêlé à une enquête de meurtre. Pas de longueur avec des descriptions à ne plus en finir, ni scénario où il faut se torturer les méninges pour tout comprendre. Une lecture bien agréable, un dénouement et une fin un peu trop rapide à mon goût mais bon ça n'a pas gâché mon plaisir.
November 4, 2025
Read To Have and to Kill before The Look of Love. I enjoyed both books and look forward to reading the other 2 in the series. Ms. Clark has thoroughly redeemed herself in my opinion with the Wedding Cake Mystery books so far. She' upped her game considerably and the 2 books I've read in the series have characters more fully drawn and not cartoonish (couldn't think of another term). I like Piper and her over protective dad because that's me inre my daughter and my women friends. I never suspected the killer to be who it was in this book, nor did I figure it out in the first book. I really love the short chapters as I can read for a little bit or as much as I want and then go to sleep. I am elderly so some times in a chapter a character is mentioned and I've forgotten who he/she was. After a couple paragraphs I remember. I just enjoyed reading the 2 Wedding Cake Mystery books and wish she had written more than 4. Easy to read and easy to like characters. I do also like the fact that Piper doesn't depend upon some man to come save her, she's smart and saves herself thank you very much. Thank goodness no foul language and not overly bloody inre the murders, a nice cozy mystery if you will.
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December 28, 2022Like Piper Donovan, New York Times bestselling author Mary Jane Clark has a mother who made customized cakes for the neighborhood kids. After writing twelve media thrillers and a career at CBS news, the author envisioned the Piper Donovan/Wedding Cake mystery series. Currently, she is concocting her next novel. www.maryjaneclark.com
Cover design by Mumtaz Mustafa
Cover photographic collage by Superstock
Available from Harper Audio, HarperCollins e-books, and in hardcover from William Morrow.
Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins authors.
52599 > GST002866*
LUXE
For Elizabeth and David, my two incredible blessings. I am so proud of both of you. And for all those who struggle with Fragile X Syndrome as clinical trials for a treatment are under way.
Cover design by Mumtaz Mustafa
Cover photographic collage by Superstock
Available from Harper Audio, HarperCollins e-books, and in hardcover from William Morrow.
Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins authors.
52599 > GST002866*
LUXE
For Elizabeth and David, my two incredible blessings. I am so proud of both of you. And for all those who struggle with Fragile X Syndrome as clinical trials for a treatment are under way.
May 24, 2019
Lettlesen kosekrim trur eg er den enklaste måten for meg å beskrive denne boka. Perfekt som enkel underhaldning, men ikkje noko meir enn det. Fort lesen lg like fort glømyd. Eg lytta til denne på lydbok, og koste meg på tur med det. Finfint mtp at det er enkelt å følgje med i alt som skjer, passeleg spennande, passeleg med dramatikk og det skjer ting heile tida som held på interessa. Elles ein smule forutsigbart,men til å leve med. Foretrekker at det heller er litt for tamt enn at boka er full av ulogiske twister og konstruerte cliff-hengere slik det ofte er. Så det trekker også opp. Og nok ein gong let eg meg begeistre stort over den talentfulle Therese Plummer som las inn denne lydboka. For dei som lyttar til engelske lydbøker anbefaler eg verkeleg henne!
June 2, 2020
When Piper is offered the job of creating the wedding cake for the owner of a luxury spa in California, she jumps at the chance. Piper had recently broken up with her boyfriend and moved back in with her parents. Her father is worried, as someone has just tried to murder the bride-to-be, but Piper is determined to get on with her life. Once there, she gets a little too involved in the shady goings-on at the spa and it almost costs her everything.
October 4, 2019
J'ai donc entamé celui-ci après avoir lui le premier de Piper Donovan et je ne suis pas déçue ! On est à LA cette fois, dans un spa, loin de sa famille et tout est de nouveau parfait ! Un petit regret cependant, j'aimerai savoir ce que deviennent les héroïnes "satellites" : la journaliste et la jeune femme dont l'opération a raté. Peut-être dans d'autres épisodes?
January 14, 2020
This was a quick read and kept me interested. I had a huge problem with the ending. It didn't make any sense, and the author didn't give any "wrap up" to explain the ending. (Spoiler ahead) There were no good suspect possibilities, I thought, because everyone would have know that the maid answering the door wasn't really Jillian. You can't make me believe for one second the step mom wouldn't have known this. She would have been my prime suspect except for this. Maybe she hired someone? Who knows? We don't because the author didn't tell us. So to me the ending made no sense.
May 5, 2021
I found this interesting and exciting even though I have never been able to understand the attraction to spas--maybe because they use air scents that interfere with my breathing. But the murder is only a harbinger of the evil that lies below the surface.... I liked Piper Donovan, an unlikely detective spurred on by her curiosity unafraid of consequences.
July 7, 2021
An interesting story with a complicted plot line. Our heroine is an actress but, not finding work, she takes up her mother's work decorating a wedding cake. Hey, if work doesn't come from one direction, why not take it from another. A job is a job, even if it includes solving a murder.
It is well written and holds your attention.
It is well written and holds your attention.
December 3, 2022
Loved it!
This book was a delight to read. I loved the no-nonsense writing style and the backstories of all the characters Ms. Clark introduced. I also appreciated the short chapters she used to advance the story because they helped me keep track of all the characters. Now I am off in search of her other books I may have missed!
This book was a delight to read. I loved the no-nonsense writing style and the backstories of all the characters Ms. Clark introduced. I also appreciated the short chapters she used to advance the story because they helped me keep track of all the characters. Now I am off in search of her other books I may have missed!
June 17, 2017
My feelings about the first book were tepid, but it was the first in the series, so I thought I'd give this one a try. It was pretty good, not a page-turner, but mildly entertaining. Unfortunately, the ending left me flat. I doubt I'll return to the series.
August 8, 2017
These books and short stories are nicely written, and very quick to read, due to the short chapters. I enjoy the suspense of these stories, and was happy to find out that Piper and Jack are going to pursue their relationship. One to the next book in the series.
October 15, 2018
So many twist and turns and then the hope that Pepper would get together with Jack.
I enjoyed Jack trying to get over Pepper but of course the interesting parts are who
was trying to kill Jillian. So many people had motives but it was the one who you
didn't suspect!!! Good mystery!!!
I enjoyed Jack trying to get over Pepper but of course the interesting parts are who
was trying to kill Jillian. So many people had motives but it was the one who you
didn't suspect!!! Good mystery!!!
November 16, 2021
Good mystery. The book is entertaining with plenty of twists and turns. I enjoyed it, although it ended a bit abruptly. All in all, though, it was an exciting and engaging read and I’m enjoying the series and the main characters.
October 27, 2022
I found these cozy mysteries a bit more involved than some others I've read. I really enjoyed the characters and the stories. Read the first two for a cozy mysteries book club and will put the rest of these on my "Want to Read" list.
March 9, 2024
Unread shelf project 2024: book 20.
3.5 stars.
Fluffy and fun, with a lot of intersecting plot lines, The Look of Love was an enjoyable mystery. It does involve murders but it doesn’t focus solely on them as there are many other elements involved.
3.5 stars.
Fluffy and fun, with a lot of intersecting plot lines, The Look of Love was an enjoyable mystery. It does involve murders but it doesn’t focus solely on them as there are many other elements involved.
April 14, 2024
Second book in the Piper Donovan Mystery series.
We follow Piper, the pt actress and novice cake baker as trouble seems to find her in a luxury spa.
Enjoyable characters, well developed plot which keeps your interest piqued.
We follow Piper, the pt actress and novice cake baker as trouble seems to find her in a luxury spa.
Enjoyable characters, well developed plot which keeps your interest piqued.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 208 reviews