The Usual Family Mayhem

by HelenKay Dimon

Revenge is a dish best served cold—especially when it comes in the form of one of Grandma’s “special” pies. Get the best of family hijinks, girl power, and hilariously justifiable crime in the latest novel from award-winning author HelenKay Dimon.

Kasey Nottingham needs a splashy idea at her company where they find and develop the next big thing for investors—her job depends on it. Impulsively, she pitches Mags’ Desserts, a beloved small-town business run by her grandma Mags and live-in “best friend” Celia, two women who overcame deadbeat husbands and financial ruin to build a word-of-mouth clientele. Kasey expects her boss to say no. Instead, he sends her home to North Carolina to land the deal…and now she has a problem.

Mags and Celia aren’t interested, which isn’t a surprise, but something else is going on in their kitchen. Locked cabinets. Cryptic conversations. Unexpected notations on business records. The ladies have secrets and whatever they’re hiding is big. As reports of mysterious deaths of abusive men in the area surface—all in households that recently received a delivery from Mags’ Desserts—Kasey worries Gram and Celia have gone into the poison pie business.

As investors start circling, Kasey enlists Jackson Quaid, Celia’s nephew and Kasey’s long-time crush, as her reluctant investigation assistant. Jackson is practical. Kasey has a wild imagination. Together, they dodge Kasey’s boss and gather intel. And kiss. Lots of kissing, though probably not the best idea to start an unexpected romance. Doing it while keeping two feisty ladies from going to jail for knocking off bad husbands—even if those husbands deserve it—might be impossible…but Kasey never shied away from a challenge. 

Genres: Romance, Mystery, Contemporary, Cozy Mystery, Audiobook, Adult, Mystery Thriller

368 pages, Paperback

Published March 11, 2025

About the author

HelenKay Dimon is a divorce lawyer-turned-romance author. After dedicating years to helping people terminate relationships she now writes romance novels full time. Her books have earned praise, appeared on bestseller lists, won numerous awards and twice been named Red-Hot Reads and excerpted in Cosmo. She sometimes writes erotic romance, sometimes writes romantic suspense and sometimes writes contemporary romance. But no matter what she's writing her books are always filled with smart banter and sexy times, and a HEA is guaranteed.

-"Sharp writing and plenty of sexy romantic sizzle..." - John Charles, Chicago Tribune

-"So smart, sexy and fast-paced, I devour her stories." - Lori Foster, NYT bestselling author

-"Lots of heat with lots of humor." - MaryJanice Davidson, NYT bestselling author

-"She's a delight." - Christina Dodd, NYT bestselling author

Reviews

[♥Milica♥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading Morewood Family Rules back in 2023, and having a good time with it, I figured this one would probably be an okay read too, and it was. It reminded me of Magic, Lies, and Deadly Pies, except I liked that book better.

It was very cozy, so I'd recommend it as a light palette cleanser read. I wasn't the biggest fan of Kasey, or the romance, but the grandmas made up for it, the book is worth reading just for their shenanigans.

The mystery aspect could've been stronger, and the pace of the story a bit faster, but I did enjoy it, and would give another mystery book by this author a chance.

[booked.with.julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun read!
🥧Cozy Mystery
🥧Strong Female Characters
🥧Family Secrets/Drama
🥧Romance
🥧LOTS of yummy desserts

Kasey gets herself in a mess when she pitches her grandmother and Celia’s small business, Mags Desserts, to investors at work. Especially when the owner likes the idea and she has to go home to tell her family what she did.
But when she gets home she discovers something weird going on with the business and clients husbands ending up dead. Kasey and Celia’s nephew, Jackson, work together to see what secrets they are hiding.
A fun and humorous cozy mystery with romance!

[Rachel Dalton (relisedreads) · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5⭐️

I finished this book out of spite. I’ve never seen so much weaponized incompetence from a FMC and her ‘I’m just a girl 👉🏼👈🏼🥺’ schtick drove me absolutely insane. She had so many times to come clean about accidentally putting her grandmother’s small business on the radar of cut throat firm that wants to buy them out. Instead she repeatedly acted like a child who’s afraid to get into trouble and just kept saying ‘I’ll do it later.’

There is a brief mention of an eating disorder that Kasey had that she “recovered from” at the beginning of the book, and then the rest of the book was spent mentioning every single piece of food that she put in her mouth.

The poisoning of bad men aspect is the main reason I wanted to read this, but the story was so slow and drawn out that it wasn’t worth it. The romance felt forced and the MMC extremely one dimensional. Also the “grudge” that Kasey held against him for years because she kissed him when she was a teenager and he was in his mid-20’s and he didn’t reciprocate was wild.

Thanks Netgalley and Avon for providing this ARC to me!

[Kim ~ It’s All About the Thrill · Rating 4 out of 5]

So cute!! The audiobook was fantastic to pair it with!! Review to come

[Angie Miale · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A funny and engaging cozy mystery for fans of The Maid and Vera Wong. We love funny women solving mysteries.

In an impulsive moment, Kasey pitches her DC consulting firm on buying and flipping a pie shop run by grandmas in Winston Salem. She doesn’t mention that it’s HER grandma. Or that they are wholly uninterested in selling. But naturally they send her to NC for two weeks to “seal the deal.” Kasey’s grandmother Mags and her partner Celia run the pie shop, and often see Celia’s nephew and Kasey’s long term crush, Jackson.

That is when she notices that bad men have mysteriously died after their wives get a pie delivery.

A charming mystery with a dash of romance, it was easy to love these characters. Although the author has many spicy romances, the romance in this book is “fade to black,” so to not take away from the lighthearted tone of the rest of the book. It’s very easy to know who to root for and root against, getting to know the motivations of the characters was a delight.

If you like lighthearted mysteries with strong female leads about correcting injustice, this is a great title for you.

Thanks to @netgalley and @avonbooks for the ARC. Book to be published March 10, 2025.

#booksbooksbooks #booktok #bookstagram #arcreader #bookreview #bookrecommendations #usualfamilymayhem

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars bc the romance off to the side was a bit unbelievable for me but if she made a series out of this, I’d keep reading.

Two grandmas own and operate a bakery together in Winston-Salem NC. When some local (bad) husbands start dying suddenly after someone close to them placed an order, the MC, Kasey, a granddaughter to one of the owners, starts poking around to see what’s up.

Kasey lives and works in DC for a firm that helps businesses expand and eventually sell-up. She is new in her job and works for a man she really doesn’t like (and deservedly so). Feeling as though she may be fired soon, she decides to throw out her grandmother’s business scenario in a pitching meeting as a possible new customer. Her bosses agree to let her go to NC for two weeks to get the ball rolling. But her grandmother knows nothing about this, unbeknownst to her bosses.

I liked the laughs in this and I’d read more by this author. But the narration for the audio wasn’t great for a southern accent. It sounded a bit creepy and just wrong. It kept rubbing me the wrong way. But otherwise I enjoyed the print and audio versions.

[Madison Warner Fairbanks · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Usual Family Mayhem by HelenKay Dimon
Contemporary mystery with minor romance elements.
Pressure is strong for Kasey Nottingham to contribute to the bottom line investors by purchasing growing small businesses. She pitches her grandmother’s dessert business thinking it a bad fit but she’s surprised when her boss instructs her to move forward gathering financials and more. Kasey knows that Mags and Celia aren’t interested in selling but she notices some strange inconsistencies when she goes home to “land the deal.”
Locked cabinets, a special recipe pie, and silence when she enters a room, has Kasey doing her own investigation hoping her idea of poison is just a ridiculous theory. Kasey asks Jackson Quaid to help figure out what’s happening in the business of their elderly relatives.

Interesting business expansion, that’s for sure. Glad the business found a way to help abused women. Funny how grandma was so good as dodging questions!
Entertaining.

[Stacee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been a fan of HelenKay’s rom/sus books, so there was no way I was going to miss this one.

I love love loved this cast of characters. Kasey is chaotic and loving and it was a damn delight to be in her head. Jackson is steadfast and loyal. The ladies are exactly what you would expect from southern grandmothers: feisty, proper, and a lot of fun. Throw them all together and you have a wonderful and supportive family who is always there for support.

Plot wise, it was exactly what I wanted at the time: low stakes, no angst, and enough chemistry to kill someone. I was constantly grinning while reading this story and couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. Of course, the small future take of a last chapter was nice, but I could have done with more because I couldn't get enough.

Overall, this was cozy and fun and I know I’ll be coming back to this story in the future.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**

[Bbecca_marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review 🥧☠️

thank you so much partner @avonbooks for the gifted copy!

The Usual Family Mayhem
by HelenKay Dimon

About the book 👇🏽

Kasey Nottingham needs a splashy idea at her company where they find and develop the next big thing for investors—her job depends on it. Impulsively, she pitches Mags’ Desserts, a beloved small-town business run by her grandma Mags and live-in “best friend” Celia, two women who overcame deadbeat husbands and financial ruin to build a word-of-mouth clientele. Kasey expects her boss to say no. Instead, he sends her home to North Carolina to land the deal…and now she has a problem.

Mags and Celia aren’t interested, which isn’t a surprise, but something else is going on in their kitchen. Locked cabinets. Cryptic conversations. Unexpected notations on business records. The ladies have secrets and whatever they’re hiding is big. As reports of mysterious deaths of abusive men in the area surface—all in households that recently received a delivery from Mags’ Desserts—Kasey worries Gram and Celia have gone into the poison pie business.

☠️ My thoughts:

All I saw was grandma poison pies and immediately knew I needed to read it! This was a super fun and fast read. I loved that this was a cozy mystery with a little romance, because it’s the perfect mashup for my taste. Not to mention all of the delicious sounding desserts, I’m about to make myself an orange cake today to satisfy this sweet tooth! All of the characters were lovable, the women were strong (the way I love them), the romance sweet, and it was still a solid cozy! And amidst it all, this story managed to put a smile on my face, make me laugh, and keep me completely engaged. This is exactly what I was looking for. You gotta give this one a read. The Usual Family Mayhem is out now!!

Happy reading 📖 🥧☠️

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer · Rating 1 out of 5]

The Usual Family Mayhem by Helen Kay diamond, I in no way liked Casey’s perpetual damsel in distress and woe is me personality. let me list the things she couldn’t do; describe and or do her job, having an adult conversation, be honest with her grandmother and aunt, think for herself, bake, cook or basically any thing attached to being an adult. it almost seems absurd that these two poised southern women raised her because they are so conpedent and she is so not. don’t even get me started on how the Taseturn Jackson, would even be attracted to this bumbling idiot. It takes so long for her to even tell her Gram and aunt Cecilia why she is even there and the only reason they do find out is because her boss’s shows up due to her not responding to their calls. I have read other books by this author and found them hilarious and all so worth reading but sadly this one was not. I will still read her books in the future but as for this one I wouldn’t recommend it. #NetGalley, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview,#HelenKDiamond, #TheUsualFamilyMayhem,

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a review of the audiobook read by Mia Barron.

This book is a cozy mystery with romance.

Twenty-six year old Kasey lives in D.C and is trying to save her job. So she offers up her Gram’s small town dessert business to possibly be sold to investors.

When Kasey arrives home in North Carolina she needs to talk to her Gram and Celia (her grandma’s business partner/long term partner). She also has to deal with Jackson (that man that she’s wanted for years). There is also an interesting mystery that Kasey tries to solve having to do with the dessert business.

It did take me a little bit to get into this story. But once I did I thoroughly enjoyed it. The romance was so good. Although Jackson’s father was such a jerk. As was one of Kasey’s bosses.

I loved how strong Celia, Kasey and Gram were. I really like seeing strong women. I also loved all of the delicious treats that Kasey and Jackson are constantly eating.

I was invested in the mystery and the story. I really enjoyed Mia Barron as the reader. Although her voice changed a bit and got deeper in the last few chapters (as if the reader maybe had a cold). Overall these characters are so funny. And the family aspect is just wonderful. This book would make for a great series.

[Courtney sharpe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Moorewood Family Rules is one of the most underrated books in my opinion. I read it last year and absolutely loved it. That being said I was so excited to see a new release come from this author.

Kasey Nottingham needs a splashy idea at her company where they find and develop the next big thing for investors--her job depends on it. Impulsively, she pitches Mags' Desserts, a beloved small-town business run by her grandma Mags and live-in "best friend" Celia, two women who overcame deadbeat husbands and financial ruin to build a word-of-mouth clientele. Kasey expects her boss to say no. Instead, he sends her home to North Carolina to land the deal...and now she has a problem.
Mags and Celia aren't interested, which isn't a surprise, but something else is going on in their kitchen. Locked cabinets. Cryptic conversations. Unexpected notations on business records. The ladies have secrets and whatever they're hiding is big. As reports of mysterious deaths of abusive men in the area surface--all in households that recently received a delivery from Mags' Desserts--Kasey worries Gram and Celia have gone into the poison pie business.

This one is perfect for fans of Dial A for Aunties and other over the top ridiculous and funny murder mysteries. However I didn’t love this as much as I had hoped. For one, Kasey’s character bugged me more than she should have. There were a lot of random lines that reflected unhealthy body image and eating habits that were extremely unnecessary. I also felt the poison pie aspect wasn’t as much of the forefront of the book as it should have been. It started out hilarious and dramatic and then kind of got forgotten for too long before appearing again. There’s a lot of business and political talk that not only bored me but went way over my head. Also the romance part? So clunky and all over the place. They went from enemies to lovers way faster than anyone ever should.

But all that being said the book is still a lot of fun. It’s a great palate cleanser and absolutely hilarious at times. If you’re looking for an easy read I do still recommend this but it’s certainly not my fav and will probably be forgotten quite quickly.

[Rachel Benzine · Rating 1 out of 5]

Stopped reading this shortly into it. I really liked a previous book by the author, so I had high hopes. However, there were two troubling remarks about men shortly into the book.
In chapter 2, a female character says to another female character, "Dogs are always better than men."
In chapter 3, this comment is made about a male character: "He wore a buttoned-up dark suit, giving off his usual put-together vibe. Objectively handsome -- not that I noticed -- but only as long as he didn't talk."
If I had read a book that said dogs were better than women, or said that a woman was beautiful as long as she didn't talk, I would be horrified at that book's treatment of women. The same standards should be followed for men. Disappointing. Quotes are taken from an advanced reader's copy, which isn't finalized text - so I can only hope that they will decide to remove these problematic comments before publication.

[Stephanielikesbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

I was happy to be able to read an advance copy of this novel as part of Book Lovers The Buzz.

This is a cute, cozy mystery read that includes romance, baking, feisty older women, female empowerment, and friendship. I enjoyed the banter and chemistry in the romantic relationship and found the characters to be funny, quirky, and yet lovable. There was a miscommunication element which went on a bit too long but the other elements in the story kept me invested.

A fun, cozy read with a satisfying ending, perfect to settle down with on a cold winter’s night.

Thanks to the publisher for this complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

[Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Right off the bat I enjoyed the witty banter. Good dialogue and banter can make an entire book. I also enjoyed all the clashing personalities within the family (be they blood or chosen). The story was paced so well, with secrets popping out at just the right times and enough intrigue to make you keep turning the page. Great fit for fans of Deanna Raybourn, Lauren Berenson, or Jesse Q. Sutanto.

[Carolyn Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, and can't quite discern why I can't give it another star. Maybe it's because I found the main character, Kasey, rather annoying. The revenge idea of two old grannies was a bit hard to swallow too.

[Tiffany Killian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since dropping out of law school, Kasey has been struggling to find her place in the world & hold on to a job at the same time. While sitting in a meeting at her current place of employment she inadvertently pitches her grandmother’s bakery business as something the company can invest in & her boss loves it and sends her home to close the deal. Now she’s back home, avoiding telling her gram about the deal she’s supposed to be brokering, while trying to figure out why everyone is acting so weird. Can she survive the chaos of being home or will she finally lose it?

I was in the mood for a lighthearted cozy mystery and this book definitely delivered. I absolutely loved Kasey. She was strong, sarcastic, kind, loving and extremely relatable.
Her character proved that it’s okay to not have it all figured out & that you can always change your course if the one you’re on isn’t suiting you. And then there was Jackson who completely balanced her out without her even realizing it. Without him, I feel like the story would’ve fallen flat. Definitely one of those books where I wouldn’t be mad if it got turned into a cozy little series.

***Thank you #NetGalley and Avon Publishing for providing an ARC for my honest opinion***

[Christine M in Texas (stamperlady50) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was thrilled to get this book and a Netgalley copy for Book Lovers The BUZZ! This was my first by this author and it was a fun read. I love to read in several genres and this was a perfect one filled with family drama, kitchen antics, desserts, and revenge.

Fun characters you love to hate. Revenge can be fun, but don't getting caught is NOT so fun. You decide which!

[Karen]

I usually love the authors books but this is just not clicking for me. I love the grandmother and aunt but the MC's fell flat.

DNF at about 20% - audiobook format

[Diana Glaser · Rating 3 out of 5]

THE USUAL FAMILY MAYHEM is a book I wanted to love and was expecting a funny and clever read. I loved the author’s previous novel, Morewood Family Rules, and was really hoping to love this one, which is why I was so excited to get an advanced copy. However, this novel did not have the charm or vibe as the previous one, which I expected to be quirky family dynamics, funny and charming banter, and clever, almost like a Surviving the Applewhites vibe. I think it has to do with the main character, Kasey, and the plot itself.

We are told this story through Kasey’s POV, and, ultimately, I think that was a mistake. The author is going for loveable chaos monster here, but instead we get a character who is scattered, avoidant, and messy. Her train of thought is very hard to follow and, as this is told in her perspective, that does not lend itself well to the narrative and the story. I also didn’t feel like she had a personality besides being what was supposed to be a cute character who injects chaos into the narrative.

And I think it is like this because the story felt incomplete almost or not strong enough on its own. You’ve got three major plot points here: murder, romance, and keeping her job and none of these can make the narrative stand on its own. That is difficult with so much happening with what felt like little substance.

Overall, this wasn’t the novel for me. However, it could be for you. If you like light novels, quirky family dynamics, non spicy romance, potential murder, and a FMC who is just trying to find herself in a sea of chaos, I would read this book.

Thank you to Harper Avon and NetGalley for a copy of this review in exchange for an honest review!

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to @libro.fm, @avonbooks, and the author for the #gifted advanced listening copy of this cozy, quirky romantic mystery that gives strong Arsenic and Old Lace vibes! #librofmInfluencer

Kasey Nottingham is about to lose her job unless she comes up with a fresh investment idea - fast. In a moment of desperation, she blurts out a wildly unplanned pitch: her bosses should buy a small-town dessert company run by her Gram and her not-so-platonic best friend, Celia. She never expects them to take it seriously. But they do. Now, Kasey’s being sent back home to close the deal. And she’s immediately faced with three major problems:


1️⃣ Gram has zero interest in selling.

2️⃣ Jackson, Kasey’s childhood crush (and Celia’s nephew), seems to be everywhere.

3️⃣ She’s pretty sure Gram and Celia are hiding a huge secret.

As Kasey digs deeper into a string of suspicious deaths involving abusive men in town, she starts to wonder - could her grandma and Celia be serving up more than just muffins? With a reluctant but increasingly supportive Jackson by her side, she sets out to uncover the truth. Along the way, she finds family, laughter, love, and a long-simmering attraction that’s impossible to ignore.

This book was such a delightful blend of cozy mystery, humor, and heartwarming family bonds! Gram, Celia, Kasey, and Jackson feel like a real family, full of deep loyalty, playful banter, and undeniable love. While the mystery isn’t high-stakes, the how and why of it adds emotional depth, making the story both engaging and heartfelt. And the romance? Absolutely charming! It’s not fully closed-door - more of a "cracked door" romance - but the chemistry between Kasey and Jackson is undeniable.

If you love cozy mysteries with strong family dynamics, small-town charm, and a side of romance, this is a cute one!

[Saltygalreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kasey is struggling at her new job where they seek new opportunities for investors. When put on the spot in a meeting, she pitches a bakery business, Mags’ Desserts, with a handmade, smalltown appeal, believing it will be shot down. However her boss loves it and sends her home to North Carolina to land the “client”, which happens to be her own grandmother and her partner Celia. Kasey knows her grandmother will not be slightly interested in expanding and expects herself to be in a world of trouble. However when she gets home, she finds other things to worry about – several abusive husbands in the town have died mysteriously, right after their wives ordered a particular pie from Mags. There is a locked cabinet in the pantry and strange notations on some orders in the computer. Are Mags and Celia helping abused women kill their husbands? Kasey investigates, enlisting the assistance of Celia’s nephew and her childhood infatuation, Jackson.

This was a fun read! After some heavier reads recently, this was a welcome reprieve. Mags and Celia are an entertaining duo, and I found myself chuckling at their unpredictable pronouncements and shameless intrusion into Kasey’s love life. While Kasey investigates the possibility of poisoned pies, Jackson’s father Harlan is the villain of the story, manipulating his son, targeting Kasey and circling Mags’ Desserts like a vulture. The simmering romance between Jackson and Kasey bubbles over, much to the delight of Mags and Celia. This is an engaging and humourous feel-good novel which will appeal to any reader looking to get lost in a story which entertains and comforts.

[Misty Phelan · Rating 3 out of 5]

At times, we can really put our foot in our mouth at work—and that’s exactly what happens to Kasey when she feels the pressure to secure a business opportunity for her job. The catch? She hasn’t told her grandmother and her partner that she’s pitched the idea of selling their beloved bakery. While visiting them and trying to gather the courage to present her proposal, she runs into Jackson, an old friend who’s now much more attractive than she remembers. But things get even more complicated when Kasey stumbles upon some strange discoveries that suggest the two most important women in her life might be involved in something sinister—possibly even killing off men in their town. Now, Kasey must figure out what’s really going on while also trying to backpedal on her pitch to sell the bakery.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read. The story started off slow, but by about a quarter of the way through, I was hooked and eager to see how everything would unfold. The concept was fresh and unique, and the characters were relatable and often humorous. However, Kasey’s aloofness did start to wear on me after a while. The romance, while not the central focus, had a nice slow-burn quality that was satisfying by the end. My main critique—though this may just be a personal preference—is that the book had a lot of description. While it helped build the setting and develop the characters, at times it felt a bit heavy and unnecessary. Despite that, I would still recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a cozy mystery with a touch of romance.

A special thank you to NetGalley and publisher Avon/Harper Collins for the advanced reader copy in exchange for honest feedback.

[Christina Faris (books_by_the_bottle) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to HelenKay Dimon and Avon for the ARC!

#TheBuzz is that HelenKay Dimond’s newest book, The Usual Family Mayhem, is a wonderfully fun and cozy mystery. I’m happy to report to have read it with some of my bookstagram besties, Book Lovers: The Buzz - in fact, it was the first book we got to read together.

Delicious desserts, a childhood love and a badass grandma (who may or may not be making “special pies” for local women) - what’s not to love? When Kasey finds herself at risk of being fired, she has to come up with a stellar idea for the next big thing…so she chooses her beloved grandma’s bakery, Mags’ Desserts. It’s a desperate attempt and she’s not expecting her boss to be all for it, until he sends her home to pitch the idea to her grandma Maggie and her “best friend” Celia. There, she discovers more than she bargained for - and it’s definitely more than dessert!

I love this author’s thrillers (written as Darby Kane), so I had a feeling I’d love this cozy mystery as well. Full of witty banter, this was simply SUCH a fun book! Maggie and Celia were quite the characters, and I couldn’t wait to find out what they were really up to. A quick and easy read, this story was such a nice change of pace.

Revenge is definitely a dash served best cold - or, as it turns out, perhaps in a pie…


”The Usual Family Mayhem” releases March 11, 2025. This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

[BookAddict · Rating 5 out of 5]

This gifted storyteller is one I first found through her romance and romantic suspense, and I'm here for her hilarious shenanigans era. This on has a little of everything and is sure to please a wide reader base.

Kasey Nottingham needs a business idea to pitch for her company. In desperation, she fells her boss about Mags' Desserts, her grandmother's company she runs out of her home. So it's back home to Winston-Salem she goes to convince Grandma Mags and her business partner, Celia.

Except when she gets there, she sees some things that don’t add up. Kasey enlists the help of her long-time crush, Jackson Quaid, who is also Celia's nephew. As they begin snooping around—okay, Kasey snoops and Jackson tries to rein her in—there are things that don’t add up and point to her grandma and Celia somehow being involved with unexplained deaths popping up in their community.

Part small-town Southern charm, part second-chance romance, part mystery, and part vigilante justice, the madcap mayhem and hilarious hijinks kept me reading this one late into the night. With deeper elements of family bonds and following your heart, this is one you won’t want to miss.

[Randi (randi_reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kasey Nottingham is new to her job and in desperate need to save it. She throws out an idea to her boss about Mags’ Desserts-her grandmother and her long-time “best friend” Celia’s business. She’s expecting her boss to reject it, but he sends her to North Carolina to close the deal. No matter that Kasey knows her grandma isn’t interested or that she has even mentioned it to them. Kasey finds more trouble than she bargained for when she learns men are dying after getting pies delivered by Mags’ Desserts. What are Mags and Celia up to?

Kasey enlists her long-time crush, Jackson Quaid, to help her investigate. He’s a hunky, nerdy lawyer that she knows she can trust. Plus, they both have unresolved feelings for each other that they need to figure out.

Overall, I enjoyed this cozy mystery very much! Lots of banter and a great cast of characters. I listened to this and read along. The audiobook is narrated by Mia Barron and she is so good!

Thank you to Avon Books for the advanced readers copy. Thank you to Libro.fm for the advanced listeners copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Aimee F. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This didn't feel as light and funny as I thought it was going to be. Reading the book synopsis, I felt like this was going to be jam packed with comedic family mishaps and adventures. Sadly, for me, it didn't quite pull together. We have our main character who basically has no idea how to do her job and so she comes up (on the spot) with the idea to sell her grandmother's pie company. She goes back to her hometown with this mission and then it pivots to her sleuthing out a theory that her grandma is using pies to poison the husbands in town. We throw in a love interest and his controlling crappy father. There's a lot of withholding information from all the character and it just felt like it didn't come together. The book has fade to black romance which was alright. (the FMC and MMC had ok dialogue overall).

I wanted more humor and a stronger FMC so unfortunately my rating is 3.25 out of 5
Thanks to Netgalley and Avon Harper Voyager for the ARC (ebook) in exchange for my honest opinion!

[Barbara Powell · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Kasey is put in the spot at her new job, she wings out a pitch idea thinking it will buy her some time, onk6 to have her bosses call her on it and send her to get the ball rolling. Little do they know that the idea she pitched was about her grandmother and aunts bakery business. Now she just has to get her grandmother and aunt to go along with the idea.
She gets home and is greeted by her former crush/current nemesis who soon can't deny the sparks between them, but his powerful father won't let them be together.
In the process of trying to please her boss and get her grandmother to go along with her plan. Kasey snoops in their books and realizes that their may be more to the bakery than meets the eye when you have an item called "funeral pie" on your secret menu.
This was a fun cozy mystery that had romance, family drama and murder all rolled into one. I had a good time with it and look forward to more from the author.
Thanks to Avon Books and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars Rounded Up. This story was dial a for aunties meets the lost apothecary. It was SO MUCH FUN! Who doesn't love morally grey grandmas? This is the type of book that will get you out of a reading slump. It's light, funny, quirky, and has a the perfect amount of romance. I absolutely loved the age gap x second chance romance aspect but it was developed so subtly. The flirting and the banter between Kasey and Jackson was *chefs kiss* and the banter between Mags/Celia/Kasey was even better. Mags and Celia talking without Kasey able to get a word in was such an accurate portrayal of many families. More books with Morally Grey grandmas please!! The concept that they are helping women escape the shithead men in their lives is a storyline I wont easily forget. I look forward to reading this author again.

[Claudia, Cmarie927 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have enjoyed a few from this author, so when this became available on Netgalley, I grabbed it!

I found the characters engaging and particularly resonated with Kasey’s spirited journey through life.
Although her return to Celia and Gram was motivated by a fabricated reason, she misjudged her Gram’s perceptiveness. (I'm trying to be spoiler free, so there's so much I wanna say, but won't!) Suffice to say, it's fun to see Kasey try to be stealthy and sneaky in her efforts to find answers, only to have wasted her time.

The characters’ strong bonds to each other and the community made for an interesting narrative. A sizzling attraction between Jackson and Kasey made the story impossible to put down. Several times, the mystery of the baking company’s secrets were in danger of being exposed, only to have the spotlight shifted elsewhere.

The many surprises in the story thoroughly entertained me, and I adored the happy ending. I recommend this book, and other works from this talented author. I received a free ARC and happily leave my review.