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Mina Kitchen #3
Confection Connection
Valentine’s Day stinks - literally - after a shift at The Shrimp Shack, getting showered with a vat of marinara and being haunted by a messy ghost.
The romance holiday looms large for Mina Kitchen - a forty-something single without a boyfriend in sight, and a catering disorder to beat the band. Everyone else is all set: even her Swiffer-addicted neighbor Vito (the ex-leader of the Moils, the Jewish-Polish Family from Bumville, New Jersey) has a significant other. Who knew?
And then there’s her best friend Trixie. She’s got a steady boyfriend, and a full time job with plenty of OT, too. She’s even quit smoking! Except now she’s a jelly junkie. Well, not just jelly - any sweet will do.
What’s a girl to do? Set her sights on handsome Chef? Or dare a flirt with juicy James? Who you gonna call? GumBuster! Wait, that’s just one of Mina’s new part time jobs.
Romance fills the air (or is that fried chicken?) but dates remain elusive as a series of mysterious thefts rattle the shop owners of Lancaster "Pee-Ay". Can mild-mannered Mina land a full time job, a boyfriend and save Trixie’s waistline without getting konked by some creepy crook? Vinnie, her mini mountain lion-sized tabby keeps assuring her everything will turn out fine - but he’s been wrong before.
Confection Connection is packed with laughs, mysterious thefts and a ghost - with a cherry on top - recipes. Set in Lancaster, “Pee-Ay” you’ll discover quirky characters, hysterical dialogue and funny surprises simmering away.
The romance holiday looms large for Mina Kitchen - a forty-something single without a boyfriend in sight, and a catering disorder to beat the band. Everyone else is all set: even her Swiffer-addicted neighbor Vito (the ex-leader of the Moils, the Jewish-Polish Family from Bumville, New Jersey) has a significant other. Who knew?
And then there’s her best friend Trixie. She’s got a steady boyfriend, and a full time job with plenty of OT, too. She’s even quit smoking! Except now she’s a jelly junkie. Well, not just jelly - any sweet will do.
What’s a girl to do? Set her sights on handsome Chef? Or dare a flirt with juicy James? Who you gonna call? GumBuster! Wait, that’s just one of Mina’s new part time jobs.
Romance fills the air (or is that fried chicken?) but dates remain elusive as a series of mysterious thefts rattle the shop owners of Lancaster "Pee-Ay". Can mild-mannered Mina land a full time job, a boyfriend and save Trixie’s waistline without getting konked by some creepy crook? Vinnie, her mini mountain lion-sized tabby keeps assuring her everything will turn out fine - but he’s been wrong before.
Confection Connection is packed with laughs, mysterious thefts and a ghost - with a cherry on top - recipes. Set in Lancaster, “Pee-Ay” you’ll discover quirky characters, hysterical dialogue and funny surprises simmering away.
336 pages, Paperback
First published December 4, 2014
274 people are currently reading
390 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
February 25, 2018
My review is on another format of this same book.
March 3, 2018
If you love humorous cozy mysteries, look no further than Mina Kitchen.
It's Valentine's Day and Mina is in a mess of trouble, including her love life. What's a girl to do? Oh yeah, cook up enough food to feed all of PA.
I loved this one and found myself laughing my way through the whole book. Hysterical!
My Rating: 5+ stars
It's Valentine's Day and Mina is in a mess of trouble, including her love life. What's a girl to do? Oh yeah, cook up enough food to feed all of PA.
I loved this one and found myself laughing my way through the whole book. Hysterical!
My Rating: 5+ stars
March 1, 2016
These books should really be listed as romance. I get so tired of trying to find a good mystery only to be stuck with a light romance. The recipes are terrifying and the fact that anyone can be bonked on the head so many times and not have brain damage is insane. Seriously try a unique plot twist instead of rewriting the same story over and over again!
February 10, 2015
Ok
I don't often post reviews when I do not finish a book, but I just want to say that this book would have got five stars from me if it was shorter. The story was cute and their were some funny things, b it it just went on and on and I lost interest.
I don't often post reviews when I do not finish a book, but I just want to say that this book would have got five stars from me if it was shorter. The story was cute and their were some funny things, b it it just went on and on and I lost interest.
February 20, 2016
This was a very good book how ever I do wish the author had done more to make it more interesting. I look forward to reading more of this author's work.
March 5, 2021
#3 in a series, but reading it out of order didn't really hurt. There were a few references to prior happenings. Fairly cute story of Mina and her "catering disorder" - when preparing food for a group, she always overdoes it - big time! Her helpful neighbor Vito has a key and loves to Swiffer her floors. She also has a cat and a bird who demand their meals and her attention, plus a mother and an aunt who can also be demanding, in a nice (?) way. Oh, and she's unemployed except for part-time catering and kitchen work; and has a crush on one of her employers. It was a little hard keeping all the threads together, but the story line is simple enough that it didn't really matter. I'm going to try the first ones in the series now, to see how Mina got to this point!
April 17, 2021
Cute cozy mystery
This offering has a supremely inept lady unsuccessfully looking for a full time job, with the help of her friends. They help her find a job of removing him from beneath stadium seats. Not surprisingly people only do the job for one day. Several other unappealing jobs follow. This is all related with witty humor as Mina goes from one hair raising thing to another. You will laugh and grab your sides, you won't be able to help yourself. Read this story and your life will look fantastic in comparison! Only read if you need a good giggle.
This offering has a supremely inept lady unsuccessfully looking for a full time job, with the help of her friends. They help her find a job of removing him from beneath stadium seats. Not surprisingly people only do the job for one day. Several other unappealing jobs follow. This is all related with witty humor as Mina goes from one hair raising thing to another. You will laugh and grab your sides, you won't be able to help yourself. Read this story and your life will look fantastic in comparison! Only read if you need a good giggle.
May 5, 2019
To Much Connection
Lizz Lund the wander woman of written satire and comical mystery's has yet again stoked a genius tale of pure l.o.l Mina Kitchen tribulations. Confusion in life, job and whose behind the low cost purchases of high cost merchandise. You know Mina Kitchen mysterys of life. If laughter really were the best medicine in life Lizz Lund could keep healthy and smiling for a very long life. 🙄 Kat
Lizz Lund the wander woman of written satire and comical mystery's has yet again stoked a genius tale of pure l.o.l Mina Kitchen tribulations. Confusion in life, job and whose behind the low cost purchases of high cost merchandise. You know Mina Kitchen mysterys of life. If laughter really were the best medicine in life Lizz Lund could keep healthy and smiling for a very long life. 🙄 Kat
July 14, 2017
Characters are okay, although feel rather shallow in some ways. But not at all satisfying as a cozy. No murder--a series of thefts. No investigation at all. Whodunnit is obvious to reader but MC is slow to catch on. Bad guy reveals himself in the end for no reason. 2 star
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 1, 2020
New Jersey moves to PA
This story is written with a heavy New Jozey accent. The story line is funny with a girl that has no idea what is going on around her. She fumbles through the story never really connecting the dots. Has me hooked if there is a book 2.
This story is written with a heavy New Jozey accent. The story line is funny with a girl that has no idea what is going on around her. She fumbles through the story never really connecting the dots. Has me hooked if there is a book 2.
May 29, 2022
When I wasn’t laughing, I was chuckling.
Good story and great heroine. Loved her giant cat and all his antics. Loved the neighbor with the swifter addiction. Very inventive. Spelling taken less seriously as book progressed and a few words missing but the book was a hit.
Good story and great heroine. Loved her giant cat and all his antics. Loved the neighbor with the swifter addiction. Very inventive. Spelling taken less seriously as book progressed and a few words missing but the book was a hit.
November 12, 2017
A fun cozy
Food and mystery what more could you want? Mina does what she must to keep doo-doo in gas while she keeps on getting g into chaos
Food and mystery what more could you want? Mina does what she must to keep doo-doo in gas while she keeps on getting g into chaos
January 4, 2018
Great Cozy that had me laughing out loud. I recommend this series of zany characters who keep finding trouble.
March 4, 2018
Cute story about an over-achieving caterer and lots of her friends.
August 24, 2019
More of Mina’s excellent adventures. Looking forward to the next one.
March 5, 2021
Good God. Book 3 in a series. Ditzy main character. Didn’t hold my interest. DNF at 14%.
December 21, 2021
Hilariously funny and engaging
I've read a book a day for the last three days. All of them have been Amazingly funny And Heartwarming. Can't wait to read the next three!
I've read a book a day for the last three days. All of them have been Amazingly funny And Heartwarming. Can't wait to read the next three!
December 2, 2022
Enjoyed this story
I enjoyed her other book so I read this one. It was cute and suspenseful. I wish there wasn't a minimum of words for these reviews.
I enjoyed her other book so I read this one. It was cute and suspenseful. I wish there wasn't a minimum of words for these reviews.
March 15, 2023
More Lancaster, PA mayhem. Mina can’t decide whether she is having business dinners or date with a massage therapist every Wed. Night.
September 29, 2023
In 3 books, I REALLY laughed the hardest in this at the James in the hotel scene. Mina's reaction is priceless.
December 3, 2023
good
How many times can In get conked on the head before something serious happens? In this book I figured out who was the thief….I’m on to the next book. I enjoyed this one
How many times can In get conked on the head before something serious happens? In this book I figured out who was the thief….I’m on to the next book. I enjoyed this one
December 14, 2025
The book is funny. I did find it hard to follow all the characters at the beginning...there were so many people involved! Eventually they all fell into place.
April 7, 2023
There are so many characters to keep track of, and most of them are ridiculous. Mina is annoying and unrealistic. How could anyone follow a recipe and still make way too much food every single time? I don't see how she could still be in business, since she would have to be losing money with her huge amounts of food. The person behind all the thefts is so obvious that you would think even Mina would suspect something when she sees him at so many businesses that end up being robbed. I guess some people thought this book was really funny, but I didn't see it.
August 20, 2015
Lizz Lund continues her Kitchen Connection mystery series with book four, Confection Connection. In Confection Connection, Heroine Mina Kitchen is unemployed, but that doesn’t means she has nothing to do with her time. Between social engagements with faithful friends and family, she is busy nurturing a budding catering business with her new questionable boyfriend James and working every goofball side job she can pick up to keep her van, aptly named Doo Doo, filled with gas. The handsome Chef is still in the picture as the quietly nurturing mentor to her ripening culinary skills and her questions about what might have been if he had shown up for their New Year’s Eve date. Meanwhile, Mina becomes the unknowing witness to multiple crimes around her fair city of Lancaster. It’s no wonder she barely has time to enjoy quality time with her fat cat and movie-watching bird.
In Confection Connection, Lizz Lund uses humor and a delightfully quirky cast of supporting characters to keep Mina hopping from one plot point to the next. I was annoyed every time real life interrupted my reading of Confection Connection. I would have loved to curl up with a mug of hot chocolate and a fancy confection loaded with frosting and read Mina’s tale from cover to cover. I especially enjoyed the Swifter-addicted next door neighbor who was in the witness protection program. And the cat who fell in love with a pink muff. I don’t understand the connection between Mina and James. Even if she is fortyish and alone, there should be some spark, but this did not come through. The mere fact Mina was in a quasi-relationship with someone she really had nothing in common with felt sad and worked against the whole uplifting vibe of the book.
(Originally reviewed for Readers' Favorite
In Confection Connection, Lizz Lund uses humor and a delightfully quirky cast of supporting characters to keep Mina hopping from one plot point to the next. I was annoyed every time real life interrupted my reading of Confection Connection. I would have loved to curl up with a mug of hot chocolate and a fancy confection loaded with frosting and read Mina’s tale from cover to cover. I especially enjoyed the Swifter-addicted next door neighbor who was in the witness protection program. And the cat who fell in love with a pink muff. I don’t understand the connection between Mina and James. Even if she is fortyish and alone, there should be some spark, but this did not come through. The mere fact Mina was in a quasi-relationship with someone she really had nothing in common with felt sad and worked against the whole uplifting vibe of the book.
(Originally reviewed for Readers' Favorite
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January 4, 2017Described as a humorous cozy mystery, Confection Connection was a quick read yes but was it a mystery? Not in my opinion!
This was a horrible book. The characters were ridiculous. I felt as though the author tossed in a bit of this and a bit of that hoping there would be something for everyone in her story. Perhaps if there was less going on I would have appreciated the humour instead of finding it trivial, annoying and childish.
The "there's a ghost in my house" storyline was a poor choice for adult readers - which given the cross dressing scene where a male character reveals to the female lead he is wearing black lace undies the book was no doubt written for an older audience.
The mystery element was nothing more than a mention of a business owner selling a product for a ridiculous amount of dollars beneath the true cost for which there was always a receipt of purchase. The crime? Obviously something unethical occured but when you have a receipt ...where's the crime?
No amatuer sleuth was involved in solving said crime just a bing bam boom thus guy did it!
Don't waste your time on this book.
This was a horrible book. The characters were ridiculous. I felt as though the author tossed in a bit of this and a bit of that hoping there would be something for everyone in her story. Perhaps if there was less going on I would have appreciated the humour instead of finding it trivial, annoying and childish.
The "there's a ghost in my house" storyline was a poor choice for adult readers - which given the cross dressing scene where a male character reveals to the female lead he is wearing black lace undies the book was no doubt written for an older audience.
The mystery element was nothing more than a mention of a business owner selling a product for a ridiculous amount of dollars beneath the true cost for which there was always a receipt of purchase. The crime? Obviously something unethical occured but when you have a receipt ...where's the crime?
No amatuer sleuth was involved in solving said crime just a bing bam boom thus guy did it!
Don't waste your time on this book.
March 18, 2015
MORE LOL To Chase The Winter Blues!
I have fallen in love with this series! Just can't get enough of Mina and friends, especially Vinnie. I want a Vinnie of my very own! I'll be recommending this author to all of my friends and family to brighten their days and pee their pants, in that order. Oh, I should mention that Vinnie is a cat with personality plus for those who haven't indulged in this delightful series - yet. You'll be happy to add this and all of the Mina Kitchen books to your reading lists!
I have fallen in love with this series! Just can't get enough of Mina and friends, especially Vinnie. I want a Vinnie of my very own! I'll be recommending this author to all of my friends and family to brighten their days and pee their pants, in that order. Oh, I should mention that Vinnie is a cat with personality plus for those who haven't indulged in this delightful series - yet. You'll be happy to add this and all of the Mina Kitchen books to your reading lists!
February 1, 2015
This is the third book of the Mira Kitchen series. Mira lives with Vinnie, her opinionated cat and Marie the movie watching pet bird. Her neighbor Vito has a key to her townhouse and a swifter addiction. There are so many wonderful characters in this series.
Mira doesn't look for trouble it just sort of finds her. Valentine's Day, a baptism and a ghost haunting connect to keep the story popping. Add in a little bit of cupid action and you have another winner by Lizz Lund!
Mira doesn't look for trouble it just sort of finds her. Valentine's Day, a baptism and a ghost haunting connect to keep the story popping. Add in a little bit of cupid action and you have another winner by Lizz Lund!
March 22, 2015
A cute little cozy mystery that is fun and fast to read. I liked the character of Mina, and enjoyed her wacky friends. I wasn't really thrilled with James, her sometime boss and sometime love interest. He was a little too much of a jerk. I have more hope for her budding relationship with Chef.
The mystery portion of the book was a little weak. It was original, but I knew who the thief was early on in the book, and was waiting for Mina and her friends to catch up.
The mystery portion of the book was a little weak. It was original, but I knew who the thief was early on in the book, and was waiting for Mina and her friends to catch up.
May 5, 2015
Mina the saga continues
If you have not ready this series you should. You get to know all the friends and family, neighbors and church members. What I find refreshing about this author is that if you pay attention at the beginning of the book you can figure out who the culprit is but the page Turner is how the author hols on to you while you figure out how they are going to get caught. I love this series but please give Mina a real boyfriend.
If you have not ready this series you should. You get to know all the friends and family, neighbors and church members. What I find refreshing about this author is that if you pay attention at the beginning of the book you can figure out who the culprit is but the page Turner is how the author hols on to you while you figure out how they are going to get caught. I love this series but please give Mina a real boyfriend.
January 9, 2016
I continue to enjoy the Lizz Lund series of books about Mina Kitchen. They are very funny, and I love the variety of unusual characters. This is my third book about Mina Kitchen, and I feel like I'm getting to know these characters. The mystery is always secondary to the events of Mina's life. She seems to have one difficult situation after another, but is a good sport through it all. I also love that the books include recipes Mina prepared in the book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews