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Ouna Bay #1
A Sweet Chunk of Madness
Becky's pastry shop, the Blue Bay Café, is popular among the natives of Ouna Bay, as well as among the tourists passing by. But Becky's life is turned upside down when someone puts their eye on her beloved Blue Bay Café.
Who would want her to give up her café? And most importantly, why? Could the new, handsome man in Becky's life have anything to do with it?
As things heat up and sinister events become the norm, Becky decides to take matters in her own hands.
Join Becky and her best friend, Rosalie, as they try to get to the bottom of this mystery and stop the madness.
Who would want her to give up her café? And most importantly, why? Could the new, handsome man in Becky's life have anything to do with it?
As things heat up and sinister events become the norm, Becky decides to take matters in her own hands.
Join Becky and her best friend, Rosalie, as they try to get to the bottom of this mystery and stop the madness.
88 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 21, 2015
116 people are currently reading
199 people want to read
About the author
Deany Ray
42 books183 followershttps://www.facebook.com/deanyraybooks/
Deany Ray has always wanted to be a writer so she decided to take the plunge and dive into it.
She loves writing cozy mysteries, as this is what she likes to read the most.
Her favorite activities are traveling, going to the movie theatre, meeting up with friends and having cooking sessions with her awesome mom.
Deany Ray has always wanted to be a writer so she decided to take the plunge and dive into it.
She loves writing cozy mysteries, as this is what she likes to read the most.
Her favorite activities are traveling, going to the movie theatre, meeting up with friends and having cooking sessions with her awesome mom.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
February 15, 2018
I needed something a little bit lighter than what I've been reading (what I've been reading is awesome but you know that goes, just need a break between books?) so I remembered I had had this book for awhile. It was just what I needed, a quick mystery, fun story line and even though it was one of the shorter books out there, I still didn't guess the killer.
Becky is managing the cafe that her parents used to own and is really tired of all the letters she's been getting from a big corporation wanting to buy her out and turn the bake shop/cafe into a chain store. A series of increasingly disturbing events start happening: a broken front window, dead flowers on her home doorstep and her best friend Rosalie getting poisoned by paint thinner put in one of her cakes.
With Becky's ex on the police force, she doesn't really want to take the matter up with them so she takes things into her own hands and catches the perp. In the meantime throughout the story, she meets a new guy who happens to be the nephew of the man wanting to buy her place. Houston is completely unlike his uncle and actually wants her not to sell.
These characters were all so likable! Ouna Bay is definitely a place I would want to visit or hang out. Of course there's the usual small town gossip chain but there's also a good and faithful friend named Rosalie, a great employee named Maia, not to mention Becky herself and her new guy, Houston. I thought it was admirable of Houston to stand up to his uncle and question him about the things going on at the cafe.
I know I'll continue reading this series since reading this was very relaxing.
Becky is managing the cafe that her parents used to own and is really tired of all the letters she's been getting from a big corporation wanting to buy her out and turn the bake shop/cafe into a chain store. A series of increasingly disturbing events start happening: a broken front window, dead flowers on her home doorstep and her best friend Rosalie getting poisoned by paint thinner put in one of her cakes.
With Becky's ex on the police force, she doesn't really want to take the matter up with them so she takes things into her own hands and catches the perp. In the meantime throughout the story, she meets a new guy who happens to be the nephew of the man wanting to buy her place. Houston is completely unlike his uncle and actually wants her not to sell.
These characters were all so likable! Ouna Bay is definitely a place I would want to visit or hang out. Of course there's the usual small town gossip chain but there's also a good and faithful friend named Rosalie, a great employee named Maia, not to mention Becky herself and her new guy, Houston. I thought it was admirable of Houston to stand up to his uncle and question him about the things going on at the cafe.
I know I'll continue reading this series since reading this was very relaxing.
April 4, 2019
This read like a fanfic, and not the good kind. The writing was clunky, with sentences awkwardly put together to make longer ones. The characters had no personality to speak of, and the mystery was treated like a joke. The romance was very insta-lovey, and all we know about Houston is that he's 'hot' and he himself only had to look at a picture of the main girl to fall in love with her. I thought about DNF'ing this every other sentence, but since it was so short, and I didn't have much else to do, I persisted. Even so, it wasn't worth it.
August 14, 2022
Kindle freebie box set at time of download
Becky Chambers has been running her family's cafe, Blue Bay Café, on Lake Erie since her parents died when she was young. Technically her aunt and uncle ran it until they retired but Becky has been there her whole life and loves it more than anything, especially her ex-fiance. There's no way she'll sell to the Hayes Corporation. When the nephew of the man who wants to buy Becky out arrives in town, he swears he has nothing to do with his uncle's plans and in fact, his uncle has given up on buying the cafe. So when threatening events start to occur, Becky is more suspicious of her ex-fiance's other woman than she is of Hayes Corporation, but could they be playing dirty tricks to try to get her to sell? She's determined to find out and save her cafe!
This story features some yummy baking but it's pretty short and bland. There's no murder in this story, only some weird, scary things going on. I loved the baking and wish there were recipes included! The mystery is a big surprise and almost a let down because the clues aren't there at all. The solution comes out of thin air.
Becky seems nice enough but rather naive and sunny. She automatically trusts a man at his word yet won't go to the police when she's threatened because the deputy chief is her ex! That's incredibly stupid. She lies about one incident and even throws away the evidence. At least she thinks to save something. Her idea of finding the perpetrator is pretty silly. I had a slightly better idea. Rosalie, Becky's best friend, is crazy. She's fun but her ethics are questionable and she can't seem to settle into any one thing for long.
Becky has a staff of two, one of whom is on vacation. Maia, a middle-aged mom, works at the cafe for something to do. She is helpful and fun. Angelia is a nosy neighbor who likes to spread gossip. Roger Hayes is the nephew of the man trying to buy out Becky. Roger seems nice and he's really into Becky. I don't trust him. He sounds too good to be true.
I liked this story OK but didn't love it. I'm not too interested in continuing with the rest of the series right now.
Becky Chambers has been running her family's cafe, Blue Bay Café, on Lake Erie since her parents died when she was young. Technically her aunt and uncle ran it until they retired but Becky has been there her whole life and loves it more than anything, especially her ex-fiance. There's no way she'll sell to the Hayes Corporation. When the nephew of the man who wants to buy Becky out arrives in town, he swears he has nothing to do with his uncle's plans and in fact, his uncle has given up on buying the cafe. So when threatening events start to occur, Becky is more suspicious of her ex-fiance's other woman than she is of Hayes Corporation, but could they be playing dirty tricks to try to get her to sell? She's determined to find out and save her cafe!
This story features some yummy baking but it's pretty short and bland. There's no murder in this story, only some weird, scary things going on. I loved the baking and wish there were recipes included! The mystery is a big surprise and almost a let down because the clues aren't there at all. The solution comes out of thin air.
Becky seems nice enough but rather naive and sunny. She automatically trusts a man at his word yet won't go to the police when she's threatened because the deputy chief is her ex! That's incredibly stupid. She lies about one incident and even throws away the evidence. At least she thinks to save something. Her idea of finding the perpetrator is pretty silly. I had a slightly better idea. Rosalie, Becky's best friend, is crazy. She's fun but her ethics are questionable and she can't seem to settle into any one thing for long.
Becky has a staff of two, one of whom is on vacation. Maia, a middle-aged mom, works at the cafe for something to do. She is helpful and fun. Angelia is a nosy neighbor who likes to spread gossip. Roger Hayes is the nephew of the man trying to buy out Becky. Roger seems nice and he's really into Becky. I don't trust him. He sounds too good to be true.
I liked this story OK but didn't love it. I'm not too interested in continuing with the rest of the series right now.
January 21, 2018
A light romance with a touch of mystery. Very short and quick read. The story is sweet but the editing and spelling are frustrating.
April 9, 2021
Writing was weak. Felt like a new and life-inexperienced writer's first draft. Sad to say, I gave up after just a very few pages. There were too many errors.
March 18, 2020
A great start to a series! A great short story that surprisingly does not read like a short story.
I noticed this gem of a story while checking out the recommendations of another author. I have become a recent fan of cozy mysteries. I love it when I find new authors who tell a story so well that I look forward to reading more of their work.
I enjoyed reading A Sweet Chunk of Madness from the beginning to the end! I found it to be a sweet romantic cozy mystery that was a well written quick read. It is a very clean romantic story (no foul language or smut). The mystery had a lot of red herrings with a delightful surprise ending. I did not figure out whodunit!
I plan to read more of the Ouna Bay Cozy Mysteries Series. If you enjoy reading a good cozy mystery, then I urge you to grab a copy of this book now. I recommend A Sweet Chunk of Madness to a person of any age that enjoys an easy to read, fun story.
I noticed this gem of a story while checking out the recommendations of another author. I have become a recent fan of cozy mysteries. I love it when I find new authors who tell a story so well that I look forward to reading more of their work.
I enjoyed reading A Sweet Chunk of Madness from the beginning to the end! I found it to be a sweet romantic cozy mystery that was a well written quick read. It is a very clean romantic story (no foul language or smut). The mystery had a lot of red herrings with a delightful surprise ending. I did not figure out whodunit!
I plan to read more of the Ouna Bay Cozy Mysteries Series. If you enjoy reading a good cozy mystery, then I urge you to grab a copy of this book now. I recommend A Sweet Chunk of Madness to a person of any age that enjoys an easy to read, fun story.
October 20, 2017
Bakery / cafe cozy meets romantic suspense.
Not sure if any of the gentlemen in this story truly earn the name.
The cheating ex fiancée police big wig, the nephew of a competitor, an employee off to visit grandparents who is really just off. The nicest man seems to be Dev the guy from the Newsstand.
He helps a damsel in distress and remains friendly.
My vote? Keep the bakery / cafe. Keep the best gal pal, who literally risks life and limb for you. Tell all the boys to keep to themselves !
Friendship and loyalty are the best loves shown, outside of fond memories of deceased family.
If you enjoy a bit of cozy with your romantic suspense, and don't mind the eye candy being less than perfect, but certainly pretty, guys; this could be a great crazy fun read for you!
Not sure if any of the gentlemen in this story truly earn the name.
The cheating ex fiancée police big wig, the nephew of a competitor, an employee off to visit grandparents who is really just off. The nicest man seems to be Dev the guy from the Newsstand.
He helps a damsel in distress and remains friendly.
My vote? Keep the bakery / cafe. Keep the best gal pal, who literally risks life and limb for you. Tell all the boys to keep to themselves !
Friendship and loyalty are the best loves shown, outside of fond memories of deceased family.
If you enjoy a bit of cozy with your romantic suspense, and don't mind the eye candy being less than perfect, but certainly pretty, guys; this could be a great crazy fun read for you!
July 23, 2017
This is a fun little short story, or maybe it's a novelette. Though the story is set up as a mystery, I wouldn't call it a mystery myself. There isn't really a who done it, and you never meet the culprit until the end of the book. There is no plot for you to follow, so it's more of a light romance with a hint of mystery. You become more invested in the characters' relationships rather than the 'mystery'.
Houston and Becky have great chemistry together. Though I do have to admit that the reason that Houston claims that he came to Ouna Bay for is a little creepy. All and all it's a cute little quick read.
Houston and Becky have great chemistry together. Though I do have to admit that the reason that Houston claims that he came to Ouna Bay for is a little creepy. All and all it's a cute little quick read.
November 26, 2022
Becky owns Blue Bay Cafe and loves her calling, but when a large corporation which runs a chain of coffee shops wants to buy her shop she is thrown into a mystery of escalating events that had the potential of harming her best friend Rosalie. Becky doesn't want to involve the police because she had broken off her engagement to Roger, a policeman, after catching him with the police secretary. The nephew of the owner of the large corporation tries to help stop his uncle from harassing Becky about selling. Becky and Rosalie begin to suspect everyone, but Becky catches someone who was the least suspected perpetrator.
May 19, 2024
I GOT THESE BOOK FUNNEL APP FREE E-BOOKS FROM THE AUTHOR.
OUNA BAY COZY MYSTERY SERIES - BOOKS 1-4 BOXSET - BY DEANY RAY = 351 PAGES
OUNA BAY COZY MYSTERIES SERIES - BOOK 1 - A SWEET CHUNK OF MADNESS - BY DEANY RAY = 88 PAGES
I STARTED READING THIS E-BOOK ON 3/16/2024.
I REALLY LIKED THIS STORY. BECKY AND ROSALIE HAS A WONDERFUL FRIENDSHIP, THAT DRAWS YOU IN TO THEM. BECKY DIDN'T DESERVE WHAT HAPPENED TO HER. SHE IS A VERY HARD WORKING, VERY CARING PERSON. I HOPE THAT SHE CAN FIND PEACE, AND HAPPINESS IN HER FUTURE. CAN'T WAIT TO READ BOOK 2 OF THIS SERIES TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS NEXT. I FINISHED READING THIS E-BOOK ON 5/19/2024.
OUNA BAY COZY MYSTERY SERIES - BOOKS 1-4 BOXSET - BY DEANY RAY = 351 PAGES
OUNA BAY COZY MYSTERIES SERIES - BOOK 1 - A SWEET CHUNK OF MADNESS - BY DEANY RAY = 88 PAGES
I STARTED READING THIS E-BOOK ON 3/16/2024.
I REALLY LIKED THIS STORY. BECKY AND ROSALIE HAS A WONDERFUL FRIENDSHIP, THAT DRAWS YOU IN TO THEM. BECKY DIDN'T DESERVE WHAT HAPPENED TO HER. SHE IS A VERY HARD WORKING, VERY CARING PERSON. I HOPE THAT SHE CAN FIND PEACE, AND HAPPINESS IN HER FUTURE. CAN'T WAIT TO READ BOOK 2 OF THIS SERIES TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS NEXT. I FINISHED READING THIS E-BOOK ON 5/19/2024.
May 7, 2021
This is a fun cozy mystery - without a murder. Becky has a small cafe/bakery in a small, beautiful town. A large corporate entity wants her shop but she isn't willing to sell out. Then someone seems to be stalking her and doing harm to her business, her customers, and her psyche. There are a number of possible suspects.
There is also a new hunk in town. He's the nephew of the CEO of the company that wants the shop.
This is a good book for people who are looking for an entertaining light read.
There is also a new hunk in town. He's the nephew of the CEO of the company that wants the shop.
This is a good book for people who are looking for an entertaining light read.
June 25, 2024
Cute, quick, not-too-complicated mystery. It was fairly short, and the characters and setting could have been fleshed out more with a longer book, but I enjoyed the writing and the story. The mystery of a stalker was quite creepy. Not my favorite book ever, but certainly good enough to read more by the author and to recommend this to anyone wanting a quick, easy read that doesn't leave you with too many deep thoughts. Except the thought that I want to eat cake now. I received this book for free on BookFunnel and am leaving a review voluntarily.
April 29, 2018
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review
This was a very quick,engaging,semi humorous cozy mystery read. The characters were interesting (could have used a little more depth to each), but seeing as how this is the first story;I guess it was alright. The situations weren't frantic and life threatening, but still believable. A good start to what appears to be an interesting series.
This was a very quick,engaging,semi humorous cozy mystery read. The characters were interesting (could have used a little more depth to each), but seeing as how this is the first story;I guess it was alright. The situations weren't frantic and life threatening, but still believable. A good start to what appears to be an interesting series.
November 19, 2019
Enjoyable cozy mystery. Interesting characters, with good dialogue between them. Great if you are after a quick light read. A few typos and missed words made me drop a star off the rating but otherwise I enjoyed this first book in the Ouna Bay Mystery series, with Becky, the owner of Blue Bay Café and cook extraordinaire of pastries and cakes, along with her friend Rosalie.
There was an excerpt of the second book at the end which looks interesting too.
There was an excerpt of the second book at the end which looks interesting too.
July 24, 2020
Definitely a “maddening” adventure!
Welcome to the Blue Bay Café in the picturesque town of Ouna Bay! Excellent introduction to Becky (owner) and Rosalie (best friend), after which dicey events begin to unfold. Plus, there’s a flirty potential love interest thrown in that may be a bit complicated. The ladies work together to solve more than one puzzle, hopefully before even more mayhem ensues. Looking forward to the rest of the cozy series from this refreshing new author to me!
Welcome to the Blue Bay Café in the picturesque town of Ouna Bay! Excellent introduction to Becky (owner) and Rosalie (best friend), after which dicey events begin to unfold. Plus, there’s a flirty potential love interest thrown in that may be a bit complicated. The ladies work together to solve more than one puzzle, hopefully before even more mayhem ensues. Looking forward to the rest of the cozy series from this refreshing new author to me!
June 26, 2017
I was s pleasantly surprised by this book. I thought oh no another cozy mystery about someone who owns a coffee/bake shop. But it wasn't like all the rest it was interesting and kept my attention. It was a really quick read which I needed as I just finished a really long read. I like to mix them up.
January 21, 2019
A sweet short story and cozy mystery book. It takes place in the town of Ouna Bay. Becky owns the Blue Bay Bakery and coffee shop. She enjoys her life in her home town. But someone starts harassing her. At first it’s a broken window but then it gets serious when her best friend gets poisoned by a cake that Becky has made. She begins to investigate only to find a surprise ending. Great reading!
March 7, 2019
A lovely, light, short, cozy mystery, with minimal stress while maintaining an exciting plot. I especially enjoyed the writing - so many cozies spend too much time on unnecessary details, but this one is very much show and not tell, with just enough detail to paint a lovely setting. Will definitely be reading more in this series!
March 21, 2017
A Fast-paced fun read that holds a surprise in the ending!
What a fun book to read. Lots of red herrings and a surprise ending. I liked Becky and her best friend Rosalie. They were a great compliment to each other. And now we see there could be a love interest introduced in Houston who seems to turn everyone's head although he seems to be attracted to Becky. This was a fast-paced fun read and I definitely will read more from this author!
What a fun book to read. Lots of red herrings and a surprise ending. I liked Becky and her best friend Rosalie. They were a great compliment to each other. And now we see there could be a love interest introduced in Houston who seems to turn everyone's head although he seems to be attracted to Becky. This was a fast-paced fun read and I definitely will read more from this author!
June 14, 2017
The story was okay, but there wasn't much to the mystery. I wanted more. More development between the characters in their relationships, more to the mystery, more build-up. It was a good start but still needs work.
January 26, 2018
Recieved a copy from author for a review. It was a cute story, but something seemed to be missing. I didn't connect with the characters. I really couldn't feel the drama till the episode at the end.
June 9, 2018
I received this book free.
I would definitely pay for this book.
I loved it. Becky only gave a small clue to her coworkers.
I think that Houston coming to Ouna Bay was such a good decision.
I like a little mystery.
I would definitely pay for this book.
I loved it. Becky only gave a small clue to her coworkers.
I think that Houston coming to Ouna Bay was such a good decision.
I like a little mystery.
November 1, 2020
A Clean, charming cozey mystery with interesting caracters and an intreageing mystery with a blooming romance in the making.A perfect light read for any time of the day or evening. Aquier "A Sweat Chunk of Madness "today so you yourself can enjoy reading it as much as I. Kat
December 28, 2020
Rather juvenile and unrealistic. Honest tension for the main characters who are the ‘what you see is what you get’ type, very superficial. If you want to read the book without actually reading the book just read Tari’s ‘review’. She leaves very little out.
January 4, 2021
A short Mystery mixed with Romance. It was a quick read. The characters are sympathetic, but a more detailed description of them would - in my opinion - benefit the book, especially as part 1 of a series. But all in all one of the better short cozies.
April 6, 2021
3.75/5: a little on the short side, could've added 20 pages & the story wouldn't have felt so rushed & maybe the ending wouldn't have felt so abrupt. But it was a fun cute read & I'll definitely read the rest of the series.
Read
July 4, 2021This cozy mystery novella. Characters were introduced that seem ready for serialization. Becky Chambers, the owner of the Blue Bay Cafe, and her quirky friends are sure to bring excitement to the small town of Ouna Bay.
February 28, 2022
A sweet small town story about a young woman who owns and runs a café. A best friend, a handsome man, and someone trying to scare her into closing (or selling) her café. Good friends and mystery make a fun read.
March 6, 2018
Fun cozy.
October 22, 2018
Short read. Fast read. Good book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews