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Dana Sweet #1
Strawberry Cream Cupcake & Murder
AVAILABLE BOOK 2 "BLUEBERRY CREAM CUPCAKE & MURDER ***BONUS RECIPES INCLUDED!*** Reverse your stress at Cozy Cupcakes Café. Remember, ‘stressed’ is ‘desserts’ spelled backwards! Her ex-fiancé ran off with her money, her dreams, and her best friend. But that won’t stop Dana Sweet from trying to make a fresh new start. They say the best revenge is sweet success and that’s what Dana plans to do. Turn the struggling cupcake café she inherited from her grandmother into a success. Dana takes a chance and re-opens the café under a new name, Cozy Cupcakes Café, where frosted cupcakes are served with a spoon and delivered with a sweet fortune cookie-like message to brighten customers’ days. But moving back to Berry Cove in Ontario is not as easy as it looks. For one thing, Dana is not welcomed to town by her competitor. Moreover, the employees at the bake shop haven’t warmed up to her yet. And when the Berry Cove Gazette food critic who gave the café a scathing review turns up dead, all sticky fingers point to Dana. And now a gorgeous detective has her under surveillance... A Dana Sweet Cozy Mystery Strawberry Cream Cupcake & Murder (Book 1) Blueberry Cream Cupcake & Murder (Book 2) Chocolate Cream Cupcake & Murder (Book 3) Strawberry Meringue Cupcake & Murder (Book 3.5) * Bonus Short Story Vanilla Cream Cupcake & Murder (Book 4) Holiday Cream Cupcake & Murder (Book 5) Valentine’s Cupcake & Murder (Book 6) Buttercream Cupcake & Murder (Book 7) Coconut Cream Cupcake & Murder (Book 8) Cherry Cream Cupcake & Murder (Book 9) Chocolate Chip Cupcake & Murder (Book 10)
153 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 28, 2015
506 people are currently reading
980 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 200 reviews
April 26, 2021
For a self-publish, it was OK. As someone who has a degree in editing, I do have some suggestions for the author:
1. Invest in a thesaurus and learn to use it -- heavily. The key adjective to describe the interior of a Victorian style house should not be "cool", unless you are speaking of temperature, which you weren't. And certainly you should not use it 3 times in the space of less than 2 pages. Goodness!
2. Take a college-level writing course that you attend in person, i.e. not online. One of the key advantages of these is others read your work and you get real feedback. Then join a writers group. Go to conferences for the type of writing you are doing -- conferences that have presentations on writing how to sessions. Listen and take notes. Brandon Sanderson said that is how he built skills for his fantasy writing.
3. Read your work out loud to yourself. Listen to the cadence, rhythm, and tempo. To catch spelling errors and verb tense errors, read your work backwards (not out loud). Seriously, it works.
4. Spell checkers are helpful but not infallible. Don't rely on them too much. For instance when someone mentally "checks out", the word is spelled "trance" not "trans".
5. Find a friend who reads more than you do who respects you enough to tell you when you are being a nim-norf.
6. Read authors such as Grafton, Evanovich and Eva Gates, not for pleasure, but to study methodology and technique. You rely far too heavily on questions to represent inner thought even when they read as statements and not questions. Note these authors do not employ that type of technique. Study how they do indicate the main character's thought process.
7. Respect your characters enough to give all of them last names unless there is a critical reason not to. Mike the mail guy should only have "the mail guy" stated once. Since there are no other Mikes in the book, why do you still use that halfway through the book? It comes across as silly. The same with Phil the pharmacist. Perhaps Phil Connors. Wait, that won't work, Phil Connors is a weatherman in Pennsylvania (Groundhog Day).
8. I loved Truffles the cat. She reminded me of The Cat Who books. (Another series for you to study).
Good luck. Oh, and before I was finished with this review, I edited it 7 times. A minimum for me.
1. Invest in a thesaurus and learn to use it -- heavily. The key adjective to describe the interior of a Victorian style house should not be "cool", unless you are speaking of temperature, which you weren't. And certainly you should not use it 3 times in the space of less than 2 pages. Goodness!
2. Take a college-level writing course that you attend in person, i.e. not online. One of the key advantages of these is others read your work and you get real feedback. Then join a writers group. Go to conferences for the type of writing you are doing -- conferences that have presentations on writing how to sessions. Listen and take notes. Brandon Sanderson said that is how he built skills for his fantasy writing.
3. Read your work out loud to yourself. Listen to the cadence, rhythm, and tempo. To catch spelling errors and verb tense errors, read your work backwards (not out loud). Seriously, it works.
4. Spell checkers are helpful but not infallible. Don't rely on them too much. For instance when someone mentally "checks out", the word is spelled "trance" not "trans".
5. Find a friend who reads more than you do who respects you enough to tell you when you are being a nim-norf.
6. Read authors such as Grafton, Evanovich and Eva Gates, not for pleasure, but to study methodology and technique. You rely far too heavily on questions to represent inner thought even when they read as statements and not questions. Note these authors do not employ that type of technique. Study how they do indicate the main character's thought process.
7. Respect your characters enough to give all of them last names unless there is a critical reason not to. Mike the mail guy should only have "the mail guy" stated once. Since there are no other Mikes in the book, why do you still use that halfway through the book? It comes across as silly. The same with Phil the pharmacist. Perhaps Phil Connors. Wait, that won't work, Phil Connors is a weatherman in Pennsylvania (Groundhog Day).
8. I loved Truffles the cat. She reminded me of The Cat Who books. (Another series for you to study).
Good luck. Oh, and before I was finished with this review, I edited it 7 times. A minimum for me.
April 13, 2018
This review is purely about the writing. People make fun of me for reading older books, especially mysteries. But at least back in the day they used editors.
Not everyone should write a book. If you have a story to tell but you don't particularly care about writing style, grammar, spelling, vocabulary, syntax, continuity and idiom, then maybe you should consider a screenplay, spoken-word poetry or interpretive dance. If you really don't know the difference between affect and effect - write a note and keep it beside your computer. If you really think that the countertops had taken a beaten and not a beating - read more books. If you can't remember the name of your MC for the whole 112 pages - try some ginkgo. If English is not your first language - write a book in your first language and find a qualified interpreter to do the translating. These things should help, but you still need to draft draft and re-draft, get a proofreader, get an editor and show some damn pride in your work.
It is probably not fair that I am focusing all my problems on this one book, but it is just the timing of reading it and you can safely apply this review to 99% of all self-published books and several not self-published books. The fact that James Patterson can have the same errors (though generally fewer of them) in his published novels is just as frustrating.
Not everyone should write a book. If you have a story to tell but you don't particularly care about writing style, grammar, spelling, vocabulary, syntax, continuity and idiom, then maybe you should consider a screenplay, spoken-word poetry or interpretive dance. If you really don't know the difference between affect and effect - write a note and keep it beside your computer. If you really think that the countertops had taken a beaten and not a beating - read more books. If you can't remember the name of your MC for the whole 112 pages - try some ginkgo. If English is not your first language - write a book in your first language and find a qualified interpreter to do the translating. These things should help, but you still need to draft draft and re-draft, get a proofreader, get an editor and show some damn pride in your work.
It is probably not fair that I am focusing all my problems on this one book, but it is just the timing of reading it and you can safely apply this review to 99% of all self-published books and several not self-published books. The fact that James Patterson can have the same errors (though generally fewer of them) in his published novels is just as frustrating.
June 22, 2017
Pretty much a classic reason of why I don't read self-published books unless I I know the author was previously published with a traditional house or if I know them personally and that the book was edited. The concept wasn't bad....a lot like Jenn McKinlay's cupcake series....very much like it. Too many leaps to try to meet the "cozy formula".
January 4, 2024
I was blinded by the strawberry cupcake with whipped cream frosting, this book was superficial and predictable.
August 3, 2016
I've started this story on my way home and by the time I got out of the train I decided I simply can't go on. At first, it was going well, it has a nice setting - Canada (btw, the next book I picked up after this is also set in Canada, my mind seems to wander in that direction. It's not a cozy mystery though, a sci-fi comedy written in journal-like style).
Characters seemed to have some depth and it's always a nice addition to the shorter reads. But what put me off badly was the grammar! Now I'm not unforgiving if there are very few mistakes in the story I'll let them pass, but in this case, I simply couldn't go on. The worst page had at least 6 mistakes! And I'm reading on a Kindle and my font setting isn't low, so there were not that many sentences there.
That's that. I wish I could finish the story, but I simply don't want to waste time on someone else grammar issues
Characters seemed to have some depth and it's always a nice addition to the shorter reads. But what put me off badly was the grammar! Now I'm not unforgiving if there are very few mistakes in the story I'll let them pass, but in this case, I simply couldn't go on. The worst page had at least 6 mistakes! And I'm reading on a Kindle and my font setting isn't low, so there were not that many sentences there.
That's that. I wish I could finish the story, but I simply don't want to waste time on someone else grammar issues
March 22, 2024
The story was decent. I listened to it on audiobook, so I probably didn't catch as many writing mistakes as I would reading the physical book. But all the cute little sayings and quotes that I normally adore were too much in this book. The first chapter was rough. But I finished the book, and like I said, it was a decent story that I enjoyed.
March 1, 2020
Oh boy! This book was in NEED of an editor desperately! I think the author had a good idea it just didn’t come together.
March 23, 2017
Dana Sweet leaves New York to go home to Canada to run her Grandmother’s cafe.
***
In my life, Nana was my paternal grandmother and Grandma was my maternal grandmother, so I’m confused by someone who interchanges them for the one person. Then she calls her Nans, and other people call her Ma Rae.
If your book is only 116 pages long, you should probably lose all the repetition.
The cafes in debt, omg I owe so much money, the debts, the bills… we get it.
Don’t tell me how to use a credit card at a petrol pump - I know.
This is so stilted, it’s hard to read.
What?? You were so close to the constantly mentioned G’ma Rae that you don’t even know how many husbands she had?
If everyone knows the cafe as Ma Rae’s why would you change the name to ‘CCC - sweet treats with happy thoughts’? Which by the way is an awful mouthful.
Someone shouts out ‘he’s dead’ and our heroine asks ‘is everything all right?’
I’m guessing no.
Which one? Pick one.
I’m skimming. This is dreadful.
Someone asks her a question and she has a paragraph of wandering thoughts before she answers them.
There are no transitions. Scene breaks start with ‘later…’
She mentions three times in one kindle page that her aunt and uncle are in debt - again… but love each other.
She bakes a feast for her family: it’s lasagna, strawberry cupcakes and a spinach smoothie.
I kid you not. And seriously, did that sentence even make sense? Plus, she misspelled desserts.
This woman has never baked in her life. She thinks she’s multitasking because she made two things in a hot oven. And she learnt to do this in NY. Bwahaha.
And personally, if I owned a cupcake bakery the last freaking thing I’d need to see on the dinner table is a cupcake.
Nope. It gets worse; she thinks walking and talking is multitasking.
Omg… the funeral. I guffawed.
Her tires get slashed and this is her reaction.
Bwahaha.
Oh bless, it was worth hanging on for this line.
Trans? *face palms*
She breaks all the mystery rules by explaining it all to the murderer twice - with info she hasn’t told the readers - and she got it wrong the first time. Poirot she is not.
Then there is a sudden romance with the guy she hated and with no set up.
Dana’s heart works overtime here: it flips, gets heavy, squeezes, thumps, skips, gallops, pounds, thrashes, warms, flutters, breaks, smashes…
Editors. Worth the money.
1 star
***
In my life, Nana was my paternal grandmother and Grandma was my maternal grandmother, so I’m confused by someone who interchanges them for the one person. Then she calls her Nans, and other people call her Ma Rae.
If your book is only 116 pages long, you should probably lose all the repetition.
The cafes in debt, omg I owe so much money, the debts, the bills… we get it.
Don’t tell me how to use a credit card at a petrol pump - I know.
This is so stilted, it’s hard to read.
She wondered how Grandma Rae managed to live in it alone after her husband or husbands passed away…
What?? You were so close to the constantly mentioned G’ma Rae that you don’t even know how many husbands she had?
If everyone knows the cafe as Ma Rae’s why would you change the name to ‘CCC - sweet treats with happy thoughts’? Which by the way is an awful mouthful.
Someone shouts out ‘he’s dead’ and our heroine asks ‘is everything all right?’
I’m guessing no.
Dana hated to swallow hard when nervous. It made her look, well, probably guilty or showed lack of confidence.
Which one? Pick one.
I’m skimming. This is dreadful.
Someone asks her a question and she has a paragraph of wandering thoughts before she answers them.
There are no transitions. Scene breaks start with ‘later…’
She mentions three times in one kindle page that her aunt and uncle are in debt - again… but love each other.
She bakes a feast for her family: it’s lasagna, strawberry cupcakes and a spinach smoothie.
Dana then got her blender ready and decided to make her famous green smoothie to top off deserts with the cupcake for the after dinner special. (Kindle Locations 636-637).
I kid you not. And seriously, did that sentence even make sense? Plus, she misspelled desserts.
This woman has never baked in her life. She thinks she’s multitasking because she made two things in a hot oven. And she learnt to do this in NY. Bwahaha.
And personally, if I owned a cupcake bakery the last freaking thing I’d need to see on the dinner table is a cupcake.
Nope. It gets worse; she thinks walking and talking is multitasking.
Omg… the funeral. I guffawed.
Her tires get slashed and this is her reaction.
Just then, she noticed that her tires were flat.
“How weird is that?” Dana stooped down to take a look. She knew she had pumped a whole lot of air into them when she first came back to Berry Cove and she really hadn’t driven her car much since then. Everything was a nice walk in the town. She had little use for her car. She enjoyed the beautiful walking trails and the close proximity to the Town Square. (Kindle Locations 1175-1178).
Bwahaha.
Oh bless, it was worth hanging on for this line.
He stopped walking toward her and paused. His expression froze, then his eyes glazed over as if dazed by a memory or thought. As if he were in a trans. (Kindle Locations 1456-1457).
Trans? *face palms*
She breaks all the mystery rules by explaining it all to the murderer twice - with info she hasn’t told the readers - and she got it wrong the first time. Poirot she is not.
Then there is a sudden romance with the guy she hated and with no set up.
Dana’s heart works overtime here: it flips, gets heavy, squeezes, thumps, skips, gallops, pounds, thrashes, warms, flutters, breaks, smashes…
Editors. Worth the money.
1 star
March 28, 2025
A cozy, mystery that was a quick read!
June 15, 2024
[LISTENED TO THE AUDIOBOOK]
A cozy small town whodunnit murder mystery that's fairly enjoyable and interesting enough. A likeable fmc with great deduction skills returns to the small town where her grandma once lived and ran a bakery to now permanently run it, gets trapped up in a murder investigation when the victim is found deceased with her bakery's poisoned cupcake at the crime scene. Will definitely listen to more.
A cozy small town whodunnit murder mystery that's fairly enjoyable and interesting enough. A likeable fmc with great deduction skills returns to the small town where her grandma once lived and ran a bakery to now permanently run it, gets trapped up in a murder investigation when the victim is found deceased with her bakery's poisoned cupcake at the crime scene. Will definitely listen to more.
March 21, 2017
Oh my goodness, there are 7 books in this series ... i love a cute, quick mystery ... love this cover. I got this book through insta-freebie ... loved every moment. Such a fun quick book. I will be checking out more from Ann S. Marie very very soon. Can't wait!! ( ;
"Grandma Rae's key ingredients for a good day:
1 cup of gratitude
1 spoonful of hope
1 ounce of laughter
A dash of resilience
A sprinkle of service to other . . ."
what a sweet recipe ... love this!! I think Grandma Rae would be a lady to chat with for sure. what a sweet heart!! ( ;
"Grandma Rae's key ingredients for a good day:
1 cup of gratitude
1 spoonful of hope
1 ounce of laughter
A dash of resilience
A sprinkle of service to other . . ."
what a sweet recipe ... love this!! I think Grandma Rae would be a lady to chat with for sure. what a sweet heart!! ( ;
December 19, 2016
Excellent read
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 27, 2024
tasty read
This book will leave you wondering what is gonna happen next! i'd suggest this book! It also has a tasty recipe inside
This book will leave you wondering what is gonna happen next! i'd suggest this book! It also has a tasty recipe inside
October 29, 2024
Is it possible to get frustrated by the cast and the finger-pointing? Granted, a small-town drama featuring an interloper. But still.
December 2, 2023
Let’s just say I gave this book two stars just to be kind. 😅
July 1, 2024
Easy read 📚 while working in the yard.
June 28, 2024
Awesome Book!!
Loved this book!! Definitely recommend it to all. The story is awesome!! Love hometown surprises and stories!! Go borrow it now!!
Loved this book!! Definitely recommend it to all. The story is awesome!! Love hometown surprises and stories!! Go borrow it now!!
January 3, 2025
Nice cozy clean read 👌
June 29, 2024
Strawberry Cream Cupcake & Murder is a cosy mystery novella by Ann S. Marie. It has 17 chapters, an epilogue, and a few recipes. Dana Sweet is going to live in Berry Cove, to run a café her grandmother left her in her will. However, a man is murdered, and there are elements that frame her as a suspect. She begins her own little investigation, in the hopes that she can clear her name.
My first thought about the book is that Dana isn’t a very nice person, and she seems very unlikeable throughout the book. The majority of the time, the author tries tell us that Dana is so kind and caring. Yet, her actual behaviour suggests the opposite. Especially with what she thinks about other people, and what she says about them. She, and her cousin, Katie, have all sorts of meanspirited things to say about others in the community. For example, it’s ironic that Dana and Katie consider Gerdie-Sue to be the town gossip, even referring to her as “miss busy-mouth” (they’re regularly bringing up her name, mocking her about being a gossip). Because Dana and Katie do a heck of a lot of gossiping to all sorts of people throughout the book. It’s highly hypocritical. They trash talk all sorts of the town folk. It’s really spiteful, despite Dana even saying that she didn’t like holding grudges (paraphrasing). She seems like a really nasty person, and the type of person I would hate to know. And yet the author keeps trying to portray her as a good person, despite the nastiness? And it gets weirder. Throughout earlier stages of the book, she has all sorts of nasty things to think and say about the deceased. When she’s at the memorial services, she overhears a person doesn’t like the guy, and she thinks, “She wondered why they had even bothered to come since he was, as they had said, a total menace.” But she herself was at the service…? Why would she go, considering her feelings about the guy? And, speaking of the funeral, the deceased man’s fiancée is one of Dana’s primarily targets to gossip about; being that they run opposing bakeries. However, throughout the book, we have very little contact with this fiancée ourselves; we just know her from what Dana, Katie (and other characters) gossip about her. And it’s definitely biased viewpoints, a lot of the time. It’s predominantly meanspirited, and we don’t even get to see Bianca’s side of the story, or see her personality for ourselves. The only bit of her we really do see is when she’s upset that Dana turned up to the funeral, and Bianca is upset by this because she believes Dana might be responsible for her partner’s death. Which is an understandable thing to be upset about. There are a lot of characters I just don’t like throughout the book. I just didn’t like Dana and her family.
The entire thing with Grandma Rae felt awkward. Yeah, I understand that she’s thinking a lot about her deceased grandmother. But so much of her thoughts about the woman felt so irrelevant to the plot. She would regularly think of sayings that the grandmother would have said. But a lot of it was irrelevant to the plot, in my opinion. Plus, none of it was particularly original in any way. It was just some generic statements, like the whole “when life gives you lemons” type thing. There were a lot of points I just skimmed, because of this grandmother stuff. Sometimes I skipped through other portions because the author would repeat things over so many times, and stuff like the cooking aspects were very irrelevant to the mystery, in my opinion.
So, as for the actual mystery aspects of the plot… While I can understand that Dana was frightened about the implications being framed for murder, a lot of her thought processes and actions didn’t make sense. And the way she would talk and think about stuff relevant to the mystery didn’t make sense either; the same with what other people would say about it. Such as a remark one character made about the detectives being new and, “They think they can go around intimidating folks around here.” But, until this point, they hadn’t done anything but ask legitimate questions about the investigation. Each time I read them interviewing Dana, there was nothing weird about their questions; they were just asking things relevant to the evidence they had. And I certainly didn’t sense them being intimidating in any way. Way too much of the plot is set up in an attempt to make us feel sorry for Dana. Such as the review that set off the scene of her heading towards the newspaper building. Then there’s the entirety of the financial problems we keep hearing about, even though she herself talks about how successful and thriving the business has become under her leadership. So which is it? Is it a success or not? Way too much of it felt contradictory, where the author would try to get us to pity her a lot, even though there would be multiple other points where the author would tell us how great Dana has it, and how well she’s doing. It felt like the author couldn’t make up their mind. Even with the evidence, we didn’t get much knowledge about it, only a few hints here and there about things. A lot of the way the investigation was solved was predominantly due to speculation and assumptions, rather than actual evidence. I didn’t like the mystery, because it was a particularly stereotypical plot, with the deceased guy being hated by so many people, so everyone has a motive, and then of course the main character gets framed for it. It wasn’t great.
And I think it’s weird how the author keeps trying to insist how smart and talented Dana is at everything. The author keeps trying to imply that Dana is some kind of genius at business and marketing. When she first comes to town in the beginning of the book, there’s a remark that some people had “been distrustful of her ‘out-there’ ideas”. But her ideas on changing the business were essentially just serving cupcakes with a spoon and having messages written on the cupcake wrappers. How are these meant to be “out-there ideas”? What’s meant to be so strange about eating a cupcake with a spoon? And what’s meant to be so strange about having writing on the cupcake wrappers? A character even refers to the new changes as a “crazy idea”. Am I missing something? I’ve seen many cupcakes with writing on the wrappers, in my time on Earth. And I myself have eaten cupcakes with a spoon. I just don’t understand with the author kept pushing and pushing for us to think this character as so creative, when this type of idea stuff has been done for years. There’s remarks that the messages on the wrappers thing is essentially a fortune cookie type of thing; so why is the author trying to make it out as if Dana is so smart, considering it’s essentially taking an idea that other people have done first? And the entirety of the stuff with the business felt off. We are told multiple times that the business is failing, yet there are entire paragraphs dedicated to how well the business is going, and how she “went viral” online with her “out of the box” and “crazy idea” to let people eat cupcakes with a spoon and put some text on a cupcake wrapper.
There’s a lot of mentions of brand names throughout the book. At times it felt like it was just advertising for them. It was weird because there was no reason to mention brand names at all; all the author needed to do was say that the character is using a laptop or that she has a designer handbag. Yet the author chose to name drop brands; regularly bringing up the brand name of the laptop, and acting almost like it’s a character.
Overall… Well… I’m glad I got it free, during a promotional period. Because, if I had paid actual money for it, I would be super bothered. As someone who has read and watched a lot of cosy mystery type media, I kept on feeling like it was a really bland and stereotypical mystery to deal with. Even the characters were very stereotypical, without much originality to them, in my opinion. And what personality they did have was very unlikeable. Dana in particular. It felt super hypocritical that she kept making Bianca out to be a horrible person, when she herself had all sorts of nasty things to say about everyone. To be blunt, Bianca didn’t even turn out to have any kind of relevance to the plot at all, in the end. It felt like Dana was just acting like so many of her problems were Bianca’s fault, and not taking any responsibility for her own actions. I just did not like this book.
My first thought about the book is that Dana isn’t a very nice person, and she seems very unlikeable throughout the book. The majority of the time, the author tries tell us that Dana is so kind and caring. Yet, her actual behaviour suggests the opposite. Especially with what she thinks about other people, and what she says about them. She, and her cousin, Katie, have all sorts of meanspirited things to say about others in the community. For example, it’s ironic that Dana and Katie consider Gerdie-Sue to be the town gossip, even referring to her as “miss busy-mouth” (they’re regularly bringing up her name, mocking her about being a gossip). Because Dana and Katie do a heck of a lot of gossiping to all sorts of people throughout the book. It’s highly hypocritical. They trash talk all sorts of the town folk. It’s really spiteful, despite Dana even saying that she didn’t like holding grudges (paraphrasing). She seems like a really nasty person, and the type of person I would hate to know. And yet the author keeps trying to portray her as a good person, despite the nastiness? And it gets weirder. Throughout earlier stages of the book, she has all sorts of nasty things to think and say about the deceased. When she’s at the memorial services, she overhears a person doesn’t like the guy, and she thinks, “She wondered why they had even bothered to come since he was, as they had said, a total menace.” But she herself was at the service…? Why would she go, considering her feelings about the guy? And, speaking of the funeral, the deceased man’s fiancée is one of Dana’s primarily targets to gossip about; being that they run opposing bakeries. However, throughout the book, we have very little contact with this fiancée ourselves; we just know her from what Dana, Katie (and other characters) gossip about her. And it’s definitely biased viewpoints, a lot of the time. It’s predominantly meanspirited, and we don’t even get to see Bianca’s side of the story, or see her personality for ourselves. The only bit of her we really do see is when she’s upset that Dana turned up to the funeral, and Bianca is upset by this because she believes Dana might be responsible for her partner’s death. Which is an understandable thing to be upset about. There are a lot of characters I just don’t like throughout the book. I just didn’t like Dana and her family.
The entire thing with Grandma Rae felt awkward. Yeah, I understand that she’s thinking a lot about her deceased grandmother. But so much of her thoughts about the woman felt so irrelevant to the plot. She would regularly think of sayings that the grandmother would have said. But a lot of it was irrelevant to the plot, in my opinion. Plus, none of it was particularly original in any way. It was just some generic statements, like the whole “when life gives you lemons” type thing. There were a lot of points I just skimmed, because of this grandmother stuff. Sometimes I skipped through other portions because the author would repeat things over so many times, and stuff like the cooking aspects were very irrelevant to the mystery, in my opinion.
So, as for the actual mystery aspects of the plot… While I can understand that Dana was frightened about the implications being framed for murder, a lot of her thought processes and actions didn’t make sense. And the way she would talk and think about stuff relevant to the mystery didn’t make sense either; the same with what other people would say about it. Such as a remark one character made about the detectives being new and, “They think they can go around intimidating folks around here.” But, until this point, they hadn’t done anything but ask legitimate questions about the investigation. Each time I read them interviewing Dana, there was nothing weird about their questions; they were just asking things relevant to the evidence they had. And I certainly didn’t sense them being intimidating in any way. Way too much of the plot is set up in an attempt to make us feel sorry for Dana. Such as the review that set off the scene of her heading towards the newspaper building. Then there’s the entirety of the financial problems we keep hearing about, even though she herself talks about how successful and thriving the business has become under her leadership. So which is it? Is it a success or not? Way too much of it felt contradictory, where the author would try to get us to pity her a lot, even though there would be multiple other points where the author would tell us how great Dana has it, and how well she’s doing. It felt like the author couldn’t make up their mind. Even with the evidence, we didn’t get much knowledge about it, only a few hints here and there about things. A lot of the way the investigation was solved was predominantly due to speculation and assumptions, rather than actual evidence. I didn’t like the mystery, because it was a particularly stereotypical plot, with the deceased guy being hated by so many people, so everyone has a motive, and then of course the main character gets framed for it. It wasn’t great.
And I think it’s weird how the author keeps trying to insist how smart and talented Dana is at everything. The author keeps trying to imply that Dana is some kind of genius at business and marketing. When she first comes to town in the beginning of the book, there’s a remark that some people had “been distrustful of her ‘out-there’ ideas”. But her ideas on changing the business were essentially just serving cupcakes with a spoon and having messages written on the cupcake wrappers. How are these meant to be “out-there ideas”? What’s meant to be so strange about eating a cupcake with a spoon? And what’s meant to be so strange about having writing on the cupcake wrappers? A character even refers to the new changes as a “crazy idea”. Am I missing something? I’ve seen many cupcakes with writing on the wrappers, in my time on Earth. And I myself have eaten cupcakes with a spoon. I just don’t understand with the author kept pushing and pushing for us to think this character as so creative, when this type of idea stuff has been done for years. There’s remarks that the messages on the wrappers thing is essentially a fortune cookie type of thing; so why is the author trying to make it out as if Dana is so smart, considering it’s essentially taking an idea that other people have done first? And the entirety of the stuff with the business felt off. We are told multiple times that the business is failing, yet there are entire paragraphs dedicated to how well the business is going, and how she “went viral” online with her “out of the box” and “crazy idea” to let people eat cupcakes with a spoon and put some text on a cupcake wrapper.
There’s a lot of mentions of brand names throughout the book. At times it felt like it was just advertising for them. It was weird because there was no reason to mention brand names at all; all the author needed to do was say that the character is using a laptop or that she has a designer handbag. Yet the author chose to name drop brands; regularly bringing up the brand name of the laptop, and acting almost like it’s a character.
Overall… Well… I’m glad I got it free, during a promotional period. Because, if I had paid actual money for it, I would be super bothered. As someone who has read and watched a lot of cosy mystery type media, I kept on feeling like it was a really bland and stereotypical mystery to deal with. Even the characters were very stereotypical, without much originality to them, in my opinion. And what personality they did have was very unlikeable. Dana in particular. It felt super hypocritical that she kept making Bianca out to be a horrible person, when she herself had all sorts of nasty things to say about everyone. To be blunt, Bianca didn’t even turn out to have any kind of relevance to the plot at all, in the end. It felt like Dana was just acting like so many of her problems were Bianca’s fault, and not taking any responsibility for her own actions. I just did not like this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 11, 2022
The grammatical errors, typos, and unimaginative writing made me want to stop reading every few chapters. I finally gave up just before the end of the first book, so I am reviewing the first book only.
I’m hoping sales for this book series affords the writer an editor in the next batch, and in turn, more experience to grow as a writer.
I’m hoping sales for this book series affords the writer an editor in the next batch, and in turn, more experience to grow as a writer.
December 25, 2021
This mystery was interesting enough to make me start the second book, but it had a ton of repetitiveness going on in it which at times got a little annoying. Some of the editing wasn't that great, but I was able to read over those.
I liked Dana and her cousin Katie pretty well, but I got a kick out of good old Uncle Merv and Aunt Nia. It was so funny how she'd sold some of her designer stuff thinking Merv wouldn't notice, but her hubby was more observant than she gave him credit for. Maybe that's where Dana got her ability to make murder mystery puzzles for a blog. Dana was pretty sure Merv was one of her very few blog participants. Since she did like making mysteries, Dana realized it wasn't all fun and games when she had to protect her own name from being accused of murder.
I was sure I knew whodunit, but boy was I wrong! I loved how the author spun it so I'd think that, then I thought another person was guilty...wrong again! The showdown was planned though, so I'm thinking Dana knew who it was all along, and I just got caught up in some well done red herrings. As I said, I started the second book already since I happened to have it in my account, and I'm liking it pretty well.
I liked Dana and her cousin Katie pretty well, but I got a kick out of good old Uncle Merv and Aunt Nia. It was so funny how she'd sold some of her designer stuff thinking Merv wouldn't notice, but her hubby was more observant than she gave him credit for. Maybe that's where Dana got her ability to make murder mystery puzzles for a blog. Dana was pretty sure Merv was one of her very few blog participants. Since she did like making mysteries, Dana realized it wasn't all fun and games when she had to protect her own name from being accused of murder.
I was sure I knew whodunit, but boy was I wrong! I loved how the author spun it so I'd think that, then I thought another person was guilty...wrong again! The showdown was planned though, so I'm thinking Dana knew who it was all along, and I just got caught up in some well done red herrings. As I said, I started the second book already since I happened to have it in my account, and I'm liking it pretty well.
September 4, 2017
.
The ideas for the plot and characters seem sound. However, distraction was found with the content being filled with extraneous and unnecessary details, which include but are not limited to an extraordinary number of proverbs and sayings attributed to her grandmother's memory, that don't even apply to the moment. Also, there are grammatical errors that annoy the reader as well.
Facts don't jive when she says she has invested all her savings in the Cafe, which still has many unpaid bills. Yet she reveals updates she made to grandma's house that would have been unnecessary expenses.
Coincidentally, she has no problem covering the expense of large quantiies of food and finding time to cook extravagant meals.
The cat's behavior is quirky and fun!
I was tempted multiple times to just quit before completion, but I gave it another try each time.
I'm on to a new series now.
The ideas for the plot and characters seem sound. However, distraction was found with the content being filled with extraneous and unnecessary details, which include but are not limited to an extraordinary number of proverbs and sayings attributed to her grandmother's memory, that don't even apply to the moment. Also, there are grammatical errors that annoy the reader as well.
Facts don't jive when she says she has invested all her savings in the Cafe, which still has many unpaid bills. Yet she reveals updates she made to grandma's house that would have been unnecessary expenses.
Coincidentally, she has no problem covering the expense of large quantiies of food and finding time to cook extravagant meals.
The cat's behavior is quirky and fun!
I was tempted multiple times to just quit before completion, but I gave it another try each time.
I'm on to a new series now.
March 6, 2016
Sweet read
This is a cute book. Dana has returned to Berry Cove to bring life back into her Grandmothers cafe. Soon after arriving a man who has written a horrible review of her cafe is murdered. One of her cupcakes is next to him and Dana is one of the 1st on the scene to find him. It appears she is being setup to be the prime suspect. Who did kill this man? Will Dana find her way out of this mess? I recommend you pick this up and find out what happens.
This is a cute book. Dana has returned to Berry Cove to bring life back into her Grandmothers cafe. Soon after arriving a man who has written a horrible review of her cafe is murdered. One of her cupcakes is next to him and Dana is one of the 1st on the scene to find him. It appears she is being setup to be the prime suspect. Who did kill this man? Will Dana find her way out of this mess? I recommend you pick this up and find out what happens.
September 15, 2021
Just wrote an informative longer review and then managed to delete it.
In essence, this badly needs an editor. There are sentence, grammar and spelling errors, as well as odd jumps marring the cohesion of the story.
However I did enjoy it a little. It was like something written by one of my students — shows promise but needs work.
I will be trying the warm apple pie smoothie and the cupcake recipe though.
In essence, this badly needs an editor. There are sentence, grammar and spelling errors, as well as odd jumps marring the cohesion of the story.
However I did enjoy it a little. It was like something written by one of my students — shows promise but needs work.
I will be trying the warm apple pie smoothie and the cupcake recipe though.
March 10, 2022
Editor Needed
Cute story but was in serious need of an editor. When a book is only 116 pages, the reader doesn't need to be told the same information multiple times. The spelling and the grammar are atrocious throughout. There is no cohesive flow between scenes and locations. Overall, this is not worth reading if you get irritated over a poor writing style. However, if you can overlook this trait, the story is coffee shop with nothing better to do cute.
Cute story but was in serious need of an editor. When a book is only 116 pages, the reader doesn't need to be told the same information multiple times. The spelling and the grammar are atrocious throughout. There is no cohesive flow between scenes and locations. Overall, this is not worth reading if you get irritated over a poor writing style. However, if you can overlook this trait, the story is coffee shop with nothing better to do cute.
May 31, 2022
I found there was a serious lack of editing for the first three Dana Sweet books. However, I kept reading them! This first one was so much fun, with really engaging characters and a compelling story that I ignored the grammar issues and didn't stop. I will read more by this author and will hope that she can improve her editing skills or hire a professional editor, since the books appear to be self-published.
February 1, 2017
A fun, quick read.
Everything I like in a cozy mystery escape... a feisty heroine, who places a lot of value in her family, a smarter than average cat, lots of red herrings, and the who done it deftly wrapped up by the end. A first in a series, I can't wait to read the next book.
Everything I like in a cozy mystery escape... a feisty heroine, who places a lot of value in her family, a smarter than average cat, lots of red herrings, and the who done it deftly wrapped up by the end. A first in a series, I can't wait to read the next book.
October 29, 2017
If you are in the mood for a cozy mystery then this one is the one for you. An easy read that flows smoothly. The author will draw you in and and you will feel as though you are part of the storyline. I highly recommend this book. Dana (the main character) is so easy to like. A bonus is the recipe you receive.
April 3, 2018
Strawberry cream cupcake &murder mystery
I am so lucky to have found the first book in the series. It is so cute, Almost every one in town is friendly. The way Dana and Mac her computer analyze and scrutinize every thing is delightful. Her aunt, Uncle and cousin along with the family car are a delight.
I am so lucky to have found the first book in the series. It is so cute, Almost every one in town is friendly. The way Dana and Mac her computer analyze and scrutinize every thing is delightful. Her aunt, Uncle and cousin along with the family car are a delight.
June 21, 2021
Cute, short story
This was a well-developed mystery. The writing seemed un-edited. Two times the author wrote “trans” instead of “trance.” This would have easily been corrected up by a proofreader. There were also other typos and poor grammar choices. The story line was fun but the editing was just abysmal.
This was a well-developed mystery. The writing seemed un-edited. Two times the author wrote “trans” instead of “trance.” This would have easily been corrected up by a proofreader. There were also other typos and poor grammar choices. The story line was fun but the editing was just abysmal.
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