Ganache with Panache

Chocolate Cafe #2

by Valley Sams

You'll absolutely melt into this delectable Cozy Mystery! Mac and Brie find themselves smack dab in the middle of investigating another mystery, when a bridezilla goes on the rampage. What looks like an annoying, but harmless rivalry turns deadly, and Mac has to get to the bottom of it before she and other innocent people get hurt, as wedding woes come to a head in this second thrilling installment of The Chocolate Café Series.

Genres: Cozy Mystery

132 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 23, 2016

Reviews

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its wedding season and the ladies are venturing into a new area making chocolates for two celebrations. One bride is delightful while the other is nasty which an equally horrible mother. A vacationing bridal gown designer gets sucked into the wedding drama as well. Suddenly there is a horrible murder. Mac and Brie find themselves right in the middle of a huge mess.

This is the second book in the Chocolate Café. I enjoyed this edition more than the first. The pace of the action was steady from the beginning. The characters are continuing to develop nicely. I also found myself suspecting one character and overlooking another until the end. I am looking forward to book three.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

**I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review**

This is such a fun series. The characters are awesome, especially Mac. Seriously, how is that girl still alive? Great mystery with seriously screwed up suspects. I can't wait until the next one.

[Arow · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy the second installment of the Chocolate Cafe series as much as the first but it did have good parts. I guess I expected more from the author this time around. I felt that the murder and sleuthing was rushed.

I will read on though as I am invested enough to want to know what happens to the characters.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this second book, Mac and Brie are once again in the middle of another murder. This time a dress designer who is in town to create the perfect wedding dress for Bridezilla. They need to find the killer before either they or more innocent people are killed.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love Mac, Brie, and Louis. Whether he likes it or not, they make a great time. I can't wait to see what happens next in the crazy little town of Mackenzie Bay.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, but it seemed to be lacking the depth of the first book. It was a bit too fast paced.

[E · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fun one

Really enjoyed book#2 I like the introduction of Vanessa & Amelia. I hope to see more of them in the series.

[Lauren D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this Chocolate Cafe series!!! I mean what can I say when you are dealing with an artist that is using chocolate as one of her main ingredients in her craft. You can tell that Sabrina aka Brie loves what she does and it surely comes thorough. So let's get to it; book 2 is about Brie taking two catering jobs. One for a woman name Amelia who is the sweetest woman ever, and then you have Harper who is the Bridezilla from Hell. When a fashion designer who was helping out with both weddings ends up dead and a close friend of Brie's is now designing a dress for Amelia, things get a little crazy.

In this book you will be introduced to two new characters which I am hoping are here to stay. We have Vanessa who just opened up a dress shop in town and she is also very good friends with Brie. They met in college so it will be interesting to see what she brings to the table. We also will be introduced to someone new in Mac's life and his name is Toby. He is her new four legged companion that Louis decided to adopted for his new girlfriends.

Also in this book you will get to know a little bit more about Mac and see that just because she comes from money, she is so down to earth that you wouldn't even know she has as much money as she does. I love her attitude and her outlook on life. I am loving the way Valley Sams is describing the characters. Especially with the conclusion of this book you actually feel how Mac's is feeling and I have send it before that this young woman is the same way I was when I was that age. I like to read stories that I or someone I know can relate too. It gives you a warm feeling inside knowing that you are "not alone" in the way you feel.

Great job Valley and I can not wait for Book 3 to come out!!!

[Penny Marks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this cozy series. I mean what more could you want, you have Chocolate, mystery,and murder! That my friends gives you an amazing cozy mystery that Valley Sam's has given us. The characters in this series are evolving and growing. Once you start you won't be able to stop just like when you are eating a tasty chocolate bar. Yummy!
Mac and Brie are about to be invaded by bridezilla and her mother Olivia. They have two weddings that they are going cater one is for bridezilla and the other a very sweet Amelia. This will be their first catering gig.
You thought the worst had hit but more was on the way. Olivia's mom is on a rampage demanding that the gown designer do what her daughter wants. He says no and the next day he is found murdered! Coincidence???
Something is bothering Mac because things are just not adding up. She is really trying hard to stay out of the investigation but the urge is so strong . Will Mac be able to keep her word and leave it alone???
Or will she be in hot water with her boyfriend/ detective ?
This book is well written , fast paced and easy to keep up. I was till the very end. Can't wait to read more in this series.

[Kristine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book in The Chocolate Cafe Series and it's a terrific follow-up. Mac and Brie have been asked to cater chocolates for not one, but two local weddings. Catering isn't something Mac and Brie have done before but they are more than happy to cater the first wedding. The second wedding is problematic on all fronts, the Bridezilla and her mother are over-bearing, demanding and won't take no for an answer. When they don't get their way, they resort to underhnded tactics and threats on several peoples lives. When someone turns up dead, Mac swears she won't investigate but information seems to be falling in her lap.

This is a fast paced story that kept me turning the pages. I enjoyed learning a little more about the characters and seeing their growth. The mystery was fun and kept me guessing until the end. I really enjoy this series and look forward to reading more.

I received a copy of this manuscript from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Doward Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mac and Sabrina "Brie" are mouth full of Brie's decadent chocolate creations and solving a murder. When a famous fashion designer is brutally murdered while designing a wedding dress for a local society girl, Mac & Brie are pulled into the investigation. Bridezilla and the Mother From Hades make enemies of the girls when they refuse to cater chocolate for the wedding. Their new friend Vanessa, a designer and dressmaker, gets sucked into the messy wedding and becomes a suspect in the murder investigation. With suspects including the victim's sister, manager and lover there are several suspects to look at and the girls are off and snooping. This time Mac, Vanessa and Detective Louis face down the killer. This is a fast read with another twisted murder plot. The characters are developing very well. This is a darker, edgier cozy mystery.

[Anne G. Kasaba · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't wait for book three!

What do you do when one of the town's most wealthy inhabitants demands you supply her daughter's wedding chocolates? But you've already committed to another inhabitants wedding? And the dress designer is facing the same problem and winds up dead? Why you simply solve the murder, of course. With her police detective boyfriend, her chocolate genius bestie, and her new clothing designer friend in her corner Mac is unstoppable.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Star ☔️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is chocolicious! It has a bridezilla, an outrageous mother of the bride, lots of chocolate, an English love muffin, and an intriguing mystery! It's short and sweet and I liked it a lot. This series is great for cozy mystery lovers and/or chocoholics! The publisher provided me with a complimentary ebook copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Pat Plummer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joyful read

This second in the series was just as fascinating as the first. Brie and Mac, or is it Mac and Brie...either way they make two totally lovable protagonists. While a cosy, I can see myself recommending both these books to my 14 and 18 year old granddaughters. Great story development, great character interplay and just plain fun to read.

[Shannon Binegar-Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great one.

Disclosure: I received this book free of charge from the publisher. This review is my honest opinion, and is in no way influenced by the author or publisher.

WOW. I could not of this one down until I had finished every last word. This one was drama filled right from the first chapter. Loved every minute of it. Bring on book 3 and the next adventure.

[Lesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazingly good

Catherine Mackenzie is a woman we can all envy, rich and beautiful but with a stubborn streak. While her best friend is the complete opposite, the two of them really show what it means to be friends. Will Catherine finally admit to the love that is brewing in her heart? I can't wait to find out!!! Looking forward to book 3. Happy reading :)

[Lynne Moody · Rating 5 out of 5]

So chocolatey Good

Wow this storyline has me hooked on this series ! The characters were so great together as they gathered all the clues to solve the murder. If you love cozies you will love this series as I do :)

[Sharon Thrasher · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good

I loved it. I had to read it through the minute I started it. Ah chocolate and murder. Makes for a great book.

[Kitten Peters · Rating 5 out of 5]

The wild ride to a wedding.

Take a beautiful bride and a Bridezilla. Add one designer and chocolate heaven. Murder and wedding blues for one, wedding bliss for another

[Linda Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good story

This series grows on you. The first was very simple short to the point but this book kept me reading up through the night.