Barking up the Wrong Bakery

Happy Tails Dog Walking Mysteries #1

by Stella St. Claire

Some people would kill for coffee…

Olivia Rickard would kill to keep everything just the way it is. She’s got a gorgeous boyfriend who loves her, a supportive sister to lean on, and a dog walking business that’s briskly barking away. But just as she’s getting comfortable her sister suddenly wants to buy an entire brownstone with her and her boyfriend looks like he’s going to pop the question at every opportunity. Changing the status quo has always been disastrous for Olivia and now everything is changing at once…

What Olivia needs is a distraction and she’s found one in stumbling upon Yvette Dunn dead in her coffee foodtruck—drowned in a vat of fresh coffee. Olivia starts out as an unlucky bystander to the crime, but she’s forced to dig in deeper when it looks like her sister could be involved in Yvette’s death.

Olivia is running out of time in regards to the mystery, the mortgage, and the marriage. She’s going to have to solve all three problems—and quick—or face a future most foul.

Genres: Cozy Mystery, Mystery, Cozy, Dogs, Animals

204 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 16, 2017

About the author

Stella lives and breathes cozy mysteries! With her head always buried inside these books, it’s no wonder that she would put pen to paper to bring her own cozy mysteries to life. The words flew onto the page, and she’s already teeming with ideas for the next series.

With her trusted canine by her side, it seemed only natural to be inspired by her beautiful beagle Doogle and the many hours they spent walking through scenic New England villages. When Stella’s not reading books, she’s off on road trips, exploring every nook and cranny in neighboring towns, seeking inspiration for her next book.

She’s keen to see what her fellow cozy critics think of her "The Happy Tails Dog Walking Mysteries," so leave a review and share your thought at http://www.StellaStClaire.com or her Facebook http://www.facebook.com/stellastclaire/

Reviews

[Lisa Ks Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tail waggingly good start to this new dog centric cozy.

I had such a fun time reading, BARKING UP THE WRONG BAKERY. The dogs featured made for some moments of levity that were pleasant breaks from the mystery portion of the story.

I related so much to protagonist, Olivia Rickard. Totally hooked on mystery novels, a dog lover, and someone who doesn’t do well with change, I could have been reading about myself in some scenes. Though I will say, Olivia can get a little too intense with how she handles things.

All around, BARKING UP THE WRONG BAKERY was a good, solid mystery. A quick moving read, this story held me attention until the end. I’m looking forward to the next book in this series.

[Babs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oiliva’s sister is trying to get her to buy a building as she owns a dog walking business. She also has Andrew who would love to propose to her.

Oivlia loves mysteries she soon she is the one in trouble as she comes across a truck with Yvette dead.

The author does a great job with the plot. The characters are funny and you can feel the love.


I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book

[QNPoohBear · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yvette Dunn seems to have the perfect life. She runs Jump Start Coffee, a food truck in the idyllic small town of Lexinburg, she's beautiful, successful and everyone likes her. Not everyone like Yvette however, as Olivia Rickard, dog walker will soon find out. Olivia, a dog walker, depends on Yvette for her morning coffee and a scone from Olivia's sister Janelle's's bakery. In an attempt to avoid her perfect boyfriend Andrew's invitation to a fancy, romantic dinner, Olivia stops by the food truck. When Yvette doesn't appear, Olivia is worried. Then her dog, Goodwin, discovers Yvette's body lying on the floor of the truck drenched in coffee. Olivia fears that the local police, like the police in her favorite detective novels, will declare the death natural but Olivia notices details she's certain the police will overlook. With Janelle pressuring Olivia to join her in buying the brownstone where she has her bakery, Andrew trying to propose marriage, her business and local psychic Madame Celeste wanting to start a pet psychic business with Olivia's clients, she really doesn't have time to worry about Yvette. However, Olivia pushes her feelings and cares aside to become a real life Rose Palmer, her favorite mystery sleuth and figure out what happened to Yvette.

I really, really enjoyed this cozy mystery! It's one of the better offerings from Kindle Unlimited. The first chapter opens with a first person narrator committing murder! I didn't like that so much. It was fairly shocking and a bit gruesome. I guessed the gender of the murderer from the clues in that scene and was thereby able to figure out "whodunit" later in the book before the characters solved the mystery. Other than that, this book is really good. It may not be for everyone though because Olivia can be stupid, silly and immature at times but she has a reason for avoiding conflict and her feelings for Andrew.

Man can I relate to Olivia! She's definitely a __TJ on the Myers-Briggs personality test. She has bad anxiety and it really bothers me that no one can see this or is sympathetic to her problem. She worries a lot over decisions, takes a long time to come to a decision (actually she doesn't) and is pretty neurotic. Olivia thinks too much about the mystery novels she likes and tends to take the heroine as her role model when that isn't necessarily a good idea. Rose Palmer is fictional so she can be bold, take no prisoners, have frequent flings and live her life on her own terms until her creator or reader gets tired of her. While those traits are commendable, Olivia has a very different personality and there's nothing wrong with that either. I understand her anxiety and concerns about the future and how her more forceful older sister bulldozes over Olivia's attempts to avoid commitment. The only people who really understand Olivia are Jackie, her bff and Andrew, her bf. Andrew is the world's best boyfriend! He is super sweet, patient, understanding and loving. He adores Olivia but he isn't blinded by her personality quirks. He knows what she is and understands what she's thinking. His only misstep is listening to other people. Olivia should totally marry him but her brain is overthinking the relationship. She does mature a bit towards the end of the book and realize what Andrew means to her. Andrew is sweet to Goodwin, even if Goodwin is a shaggy, untrained beast!

Olivia's sister Janelle is a "Type A" personality type. She's quick to make a decision and act on it. She thinks she knows what's best for her little sister and keeps pushing and pushing without listening. I really didn't like her, in spite of her being a baker. I can't see this woman exceeding at customer service. Her one impulsive decision is to buy the brownstone. I can see why she wants to and needs to but is it the right decision? Why should Olivia help her? A dog walker doesn't really need an office. Yet, I felt sorry for Janelle that she was the chief suspect in the murder investigation. She doesn't seem capable of such passion or terrible deeds. For one thing, she's a terrible liar! Janelle seems more like their mother, Pamela, than Olivia. Pamela is a whirlwind of energy. I believe she loves both her daughters but she doesn't understand Olivia. Pamela doesn't make an attempt to let Olivia live her own life. I feel you Olivia! It drove me crazy that Olivia's mother and sister were not more sympathetic to Olivia's anxieties even if Olivia wouldn't share them. Jackie Jones is Olivia's best friend. She has a more outgoing personality and is less introspective. She understands Olivia though and knows better than Olivia what Olivia wants. I don't think she's a great friend for going along with Olivia's sort-of illegal plan though and I don't appreciate her putting GREEN bits in the mac and cheese. GROSS! I'd be furious with my bff. She'd never do that to me!

Suspects include Franklin Kennedy, a local real estate mogul and his son Jason. Franklin owns the brownstone that Janelle is trying to buy and the food truck Yvette ran and many other properties yet he seems to be selling up and leaving town. I don't think he seems all that villainous but you never know with real estate moguls. Jacob, on the other hand, hasn't yet proven himself to his dad. He has a history with Yvette. She seems like the type to want the attention of many men at once. He's currently with his childhood sweetheart, Samantha. Samantha also seems narcissistic like Yvette but she's been a good friend to Jacob and their relationship seems to be turning into more. Could Jacob have murdered Yvette for leaving him or for a business deal? Olivia seems certain he's the killer. He has motive, opportunity and stands to make a fortune off the food trucks with or without Yvette. Can Olivia prove Jacob is the murderer? No. I don't get a bad feeling about him the way I do Delilah, the man hunter. Delilah is Olivia's rival. The mean girl in school and now a mean woman, Delilah is out to get her hands on Andrew. Maybe she murdered Yvette because she knew Olivia would be along shortly and then Olivia would be framed? Or she saw Janelle and Yvette arguing and took advantage of the opportunity to frame Janelle in hopes Andrew wouldn't want to associate with the family anymore and thereby turn to her for comfort? I'm sure Delilah and Yvette were romantic rivals for some other man too. What about Kristy, a local realtor? She looks like a fashion doll and is pretty bubbly and eager to gossip. What does she know or is she trying to pump Olivia for information?

This is a true cozy mystery with a small town populated by quirky locals, both canine and human. Olivia's rescue mutt Goodwin is the only canine with a real personality and role in the plot. The rest are mostly there to show the reader that Olivia is a dedicated dog walker. I laughed a lot at the Rottweiler named Snowball! His dad bought him a spiked collar, his mom taught him to growl on command, yet his true love is a 5-year-old girl who insists in dressing her male dog as a princess/fairy/ballerina LOL! Snowball seems to like it. He's cute. Sheriff Nicholas Limperos is a good guy. He's trying hard to solve the case but Olivia keeps interfering. He's also trying to reassure the townspeople that they're safe and that means lying. He also lies to his wife a lot about exercising the dog. I'm sure she's aware of that.

Madame Celeste, the local psychic, sounds like a phony to me. She is a hoot though and I found myself liking her in spite of Olivia not really feeling the love. Mayor Henderson is a prick and he's egotistical. I do not care for him at all and if he has a motive for murder, let him be the killer. Olivia's neighbor, old man Cramer, is a nosy busybody in the name of keeping the neighborhood safe. Unfortunately he's dangerous because he has dementia and imagines things that aren't true and goes around accusing his neighbors. Andrew's best friend Brett may be from the city but he's still eccentric. A lifelong bachelor, he has a love 'em and leave 'em happy policy. He gives Andrew some advice that's good but not the best advice. I don't think Olivia likes Brett much. Julie, the daughter of Stanley, the local jeweler, is pretty intense. She's not very good at assessing what the customer actually wants but she complies with Olivia's whim in her own way. I feel she was being a bit passive aggressive.

I really like these eccentric people and especially Olivia. I have to know what happens next!

[FangirlNation · Rating 3 out of 5]

Barking Up the Wrong Bakery by Stella St. Claire opens with us witnessing a murder. The only problem is that we don’t get to see who commits it. Olivia, a professional dog walker in the small town of Lexinberg, comes upon the body of Yvette inside the food truck Yvette runs, and immediately Olivia is certain that someone has murdered Yvette. Against the advice of her boyfriend, Andrew, and her sister, Janelle, Olivia gets involved in investigating on her own. In the meantime she can see that Andrew has been trying to propose to her, and the commitment scares her.

Read the rest of this review and other fun, geeky articles at Fangirl Nation

[Jane Shambler · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a fun read. It's not difficult to follow. The author has a good writing style and develops her characters well.

The lead character is hooked on mystery novels, loves dogs and hates change. What's not to like? Although I found her a little intense and wanted to shake her a few times.

It's fun and a good read

enjoy!

[Cozybooklady · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good start to a new series. Working as a dog walker has its benefits, but not when a dead body gets in the way.
There were some bits that felt like they were dragging, otherwise it was an interesting story with several twists and turns to keep the reader guessing.

I voluntarily read an ARC of this book provided by the publisher and NetGalley.

[Rachael · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderfully written sweet and funny mystery that keeps you guessing until the end. While Olivia spends most of her time trying to avoid her boyfriend Andrew’s proposal of marriage, she is endearing, if a bit clumsy, and we want nothing more than a happy ending for her. I thoroughly enjoyed reading.

[Mary Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barking Up The Wrong Bakery
Happy Tails Dog Walking Mystery, Book #1
Stella St. Claire
5 Stars

Synopsis

Some people would kill for coffee…

Olivia Rickard would kill to keep everything just the way it is. She’s got a gorgeous boyfriend who loves her, a supportive sister to lean on, and a dog walking business that’s briskly barking away. But just as she’s getting comfortable her sister suddenly wants to buy an entire brownstone with her and her boyfriend looks like he’s going to pop the question at every opportunity. Changing the status quo has always been disastrous for Olivia and now everything is changing at once…

What Olivia needs is a distraction and she’s found one in stumbling upon Yvette Dunn dead in her coffee foodtruck—drowned in a vat of fresh coffee. Olivia starts out as an unlucky bystander to the crime, but she’s forced to dig in deeper when it looks like her sister’s bakery could be involved in Yvette’s death.

Olivia is running out of time in regards to the mystery, the mortgage, and the marriage. She’s going to have to solve all three problems—and quick—or face a future most foul. (Goodreads)

Review:

I absolutely loved this book and I am so glad that I found it to read. It has everything I look for in a cozy: great characters, a homey setting, a well-plotted mystery and dogs, dogs, dogs.

The characters are well rounded and well developed. Olivia hates changes (which I understand completely because I do too). She is a hard worker, bright, funny and nosey. She does not like to be told what to do. Andrew, her boyfriend is a saint, and at times I wanted to tell him to kick Olivia to the curb! I got a little tired of her trying to avoid the marriage proposal (others may not feel this way). Her sister, Janelle and her friend, Jackie, added a lot to the story and I was glad to get to meet them.

The writing style flows smoothly and the book is a quick easy read. The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and her humorous writing. I was laughing throughout the book and could not wait to see what crazy thing Olivia and her friends were going to do next. The mystery was well crafted and fast paced. There were enough suspects to consider and clues to sift through that it kept me busy trying to figure it all out.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well written cozy with great characters and humor. I am so excited that this is only the first book in the series because that means I have more to read.

[Carolyn Vandine West · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun book featuring my favorite animal, dogs! I think this is a first time for me never read Stella St. Claire books, but won't be the last. Have already bookmarked the next in the series that is supposed to be published this month.
Olivia is a professional dog walker who somehow gets involved in the middle of a suspicious murder. Her sister s pressuring her to buy a brownstone with her. If that isn't enough her long time boyfriend is trying to get her to commit to marriage. She is trying to evade him popping the question while not getting caught "investigating " the murder. How will it all turn out? You will have to read it for yourself.
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book to review. This did not affect my review, the pleasure was mine.

[Susan Foulkes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an entertaining, fun read.

The heroine, Olivia, is so steeped in mystery novels that she fancies herself as a detective. Yes, she uncovers some clues, but only at risk to herself.

She also hates change, so when she realises that her boyfriend, Andrew, is going to propose, and her sister wants her to commit to buying a brownstone, she uses distraction techniques. This is where the fifth * was deducted. I can understand not liking change, but Olivia takes it to ridiculous levels. So much so that she began to grate on my nerves. Andrew has the patience of a saint!

That said, I enjoyed the story. The plot is well crafted and kept me guessing.
The characters are rounded and believable, plus there are dogs for the extra cute factor!

At the end we are left wondering, will she, won't she? Roll on book 2!!

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book via Hidden Gems.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

AUDIOBOOK

A warm and fuzzy audio about a dog walker who accidentally gets involved in a murder investigation and even when she starts to get in trouble just can’t help try to solve the mystery after all she’s read enough murder mysteries to know what to do hasn’t she? A lovely audio book and a great story.,

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a ARC for a honest review.

A fun and entertaining read.

Olivia loves mystery novels but all of a sudden she is knee deep in a real whodunit.

Fun characters, lighthearted but with twists and turns and laugh out loud moments.

[Melissa Basnight · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cozy mystery about a dog walker named Olivia that does not like change and her boyfriend Andrew wants to marry her and her sister wants her to buy a building with her so they can have the bakery and her business in one building. She keeps trying to avoid making decisions.

While on a walk with her boyfriend and her dogs she discovers Yvette dead in her food truck. She gets involved in trying to solve the murder mystery and enlists the help of her friends.

Fun book and many great supporting characters. Can't wait to read more from this series. I voluntarily reviewed this book.

[Fleur · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a great read, it was light hearted but with some good twists and turns that kept you needing to know where things were going to go. I absolutely loved Olivia's character and how she totally can't see when she is in over her head! she is very lucky she has such patient friends lol
I can not wait to read more in this series as I think it will be great :D

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

i wasn't a fan of the writing in this one. it was a lot of "telling". But i did read the preview for #2, and it seemed it had improved.

[Shawna Shaheen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is about Jenny a dog walker. She lives in a small town all her life. She found Yvonne dead in her coffee truck. Jenny reads a lot of mysteries the heroin is Rose. Jenny thinks about every detail that she thinks Rose would do about the murder.Everyone tells her to stop reading mysteries and start thinking about her dog walking business

[Marzena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, funny read with romance and mystery. Interesting story with excellent storyline which kept me guessing. I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book

[Elinda Williams · Rating 2 out of 5]

This cozy mystery was a bit difficult for me to get through, I guess because I never really became a fan of Olivia. She likes reading (and trying to solve) mysteries, has a successful dog walking business and a wonderful, loving boyfriend. Okay. This is a cozy mystery, after all. Maybe I wish she would have committed to... something! Her boyfriend or buying the brownstone with her sister or something. So after reading the first 8 or 9 chapters, I skipped to the end and read chapters 19 and 20. But I don't feel compelled to go back and ready the chapters I missed. Kinda like a soap opera. Even if you go a few weeks without watching, you quickly catch up and it doesn't feel like you missed anything at all.

Overall, the book for me, was just ok. I don't have anything bad to say about the author's writing, wasn't a completely crummy storyline or anything like that. This book just wasn't quite my taste. And that's okay because there are plenty of other books to read! :)

[Katherine Philbrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of the book from Relay Publishing via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. Make sure to read more reviews at Katherine's Book Reviews.

Barking up the Wrong Bakery is a mystery chick lit novel by Stella St. Claire. It is the first book in the Happy Tails Dog Walking Mysteries series. Olivia is the type of woman who hates change. So when Olivia is asked to buy a brownstone so that her and her sister can do business together, and when she discovers her boyfriend Andrew is most likely going to propose to her, she starts to feel like she is losing control. One day, when walking dogs for her dog-walking business, Olivia passes by a food truck to find its owner named Yvette dead inside. This gives Olivia the chance to become the mystery detective she has always read about in books, and helps her escape reality for a little while. While trying to solve this mystery, there are plenty of twists of turns that allow Olivia to discover more about herself and understand that it is okay to not be in control of everything all of the time.

Barking up the Wrong Bakery is the cozy and heartwarming laugh-out-loud novel that you don’t want to miss out on. Each character is entertaining, and the main character Olivia is lovable despite her extreme fear of commitment. Olivia’s problems are not exactly what most people see as problems, and as you read more about her situation it is easy to become frustrated with her. I do feel that her explanation of her problems did drag on a little too long for my taste. However, she is still a great character and I really admired her at the novel’s end. The actual ending of the novel is a cliffhanger which left me wondering what is actually going to happen because honestly, the ending could go either way. I enjoyed that type of ending for this novel as it really shows Olivia’s indecisiveness, and also leaves the reader trying to figure out a mystery.

All in all, I had a fun time reading this book. Stella St. Claire’s writing is lovely and inviting ; I love the way she not only made this book about relationships but also incorporated dogs as well. The pet factor is what really made this book stand out to me among other chick lit novels. The writing is fast-paced, however, I do think the narrative felt a little slow at points. Although that is easily forgotten given its very funny moments and interesting romance. I think this is a series that is going to do well; the first book sets up a sweet and somewhat tense tone that readers will not get enough of. I suggest this book to anyone who is interested in mysteries, love, or dogs. This book teaches you that sometimes, in order to be truly happy, you just have to let yourself go with the flow.

[Katherine Paschal · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Review posted at https://smadasbooksmack.blogspot.com/ **

I am always looking for fun cozy mysteries that mix endearing realistic characters, humor and a twisty enough mystery to keep me guessing (Janet Evanovich and Gemma Halliday set pretty high bars for my expectations). This sounded like a perfect new series for me to jump into so I was excited to start listening.

Olivia was kind of a hot mess. Her life is perfect (in her eyes) but she is on the verge of change in multiple aspects and it completely freaks out. Her love of mystery novels causes her to be super helpful aka nosy and involve herself in everyone's business. I liked how dedicated she was and an overall good person. Her antics with her dogs, sister and friend entertained me and I feel like Olivia was very much so a real person.

The mystery was interesting with a nice twist, but this is very much a romance book that just so happens to have mystery component. I felt so bad for Andrew- he really was the perfect boyfriend and Olivia was basically a crazy beast to him. The more sweet things he did or said, the more Olivia pulled away or did something else crazy. He might just be a saint- I mean she did try to impulsively break up with him multiple times in the beginning of their relationship and he just kept ignoring her (which is hysterical and maybe messed up... but it seemed to work out). I wanted to shake Olivia and her irrational fear before something terrible happened.

The narrator had a nice clear voice and her enunciation was perfect. She was able to really bring Olivia to life and give her personality. My one complaint was that all the character's voices basically sounded the same. Maybe I have been spoiled, but I love when the narrator has distinct voices for each character and it is very clear as to who was talking, and that was not apparent all the time in the book. Sometimes the point of view in the book would switch from Andrew or even the killer's view, but I was never certain what character it was suppose to be.

I look forward to reading/and or listening to the rest of the books in the series because this was cute and fun (and full of dogs so instant win!- and the pet psychic scene was my favorite part of the story!) and I would love to see what happens next for Olivia and Andrew. Be aware though, this book will cause desires to cuddle with dogs and make you want some fresh scones and muffins...mmmm...

I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Stella St. Claire. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

[Lauren Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

When you fall in love with someone, do you ever wonder who you might be hurting? The person who you are now taking up all of their time to be with…are you taking them away from friends and family? Quite possibly, someone could hold a grudge against that, but do you ever think about it like that? NO–of course not! And why would you? People are supposed to understand, right?! This story has a predictable plot twist, but the characters are what really draws readers in and keeps them turning those pages. Readers who want to dive into Olivia’s world of amateur sleuthing will have their fill of witty, funny and entertaining along the way as she hunts for a killer.

Olivia finds the dead body of Yvette Dunn, a local food truck owner. When the sheriff strictly forbids Olivia to get involved with the murder investigation, she shrugs him off and tells him what he wants to hear–but deep down, she knows that this case could be the distraction she needs to ward off the all-too-real decisions that are honing in on her personal life. Her perfect boyfriend is on the verge of proposing and her sister is ushering her to invest in a brownstone for her dog-walking business. Is she afraid of change? Is she afraid of commitment? All she knows is that she bolts every time the time is right or her sister gets that look on her face. Once she jumps into the case though, she realizes that maybe those two decisions wouldn’t be so bad–just as long as she lives long enough to make them. With someone on her trail, Olivia knows that she is getting close to cracking the case wide open, but at what price will she go to find the murderer?

St. Claire has an entertaining story filled with mystery and superb character development. While this story isn’t as creative and original in its mystery, the characters are fascinating and spontaneous which makes the book a page-turner. Since this review is complimenting the audiobook, it does appear that the story is well-written and William’s vocal relay remains clear throughout the entire book. The pace is quick and easy to follow; however, Williams is a bit dry and seems to have trouble differentiating between characters. If you are a reader of cozy mysteries and amateur sleuthing, you will probably enjoy this book. It is the first installment of the Happy Tails Dog Walking Mysteries; therefore, you can dive right in.

An audiobook was provided to Turning Another Page by Audiobookworm Promotions and in no way affects the honesty of this review. We provide a four-star rating to Barking up the Wrong Bakery by Stella St. Claire.

[DelAnne Frazee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Barking Up the Wrong Bakery - Happy Tails Dog Walking Mystery Book 1
Author: Stella St. Claire
Publisher: Relay Publishing
Published: 5-18-2017
Pages: 266
Genre: Mystery, Thrillers & Suspense
Sub-Genre: Cozy Mystery; Animals; Amateur Sleuths; Culinary Mystery
ISBN: 9781546783466
ASIN: B0714VYM6
Reviewed For NetGalley and Relay Publishing
Reviewer: DelAnne
Rating: 4.5 Stars


Some people would kill for coffee…
Olivia Rickard would kill to keep everything just the way it is. She’s got a gorgeous boyfriend who loves her, a supportive sister to lean on, and a dog walking business that’s briskly barking away. But just as she’s getting comfortable her sister suddenly wants to buy an entire brownstone with her and her boyfriend looks like he’s going to pop the question at every opportunity. Changing the status quo has always been disastrous for Olivia and now everything is changing at once…

What Olivia needs is a distraction and she’s found one in stumbling upon Yvette Dunn dead in her coffee foodtruck—drowned in a vat of fresh coffee. Olivia starts out as an unlucky bystander to the crime, but she’s forced to dig in deeper when it looks like her sister could be involved in Yvette’s death.

Olivia is running out of time in regards to the mystery, the mortgage, and the marriage. She’s going to have to solve all three problems—and quick—or face a future most foul.


As a first book for a new series this is an excellent start. Olivia is most of us that enjoy living in the status quo. The only adventure we want is when we go hiking in the woods. Family, work and friends are our mainstay. and keep us on an evil keel. Poor Olivia is about to have her life turned up-side down. How she handles it will have you laughing and gasping at the same time. Fast moving, clean read that was fun to read.

My rating of "Barking Up the Wrong Bakery" is 4.5 out of 5 stars.


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[RO G'ma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Barking up the Wrong Bakery is the debut installment in Stella St. Claire’s Happy Tails Dog Walking Mysteries series. This is an entertaining and fun read with likeable characters. The storyline is interesting and kept me guessing until the reveal. I found it a little distracting when sections of the audiobook the protagonist is listening were included. Overall, this is a good start to a new series.

Olivia Rickard is a dog walker in Lexingburg, has a wonderful boyfriend, Andrew Patterson, who she thinks will propose to her soon, loves her sister, Janelle, and doesn’t like change. Janelle wants to purchase the brownstone where she operates her bakery, Happy Endings, but can’t swing a loan by herself and would like Olivia to help her and use the upstairs as an office for her dog walking business. Franklin Kennedy, Janelle’s current landlord, has only made minimal repairs and the building is in need of lots of TLC. While walking dogs with Andrew one morning, Olivia saw Jump Start Coffee, the food truck Yvette Dunn rented from Franklin, was still in its early morning location and decided to stop for some much needed coffee but instead of caffeine, she discovers Yvette lifelessly lying on the floor soaked in coffee and Olivia thinks it was murder. Nicholas ‘Nick’ Limperos is a good sheriff but doesn’t have much experience with murders and Olivia, who loves mysteries, really wants to help him. After viewing surveillance camera feeds, Nick brings Janelle in for questioning. Unfortunately, she and Yvette, who were arguing outside, went into the food truck and only Janelle came out. Yvette sold baked goods from Happy Endings and Janelle confronted her because she wanted her to stop selling items that weren’t fresh but insists she didn’t kill her. Olivia and Andrew find evidence that takes Janelle off the suspect list but even though Andrew want her to leave the investigation to the professionals, she can’t control her impulses.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

[Kate ★ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free digital copy from the author/publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest feedback.

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. I love mystery books but not much of an animal lover and initially thought that you should be a dog lover to appreciate it. That's not the case, however, and I can't put the book down!

Olivia Rickard has been looking forward to strengthening his relationship with his boyfriend, but she felt that they are falling apart. He's always busy, secretive, and worse yet, had been seeing other people which seemingly looked like dates. When she confronts him about, he obviously avoids the issue. She was just going to let it go until a murder occurred - one which just might implicate Andrew. Can Olivia use her passion in mysteries and playing detective to help prove Andrew's innocence?

I love the mystery that was presented at the beginning. It was hard to predict who was to blame for the murder, but towards the middle, you would slowly have these hints on who the killer was. Though it was obvious who it was, you would still want to know how things would be revealed. I also love the humor side of this story and the differences between the characters present. I did think the business names were a bit ridiculous but relevant nonetheless.

The climax of the story was a bit lacking compared to all that time that was spent to unearth the mystery. The circumstances were also a bit unrealistic. Despite all of this, what matters is how much I enjoyed this read and how others might as well!

[Crittermom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dying for a coffee? Or simply dying for a cute cozy to pass the time with? Olivia Rickard is a dog walker who is as disorganized and flighty as many of her furry clients. Change is a four letter word in her book, but murder on the other hand...Fleeing from potential commitment, Olivia manages to stumble across the body of Yvette Dean in the back of her coffee truck. The chance to solve a murder like the heroine in her favorite mystery series is as tempting as one of her sister Janelle’s delicious muffins...especially when Janelle becomes a suspect. Although her extremely patient boyfriend urges her to play it safe, Olivia has other ideas.

Barking Up the Wrong Bakery is an extremely cute novel. Olivia’s extreme response to anything that looks like it means “commitment” is at times so profoundly over the top it is humorous. At other times it is simply annoying. I liked the other characters more, even the self-centered toupee wearing mayor who goes out of his way to try to get the resident psychic’s attention - to the point of adopting an ancient basset hound.

As pet cozies go, Barking Up the Wrong Bakery is pretty solid. It isn’t particularly innovative, but it is a cute and entertaining with a touch of romance.

4 / 5

I received a copy of Barking Up the Wrong Bakery from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

--Crittermom

[Kirsti · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm on a bit of a cozy kick at the moment, so when amazon recommended this as my next Kindle book and the price was right I thought, why not? As I expected, the story was fun, fresh and involved dogs and baking, two things I definitely enjoy reading about. I loved the small town atmosphere, and some of the quirky characters will hopefully make an appearance in book two.

Probably the only two things I disliked was the way EVERY character treats Olivia like a child, even when thinking they want to love/protect her. That brings on dislike number two; Andrew. 'Perfect' boyfriend? Bleurgh, he's so squeaky clean he makes my teeth hurt. Absolutely nothing about their romance seem real or readable to me, and since it ends the way it does, that must step up for book two. The friends and the sister relationships? Perfect. Andrew? Not so much.

On that note, I'd love to read the next book, to see how this story progresses. I had fun with this one, even if I had the annoying wait of finishing half, sleeping and then working. Darn, if work didn't provide money for books, where would I be? Haha.

A nice start to a series all cozy lovers should enjoy. Four stars.

[Mary Lou Hoffman · Rating 5 out of 5]

BARKING UP THE WRONG BAKERY is the first book in the Happy Tails Dog Walking Mysteries series. It is unclear as yet if they will need to be read in order, but usually the first book needs to be read first because it establishes the characters and setting.

I was hooked from the beginning. Being in the mind of the murderer (told from their point of view), I wondered if there would be more chapters from that mind. It was a wonderful and unique way to introduce me to the crime scene and the motive.

After that there is the cozy mystery side of this with Olivia finding Yvette and trying to emulate her favorite book hero while avoiding change in her own messy life.

I loved the humor, the romance, the family ties, the community and the dogs.

The characters are great, the story and the subplots are well woven, and there are loveable dogs – a trifecta win in my mind!

This is the first book I have read (listened to) from Ms. St. Claire. I would love to hear more of this delightful series.

P.S. The titles are marvelous!

Narration: The narrator, Machelle Williams, provides a nice voice to the characters. Her performance is beautiful. I enjoyed listening to her as I drove to and from work and that is all I ask – don’t make that stress higher than it already is. I would love to hear her perform in more audiobooks.

Note: While I received this book as a gifted audiobook copy via Audiobookworm Promotions, my opinions are my own and are given freely.


Title: BARKING UP THE WRONG BAKERY
Series: Happy Tails Dog Walking Mysteries #1
Category /Genre: Cozy Mystery
Recommended for: 18+ due to sexual content
Listenability: OK
Received from: Stella St. Claire (as an Audible gifted copy)

[A Belle & A Book · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Story
I adore cozy mysteries and dogs so when I saw the title I was excited to check out Barking Up The Wrong Bakery. Unfortunately, it did not live up to my expectations. I found the MC, Olivia, to be annoying. She is avoiding a proposal from her boyfriend, Andrew, but at the same time, she gushes about have great he is and how lucky she is. I get that she has commitment issues but it was overkill. As far as the story itself goes, I enjoyed and I was surprised by the reveal of the killer. It was a bit confusing listening to the MC Olivia listen to an audiobook mystery at the same time this story was happening. It was hard to differentiate between the two until you got the other MC's name, Rose.

The Narration
Machelle Williams did a great job with the story and its characters. She gave a unique sound to each person. I would like to hear other audiobooks by her.

[Helen Callahan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barking up the Wrong Bakery is book 1 in the new Happy Tails Dog Walking Mystery series. Stella St Claire has the beginning of a 'put your feet up', 'belly laughing' great series. Olivia Rickard's dog walking business is doing well. Life is good. But she feels like her life is in a whirlwind. She likes things consistent, without change. Her sister thinks they should buy a brownstone, yikes (!). And boyfriend, Andrew Patterson is proposing (?!?). Olivia and Andrew come across a dead body. Being a mystery reading extraodinaire, she is sure it's murder. Could this be the distraction she needs... becoming an amateur sleuth?? After all she is well read on the subject. Set time aside to read cause as Olivia knows being interrupted is Annoying.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Olivia is quirky and funny, sweet and lovable. The perfect character for a light hearted mystery. She has a dog walking business and is happy with her life. Why does her sister want her to buy some space to expand her business? She is happy as she is! Why does her boyfriend act like he wants to propose? She loves him and their relationship just as it is. Olivia needs a break, and boy does she get one. Finding Yvette dead in her coffee truck quickly has Olivia in the heart of the murder. Can she manage her life and solving a murder?
A fun read with lovable characters and a storyline with twists and turns. A great read!
I was so graciously gifted this book by NetGalley for an unbiased opinion.