Great idea for a book and really well executed. A thoroughly good read. Highly recommended. .

I have tried numerous times to read this book, but for some reason I just could not relate or like any of the characters. The writing is good though, I just felt no connection at all.

Bree Watson is back and she is mixing it up as a chemist who is undercover as a spy playing a chem student. Not sure which part is harder to keep a secret, her double life from her friends or how she feels about her "handler" the mysterious Matthew Tugood (yes that is his name and yes it sums it up) or the extremely protective Detective James O'Neil. Bree's new life and latest assignment are fraught with peril and peach schnapps as she takes on an assignment looking into a possible drug lab masquerading as an organic chem company working on scent and flavor extraction. Apparently no one liked the victim who was a regular mixologist wanna be and partaker of happy hour at All Mixed Up. So was she killed because of her past present or future and does it tie in to a possible drug ring at the lab? So many combinations for Bree to figure out not least of all is food/drink combos as she enters the Mix It Up menu contest. Instead of wine, women, and song Bree is off to deal with margaritas, men, and mayhem. Great read cannot wait for #3 and I would suggest reading number 1 if you haven't already!

Shaken, Not Purred is the second installment of the Undercover Cat Mystery series. Bree Watson, AKA Cat, works as a chemist and a spy in this fun mystery. While investigating a possible illegal drug operation, a woman turns up dead and Bree sets about finding the murderer.
Nice premise for a mystery book. I wouldn't classify it as a typical cosy mystery book for good or bad. I liked the characters, however none really stuck out for me.
The ending was enjoyable and not too predictable.
A quick and fun read.

Just as in the first book in the series, this second one will pull you along for a ride with Spies and one ornery 20 pound cat named Sherlock. Throw in another murder (As Bree says she never saw a dead body before meeting Mathew), romance...oh to be torn between two handsome men...a pinch of intrigue and you have another wonderful Bree/Cat mystery.

As Bree's main mission continues to evolve, I have no doubt that there'll be more heat between her and the two men in her life, that doesn't include Sherlock, then in a chemistry lab. I'm looking forward to more of Bree's rollercoaster ride of a life.

This ARC book was complimentary, provided by the Publisher and NetGalley. I am voluntarily providing my honest review.

While I am a fan of cozy mysteries, this one just didn’t grab me. Maybe it was too heavy on the love triangle or too convoluted with the whole chemist/spy, Cat/Bree angle. Good writing, just not my fave.

I tried. I tried to read this book but I just could not get into it. Usually I'm good at pushing through, even if the book isn't great, but this one I couldn't get past 15%.

Cute, fun read. Really enjoyed this book. Cannot wait for more from this author.

This was a nice change of pace for story line of a cozy mystery series. Bree is a scientist that is going undercover to help stop some terrorists. She thinks it will be fun to be a spy until the first dead body turns up. With the help of a drug dog that flunked out of training and her cranky cat Bree stumbles her way into solving the case. I did not read the 1st book in this series (Undercover Cat) but didn't have much trouble picking up the story and characters.

Shaken, Not Purred is the second book in the Undercover Cat Series by Kelle Z. Riley. Dr. Bree Mayfield – Watson an employee of Sci – Phi, Science Professionals for Hire, a chemical technology business. Although Bree was known as a chemist at her day job, she was actually an undercover spy, Catherine (Cat) Holmes, under the Special Projects Division overseen by Matthew Tugood. Her day-time boss, Troy, who held the position that should have gone to Bree, was not happy that he was unable to keep a tight rein on Bree’s coming and goings. Bree however, was found the worst part of her being a spy was not just the itchy earpieces, lack of privacy, and risk of exposure but not being able to share with Kiki, her best friend and her family. Bree’s mission as Cat was to pose as a Chemistry student from the University of Illinois at Chicago, working on her BS program with Naturalistics, in order to determine if they were manufacturing meth and also solve a murder. Although Bree aka Cat knew more than a chem student, she had to dumb down her appearance.
The play of the characters in this story are wonderfully written and very believable. I enjoyed the story line, although I found it hard to hold my interest in the beginning as the story built I was unable to put the book down. Having not read the first book in this series I wasn’t sure if I would be able to pick up and understand the storyline presented in this book but I found it to be a free standing book with no trouble.

I had a hard time getting into this mystery. This is not a traditional cozy mystery. The beginning of the book was way too confusing. The mystery presented at the beginning is never solved or mentioned again. While reading the book I kept feeling like I was missing something. Bree goes undercover as Cat in a university lab for a rather flimsy reason. While working undercover she finds the dead body of her office mate. Working with her undercover handler and the local police they set out to solve the murder. In addition to the mystery a lot of the story is a romantic triangle between the three. As if that was not enough the author also includes a lot of science and recipes. I did enjoy the characters and the murder mystery was good but the solution was easy to solve. The author does know the science/lab background but she does need to do more research about Chicago. No Chicagoan would order New York Style Pizza. I do not think they even sell NY Pizza in Chicago. This series should be read in order.

The cover is cute but a little misleading. It is not a cozy mystery like the cover suggests but a woman sleuth mystery. A little bit of character overload in the beginning but the novel progressed at a nice pace. The problems that come with posing undercover were amusing and plenty of plot twists to keep you in suspense.

2.5 stars

I had high hopes for this book after reading the synopsis. But it fell flat for me. I didn't connect with any of the characters and was disappointed that a book called "Shaken, Not Purred" didn't have more cat antics in it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the copy.

Princess Fuzzypants here:
I liked this book but I am going to tell you what I didn't like about it first. I liked both the title and the cover until I realized it was simply a lure to get cat lovers- or cats- to read the book. I know publishers do this all the time but this book didn't need the sleight of paw. Yes, there is a feline character, a big red cat by the name of Sherlock. He has nothing to do with the story other than being the heroine, Bree's, kitty.
Bree leads a double life now that she is working undercover with the dark and sexy Matthew Tugood. She helps the police as well, in the fine form of her other male "friend", James. She is a highly trained chemist who is working at a company where there has already been one body and the hint of an illicit drug operation. She is new to the spy game and still has trouble walking the fine line of deceit
The story has layers of mysteries that dissect each other. The past and the present are full of dangers. Bree solves one mystery only to discover more details about another. The danger and the thrills are just one of the elements turning her from a geeky "ugly duckling" into a beautiful and confident swan. It is a drug of a different sort for her.
It's a good story that keeps the reader turning the pages. That is why there is no reason to promote the book as something it is not.
I give it four purrs and two paws up..

This book is a unique take on the cozy mystery. The protagonist (Bree) has a doctorate in Chemistry, seems to work for a consulting company, but really is on "special projects" as a spy. The spy agency is not the government, so it's a bit mysterious. Oh, and she's also into cooking and baking (recipes at the end!) The plot was a bit too obvious for my liking, and the characters could use a little more depth/uniqueness. Bree is torn romantically between a police detective (an "average Joe") and her boss in the spy ring (more "spicy"). I found neither romance to be particularly believable, as if they were templates and not very original. I'm not sure I'd find either guy attractive. Bree's undercover persona seems a bit weak as well. I'm not convinced that she'd be believable as a college student, given the questions she asks. It makes the people she's trying to fool look pretty naive. But, it's a good read...lightweight though it is. I might want to read the next one in the series, just to see if there's any more depth. Oh, and the cat needs a bigger role!

A complex biological and chemical chemistry spy mystery, infused with a lot of spying shenanigans and romance, putting a bit of zest into this story. Leaving our heroine with no choice but to solve the puzzling mystery fast, before there are more deaths. Bree Mayfield-Watson or Dr. Mayfield relationship with Matthew and James you can say is a complex one indeed, she is between a rock and a hard place literally speaking that is. She is been nudged subtly by both parties into making a choice, but first, solving the mystery takes paramount importance, then she would decide. The storyline and the characters are okay, making this book an interesting read.

This is the second book of a series, but read well as a stand-alone book. If you like a spy story with lots of romance, this book is for you.

This is a great book with a wonderful story and well developed characters. The story flowed very well and was very enjoyable. This book will keep you reading long into the night and you will not want to put this book down until you finish. This was such a great read and full of surprises. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader’s copy of this book. The free book held no determination on my personal review.

Back in February, I read and reviewed the first installment in the Cat Series called The Cupcake Caper. I had rather enjoyed it and declared I would very much delve in the second book. I did as soon as it became available but my enthusiasm isn’t as high as the first one.

First, it took me a little while to really get into the plot (about 20% in the book when the murder finally occurred), and then I sort of connected “intermittently” with the many twists. I also didn’t find the characters as endearing. I think I had some difficulty keeping in mind “who’s who” chapter after chapter. That is a major issue in a whodunnit novel. Anyway, I still enjoyed the lively, dynamic final scene when the culprit is finally revealed. I also thought the author did a good job in depicting the psychological evolution of Bree. She’s settling in this new “spy/chemist life” and she has not one, but two love interests, so the romance stream is well covered.

Maybe the third one’s a charm?