One of the issues in a long or longish series, especially in cozy mysteries, is that it sometimes feels like the plot doesn't really advance much book to book. In Wedding Cake Crumble, there is finally a really big change in the characters' lives, and it seems like it's going to continue in that direction. Jenn McKinlay has done a great job in this one of giving the characters some room to develop and change, and still telling a solid (if, to be honest, pretty predictable in this case) mystery.

WEDDING CAKE CRUMBLE, the tenth book in the Cupcake Bakery Mysteries by Jenn McKinlay is a delightful addition to her very entertaining series! I’ve been waiting on pins and needles from her release last year to find out what new escapades protagonist, Mel (Melanie) Cooper and her best friend, Angie DeLaura find themselves in. Ms. McKinlay does not disappoint and I was glued to the pages, even forgetting to take notes for my review! The story picks up with Angie getting ready to marry their friend, Tate, who is also co-owner of their Fairy Tale Cupcake Shop. But of course the wedding plans aren’t going smoothly, especially when the two women find Angie’s photographer murdered seven days before the wedding.

As Mel and Angie start looking into the murder (because they just can’t help themselves) the author throws in several twists. Could it be that Angie is actually the target? I love the cast of characters working at Fairy Tale Cupcake, especially octogenarian Marty. Mel and Angie have taken him in and made him one of “their people”. The friendship between Mel, Angie, Tate and the crew is admirable and heartwarming, bringing a sentimental note to the story. As the plot progresses many suspects come to light while the body count starts rising and more twists are thrown in. The ending wraps up the threads nicely while leaving the reader waiting to see what new adventure awaits the gang at the Fairy Tale Cupcake Shop!

Reading about the cupcake shop will leave you craving some sweet treats. Luckily for the reader, Ms. McKinlay provides several delectable cupcake recipes at the back of the book. All of them sound amazing!

Angie and Tate's big day is just.... well DAYS away. And I CAN'T WAIT. We the readers have been waiting for this day for years and years and I can't believe it's gonna happen. Can they get to the big day without any hiccups? Of course not! Mel and Angie find that the wedding photograph and friend has been murdered in his own studio. It turns out his murder is linked to the murders of a couple other vendors that Angie and Tate hired for their wedding.

I enjoyed the idea of a “mean girl” writer, making millions by publishing a book about all the crazy rich people and scandals that happened in her former neighborhood “The Palms”. It created an abundance of possible suspects and motives. I will say that I guessed the suspect right away, but that is probably because I read all Jenn McKinlay’s books and was looking for red herrings... or more likely it was a lucky guess.

Oz and Marty were more involved in this story and that made me happy. I didn’t think they were getting enough page tome lately. And like Mel kept saying, they are “her people”. I could always see more of Joe, but I thought it was fun that his brother Ray was a critical character. It would be even more fun to get to know more of his brothers as the series progresses.

I loved this book and had so much happy nostalgia. It makes me happy that Mel and Angie are accomplishing dreams and finding happiness. I’m a sucker for a happy ending. Now I just want to see Mel and dear Joe tie the knot!

Wedding Cake Crumble by Jenn McKinlay is the 10th book in her Cupcake Bakery Mystery series. This was my first book in reading this series, as I have read McKinlay’s Bluff Point series . Though the characters are recurring, it wasn’t too difficult to meet the main characters and the small town they all live in.

Mel and Angie are our heroines, and best friends who own Fairy Tale Cupcakes bakery. In Wedding Cake Crumble, Mel and Angie are busy preparing for Angie’s wedding to Tate, and when they go visit their friend Blaise, who is the photographer, they find him dead. Soon they will learn that two other murders have taken place recently, all being vendors for Angie’s wedding. When they have to deliver cupcakes for a book signing of a local author, Mel will suspect that Angie’s wedding is not the intended target, instead it is the author, who also used the same vendors. When the author, who wrote a negative book about the town residents, is attacked, one of their friends becomes the suspect and Mel will focus on helping her friend, while she also helps Angie with the preparations of the wedding. When the author dies, Mel is determined to read the book, and find the culprit who is committing these murders.

We get to meet all the regulars of this series, and they were very likable, from Joe, Mel’s fiancée, Uncle Stan, Cassie, Oz, Marty, Angie and Mel’s family to name a few. The wedding preparation and the actual wedding were nicely done, giving us a nice glimpse at the closeness of the family and friends in this town. Angie and Tate made a great couple, as did Mel and Joe, who I expect will be tying the knot perhaps in the next book.
What follows is a nice mystery, with Mel putting herself in danger, as she comes close to solving the murders, with some surprises along the way. I enjoyed this lighthearted story, with very nice characters, small town atmosphere and a good mystery. If you enjoy a simple murder mysteries, sweet leading characters , wonderful small town, then you should be reading this series.

Wedding Cake Crumble: A Cupcake Bakery Mystery
By Jenn McKinlay
Berkley
April 2018

Review by Cynthia Chow

It seems like it’s been a long time coming, but best friends Angie DeLaura and Tate Harper are finally getting married. Not only are they now business partners franchising Scottsdale’s Fairy Tale Cupcakes, but together with Melanie Cooper they have shared a love for movies and food since childhood. Investigating murders has been a more recent development, which is why when their florist is a little late, Mel instinctively expects the worse. Although Annabelle Martin is just fine, the same can’t be said for the wedding photographer, Blaise Ione. As more vendors fall to the wayside due to premature death, Mel and Angie can’t help but begin to suspect that they may be carrying around some serious bad mojo. With one of their own staff baking Angie’s and Tate’s wedding cake, Mel feels even further invested in stopping the curse in its tracks.

Police bodyguards seem to have the matter in hand though, leaving Mel free to answer an S.O.S. call from a fellow businesswoman and bookstore owner Cassie Leighton. A new tell-all by former Scottsdale socialite Elise Penworthy guarantees a huge audience for A Likely Story’s booksigning event, if only for residents to have the first opportunity to spot themselves within the thinly-guised novel. Baking five-hundred cupcakes overnight is a small price to pay when it leads to further clues as to what is causing the rising death rate, all seemingly related to the wealthy town and its entitled inhabitants.

This tenth novel of the series rewards readers for their loyalty with a genuinely satisfying, warm-hearted mystery. Mel has found true love with her childhood crush Joe DeLaura, Angie’s brother and perhaps the sanest of her overprotective family. Although she never doubts Joe’s love, Mel is having understandable qualms over so much change suddenly coming into all of their lives. The inexplicable batch of murders certainly doesn’t help, although Mel and Angie prove more than a little talented at tracking down the many suspects who come to light. The novel is never more enjoyable than when it explores the satire-worthy echelons of high society, whose marriages are as fluid as they are temporary. Mel’s success at putting together all of the clues highlights just not her intelligence, but the author’s skill at planting clues and crafting a nuanced plot. Cupcake recipes are of course included, yet the real treat for readers are these engaging characters who more than deserve their happily-ever-afters.

I'm a big fan of McKinlay's books. Plotwise, this one wasn't one of her strongest, and I felt the resolution was too far-fetched even for a cozy mystery series that's always far-fetched. That said, it was an enjoyable way to pass a few hours. I like all the characters in this series, and the book held my interest just fine. It was only the identity and reasoning of the killer that felt sort of weak.

One thing: The reference in this book and in Caramel Crush (I think it was that one) to the Hat Shop Mysteries feels weird and clunky. "like that unfortunate hat shop girl from London that we met on vacation who threw cake at her lying married boyfriend" It just stands out like a sore thumb, and instead of being an insider joke, it feels...awkward and sad. McKinlay's books are delicious and funny--no need for attempts to cross-market or whatever this is.

Favorite quote: Friendship isn't about being inseparable, but about being separated and knowing nothing will change. (Oz)

Free review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A cleverly conceived mystery with a cast of lovable characters, some laugh out loud moments and a wedding. Follow this with four cupcake recipes and you have a winner.

Angie and Tate's wedding is just around the corner, and Mel is busy with her maid of honor duties, but when the bakery is asked to provide last-minute cupcakes for a local author's book signing, she can't refuse the chance to help a friend. When one of the key players turns up dead and one of Mel's friends is the prime suspect, she feels honor-bound to help figure out the identity of the real killer.

This is one of my favorite series by one of my favorite cozy authors, and I'm happy to say that this book did not change my opinion of either in any way. I feel like I've really gotten to know the characters and their families as the series has progressed, and would love to be a part of the DeLaura or the Cooper family. I've saved several of the cupcake recipes from the end of the book and can't wait to see if they taste as good as they sound :) I had several people in mind as the killer, and was only a little surprised at the reveal. I can't wait to read the next book in this series.

Review will post on blog closer to release date

I can’t believe that there are already ten books in this series already! In WEDDING CAKE CRUMBLE, Angie and Tate’s wedding is just around the corner. This means that Mel has her hands full. In addition to being the maid of honor AND the best man, she has also been hired to make cupcakes for a big author book signing. All seems to be good until murder occurs, leaving Mel wondering if she’s been cursed. She has encountered too many dead ends and dead bodies and now she wonders if a happily ever after will ever be in reach.

If you haven’t read this series, I would probably say that it’s best to read the other books in the series first. The wedding in this book certainly won’t hold the same impact if you don’t know Angie or Tate well. But this is a huge deal for the both of them as they tie the knot.

In terms of the mystery, however, I don’t see how anyone would have a problem with getting on board with this one. It’s fun and exciting, especially with McKinlay’s lighter tone in this series. So if you prefer less dramatics and gory details in your mysteries, I think this is a good one to try!

This was the first book I read in the Cupcake Bakery Mystery series, so I was expecting to take some time getting up to speed. Not so: I was quickly familiar with the characters, who are charming and just plain fun to hang out with.

The murder mystery was solid. I liked how the author (or characters) didn't take herself too seriously, and made a little fun of the fact that there was yet another murder in their small little town and social circle. In fact, the first few chapters reveal that several murders were committed before we get to the main crime: the murder of a local author with lots of skeletons in her closet.

The story drags a little toward the last quarter of the book, when two of the main characters get married. But I imagine that faithful readers will enjoy this part.

Jenn McKinlay has the cozy mystery genre down. I'd recommend this series, and think I might go read book one now...

**NetGalley copy provided for review**

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35693397-wedding-cake-crumble" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="Wedding Cake Crumble (Cupcake Bakery Mystery, #10)" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1502648331m/35693397.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35693397-wedding-cake-crumble">Wedding Cake Crumble</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2992321.Jenn_McKinlay">Jenn McKinlay</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2177290468">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
I always enjoy my time in Scottsdale with the cupcake crew, and this book is no exception. This series is just as fresh and entertaining at book ten as it was at the beginning. I love the mixing of socialite drama, sleuthing, and prep for Angie and Tate's long awaited wedding. I laughed and cried and couldn't wait to read what would happen next. There are also several lovely surprises revealed. I'm looking forward to see what is in store for the characters, especially Mel. The only problem is I will have to wait a year for the next book. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via Netgalley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is one of my favorite series that I happened upon by chance this year. I have loved each story, and enjoyed reading each book, and also listening to them on audio. I think the characters are just wonderful, and I love the feistiness of Mel and Angie, sweet Oz, Nate, and even Marty. Even if you know the ending, you are still happy in the by the time it finishes. This is a book that moves along with your attention grabbed from the very beginning. The story has a nice pace and does not lag like others. I think this is more than a cozy mystery though since it does have a little language or sexual theme, no matter how slight. You care about all the characters in the book, and this was one I could not wait to get my hands on. Now I cannot wait for the next one!!! Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for the honor of reading the ARC.

It is always a treat to read one if Jenn McKinlay's books. This just might be my new favorite...but her next title comes out. What's not to love about Angie and Tate getting married surrounded by the people they love most, with a little murder thrown in for added excitement!

This is a great series. I love the characters and the plot moves along at a great pace. Jenn McKinlay writes in a way that the readers are invested in the character's lives. The mysteries take a back seat to wanting to know what is going on with the lives of the characters. I was glad that the first wedding finally went off and can't wait for the next one. I love how Jenn is starting to overlap her series and mention characters from other series. Can't wait to see what is next!

This is my first time reading any books by Jenn McKinlay and obviously, the first book from the Cupcake Bakery Series and I really, really enjoyed it.

It's everything I love about a cozy mystery- average people getting caught up in a murder mystery with a happy ending. I really enjoyed the entire crew- Mel, Angie, Oz, Marty, and Joe. I would really have liked to get to know Tate more (maybe once I read the series from the beginning?). I did find Angie's brother obnoxious. Of course, since I am in the Phoenix metro area and the story is set in the Phoenix suburb of Scottsdale, I had some local connection and I know Old Town!

Of course, what I love about a culinary cozy- the recipes at the end!

This is a fun read and will definitely read more from this author!

Thank you, NetGalley for the review copy!

Jenn McKinlay keeps the Cupcake Mystery series fresh and exciting with her newest addition. It is a week before Tate and Angie's wedding, but something is happening that makes everyone wonder if their nuptials are not to be. Too many vendors are dying; is someone out to get the happy couple? Mel and the gang work to protect those they love and to make sure they get their Happy Ever After. Full of action and laughs, this is another winner in the series.

Jenn McKinlay rocks out another Cupcake Mystery. I will never get sick of the gang and all the fun and dead bodies they run into.

This is another great book in Jenn McKinlay’s Cupcake Bakery Mystery series. The author gives enough background so that you could start reading the series with this book and you’d enjoy the mystery, but a large part of my enjoyment in reading this was the development in the characters I’ve followed in the previous nine books.

Another reliably entertaining cozy mystery from McKinlay. This series is comfort food.

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.