Death of a Wedding Cake Baker is a great cozy mystery about Hayley's best friend, Liddy getting married in Bar Harbor, Maine. Of course, trouble followers. When the baker which is a family member is found dead from being poisoned there are more suspects than names on the guest list.

Great characters and scenery.. Overall, this is one of those cozy mysteries you want to start reading and not put down until you are finished.

Great job!

This book follows Hayley Powell as she is helping her friend Liddy with her wedding preparations for her upcoming wedding to Sonny Lipton. There seems to be so many issues with the simple wedding. When Liddy let's her cousin make her wedding cake which leads to disaster.

When Liddy's cousin winds up dead and the cake she made to Liddy's exact description Liddy has to switch gears to find a new cake and a new baker. So who killed Lisa Liddy's cousin and why? Was it someone connected to Lisa's past or someone connected to Liddy's wedding?

Sonny is also acting very strange. He keeps failing to keep appointments with Liddy for the wedding. What is going on with Sonny and why is he acting so strange?

This book was crazy with so much going on. It felt like needing notecards to keep up with it. With the Liddy drama and Sonny's disappearance act you felt like something was definitely up and the truth was such a surprise. I really enjoyed the end!

I haven't read all of the books in this series, but I have enjoyed the ones I read so far. I can say that you do not need to read all the books leading up to this one to enjoy it, but there is some character development along the way that you will miss out on. I loved heading back to Bar Harbor and visiting with Hayley and her friends. In this outing, Hayley's friend Liddy is getting married, at least that is the plan. During their engagement she and her lawyer fiance, Sonny Lipton, have been on-again and off-again several times, including a couple of times in this story. Liddy is not happy with her mother when she insists that her cousin Lisa, bake her cake. That changes when Lisa is found dead in her bakery, poisoned by what appears to be Liddy's cake. As Hayley and her brother-in-law, the police chief, investigate, this case takes several unexpected turns.

This was a fun and enjoyable mystery with some very clever twists. I had no idea who the killer was, and when the reveal came, I was surprised by the culprit as well as the motive. It was very cleverly done. The story was well-plotted and written with wonderful characters. I enjoy the witty dialogue and some of the euphemisms. I thought Hayley took some chances in this one and put herself in some serious danger, but I enjoyed the ending a lot. I do not want to say anymore about the story, because you need to read this one and enjoy it for yourself.

This is a nice, relaxing book. I have enjoyed reading this whole series. If I had any complaints, it would be that I got a little tired of the dire warnings at the end of every chapter until the murder and many thereafter. Also I liked/didn't like the ending of the book. It's a major cliffhanger and it's going to be way too long before the next book comes out.

Liddy Crawford, best friend of food and cocktails columnist Hayley Powell, is getting married. The wedding is the talk of the town in Bar Harbor, Maine, including snide gossip about the age gap between the bride and her groom, local lawyer Sonny Lipton. But the cruelty of the comments is nothing compared to the nasty wedding cake baker, Liddy's quarrelsome cousin Lisa.

So when the belligerent baker is found face down in a three-tier cake, the victim of a poisoned slice, there are more suspects in town than names on the guest list. With Sonny getting cold feet, Liddy getting hot under the frilly collar of her wedding gown, and a killer possibly crashing the ceremony, Hayley vows to solve the crime before her best friend walks down the aisle.

The mystery is well written with plenty of suspects, red herrings, clever turns, and surprising twists that will have you scratching your head about who the killer is and why they did it. The characters are well written and well developed, and they each have their own unique personalities. The story moves at a nice steady pace that for me made the book hard to put down, I kept telling myself one more chapter but I wanted to know what was going to happen at the end.

I like that Hayley and Bruce's relationship is written like they are real people who have problems and we see how they deal with them, instead of everything always being perfect for the couple and nothing bad never happens to them. I also like that Hayley's kids get to use their talents to help with Liddy's wedding, her son is acting as the photographer and her daughter is baking the wedding cake. I didn't like how Celeste is planning Liddy's wedding like it's her wedding instead of her daughter's no matter what plans Liddy has already made. I found the idea of Hayley confronting the killer by herself and putting her life in extreme danger very foolish, instead she should have found a way to get to the police and let them handle the situation. Thanks to the surprising cliffhanger I can't wait to read Death of a Blueberry Tart to find out what Hayley decides to do.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Kensington Books for my review.

This was a fun, cute cozy mystery! I love the theme throughout, and I will definitely be continuing with the series.

This is part of a series which I haven't read but it works well as a stand alone novel.

Hayleys friend Liddy is getting married and her overbearing Mom insists that she uses her cousin Lisa to bake the cake despite them having a terrible relationship. Lisa ends up dead, poisoned by a cake . There are plenty of suspects, red herrings and a secondary plot about the wedding.

It was a fun cosy mystery and I look forward to reading other books in the series.

Death of a Wedding Cake Baker by Lee Hollis is the eleventh book in the Hayley Powell Mystery series. I have read and enjoyed previous books in this series, but this one seemed a bit off. Hayley's friend Liddy is getting married. After the wedding cake baker is murdered, attempts are made on Liddy's life. Several obvious story errors were made - more than just simple grammar. Actions done by one character were attributed to a different character a few pages over among others. I also had problems with Hayley's actions. At times she was beyond reckless and other times completely gullible. I felt like many of the characters should have been college age rather than grown women based on their actions. I am looking forward to the series getting back on track for book twelve.

Family can be the worst when planning a wedding. Imagine having a cousin you really don't like and not only having to invite them but also having to enlist them to bake your wedding cake. Then to top it off, baker Lisa is refusing to make Liddy's cake the way she wants claiming it is too boring, who wants a boring vanilla cake. Turns out that borrowing can be deadly as Lisa is found poisoned by a vanilla wedding cake. Weddings are stressful enough without murder so it is an on again off again so Hayley does what she can as a good friend to get to the bottom of the murder and help Liddy to make it to the church on time. There are some great twist and turns to this story and an ending that I would have never guessed!

Death of a Wedding Cake Baker is a clean Death of a Wedding Cake Baker is a clean cozy mystery. It is part of a series but I enjoyed it without reading the entire series. The characters are well developed, even the secondary characters have a good story. I think the plot is well thought out and the mystery is satisfying. It is a book that held my interest and I recommend this book

Death of a Wedding Cake Baker is the 11th installment in the Hayley Powell Food & Cocktails Mystery series. Haley's best friend, Liddy, is going to marry her much older boyfriend, Sonny, and Liddy's mother pushes her to choose her difficult cousin, Lisa, who is a great baker but impossible to get along with, to make the wedding cake. Unfortunately, Lisa is found dead, a victim of poisoning, and Haley is now responsible not only for baking the wedding cake, but also for solving the murder in addition to other tasks having to do with the wedding.

This entire series is well-written and easy-to-read; this particular novel has a good plot and good secondary characters. As is typical of this series, and this novel, there are several unexpected twists, and of course the who-done-it is a surprise at the end. There are also some interesting things happening with the relationships of the bride, groom, and Haley, along with the bride's overbearing mother.

Because these books are cozies, there is no graphic sex, violence, or language, so they are suitable for all ages. These books are great for vacation reading, beach reading, or airplane reading. Fun, Fun, Fun.

This is the eleventh book in the Hayley Powell series. Hayley is the maid of honor for her best friend, Liddy, at her wedding. When Liddy's mother forces her to have her cousin, Lisa make her wedding cake, Liddy is less than thrilled. But when Lisa turns up dead after making the cake Liddy wanted, things become a bit complicated. I love these characters and always enjoy visiting with them. The mystery was well done. I did not guess who it was until the very end. I also loved the cliffhanger at the end of the book and really need the next book now so I can find out what happens. Overall this was a great read.

I've been a fan of this series since the very first book and they've only continued to get better! One of the things that I love about this series is that it is very character driven and you get very emotionally invested into the characters. This particular book had one such storyline, where the main plot and some subplots directly revolved around one of the main supporting characters, which made me even more interested and invested in it.

The plot was solid and there were multiple subplots, which kept a very fast and action packed pace, which I like. It did end of a bit of a cliffhanger, but that makes me super hungry for the next book! I'd definitely highly recommend this book, author, and series. There are also recipes, which is a plus as well, in my opinion.

"Death of a Wedding Cake Baker" earns 5/5 Wedding Toasts...Clever Fun!

New to Lee Hollis's Hayley Powell Food and Cocktail Mystery series, but I'm always in for "Cake," and excited that cozy "Karma" baked up some just desserts! The mystery was clever (bride's nasty cousin is poisoned) with a steady pace and enough clues to "play along," but my inner Sherlock was delightfully challenged. It ended with most issues tied up, but there appears to be a cozy cliffhanger that is typical for this series. Written in a third-person narrative, although not my favorite perspective to be an observer, it is done well with vivid, some delicious, descriptions, well-developed characters (I love Hayley! But I admire Liddy!), and lots of dialogue that illustrates personality and tone. The book is a great length with depth in the story and character interactions, but Hollis doesn't use a lot of extraneous falderal. I enjoyed and recommend this eleventh book, easily joining in as a newbie fan! I love the extra treats cozy writers add to their work. Hollis incorporated into the story several recipes for delicious food and cocktails perfect for her newspaper column. I plan to try the Lemoncello Prosecco Cocktail and Pomegranate Cosmo and who can pass up Baked Crab Poppers and Vanilla Cake with Raspberry Filling and Lemon Buttercream Frosting. Oh, yummy!

I was really excited when I heard that this book was coming out. As one of my favorite Cozy Mystery writers, I had some pretty high expectations for this book but Lee Hollis definitely delivered! I thoroughly enjoyed DEATH OF WEDDING CAKE BAKER and can’t wait for the next book!

As you can expect, this book does circle around a wedding and it belongs to one of Hayley’s closest friends. If you’ve read any of the other books in the series, then you may already be familiar with Liddy Crawfield. Now that she is getting married, a lot of preparations have to be made, including who will be baking her wedding cake. Liddy’s mother insists that her cousin, who is a renowned cake baker, do it. However, Liddy has not been on good terms for her cousin for a while and that brings lots of tension between them. So when trouble occurs, Hayley must step in before Liddy’s wedding is completely ruined.

My favorite part of this book is the fact that it doesn’t daddle with the extra fluff. The writing is tight and precise and gives just enough hints to keep the reader engaged. It also have other conflicts on the side, like for example, the tension between bride and groom or bride and mother, which also adds a little something to the book. But it still keeps the mystery the most important aspect of the book. Overall, it’s just a really well-written mystery that I think a lot of people would enjoy.

If you haven’t read this series already, then I would totally recommend it for something fun and exciting.

So this is the first book in this series that I really didn't enjoy. Too much time was spent on random plot details that really didn't move the story forward. The big reveal at the end of the book just didn't work for me.

I love this author. I enjoy the characters. Its a great series and this installment doesnt disappoint.

Death of a Wedding Cake Baker: A Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery
By Lee Hollis
Kensington
May 2019

Review by Cynthia Chow

Hayley Powell may not know who first spoke the words of the sentimental toast she may be plagiarizing, but she truly believes in what she’s saying at the wedding shower of her BFF Liddy Crawford. No one really thought that Liddy would manage to get the much younger, boy-toy attorney Sonny Lipton to propose, and perhaps that explains why Liddy seems in such a rush to run down the aisle. Hayley has only a few weeks to fulfill her overwhelming duties as the Matron of Honor, so she should feel relieved that Liddy’s mother is determined to take over the event. As the one paying for the wedding, Celeste insists that it is her vision that is being fulfilled, and that includes hiring Liddy’s much-hated cousin Lisa Crawford to bake the wedding cake. After presenting several nut-laded samples to the nut-allergic Liddy and getting fired, Lisa ironically meets the fate of being found face down in the top-tier of the only cake Liddy actually desired.

Liddy is determined that even a dead Lisa won’t ruin the wedding plans, so keeping the bride out of jail is added to Hayley’s Matron of Honor to-do list. Gossip has Liddy topping the list of suspects most likely to have wanted the baker dead, which means that when not trying on hideous dresses or attending an embarrassing stripper-filled bachelorette party, Hayley tracks down Lisa’s furious exes and cheated business partners. With bets being placed all around Bar Harbor on whether or not Liddy will ever manage to drag Sonny to the altar, Hayley seems to be the only one optimistic enough to believe in the possibility of true love. As cynicism and sarcasm flows throughout the town, Hayley’s delightful Island Food & Cocktails columns describe past wedding experiences as a guest and briefly happy participant. The chaos of failed plans and family battles at least bring people together, concluding with good food and a lot of booze.

The brother and sister writing team of Rick Copp and Holly Simason continue to deliver a surfeit of laughs and hilarious situations as Hayley gets herself in and out of trouble. Mona Barnes continues to be the grumpy third accomplice to Liddy and Hayley’s exploits, rolling her eyes at Liddy’s tenacity in mowing down everything in her path in order to get a ring on her finger. Hayley may seem a bit naïve at times, but her genuine love for her family is a refreshing counter to the event’s superficiality. Hayley’s brother-in-law Sergio does his best to uphold the law as the malapropism-prone police chief, while her brother serves up customized, potent drinks at his Drinks Like a Fish bar. Hayley has her own romantic path that is going unexpectedly well, and through her food and drink columns readers see her good humor and ability to stay relatively calm amidst the chaos. Recipes for party food and cocktails are of course included, ensuring that readers will be satiated, and possibly inebriated, by the end of this thoroughly engaging and fun novel.

Death of a Wedding Cake Baker by Lee Hollis is book 11 in the Haley Powell Mystery series. This was the first one I have read and was able to be caught up from chapter one! It can be read as a stand alone.
This is a great cozy mystery that has it all. You have the typical bridal humor with bridesmaid dresses and a Bridezilla mother of the bride. You also get plenty of twists and turns keeping you guessing along with romance, family, friendship, laugh out loud moments, overall a great easy to read cozy.
Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Books for an ARC for an honest review.

Cliffhanger!!
I had no idea that this was one of a series of mysteries. There is no indication of that in the book; it stands alone exceptionally well. This should be a cozy, but there is way too much sex and drooling cougars to be called a 'cozy' in my book. Most of the story is about demanding women. While they are professionals from normal backgrounds, they are too much like the housewives from the Jersey Shore. All drama, yelling, self-serving, narcissistic behavior without much love or loyalty (even among the friends). While there are spots of genuine feeling between our heroine and her lover, it is a pretty rare occurrence in this book. This is not my type of story and it took me forever to read as I could only stomach about 2 chapters at a time. Then, after forcing myself to finish the book, it ends in a cliffhanger!! I have no intention of reading the next story to see how this one ends. The crime part was good and well played. Here is a question for the author, why is it the first reaction to anything to go investigate themselves instead of calling the cops? Beyond that, yuck. I received this ARC book from Net Galley and this is my honest review.