Wedding Bear Blues by Meg Macy has Sasha Silverman and her sister, Maddie as bridesmaids in their friend, Cissy Davison’s wedding. It is a busy week leading up to Valentine’s Day for Sasha at the Silver Bear Shop and Factory with everyone searching for the perfect gift for their Valentine. Sasha also has a tour to give and they are hosting a Chocolate Bear Bar on Sunday for Chocolair, the new chocolate shop in town. At the rehearsal dinner, Maddie and Sasha enter the ladies’ room to find groomsman, Dylan Campbell dead in one of the stalls. With Debbie Davison in the hot seat with the police, Cissy begs Sasha to help. Sasha, of course, cannot resist a mystery. Wedding Bear Blues is the 4th A Teddy Bear Mystery. It can be read on its own if you are new to the series. I thought this charming cozy was well-written with developed characters and adorable teddy bears. I enjoyed all the cozy elements that make up this entertaining tale: Sasha’s family, her pets, the community, chocolate, teddy bears, food, and Sasha’s beau. These elements make for a rich and lively story. The mystery was appealing. There is a dead groomsman with multiple suspects. I am amazed that a group of people did not get together to off this man sooner. There is a secondary mystery (of sorts) involving mystery men who wish to purchase a certain type of teddy bear. Sasha is certain they are up to no good. I enjoyed the humor scattered throughout the story (who doesn’t love a book that makes them laugh). Wedding Bear Blues is a beartastic cozy with wedding woes, seamingly innocent bear sales, doggie doo doo overload, a beastly bridezilla, a tiny terror, and tasty chocolate teddy bears.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

It’s a beary interesting time in Silver Hollow. Bears are popular Valentine’s Day gifts but the Silver Bear Shop and Factory is planning ahead for Spring. With both Sasha and Maddie standing up in their friend’s Cissy Davidson’s Valentine’s wedding, marriage and anniversaries are on the girl’s minds. Bride and groom bears would be fantastic for spring. The could even be personalized. The girls are also excited about the Chocolate Bear Bar they are hosting for Chocolair, the new chocolate shop in town.

As Cissy’s wedding draws near, there are many plans coming up – a shower, complete with Botox treatments, the bachelor party poker game, the wedding rehearsal, and the following dinner, all before the big event. Bridezilla Cissy has a big problem with her groom’s choice for the best man. Dylan Campbell is a womanizer who broke her sister Debbie’s heart. By the time the rehearsal dinner rolls around more than just Debbie and Cissy have issues with Dylan. When he is found dead in the middle of the dinner in the women’s bathroom no less, Debbie may be at the top of the suspect list but there are several other names following hers. Cissy begs Sasha to prove Debbie didn’t do it but she also wants the case wrapped up quickly so she can get hitched as soon as possible.

It is always fun to catch up with the Silverman family. This time the author introduces a plethora of new characters. Family visiting from out of town, the wedding party and their families, along with one big dog, and some strange men coming into the shop looking for a certain type of teddy bear. The author does an excellent job at keeping each character unique which I really appreciated because it was so easy to keep everyone straight and how they connected to other characters. Sasha and Maddie put up with a lot from Cissy and they definitely had much more patience than I ever would have had with the woman. I did enjoy that Jay and Sasha’s relationship was more present in the story and getting stronger. It was also nice to see Maddie with a man and that the four of them did things together and it felt very comfortable. Their aunt and uncle came to town with heavy hearts as a family member has a huge medical crisis. Without missing a beat, the girl’s come up with a great idea, and the family and the entire community gets on board. I found that part of the story especially heartwarming.

The murder mystery was a twisted one. I knew there was some underlying secret that would blow the mystery wide open but until everything was revealed I just couldn’t piece the clues together in a sensical way. I eliminated suspects only to bring them back on to my personal list a chapter or two later. A few characters really pushed my buttons and I wanted them to be guilty. The bride’s dog plays an amusing role throughout the story. There are also a couple of subplots woven into the story that added a bit of intrigue. I thought they were kinda unnecessary but one was there to set up the start for the next book in the series.

Ms. Macy always gives her readers a fun and entertaining story with captivating characters. Well-written with an emphasis on family Wedding Bear Blues is a true testament to that. While the book reads well on its own, I recommend reading the series in order to get to know this beary lovable family from the start.

Sasha Silverman and her sister, Maddie, are pretty busy leading up to Valentine's Day - not just with work at the Silver Bear Shop and Factory but they serving in the bridal for their friend Cissy who is turning into a bridezilla! Things go downhill when the best man is found murdered in a ladies' room stall at the rehearsal dinner. Oops, that puts the wedding on hold! Well, while they wait for rescheduling (and whatever changes Cissy is going to insist upon) design efforts go forward on a Wedding bear couple to be ready for the June wedding frenzy. Further wedding party issues keep Sasha and Maddie busy trying to solve the murder so that the wedding can proceed.

I love teddy bears! So to have my first book of 2021 be chock full of teddies thrilled me but the mystery kept me enthralled as well. The characters are funny and lovable. The story was well-written with clues well-hidden.

Love this series. Always enjoy reading about Sasha and her family and their business. This was adorable. I loved this story, and the killer was a surprise.

This book is super adorable but don't let the teddy bears on the cover fool you. This mystery is hard core with twists and turns and dead ends and 180s. I loved it. This is my first book by Meg Macy and these books have been on my tbr list for quite awhile and I am so happy that I gave in to those cute little teddy bears and took this book for a spin.

Not only is it full of mystery but it is also full of heart. I love the family angle that Sasha and Maddie are so close for being sisters and I love how everyone comes together in the community for a family member of one of their one. That's not just good community, that's good humanity.

I like that there is more than one mystery that needs to be solved so once you think you have one thing figured it it switches so you have to think about the other thing. It leaves you thinking about it even after you put the book down. I love that. Fabulous book. I loved the setting, the people, the pets, all of it.

I didn't really care much for Cissy but I am willing to give her the benefit of the doubt since she was perhaps just being a bridezilla and maybe really is a nicer person outside of wedding venues.

Take a chance on this book. You won't be sorry. Especially if you need something soft to cuddle up with after a hard day.

I was given this arc by NetGalley to read and review. All opinions are my own.

WEDDING BEAR BLUES by Meg Macy
The Fourth Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear Mystery

It's almost Valentine's Day and Silver Hollow is host to plenty of activities from a Chocolate Bear Bar to a wedding complete with Bridezilla! Sasha Silverman and her sister Maddie get to be bridesmaids and are eyewitness to crazy demands and outrageous behavior. The best man is more of a worst man and, as the bride-to-be feared, ruins her wedding by getting killed at the rehearsal dinner! The mother of the bride insists that Sasha can find the murderer so between creating new designs for the plush bears at her family's company, helping her family, and spending time with her boyfriend and dogs, Sasha finds herself in the midst of another murder investigation.

A wedding filled with dysfunctional family members is the center of WEDDING BEAR BLUES. A bridezilla, a bratty child, and a dog who runs amok, along with more concerning issues, such as infidelity and domestic violence, color the mystery. Sasha would be better off staying away from the whole mess! In fact, with multiple subplots, Sasha spends a good part of the book dealing with things apart from the wedding and murder. While the subplots are interesting, they don't really add to the mystery at hand. In fact, one of them could easily have been developed into its own story!

I like Sasha and her whole family, especially as they pull together through good times and bad. The wedding party, apart from Sasha and her sister, are also close knit, but not necessarily in a good way. It's interesting to see the connections within that group, and how they unravel. Of course, my favorite characters are the animals, including the stuffed bears produced at the Silver Bear Shop.

With its shamelessly adorable teddy bears and a matrimonial murder WEDDING BEAR BLUES is a Valentine's Day treat.

Wedding Bear Blues: A Teddy Bear Mystery
By Meg Macy
Kensington
January 2021

Review by Cynthia Chow

At her family’s Silver Bear Shop - the only specialized teddy bear store in southeastern Michigan - Sasha Silverman loves nothing more than planning special events promoting their customized bears. The upcoming Valentine’s Day holiday is an ideal time for a teddy bear extravaganza, but in addition to hosting one of her beloved and preferred Teddy Bear Care Clinics, Sasha has been enlisted into a wedding as a substitute bridesmaid. Sasha’s sister Maddie is the best friend of the bride’s sister, and it doesn’t take long for Sasha to figure out why Cissy Davison ran out of her own friends for the bridal party. The bridezilla booted out the original bridesmaid for not being willing to change her own vacation plans, and Cissy isn’t too happy with her groom’s choice of a best man either. Not only is Dylan Campbell her sister Debbie’s ex-fiancé, but he drunkenly crashes the bachelorette party to randomly apologize. Unfortunately, no one is able to accept his remorse after Sasha and Maddie discover Dylan’s body in the restroom. While Sasha’s ex uses this as proof that she is a body magnet, Cissy sees this as fate to ensure that her wedding goes on. Worried as much – if not more – that her wedding will be cancelled if Cissy’s sister is arrested for the murder, Cissy begs Sasha to once again delve into a murder investigation and prove Debbie’s innocence.

It’s not as though Sasha has a lot of time on her hands though, as her father’s nemesis Teddy Hartman is in town intent on buying a nearby building for his planned Bed and Breakfast. Specifically designed to be a rival of the Silver Bear, Sasha needs to stop his plans and protect her family’s legacy. Learning of a scheme to use her teddy bears for horrific and nefarious means has Sasha on alert, which will keep her attention as much as figuring out who seems intent on winnowing down Cissy’s wedding party. At least Sasha will have the much more pleasant distraction of planning a charity benefit teddy bear event, one that will not only break a World Record but will raise money for a very worthy cause.

Botox bridal parties, chocolate teddy bear workshops, and of course teddy bear store sales ensure that this cozy mystery will appeal to readers on so many levels. Cissy’s rampaging poodle Mr. Clooney, and Sasha’s adorable (and much more obedient) toy poodle Sugar Bear and Lhasa Apso/Bichon mix Rosie make delightful appearances, but it’s the stuffed bears that make this series so unique. Sasha’s relationship with woodworker Jay Kirby is pleasantly cruising along despite all of the wedding chaos around them, and he and her family are reliable bastions of sanity amidst the Davison-Antonini nuptial calamities. Past crimes, old secrets, and missing rings ensure that the walk down the aisle will be a bumpy one. Clues are sprinkled throughout, but the final unexpected reveal should catch readers off-guard while still providing a satisfying resolution. The Valentine’s Day dream wedding may not be the one that was expected, but the one that is delivered is as whimsical, romantic, and laugh-inducing as the Silver Bear creations.

4.5 stars

This is the fourth book in the Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear mystery by Meg Macy.

I wasn’t exactly sure how this teddy bear dynamic would play out alongside a mystery, but it seemed to work perfectly fine. My first thought was, ‘how do you a business like that afloat?’ Then I remembered… Build a Bear was a majorly successful brand. That gave me no reason not to dive into this book.

This starts out at a friend’s wedding which gets interrupted by a murder. The best man is found dead with an ice pick impaled in him. The choice of best man was pretty questionable but the bride was indeed one of those girls you always hear about. When her Valentine wedding goes kaput, she wants to change all her colors from red to green. This side plot kept pace with the storyline and the bride had to be reigned in quite a few times. I enjoyed the mystery and found the whole teddy bear aspect charming. I even kept pace with the red herrings but still had no clue who the bad guy was until the end.

The characters were nice but I did have a bit of trouble telling one from another until I got further into the story. Then the figuring out was a lot easier.

Overall it was a great read. Definitely a cozy series to dig into!

If you like cozy mysteries, definitely check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

I really loved this fourth book in a new to my series. Tha characters and location really and to the story. I can't wait to read the next one. This book keeps you guessing until the end.

Wedding Bear Blues by Meg Macy is the fourth book four in the Teddy Bear Mystery series. It can be read as a stand alone mystery but all books in this series are really fantastic.

Sasha and her sister, Maddie are part of a wedding party for their friend whose somewhat of a bridezilla. Cissy is very demanding of her bridesmaids. During the rehearsal dinner the girls discover the body of the best man. He was not a well liked man and the suspects are adding up. Then a second member of the bridal party is murdered and things go from bad to worse.

This was such a good cozy mystery. I have come to really like Sasha and her sister .
The mystery was fantastic and the bridezilla moments were hysterical.

Can't wait for more in this series.

Teddy Bear Mystery by Meg Macy is the 4th book in the Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear Mystery series, and another fun book. Sasha Silverman is the manager of her family's Silver Bear Shop and Factory, and they are all busy with Valentine's Day coming up. On top of that, Sasha and her sister, Maddie, are both in a wedding, but before it can happen the best man is murdered. I really loved this book/series, and can't wait to continue Sasha's adventures in the next book. Not only is this book fun, it has a great mystery also. There are twists and turns around every corner. I found this book to be a quick read, with a well developed plot and characters. If you love fun cozy mysteries, I strongly recommend this book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Wedding Bear Blues by Meg Macy is book four in the A Teddy Bear Mystery series. It can be read as a stand alone.
Sasha and her sister, Maddie, have been roped into being bridesmaid for thier bridezilla friend, Cissy. Cissy wants everyone to follow her orders when it comes to her wedding rehearsal and wedding. She is driving Sasha almost to the edge. During the rehearsal dinner, Maddie and Sasha find the body of the best man stabbed in the ladies room. It is a known fact, he wasn't liked by most of the wedding party but who would wanted him dead. Sasha sets out to get answers. When a second member of the wedding party is found,dead the town thinks the wedding is doomed. Will Cissy make it down the aisle or not.
I loved this book, from the cute cover, to the well written story. It has suspects galore, the main characters are relatable and likeable. You get love of family, romance, humor, and a couple secondary stories sprinkled through out that also has you thinking. I didn't want to put it down.
I was given an ARC from Kensington via NetGalley for an honest review.

Cissy and Gus are ready to tie the knot. Too bad murder keeps getting in the way of their plans. When they ask Sasha to put her amateur detective skills to work proving people's innocence, she's eager to help out. Unfortunately quite a few people seem to have motive, means, and opportunity to commit murder. Will they find the killer before anyone else dies?

I just love Sasha, Maddie, Jay, and all the rest of their friends and family. I love the teddy bear shop and the town of Silver Hollow. Kick off your shoes and snuggle up in your comfy reading chair. You're not gonna want to put this book down until you've finished it.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor.

This series is very entertaining and I have greatly enjoyed each book. Meg Macy has done an exceptional job of including teddy bears into the story plots and made it interesting and entertaining. I highly recommend this book (could be read without reading 1-3 but it's better if you read in order) for any mystery lover and especially teddy bear lovers. I received an ebook ARC from Netgalley and this is my voluntary and honest review.

Valentine's Day is coming up and the Silver Bear Shop and Factory in Michigan is quite busy. There are workshops, last minute gift purchasers, and both Sasha and her sister Maddie are in a wedding. The wedding of Cissy Davison has proven to be a lot more stressful than any event at the Silver Bear Shop and Factory. The groom's choice of best man has the bride and her sister, Debbie, incensed and all of the events leading up to Cissy's big day have been rife with tension. Things take a violent and deadly turn at the rehearsal dinner when Maddie and Sasha walk right into a murder scene. Dylan, the best man, has been killed by ice pick. As if Sasha isn't busy enough at the shop and factory, Cissy has asked her to help prove her sister's innocence, even if Debbie is the most likely suspect.

Actually, that's not true. Debbie is one of many, it seems, with an issue with Dylan. As Sasha puts her sleuthing cap on and begins her search, it appears that more than just Debbie had means, motive and opportunity. Dylan seems to have a long history of upsetting people. With everything going on at the shop and factory, additional side threads, Cissy, and the death of Dylan, Sasha has her hands full.

A clever who-done-it, Wedding Bear Blues kept me entertained and engaged in the story. Meg Macy delivered a well-written story with a unique setting in a fictional small town in southeast Michigan. As a lifelong Michigander I enjoy a good story, in any genre, that is based in my state. The author mentions places in Michigan I'm very familiar with, including Harrison. I always love it when I recognize locations in a book because I've been there, lived there, or worked in the town/city.

I enjoyed the personalities of each character introduced to us in the book. The book was descriptive well developed, allowing me to visualize the elements of the story, characters, and locations. The characters and situations were believable and the pacing of the story was steady. I enjoyed Wedding Bear Blues, found the mystery interesting, the characters likable, and the story's pacing to be on target. I love the Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear Mystery series by Meg Macy and I look forward to the next book.

Sasha Silverman and her sister Maddie are involved in the Valentine’s weekend wedding of a local friend. However, between the demands the bride is making and the fact the wedding party doesn’t get along, it is turning out to be anything but fun. Still, Sasha wasn’t expecting one of the members of the wedding party to turn up dead at the rehearsal dinner. When her bridesmaid duties suddenly include finding the real killer, can she figure out what happened?

Because we meet the members of the bridal party in a couple of group scenes, I had trouble keeping them all straight early on, but as the book progressed, I found it easier to remember their relationships. The plot is strong, with some nice red herrings that kept me confused until we reached the climax. Helping things out are some fun sub-plots, although one of them stretched credibility a bit too far for me. I’ll believe that Sasha can solve the murder but not how this sub-plot played out. I think that may be on me. We do get updates on Sasha’s larger group of family and friends, but they mostly stay in the background, which helps us get to know the suspects better. This is a wonderful winter time cozy, so snuggle in with a blanket and your favorite hot beverage and enjoy.

Sasha Silverman is not only a terrific teddy bear salesperson but also a sharp sleuth and she is going to need to use every bit of her ability to help save a wedding. Not that she wanted to be an attendant for a bridezilla, wear four inch heels with ankle bows, or deal with some very odd men looking to purchase teddy bears for lots of cash and no questions. This story has more than one subplot and a very happy ending in spite of the predicaments with not one but two murders and be careful of red herrings because they are as prevalent as the Valentine hearts surrounding this story. Great character development, I really was starting to get very annoyed with bride Cissy even if this was her one and only big day to remember for the rest of her life. Great family dynamics, lots of support and love, and the fact that the police grudgingly accept Sasha's assistance is also a nice bit. I had not read a Teddy Bear mystery before and had no problem keeping up with who the players were, and I don't just mean Sasha's ex-husband, what a egomaniac. Looking forward to the next one!

This is the fourth book in a series by Meg Macy about Sasha Silverman who manages her family-owned teddy bear shop, the Silver Bear Shop and Factory in Silver Hollow, Michigan as well as doing a bit of sleuthing. In this instalment, Sasha is to be a bridesmaid for Cissy Davison, who is somewhat bridezilla-ish and Dylan Campbell, the best man is far from Cissy's ideal choice. He winds up dead at the couple's wedding rehearsal dinner, having been stabbed with an ice pick. When Cissy's sister, Debbie is considered to be the main suspect, her family beg Sasha to help.

I jumped into this excellent series in Have Yourself a Beary Little Murder (book three) and I thoroughly enjoyed Wedding Bear Blues as well. Very absorbing and easy to read, I thought protagonist Sasha was a great character as she was personable, smart and liked to get things done.

The mystery itself included more than enough twists and variety to keep me guessing and turning the pages. A good bunch of people surrounded Sasha, and I especially liked the great relationship she had with her sister, Maddie, and their teamwork managing the shop. This is a great, very high quality, fun read, and I intend to catch up with the other books in this pleasurable and amusing series. I can’t wait to see what’s next for Sasha. Very highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Kensington Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

This is one of my favorite series but this entry fell just a bit short but only by one star. The mystery was solid and the clues and red herrings kept me guessing to the end - all what i have come to expect. My problem was I didn't like any of the wedding characters. The usual bridezilla, a horrid best man and just about every member of their families solidly on the dysfunctional scale. The characters that always shine are Sasha and her family and friends. Sasha and her sister make a great team managing the Teddy Bear factory along with their uncle. Adding the wedding theme for the bears and getting everything ready for Valentines Day was fun. Too bad the humans of the wedding party didn't have some teddy bear charm in them. Now I'm looking forward to book #5.
My thanks to the publisher Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is a charming 4th in series with a well crafted sleuth that kept me turning pages to the end. I love the Teddy Bear factory and the descriptions of the Teddy's. All of us Teddy Bear lovers enjoy this series . Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley. My review opinions are given for a early release ARC.

Sasha and her sister are bridesmaids at a wedding ripe with tension. The bride hates the grooms choice of best man and when he is found dead its chaos at the wedding . The victim had just broken the heart of the bride's sister and with blood on her she is instantly suspect number one. Sasha and her sister join forces to gather clues to the victims background and find out who really silenced him for the last time. As clues abound and red herrings don't add up will Sasha be able to solve this wedding day crime?

This was a fun sleuth that kept me guessing to conclusion. I love the charcters of these books and will continue to read this charming series.