Member Reviews

This one just completely blindsided me on who the killer was.. I enjoy the characters and of course the town. It seems like a great place to visit or live. Everyone for the most part pulls together to get things done, even though of course there are disagreements and some unpleasant people..

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

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This was another great book in this series. The characters are interesting and continue to develop. This time the focus is on Emily. I found the subject to be of interest as related to Amish way of life. I did guess at the culprit but; I still enjoyed the book.

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Once again a great trip to visit Bailey and the Amish community, filled with interesting characters, a charming setting, and plenty of excitement. Another wonderful additional to the series.

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In the the sixth book of The Amish Candy Shop series, we finally find out the answer to a question I've had since the beginning of the series:what happened to Emily's baby? At a baby shower for Emily's second baby, an Amish woman shows up, claiming to know where Emily's first child is before disappearing from the shower. Later the woman is found dead in the Esh Family Pretzel Shop. Esther, Emily's sister, becomes the prime suspect in the murder, when a threatening letter from Esther is found in the dead woman's possession.

This is a book of changes for the series. Not only does Emily go through some life changes in this book, Charlotte and Bailey does as well, but I don't want to spoil what happens to them.

I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher and/or author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Amish, law-enforcement, small-business, small-town, family, family-dynamics, friendship, harness-racing, greed, Ohio, adoption*****

I want to read others in the series because this one is so good, not because I got lost and needed the background. I had read a short story in this series and fell in love with the quirky pets. Bailey has a TV spot in NYC on a regular basis, but her main calling is operating a candy shop with her Amish grandmother (Bailey was not raised Amish) and two good Amish friends. Her other superpower is finding dead bodies and solving the crimes, often to the consternation of her deputy sheriff love interest. The publisher's blurb is pretty good for a start but can't tell you about the engaging characters, plot twists, red herrings, and some other interesting sidelines. Loved it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

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A solid addition to the Amish Candy Shop Series by Amanda Flower. I can never find a negative thing to say about any of Flower's books. Even as mysteries, they are light and fun to read.

Lemon Drop Dead, number six in the series, has us revisiting Bailey and her friends who are planning a shower for Emily, a friend and employee at the candy shop. During the shower, Emily has a perplexing meeting with an unknown woman. This woman leads to murder and mystery and we are off!

Besides the usual murder, there is an unexpected and surprising twist that I sure didn't see coming! Which now leaves me wanting the next book in the series tomorrow!

Though part of a series, this book can be read as a stand-alone and is highly recommended for all mystery readers.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for a digital ARC of this book. This review can also be found on my Goodreads page.

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I can't really say much about this book without spoiling the series but I will try. This book was another great addition to the Amish Candy Shop Mystery series. I adore this series and this one is no different. This book is filled with just as much fun and angst as the others. This series alone has made me a huge fan Amanda Flower and cozy mysteries in general. If you are a fan of the genre or just jumping in this is a great series to start with!

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Kindle Copy from Net Galley and Kensington Books.

I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.

Bailey is planning to throw a baby shower to celebrate her assistant Emily’s upcoming baby although it is not an Amish tradition. A lemon themed party thrown at the town’s gazebo with even last minute guests including Emily sister.

But she is not the only surprise as a mysterious guest who accuses Emily off giving up her first baby for adoption. Before Bailey could ask the stranger who she is, disappears and will soon end up dead at Esh Family Pretzel with a threatening note from Emily’s sister.

Emily knows that Esther did not do it as she gets Bailey to solve the crime in the mist of lemon drops. A delightful Amish cozy read.

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I was so happy when I was given this advanced book to review! Thanks, Kensington Publishers and NetGalley! I have ben reading this series ever since it came out, and really enjoy reading about the town of Harvest and the people who live in it. Amanda Flower has a way of making the characters seem like people you know, and the adventures get better as you get to know them. I like Jethro, the pig, and the cat and rabbit. While I love dogs and cats, these animals are a welcome change. I also like that she brings in characters from her other series, such as Millie and Lois. This just makes it seem even more like the whole town is involved in the things going on, not just one section of it. I live in a section of the country that has several Amish communities near by, so reading about thier lifestyles and what they believe in are interesting to me. I would recommend this series to anyone who asked.

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Bailey King works at her grandmother's candy shop. Swissmen Sweets, along with having her own television show in New York that she tapes several times a year. Her employee Emily Keim is ready to have a baby, and people want to throw her a shower. While Emily agrees to it, Bailey's other employee, her grandmother's young cousin Charlotte, wants to be the one to do it. So all Bailey has to do is show up and enjoy...that is, until an older woman shows up and wants to reunite Emily with her first child that she had given up for adoption.

Stunned, Bailey doesn't know what to do, but the woman disappears as quickly as she arrived. It isn't until later that night when Bailey is locking up the shop that someone is pounding on her door. It turns out to be Esther Esh, Emily's sister, and a woman who hates Bailey. But now she's asking for help, and Bailey can't refuse -- it turns out that the woman is dead in Esther's shop, and when the clues all lead to Esther being the murderer, Emily wants her to find the real killer. But Bailey finds more than she bargained for, and what she finds could rock the world of both Englisch and Amish alike...

This is the seventh book in the series, and I certainly hope it won't be the last. We are once again in Harvest, Ohio with Englischer Bailey King and her Amish relatives, and the story line continues with more than one person having to make a life decision. Then a woman shows up claiming that she has Emily's first child and wants to reunite them, but is murdered before she can do so. It is by chance that Bailey stumbles upon the child, and must make a decision of her own.

While I am not going to tell you who or what the decisions are that need to be made, I will tell you that I was gladdened by most but disappointed in another. I do hope that it won't change future books, as I liked the way things were turning out (you will have to read the book to see what I am talking about, and hopefully can decipher it).

There are plenty of twist and turns in the book, and enough action to keep one interested in reading it in one sitting. I enjoyed all (mostly, considering what I've mentioned above; but that is my own opinion and shouldn't be relevant to whether you read the book or not) and I will definitely read the next in this series, and anyone who's following this series should, too. When the ending comes and everything is resolved, it is a bit of a surprise, but not unexpected, and things are all as they should be. Recommended.

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In this sixth installment in Amanda Flower's Amish Candy Shop Mystery series, Bailey King's shop assistant, Emily Keim, is due to have her baby soon and everyone is excited. Although baby showers aren't an Amish tradition, the town decides to throw Emily one, and naturally, Bailey and the Swissmen Sweets gang are persuaded by Margot Rawlings to organize the event. During the shower, a mysterious woman confronts Emily about a secret from her past. The woman disappears before Bailey could find out who she was but a few hours later, she is found dead in the pretzel shop owned by Emily's family, with a threatening note written by Emily's sister found on her body. What is this woman's connection to the Esh family? Bailey, who is one of the few people in town that knows Emily's secret, is determined to find out.

This is one of my favorites cozy mystery series. From the quaint small-town setting to the well-developed characters and the sense of family and community, it feels like catching up with old friends when I pick up a book from this series. This installment focuses on Emily and her past. I've been curious about Emily's first child since we learned about her in the previous books and was excited to finally get the full story. I liked how the storyline turned out and hope we'll see more of Hannah in the future and maybe a happier Esther as well ( I have a soft spot for her). As always, Jethro provides plenty of humor to the story and the mystery kept me guessing.
I have mixed feelings about the direction Aiden and Bailey's relationship has taken but overall I really enjoyed this book and look forward to another visit to Harvest. I would love another novella from Charlotte's perspective.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of LEMON DROP DEAD (Book 6 of the Amish Candy Shop Mysteries), by Amanda Flower, in exchange for an honest review. When Juliet Brook conspires with town event coordinator Margot Rawlings conspire to have Bailey King throw Emily Keim a baby shower, Cousin Charlotte steps in and saves Bailey from having to plan and execute the party of five days’ notice. Charlotte does a wonderful job, and the only blemishes to the day are the refusal of Emily’s sister Esther Esh to attend and the cryptic remarks made by a mystery woman to Emily about Emily’s first baby (whom Emily’s family put up for adoption). When that woman is murdered in Esh Family Pretzels, Esther becomes the prime suspect but does herself no favors by continuing with her usual gruff and unhelpful attitude, but Emily begs Bailey to find the murderer and to clear her sister’s name. Will Esther’s sour disposition and secrets result in her arrest for the woman’s murder? Meanwhile, Bailey’s relationship with Aiden appears to be at a crossroad.

I liked this book and enjoy the series. I’m a fan of Amanda Flower’s mysteries. I recommend this book to fans of cozy mysteries featuring murder, Amish, candy, prejudice, illegal adoptions, and law enforcement politics.

#LemonDropDead #NetGalley

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I thought I knew who dunnit, I completely missed the boat.. Emily, one of Bailey's employees is expecting so a shower is thrown for her - Just another way to perhaps lessen the disconnect between the Amish and the Englisch. Bailey las learned of a secret that Emily has hidden from all but her siblings, but it is about to come into the open had is causing those in the know great angst. Charlotte has to make a decision and Jethro is making a little girl happy. Who could ask for more than that in a book?

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I received this ARC via Netgalley and Kensington Books, in return for an honest review. While the sixth book in this series, it is easily read as a standalone. I always enjoy visiting Bailey King and her grandmother’s sweets shop, Swissmen Sweets. Set in Amish country, Bailey was raised Englisch (non-Amish) although her paternal grandmother is Amish. This allows Bailey access to the Amish world in ways not available to most people and to bridge the gap between Amish and non-Amish people. When the town’s leaders decide to celebrate the impeding birth of shop assistant Emily Keim’s child by throwing a baby shower, festivities are briefly interrupted by an out-of-town Amish woman who confronts Emily about a significant secret from her past. When the woman is found dead in the shop of Emily’s estranged family, how are Emily’s brother or sister involved? As one of the few people who know Emily’s secret, Bailey is determined to both protect her friend and solve the murder before it has dire consequences to those she loves. Bailey is also juggling her own issues as her developing romance with Detective Aiden comes to a crossroads and they must both make decisions about their future.
This is a lovely and gentle series the does a wonderful job of addressing cultural divides in a mixed community. I always happy to visit this world and look forward to the next in the series.

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Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reader copy of Lemon Dead Drop by Amanda Flower in exchange for an honest review. Bailey King juggles her duties at Swissmen Sweets that she runs with her grandmother in Ohio. She also has a cable TV show filmed in New York called Bailey's Amish Sweets. A baby shower is put together for Emily, an Amish employee. There is a combination of Amish and English ladies at the shower. The Amish don't usually have baby showers.
This was such a touching story. The way Amanda Flower weaves a story is fantastic. I hated to put down this book, it was so good! I have enjoyed every book of hers. Thanks.

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Though it’s not Amish tradition they want to throw a baby shower. A stranger tells her she has a secret from her youth that can tear her family apart. So much going on!!

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Another fun edition in the series. Didn't like the way the romance is going, but otherwise I liked this one. Good round up at the end of different bad guys too (and gal). Mixture of Amish and English, and all the fun characters are here, including Jethro the pig. Highly recommend this book and series. Good cozy mystery

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This is the sixth in Flower's "Amish Candy Shop Mystery" cozy mystery series. It's always great to see Bailey King and her Swissmen's Sweets coworkers ... and, of course, Jethro the pig! This book could be read as a standalone, but I'd suggest reading the books in order to fully appreciate the characters.

As per prior books, the mystery is well done, allowing the reader to sleuth things out with the characters. The mystery is connected to a secret from a prior book, but this book/mystery still makes sense on its own.

There are recipes included, and I look forward to trying them, as I love lemon!

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Lemon Drop Dead is the sixth installment in the Amish Candy Shop Mystery series featuring candy-maker Bailey King and set in the Amish community of Harvest, Ohio. Swissmen Sweets shop assistant Emily Keim is due to have her baby and Bailey is excited for her friend. Of course, Bailey is approached by Margot Rawlings and Juliet Brooks (and pet pig Jethro) to organize the baby shower for Emily - and they want it to take place on the town green. Baby showers are not part of the Amish tradition so Emily is apprehensive to have so much attention showered upon her but she finally agrees if Baily will invite Emily's estranged sister Esther Esh.

The day of the shower arrives but Esther doesn't. Instead a mysterious woman appears at Emily's side to utter well wishes and a cryptic message about Emily's past. Later that evening while working late in the candy kitchen, Bailey is surprised to find Esther knocking on the door and begging for help. The mysterious woman has turned up dead in Esther's neighboring pretzel shop. Who is this woman and what is her connection to the Esh family?

A fabulous addition to the series with a well crafted mystery woven among a deeper insight into the relationships and workings of the Amish community. While the main mystery in this book does revolve around a secret from an earlier book in the series, this book can read as a stand alone. Of course, I'd encourage everyone to go back and start from the beginning though. I was delighted to have a new (and special) little girl join the cast of characters and I hope that we will see more of her in future installments. I was also relieved to finally say goodbye to a mean series regular but - is it goodbye for good? You won't want to miss the tasty recipes in the back, I'm now craving lemon.

I received an advanced copy of Lemon Drop Dead from NetGalley via Kensington Publishing. While not required to write a review I am happy to offer my honest opinion.

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Emily is close to having her baby and the town wants to throw her a baby shower. It’s not an Amish ritual, but everyone loves her and she agrees to let them throw it. One woman who shows up at the shower reveals that she knows Emily’s secret from her youth. It could tear her family apart, and Bailey tries to find the woman and learn who she is, but the next time Bailey sees her, it’s with her head in the oven at the pretzel shop owned by Emily’s sister and brother.

Dead women tell no lies and reveal no secrets, so Bailey needs to find out how the woman knows Emily’s secret and what it means for Emily’s future. Bailey races to do the right thing and save her young friend from suffering even more than she has for the past six years. Hopefully luck is on Bailey’s side.

There is no lack of excitement in this series. The Amish, like every other community, has good and bad and deals with it in their own way. But the overall goodness of the Amish community, Bailey’s heart and Aiden’s commitment always brings a solid story to each and every entry in this series. Amanda Flower is a talented writer and she brings the Amish country to you so well that you can hear the horses clopping down the road pulling their buggies.

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