Every book in this series paints a stunning picture of friendship, humor, and mystery and this latest addition does the same. The beginning letters in every chapter gives a chuckle before jumping back into the mystery. A perfect setting, well developed plot and enchanting characters make this a must read.

The Diva Serves Forbidden Fruit by Krista Davis

After Sophie picks up a barefoot, exhausted Nina at the airport after Nina's equally frazzled 3 week tour of Portugal they wonder if things can get any worse.
Sophie is in charge of Old Town's DIY Decorating Festival - full of demonstrations and vendors galore and she does not have time to be distracted by murders, But of course trouble comes with murders of two of Nina's traveling companions one who was a secret jewelry courier ; an insensitive emotionally abusive husband, an obsessive woman, and missing crown jewels adding to the excitement from Sophie and her friends.
Good addition to the Diva series. Davis throws in some unexpected plot twists that make this a fast-paced fun read. I received this book from Kensington and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

It’s always gre@to to read about Sophie and her friends! I really enjoyed this one because it kept me guessing to the end! Great mystery and great writing as always!

Number 14 in the series does not disappoint!
This series is a guaranteed great read.
The characters are interesting and the story was even better than I expected.
The whodunit was full of twists and kept me guessing.
I highly recommend this book.
I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

Sophie and the gang are back in this fourteenth installment of the Diva series. I've read all the books in order and they never fail to produce a great mystery with a terrific supporting cast of characters, lots of delicious recipes and plenty of humor. This time around, Sophie is in charge of the yearly Do-It-Yourself street festival when she stumbles upon (as she often does!) a dead body. She and her friends work together to piece together the clues. I won't say more on that for fear of spoilers. You could probably read this book as a standalone, as all the characters are introduced for new readers, but as this is one of my favorite cozy series (maybe my most favorite one!), I highly suggest starting at the first one so you pick up on all the quirky characteristics of everyone. Great mystery, great story-telling, and all around great book! 4.5 stars.

'The Diva Serves Forbidden Fruit' is a complex mystery that somehow retains it warmth through the cast of delightful characters. There are murders that are brutal and Sophie is once again involved in attempts to solve them and protect her friend Nina. The layers of intrigue involved international jewel theft and a trip to Portugal. I only wish that Sophie had a stable love interest. I will look forward to that in the future.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I received this ARC via Netgalley and Kensington Books, in return for an honest review. While the 14th book in this series, it is easily read as a standalone. I’m delighted that Ms. Davis returns us to Sophie Winston, Domestic Diva of Old Town Alexandria, Virginia. Her best friend, Nina, returns from a Portugal trip that was supposed to be part fun trip/part opportunity to spend time with her husband. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much of the latter, so Nina spent much of her time with others from Alexandria. With Sophie organizing the annual DIY Home Decorating Festival, there’s not much time to learn about what went wrong until Sophie stumbles across the body of a town resident and member of the Portugal tour group. When a second body is discovered in almost the same way, Sophie needs more than DIY decorating ideas to protect Nina from ending up as a potential third victim. Luckily, she has an intrepid group of two and four legged friends to call upon as bodyguards.
I enjoy this series very much and think any lover of cozies will too. The characters are clearly written and there are those you love and those you want to push into the Potomac River that runs by Alexandria! I thought I’d guessed who-dunnit but that didn’t turn out, so I was pleasantly surprised by the twists that Ms. Davis built into the story. I think most people won’t guess this one!

This is my very FAVORITE cozy mystery series. The books are such page turners that I can never put them down. You don’t need to have read any of the other books in the series to enjoy this one, so if you’re new to the series jump right in!

Sophie’s neighbor Nina has just returned from a trip to Portugal with a few other people from town. When the other travelers start dying in mysterious ways, Sophie and her friends need to figure out what’s happening before Nina gets hurt. The cozy factor is so high in this book, between the meals Sophie is always whipping up, the fact that she can walk everywhere in town from her house, and the idea that everyone needs to bunk at Sophie’s place to keep an eye on Nina. I hope this series makes it to 100 books because it’s that good!

Sophie's in charge of a DIY Home Decorating Festival in Old Town and her best friend Nina has just returned from a trip to Portugal. When two women who traveled with Nina end up dead in the days after returning, Sophie has to find out if someone is targeting the tour group. With several red herrings and a sub plot about some missing jewelry; and more drama from Natasha, Sophie's longtime rival, who just broke up with Sophie's ex-husband, this is another good mystery from Davis.
Though her friends are present in the book, they don't really help Sophie solve the mystery. I enjoy that the characters are still developing; and though I loathed Natasha in earlier books, she seems to be mellowing. Not her best work, but the series is still one of my favorites.
#netgalley #thedivaservesforbiddenfruit

While I love all of the Diva books, this fell a little flat for me. Sophie's best friend, Nina, comes home from vacation a bit bedraggled. That's the least of her problems, however, when members of her tour group start dropping dead. Sophie and friends are on a mission to find the murderer while also keeping Nina alive!

The characters seem a bit like family members at this point since there are so many in the series, but we didn't really get a chance to see them at their finest in this book which was a bit disappointing. The almost-the-end made me think I had missed something but it wrapped up nicely in the final pages. There seemed to be several tidbits that got thrown out that seemed like they would be important but didn't end up being so, and at least one issue that was unresolved at the end that I am hoping the next book wraps up. Since it is a Krista Davis book, of course it is good, but it certainly doesn't live up to earlier works in my opinion. I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher.

I loved getting to revisit Old Town in The Diva Serves Forbidden Fruit by Krista Davis. In this mystery Sophie is trying to untangle why Lark is murdered the day after returning from a three week trip to Portugal. While on the case Sophie is running a fair in Old Town and dealing with Natasha's latest schemes! This book was so cozy and truly fun to see Sophie's friends gather in her kitchen for yummy meals! Though it is a long running series the book would be an enjoyable stand alone read.

I was thrilled to get an early read of this via Netgalley! I’ve been following this series since book one, and it is one of my favorite cozy mysteries. It’s a well-written and charming series, with developed characters and story lines.

The mystery centers around Nina this time around. The story is fresh, and it was nice to catch up with Sophie and her friends. Although it’s the 14th book in the series, I believe it could be read as a stand alone- though certainly you’d quickly search out the first thirteen.

Enjoy! I certainly did.

Forbidden Fruit has a nice meaty mystery involving Nina, Sophie's neighbor and friend, directly. The usual friends are present, but don't play a huge role. Natasha, who I thought might be leaving the series in the last book, shows up and we see some development in her life which is nice. (I still would have liked her gone.)

There is one anachronism the author brings up: traveler's checks. They still exist, but anyone who has traveled abroad in the last 10-15 years knows that they are not a good choice any more. Hardly anyone accepts them. So, a character who frequently travels wouldn't typically carry them in favor of credit cards and ATM cards. Just a minor point.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Though this is the first book I have read in the Diva series by Krista Davis, it is the 14th in the series. I had no difficulty keeping up with the characters and their relationships. This book is sooo good---I am going back to book one and read the series in order.
The book is set in Old Towne Alexandria, Virginia with characters I fell in love with, and some who were ones we would enjoy crushing like a bug! This is what makes a book great for me, plus the fast moving plot that is packed with a variety of story lines and twists. I recommend this book to mystery readers who love to unwind the twists and catch the culprit. Thank you Netgalley and Kensington for gifting me an ARC to read in exchange for an honest review. #TheDivaServesForbiddenFruit #NetGalley

I have loved this series from the beginning so was thrilled to read this newest book. All the favorite characters are there with Sophie including lots of time with Nina and her neighbors.

This story picks up when Nina and some neighbors return from a trip to Portugal. Soon one ends up dead and then another. What is the link the trip? Nina, living in fear, stays with Sophie while the group works to sort out the why and who. Also adding to the story is the DYI fair Sophie is supervising in the neighborhood. It sounds fun and nothing I've seen before. Nice addition to the story.

I do hate spoilers so will refrain from saying more. Fans will love this one!

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington for allowing me to read for a fair review.

Another great entry in to this series. Familiar characters and a fresh story line is all anyone could ask for!

Book Review for The Diva Serves Forbidden Fruit by Krista Davis
Full review for this title will be posted at: @fyebooks on Instagram!

I really enjoyed this book. I love the characters and how they interact with each other. There aren't any slow spots and the mystery kept me guessing to the very end, although I had my suspicions. #TheDivaServesForbiddenFruit #NetGalley

Old Town holds a DIY Decorating festival and Sophie Winston is tasked with running it. But, when Nina, her best friend, walks out of the airport barefoot from Portugal, she knows that there's a story to be told. Then, two people, who vacationed with Nina are murdered and someone attempted to break-in to Nina's house. Now, Sophie investigates to find the killer before another traveler is killed.
This was a great cozy mystery. The plot was twisty enough to keep me engaged, and the characters were compelling. I was surprised when the culprit was revealed. The recipes in the back of the book will be fun to make, and I can't wait for the next mystery in this series.

THE DIVA SERVES FORBIDDEN FRUIT is the fourteenth book in the Domestic Diva Mystery series by Krista Davis. From the charming cover to the endearing characters to the well-plotted mystery, this newest release captures it all! I always look forward to visiting Old Town Alexandria, VA and catching up with Sophie Winston and her friends. With the backdrop of creative festivals, this time around a DIY Home Decorating Festival, the characters exhibit their strengths in spades. Sophie is an expert at organizing and hosting large events while solving a multitude of problems. Natasha (Sophie’s frenemy) is a house decorating diva, however impractical her designs may be, but they do provide lighthearted humor! And Nina (Sophie’s best friend) has always been there to lend support to the multitude of bad situations Sophie finds herself in. However, in this newest release, Nina is the one needing all the support she can muster when her traveling companion is brutally murdered shortly after returning home from Portugal and finds that she might be the next victim on the killer’s list.

From the first, Ms. Davis sets up intriguing scenarios that tie in to the international travel and the ongoing festival. I was captivated as the story unfolded and each clue sent my mind scurrying off in a tangent direction. At times the crimes committed were heartbreaking but the author’s interjection of heartwarming community spirit and friendship kept the book from becoming dark. There are suspects aplenty and lots of subplots to keep track of, but in the end all the threads of the story are pulled together in a cohesive conclusion. And best of all, the ending gives the reader a heartening surprise that left a smile on my face.

Sophie is known for her generous hospitality and shows her affection and love for her friends by feeding them – all the time! So many mouthwatering meals, snacks, and desserts are served at Sophie’s table, that the reader will be left famished as they read the tasty descriptions. Fortunately, there are several recipes, both savory and sweet, at the back of the book which all sound fabulous.

I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.