⭐⭐

I really have little to say about this one. It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't all that great either. I didn't find any of the characters likable. They all just blended together and were one dimensional. The plot itself was slow and bogged down by too much "tearoom" talk. It is what it is. Can't love them all, right? 🤷🏻‍♀️

I am an avid fan of cozy mysteries. Whenever I embark on the process of reading cozy mysteries, I suspend all my knowledge of reality, knowing that the story will be improbable and mostly unbelievable when it comes to the protagonist's plan of action. The main plot of any cozy mystery is for the protagonist (usually female) to solve the mystery, mostly by stumbling across clues and diving headfirst into danger, because she must get to the bottom of this (the protagonist usually displays a stubborn streak). In this first title of the Misty Bay Tearoom series, Vivian the proprietress of a British Style teashop must draw on her love for mystery novels to clear her assistant, Jenna's name from being the murder suspect of her ex-husband. What follows is a tale of clue crumbs, some questionable decisions and a lack of character development, which I suspect will be picked up in future books.
As far as the mystery goes, it was fairly easy to guess the culprit, but it was the process of the amateur detecting that I enjoyed the most. We are yet to establish complete backstories and personalities of the characters. The author seems to be still in the exploring stage, and since it is only the first book of the series, I suppose we can give it a bit of leeway. The backdrop is very charming and the premise of owning a tea shop is very alluring to me. Hence I loved reading the book overall.

Thank You, NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

This is my first book by this author and I'm sorry to say probably my last. I felt the story moved too slowly and was verbose. Characters needed to have more depth and characterization. I was unable to complete this book in its entirety.

I received an ebook ARC from Netgalley but read a hardback version and this is my voluntary, honest review.

I absolutely love cozy mysteries and this one was a great one, great read. Can't wait for more by Kate Kingsbury.

This had such promise – a cozy mystery series set in a tearoom, on the Oregon coast – but was not well executed. From the beginning, it felt like the book started on chapter 5; there were no real introductions, it went straight into the victim being found and investigating. The characters were unlikeable and obviously, as is done in cozies, they have to make the detective seem incompetent, another cozy trope I can’t stand. Too many TSTL situations for my liking. I will read the second one because I’ve already received a copy from #NetGalley but I don’t think I will continue with this otherwise unless the characters are more mature and developed in the second one.

Since I like the idea of a British-Style tea shop and Oregon, I really enjoyed this book. A this was the first in the series, there was a lot of character develop but no so much that it detracted from the story. The twists and turns kept it interesting and I enjoyed the mystery.

The characters were likable and the relationships were interesting. I'm looking forward to the next one in the series.

I was excited to explore a new cozy mystery series by Kate Kingsbury. She has written several other series so I thought this would appeal to me. However, this just fell short. The characters were not that well developed. The mystery aspect of the book was good and the way it ended was handled well. The clues were presented in a way that was unbelievable. I am sad that this book did not grab my attention or have me invested in the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

This was the first book in a new cozy series that I would recommend trying!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

This was a bit disappointing to me. I did enjoy it, but it wasn't as fully fleshed out as I would have liked. The characters felt a bit flat, and the sleuthing wasn't as realistic. I will try the next book in the series.

I enjoyed this book. The twists and turns that story took were not the usual fare. It was a very interesting story. I liked that the main character was older but not made out to be frail or too old to be in the action. The ending was a bit too dangerous for my taste, but all in all it was a good story and I look forward to reading the next story in the series!

I have long enjoyed Kate Kingsbury’s Pennyfoot Hotel historical mysteries, so when I saw she had a new series, I jumped at the chance to read it. Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

There are several things that I liked about this new series. Vivian is a widow and in her fifties. It is refreshing to find an older main character. I loved the tea house setting. I also liked that the main character has two employees who helped her to find the killer. Again this is a bit different from most cozies where the main character solves the crime on her own. Gracie and Jenna are the employees. Jenna's ex husband has died in a fall from a hotel balcony. The police think that she is a great suspect.

Ultimately, I gave this book a three and a half. I think there is great potential here. The characters are likeable. The solution was original.

This book had some elements that should have made me enjoy it. Cute tea shop, quaint setting on the Oregon coast, and a group of supportive women. However, it fell utterly flat for me. The romantic subplots were off-putting and didn’t all make sense. The multiple narrators didn’t fit with the rest of the tone of the book. Rather than adding to the story, it was just distracting. The only thing I can say is that I didn’t expect the direction of the mystery, so at least that was good.

I generally enjoyed this cozy mystery. I appreciate the setting on the Oregon coast and the descriptions of the mountains in the distance. Vivian is a persistent amateur sleuth when one of her employees is suspected of murder. I like how Vivian and her two employees work together to solve the mystery. I was a little disappointed that the characters were not developed more deeply, this being the first novel in a new series.

The mystery plot is sufficient. It's a good thing the women are on the case as the police investigation seems to be dysfunctional. The women find out secrets about the town the detective should have been after. There were a couple of aspects of the plot I felt did not work. One was the clothing on the dead man and the other was that the hotel room was cleaned so early in the morning. That should have been a red flag to the detective who seemed to ignore it all together. And a clerk freely names the people who buy a certain product? And an escort woman freely names all her clients?

There is a little suspense at the end but otherwise the plot is slow but consistent. I would have liked more character development, a bit more difficult task to find the murderer and a police detective worth his salt.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Kate Kingsbury launches the Misty Bay Tearoom mysteries with In Hot Water. The former husband of one of the tea ladies is found murdered after falling from a local hotel. Vivian who owns the tea room joins forces with Jenna, the divorcee, and Gracie another tea room assistant to find out whodunit and get Jenna off the hook. Warm cozy with cute murder investigators.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this #arc of In Hot Water. This book was published on the 12th of October, if you’re a cozy mystery fan, be sure to read it!

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Misty Bay Tea Room #1

I really enjoy Kate Kingsbury’s writing so I was excited to read this book. I loved the setting, a quaint small town with charm and (mostly) nice people.

The main character, Vivian, runs a British style tea room. I’m not a big tea drinker but I adore the atmosphere of a tea shop and all the work that goes into running it. Comparing this to another series I’ve read, the mystery was front and center while the business was there but not over described. I was invested in the characters and smart sleuthing (working as a team vs. going off on their own) though Vivian did seem like a bit of a know it all given her late husband’s career.

My one issue is the possibility of a romance, why push it already? I could appreciate Vivian’s dilemma about moving on, but how about having a strong woman character just having a male friend. Why does there have to be romance on the table?

I look forward to reading the next book in the series to see how Vivian handles her future and getting to know Gracie and Jenna more.

#bookreview #netgalley #netgalleyreview #cozymystery #firstinseries #bookworm #kristiereads2021

In Hot Water by Kate Kingsbury is the first book in Misty Bay Tearoom mysteries.

This is a solid cozy, set in a gorgeous setting with several likeable characters who due to the fact that one of them is a person of interest in a murder investigation decide to investigate on their own.
I liked that the book opened with a murder and the action started right away.
It was much more serious than the usual cozies and I really enjoyed that.
As the story unfolds we find out more about each character and I thoroughly enjoyed that way of story development.
However, it simply couldn't hold my interest and I really can't pin point way exactly. Something was missing.
There were also several situations were I had to considerably suspend belief and just go with the story.

Great first installment in the new Misty Bay Tearoom series from cozy mystery author Kate Kingsbury. When her assistant Jenna is suspected in the suspicious death of her ex-husband, Misty Bay Tearoom's owner, Vivian, is determined to clear her name - In Hot Water was an enjoyable read with lots of suspects, and it kept me guessing! I can't wait to return to Misty Bay! A+++

Author Kate Kingsbury kicks off her brand new Misty Bay Tea Room Mystery series with In Hot Water.

Set on the Oregon coast it features Vivian Wainwright who is the proprietor of her tea room - The Willow Pattern. Vivian's late mother was English and Vivian has dreamed of owning her own tea room for years, her wish finally coming true two years ago. It is now approaching Willow Pattern's second anniversary and a man working at the nearby Blue Surf Hotel has fallen from the balcony, lying dead on the beach. The local detective, Lieutenant Tony Messina believes he was pushed...

In Hot Water was a thoroughly enjoyable, piece of humorous, well-executed escapism with a good blend of characters. As well as protagonist Vivian, I liked her employees, Jenna Ramsey and Gracie Jackson. The dead man was Jenna's ex-husband, Dean, and Jenna finds herself in the prime suspect hot seat. The mystery was interesting and I was kept guessing. This instalment indicates there is plenty of potential for development and I'm eager to read the second instalment on a return visit to Misty Bay.

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

In Hot Water by Kate Kingsbury is the beginning of A Misty Bay Tearoom Mysteries. Vivian Wainwright owns Willow Pattern Tearoom in Misty Bay, Oregon. Jenna and Gracie are her two employees. When Jenna’s ex-husband, Dean is found dead on the cliffs under the Blue Surf Hotel, Jenna becomes Detective Lieutenant Tony Messina’s prime suspect. Vivian, Jenna, and Gracie work to clear Jenna and find the guilty party. I thought In Hot Water was easy to read with good characters. The characters suited the story. I liked Vivian Wainwright who is an older protagonist (in her 60s). I like that we are seeing more mature characters in cozy mysteries. Normally in the first book in a series, we are introduced to our characters and given their background. I found that lacking in this book. We are given some background information, but I wanted more. The point-of-view alternates between Vivian and Messina. I am not sure how I like this format. It is unique and it does allow readers to see how the police investigation is progressing (which was slow). The mystery is straightforward. It can be solved early in the book. I wish it had been more of a challenge to solve. I was easily able to discern the who and why. There was a detail that came out later that was a surprise. The three ladies kept busy asking questions. They were able to obtain some helpful details. They do receive threats which, of course, they ignore. The mystery is wrapped up at the end. I like the humor in the story. I also like how well Jenna, Vivian, and Gracie get along. I enjoy the friendship between Hal and Vivian as well. In Hot Water is a lighthearted cozy mystery that provides a nice diversion from real life. In Hot Water is a cute cozy mystery with teatime treats, a pink negligee, a nosedive death, a direct detective, hotel happenings, bothersome reporters, and three snoopy amateur sleuths.

A man is found dead, dressed in nothing but a pink negligee. Of course who do the police focus on, the ex wife. Well this particular ex wife (Jenna) happens to work for Vivian, the owner of the Misty Bay Tea room. Of course she didn't do it and Vivian, with both assistants Jenna and Gracie and going to show the police how wrong they were!

This was a delightful book for many reasons, as a woman getting close to a certain age it is refreshing to see main characters who aren't in their 20's.

This was a new to me author and luckily this was a new series for her, so I was able to meet all the characters from the beginning. I can't start a series in the middle, just something I'm particular about. I will definitely keep reading this series and now I will check out any other books written by this author .
Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.