This was much better than the first book. The first book had me really not liking the main character, to the point where I almost stopped reading it. This book made her fun and definitely more relatable. I loved this book. I love the chemistry with her the security guard, I love the zaniness of Gary. It was just a fun read.

I enjoyed this a lot more than the first book. I think there was so much great character development for Plum and I really appreciated that. I loved that she was able to see when some of the other guests were being ridiculous and was able to connect that to how she acted in the past. The murders in this book also just felt less stressful, probably because her job wasn't as much on the line and she was working to solve things because she wanted to, not because she had to. Overall this was a really good cozy mystery and I look forward to hopefully reading more books in this series.

Carrie Doyle's 2nd instalment in her Trouble in Paradise series, Something's Guava Give was a really fun read. Following It Takes Two to Mango, it tracks protagonist Plum Lockhart who is settling into island life on Paraiso in the Caribbean. When a visiting young heiress from New York is found murdered on billionaire tycoon Dieter Friedrich's estate, Plum, the head of her own villa broker agency, Plum Lockhart Luxury Retreats, assists her friend Gerald to investigate. Juan Kevin Munoz, the distracting Director of Security helps Plum out. A quick, amusing read with lots of suspects and a sublime setting.

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

The Trouble in Paradise series just keeps getting better! I found the story to be fast-paced, with lots of humor, and an exciting storyline that will keep readers guessing. I enjoy that Doyle has settled her main character a bit.

Plum Lockhart lives in paradise, but solving murders has given her a new perspective of the quaint Caribbean island of Paraiso. This time, Plum has to help solve the murder of an unpopular guest, on the island, who was murdered. Plum finds herself using all the talents, from her former life in New York, to keep herself alive and her fledgling Travel Agency afloat!

I enjoyed the book and the characters who inhabit the island. Lucia was a favorite and of course, the director of security, Juan Kevin was perfect. Plum's attitude has softened, somewhat, and she appears more comfortable questioning suspects, but there's still the New Yorker in her. The mystery was fun and I look forward to the next sleuthing adventure!

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Something’s Guava Give is the second book in the Trouble in Paradise series, and first and foremost I have to say I wish I’d read the first book in the series before starting this one. (A fact that I’ll be rectifying soon) This series stars Plum Lockhart who quit her corporate gig as editor for a travel magazine in New York and relocated to the tropical island of Paraiso to start her own business: Plum Lockhart Luxury Retreats. (Apparently during the first book there was a murder on the island and she got involved in the investigation, helping the solve the case. She also met a potential love interest, who looks to be a recurring character for the series….I think you can see why I wished I’d read the first book…well, first, lol)
This time around Plum gets a call from a friend from NY, who she owes a favor. He asks her to check in on a potential problem: his boss’s spoiled rich daughter, Arielle, is vacationing in Paraiso and may be getting into a bit of trouble. Our intro to Arielle is short but sweet. She is indeed a piece of work. And within a day or so of their initial meeting, the Arielle turns up dead in the mansion of a local eccentric millionaire, and Plum gets pulled into the investigation, along with Juan Kevin Munoz. (that potential love interest I mentioned from the first book)
For a cozy there is a fair amount action/suspense, but make no mistake, this is still definitely a cozy. And I absolutely loved that the characters are over the top: from Arielle our victim (who gave me a very early 2000’s Paris Hilton vibe), to a couple of D-list wannabe celebrities, to the narcissistic Dieter Friedrich, the notorious rich dude who owns the estate where Arielle’s body is found. In fact the island is crawling with interesting larger than life characters. I really enjoyed meeting Plum Lockhart. Paraiso was a fun place to visit and look forward to making many more return trips in the future.
I’d like to thank Poison Pen Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of Something's Guava Give.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/somethings-guava-give-carrie-doyle/1138996943?ean=9781728232362&bvnotificationId=26068be6-7ebb-11ec-b6e6-0e9a06efff11&bvmessageType=REVIEW_APPROVED&bvrecipientDomain=gmail.com#review/199331290


https://www.amazon.com/review/R2RP4CYNOR7I7W/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

I’m thoroughly enjoying the Trouble in Paradise series so far! Something’s Guava Give is the second series installment and as It Takes Two to Mango was one of my top cozies of 2021, I was eagerly awaiting this book’s arrival.

Plum Lockhart, although still salty, has softened up a bit in this story. So while she took on a less harsh approach at getting information out of potential suspects, she still had that saltiness that made me laugh out loud.

What also made me laugh out loud were the insults thrown around, including at Plum’s expense just like the first novel and the dialogue between Plum and her unexpected former colleague, Gerald had me in stitches.

I really love the tropical setting for this series. Also, the romance aspect is coming along and it’s nice that it’s not being dragged out over several books to be developed.

Something’s Guava Give was a fun read and provided the perfect summer vibes this cold month.

I gave Something's Guava Give 3.5 stars.
A fun cozy mystery that took me only one day the finish!
It is not the best series I have read, but good enough for me wanting to read the third book too.
I am still not a fan of the main character, Plum Lockhart, but the others in this book are interesting.
Good mystery with lots of red herrings!
Best part is that this book is funny and make you LOL (laugh out loud) several times!
I recommend this book!

Plum Lockhart is getting comfortable on the island of Paraiso running her business Plum Lockhart Luxury Rentals. Having left her job in publishing back in New York City she has reinvented herself. What's the occasional murder when the tropics are you new home? Plum is about to find out when her frenemy, Gerald turns up and a murder needs to be solved she sets out to catch a killer. What a wild list of suspects! Plus exotic animals and people with boat loads of money and plenty of secrets to keep hidden.
From a well crafted mystery, a beautiful setting, a crazy bunch of characters and lots of humor, this is a cozy series that made me forget about the cold winter weather outside. I'm ready to escape into the next Plum Lockhart mystery ASAP.
My thanks to the publisher Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Madcap Romp…
The second in the Tropical Island series of cozy mysteries finds Plum now settling into island life with much more ease but her peace is soon to be dissolved when a body is discovered at a local mansion. Plum is soon knee deep in investigation. With a cast of eccentric characters, a madcap storyline and a sublime setting this is an enjoyable, entertaining and escapist romp and a worthy addition to the series to date.

My thoughts: The word that comes to mind when I think of this book is FUN. I enjoyed the setting and crazy people involved but unfortunately I just don’t like the main character.

What I liked:
🏝The Caribbean setting that is larger than life with enormous villas, exotic animals, fake volcanoes and more.
🏝Great descriptions from the characters to the setting to the action.
🏝The Audiobook. I alternated between formats but loved the audiobook, especially for the Spanish mixed in.

What I didn’t like:
🏝Mystery wraps up too abruptly at the end
🏝Plum.

Fast-paced second book in the Trouble in Paradise series. Honestly, I enjoyed this book much more than the first one. Plum seems to have mellowed some and is much less abrasive. I think the island life is definitely starting to agree with her.

The mystery, overall storyline, and the red herrings make for an interesting and exciting read. And I really enjoyed the bits of humor mixed in.

Many thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor or expectation.

This one is a fun cozy mystery that has all the fun elements you'd expect from an amateur detective mystery while still managing to surprise with unexpected twists.
Plum Lockhart is pretty much every amateur detective out there, but I liked her attitude and how she interacts with the very interesting cast of characters that she's surrounded by. This is perhaps the book's greatest strength because there are moments in the story when nothing is actually happening to advance the story, but I didn't mind because I was enjoying the way Plum deals with people.
This is the second book in the series, but I jumped right in without having read the first book and had no problem following along with who the returning characters were or how Plum found herself moving to the island. Doyle does a good job at setting up the background info quickly and succinctly enough to introduce new readers without wasting a lot of page time catching them up.
In the end, the story isn't perhaps as strong as it could be, but I greatly enjoyed the twists and revelations as it developed along with Plum's somewhat over-it attitude. It's not a genre-changing or defining story, but it's definitely an enjoyable one.

Happy thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the early read!

Something's Guava Give - Trouble in Paradise! #2 is a fun in the sun tropical mystery. The read was quick, light-hearted and incredibly humorous. The cast of characters were incredibly unique, mysterious and keen to solve the murder of not one but two guests at illustrious home infamous on the island.

This novel transports the reader to blue oceans, the homes of the rich and famous and some whacky hi-jinx by its vacationers. Thank you Poisoned Pen Press for the complimentary copy.

This is the second book in the series. I started reading it and got a chapter or so in before I thought to look and see if there was another before it which I then read before I continued. I think you could read it as a stand-alone but it would kind of be like walking in to a conversation. I listened to the audio version and enjoyed the narrator. The setting is interesting as it’s on an island and the characters are all entertaining with big personalities. The mystery is interesting and has lots of red herrings. I will definitely read the rest in this series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily. Honestly, when I first started reading this book I was not sure I was going to be able to get into it. However, after a few chapters I was hooked. Plum Lockhart has moved to a Caribbean Island of Paraiso. She left her journalism job behind in New York. She has left the fast paced life for a much more leisurely placed life. She is trying to get her rental business off the ground - Plum Lockhart Luxury Rentals. She is surrounded by wealthy people and she wants a piece of the action. Apparently she also has a nose for murder. Her friend, Gerald, calls from New York and wants Plum to go "sort out" an issue with his boss' daughter, Arielle. Apparently Arielle is a kleptomaniac and she has been accused of stealing from the guests of the resort. Plum is able to smooth things over but Arielle is less than enthusiastic about her help and basically snubs Plum. It is soon apparent that Arielle is not very well liked by anyone. So when she ends up dead the following day, no one is really surprised, This is when my favorite character enters the story - Gerald. He is the employee of Arielle's father, and he has been sent to keep the press at bay and try to quietly solve the mystery. I knew I was going to love Gerald from the moment he arrived on the scene to stay with Plum with his many designer bags of luggage. They have a love hate relationship, but there is more love than anything. I actually found myself laughing out loud several times in scenes where Gerald was involved. There is also the mysterious Juan Kevin who is the Security Coordinator for the resort. He sounds like a dream! This is a good mystery with an ending you may or may not see coming. The author provides several candidates for suspects as you work your way through this mystery. This has mystery, a little intrigue, romance and a little comedy. The scene for this book makes me want to fly to the beach. I can almost smell the coconut oil! So after a slow start for me, I loved it! I want to go back and read the first book in this series - It Takes Two To Mango. Don't you just love the titles? Carrie Doyle has a new fan!

Honestly I found this cozy a bit dull. I wasn't invested in the characters and the cheesy accent of Dieter was cringe-worthy reading. Don't think I'd read any others in this series.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC

Thank you NetGalley, Carrie Doyle and Poisoned Pen Press for the copy of Something's Guava Give. This is my personal review.
This is the second book in the Trouble in Paradise! Series.
Plum Lockheart just seems to have a way with getting involved in solving a murder mystery. This one held my attention a bit more than the first in the series. There were enough twists and turns to keep me reading but inly to know for sure who had committed the murder.
For me the characters did not click together for being out to solve a murder.

Carrie Doyle's 2nd Trouble in Paradise book, Something's Guava Give, was just as much fun as its predecessor (It Takes Two to Mango)! This fast-paced cozy mystery finds protagonist Plum Lockhart nicely settling into island life on Paraiso, and when a visiting young heiress from New York is found murdered on a billionaire's estate she helps her visiting friend Gerald investigate. A quick read with lots of suspects, I highly recommend Something's Guava Give! A+++

The second installment in the Trouble in Paradise series by Carrie Doyle is as much a joy to read as the first. Plum is a unique heroine, a truly no-BS, says it like she sees it, ambitious woman--but also a good person, with loyalty, who cares about animals. Her flirtmance with Juan Kevon is still there, as her trusty assistant, Lucia. In this book, we see a socialite murdered on a billionaire's estate, and her connection to an old friend has Plum and Juan Kevin poking their noses into what really happened.

Plum's refreshing personality and the island setting really separate this series from other cozy mysteries and make this series one I know I will continue to read!

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for my eARC and Dreamscape Media for my ALC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 9/10