I enjoyed this book so much!! This is the first book in the Grilled cheese mystery series and I’m hooked!! I saw a second book is due out and I can’t wait to read it!!

The characters are extremely well written. Carly Hale is finally pursuing her lifelong dream of opening Carly's Grilled Cheese Eatery. Unfortunately. Lyle Bagley, Carly's one-time high school boyfriend and now town bully who just bought the building that houses her eatery and wants Carly out. Lyle is discovered dead behind the dumpster of Carly's shop, and one of her employees becomes the prime suspect. In order to save her eatery and prove her friend's innocence, Carly must sleuth out the killer

The storyline was well written and I didn’t see the twist in the ending at all! Wonderful start to a new series!!

I received an audiobook version from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. I liked the narrator, at first, she was a bit perky for me, but her voice suits a cozy book with a main character in her early 30s.

The book is quite standard for the genre, young(ish) woman coming home after something goes wrong in her life (death of husband), potential love interest, cute animal, own start up business, interesting core group of friends, and increasingly, mention of characters with disabilities or other differences (homeless female vet and character with severe MS). There was so much going on in this first book in series that it was hard to keep track of some of the characters (I forgot who Don towards the end).

I enjoyed the listen and the fact that the author didn't make female cattiness a continuing issue. Seems like half the cozies I read have women that can't get along (like another I'm reading right now) because of a man.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Grilled Cheese, Yes Please! I have been excited about this book/series since I saw a post about it on Facebook several months ago.

Carly Hale has returned to her hometown of Balsam Dell, Vermont after the death of her husband. Doing a life reset isn’t easy but Carly has always dreamed about opening a restaurant, Carly’s Grilled Cheese Eatery, and serving up a delicious variety of soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. She has leased a building, remodeled it to her needs and since opening the door she has had a very successful business. Now the building has been sold to Lyle Bagley, who she once dated, and he wants her out. After her banker gives her the news she is upset but determined to find a new place for her thriving business.

But then Lyle Bagley is found dead in the alley behind a dumpster behind Carly’s eatery. But Carly isn’t the only one getting grilled about his death. The police decide one of her employees is their prime suspect and it has her cheesed off royally. She finds herself sandwiched between saving her business and saving her friend. Can she do both or will they both brie out of luck?

This is a marvelous theme for a new cozy series but don’t start reading it on an empty stomach or you will be stopping to make a grilled cheese and some tomato soup. That is exactly what we had for supper before I started reading so my appetite was taken care of for the most part. Carly has some delicious variations on her menu and I took note of each one for future reference.

Ms. Reilly has introduced her readers to a great cast of core characters. Carly is instantly likable. She is dealing with the grief of losing her husband and starting her business and reconnecting herself to her hometown. She has a top-notch staff in Suzanne and Grant. They all seem to genuinely care about each other and that really shines when one of them is a the top of the list of suspects. All these characters have loads of room for growth and I am happy about that.

There is also a diverse cast of supporting characters. They are all well-crafted with purpose. Some will appear in just this story and others I hope will pop up in future installments. I was really taken with Becca, a homeless veteran. She really added to my enjoyment of this story.

Who killed Lyle? This mystery was very well-plotted complete with cheesy strings to some clever subplots. The victim was not well-liked at all serving up several suspects with a motive to want the man six feet under. I must say the author is very talented in her ways of misdirection. After an abundance of twists and turns, I was totally surprised by the dramatic reveal. She also was able to tie up loose ends in the subplots while building excitement for the next book in this yummy series.

Up To No Gouda was really good! In fact, it was great and a true Perfect Escape. The best thing is we don’t have too long to wait for Book 2. No Parm No Foul is scheduled for release on July 26.

I’ll be honest, it was the title of this book that first caught my attention. I don’t know about you, but I always enjoy a good pun. I also love cozy mysteries, so I was thrilled to be able to read and review an eARC of Up to No Gouda.
If you are a fan of cozy mysteries, the odds are you’re familiar with the sub genre known as the ‘food cozy’ or the cozy culinary mystery. It’s quite the popular sub genre typically featuring a lead character that happens to be the owner/operator of some type of food establishment. While it seems to me that the most popular often tend be focused on some sort of bakers, the truth is they can feature any kind of eatery. And in Up to No Gouda, our main character. Carly Hale, runs a grilled cheese diner.
After the unexpected death of her husband, Carly has returned to her home town of Balsam Dell Vermont and opened her dream business: Carly’s Grilled Cheese Eatery. She’s been at it for about 5 months and things are going well…until…yes, you knew there had to be an until, right? Until Carly learns that she’s going to be evicted. The building where her restaurant has its lease has been sold and the new owner, Lyle Bagley (who happens to be a former high school boyfriend) is intending to evict her and gut the place in order for his fiancee to be able to open up a boutique. The next morning Lyle turns up dead behind the restaurant, with the number one suspect being one of Carly’s employees. In typical cozy fashion, it’s now it’s up to Carly to track down the real killer.
I found Up to No Gouda to be an enjoyable cozy. It features a likable main character (an absolute must in a cozy mystery), a wonderful cast of supporting characters, and a solid mystery. Excellent start to a new series and I look forward to seeing what kind of trouble Carly gets into next. 4.5/5 (rounded up)
I’d like to thank Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of Up to No Gouda.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/up-to-no-gouda-linda-reilly/1138996948?ean=9781728238326&bvnotificationId=151c8fc7-7ebb-11ec-b9a2-1230ddaeebcd&bvmessageType=REVIEW_APPROVED&bvrecipientDomain=gmail.com#review/199331222

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My review on Goodreads: Loved this book! I thought it was cheery, perfectly cozy, and absolutely delicious. A fun read and the perfect lighthearted cozy mystery. You will crave cheese - guaranteed!

I did receive this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy). All opinions are my own though!

A YouTube video I made including this book: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-EPapPz3U8

One of the best comfort food combos has to be a grilled cheese sandwich and a bowl of thick tomato soup. In my neighborhood we are lucky to have a small restaurant that makes the best one ever. So, having a real fondness for grilled cheese sandwiches I knew I needed to read this latest by Linda Reilly. Plus I have enjoyed her other mysteries so it was bound to be a win-win for me. I wasn't disappointed.
Carly is a recent widow and decides to try bringing a dream from her past to life. She wanted to open a grill cheese sandwich shop (oh the culinary possibilities, makes my mouth water at the thought) With her late husband's insurance money she returns home to Balsam, Vermont and opens Carly's Grill Cheese Eatery. For about five months things are going well. She has two employees, business is good and she's back home with friends. Too bad one of her high school class mates is now the town bully and now the owner of the building housing the eatery. He has plans for the place and Carly is in the way of them. When he tells her she to be out in thirty days, the sparks fly, harsh words are spoken and that gives the police a motive when his dead body is found behind the eatery. Carly is certain that her server, a single mom with a child, didn't do him in and their future depends on getting the business back on track. Carly decides to investigate, clear Suzanne of all suspicion and catch the killer.
This mystery is just the first in the series ( book #2 No Parm No Foul - 7/26/2022) and it hits all of the right notes of a very satisfying cozy. The setting, the recurring characters, the food, the friends and a very cute puppy she names Havarti all add to a well crafted puzzle that had me guessing wrong several times. It really delivered. It also made me want to go get a grilled cheese and tomato soup combo to go.....several times.
My thanks to the publisher Poisoned Pen Press and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Up to No Gouda by Linda Reilly is book one in the A Grilled Cheese Mystery series.
Carly recently lost her husband and returns to her childhood town of Balsam Dell, Vermont. Her dream of opening a grilled cheese diner has finally come true but may be turning into a nightmare when a body is found in the back of the building. The body is, Lyle Bagley, her high school boyfriend that recently became her landlord that recently evicted her. The main suspect is her employee, so Carly sets out to find the killer to save her friend and her diner.
The well written Cozy has everything I want in a book, plenty of suspects, plot twists, likeable characters, and just a hint of a budding romance.
Warning though, you may need a grilled cheese and tomato soup.
I was given an ARC by Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley for an honest review.

Carly Hale is back in her home town following her lifelong dream—opening a grilled cheese restaurant in the small Vermont town she grew up in. She found a location in the town green, right downtown, where tourists and locals alike could stop in for some delicious comfort food. She opened Carly’s Grilled Cheese Eatery, and she hired single mother Suzanne to help out and chef-in-training Grant to help in the kitchen.

Carly is starting over after losing her husband to a car accident. She put all of his life insurance money into this dream of hers, and she is excited for her future. Or she was, until the lawyer for the bank stopped by one afternoon to talk to her. It turns out that the building where her restaurant space is had just been sold and the new owner doesn’t want to renew her lease. He has something else in mind for the space. Carly is devastated, as moving her new restaurant would be an enormous expense, and she may not be able to find another location as good.

She’d have to start all over. Again.

And then when the new owner comes in and announces himself, and shares his plans for the space, Carly gets even more upset. Lyle Bagley was her high school boyfriend, until he dumped Carly to go out with her best friend Gina. Carly had tried to warn Gina away from Lyle, but Gina thought she was just jealous and stuck with him, even married him. Now they’re divorced, and Lyle wants to give the space to his new girlfriend, Tiffany, so she can open a fashion boutique in the prime location.

Carly was upset about this, but Suzanne was downright angry. She yelled at Lyle, telling him that she hopes he gets what’s coming to him. Carly wanted to ask her about that, but she was worried about overstepping, and just let Suzanne leave at the end of her shift. But when Carly comes into work the next day and finds Lyle dead in the building parking lot, Carly wishes she had asked Suzanne about her outburst. Instead, she has to call the police and hope that Suzanne has a good explanation for them.

But as the investigation heats up, Carly feels like Suzanne is their prime suspect. She doesn’t believe that Suzanne could kill anyone, and Grant agrees. But that means that someone else killed Lyle, and Carly wants to figure out who that was, so she can get Suzanne off the police’s radar. And then she can focus on her restaurant, and whether the new owner of the building is going to evict her too.

Up to No Gouda is the first in a new cozy series by author Linda Reilly. The first in the Grilled Cheese Mystery series sets up strong characters and an interesting story in a charming small town. There’s even a dog named Havarti. And when you’ve gotten to the bottom of the mystery and the end of the book, there are recipes for several of the signature grilled cheese recipes from the restaurant and some cooking tips from Carly.

I am a big fan of cheese and murder mysteries, so I was really excited to get started reading about an amateur detective in the grilled cheese restaurant. I thought Up to No Gouda was a lot of fun. I love the concept of the grilled cheese eatery, which I thought was very modern. But I also thought that some of the details were a little dated (like that everyone was wearing slacks). But I think this series has a lot of potential, and I look forward to reading more about the grilled cheese sandwiches (and murders).

Egalleys for Up to No Gouda were provided by Poisoned Pen Press through NetGalley, with many thanks.

I finished reading chapter one of this book and immediately had to put it down and make myself a grilled cheese.

I then read several more chapters and had to make myself another one.

This book has some serious suggestive powers (and recipes at the back!), so I highly suggest that you have plenary of bread and cheese on hand before reading.

The mystery itself was a good one that kept me on my toes. The book is full of an enjoyable cast of characters.

I’ll be eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.

A fun and entertaining first installment in a new cozy series featuring a grilled cheese shop in Vermont. The mystery is satisfying. The characters are relatable and you get the feeling that at the heart there are a lot of really good people in this small town. Of course, if there were a few bad cheeses this wouldn’t be a cozy.

Carly’s new grilled cheese restaurant is doing well during the summer season when she gets news that the building where she is located has been sold and the new owner wants her out. When Lyle is found murdered behind her shop and one of her employees is the main suspect she rushes to figure out who the real killer is. Lyle’s bad business practices have left a host of people who may have done the deed.

One thing I liked about Carly is that she is a bit conflicted about doing some investigations behind the police’s back, particularly when she has been told to leave it the police. She feels bad about lying to people but also thrilled when she gets the information she is looking for. She gets caught in some of her snooping and isn’t that great about coming up with a real reason for what she is doing. It feels very realistic that way.

I want to spend some more time with Carly and her friends so I will definitely be reading the next book in this series. I also want to try some of her sandwiches.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest opinion.

Carly returns to her hometown after the soul crushing loss of her husband to fulfill her life long dream, opening a grilled cheese restaurant. Things go haywire when she finds her new landlord dead behind the eatery, not long after he informed he she was to be evinced in a few weeks time. Her employee and friend becomes the prime suspect. Carly decides to take matters in her own hands to prove her friends innocence and needs to find the killer before she winds up Gouda and dead. I wish my town had Carly’s eatery, her recipes sound delicious and my mouth waters when I read about her making them for her customers. I am super excited for the next in the series.

I chose to read Up to No Gouda by Linda Reilly because I saw it was a series revolving around a grilled cheese restaurant. I was even happier because it is the first in this new Grilled Cheese Mystery series, and I haven’t read anything by Linda Reilly before. What I ended up with was a fun mystery by a new-to-me author, and I’m so glad I took a chance.

I really enjoyed the main character, Carly. She’s recently widowed and finally following her dream to open a grilled cheese restaurant. But her dream is threatened when an ex-boyfriend buys the building her restaurant is in and tells her that he won’t be renewing her lease.

When her ex turns up dead in the alley behind her restaurant, Carly takes matters into her own hands to find the murderer to clear her friend and employee’s name.

Carly is the ultimate girl next door. She’s friends with everyone and is willing to jump in and help others in need. She’s the person you want in your corner. She’s just a very likable character.

The mystery itself is quite solid. There were a lot of twists and turns and enough possible murderers to make things interesting. I was appreciative of the complexity of the murder and can honestly say that conclusion came out of left field. But thinking back, it was very well plotted out.

The supporting cast of characters are diverse and interesting in their own rights. I enjoyed getting to know them and can’t wait to see them blossom in future books in the series. I was also thankful there weren’t an excessive number of characters introduced. I mean, there were enough folks to make the murder plot stimulating, but I also wasn’t overwhelmed by the cast.

I was very pleased with this first book in a new mystery series. I’d definitely recommend Up to No Gouda for fans of culinary cozies and cozy mystery fans in general. I was sucked into the story and was furiously flipping the pages to see how the story played out. I can’t wait to revisit this series in the future.

It’s book review time! I wanted something comforting and a little cheesy this month, so I went with the first book in Linda Reilly’s new cozy series. The book is called Up to No Gouda and was released on the 25th from Poisoned Pen Press. As usual, I must thank them and NetGalley for giving me access to an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Let’s do this!

Up to No Gouda follows Carly Hale as she works to fulfill her lifelong dream of owning a grilled cheese restaurant. She’s a widow who has moved back to her home town to make her dream come true. And it’s working! At least until the town bully buys the building where her restaurant is located and refuses to renew her lease. With only a little time left, Carly has no idea what to do. Then, the bully is found murdered by the dumpster of the parking lot behind the restaurant. Of course, Carly can’t rest until she finds out what happened to him and what the future holds for her restaurant.

So, plotwise, this is standard cozy fare. Dude gets murdered, main character finds an excuse to investigate even though it doesn’t really concern her, and everyone encourages her except the killer and the cops, but even the cops don’t discourage her much. There were a couple of twists that I missed because I didn’t really pay attention to the set up. I didn’t even remember the robberies thing until it became relevant, and even then I had to go back and see what they were talking about. My bad. But I knew who the killer was just from one detail super early on that seemed out of character. I’m pretty sure I was supposed to glance over the detail and see it later as foreshadowing, but it felt super awkward and stood out. I never even doubted it when pretty much everyone else was considered a suspect except the actual killer. I think it was supposed to be an aha moment, but it wasn’t. It was just kind of obvious.

The characters are all adorable. I’m a fan of Grant and Gina. They were my favorites. Actually, Havarti was my favorite, but I figure everyone is tired of me gushing over fictional dogs. Most of the characters are a little flat, but can be fleshed out in later books. The love interest seems completely random. First, Carly acts suspicious of him for some unknown reason, then the next chapter she might have feelings for him. It is confusing. Speaking of Carly, she’s interesting and fun, but a bit too sentimental for me. I understand the whole focus on the dead husband thing, but it goes a little overboard and doesn’t exactly move the plot forward, so I mostly skimmed those sections. And that makes me sound like a horrible person. Oops.

The writing is okay. It flows well and makes for a pretty quick read. My only issue with that is the cutesy sayings. One or two is charming and fun, but like five every couple of pages is annoying. Holy jumping grasshoppers… or whatever. People don’t talk like that. Not all the time. So, please. Chill with the eye twitch inducing cuteness.

Ultimately, I thought Up to No Gouda was okay. Not bad, not great. If I see the next one, I’ll grab it and give the series a second chance. But it’s not going on my must-read list.

Overall, I gave it 3 out of 5 stars. If you’re super into cozy mysteries and like cheesy goodness, pick up a copy. If not, I would give it a miss.

Carly Hale has returned to her hometown of Balsam Dell, Vermont and has recently opened Carly's Grilled Cheese Eatery. She is doing really well selling her cheesy treats until her ex-boyfriend, Lyle Bagley is found dead and one of her employees is the prime suspect.

The first in a new series by Linda Reilly, Up to No Gouda has twists and turns to hold my interest. The storyline moves along swiftly and the characters are colourful. The star of the show is the scruffy beige young dog, Havarti. I look forward to getting to know Carly et al. better in the upcoming books.

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

After the death of her husband, Carly Hale is pursuing her lifelong dream of opening a grilled cheese restaurant, Carly's Grilled Cheese Eatery. Her business is booming but her old high school boyfriend, Lyle, who is not liked by many, buys the building that Carly's restaurant is in. Lyle is found murdered behind the dumpster of Carly's shop and one of her employees is the prime suspect. Carly tries to find the killer to clear her employee and stop a murderer.

This is a great read. The characters are likeable or at least believable (like Lyle and the murderer). The story flows along nicely without a lot of fluff and filler. I really enjoyed reading Up to No Gouda. I look forward to more books from this series and I hope there is more Havarti going forward.

This is a Cozy Mystery, and this is the first book in the Grilled Cheese Mysteries. I really enjoyed getting to know the characters in this book, and I really loved the main character (Carly) in this book. I did see some of the twists coming before they where revealed, but I did not guess all of them. I really enjoyed the mystery in this book. I think the Grill Cheese shop is a fun setting for this series, and this small town sounds like it is cute and fun. This is a great start to a new Cozy Mystery series, and I cannot wait for the next book in this series. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Poisoned Pen Press) or author (Linda Reilly) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

Up to No Gouda is the first book in the Grilled Cheese Mystery series by Linda Reilly.

Carly Hale has returned to her hometown and opened a restaurant specializing in grilled cheese sandwiches. Open for just a few months, a former boyfriend and town bully buys the building and tells her she is being evicted. As if that wasn’t bad enough, he then turns up dead behind the shop and Carly’s friend and employee is a suspect.

I really enjoyed this book. Carly is moving on with her life and going after her dream. She’s encouraging those around her to do the same. The characters are very likable, even the ones that don’t seem that way at the start. The mystery was interesting and had a lot of surprising twists. There are recipes at the end for some of the delicious sandwiches you’ll read about. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

This is the first book in the Grilled Cheese series. Carly has returned to Balsam Dell, Vermont following the death of her husband. Her dream has always been to own a grilled cheese cafe and she has been open for several months. A former high school boyfriend buys the building and gives Carly only 6 weeks to vacate the premises. Carly slips into sleuth mode when he is found dead behind the cafe.

This is a very good start to the series. The characters are likeable, believable, and well presented. The small town is charming. Carly is a strong woman who has endured hard times and loss. It is nice to see her working towards her dream.

The murder victim is not very well liked. The list of suspects is large and varied. Carly knows that her friend is not the culprit and tries to clear her name.

The mystery is well done with just enough twists and turns to keep my interest. The storyline moves at a great pace, and I often found it hard to put the book down.

Who doesn't love a scruffy dog? I look forward to getting to know little Havarti better in coming books.

The descriptions of the food was vivid and I found myself wanting a grilled cheese with a side of tomato soup. I was pleased that there were recipes at the end of the book along with tips for making a great sandwich.

I enjoyed my visit to Balsam Dell and look forward to the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poison Pen Press for allowing me to read this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Following the unexpected death of her husband, Carly has moved back to her hometown to open the grilled cheese eatery that's been her dream since childhood. The business is doing well, until the town bully buys the building and gives her one month to relocate. When his body is discovered near the Eatery the next morning, her friend and employee becomes the #1 suspect, and Carly is determined to prove to the police that they have the wrong person.

This is the first book in a new series by an author I've never read before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised that this story was considerably better than many series introductions I've read before. I suspect that is because the author has written several other books and knows how to introduce new characters and new places in a way that will appeal to readers.

I liked Carly and the other primary characters in this story, especially her employees and her landlady, and enjoyed her reconciliation with her long-ago friend. There are several other characters who could develop into important parts of future books, and I'm eager to see how those work out. The town of Balsam Dell seems like the average tourist-dependent small town, but I have to wonder about the real-life viability of an establishment that relies so heavily on grilled cheese sandwiches. This is a book, however, and in books, anything is possible :) I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

Up To No Gouda is the first book in the Grilled Cheese Mysteries by Linda Reilly.

Carly started living her dream five months ago when she opened her grilled cheese cafe, Carley’s Grilled Cheese Eatery. Carly has two employees to help her run the cafe, Suzanne, a part-time server, and Grant, a part-time cook and excellent creator of tasty grilled cheese sandwiches. Carly is surprised when an officer of a local bank informs her the building that houses her eatery is in foreclosure and has been bought, and the new owner won’t be renewing her lease.


Bagley remembers Carley from high school; she also remembers him as a bully. He tells Carley he is the building owner and gives her a month to vacate. He tells Carly he bought the building so his fiance can open a fashion boutique. That evening, when Suzanne sees Bagley walking to his car behind the cafe, she gives him a piece of her mind. The following day the deceased body of Bagley is found near his vehicle. Once the police learn of the confrontation between Suzanne and Bagley, Suzanne will become their prime suspect.

Carly doesn’t believe that Suzanne is capable of murdering someone and begins her own investigation. She will soon learn that there are many suspects. She understands that tenants at his mobile home park are being taken advantage of when they move out of their homes and general mismanagement. The secretary that manages the day-to-day activities learns that he may not be as romantically interested as she believes. He might be dealing in stolen goods, and one of his accomplices might want to do away with him.

This book is an excellent start to a new series. The story is well-written and plotted. The characters are well-developed, believable, and engaging. I am interested in more of the character Becca, a homeless military veteran who helps Carly. And of course, I’m looking forward to seeing more of Havarti, the darling pup that would like to have Carly adopt him.

Delicious sounding recipes are also included in the book.

I’m looking forward to the next book in the delightful new series.