Last year I got the first book in this series, Arsenic and Adobo for one of my Book of the Month choices, and absolutely loved it! So of course, I simply had to request the sequel from NetGalley.

Set just a few months after the events of Arsenic and Adobo, Lila Macapagal is back on another case, though she is still reeling from the previous events that took place in the little city of Shady Palms. This time it's not Lila's freedom and reputation on the line, but one of her Ninang's (Godmother in Tagalog) daughters, the snappy and competitive Bernadette.

You see, Lila has been roped into judging Shady Palms' Miss Teen Pageant, after hasty exit from one of the other judges. She won the title herself back in the day, and though she is loathe to relive it, as it brings up complicated memories of her now-dead mother as a bit of a momzilla, she agrees on the condition that her new cafe, which she runs with her BFF Adeena, and Adeena's girlfriend, Elena, gets some promotion. There are some strong personalities judging the pageant, like Rob Thompson, head of one of the wealthiest and most influential families in town, who is known as a creep, especially when it comes to the young contestants, his sister, Valerie, and the wise and beautiful Sana, who coaches entrepreneurial women and yoga classes. Everything seems be to going fine, until Rob Thompson is found floating in the water under the bridge in Shady Palms. He got into a very public fight right before his death, with none other than Bernadette, who threatened him when the girl she's coaching revealed he made her uncomfortable.

With a new business, PTSD and memories of her mother that she sooner forget than reexamine, can Lila get to the bottom of this tangled case before someone else falls victim?

Once again, I really love this series. It has such a wonderfully fun feel (though this book is a bit on the darker side, but still perfectly cozy), and I love the focus on Lila's family and her food. As someone who has always loved to cook, I'm always excited to see what new recipes will be featured in the book (I can't recommend the ube cookies from Arsenic and Adobo enough). In the swamp that is the cozy mystery genre, you can be sure to find something different and charming in Manansala's work!

Lila Macapagal is back for book two of the Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery series. In this book Lila is a judge for a teen beauty pageant and when the head judge is murdered, her cousin is the main suspect. Lila must step in once again to help solve a murder.

I actually liked this book more than the first book in the series. I really loved the beauty pageant for a back drop of a murder mystery, where everyone wants to win and has a motive to kill. It was a fun book where we were introduced to new, strong female characters, and of course reappearances from characters from the first book. The Filipino culture was represented throughout, as well as mental health issues and amazing food. It you enjoy cozy mysteries and enjoy food then this one is for you.

Side note - In the back of the book, there is a section of the recipes Lila made.

A huge thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

In this second installment in the Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery, Lila finds herself sleuthing again when her cousin is a suspect for the murder of a judge of the local beauty pageant which Lila is also a judge for.

Entertaining and engrossing, this had everything I loved about the first book, ARSENIC AND ADOBE, and everything I wrote in my review for the first could be said for this second book.

This series is a more millennial take on the cozy with lots of Filipino representation and was, again, thoroughly enjoyable although you will always leave the story hungry for more, literally. (There was almost too much foodie talk but I’m not sure if that is entirely possible.) The ending felt a little rushed in this one but this will be a cozy series I will stick with.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eArc in exchange for an honest review.

LIKES:
📑 fun recipes at the end!!
🧭 plot-driven & fast paced
👩🏽 single pov - Lila is quirky & feisty!
🇵🇭 explores Filipino culture
👩🏽‍🍳 MAJOR foodie vibes!
👩🏽‍💼 lots of strong women in business!
👸 pageant vibes (think miss congeniality)
🔪 + a murder!!
🕵🏽‍♀️ + an investigation
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 examines family dynamics
👭 + female friendship
🧠 themes of mental health
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DISCLAIMERS:
📝 the “fun” writing felt overly descriptive & naive
🍽 food descriptions distracted me from the story
🗣 dialogue felt clunky & unrealistic
🧀 too cheesy (& y’all know I love cheese 🥲)
💔 wanted more of the romance started in book 1
•
VERDICT: this cozy foodie mystery had a lot going for it (exploring Filipino culture, family, friendship & mental health) but ultimately my preferences for writing & dialogue style were just not aligned w H&HH; try if you LOVE food, cheesy Hallmark mysteries, & super descriptive, easy writing but don’t expect a lot of the romance or depth

It was a pleasure to visit the world of Lila Macapagal again. This was a follow up to Arsenic and Adobe. The great cast of characters, mystery and lovely descriptions of the delectable food Lila concocts made this a delightful read. ⁣
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I appreciate how the author is able to show the fusion of cultures, similar to the food that Lila creates. I love how well rounded the characters are written, particularly the female characters. They are all strong and unique in their own ways. It was a fun read! ⁣
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Thank you to @getredprbooks @berkleypub and @mpmthewriter for the gifted book.

This is a Cozy Mystery series, and this is the second book in the Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery series. I have to say I really enjoyed the beginning of this book, but then it got super boring. It just could not hold my attention of any amount of time, so I kept having to re-read the same parts. I ended up DNFing this book just after the 50% mark of this book. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Berkley Books) or author (Mia P. Manansala) 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.

Thank you Berkley Publishing for the arc of this book.

I want to start by saying that I did not read the first book before reading this book; however, I was still able to understand the story. From my understanding, this story picks up right after the first book. Overall I loved the humor and Filipino representation throughout the book!

I love this book (and series). I felt like this book had more food talk and I enjoyed it, so much! Maybe because I felt like we were in Lila's head trying to come up with recipes with her, which they sounded really good.

I really loved the love triangle in this one. It was funny how Amir and Jay were kind of one-upping each other.

I appreciated that there was talk of anxiety and how people knew that Lila was dealing with some stuff and that she should speak with a therapist (even though it was kind of tiring the amount of times they kept telling her to go). The way Lila thought her family would be judgmental of her going to therapy, I could relate to that. I could hear my aunties say the same things.

I found the pageant and murder more interesting that in the first book. There were obvious suspects and the twists were good.

I have been enjoying Mia's writing and cannot wait to continue on the series with the next one being Blackmail and Bibingka (I love her titles!).

Thank you Berkley Pub and Netgalley for an early e-book copy in exchange for my honest review. Thank you also for the free gifted finished copy.

Lila is back with book 2 of the Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery series. The Miss Teen Shady Palms Beauty Pageant was been resurrected, a pageant Lila once won which still drives a wedge between her and her cousin/rival Bernadette. When the head judge is found murdered, Bernadette is a prime suspect. Her and Lila must put their differences aside and solve the case before one of them ends up with the same fate.

Book 1 in this series was one of my favorites last year and I enjoyed book 2 just as much. I loved the mystery and that there were hints along the way of what happened but you were still surprised at the end. The family of characters and all the food talk are some of my favorite aspects of this book. I also really appreciated that the book addressed the stress and mental issues Lila is going through after being nearly killed in the last book. It made her so real and like how an actual sleuth would act.

Thanks to Berkley for an advanced copy of Homicide and Halo-Halo by Mia Manansala.

This is the second book in the Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery series and it's a funny cozy mystery with a Filipino flair.
I enjoyed the first book Arsenic and Adobo last year and this book picks up a right after and Lila is struggling a little after everything that happened. She's starting a new cafe with her friends, but she's almost lost interest in baking and feels unmotived to create delicious treats. She's asked to be a judge at the Miss Teen Shady Palms Beauty Pagent, which she won as a teenager. When the head judge is murdered and her couson Bernadette is the main suspect, Lila finds herself trying to solve the case.

This has the same humour and loving Filipino family as the first book with a wonderful set of characters, but is a little heavier and is noted in the beginning of the book. I had a few Miss Congeniality vibes a few times and loved the beauty pagent plotline.

If you're looking for a fun cozy mystery that makes you want to find the closest Filipino restaurant then this is the book for you.

In book two, we head back to Shady Palms where Lila finds herself a judge of the Miss Teen Shady Palms beauty pageant, which she herself won many years ago. When the head judge Rob is found murdered, Lila once again, finds herself a suspect. Can she solve this case too and clear her name?⁣⁣
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This cozy mystery was just what I needed to break up my romances this month. Though there was an element of romance in this book, it was only very light with the majority of the book concentrating on the mystery element. Filled with amazing food descriptions, I guarantee you this book will have you salivating throughout!

Book two to this cozy mystery series only solidifies my love for Mia Manansala. Arsenic and Adobo was a favorite of mine last year so I was super stoked for this book. I really appreciate the transparency with the mental health representation in this new piece of Lia’s story. The writing is once again so descriptive that I feel like I’m right there in the scene. Homicide and Halo-Halo is raw, charming, and funny! I’m excited to see how this series continues.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC of this book!

This is the second installment of the Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mysteries that follow Lila Macapagal and her family and friends as they navigate crazy circumstances, make delicious Filipino and Filipino-inspired food, and solve murders.

I loved Arsenic and Adobo, so I was super excited for Homicide and Halo-Halo and it didn't disappoint! This one was definitely a bit darker than the first, but I think the author did a great job of exploring the themes. I especially loved how she tackled the issue of mental health. I think she represented it well, specifically in the way Lila was hesitant and even sometimes in denial that she needed help. That said, I think Lila's character had so much growth and development in this story and I appreciated it so much.

I also thought that the mystery in this book was done really well, and even better than in the first book. Every time I thought I had it figured out, I was proven wrong! I think Manansala did a great job with "hiding" the mystery a bit more this time and I really enjoyed that aspect of the story.

One thing I was missing in this book was the family relationships. Lila's family was part of this story, but I think a lot less so than in the first book. I would have loved to see the same level in this book, but we did get more friendship and self-development, which is always great!

Overall, it was a fantastic story with delicious food, great Filipino representation, funny moments, and a mystery wrapped in one! I definitely recommend reading this series!

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for gifting me a DRC in exchange for my honest review.

Lila is back in the second installment of Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mysteries. This time, Lila is struggling to get her cafe concept off of the ground and trying to juggle her her work life with potential suitors and her position in the town's beauty pageant. She's also still recovering from everything that happened to her in ARSENIC AND ADOBO, as this installment picks up mere months after AA left off. Lila has yet another stressor added to her life when one of the other pageant judges is found dead and her cousin, Bernadette, is accused of his murder.

I was so excited for another installment to this cozy mystery series. As some may know, I am Fil-Am, and it's truly amazing to read a book about my own culture with food, traditions, and language that I recognize. I definitely appreciated the representation of multiple cultures in this book. Manansala did not disappoint on the food front either. As with the first installment, each chapter had me feeling some serious food envy. I love that she included even more recipes at the end, just as she did in the first novel.

Manansala included a note at the start of the book indicating that she, like so many of us, was struggling with mental health issues during the pandemic and while writing this installment. I really appreciated her candor and transparency. Mental health features prominently in this novel, too. I did feel that this book was darker, less cogent, and not as charming as AA, but Manansala's disclosure and honest at the beginning makes me want to stick with her and with Lila for the future installments to this series.

I'm happy to have had a chance to read this one. I need more Longganisa in the next book!!

Homicide and Halo-Halo is the second book in Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery series. The cover hooked me and I loved that this book also highlighted Filipino food and culture, it had me craving Halo-Halo.

Lila is back and dealing with the associated trauma from the events of Arsenic and Adobo (which I appreciated how realistic that was). She's pushing people away, but I loved that we got to see Lila's growth and how she sometimes dealt with (or didn't deal with) some of the issues she had. I loved the scenes where she was baking and coming up with recipes. This was just as interesting as the first book and made me crave some gluten-free Filipino food. Comparatively, this felt like a lower-stakes mystery but it still had me invested and trying to guess who did it.

The diversity continues to be amazing in both races and sexualities. I love that there are recipes for a few of the dishes described in this.

You should check this out if you're looking for a Filipino-filled, food-filled, and fun mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

CW: PTSD, death of a parent (past), anxiety, panic attacks, threats

I adored Mia P. Manansala incredible debut, ARSENIC AND ADOBO, and was so excited to be asked by Berkley Publishing to review the fab sequel, HOMICIDE AND HALO-HALO. I found it richer in character development, as protagonist Lila heals from trauma as she works to open Brew-ha Cafe with friends, yet still "cozy" in nature with a compelling mystery I could not guess. Was so glad to catch-up with Lila's crazy lovable family and drool again over lush descriptions of Filipino cuisine. A delicious winner out Feb 8.

Thanks to the author, Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley, and NetGalley for the ARC; opinions are mine.

#HomicideandHaloHalo #NetGalley

A huge thank you to Berkley Pub for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

4⭐️ 0🌶

This is the second book in the Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery series and I highly recommend reading Arsenic and Adobo first as the story here continues where the first book left off.

What I LOVED: So excited to be back with the Shady Palms gang but I’m still not over the abundance of Filipino representation and culture in this series! As a Filipino myself, I found it so endearing and relatable between the language use, terms, mannerism and especially food. This book had me constantly craving for all my favorites from the mentions of halo-halo, silog breakfast meals, turon, sinigang and ube and calamansi flavored pastries! On top of that, there are recipes for the creations mentioned in this book at the end

What I LIKED: I enjoyed the murder mystery aspect as it had me guessing and theorizing all the way through. It was nice not having the suspect spotlight on Lila anymore but seeing her help Bernadette, who happens to be her rival since childhood, and calling a truce in the meantime to find the real killer was intriguing! But despite this, I liked how the trauma Lila experienced from the events of the first book was addressed and was on the way to healing in this

I love the side characters in this especially Lila’s relatives and friends. Their interactions were never short of gossiping and those usual nagging and judging of Filipino titas/relatives.

I also enjoyed the continued plot from the first book involving the love triangle Lila had with Jae and Amir. Though this book definitely focused more on the cute friendship between her and Jae!

The beauty pageant side plot was so empowering, seeing these teens show off their intelligence and talent was so wholesome!

What I DIDN’T ENJOY: I found the overall story to be mellow. It wasn’t too bad but it wasn’t also super exciting especially in the romance department

THIS BOOK IS PERFECT IF YOU LOVE:
- murder mystery
- Filipino representation
- ALL THE YUMMY FILIPINO FOOD
- baker heroines
- beauty pageant competitions

While I really enjoyed the first book in this series this one fell flat for me. I hate the whole love triangle line, I didn't like most of the new characters and I was bored for a large portion of the book. I did enjoy the food and the representation in the book but overall I just didn't click with this one.

Homicide and Halo Halo is the second installment in the "Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery" series (the first one, being the hit Arsenic and Adobo).

As soon as it was available, I made sure to request it --thank you Berkeley and NetGalley for the e-ARC!

The author's note explains that this second book is a little darker than the first one, and it is. The story starts right off the heels of Arsenic and Adobo and Lila is reeling from what happened. While Lila may have solved a mystery, she is trying to move on. Lila is trying to deal with trauma, starting a business with her best friend, and is mulling over whether she is ready or not to start a relationship. In other words, Lila is dealing with a lot. And to make matters more complicated... she is asked to help judge a beauty contest in her hometown.

I really enjoyed this story. I love how Lila's character evolves; she starts to confront her feelings and learns to open up and ask for help when she needs it. The author tackled mental health in such a positive and realistic way. For many Asian cultures, mental health is not often talked about. It's only in more recent times that mental health is being discussed. Lila's reluctance to get help and her family's reticence in encouraging her to get help is believable (and relatable!)

Overall, this cozy mystery packed an emotional punch. Yes, it's still filled with fun and delicious food, but it also has a wonderful layer of depth that will give you all the feels.

Bonus content: more yummy recipes in the back of the book!

The book begins a few months after Arsenic and Adobo ends. Lila is opening Brew-ha Cafe with Elena and Adeena. Her contribution to their shared business will be to bake Filipina inspired treats to go with the coffee they serve. But first, she has to fill in as a judge for the local pageant that she one as a teen. When an anonymous note threatens the pageant, Detective Park asks for Lila's help.

It was so great to have the entire wonderful cast from the previous book return. I again loved the characters and the amazing descriptions of the food (more for me to try at my local food trucks). Plus this book has lots of Hamilton references that were such fun.

As the Author's Note at the start of the book states, the tone is a little heavier than for Arsenic and Adobo. Though Mia attributed that in part to writing during the pandemic (which is an amazing feat that I so admire), the tone also just works well for where Lila and her friends are emotionally at the start of the book. I also really appreciated the content warnings at the start of the book.

I really enjoyed this cozy mystery.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. These opinions are my own.