Member Reviews

I hate to say it but this series just needs to end.
I no longer like the characters and the story just seems like filler for the endless pages of recipes.

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I love this series and was looking forward to reading Caramel Pecan Roll Murder and am stoked that I was chosen to read an early review copy! I've read every book in the series and adore the Hallmark movies and absolutely love Joanne Fluke.

Joanne hooks you from the very first page of each of her books until the last and Caramel Pecan Roll Murder is no exception. I love how Hannah is constantly investigating crimes even though it gets her into hot water every time. Cats have 9 lives and Hannah has 30+ for sure since in every book, her life is in danger!

If you love cozy mysteries, humor, yummy recipes, and a great book, then grab a copy of Caramel Pecan Roll Murder today! You'll love it!

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Another fun mystery from Joanne Fluke. I liked that this one was a change of pace instead of Hannah working at the Cookie Jar, Sally asked for her to come help at the Lake Eden Inn for a big event that was taking place. It is a fairly quick read (unless you actually read through the recipes while reading the book.)
And talk about a seemingly out of character cliffhanger!

That being said, this one felt very repetitive at times and Hannah seemed to really waver between feeling like Norman is getting too close and *being too nice* to she invites him to do things with her and needs his help. I was actually getting rather annoyed with her and how she was thinking of/treating him in this book.

I did enjoy the book, it just definitely isn't the best entry in the series. I'll keep reading the series and hoping for Hannah to choose between Mike and Norman.

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Caramel Pecan Roll Murder
by Joanne Fluke
Pub Date: February 22, 2022
Kensington books
In this scrumptious new read in the blockbuster series packed with delightful recipes from a beloved New York Times bestselling author, baker Hannah Swensen is tempted by a high-profile tournament in Lake Eden that quickly turns deadly…
And what a title!! Thanks to Kensington Books and Netgalley for the ARC. Our library patrons will want to read this!
I feel like I am with family when I read these books. My biggest frustration with this book is why or why did the editor allow two characters to be named Joe, and Joey. It slows down the plot and it definitely was a problem for me.
So Yes, I will recommend this book. However, I am beginning to feel like the era of Hannah Swenson should move on.
3 stars

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Embracing a sweet escape from her usual routine at The Cookie Jar, Hannah gets asked for her help in baking pastries at the local inn for a flashy fishing competition with big prizes and even bigger names. But the fun stops when she spots a runway boat on the water and, on board, the lifeless body of the event’s renowned celebrity spokesperson… If you have read this series from the beginning, this story is simply a continuation of all those books. I still really enjoy them and I like all the characters but seriously.....Mike or Norman...let's put an an end to this soon. It has become a tired storyline. The Hallmark movies have done a better job addressing the issue and these books need to do the same. It is a good mystery though and except for the bizarre end, I really liked it. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

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Well, here we are again, another Hannah mystery. Hannah is just as simple and "twee" as ever. It amazed me that electronics stump her, but she's able to drive and dock a boat? The person who really annoyed me this round was Andrea... she came across as VERY dumb and VERY juvenile, almost as if she were a little girl "playing" detective instead of a grown wife and mother helping solve a mystery.

Once again, there are ENDLESS rounds of coffee and cookies. And this time champagne too! I skip over all the recipes and so the mystery proves to be a quick read.

I guessed correctly who the murderer was. And say what you will about Joanne Fluke... but she seems to be a pro at cliffhangers at the end of her books. After revealing Mike's "revelation" (which seems to be out of character?) the book just ENDS.

I really wish there was more of Norman and Lisa in this one. I did like the hotel setting, though; it was nice to have a change.

This series is one I love to hate on, but I will definitely keep reading. It will be interesting to see where Joanne takes her characters now.

Thanks to Netgalley for my arc.

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Another great cozy mystery. Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy. Full review to come on release day.

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Hannah needing a change of scenery decides to do the baking for a big televised fishing tournament. Of course Hannah gets herself hooked into helping with a murder investigation. What is different about the investigation is she has Mike’s blessing he even asked for her help has he said he just couldn’t get his head into the interviews. Meanwhile she’s still staying with Norman because her cat is terrified to go home. Can Hannah help solve the murder safely? Will she decide to go home or continue to stay with Norman?

I have really enjoyed most of the books I have read in this series. I admit I have read them all. I did enjoy to mystery in this book there were plenty of twists and turns. However I was able to figure it out before the reveal but this is still a well-written mystery. If there was anything I would like to see change in the next book is Hannah’s fear and uncertainty. She needs to get back some of her confidence. I under when a person has something traumatic happens you don’t get over things over night. However if she doesn’t have fear of the murderers she faces or PTSD from the many near deaths experiences she has-had by said murderers them she should be brave enough to go home or at least sell and buy something else if she is really concerned about her cat. I am looking forward to the next book to see how all the coming changes will affect Hannah.

All thoughts and opinions are my own, and in no way have I been influenced by anyone.

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Hannah Swensen has been asked to step in as the pastry chef at the Lake Eden Inn which is hosting a national fishing contest. As usual Hannah gets caught in the middle of a murder investigation when the celebrity competition host is found in his boat dead.

The mystery as usual is extremely light but the recipes that are included sound delicious.
The ending had a twist in character development that I'm not sure seem true to the character but we shall see in the future.

An enjoyable book, just not too heavy on the mystery.

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Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of CARAMEL PECAN ROLL MURDER (Book 25 of the Hannah Swensen Mysteries), by Joanne Fluke, in exchange for an honest review. Lake Eden’s local inn joined with a popular sports retailer to host a fishing competition with the cast of a popular fishing show are serving as the celebrity participants. However, the Lake Eden Inn is suddenly short staffed, so they ask Hannah to spend the week at the inn in exchange for her assistance in the kitchen. Hannah enlists her sister Andrea as her baking assistant, and they are both happy for the change of pace. Thus, Hannah and Andrea are conveniently located to investigate when one of the celebrities is murdered during the competition.

I like this series and enjoyed the book. I recommend this series to fans of food themed cozy murder mysteries.

#CaramelPecanRollMurder #NetGalley

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Sometimes it's time to say goodbye. Painful but needed. I love recipes but there are more and more with less cozy. The last few books in the series I struggled to get through. This one was a struggle also but as a long time fan I did. Thanks #netgalley and #Keningston for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

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Fluke's latest novel, Caramel Pecan Roll Murder follows her successful formula for a very cozy mystery. The dialog and plot are predictable, but enjoyable.

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In this installment, Hannah and her crew spend most of the story at the Inn, where they're helping cook for a big event. When a playboy type is murdered, everyone dives in to solve the mystery.

While we did see Hannah start to reckon with what Ross put her through, the romantic angles took a backseat to family and friendships. It was a nice change, and it looks like big changes may be ahead for a character or two. It was also nice to have a change of setting for this one.

However, I'm struggling with this series... I'd like to see it through to the end, but I'm hoping that comes soon. As others have said, the books seem to have more recipes than plot points now. And there were some parts that were just painful to read: the formal use of names in every conversation, the overly detailed explanations of unimportant things, etc. It feels more and more like it's time to have Hannah make some choices and let her live happily ever after.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the complimentary digital review copy of this title.

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Great story, fabulous author with brilliant writing and plot. Highly recommend to others, and cannot wait for more by this author.

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Another fun book about Hannah Swenson and her friends. Hannah still has not decided between Norman and Mike but Andrea has become a baker! It all takes place at a fishing contest and of course, Hannah saves the day. Recommended for fans of the series.

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Thank you NetGalley for my arc. These books are the ultimate comfort read for me!

Hannah returns in this book with her sister, Andrea, helping her bake for the fisherman competition. The host of the competition, Sonny, is found dead on a boat. Hannah takes the lead solving this murder mystery.

Another guilty pleasure in this series!

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Caramel Pecan Roll Murder is the 28th book in the Hannah Swensen Mystery series by Joanne Fluke. Even though I've read most of these, I believe that anyone can pick up a book at any point in the series because I feel they work well as standalones.

Hannah' sisters and mom play important roles in all of these books as well as Hannah's previous suitors, Norman and Mike. While the two men have hung around for quite awhile, it does seem that their relationship has developed into friendships rather than becoming romantic. (I was always team Norman!)

As far as the story goes, these are pleasant cozy mysteries with people who sometimes seem a bit more polite and careful with their speech and actions than most people you meet; however, the stories are good and there are quite a number of recipes tucked in throughout.

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This used to be one of my favorite series. The last few books have been awful and this one was terrible. I'm not usually one to say that about a book (especially one that I've read almost 30 books in a series), but this one was not good. Some of the parts, like when Hannah was in the kitchen and it said she was putting on her shoes...why did she leave her hotel room without shoes...it made no sense and didn't have anything to do with the plot, needed to go back through the editing process again. They actually took me out of the story, because I was trying to figure out what was going on. I really want to keep reading this series, because I'm invested in the characters and I have to know Norman or Mike (or some complete stranger out of left field...wait, I think we had that before...), but I'm not sure I can stand to waste my time reading through another one of these books. I'm not completely convinced Joanne Fluke is actually writing them anymore. I read through some of the reviews before trying to write mine and I'm actually convinced that I got a different copy than other readers, since their reviews were so positive. I want to look forward to the next book and hope that something actually happens in it to move the characters along, but I'm a little afraid for the next book.

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Only die-hard fans of Joanne Fluke will find anything redeeming in this book. I used to love the series but now it is just old and tired.

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Joanne Fluke's Hannah Swensen series was one of those that helped me fall in love with the cozy mystery genre. It was like old home week as I dived into this one, which, oddly enough, was both good and bad. I have little tolerance for extended love triangles and this one with Hannah, Norman, and Mike had long since run through my patience. Even now, with Mike perhaps coming across to any new readers as simply a good friend rather than a former love interest, the relationship still continues on an uneasy ground. Hannah seems to be staying with Norman, who deserves an award for devotion in the face of indecision and continued disappointment. He has moved out of his master suite into a guest room to give Hannah space after the violent death of her husband at their condo. Hannah seems unable to move on and it has left them all in a bit of a limbo. That was the downside of the book for me. Everyone was comfortable and familiar with each others likes and foibles, however, which made it like slipping back into comfy slippers and a robe.

On the plus side, too, and why this book got a four rating from me, is not just the eventual mystery solving but the family interrelationships. It's fun to see how wonderfully well the sisters have each other's backs and work together. Norman and the other slot of friends fit comfortably into this niche, too, and it's obvious that people both like and to an extent depend on Hannah. Having missed several of the latest in the series, it was neat to see how well the sisters just naturally eased into helping with the investigation, too, not to mention the baking. If you enjoy recipes with your mysteries, you'll love this book as there are many, all sounding particularly yummy.

The mystery itself seems to be the typical Hanna Swensen mystery, albeit in a new location. If I knew Hannah knew how to drive a boat, for instance, I'd forgotten, so that activity and its role in the mystery was fun to see. I have to admit, I had no clue who the guilty party was until they revealed themself and I'm not so sure Hannah hadn't been on the wrong track, too. As is typical of cozy mystery heroines, they do seem to stumble into danger alone frequently but, hey, never fear, her sisters and detective Mike, who may or may not be still of romantic interest to Hannah, had her back. Mike also had some unexpected news as the book drew to a close. What was it? Not telling. Heck, I'm not sure what it means. Like me, you'll have to read the next in the series to find out.

Thank you #NetGalley and #KensingtonBooks for allowing me to revisit Hannah's world and catch up with her friends and family.

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