I love a good cozy mystery. What makes a cozy mystery so great is the shortness of the books. They follow a formula which I am also a fan of.

Rebecca Ransom is a former actress turned chocolatier. She works for her family's chocolate shop, True Confections, in the small quaint town of Larch Haven. The town is so small most people walk or use the canals and gondolas to get around. The town is preparing for a gondola race and the local stick in the mud, Archie Smith is vehemently against it. The idea that it would bring too many tourists trapsing around. When he is found murdered, Rebeccas grandfather is a suspect given that he had just had a heated argument with him. Rebecca decides it's up to her to help clear his name.

This book in my opinion, was just too long. The mystery could have been solved in half the length of this book. The mystery itself was not complicated at all and if I'm being honest, it just missed the mark for me. I was about 3 chapters in when I decided that I just wasn't invested in the characters enough to read this book, but I went ahead and finished it anyway. I also found the name of the town to be clunky and not rememberable at all. I received this book free from NetGalley for an honest review.

After a successful Hollywood career, Becca Ransom moves back home to work in her family’s chocolate shop True Confections. All is well, until someone gets murdered and her beloved grandfather becomes the main suspect. Becca and her best friend Dizzy are determined to clear his name.
This was such a cute book, I loved the setting of Larch Haven Vermont, the Venice of North America, with its canals and gondolas, it sounds so picturesque.
Becca is a wonderful character, lovable, relatable, but my favorite, were the gossipy grannies, they were a total hoot!
Looking forward to future books in this series!

Thank you NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing for the ARC which I voluntarily reviewed.

Becca Ransom has left her Hollywood and her TV career behind her to return home to Larch Haven, Vermont, to work as a chocolatier and help run her family's confection shop. Larch Haven is billed as the Venice of North America, as there are canals instead of roads and gondolas instead of cars. The annual gondola races are about to begin when Becca's grandfather, Pops, has a public argument with the local curmudgeon, who later turns up dead and floating in one of the canals. Becca knows Pops is innocent and sets out to prove it.

Such a cute cozy! From the small-town setting, complete with gossiping grannies, delicious treats, a librarian best friend, and two rescue cats, this incorporates all the traditional cozy elements and serves up the charm! As this is the first in a series, there's a fair amount of description and world-building, but the pace picks up and delivers quite a dramatic reveal of the murderer!
Because I like to become invested in a series, the relationships depicted in cozies are important to me. Fortunately, close-knit relationships are a strength of this book. Becca's with her best friend, Dizzy, who helps her investigate, comes out of the gate strong, as do the ties between Becca and her grandparents and Becca's brother and his husband. Becca is likable, and being a fairly recognizable TV actress is a fun touch. But, then, I fell in love with the unique and picturesque setting, its quaint cottages, and the town built on waterways rather than roads. A fairly large suspect pool keeps you guessing, as do the threads of an old, unsolved mystery. Overall, a promising start to a new series, and I look forward to the next one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the opportunity to review this ARC. I enjoyed it!

Six Sweets Under Earns 5/5 Truffle Treats…Clever & Engaging!

Rebecca Ramson needed a quick change after her Hollywood career was cancelled and she suffered a ruptured appendix. She’d decided to return home to Larch Haven, Vermont, qualify as a chocolatier, and with her Pops and Lolly essentially retired, take control of True Confections.

Larch Haven is a popular tourist destination, and every summer tourists flock to town for its annual Gondola Races. Everyone’s in, except the town’s curmudgeon. Archie Smith is against the races, fights the restoration a hiking trail, and as his neighbors will attest, he’s not very neighborly. He also was not against a bit of sabotage, as Becca’s Pops publicly pointed that out. Archie took serious exception to the accusation and the two nearly came to blows with Becca almost collateral damage. That public altercation, of course, will be hard to dismiss when later Archie is found dead. It’s difficult enough for the residents to be dealing with a “never-happens-here” murder, but it’s also the tenth anniversary of the disappearance of seventeen-year-old Lexi Derendorf. No clues, no witnesses, no body, no closure. It may be a small town, but it seems they have some big city problems.

Sarah Fox has spun together an engaging first in her True Confections Mystery series set in a quaint town with a karmic murder and a missing persons cold case. The investigation took on a personal aspect with Pops the official person of interest, and a more complicated endeavor since the victim made so many enemies with his opposition to everything. What started out as a simple murder turned more complex with the victim’s estranged daughter, disgruntled neighbors, aggrieved townspeople, and possible victims of the victim’s secret activities, but Becca herself is dealing with a mystery figure in the shadows ... Fan? Snoop? Killer? The decades-old missing person’s case began as a peripheral incident, but slowly connections are revealed. I resisted fast forwarding to the end to find the killer’s identity, opting instead to enjoy the journey, the intensity, the shocking ending!

Along with small town life, gondola races, chocolate talk, stories from the Gossip Grannies, and interactions with friends and family, romance is always a delightful element. Becca does have her hot shot entertainment lawyer as the front runner, but can the city mouse really enjoy the country? There is her childhood friend Officer Sawyer Maguire who already is acclimated to the country, but can that spark be kindled when Becca keeps interfering with an ongoing investigation? And what about relieving my need for a chocolate fix? Sarah added two easy to follow recipes from True Confections best treats menu: Mint Melty Truffles and Peanut Butter Pretzel Truffles. Yum!

This was such a fun new cozy! I loved the setting, the characters were very well done and likeable, and I adored the cats. Animals always add so much personality to cozy mysteries. I do think a few parts were too slow but overall it was a really good read.

amateur-sleuth, canals, car-free-town, cats, chocolatier, cozy-mystery, estranged, family, first-in-series, friendship, gondolas, law-enforcement, murder, murder-investigation, new-series, read, recipes, relationship-issues, relationships, relatives, small-business, small-town, Vermont,*****

Great start to a new series!
Becca is a former actress who has returned to her hometown to run the family chocolate shop with her grandparents (parents now live in Florida). Then the town nasty is found dead in the water the day after a public argument with her grandfather. As if that isn't enough, her California boyfriend comes for a visit and a breakup ensues. Now is the time that she learns to sleuth with her bestie (to the great irritation of her childhood friend (now the local police chief).
Good story with great characters, interesting red herrings, and really unexpected twists. Loved it!
I requested and received a free e-book copy from Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley. Thank you!

Six Sweets Under by Sarah Fox is the debut of A True Confections Mysteries. Becca Ransom was an actress on a popular show before she returned home to Larch Haven. I enjoyed the descriptions of the unique town. Larch Haven seems to be the American version of Venice. Cars are not allowed in the town. People can either walk around the quaint town or traverse the canals via a gondola (or other small watercrafts). The story is told from Becca’s point of view. This allows readers to know her every thought and activity (can be a bit much at times and a tad dull). She gets up feeds the cats, lets them out onto the catio, walks to work going over several bridges, making the chocolates, back home to pet the cats, lunch with her best friend, out in her boat, time with family, off to bed, and the next day the activities are repeated. Did we really need to know every time she made bonbons? There is a significant amount of repetition (Venice Avenue is mentioned over thirty times). Becca being scared to swim in the lake because of the “monster” would have worked if this was a paranormal story. Instead, it came across as Becca being a touch batty. Becca’s cats are cuties. I like that Becca has a catio for them. The mystery was simple. It was obvious that Archie would soon be murdered based on his attitude and activities. Becca’s sleuthing left a lot to be desired. She thinks about who she would talk to and the questions she would ask, but Becca rarely puts thoughts into action. The information Becca uncovered added little to the investigation. The killer can be identified easily. Becca’s Los Angeles boyfriend, Justin visits the town. He added nothing to the story. The storyline played out in a predicable manner. The story moved along at a slow pace until near the end. There was a lack of action (just the same daily activities). While I like the premise and setting, I was not a fan of the end result. My takeaway was a craving for chocolate. Six Sweets Under is a lighthearted tale with delectable bonbons, cats chilling in the catio, a stolen scooter, a murdered curmudgeon, a water worry, a disappointing picnic, and a killer clue.

Six Sweets Under is the first book in the new True Confections Series by Sarah Fox.

The story takes place in Vermont in the unique small town of Larch Haven. This town is so different, no cars are allowed. There are canals and gondolas. Can you imagine, that sounds like such a fun place to live, and the author writes it witch such description I felt like I was living there.

We meet Becca who has finished her acting career in California and come home to her unique hometown to join her family chocolate store.

I love all the secondary characters in the story too, Becca's friends and family are well written.
I really like Dizzy; she is a good friend and great co-sleuther!

The story surrounds the annual Gondola Races. There is a murder of the one person in town that doesn't want these races to happen, and Becca's grandfather is the prime suspect.

Becca begins trying to find who the real murderer is and clear her "Pops" name.

I really LOVED this book; the mystery is perfectly paced and there were enough twists and red herrings to keep me guessing.

I look forward to more books in this series.

Becca used to be an actress in Hollywood before moving back to her hometown, Larch Haven, to work in a chocolate shop owned by her grandparents, Lolly and Pops. As the town is gearing up for the annual Gondola Races, local curmudgeon, Archie, is found floating face down in the canal after a heated argument with Pops. Becca is determined to clear Pops' name and find the real killer.
This cozy mystery was book 1 in the True Confections Mystery series, and a good start. I loved the Venice-like setting, it was unique and the descriptions were great, as were all the characters. It is filled with red herrings that will keep you guessing until the end.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was such a fun book. I love the idea of a town on canals and modeled after Venice. Larch Haven is definitely on my fictional travel list.

Becca was an interesting main character. After a successful acting career which has gained her some fame she is home and working as a chocolatier (there is a mention of training, etc). The mentions of chocolate were mouthwatering and I would love to try a truffle or two - and definitely a chocolate gondola. Her relationships with her grandparents was really lovely and I really loved her best friend Dizzy - and of course Becca's cats.

The mystery was interesting. The victim has lots of people who are not sad to see him dead but who hates him enough to actually make it happen? There are lots of candidates but Becca's focus is making sure the primary suspect isn't her grandfather. This was a fun virtual visit to the Venice of North America with a likable main character and a great community of characters. I'm looking forward to seeing how the series develops.

Four and a Half Stars⭐⭐⭐⭐⭑
Six Sweets Under by Sarah Fox is the first book in her True Confections Mystery series. It’s about a former actress who returns to her hometown in Vermont.

Story Recap:
Former actress Becca Ransom returns to Larch Haven, Vermont after a successful
career in Hollywood. She lived her dream and now wants a simpler life in her hometown and to help out her grandparents as a chocolatier at their store, True Confections. Larch Haven is a unique small town that boasts canals instead of reads. Travel around the small town is by boat or walking or bicycle. They call Larch Haven the “Venice” of Vermont.

The town is getting ready for the annual gondola races and curmudgeon Archie Smith is vocally against the idea as it brings too many tourists to the town. But, then Archie is found dead, just after a loud argument with Becca’s grandfather, Pops. With Pops as the main suspect, Becca must find the real killer and clear her grandfather.

My Thoughts:
I love a good cozy mystery and Six Sweets Under has everything I love in a cozy mystery. The town of Larch Haven is unique and beautifully described, as is the chocolate shop where Becca works.

I enjoyed the characters very much. Becca is very sympathetic and I liked how protective she is of her grandparents. Her friend Dizzy is a great best friend, and together they complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses. The mystery was good, I didn’t figure it out until Becca did. There are a lot of characters in this book, which gave a lot of options for the murderer, but did make the story a bit confusing for a bit. But, I figured everyone out and continued to enjoy the story.
Binx and Truffles, the cats were also an adorable addition to the story.

Recommendation:
I highly recommend Six Sweet Under to anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

SIX SWEETS UNDER is the first book in the brand-new True Confections Mystery series by Sarah Fox. Set in the utterly charming Vermont town of Larch Haven, which is known for its canals and gondolas with nary a car in sight, the town exudes a cozy feel perfect for the story. The protagonist, Becca Ransom, is a former actress newly returned from L.A. back to her hometown of Larch Haven. She’s taken her place in the family-owned True Confections chocolate shop as the chocolatier. Together with her cousins, they work alongside as they take over the business from their almost retired grandparents, Lolly and Pops… who are just too adorable and shine in every scene they appear! Ms. Fox captures the comfort of the close-knit family and I enjoyed their interaction as they show their respect and love for each other. The characters are well-developed (including the darling cats, Binx and Truffles) and I especially like Dizzy, Becca’s best friend and investigating sidekick. She adds a certain pizzazz to Becca’s more cautious nature.

When the town’s gondola races in full swing, tempers flare between Pops and the town’s curmudgeon and troublemaker, Archie, who is against any type of tourism. Not long after, Archie is found murdered and Pops becomes the prime suspect. Ms. Fox does an admirable job entwining a ten-year-old unsolved disappearance of a teen girl with the current day murder. Becca has ample reason to get involved and ask questions, and I appreciated how she was subtle about going about it and not so in your face. It felt like her investigation was more organic than being forced. Given the menacing character of Archie, it didn’t come as a surprise that there were lots of suspects who might have wanted to see him gone. There are clues for the sharp reader to follow, but in the end, the twists caught me off-guard, and I guessed incorrectly. Six Sweets Under is a delicious start to a delectable cozy mystery series, filled with delightful characters in a charming and unique setting.

As the True Confections chocolatier, Becca experiments and makes delicious sounding truffles and treats. Be prepared to have chocolate on hand to nibble as you read or prepare one of the tempting recipes at the back of your book before starting.

I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I like Sarah Fox's other series, so I was excited to see a new one from her. The setting for this one is so strange and fairy tale like that it almost seems like a theme park. A city in Vermont with canals and gondolas instead of roads and cars? I had a very difficult time imagining this, but I just let it go and enjoyed the mystery. It's well plotted, and, although it's built on all the current tropes in cozies (moving back to hometown, breaking up, starting a new career, etc.), it's written in a clear, direct, appealing style. Everything makes sense, and the resolution works for me. A fast, enjoyable read.

Review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Great start to a new new series by Sarah Fox! I'm already excited for the next one and this hasn't even released yet! That's how you know you have a winner on your hands! The anxious anticipation for the next release!

This book was sooo-o full of boring details. It was such a great cozy trope - chocolate shop in Vermont with canals instead of roads. Genius!

But then instead of actually doing any investigating or sleuthing, Becca simply just thinks about things. It was like reading a really boring monologue or inner thoughts but not in a funny or entertaining way. Could there be any less action in this book?

Six Feet Under by Sarah Fox is the first book in the True Confections Mysteries series. I found this to be a great beginning to the series. Becca Ranson had a good life as an actress in Hollywood but after a few years she became homesick and decided to move back to her unique hometown of Larch Haven, Vermont where people travel via canals instead of roads. Becca missed her family, When Pops, her grandfather, becomes a suspect in a local murder Becca knows she has to protect him by finding the real killer.She thinks she is doing so in a safe manner by just asking questions to add to the suspect list for the police. I enjoyed following along on Becca's quest to provide the police with these other possible suspects. This was a fun read and I look forward to more stories in this series.

Review: I thought this was a great start to a new cozy mystery series! Becca was a fantastic lead, and I loved that her family played such a big role in the book. The hints of the beginning of the romance that will happen in the next books was sweet, and I really liked the love interest. I thought the mystery was well done, and managed to surprise me with the culprit. The setting was really unique, and I loved the town! Overall, I really enjoyed this cozy, and I look forward to more books in the series featuring Becca!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

CONTENT WARNING: panic attack, murder, violence

This sounded like such an adorable start to a promising series, and I couldn’t resist picking this one up. I loved the idea of this picture perfect town, and a family-run chocolate shop! However, this book didn’t quite meet my expectations.

I really liked Becca. She’s the kind of character that feels like someone I’d want to be friends with, and I especially loved her relationship with her best friend Dizzy. They have the kind of long-term friendship where you can rely on the other person no matter what.

Another strength of the story was the diversity. Becca’s brother is gay, and he’s in a healthy, loving, and supportive marriage, so we see a lot of the relationship that her brother and brother-in-law have with Becca and the rest of the family. There are POC in the story as well—some more peripherally, but Dizzy’s family comes from the Philippines, and it is incorporated into the story.

However, the story was relatively repetitive. A lot of the story follows Becca around on her day and thinking about the kind of questions she wants to ask, but she doesn’t actually ask very many questions. We do hear a lot about her walking around town and making chocolates, but she also does a lot of bumbling around and collecting random information that doesn’t really further the investigation.

While this is a light and fluffy read, I found that it moved rather slowly for me. It took me days to read it, because I struggled to get invested. This was mostly because not a lot was happening for so much of it, and it wasn’t until the end that the pace picked up. Ultimately, I found myself rather disappointed in the story, which had so much potential.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Pub for this earc

This was your classic cozy mystery or the way I think about them Hallmark movies with a murder

But seriously, if you’re looking for something super light and something you can finish in few hours, this book is for you.

I wasn’t a huge fan of writing in this one though. I got that the setting is a small town but there was just too much repetition. Between the amount of times Venice Avenue is mentioned (37 if you want to be specific) and Becca doing the same things at work over and over (we really didn’t need to read every time she made chocolate) the story just fell flat for me.

From page one I knew Justin, Becca’s at the time boyfriend wouldn’t stick around. I mean you don’t introduce hot local cop Becca grew up with for nothing, right?

And the mystery itself was not complicated and written really vague. Very few things Becca discovered actually added to something.

Overall, I didn’t expect much from this book and I didn’t get much.

After a successful acting career in Hollywood, Becca’s moved back to her hometown of Larch Haven, CT to work in the family’s chocolate shop and reconnect with friends and family.

Life is great - tourist season is bringing lots of business to the shop and her boyfriend is visiting soon. But then Archie, the town curmudgeon, is murdered. And Becca’s grandfather is a top suspect. Becca needs to clear his name ASAP so she enlists her bestie, Dizzy, the town’s librarian to figure it out.

I loved the setting. Larch Haven is described as a miniature Venice, Italy with its system of canals and bridges. People get around by walking, biking, or taking to the water in kayaks, Jon boats, and gondolas. Who wouldn’t want to visit a small town with chocolate and gondolas? Larch Haven has that small-town feel where everyone knows your name and your secrets and has no trouble weighing in on your personal life. Especially the Gossip Grannies who embellish when the truth isn’t sensational enough.

Becca felt relatable - wanting a successful career but longing for the warmth and comfort of home and family.

Her friendship with Dizzy sounds like the perfect ride-or-die relationship. And the romance vibes with her old friend Sawyer, who’s a cop now, were definitely there.

You get all of the delicious descriptions of chocolates that you could want and even some recipes.

Lots of diversity - Latinx, Filipino, queer - worked in the story with a natural feel - a very realistic feeling.

The puzzle was intriguing with lots of murder suspects and motives with no clear answers until the end.

Special shout out to Becca’s cats, Binx and Truffles, and their awesome sounding catio.

Six Sweets Under is a perfect light read with delicious descriptions, an engaging cast of characters, and a challenging puzzle of a whodunit.