Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. This is a new cozy series with all of the fun tropes we expect, but with a twist. Our main character is a professional pastry chef who opens a bakery solely for cannabis treats. It's a good modern take on the cozy mystery, and I enjoyed the character's relationships with her family and townspeople. I think this will definitely be a series to watch!

Chloe trained as a pastry chef in Paris. Now she's back in Azalea Bay, CA after her fiance got one of his assistants pregnant. Her Aunt Dawn encourages her to open a shop with cannabis infused baked goods. Then there is a murder, and Dawn is suspected, so Chloe decides to do a little investigating to try and clear Dawn's name. I liked the characters, the small town setting, and the unique concept of the bakery, and interesting recipes were also included. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I was happy to get this one from NetGalley because it’s a new cozy mystery series and it’s got legal cannabis in it as a plot point - or should it be “pot point”. Out here on the West Coast such shops are about as common as coffee cafes and I know folks in the industry so I was excited to see how it came into play.

I was chuckling and interested within the first three pages which is a great sign for any book but really good for this genre, as it increases in popularity there are more books available and they don’t all hit the mark.

First off, pot assisting with the side affects of chemo and overall helping cancer be at least a little less shitty for people - totally true. I’ve seen it with my own eyes the difference medicinal cannabis can make so kudos for accuracy.

Life doesn’t always go according to pla which is why Chloe leaves her dream career as a pastry chef and philandering fiancée behind in Paris and returns to her California hometown of Azalea Bay to care for her grandmother.
Chloe was only back in town a few days before the childhood school bully Brendan, now grown into an entitled man bully makes a grab at her in an alley. Chloe stands her ground with the help of her aunt Dawn and makes a statement to the police, hoping to curtail such incidences for other women of the town. And Brendan is certainly curtailed - he’s found dead the next day and Dawn is the primary suspect! Will this ruin their hopes of opening a shop of canabis infused treats? Will Chloe get a new start? Can she of Dawn goes to jail?

A sweet tooth of a story about taking chances on yourself and the meaning of family.

This was an unexpected, fun story! I wasn't sure what to expect but I really enjoyed it! I like that it is the first in a series, I'm excited to keep reading the other titles. It has found a fun niche category and was unlike anything I've read!

I read a lot of cozies. A lot. And this is one of the best I've read. I really, really liked it. It has all the cozy markers and a stronger than usually debut of a relatable character. Chloe Barnes has returned home, as so many do, when her beloved Gran is undergoing Chemo. George takes several very serious details and makes it all work for a cozy. So many have been faced with decisions like Chloe to return home, for Chloe that's from Paris to Azalea Bay in Cali, to help a family member in a tough spot. Add that Chloe is a trained pastry chef and she takes that to the next level by adding cannabis to her baked goods to help her Gran with pain. Thus starts Baked By Chloe and the first Cannabis Cafe Mystery. I will read everyone the second it is published. I really enjoyed getting to know Chloe, Gran, Aunt Dawn, and many others in Azalea Bay. The situations, the people, the town are so relatable. I think Chloe is going to be a big hit with her edible baked goods.

A new series with an Interesting twist! When Chloe uses her cooking skills to help her Gran's pain ease up, it leads to them opening a cannabis bakery and bistro. Love the recipes! Good story plot with exciting characters. Delightful! Thanks#netgalley and #Kensington for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine..

Here's a new cozy series with a newsy twist -- it features a character who owns a bakery dedicated to cannabis treats! It all started when she helped her grandmother feel better, and soon grew into a thriving business. All the feel-good cozy elements are here: quaint small town, appealing amateur sleuth, lots of good food, and a mystery for readers to solve. I look forward to recommending this title.

A Half-Baked Murder by Emily George is a great cozy mystery that is the first in a new series: A Cannabis Cafe Mystery.

This is such a unique, fresh, and entertaining dip into a new series, and a new subject niche within that genre. It was pulled off quite nicely.

Here we are introduced to our main character, pastry chef Chloe Barnes. She returns to Azalea Bay, California after a life-altering occurrence of sorts. Between her excellent main character and that of her Aunt Dawn, there was plenty to draw me in.

Add a great murder/mystery, a newer concept incorporated (aka cannabis), and plenty of material presented…I easily experienced a fun, entertaining, and promising start to a new and hopefully successful series.

Definitely looking forward to where this series can go.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Kensington Publishing for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 2/28/23.

THE FIRST EVER (LEGAL) CANNABIS-THEMED COZY MYSTERY SERIES IS HERE!
Emily George launches a groundbreaking, irresistible new series unlike anything else out there, as twenty-eight-year-old California pastry chef Chloe Barnes takes her career higher, opening a cannabis café where she can use her Michelin-star skills to transform dry, bland pot brownies into gourmet treats. With a unique and culturally relevant hook, authentic fresh voice, and the classic tropes of the genre that all cozy fans love, everyone’s buzzing about the Cannabis Café Mysteries!
I loved this book! The characters are great and the location. I found the cannabis cafe really interesting. It was very interesting learning about something new to me.
#AHalfBakedMurder #NetGalley

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from Kensington Books and #NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

A fun, light cozy mystery with a new twist.

Pastry chef Chloe Barnes has left Paris and a broken engagement behind as she returns home to Azalea Bay with her broken heart. She wouldn’t want to be nowhere else as her Gran is undergoing chemo and Chloe wants to help her through the treatment.

Putting her culinary talents to work, Chloe begins making Cannabis edibles for her grandmother and they become a big hit with not only Gran, but her closest friends as well. This leads Chloe and her aunt to opening cannabis bakery and bistro to sell her gourmet goodies. As soon as Chloe and Aunt Dawn agree to be partners, an old classmate harasses Chloe and then is found murdered. With Aunt Dawn as the main suspect, Chloe has to clear her Aunt’s name before she can even really open the business if she wants the town’s support. Will Chloe succeed or are she and Aunt Dawn both done for before they even get their business license?

This is a great start to a new series! Being a chronic pain sufferer, I’ve learned the benefits of cannabis and I love having a series that takes the stigma away and makes it mainstream! Love the recipes too, because it’s the taste that is the biggest problem for me as I only do edibles and don’t smoke. SO much potential in this series, with the right dose of cozy and mystery! Can’t wait for more!

A quick and easy cozy mystery with likable and relatable characters.. Would recommend. Thank you to Emily George, NetGalley and Kensington Cozies for the arc of this book

I enjoyed this book. The characters are strong. The food sounds great. I was sad at who the killer is. #AHalfBakedMurder #NetGalley

Formally trained pastry chef Chloe Barnes is opening a cannabis bakery. That's not at all what the twenty eight year old envisioned while living the dream in Paris with a hot fiancé and a Michelin star restaurant gig around the corner. But the rising "it girl" of choux puffs rethinks everything after a scathing food review and humiliating breakup make her long for home in sunny California. When her beloved grandmother falls ill, Chloe returns to quaint Azalea Bay to start over in the most satisfying way possible concocting delicious edibles with her quirky Aunt Dawn.
Combining French luxury and THC, Baked by Chloe will take pot brownies to another level. That is, until a creepy past acquaintance rehashes old drama and shockingly turns up dead landing Aunt Dawn as the number one murder suspect. Now, alongside her closest confidants, a stunned Chloe must alternate between budding entrepreneur and amateur sleuth to clear her aunt's name, open the best bakery in town, and weed out the real culprit from a list of unsettling suspects!
Totally enjoyable read and totally recommend
Thank You NetGalley and Kensington Books
I just reviewed A Half-Baked Murder by Emily George. #AHalfBakedMurder #NetGalley

Kindle Copy for Review from Net Galley and Kensington Books.

I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.

This is a new series about a pastry chef who opens up a cannabis café. She dreamed of opening up a place in Paris with her boyfriend but soon her dream comes crashing down when they break up. She finds herself moving home and opening a bakery with her quirky aunt.

Things do not look good when an old acquaintances ends up dead and her aunt becomes the number one suspect. Will she be able to clear her aunt’s name before the business goes down in smoke?

It has potential to be a unique cozy series.

I love Chloe Barnes and this first in a new series is terrific! I'm so happy to see that someone started a series featuring cannabis.
Not only was this book informative, the characters are fresh, fun, and quirky. Grandma Rose and Aunt Dawn make the story even more colorful and I'm looking forward to watching their characters shine.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.
#AHalfBakedMurder #NetGalley