I was initially deterred from this piece by the low reviews on Netgalley, but since it is a debut series, I really wanted to give it a try. And overall, it’s not that bad. The concept isn’t super strong, but it’s still fun and quirky. Yes, the female lead sounds and acts a bit naively sometimes, but she’s quite alright and endearing personality-wise, and has room for character development in the next installments.

I hope the author will improve the dialogues which sometimes felt a bit forced and unnatural. But otherwise, it was actually a fun, easy read mystery novel. I really enjoyed the very strong persona of Marci’s aunt Barb, she’s a very entertaining, original character. I’ll definitely give the sequel a try and hope that Maverick and Marci finally make it happen.

Macarons Can Be Murder by Rose Betancourt is the first book in the Paris Kentucky Bakery Mystery series. This is a fun cozy mystery. I really liked the characters. Amateur sleuth Marci Beaucoup does a good job helping to solve the murder. I just wish she wasn't so flighty and there weren't two guys in the picture. .Aunt Barb is a real hoot! I like the names of Marci's cat: Pepe Le Pew. This looks like it will be a fun series to follow.

Fun, cute cozy mystery! The bakery sounds adorable and I want all the sweets now. Plus a dog and cat animal sidekicks? Double the fun. This was a cute story and it would be fun to see more of these characters.

If you're looking for a quick, easy cozy read, check this one out. The premise was rather cute, an "all things French" protagonist who names her cat Pepe le Pew, and Fifi is her dog's name. She calls her bakery La Belle Patisserie. Oh, and Marci's full name? Marci Beaucoup. So, yes, she's into all things French, so much so that it got a bit cheesy. A French cheese, I'm sure. And, oh, she's living in Paris, that is Paris, Kentucky. Customers seem to think there's a bit of magic in her bakery offerings. Then a body is found outside her shop.

Although I've read author Rose Betacourt before and fully enjoyed her work, unfortunately I had a hard time connecting with Marci. To be honest, it's probably because Marci annoyed me more than she intrigued me. Someone says "Good Morning" to her and she says "Bonjour", for instance. Very heavy handed with the all things French thing. I see possibilities with it but hope it is dialed back a bit as the series progresses.

Marci also spent way too much time musing in her head, totally ignoring the reality of her situation at any given time. In many cases, her mind wandering off into fantasies of the two main men in her orbit. I swear, if this were a tv show, they'd show stars in her eyes every time she spies a good looking guy. Anyway, the few times she actually questions a suspect her questions are, well, less than subtle. Needless to say, she finds herself in danger.

Don't get me wrong. I didn't dislike this book. I just didn't love it. There's promise in here for the series as it progresses and we get to know the supporting cast better. For instance, I'd love to know more about the supporting characters, especially Aunt Barb. A military cook? And, hey, is that a romance we see budding for Aunt Barb as the book ends. I'm not a fan of love triangles, so I won't even comment on Marci's status. To each his own.

Bottom line, an easy, reasonably quick read. Sure I rolled my eyes frequently but I kept reading. So, give it a try. Thanks #NetGalley and #CrookedLaneBooks. I'll definitely be curious to see where this one takes Marci's story next.

First in a new series that I look forward to seeing how it moves forward. Marci is desperate to prove that the handsome stranger in town is not a murderer so that her bakery does not have to move. The plot is fine but the characters are not exceptional.

"Macarons Can Be Murder" by Rose Betancourt has the makings of a good cozy mystery series first book. Most of the characters are enjoyable and a majority of the story was well thought out.

I really hope the "love triangle" is worked out in the next book. I find it more annoying than intriguing. It doesn't really add to the story. I say drop the French guy as a love interest and work out the Sherif backstory/path a bit more.

Only other big complaint is that Marci needs to be flushed out as a main character a bit more. Through out most of the book she self describes herself has pretty impulsive and stubborn. Then after she's kidnapped she thinks to herself that people wouldn't think she's spontaneous. So, which is it?

I really hope we get a couple Aunt Barb centered books. She seems like a character with a lot of history that could be worked with.

I really enjoyed this cozy mystery! My first book by this author and I hope to read more. I liked the characters thought the story was fun! Enjoyed the mystery!

This is the first in the A Paris Kentucky Mystery series, and I had high hopes for it. I’ve read the author’s other works and enjoyed them. And the cover is adorable, because, KITTY! And MACARONS! I admit to being confused as to whether this is the first in this series as the main character, Marci, alludes to other mysteries and friends.

In my opinion, the characters could be much stronger, especially Marci. It feels as if she’s very naive in the ways of life. She’s constantly running scenarios through her head, and second-guessing herself. The characters sound too much alike, no individuality.

I feel that the series could have great growth with a strong editor partnering with the author. There is potential for this series, and I’m hopeful about reading future books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for allowing me to read a copy of the book.

I wanted to really enjoy this read, but it was just meh. The main character's behavior didn't feel believable. And the murdered wasn't a surprise. The end felt a little abrupt.

This was an advanced copy via NetGalley.

I really enjoyed this cozy mystery. I didn’t guess the twist at the end but I could see the clues that led us there by the end. I like both love interests and am curious to see where the relationships go in the rest of the series.

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of MACARONS CAN BE MURDER (Book 1 of the Paris Kentucky Mysteries) by Rose Betancourt in exchange for an honest review. Marci Beaucoup owns and operates a bakery called La Belle Patisserie in Paris, Kentucky. When a woman is killed in front of her shop and Marci's new beau becomes a person of interest, Marci finds herself trying to figure out whether the new beau is un bon homme or persona non grata.

I liked this book and thought it was a good start to a new series. I recommend this book to fans of cozy murder mysteries featuring bakeries.

#MacaronsCanBeMurder #NetGalley

This was a pretty standard cozy mystery. Perhaps Betancourt was setting the groundwork for a new series in this debut for the series.

I'm not surprised by anything that happened. It's a pretty easy-to-believe story and nothing stood out to me as groundbreaking. It's the book you should read if you're in the mood for normalcy.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to review.

This book was unfortunately not for me. My expectations of the book based on the cover and the descriptions did not get met. It's a nice read, but it didn't have the super cozy vibe I expected it to have, the story was mostly super predictable and the characters didn't manage to grab my attention either.

When I heard about the series, I just had to give her a try. French/Paris themed shop and pastries, a striped cat named Pepe, and a cozy mystery all wrapped into one book? Yes, please!

I'm glad I decided to give this series a try. I really enjoyed reading this book and you can't help but root for the protagonist Marci and her shop. This book was different and refreshing to read. I recommend readers check out this book! The author did a wonderful job with introducing this series to readers.

My thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGallery for a digital copy of this book. I look forward to reading more of Rose Betancourt's works!

I gave Macarons Can Be Murder by Rose Betancourt 2.75 stars

This was just an okay cozy mystery, nothing I will remember, really. There were many things about it that I didn't like, and since I read mostly cozy mysteries, this book ends up at the bottom for me.

First of all, the main character, she was very naive and the choices she made were so stupid (even for being a cozy mystery). It was also not focused on the mystery, rather more on Marci Beaucoup's lack of detective skills. It felt very repetitive at times and since we didn't have many suspects, the ending didn't come as a surprise.

So why not give it a 1 star? Well, I liked reading about her day-to-day life running the café. The beginning was okay, but the rest of the book fell flat for me.

This book comes out July 11

Thank you Net Galley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review

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Dreams do come true. But sometimes they come with a catch. This is what Marci quickly discovers when a body is found outside her shop. The writing is very playful and maintains an upbeat tone throughout as the mystery unfolds. Betancourt makes great use of humor through Marci's personality and her delightful way of sleuthing - which involves a date with a suspect. The characters are great, especially Aunt Barb whose spunk plays off Marci's attitude in fun ways. She's also a catalyst for a lot of Marci's investigating and is a constant encouragement for finding answers themselves. It's a lot of fun to read and highly recommended for those that enjoy cozies and mysteries.

I think this book was a alright start. It has a good foundation but was kind of boring. I love Rose's books so I was surprised at how this one didn't have her normal flare. There was parts that skipped around and I was like wait, wait how can That person be here and there at the same time. There was some much needed editing and proofreading. I stayed confused about was the MC's cooking magic or just luck on her part.. The love triangle was okay.. You know she was going to pick the police man. There was no magic there. Just obvious choice. I really liked the description of the characters and hope that everything gets developed for the next book. I received this book through Netgalley for a honest review.

I just couldn't get into this book. The main character, Marcie Beaucoup, was just too flighty and naïve for me. Some of the lines and the plot just didn't come across as believable. Unfortunately, this is one cozy I cannot recommend.

I did not enjoy this, although the general mystery was interesting and the writing wasn't bad but I found the jokes and characters fell flat. I did not enjoy the love triangle and found the main characters name cringey. I just could not get absorbed into the general story and sadly it was not for me.

I received this advance reader copy via Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books, in return for an honest review. This first in a new series has potential if the author can make the protagonist a more relatable and likable character. The premise is fun with a group of town characters to build upon, including her aunt who is a former military cook. A dog and cat are also present, although I question how they’re allowed to roam freely through her bakery (I’d hesitate to buy from the shop, although the contents are reputed to be magic!). Hopefully, the next in this series makes the protagonist more appealing.