I really loved this first book in a new to my series and author. I can't wait to read the next one. The characters and location really add to the plot. This book keeps you guessing until the end.

A very cute cozy mystery. This book reads as a lot younger than most cozies to me. The topic of a weed cafe is unique, and really challenges the whitebread typical cozy set up. The author also talks body positivity, something cozies could use a lot more of. The mystery is gripping, though Chloe can be really dumb at times. I really enjoyed this book, I thought the narrator was good, and I would happily read the follow-ups in the series.

I really liked this!! Chloe Barnes is a relatable character. She leaves her small town in hopes of bigger and better things but when her life starts to fall apart she goes home. The book revolves around a murder but there are little twists here and there to keep you guessing, also little possibilities of a love interest.
It is a light hearted, cosy mystery that was quick and easy audiobook to listen to.

A cute story about Chloe a small girl who try’s to make it big in Paris as a chef but after her heart is broken she comes back home to help take care of the grandmother who raised her.

While experimenting with some cannabis infused recipes to help her grandmother with the side effects of chemo an idea is sparked that child help Chloe. When a murder happens in a small town you will likely know the murderer but when Chloe’s aunt dawn is suspected of the crime she makes it her mission to get it solved a d prove Dawn’s innocence.

The story and mystery were cute and kept moving never being dragged down, I loved all of the characters and can’t wait for the continuation of this story. Great recipes in the back as well, being a chronic pain sufferer I will be trying these out in the future. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

first and foremost, cozy mysteries are my favorite. They really are my soft spot. and then you add in the modern twist of making it about a Cannabis Cafe... I'm so in.

I really enjoyed this book thru and thru. I'll be honest, I know absolutely nothing about cannabis/weed. So all of that could have been off track. but I bought all of it.

I loved the friendship and relationship building. I love that I got in on this book series from the very beginning. I've already gone and followed the author on Amazon. I can't wait for book 2!

It was quite a decent murder story. It gave me Miss Marple vibes. Little town, everyone knows each other, murder happens on scene.
Until the last moments, I didn't think the killer was the one. Good writing there. The motif was understandable, I got bullied myself, so..
The love story is on the way, nice guy next door. Maybe too easy :D
Also. Why is that a secret that Donna is gay? :D

This was a cute and cozy mystery following Chloe who is a trained pastry artist who just recently moved back to azalea bay, ca from Paris after her fiance cheated on her. with all of her pastry skills her aunt encourages her to open a cannabis bakery for the medicinal needs, especially for her grandma rose who is currently going through chemo.
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I loved the small-town setting, all of the fun and sassy characters, and the many plots. This book is the perfect fast-paced cozy mystery.

A Half-Baked Murder is the first book in the Cannabis Cafe mysteries by Emily George. Protagonist Chloe Barnes has recently returned to her hometown of Azalea Bay to take care of her grandmother, who has recently been diagnosed with cancer. After spending five years in Paris as a pastry chef, she is well aware that there is little opportunity in her hometown to utilize her skills. However, after Grandma Rose's doctor recommends the use of cannabis to offset the side-effects of the chemotherapy, Chloe begins baking a variety of cannabis infused items and her Aunt Dawn comes up with a proposal for her to open a cafe that specializes in those types of products. Unfortunately, an former classmate of Chloe's attempts to force his way into her life and the next morning winds up dead in the park across Rose's house and because of threats made by Dawn, she soon becomes the primary suspect in the murder.

This book is a unique take on the typical restaurant/bakery cozy mystery setting and the author has created a diverse cast of characters that enrich the entire story. Within the various plot twists and red herrings, the author also gives significant insight into the utilization of alternative products for health purposes. As with most first in series books, the author was faced with the challenge of providing enough background and history to capture the reader's attention and leave them wanting to follow the characters through future installments. In this case, the challenge was met very quickly giving ample opportunity to flesh out the entire story through the remainder of the book which ultimately led to a surprising revelation of motive and killer. I look forward to seeing where the author takes this series and its characters in future installments.

The narrator on this audiobook did an excellent job of pacing and voice creation to enable the listener to easily follow the plotline and identify the various characters.

I received an ARC of this audiobook from NetGalley and Tantor Audio and am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was so fun and cute. I loved every minute of this audiobook. The combo of mystery and coming into her own made for such an enjoyable narrative.

This was a cute, easy read. I was not wowed by the mystery aspect as I thought it was quite predictable and a bit cheesy. But I do like the characters and I would be interested in listening to more in the series. Sometimes all I am looking for in a book is something light that keeps my attention and this one did!

Overall I would recommend it if you are looking for something light with a slight mystery.

3.5*
Pastry Chef Chloe Barnes moves back home from Paris after heartbreak and a hit to her career to help care for her grandmother. She decides to open a new bakery in town with a twist. When hometown bully gets murdered, Chloe does some investigating to help clear the name of a family member. Add in a splash of rom-com. This is a cute cozy mystery.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Chloe Barnes has her tail tucked between her legs and returns to her hometown of Azalea Bay after finding out that her fiance knocked someone up and her pastry got criticized by a food critic. As if things couldn't;t get any worse, her beloved Grandma Rose is battling cancer.

Confused as she may be as to what direction her life was headed, Chloe plans to be the pillar of strength her grandma needs during the difficult time, but the person who tried to harass her ends up dying in the park and her Aunt Dawn becomes one of the suspects in his murder.

I have to be honest, Chloe got on my nerves when she decided to take things into her own hands and do her own sleuthing. I understand that we will do everything in our power to protect our families but there's a fine line between being curious and not trusting the authorities to do their job.

This is my first Emily George book and it won't be my last. Read after a series of mystery thrillers that saw people getting killed left and right, this light read was just what I needed. I love the writing, the pace, and the twist which I didn't see coming.

I love the narrator, she was pleasant to the ears so I'll be on the lookout for more audiobooks narrated by her. Overall a lovely audiobook!

Thanks to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion.
#AHalfBakedMurder #NetGalley.

Thank you to NetGalley for the audiobook. The author was new to me and I look forward to more books from her.

When I say I judged the book by the title please believe that I did not read the small print, "Cannabis Murder Mystery" I loved it!

This book did not disappoint one bit, I liked the plot and how it all lead up to finding the murder.

My new favorite cozy mystery to listen to! Fantastic character development, wonderful plot with just enough twists and turns to keep you guessing without becoming convoluted. A unique take on the bakery and lots of information about the special ingredient used that I knew nothing about until reading this cozy. I am very excited to see where this series goes as it has a multigenerational and diverse cast with a variety of unique hobbies and jobs to keep the reader engaged and entertained! I can't wait to see where the author goes in the next book and I will definitely be looking for the audio version as the narration was outstanding. The narrator really brought the characters to life!

I love cozy mysteries. Most of them include cooking or baking, which is really a hit or miss for me, and this one was a hit!

I loved the extra element of using THC in the recipes, and thought this worked really well as a small town mystery.

The familial relationships are endearing and or course results in one of Chloe’s relatives as a suspect to the recent death of a former classmate who was continuing to harass Chloe.

I thought Emily George did a great job on the first in this series and I will definitely come back to read more.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

1.5 stars, rounded up.

I liked the premise of the book, but I felt that there was an over-explanation of things. In particular, it always seemed to be about Chloe’s past and her baking. The author would go into information overload explaining how to infuse and activate cannabis in Chloe’s baked goods. I felt it was unnecessary to the story and actually detracted from it because why would the main character be explaining this to herself? Every time there was an over-explanation, I would become removed from the story and annoyed.

Then, there’s also the constant repetition that doesn’t give any credit to the reader. For example, it’s mentioned over and over again how Chloe’s grandmother, Rose, has cancer and needs cannabis for her pain. Then it’s mentioned repeatedly how Grandma Rose is embarrassed about it and how Chloe wants to make it mainstream, so Grandma Rose doesn’t need to be ashamed of it.

This very much felt like a debut novel to me, and I think with some tweaking in future novels, it will be a much more enjoyable reading experience.

Chloe is a French-trained pastry chef who moves back home to California (after her fiancé cheats on her) to be with her sick grandmother and aunt. Chloe's quirky aunt convinces her to open her own bakery with her unique baked good infused with marijuana, and as thee two conspire to open the shop a murder is revealed! Chole's aunt is a suspect for the murder, and Chloe jumps on the case as detective to save her family, even if it puts her in harm's way.

This book reminded me a lot of Adobo & Arsenic, and Halo Halo & Homicide - cute cozy mysteries with clever women and a love interest. The audio narration was done well, and it was a fun story, just lacking in depth of plot and character.

Im sorry i couldnt get into this book. Maybe its just me but i could not get into the plot. Or storyline and disliked the narrator. Hope someone else will.enjoy it just wasnt for me

This was such an interesting take on a new cozy mystery series. I applaud the author for capitalizing on the cannabis industry and its legality in certain states and turning it into a cozy series. I mean if you can have multiple cozy series about people owning bakeries, why not throw pot into the mix. I do wish that this installment had gotten to the baking and owning a shop a little bit faster. I know it was having to set up the scene for additional series installments, but I think I would have liked it even better if we could have seen the shop up and running. Overall, I still enjoyed and will definitely be reading any additional installments.

I listened to the audiobook version of A Half-Baked Murder. The narration was excellent and all the voices were fantastic. Chloe Barnes is a likable character who is at a turning point in her life. The story plot about her and opening her new cannabis cafe' was an interesting storyline. The secondary characters of her quirky Aunt Dawn and ailing grandmother are lovable. The murder plot was not my favorite and it was hard for me to connect the two plots in the book. I also felt the book was not quite finished at the end. It is the first book in a series and I would have liked a little more wrapping everything up at the end.