Leila Khoury's best friend Heather's wedding is coming up, and Leila will do anything to make sure it lives up to all her sweetest dreams. When Heather's rich and backstabbing aunt was found dead after her biradial shower , Leila will have to find the killer before Heather's dream wedding becomes a nightmare.
I liked this one, but not loved it. The mystery part is good enough. the romance part is quite good. But I find out that Heather is really annoying, She as a main character of the book. the personality is so unlikable.
3.75 stars

Overall good mystery that held my attention. I am not a big fan of Leila and her need to investigate and put her business on hold; she frequently depends on others to do for her so she can sleuth. Some of the characters were annoying and overexaggerated; there was a lot of repetition of the clues and there was so much extraneous detail that was not needed when referring to everyone’s actions; it all seemed like filler. I’ll read one more and hope I can connect more with Leila.

When syrup farm owner Leila agrees to throw an epic bridal shower for her BFF Heather, she knows she may have to deal with her terrible aunt--but she doesn't expect to find the woman dead afterwards! When Heather's uncle insists they postpone the wedding until the killer is caught, Heather insists she and Leila look into the crime. But when the two women start digging their noses into the murder, they find that the victim made even more enemies than anticipated and Leila is threatened. Will they find the killer or become the next victims?

I jumped into book two without having read book one, but plan to go back and give the first a go! This book managed to not spoil the first one, which I appreciate, and it teased it enough to make me curious to hear how it turned out. This book, meanwhile had a lot to love: an unlikable victim, a great BFF relationship, stakes for our amateur sleuths causing them to get involved, a love interest, and an interesting conclusion to the mystery. It hit a lot of cozy staples, and is a solid read for its genre.

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 8/10

I think Heather Turcot was a spoiled brat. She only cared about having her big fancy wedding. I liked Toast the cat, Jason Ambrose, and Detective Ryan Barnes. I wasn't sure who the killer was.

I received an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley for an honest review.

Syrup To No Good
Maple Syrup Mysteries, Book #2
Catherine Bruns
5 Stars

Synopsis:

"With romance, recipes, and a murderer on the loose, this book will delight fans of Joanne Fluke, Jenn McKinlay, or Laura Childs." —Booklist
Spring has finally come to Sugar Ridge, Vermont, and with it the end of syrup-making season. But Leila Khoury, new owner of Sappy Endings Farm, won't be making like molasses any time soon. Her best friend Heather's wedding is coming up, and Leila will do anything to make sure it lives up to all her sweetest dreams.
Even with Leila's own romantic past stirring up trouble, everything is going to plan until the bridal shower ends up with a body count.
Heather's rich and backstabbing aunt had a whole orchard of enemies, so Leila will have her work cut out for her. Can she tap the killer before Heather's dream wedding becomes a nightmare?
Includes delicious Middle Eastern recipes! (Amazon)


Review:


The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. Leila is taking care of Sappy Endings Farm and getting things ready for her best friend’s wedding. When the shower is over, so is her aunt’s life. Leila will have to figure out who the killer is and why or else there will not be a wedding. As maid of honor, she cannot let that happen.

The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and these descriptions pulled me into the story from the very beginning. Whether I was watching Leila working at the farm or getting ready for Heather’s shower, I felt that I was right there, watching all the action taking place. The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. The mystery was well plotted and there were enough clues to sift through and suspects to consider.


I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. It will be tough to wait for the next book in the series (I want to read it now).

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Poison Pen Press, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.

In the second book in The Maple Syrup Mysteries Leila Khoury is busy running her family Sappy Endings Farm and planning her best friend Heather’s wedding. When Heather’s aunt arrives for the wedding festivities then ends up dead Leila must find the killer before the IDos .

This is such a great series , Bruns creates a fun cozy that will have you guessing until the very end .

Recipes are included at the end of the novel.

I just reviewed Syrup to No Good by Catherine Bruns. #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

Syrup-making season has come to an end but that doesn't mean Lelia will be taking a break. Her best friend Heather is getting married soon and as maid of honor Lelia has a ton of responsibilities to handle. She soon learns things aren't going to go as smoothly as she hoped when Heathers rich aunt shows up to the shower and acts like she should be waited on hand and foot. It gets even worse when Lelia finds the Aunt dead in her car after the shower is over. Heather is worried there won't be a wedding with the death of her Aunt. Lelia doesn't want her to worry and begins her own investigation to make sure the wedding will indeed happen. Follow along and see if the killer will be caught and if the wedding will go off without a hitch.

In this second book of the Maple Syrup mystery series, our heroine Leila Khoury has reconciled herself with inheriting her father’s Sappy Endings maple farm. It helps that she’s discovered that she not only likes running the business, but is pretty darn good at it, too. She’s also secretly pleased to be back in her childhood home with her new love interest Noah Rivers, as well as with her lifelong best friend Heather Turcot.

Heather is actually about to get married, in what’s shaping up to be the wedding ceremony of her dreams. She is a little worried though that her parents are relying way too much on her Uncle Grant to finance the festivities. Grant Butterfield married into wealth, and his wife Monica is always happy to flaunt that fact. Because of this and Monica’s general disdain for social niceties, Heather is hesitant to involve her in the wedding planning any more than necessary. Heather does, however, feel obligated to invite Monica to the bridal shower Leila is organizing, where Leila gets an eyeful of just how awful Monica can be.

Still, that’s no preparation for Leila finding Monica stabbed to death in her car shortly after the shower is over. A grieving Grant refuses to shell out another penny for the wedding until Monica’s killer is caught. While Heather wants to respect his grief, the wedding is only weeks away. With non-refundable deposits on the line, Heather asks Leila for help in speeding along the process of figuring out who murdered her aunt by marriage. After all, Leila successfully apprehended her own father’s killer, and at no small risk to herself.

There’s no way Leila would let her best friend down, even as the return of Leila’s ex-fiance brings a whole new set of complications to her already chaotic life. Will Leila be able to prevail over all these challenging circumstances, or will a crafty killer make her their next victim?

In all honesty, I found Leila to be unnecessarily judgmental in this series’ debut installment, so was genuinely pleased at how she’s loosened up somewhat in this book. I loved, too, how Catherine Bruns showcases Lebanese culture, even as Leila both embraces her heritage and resists the pressure to mindlessly propagate it. I really adored how her mother Selma, despite several difficult moments, overcame her own highly critical nature and affirmed Leila’s belief that mutual care and happiness are the most important things in a romantic relationship, not convention and cultural expectations.

There were six delicious maple and/or Lebanese American recipes included here. It was difficult trying to figure out what to make, but I finally decided on this dessert, edited slightly for space:

QUOTE
Salted Maple Pie

One 9-inch pie crust [blind-baked]
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 ¼ sticks), melted and cooled
1 cup dark robust maple syrup
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
¼ cup fine yellow cornmeal
Heaping ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 ¼ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 large egg, beaten
Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter and maple syrup. Whisk in the brown sugar, cornmeal, and kosher salt. In another medium bowl, crack the 3 eggs and add the yolk. Add the cream and vanilla and whisk until combined. Slowly pour the egg mixture into the maple mixture and whisk just until combined.

Place the blind-baked [pie crust] on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush the crimped edge with the beaten egg. Pour the maple filling into the pie shell until it reaches the bottom of the crimps.

Transfer the baking sheet with the pie on it to the oven and bake for 45 to 60 minutes, until the edges are puffed and the center jiggles only slightly when shaken. It will continue to set as it cools.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and transfer the pie to a wire rack to cool for 4 to 6 hours. Once fully cooled and at room temperature, sprinkle generously with flaky sea salt. Store leftover pie, well wrapped in plastic wrap or under a pie dome, at room temperature for up to 3 days. Makes 8 to 10 servings.
END QUOTE

Oh, this is such a wonderful dessert! It’s very reminiscent of a chess pie, only with a distinct maple flavor, of which I am a huge fan. It actually reminded me a lot of a pie-sized egg tart, which is one of my favorite desserts. The flaky sea salt garnish is an excellent addition, perfectly balancing out the sweetness of the filling. The pie overall is pretty easy to make, and such a great anytime treat.

Next week, we travel to France to cook up a satisfyingly savory dish while exploring the setting of a beloved mystery series. Do join me!

The second Maple Syrup Mystery finds Leila preparing for her best friend l, Heather’s wedding. Things go awry though when Heather’s aunt is murdered and her wedding will be postponed unless Leila can find the killer.

I enjoyed this sequel! This series is a really enjoyable cozy with, with good pacing, clues, investigating, etc. We also got some good character development in this one! Can’t wait for the next one!

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Syrup to No Good by Catherine Bruns takes us back to Maine and to Sappy Endings, where maple everything is for sale. Leila Khoury, a second generation Lebanese has taken over the farm after her father’s murder six months earlier. Her mother handles the baking; Noah Rivers, her boyfriend and employee handles the vats and other heavy work; and she handles everything in between. She has made some changes and the business is doing well. So well, they need to find some more help. But, right now she is consumed with the wedding of her best friend, Heather, beginning with a shower she is hosting this weekend in her honor. Everything is all set. She had been warned about Heather’s aunt, who was apparently a handful, but that would work itself out, which it did by someone murdering the woman. It was hard to find sympathy for the woman as she had not been very nice, but this?

Leila can’t help herself. She told herself it was to save Heather’s wedding and it was, but the truth was, she liked sleuthing. Noah didn’t want her to put herself in danger and she promised to be careful. Then, on top of everything else, her ex-fiance, Mark, showed up. He was still her mother’s first choice as he was Lebanese, too. It was all too much. She and Heather made several trips to see Heather’s uncle, believing he held the key to solving the murder, which, as it turns out, he did. It was a fun story, with plenty of twists and turns and subplots to keep the reader engaged. This is truly an entertaining cozy read with interesting and varied characters and situations. A reader would not be sorry after picking this one up.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Syrup to No Good by Poisoned Pen Press through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #PoisonedPenPress #CatherineBruns #SyrupToNoGood

This was so awesome! A early hidden clue led me to the killer and I ended up being right, but I enjoyed everything about this story especially how much closer Noah and Leila got after she’d been faced with her romantic past. I loved that she held onto the fact that Noah’s a great guy.

After another attempt on her life, it sure didn’t seem like Leila was gonna get out from the showdown alive, but never underestimate a loving mom! Leila had gotten involved sleuthing because of her bestie’s wedding plans being threatened to be cancelled, but everything worked out great in the end, which was super sweet!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

Syrup to No Good is book #2 in the Maple Syrup Mysteries series by Catherine Bruns.

I like the friendship between Leila and Heather. The characters are well-developed and the setting at Sappy Endings in Vermont is interesting. The murder of the wedding shower guest was challenging as the victim was rather abrasive leading to quite a pool of suspects. There are yummy sounding recipes included.

Thank you to the author, Poisoned Pen Press, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC . Opinions are my own

Great follow up to the first book in the series titled A Droomful of Sugar. The main character Leila is now fully running her late father's maple syrup farm and helping her best friend plan her over the top wedding. During the wedding shower the bride's aunt is found dead and Leila puts on her detective cap to help the police solve the crime and get her friend to the alter ---but not before more bodies are found and not before Leila puts her own life in danger. Will Leila find the murderer in time and will she herself survive?

I loved the first book and the 2nd (which can be read on its own ) book does not disappoint. Leila is such a likable character and her family and friends and her lovely orange cat make the story all the more enjoyable and compelling. There are many suspects to consider and the writing is crisp making for a page turning , can't put it down novel. And as with any good cozy mystery , recipes are included at the end of the book!

I look forward to the 3rd book in this series and seeing what mysteries Leila finds herself involved in and how her life continues to evolve.

Reviewed on Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5879260562 and on Amazon

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Syrup to No Good by Catherine Bruns is the second book in the Maple Syrup Mysteries, and it makes me want to go back for seconds and thirds!

Bruns knows how to write a good mystery with lots of suspects, peppered with a couple of red herrings. And her characters are always so well developed. Leila’s ex-fiance shows up in this one, and I wanted to strangle him myself. The way Bruns deals with his character’s outcome was fantastic, and helped in the relationship growth between Leila and her mother, which was wonderful.

I was a bit annoyed with the way Leila dealt with holding back information to the detective. Towards the end, she knows who the killer is, but instead of actually telling the detective in the message she left, she just goes to her farm which has no one else there.
I know it’s for the drama, and many cozies do this, but it felt really, really off in this instance.

But that won’t stop me from reading more books in this series, or any of the other series that Bruns writes. And I highly recommend you get yourself a copy of Syrup to No Good, and check out all her other cozies!

Syrup to No Good by Catherine Bruns takes us on a journey to Sugar Ridge, Vermont where Leila Khoury’s best friend, Heather is getting married in two weeks. Unfortunately, the murder of Heather’s aunt could halt her nuptials unless the killer is found. Syrup to No Good is the second book in A Maple Syrup Mysteries. Syrup to No Good can be read as a standalone. If you read A Doomful of Sugar (the first book in A Maple Syrup Mysteries) it will give you the backstory on the characters and it will clue you in on their relationships. I found Syrup to No Good to be easy to read. I did find some of the characters to be exaggerated. Their attitudes were over the top (I found myself rolling my eyes). I was not a fan of Leila’s ex-boyfriend. I did not understand why she felt she needed to go to dinner with him (if you are over him, just say no). I felt that she did not need to appease him or cause more drama (there was enough palaver). I was not a fan of the drama between Leila and her mother (reminiscent of teenage fights between a mother and daughter). It was obvious that the aunt was going to be the victim (the woman was nasty). She seemed to delight in saying mean things to people. Her gifts were in poor taste. The suspect list, naturally, is lengthy. The killer can be identified easily. The details regarding the murder and the victim as well as the clues are repeated over, and over, and over. There is a tense reveal, and we learn why the killer did away with the victim. I was curious as to how the victim could be so rich when she only owned a small jewelry store in a strip mall. I wanted to tell Heather’s father to grow a backbone. I enjoyed learning how maple syrup candy is made. Leila’s mother is a talented cook and baker. It is also interesting to learn about the food from other cultures (in this case Lebanese). Syrup to No Good is a sticky tale with scrumptious candy, a bloody bridal shower, an offensive victim, a surfeit of suspects, wedding woes, an ex-beau with an ego, mama drama, and sugaring off the maple syrup.

Syrup to No Good by Catherine Bruns
Maple syrup mysteries series #2. Cozy mystery. Can be read as a stand-alone.
With the syrup-making season over, Leila Khoury can focus on the bridal shower for her best friend Heather. When a relative of the bride is found dead in her car after the shower, Leila finds herself in the middle of another murder investigation and getting threats to stop or else!

Cozy mystery style with multiple “kills” as Leila asks questions and puts the clues together while also keeping her own business running. Her former fiancé returns to town and Leila has to remind her mother that they lost a lot of money when he left her in the past. Leila also needs to keep the manager of the farm in mind as she focuses on the murder. Their relationship is new and she doesn’t want it interrupted.
Captivating mystery as we learn more background and family dynamics of Leila.

Recipes included at the end of the book include the Maple Bundt cake from the story that made my mouth water, as well Maamoul Cookies, Kibbi, and a couple of others.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley.

I fell in love with the lovely cover and loved this well plotted and entertaining cozy mystery
A solid mystery, a cast of characters well developed and likeable.
It kept me guessing and entertained.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Spring has come to New England and with it Leila’s friend Heather’s wedding. Leila is the maid of honor and highly involved in the wedding preparations. Heather’s aunt Monica is an unwelcome addition to the celebrations, even more so when she is murdered after the bridal shower.
With Heather’s wedding on the line, Leila and Heather set out to find the murderer.
The themes in this book focus on friendships and family relationships. I enjoyed reading Syrup to No Good. I like learning about maple syrup and visiting a maple farm/establishment.
If you like cozy mysteries, the Maple Syrup mysteries are ones you’ll want to check out.
Thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read this book.

Dollycas's Thoughts

It's syrup-making season in Sugar Ridge, Vermont, and the new owner of Sappy Endings Farm, Leila Khoury has a lot on her plate. In addition to her duties on the farm, her best friend Heather is getting married and Leila wants to make all her dreams come true. That means giving her the best bridal shower ever. Things get a little tense when Heather's rich Aunt Monica shows up but even with her outbursts Heather and Leila feel the event was a success.

Then, after the shower, Leila finds Aunt Monica dead in her car. Lord knows, the woman had made her share of enemies but who would actually kill her? and why would they do it at Heather's shower?

Now, Heather's wedding is in jeopardy. Her family is up in arms and the only way the rest of her dreams can come true is to find the killer. Things could get very sticky before Leila can make that happen, especially with all the people Monica has backstabbed. She just needs to know, who turned the tables on Heather's aunt?

_______

I really enjoy the friendship between Leila and Heather. Leila is busy with the farm but her friend Heather needs her more than ever. Somehow Leila finds a way to get everything done and still has time to do a lot of sleuthing with Heather. Her relationship with Noah is new. He has a delightful 6-year-old daughter, Emma and Leila is starting to fall hard for them both while understanding Noah's need to take things slow. Leila also has to deal with her mother and an unexpected blast from her past. As a mother, I was not a fan of Leila's but by the end of the story, my feelings started to change. We are also introduced to several new characters including a new detective. Great characters make you feel emotions. Some you really want to root for. Others, you jump into the book and have a serious discussion with or worse. Ms. Burns has given us great characters, both in the core characters and those added just for this story.

The mystery of Monica's death is complicated with several suspects, motives, and a unique weapon. Leila and Heather delve into them all but Leila really takes some risks that put her in the killer's sights. Ms. Burns sets a quick pace and the killer was a busy person. I love to try to solve the mystery before the protagonist but this time I stuck right with Leila through all the twists and turns. The showdown had me on the edge of my seat and the pages were flying. I wouldn't have been surprised if my Kindle had started smoking.

I really enjoy the details of syrup making and all the delicious treats that are created with it throughout the book. Six recipes follow the story including a traditional Middle Eastern cookie that may not include maple syrup but sure sounds yummy.

Syrup to No Good is a superb follow-up to A Doomful of Sugar. Well-plotted and written I was thoroughly entertained. I am very excited about the third book in this series. I need to see what Ms. Burns has in store for her characters and if my new feelings about Selma Khoury stick.