“ Three Fudges and a Baby” book 13 in the Candy-Coated Mystery series by Nancy Coco. I really love this series and visiting Mackinac Island!

When her pregnant best friend’s doula is found with a smoking gun, fudge maker Allie McMurphy’s sleuthing becomes a labor of love . . .

DID THE DOULA DO IT?

I found myself engrossed in the story and reading in a couple days. The mystery is interesting and well plotted, and I loved the characters which are well developed.

I kept guessing and second-guessing myself on whodunnit right to the very end. I did figure out who the villain was shortly before Allie did.

I recommend this book to all my cozy lover friends and can’t wait for the next instalment to come out!

I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Kensington Books and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Nancy Coco presents us with another exciting trip to Mackinac Island with Three Fudges and a Baby, the 12th book in her Cany-Coated mystery series. I love all of the central characters in this series; they are the reason I keep coming back; in fact, we met a couple of new people that I hope will be in the next book. The mystery was interesting, but Allie's investigation frustrated me a bit. I think she was off her stride because she was so distracted by her best friend's imminent delivery, her snobbish domineering mother, and her relationship with Rex. Jenn is expecting any minute and her doula, childbirth support person, is under arrest for murder, so the soon-to-be mother and best friend is frantic. I guess a baby running two weeks late could do that to a first-time mother. Allie's demanding mother arrives with a very wealthy ex-boyfriend, and anyone can image how well that goes. I don't feel Allie's love for Rex, and having the rich ex around isn't helping his feelings for her.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Cozies for allowing me to read Three Fudges and a Baby, a fun, light read reconnecting us with characters we care about.
#NetGalley #KensingtonCozies #KensingtonBooks #NacyCoCo #Candy-CoatedMystery

Allie’s best friend, Jenn, is about to give birth and is planning to give birth on the island with a doulah and a midwife. When Allie and Jenn find Hannah, the doulah, holding a gun next to the body of her boyfriend, Hannah is quickly arrested. Jenn panics at not having Hannah to help her and begs Allie to find the real murderer. Allie’s snooping causes trouble between her and her boyfriend. Then there is her mother’s interference and pushinenss.
Set on Mackinac Island and including a fudge shop, this is a fun cozy mystery series. The characters are likable and relatable and this book continues to be an enjoyable read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC.

Another delightfully silly cozy mystery. This is a great series with lots of fun and familiar favorites. I love the recipes interspersed and the great descriptions throughout. The stories are silly and somewhat unbelievable, but that's the charm. I love that things take place at actual locations on the island, which makes it feel more real. Please keep this series going, it's a fun and happy escape each time!

Another trip to Mackinac Island with Allie and another mystery. This time, we find Allie's best friend, Jenn, two weeks overdue with her first baby. When Allie and Jenn try to meet up with the doula, they instead find the doula standing over a dead body with a smoking gun in hand. No one believes she could have done it, but an ambitious DA has her locked up immediately. It is a race against time for Allie to find the real culprit before Jenn goes into labor. I like this mystery series a lot. There are some great characters, and the setting is fantastic! Thank you to Kensington and Netgalley for the advanced copy.

Spring has sprung and tourist season is just beginning on Mackinac Island. With Jenn due to give birth at any time, Allie is ready when she is. Though when Jenn’s Doula is arrested for the murder of her fiancé, Allie agrees to try and clear the Doula,, so that she can be with Jenn when she gives birth.

Hannah clearly loved her fiancé, but witnesses claim to have seen the fighting right before the shooting and she was found with a smoking gun in her hand. Who really wanted the man dead, or does Hannah just not remember pulling the trigger. Can Ally figure it out before Jenn truly goes into labor?

I have long love this series and enjoy each and every entry. Apparently, I’m not the only one, as this is the 12th book in this sweet and delicious series. I was taking the time away and being able to transport myself to Mackinac Island and trying to solve a mystery right along with Ally and the gang. It is the perfect escape.

In this fudge book we are back on Mackinac Island. Allie gets drawn into a mystery because her friend is pregnant and really needs her doula who is accused of murdering her boyfriend. There are some relationship bumps in the way of an old boyfriend and her mother. There is concentration on two suspects and no one else. It is obvious who the killer is.

Nancy CoCo is a new to me Author and I’m impressed with the first book of her’s that I’ve read. I loved her writing style and she has completely won me over. Three Fudges and a Baby is the twelfth book in CoCo’s Candy Coated Mysteries. I didn’t have a bit of trouble keeping up with the story. I was drawn into the book and my interest was further peaked as I turned the pages. I do feel it’s better to start a series with book one but I had an opportunity to read an arc copy and thought I would give it a try. I loved the book and I have found a new Cozy mystery Author. I loved that the geographical location for these murder mysteries is Mackinac Island in Michigan. I’m familiar with this area.
Early in the book main character, sleuth Allie and her friend Jenn come upon a dead body while they are out for a walk. Jenn’s doula is in a daze and covered with blood. She’s holding a smoking gun and sitting on a stairway from her apartment, that comes down to the street . The murder victim is the doula’s fiancé. It doesn’t look good for Hannah Riverslund. She’s holding a gun at the scene of the crime. Earlier that morning Hannah and the victim, Matthew Jones were heard arguing loudly and now he’s dead. But there wasn’t any witnesses and no one heard a gunshot. Allie questions the new D.A. decision to arrest Hannah for the murder of her fiancé. Something isn’t right and everyone says Hannah wouldn’t kill anyone. If there is even a shred of doubt Allie feels led to investigate the murder. She wants to be sure the wrong person hasn’t been arrested while the real murderer runs free.
I recommend this book to readers of Cozy Mystery and to Fans of the Author. This book is scheduled to be released on 3/26/24.
I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed here in this review are my own.
#ThreeFudgesandaBaby #NetGalley

Jenn is about ready to pop with her new baby (son or daughter, we don't know yet!) Her dream is to have her baby on the island but the clinic isn't equipped for that so Jenn finds a midwife and a doula and makes arrangements to allow her to have her baby at the clinic. Everything is going great until her doula, Hannah, is found in the alley behind her apartment with a smoking gun in her hand and her dead fiancé, Matthew, at her feet. Jenn demands that Allie figure out who really killed Matthew so Hannah can be present for her delivery.

I will start out by saying that I had very definite feelings about a lot of the things that happened in this book. Though I didn't like a lot of it, it's a sign of a well-written book if it can evoke strong feelings in the reader. That being said, the things that bothered me were many. Jenn being at least three weeks past her due date when the baby was born was unrealistic. I can't imagine that being allowed to happen, if only because the baby would be enormous and the likelihood of being delivered by a midwife at a clinic (particularly one not prepared to perform a C-section) at that point would surely be very, very small.

Another thing that bothered me was Allie's mom. She's really something else. She's only concerned about having grandchildren and having a son-in-law she can brag about. Allie's passions and feelings are meaningless to her mom, she only cares about what she wants for Allie, not what Allie wants for herself. Which unfortunately is very realistic. Also, Allie's mom trying to foist Brett upon Allie even though he's not Allie's type at all was super annoying. Allie's only response to her mom's overstepping was "I love you," which felt almost as though she was inviting the abuse.

I felt like the investigation was a bit clunky and marred by some silly arguments that popped up between Allie and Rex. In the past I've felt that Allie's stubbornness when it comes to others worrying about her safety was a bit childish and I felt that here too. She overreacts and assumes people are just trying to tell her what to do and I find that a bit annoying. People who care about her should be telling her to be careful, she shouldn't be faulting them for that. I also thought it was odd that Allie didn't speak to one critical witness until very near the end of the story. The suspects were few and the killer was quite clear from very early in the story. That's not necessarily a bad thing but it took some fun out of the investigation.

Overall, I did enjoy this story though it was probably one of my least favorite of the series. I love the setting on Mackinac Island and the McMurphy Hotel is very cool. The fudge recipes all sound really good, though I have never tried to make any of them. I also appreciate that they're not all chocolate based, some are other flavors and chocolate-free. Though this wasn't my favorite of the series, this is still a series I highly recommend.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

Three Fudges and a Baby by Nancy Coco is the twelfth A Candy-Coated Mystery. It can be read as a standalone for those who are new to the series or who have missed a book or two. Tourist season is getting ready to begin on Mackinac Island and Allie has still not found an assistant to help make fudge. Allie’s bestie, Jenn Carpenter is two weeks overdue which has Jenn and her husband, Shane on edge. Allie’s mother decides to make a surprise visit with Allie’s ex-boyfriend. I did not like that the mother expected Allie to drop everything to entertain her. The mother also kept pushing the ex-boyfriend at Allie knowing that she is dating someone. The mystery was simple. I was able to identity the killer before the murder took place. Allie manages to do a little sleuthing in between making fudge, helping Jenn, trying to please her mother, and walking Mal. There is a good wrap up at the end. There are continuity issues in the book. Allie gets told the same detail repeatedly, but she acts like she never heard this bit of information previously. I would expect continuity issues to be caught during editing (there are several of them). I was glad that we finally got to know whether Jenn and Shane have a girl or boy. Three Fudges and a Baby is a nice story, but it lacked substance. It makes me wonder if A Candy-Coated Mysteries is winding down (it feels like it). Three Fudges and a Baby is a lighthearted tale with an emotional friend, surprise visitors, an accused doula, a meddling mother, boyfriend brouhaha, and scrumptious fudge.

I enjoy the Candy Coated Mysteries that Nancy writes. This is the 12th book in the series and it was enjoyable. So many questions surrounding the storyline. You definitely want to keep reading to see if they are answered the way you guessed they would be. Such a fun cozy mystery that you will enjoy for sure.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. All words are my own.

THREE FUDGES AND A BABY is the twelfth book in the Candy-Coated Mysteries by Nancy Coco. With action that starts right off the bat, the quick pace held my attention throughout the entire book. The author manages to pack so much into the plot and subplots and seems to effortlessly weave them together into a book worthy of binging on… while eating fudge, of course. In this newest release, protagonist, Allie McMurphy (owner of the historic McMurphy Hotel and Fudge shop) is busy juggling her business, her law enforcement boyfriend, her meddling mother and old boyfriend, and anxiously awaiting the birth of her BFF’s baby. Her BFF, Jenn, is already two weeks late giving birth and relies heavily on her doula for support and comfort. I was intrigued about the role a doula plays in a baby’s birth, and appreciated the tidbits of information provided. Ms. Coco’s strong descriptive voice brings the characters and the wonderful setting of Mackinac Island to life and immerses the reader. It makes me want to visit the area and search for Allie’s shop, even if it’s only on the pages.

With anxiety mounting over the delay of Jenn’s baby’s birth, things get even worse when her doula is arrested for murder after literally being found holding the smoking gun. Promising to get the doula out of jail before the birth, tension rise as Allie races to investigate with the help of her adorable Bichon, Marshmallow (Mal), and a group of island seniors (who add some levity). Goodness, there was so much going on with twists that I didn’t see any way to overcome, and some surprises that kept me invested in the story. If you like a fast-paced mystery with lots of scrumptious fudge and delightful characters, then I highly recommend Three Fudges and a Baby!

With everything going on in the quest to free the doula and welcome Jenn’s baby to world, Allie still manages to make lots of fudge for her shop. Be prepared to crave chocolate as you read. Or better yet, make one of the many recipes included before you start.

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of THREE FUDGES AND A BABY (Book 12 of the Candy Coated Mystery series) by Nancy Coco in exchange for an honest review. Jenn Carpenter, Allie’s event planner and best friend, is overdue. Jenn’s pregnancy has run two weeks late, and Jenn refuses to give birth without the assistance of her doula. That is a problem because the doula, Hannah Riversbend, is currently under arrest for murdering her fiancé. To get Jenn her doula, Allie has to cut a deal with a devil Meanwhile, Allie’s mom causes trouble between Allie and her boyfriend; Allie’s mom shows up with Allie’s highly successful high school boyfriend and pushes Allie to re-ignite the relationship. In order to avoid the matchmaking of her mamma and to help out Hannah and Jenn, Allie once again tries to catch a killer.

I like the book and the series. I recommend this book to fans of the series and the series to fans of cozy murder mysteries featuring family businesses, island life, candy making, tourist seasons, and furry friends.

#ThreeFudgesandaBaby #NetGalley

This is a fun cozy mystery read with great characters. Allie and Rex are dating. Allie owns her family's hotel and fudge making businesses on Mackinac Island. Rex is the chief of police. Allie is trying to solve a murder that her friend's doula is accused of. Allie knows she is innocent of killing her fiancé. She is being framed by the killer. Will Allie be able to solve this mystery and clear her friend before it's too late? Read it and find out! I received a complimentary copy of this book but was not required to leave a review.

Hannah Riversbend, Jenn's doula is accused of murdering her boyfriend , Matthew Jones. Jenn's due to deliver any day and only wants Hannah at her side to help her stay calm. But will Hannah be able to perform her duty or will she be prison bound. Can Allie find a way to clear Hannah if she is indeed innocent, without being the next victim? Will Jenn get her chosen doula or will she be forced to chose another? Must read to find out.

This one was a quick read for me and I enjoyed it. Fudge make Allie McMurphy sets out to help her pregnant friend Jenn's doula when she is found in the alley with her dead finance holding the murder weapon. The clock is ticking on this one, as Jenn is already two weeks overdue and could go into labor at any time!

Can fudge maker Allie McMurphy clear the name of her best friend's midwife before the baby is born? It's not looking good, since Hannah was found holding the gun and the baby is already overdue. The Candy Coated mystery series is everything I love about cozies, with an interesting setting I'm not likely to ever get to in real life and a fun cast of characters. Although I've only read a few of this twelve book series, there was just enough backstory to keep me from feeling lost. I was seriously tempted to put this book down just long enough to make one on fudge recipes included between the chapters, but the plot kept me reading. I definitely want to try making some fudge and want to spend more time with Allie and her friends in her historic hotel on Mackinac island.

Loved reading this book and author. If you haven't read it yet I highly recommend her and her books. I suggest reading in order.

Would you be willing to sell your soul to "the devil" to help a friend?

The emotions seem to swirl about in this book. Not only Jenn, past her due date and insistent she just can't have this baby without doula Hannah there, but the family ties that both complicate and comfort, not to mention bumps on the road to romance. If it isn't obvious, I love books that are character driven and this one is that plus. Allie is dealing with all of them, not to mention keeping her fudge business going during off-season on Mackinac Island. I've never been there but have come to adore Mackinac Island's slower moving, ol' fashioned ways. I mean, the cops ride bicycles and we're talking the kind you peddle, not motorized. Horse-drawn carriage meander about with both locals and tourists and Victorian homes seem to dominate much of the area.

Jenn's raw emotions and determination to have her baby on the island with the help of Hannah and a midwife come to dominate Allie's hours, hours complicated by the arrival of her mother with an ol' boyfriend of Allie's in tow. Seems he's done well for himself and flown in on his own plane and dear ol' mom thinks Allie should give him another chance. After all, he may be governor someday. Never mind Allie is in love with Rex, the island's investigative detective. And, oh, my, Allie and Jenn stumble across a murder victim and, yikes, holding the gun is Hannah, who turns out to have been his girlfriend. That's when things get complicated.

That's all I'm going to say about the plot because it's too much fun to immerse yourself in life in Mackinac and Allie's world to spoil anything. Let's just say, things get testy between Rex and Allie as she plows forward trying to help Jenn by investigating. As usual, that means putting herself in danger although I'm glad to see she's gotten far smarter about having backup handy. So, who killed Matthew, a man everyone seems to have liked? Could it really have been Hannah? How far will Allie go to help Jenn? What does her mother say that gives Allie pause about her life's plan? Why does having your reputation precede you both help and hinder? How reliable are eye-witnesses? Is Jenn being devious? Who...oh, never mind. Enough teasers. This book is a fun read with great characters and a unique setting. I love how character driven it is, almost to the point that whodunit becomes secondary to trying to mentally sort out the side stories. Thanks #NetGalley and #KensingtonCozies for allowing me this sneak peek at the turmoil and joy surrounding Jenn's blessed event.

I so love this series. The location is fun, unique, and there are great likeable characters. Then there's the fudge talk which always gives me a craving.

This book has us awaiting the birth of Jenn's child. While out with Allie, they come across a murder victim and are shocked at who supposedly did it. All this is at play throughout the book and built to keep us guessing.

We also have some visitors in Allie's life, not related to the murder. It causes her angst, some iffy behavior but I am happy to say things do work out and I am really looking forward to the next book.

Oh, and there is a baby!