This series are so close to my heart because I learned so much about Filipino culture and food that made me go on a hunt for Filipino restaurants everywhere I go!
It is such a pleasure to read the newest mystery of Lila and her gang and everything they face trying to solve it. I wish this series never ends!

The Tita Rosie Mysteries are always a blast! I love seeing what else Lila can get up to and what mysteries she and her friends can solve

Mia P Manasala has done it again! Another wonderful book from this series! I hope there are many more books to come!

Thanks to Berkley for the arc!!

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of Guilt and Ginataan by Mia P. Manansala!

hello! I am a huge fan of Mia P. Manansala, so I was very excited to read this book! Guilt and Ginataan is just as good as the rest of Manansala's books, but this one felt more relatable! I loved that we are focusing in on Lila's business partners. I love the aunties and family members, but her best friends are just as important to her character development and the vibes of Shady Palms. Excellent read! can't wait to get more!

**3.5-stars**

Guilt and Ginataan is the 5th-installment of Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mysteries by Mia P. Manansala. This is a Culinary Cozy series, which I have enjoyed since the very start. This series follows Lila Macapagal and is set in the small town of Shady Palms. It is full of food, fun and family. I've enjoyed getting to know Lila, her quirky family and loyal friends over the course of these 5-books.

This mystery takes place during the annual Shady Palms Corn Festival, which is a big money-maker for local small businesses. Lila and the Brew-Ha Cafe crew are participating and looking forward to being a part of all the festivities. Their festive spirits are quickly cut short however, after someone is murdered in the corn maze, and Lila's best friend, and business partner, Adeena, found with a knife, ends up as the number one suspect. Lila knows that Adeena could never hurt someone, let alone kill them, and she won't rest until she's able to clear her friend's name and discover the identity of the real killer.

This is a solid mystery. I was so happy to be back with Lila, her sweet dachshund, and her friends. For me though, this lost a bit of the fun cozy-feel that I had relished so much in the earlier installments. I'm not sure if it is just me, maybe the original magic is gone for me somewhat, or if it is actually written differently, but major portions of this felt so forced, particularly the dialogue. It kept knocking me out of the story.

It didn't feel like the warm hug I had felt from the earlier books. Perhaps it's because Lila's family doesn't play as big of a role in this one as they have in the earlier installments, this is more friendship-focused, and maybe I missed the warmth of the family connections.With this being said, I did still find it entertaining and I do still love the characters. I'm not sure what the plans are for this series, but let me be clear, if there is a 6th-book, I will definitely be picking it up. Unfortunately, though, this is my least favorite of the series thus far.

I would recommend this series to Readers who love food, cooking, or Culinary Mysteries. There's always quite a bit of food talk, including mouth-watering descriptions and there are always recipes included at the end; a nice touch. As the series develops, and you learn more about each of the characters and watch their relationships grow and blossom, it would be hard not to fall in love with them. Shady Pines is one of those towns, though quaint and cozy, there always seems to be some nefarious things going down. I love this type of mystery as a way to break up my darker reads, and Mia P. Manansala has firmly implanted herself on my auto-read author list.

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I am excited to hear if there are going to be further books in this series. I'm all in, if so!

Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mysteries are exactly what they sound like: cozy mysteries. In this latest installment, the book follows a familiar formula, much like the others in the series. While there’s nothing new or groundbreaking about it, there’s a certain comfort in returning to these characters and the cozy world they inhabit.

I enjoy revisiting the cast, but I have to admit that I do get frustrated with them at times. Specifically, Lila, our lovely friend, who, to be honest, I find to be the worst. Her antics often get under my skin, and while the group sticks together despite the tension, it can be a bit irritating.

Ultimately, the charm of the Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mysteries lies in its cozy atmosphere and engaging mysteries. As a fan of the genre, I appreciate the comfort of returning to these books, but I’m still on the fence about continuing the series. While the mysteries themselves are always enjoyable, I’m not sure if I’m invested enough in the characters to keep going. It’s a solid choice for cozy mystery lovers, but whether or not I’ll pick up the next one remains undecided.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Publishing Group for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

This is a great fall Tita Rosie mystery! I love that Longanisa has a new friend in this one, and I love that the storyline focuses on how friendships change and endure life changes.

Guilt and ginataan?! I have them all the time except ginataan is a special sweet dish from the Philippines that all whoever lived in the country enjoyed it. I’ll review the book and hopefully I’ll be able to prepare this sweetened dish made of coconut milk, fresh fruits of plantain + ube + shredded coconut meat + taro + yam or sweet potato + jackfruit, bilo-bilo or glutinous balls, sago or tapioca/bobba, plenty of sugar and some water.

When I first came across reading Mia Manansala’s Brew-ha cafe, I fell in love with her funny and cozy-thriller story. This one is another LOL sarcastic book while figuring out where, what and why that dead body existed in the maze. Nobody messes with Lila especially her BFF amiga Adeena. I enjoyed the funny dialogues, the recipes, the places and mostly the heartwarming moments of being a Filipino-American in the tight knit community. definitely felt the homesickness and the kabarkada (group of friends). I know if the author keeps writing, I will keep reading—it simply feels like watching a funny and silly sleuths in a soap or telenovela series.

3.5 Stars

Lila Macapagal and her friends and business partners Adeena Awan and Elena Torres are excited that their cafe will have a booth at the Shady Palms Corn Festival. They’re hoping to draw attention and new customers to the Brew-ha Cafe through the delectable foods and drinks they’re offering there. During a break from their hard work, the friends explore the corn maze where Adeena discovers the body of Yvonne, who is the wife of a neighboring town’s mayor. Adeena is then found unconscious holding the murder weapon, and understandably becomes the prime suspect. Lila and Elena, who is Adeena’s girlfriend, won’t stop until they find the real killer and prove Adeen’s innocence.

Guilt and Ginataan is the fifth book in the Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery series featuring a Filipino-American family living in a small town outside Chicago. Several different Filipino dishes are mentioned in the story and some of the recipes can be found at the end of the book. In spite of the name of the series, Lila is the main character of the book. Her aunt Rosie is one of my favorite characters, but unfortunately she barely makes an appearance this time. Lila and her boyfriend Dr. Jae Park, a successful dentist, make a great couple.

In this book, there are tensions between Lila and Elena since both want to be the one to help Adeena. Throughout the book, Lila feels like a third wheel around the couple and at times this affects the investigation. I’m glad their feelings were eventually addressed but was disappointed that we found out the three women had talked instead of being a part of that conversation since we had read so much about the conflicts.

The investigation itself held my interest with plenty of red herrings and a solution that was hinted at, but that I didn’t expect. I don’t always like how Lila’s relatives disrespect her and make comments about her weight, but that has been toned down as the series has progressed. If you enjoy this author, then you will like the latest installment in this series.

~ Christine

I’m a big fan of this series, and this was better than the previous one. Full of fun Pilipino food references, family, and mystery. But, there are moments where it felt like the author had to write a minimum # of words with unnecessary details like a gluten free order from a customer (who is never mentioned again) or how they want to change Jae’s drink. The actual mystery was still interesting, but these small unnecessary details that added nothing were corny and detracted from me enjoying the book. The author also makes too many references to people (how many times does the ex boyfriend need to be qualified? E.g, “Sam, my ex boyfriend.”) There are also way too many references to corn this time (bc of the town’s corn festival). Like, we get that this is a festival happening!

This is the fifth book in Mansala’s Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mysteries. This time a murder occurs in a corn maze during the annual Shady Palms corn festival. Lila and the Brew-ha crew must work to solve it and clear the name of one of their members. It’s an interesting mystery and as with the others in the series the story is replete with descriptions of delicious food.

Another wonderful visit to Lila and her friends and family. I love the mystery elements, of course, but I also love seeing these characters grow and learning more about them. Also, the food content is amazing and makes me incredibly hungry. I look forward to the next installment!

This is a fun culinary series! Guilt and Ginataan was a great addition to it. The biggest draw is that the characters are Asian or really Filipino.

Guilt and Ginataan is the fifth installment in Mia P. Manansala’s Tita Rosie’s Kitchen series, and I will never tire of reading about Lila, Adeena, Elena, the Calendar Crew, and - of course - Longganisa.

Shady Hollow townsfolk find Adeena unconscious next to a body, holding a knife. Can Lila solve the mystery before Adeena finds herself charged?

I absolutely adored this addition to my favorite cozy mystery series. It takes place during a corn festival in the middle of a brisk midwestern autumn, making it the perfect fall read. There is friction between the three female friends as they learn how to balance the nonromantic friendships with the romantic relationship between Adeena and Elena. The author does a great job of making the statement that neither relationship type is more valued or worthy than the other.

At this point, I will read anything and everything that Manansala writes. Cannot wait for the next installment in Lila’s story!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the free advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

The latest installment in the Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery series, Guilt and Ginataan does a superb job balancing mystery, character, and humor. The stakes in the investigation were realistic and we get straight to the mystery after the murder is discovered. This cozy mystery boasts excellent character development in Lila that builds on the work done in previous books and expands on her relationships with her friends/business partners, and I appreciated just how much of the dynamic between Lila and her besties that we get.

Am I only reading this for the fun and delicious Filipino food, desserts, and drinks?! It's still a good Millenial age cozy mystery and i for sure appreciate all of the recipes at the back of the book. This one had some Pakistani food so that was fun and I liked the Corn Festival - very midwestern. We didn't get to see as much of the dachsund so hopefully that will be brought back more into the story line for next book.

Autumn in Shady Palms is all about cozy vibes, warm drinks, and...murder mysteries? In "Guilt and Ginataan", the latest in Mia P. Manansala's Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mysteries series, the town's annual Corn Festival takes a chilling turn when Lila Macapagal's best friend Adeena is found unconscious next to a dead body in the middle of Illinois' second-largest corn maze - clutching a bloody knife. With all evidence pointing to Adeena as the culprit, Lila springs into action to clear her friend's name, unraveling political secrets and dangerous motives along the way.

This fast-paced cozy mystery had everything: mouth-watering Filipino recipes, witty banter, and a sprinkle of romance. The blend of small-town drama and culinary delights was addictive. While the ending could have used more detail, fans of the series will devour this installment like I did. A big thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing, as well as author Mia P. Manansala, for the ARC for this book - Lila's adventures never fail to deliver!

Lila and her Brew-ha Cafe best buddies have a booth at the Corn Festival, selling delicious food and drinks. But when they decide to race through the corn maze, one friend is found unconscious, next to a knife and a very dead woman. Now Lila, and her friends and family, have to solve the crime and prove their friend innocent.

This, along with the Laura Child’s Tea Shop series, might just be my favorite cozy mystery series, and one of my favorites series out there. The characters are so vibrant and wonderful, and you become completely invested in them and their lives. The setting comes alive and feels like a place you want to visit. The romance is weaved in beautifully, and all the platonic and romantic relationships are great. And the food! I want to eat it all! The mystery is always really good as well. I highly recommend this book.

Have you read any of this series? You really need to pick it up if you like fun, great BIPOC representation, and/or cozy mysteries. There is a great supporting cast of characters and a little romance. And I almost forgot, there are recipes. The books always make me hungry and I want to try one of those savory corn muffins they kept mentioning.

There is a little less of Lila’s family in this one but a lot of her boyfriend Jae and her dog Longganisa. Her business partner Adeena is framed for a murder in a corn maze and Lila isn’t going to let her take the blame. Lila does her normal sleuthing and putting herself in danger as she works to clear Adeena’s name.

What a fun time catching up with Lila, the Brew-ha cafe and its crew, and meeting the new characters while also trying to figure out the villain before Lila did. I can’t wait to see what’s next for Lila!