I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the audio version.
This was a great light hearted 6.5 hours audio book. I have read from this author before I am not sure if I have read from this series before but I think I will start from the beginning with this series. I enjoyed all the characters and if you like cozy mysteries you will like this book a lot. The narrator did a great job. I have heard her from multiple books before and she does a wonderful job. Perfect for a good summer read by the pool or beach vacation.

Fondant Fumble AUDIO by Jenn McKinlay is another cupcake bakery mystery. Their newest franchisee is two football players from the local big league team, the Arizona Scorptions: Keogh Graham and Tyler Matthews. Of course, they are on the westside, near the stadium and the pink décor of the original store won’t do. As it turns out, Keogh is a baker, a skill learned from his mother. Tyler has invested because Keogh has and they are a pair. On opening day there is a scene with the owner of the team, who apparently doesn’t think a cupcake bakery sends the right image. The reality is, he wants a Super Bowl ring and doesn’t want his star player’s concentration split. Then, one morning Mel arrives to bake and discovers a dead body on the sales floor. She is not able to get close to it as it has scorpions crawling on it. Turns out Keogh has already seen it and is calling 911.

This book has an ensemble cast with whom readers have been through so many murders that we feel at home. They are a team, as are Mel, head baker and her DA husband, Joe. Her partners, and best friends, Tate and Angie, are new parents and still at the bakery every day. Her uncle is still a police detective, and her mother doesn’t think Mel takes good enough care of “dear Joe.” Life is good for these friends and business owners and the last thing they need is a murder. As always, Mel can’t stay away and she’s right in there trying to figure out what happened, when the coach is shot. Both times police think Keogh is the best suspect and with evidence building up, Mel is even more motivated to find the killer. It is a good book, with comfortable, well-developed characters and a good mystery, which, yes, Mel solves, all the while baking cupcakes.

The narrator is Allyson Ryan who does a credible job. Her voice is easy to listen to and she manages to differentiate between characters without resorting to caricature. I enjoyed listening to her rendition of a series I have been reading for years.

I was invited to listen to Fondant Fumble by Dreamscape Media. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #DreamscapeMedia #JennMcKinlay #AllysonRyan #FondantFumble

This adorable book is a delightful cozy mystery that will remind you of a heartwarming Hallmark movie. With its charming storyline, it's perfect for those who enjoy a cozy and relaxing read. Fondant Fumble is the 16th book in the Cupcake Bakery Mystery series by Jenn McKinlay. This book can be enjoyed as a standalone cozy mystery or as part of the series. I have not read any of the previous books and I really enjoyed it. I've already added other books from the series to my Amazon cart.
Thanks to NetGalley for advance access to the audiobook in exchange for my honest review,

Publication date is June 4th.

I had forgotten how much I enjoyed this series. This is book sixteen in the series and I have read half of them. They by no means need to be read in order to be enjoyed but you do get a bigger picture of this Fairy Tale cupcake crew if you do. This book has two famous football players wanting to buy a Fairy Tale cupcake franchise (I found this funny and interesting concept). But you can't have a murder mystery even a cozy one without a murder. So not only do Mel and Tate need to teach two football players how to cook cupcakes but they also need to solve a murder or two. The narrator Allyson Ryan does a fantastic job of keeping you entertained. You want to listen to just a little more. and soon you are sadly at the end Thank You to Netgalley, and Dreamscape for the ARC,

I absolutely loved this book!! There were so many twists and turns!! I could not put this book down. This is an absolute must read!! Pick this book up today!!

Fondant Fumble is the sixteenth cozy mystery in the Cupcake Bakery Mystery series. The latest Fairy Tale Cupcake franchise is owned by two of the hottest NFL players in town, but when the owner of the team of found murdered on the bakery floor the players are in hot water. When the two players become prime suspects, Mel is on the case ready to prove their innocence to clear their reputations and that of Fairy Tale Cupcakes.

I have loved this series since the beginning and was excited for this latest installation. The NFL angle really interested me, too, and I ended up loving this cozy as expected. The recurring characters in this series are so easy to like and get to know and I feel like they’re one big family. I love revisiting them and finding out what’s new in their lives as well as following along as they investigate the murder. The new football player characters were a great addition to this cast of characters and I really enjoyed getting to know them. This series is so easy to get lost in and o thought this book was another great mystery in this series. I can’t wait to see what comes next for Mel and the gang and highly recommend this series to cozy mystery fans.

Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC.

Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Narration: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Fondant Fumble is the 16th installment of the Cupcake Bakery Mystery series. We are back with Mel and her friends as two famous football players buy into their cupcake bakery chain, but hit a snag when bodies start popping up.

My all-time favorite cozy mystery series. Obviously this is another 5 star read. I just love these characters and miss them every time I finish an installment. I loved the new characters in this one as well. I need the next book now.

ALC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!!! Big things are in store for Mel, Joe, Angie & Tate as well as the rest of the cupcake crew in this installment of the Cupcake Girls Mystery Series! The newest franchisee is turning out to be huge for promoting the business, but also brings huge opportunities for sabotage as someone is killing off perceived enemies to the newest franchise owner! Add in lots of personal drama and you have a hilarious afternoon of reading or in my case, listening! The narration on the audiobook is outstanding as they really bring the unique personalities to life and give the story an added dimension! As always, wonderful characters fully developed to lure you in and make you care about the outcome of the story as well as a delightfully woven mystery to keep you guessing and turning pages or listening! A truly can't miss series and this book is an absolute must read or listen!

Football and cupcakes? I love the Cupcake Bakery series, but I’m not keen on football. No matter, I fell into Fondant Fumble and didn’t emerge for hours.
Who knows if NFL quarterbacks are sweet, but Keogh definitely is. Bringing a new Fairytale Cupcakes to the Phoenix area under the management of two NFL stars is a winning idea, until things go sideways. The owner of the team is murdered.
Melanie (Mel) Cooper DeLora has a good idea who the culprit is, but it’s not until the danger strikes that we find out whether she is right or wrong.
I love the drama that plays out in the main characters of this series lives. I love the secret that is really only a secret from Mel and Joe. I love Keogh’s Mama, she adds so much to this story.
I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narrator.
Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the change to tackle this book.

Another fun addition to the series! I love my visits with Mel, Angie, Tate, and the gang, and this mystery had me guessing until the very end. There was no shortage of suspects and despite the serious subject matter of murder, there were still some humorous and even more heartwarming moments. Hoping for more in the series.

Fondant Fumble (Cupcake Bakery Mystery #16) by Jenn McKinlay
Narrated by Allyson Ryan
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Genre: General Fiction (Adult), Mystery & Thrillers
Expected Publication Date: June 4, 2024

Fondant Fumble is the 16th book in the Cupcake Bakery Mystery series by Jenn McKinlay. This book can be enjoyed as a standalone cozy mystery or as part of the series. I have not read all of the previous books (this is the third book from this series that I’ve read) and I enjoyed it very much.

This was such a fun read! I loved how this book brought in characters from the local professional football team. This was a nice treat to get me to the start of pre-season!

The one thing I didn’t like about this book was it revolved around a pregnancy. Instead of focusing on the murder or further character development, each chapter was diluted with morning sickness and pregnancy chatter. I probably won’t be continuing with the series because of this. Motherhood isn’t in the cards for me, so reading sickly sweet stories of pregnancy and babies aren’t my thing anymore. (I do get that most readers enjoy those topics, but I have trouble relating and it’s a turnoff for me.)

I enjoyed the narration by Allyson Ryan. I liked how she gave a voice to each character.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the audio arc in exchange for my honest review.

I have never read Jenn McKinley before and while this is a series it was easily enjoyed as a standalone.

The book itself was cute. It truly was a cozy mystery reminiscent of a Hallmark type series. The murder was easy to figure out but it didn’t take away from enjoyment.

Now, the audiobook which is what I am reviewing. To be honest I almost had to DNF it as at the beginning the narrator almost sounded like a computer generated voice. Thankfully I stuck it out and she relaxed a bit and made it so I could listen to it.

Her male voices were hard to listen to as well and she fell back into that mechanical rhythm at times. This made me have to stop the book many times but I finally finished it.

So good book, not so great narration on the whole . There were times the narration was absolutely fine though so it made it tolerable.

Another great addition to this series. I really enjoyed the football aspect. I’m so happy for Mel and Joe.

This is such a great series and I am so glad that there was another book. I loved the new franchise owners and am excited to revisit this book during football season. The relationships continued to give me all the cozy feel good vibes while keeping the story something fresh and new. I was delighted that some unexpected things happened. The murderer had me guessing until the very end. I expected a football themed cupcake, but was so delighted with the southern cake inspired recipes. Jenn has done a terrific job keeping me on the hook for such a long series without me feeling the least bit frustrated with the overarching relationships.

Review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

When two professional football players, Keogh Graham and Tyler Matthews, announce their intent to open their own Fairy Tale Cupcakes franchise, the news is met with mixed reactions, to say the least. No one is more opposed to the plan than the team owner since the dynamic football duo is the team's only hope for a championship win. Unfortunately, said owner is soon found dead on the new bakery's floor, and Keogh is the primary person of interest in his murder. As the evidence mounts against Keough, Mel is determined to prove his innocence by identifying the murderer; but the stakes become higher than she anticipated.

This is Jenn McKinlay at her finest! Mel, Dear Joe, Tate, Angie, and other beloved characters all make appearances, some more than others, but the movie quotes and their camaraderie have not changed. The pace and the dialogue flow, and the mystery is complex enough to keep readers guessing. Keogh, Tyler, and Keogh's mother - Mama June, are all welcome additions to the series, and I hope we have not seen the last of them.

Allyson Ryan does her usual superb job of voicing these characters, bringing them to life.

Loved this one, interesting storyline and great new characters introduced- I would love to read more with them. I’ve been listening to the audiobooks of this series for years- unfortunately for #16 the narrator has changed from Susan Boyce to Allyson Ryan. While I absolutely LOVE Allyson Ryan and she is a wonderful narrator, Susan Boyce is the voice of the series so that was a little disappointing and took a few chapters to get used to. All in all, I still highly recommend this entire series!

"Fondant Fumble (Cupcake Bakery Mystery #16)" by Jenn McKinlay is perfect for the cupcake, sports, cozy mystery person. When two pro football players are looking to franchise with Fairy Tale Cupcakes, they're looking for their retirement careers but maybe a smidge less pink than Mel's standard design. There are some in their lives that think cupcakes are too different and not brawny enough at all for them. Along the way craziness breaks out resulting in a very hilarious disarming of the ultimate culprit.