Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper for the ARC!

This was a super fun read. The chemistry was amazing; not just between the love interests but the platonic chemistry between all of the other characters too! I am all for some family drama (especially when it's not my own), throw in a couple of hilarious older ladies, and some mystery and romance and you have a book I just couldn't put down.

This is easily going to be one of my favorite books of the year. Two hilarious older ladies possibly baking poisoned pies and a romcom between their adorable nephew & grand daughter? I’ll drop everything and run to that storyline. This is a book that’s a perfect standalone, but I’d be absolutely thrilled if it got turned into a series. I’ll hop back in to hang out with Mags, Celia, Kasey, and Jackson frequently.

This book had just the right amount of family drama, banter, and a little mystery to be a great page turner. I was in a complete slump before starting this, and this has cured that. I really enjoyed having a self proclaimed messy protagonist still be lovable and wonderful and not have her love interest ever use those as reasons to not be with her. Jackson’s confidence is never off putting, he’s charming and nerdy in all of the best ways. I love how he clearly grounds Kasey and she brings so much fun to his life. It’s a really beautifully written couple that hit the balance so well.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the ARC!

The Usual Family Mayhem is my first read by HelenKay Dimon but it surely won't be the last! Kasey is a 26 year old who is struggling in her career and, in a panicked attempt to not get fired, proposes turning her grandmother's local bakery into the next nationwide dessert trend. To her shock, her boss likes her idea, and she returns to her hometown supposedly to seal the deal. Before long, she's suspecting her grandmother of murder and flirting with her childhood crush. What could go wrong? The Usual Family Mayhem is a fun mystery-romance combo and I couldn't get enough. I can't wait to read more HelenKay.

I’ve been a fan of HelenKay’s rom/sus books, so there was no way I was going to miss this one.

I love love loved this cast of characters. Kasey is chaotic and loving and it was a damn delight to be in her head. Jackson is steadfast and loyal. The ladies are exactly what you would expect from southern grandmothers: feisty, proper, and a lot of fun. Throw them all together and you have a wonderful and supportive family who is always there for support.

Plot wise, it was exactly what I wanted at the time: low stakes, no angst, and enough chemistry to kill someone. I was constantly grinning while reading this story and couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. Of course, the small future take of a last chapter was nice, but I could have done with more because I couldn't get enough.

Overall, this was cozy and fun and I know I’ll be coming back to this story in the future.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**

Put on the spot, Kasey pitches the bakery run by her Gram and Aunt Celia for a possible buyout. Her boss sends her to do the sales pitch not knowing Kasey is related to these two women. Upon arriving, Kasey chickens out and just lets her family think she is visiting. Of course that raises eyebrows since Kasey is known for not keeping jobs for long.

Once she arrives, it just seems something at the bakery is off. Kasey begins a one-woman sleuthing operation to find out what it is. Jackson, Kasey's long time crush, gets caught up in her drama. As more and more clues lead to the possibility of wrongdoing at the bakery, Kasey and Jackson become closer despite interference from Jackson's father. When the day of reckoning arrives and Kasey's boss comes to town, the craziness increases.

I love the books of HelenKay Dimon. This one was a cute, funny, and convoluted cozy mystery and romance.. I am always suspect of someone who can't just say what they need to say without prevaricating for weeks! Leaving out information only makes people wonder what's going on.

* I want to start by thanking the author and publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. it just wasn’t for me,

This book was goofy and not in a bad way, but it was all over the place. My first book by HelenKay Dimon, and it really did feel like I was transported to Winston Salem & plopped right at the dining table with two quirky grandma figures and a childhood crush turned hotshot small town lawyer. Ultimately, the suspense / mystery plot of this felt underdeveloped, and could have been more fun if the plot was further developed.

This was a fun & easy read overall and would recommend!

The Usual Family Mayhem by HelenKay Dimon is a “cozy mystery” that hits the shelves March 11, 2025.

I received an email from Avon books saying I was pre-approved to read this ARC! Thank you Avon & NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest review.

Honestly, this one wasn’t for me. The story really seemed to drag & it felt like not much was happening… I did like the grandmothers,the yummy desserts & some of the witty banter. The pacing was really slow and had a hard time keeping my attention. The romance was left more to be desired. I would have liked more of the mysterious murders to be focused on.

However, I do think there is an audience for this book. If you like slow paced stories filled with yummy desserts you may enjoy this.

4/5 stars: This is Dimon's Steamy Romance Cozy-ish Mystery stand-alone that follows a woman who's floundering in her job as she returns to her North Carolina hometown after impulsively pitching her grandma and her live-in "best friend's" baking business as an investment and winds up falling in love with her long-time crush even as the two stumble into a deadly mystery involving their relatives. With plenty of wit and humor, Dimon's writing and character work are excellent; the characters are well-rounded, complex and yet remain likable. Kasey and Jackson are both great characters and I enjoyed seeing them dealing with their individual personal issues and finally get their HEA. I especially loved Gram and Celia, they're the best! The romance is top notch with plenty of swoony banter and the OPS is quite steamy. Additionally, Dimon's crafted a fun cozy-ish mystery. While there are plenty of heartfelt and lighthearted moments, Dimon does take on some sensitive subjects; so take care and check CWs. Overall, a fun time will be had if you give this a read.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager | Avon in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

I was a huge fan of HelenKay Dimon’s book “Morewood Family Rules”, it was campy, funny, and clever. So, I was excited to read yet another hijinks filled family comedy from her. “The Usual Family Mayhem” was full of hijinks and family drama, but it lacked some of the charm of Morewood. This book has a quirky and clever premise as a cozy mystery with family secrets and drama and a side of romance, but the execution didn’t quite live up to the premise. The main character Kasey is all over the map. She is scattered and seems unable to follow through on much. I do think the romance between Jackson and Kasey was sweet, and the timing of it throughout the book was well done. Compared to other aspects of the book, the romance was definitely the best part. Kasey's banter between her grandmothers and the constant meddling and accident prone storyline was super cute. I wanted to like this one better than I did. The premise was great, a young woman discovers that her grandmother and partner might be dishing out a little something extra to their bakery customers, maybe poisoning abusive men. Thanks to HelenKay Dimon, Netgalley, and Avon and Harper Voyager for an e-arc in exchange for my thoughts. I do look forward to seeing what HelenKay writes next.

An engaging protagonist. Unusual family relationships and issues. An entertaining tale. I would have preferred not to have an explanation of the closeness between the two elderly ladies. Not that it was detailed, but I was trying to ignore their connection. Thrilled that there was not detailed intimate scenes for the younger couple. An enjoyable read. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

This was a fun, quirky cozy romantic mystery. I really enjoyed the story of Kasey and her family (gram and “aunt” Celia). The banter was great, it kind of reminded me of Gilmore Girls, how quick and witty Lorelei is! This was overall just a really fun read and perfect to have during this cold weather. Definitely check this one out, especially if you need a break from thrillers and want something light and fun!

This one was a cute, quirky read with a bit of mystery on the side. I really enjoyed the premise and wanted to love this, but it was just okay for me overall. The narrator was a bit too scatterbrained for my tastes, but I could see readers who love cozy mysteries or even cozy type romances really loving this story.

Loved this! I used it as a palette cleanser from some heavy thrillers and honestly it was perfect. Just the right amount of romance, suspense and of course family drama. I really really really hope there is a second one soon! I want to know how their new future goes!

This was cute ready with many laugh out loud moments. My favorite characters were Mags and Cecelia, but mainly Mags. I also enjoyed the slow burn budding romance between Kasey and Jackson. Throw in a little mystery and this book has something for every reader!

Another super cute and funny book from this author! The inner dialogue was relatable, the family dynamic was cute and the no third act breakup is *chefs kiss *

The only thing that bumped this down a star was the main character was written as a little too dumb/clueless for my taste.

Thank you to NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 🌟

I love a book with strong female characters! 💪

I mean, a story about baking grandmas who may or may not help women with abusive husbands?! Yes, please! This book does deal with the tough subject of domestic abuse but the overall book is exactly what you want from a cozy mystery- light hearted and funny. I'm so glad I picked this book up.

Thanks, Netgalley for the ARC of this book!

Okay, this book is small-town chaos, family drama, murder mystery, and romance all rolled into one, and I ate it up (pun very much intended). Kasey Nottingham is just trying to impress her bosses by pitching her grandma’s dessert business as the next big thing. But when she heads back to her small-town home in North Carolina, she realizes Mags (grandma) and Celia (grandma’s BFF) are acting very suspicious. The Problem? Locked cabinets, secretive conversations, and series of mysterious deaths linked to their dessert deliveries. (I’d like to believe cake should never be a murder weapon, but here we are.) Then we have Jackson Quaid, Celia’s annoyingly attractive nephew who teams up with Kasey to uncover WTF is actually going on—and obviously, there are sparks flying in the middle of the mayhem.

Mags & Celia STOLE THE SHOW. These women have zero chill, and I loved every second. This isn’t dark and twisty, but the mystery kept me hooked. I appreciated the romance + murder investigation cross-over, it was a great hybrid filled with eccentric locals, gossip flying everywhere, and a town where everyone is in your business.
I
t took a minute to really get going, but once it did? Chaos in the best way. I liked Kasey & Jackson’s dynamic, but I wanted more of their chemistry earlier on, a little more romance would've be nice.
In general this was a fun, quirky, mystery-meets-romance read with a family that’s equal parts lovable and unhinged. If you love small-town chaos, meddling grandmas, lighthearted murder mysteries, and slow-burn romance, add this to your TBR!

I really enjoyed reading this book. All of the main characters are really likeable and I wanted to know more about their stories. The main character was really relatable as someone who is also in their late 20s. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Romance novels. It is a closed door romance. There is also a bit of a mystery element to the story which is fun. I highly recommend this book. It was a joy to read.

I'm going to be honest: I struggled to get through the initial banter between Kasey and Jackson. Though I was able to push through it (and enjoyed the book!), my favorite book by HelenKay Dimon is still Moorewood Family Rules.

Special thanks to Harper Collins and NetGalley for the ARC,