The premise is fun, the voice is distinct, and the writing is easy to read.

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the ARC.

HelenKay does a great job of creating characters who color outside the lines or live a bit outside the law but who you can’t help but root for. I wasn’t as sold on the romance in this one but I loved the cast of characters and wouldn’t say no to another book with the loveable scheming grandmas at the center.

Kasey is a fledgling employee at a DC business development organization, she's young and very out of her depth. When a last-ditch business pitch to her bosses results in a visit home to North Carolina to visit Kasey's grandmother and her business/life partner, everything goes topsy-turvy and turns into a mystery a la "Arsenic and Old Lace" but with a domestic violence twist. (Just *what* are the ladies up to?) Throw in a childhood crush turned grown-up hottie and there's a lot happening in this witty and surprisingly layered story.

I found this to be an engaging story overall (and you'll want to keep reading just to figure out what's going on), but I struggled with warming up to Kelsey. Her personality was frustrating and she came off as very immature much of the time. The mini-age gap between Kasey and Jackson highlighted that immaturity, as did her flightiness and avoidance in communication. The overly-prolonged evasion of why Kasey was really home for a visit caused unnecessary tension in an already semi-tense story (with its themes of secrets and a family history of domestic violence), which unfortunately impacted my overall enjoyment of the book. (I thought the second half was better than the first half.) And while I wasn't a huge fan of Kasey's, I also didn't like the serious and stable Jackson being presented as her perpetual savior always cleaning up her messes. They were intended to complement one another, but what an exhausting relationship dynamic for the both of them. There are definitely darker themes in this book so pay attention to content warnings. I did enjoy the author's witty writing style and there is plenty of dry humor and fun banter to offset the heavier moments. There are lots of layers to this story, which is a mix of tension and murder and enduring love. Reading this book made me hungry for pie and vigilante justice. If you're a fan of a friends-to-lovers slow-burn romance wrapped up in a cozy-ish mystery, with a lot of focus on baked goods, then this is the book for you! 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars for the witty writing. Publishes March 11 2025. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing an ARC of this story, this was my objective review.

The description feels like a Hallmark Movie, but it is not, at least it is more realistic. Yes, it’s about a woman going home and seeing an old flame, but in this case the old flame is one sided. Both of them argue and love their family, so eventually something has to be given, the suspected murderous bakery business is what brings them together. I loved the humor in the dialogue and inner thoughts of Kacey. For a semi southern like myself I enjoyed the bits about hospitality and sweet tea. I would say I drink my hot tea (shocking) with a lot of sugar a la Grams. Though most southerners drink sweet tea iced, which I do drink occasionally. The story does have a happy ending with some twists and turns before coming to a good resolution in the end. At the end of the book I really liked it. It was really funny and enjoyable to read. The author wrote it really well and developed very dynamic and intriguing characters. I recommend getting this book when it comes out March 2025. Be sure to grab it from a local library or bookstore!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this book!

What a good book! I really enjoyed this book and had such a hard time putting it down. I enjoyed the writing style. The characters worked so well together and the plot was great.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Usual Family Mayhem has a quirky and clever premise as a cozy mystery with family secrets and drama and a side of romance. However, the execution didn’t quite live up to the premise.

I think the characters are what let down the plot. The book is written solely from the POV of Kasey, who panics in a work meeting and pitches her Gram’s pie business as a potential business opportunity. She heads home to North Carolina and stumbles into some mysterious happenings with her family and the pie business.

Because everything is told from Kasey’s POV, everyone seems to be in on what is going on except for Kasey. And because Kasey doesn’t know, neither do we as the reader. Instead of it being fun, the bigger the mess got and the longer she went without telling the truth, the more anxious I got.

For a 26 year old adult, Kasey read as very impulsive, naive, and immature. Her main character traits seem to be causing chaos and being confused.

Enter, Jackson Quaid. He is a 33 year old lawyer, and the nephew of Kasey’s Gram’s life partner. I found the romance to be lacking and, honestly, confusing. What is the allure of this man? Kasey has had a crush on him since she was a teenager, but is still into him…Why? There is a lot of implied history between them that is not shown on page. I didn’t feel any spark between them while on page and, overall, Jackson as a character fell flat.

The poison pie plot line wasn’t as prominent as I thought it would be. It felt like it kept getting swept to the side or forgotten just to be picked back up again, and never really came to any conclusion.

Overall, this was not for me. But could be for someone looking for a cozy mystery with quirky characters.

3.5 ⭐️, rounded to 4

This was fun and lighthearted, a quick and easy read that had the potential to be more but didn’t quite get there.

I enjoyed the opposites attract dynamic between Kasey and Jackson. Even if the whole “female protagonist is a loveable mess” thing is overplayed, Kasey’s curious nature drove the plot of this book. And Jackson is the perfect match for her—steadfast, grounded, and unfailingly kind. It was refreshing to have a male protagonist who was both unproblematic and forthright with his intentions, even if Kasey was absolutely clueless about said intentions.

I really liked the plotline with Mags and Celia. In fact, I wish it (along with the romance, of course) had been the sole focus of the book. The plot had too many moving parts and the acquisition storyline felt unnecessary.

I also had an issue with some of the more serious subject matter (spousal abuse of various kinds and murder). Either wade into the details and adjust the tone of the book to match, or keep them vague to fit the lighter tone of the book.

Overall, a fun read that could have used some fine tuning.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyage for this book, provided in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Woof. This book had promise but it was a hot mess and not in a way I can appreciate. I don’t have much else to say other than I hope there’s another round of editing before it releases because it was so all over the place and I couldn’t keep up with anything. I loved the author’s last release, Moorewood Family Rules, so this was a big disappointment.

I received an arc from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

3.5 stars

This was a fun refreshing read. I haven’t read anything like it and I really enjoyed it. I loved Mags and Celia’s characters and relationships and to me - they were the stars of this book

I enjoyed Kasey and Jackson’s characters as well I just wanted a little more from there relationship. More yearning or subtly. It didn’t necessarily feel like he’d been in love with her for years.

But overall fun read! Definitely will recommend

As soon as I read the summary I knew I was going to have to read it this book, as the premise was really appealing. Unfortunately it did not hit quite like I was expecting. The main characger, Kasey, felt all over the place and in some ways incompetent. It didn't seem like the right character for the murder mystery aspects of this book. It was also frustrating how her family treated her like a child and wouldn't let her get a word in. It doesn't surprise me that Kasey didn't admit to her grandmother what was going on until the book was nearly over.

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.

Overall, I think this book wasn't for me but would be perfect for someone who loves a good cozy mystery novel with just a smidge of romance.

Ok, this premise was very Arsenic and Old Lace meets those Merge Mansion ads that you see all the time with the grandma with a secret from her granddaughter. I loved the idea and the characters were so fun! Gram & Ceila were by far my favorites and I loved that the two were not just business partners but romantic partners too.

Kasey's banter between her grandmothers and the constant meddling and accident prone storyline was super cute, and I even really enjoyed the romance between her and Jackson (Ceila's grandson & Kasey's childhood friend) but I will say the story started to shift about half way through where the focus started to be pulled from the poisoned baked goods storyline and began to focus mostly on Kasey's romance and what she perceived to be her life failures. It made the ending kind of rushed and a little unfocused and that bummed me out a bit. It went from a five star read for me down to just a solid 3.5/4.

Best mystery rom com I’ve read in a while! My favorite character was Gram because she tells it like it is and doesn’t let anyone step on her toes. Loved the relationship with Jackson and Kasey. Couldn’t put this book down. Definitely recommending to everyone I know!

THE USUAL FAMILY MAYHEM is a book I wanted to love and was expecting a funny and clever read. I loved the author’s previous novel, Morewood Family Rules, and was really hoping to love this one, which is why I was so excited to get an advanced copy. However, this novel did not have the charm or vibe as the previous one, which I expected to be quirky family dynamics, funny and charming banter, and clever, almost like a Surviving the Applewhites vibe. I think it has to do with the main character, Kasey, and the plot itself.

We are told this story through Kasey’s POV, and, ultimately, I think that was a mistake. The author is going for loveable chaos monster here, but instead we get a character who is scattered, avoidant, and messy. Her train of thought is very hard to follow and, as this is told in her perspective, that does not lend itself well to the narrative and the story. I also didn’t feel like she had a personality besides being what was supposed to be a cute character who injects chaos into the narrative.

And I think it is like this because the story felt incomplete almost or not strong enough on its own. You’ve got three major plot points here: murder, romance, and keeping her job and none of these can make the narrative stand on its own. That is difficult with so much happening with what felt like little substance.

Overall, this wasn’t the novel for me. However, it could be for you. If you like light novels, quirky family dynamics, non spicy romance, potential murder, and a FMC who is just trying to find herself in a sea of chaos, I would read this book.

Thank you to Harper Avon and NetGalley for a copy of this review in exchange for an honest review!

I will never know how The Usual Family Mayhem ends because it was ALL filler!!! I kept reading, and reading, and reading to see whodunnit, but I finally gave up. So sad because the premise was so cute!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC for an honest review.

3.25 stars

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 -- in fact, maybe poisoning abusive men.

But the main character Kasey is all over the map. She is scattered and seems unable to follow through on much. She inadvertently put the bakery business in the sights of her snarky boss who is looking for takeover acquisitions. But Kasey can't bring herself to tell her grandmother what she's done.

And that's not all Kasey is worried about. She's had practically a lifelong crush on Jackson, a close friend of the family. His father, a truly awful man, wants Kasey to disappear in case she interferes with his plan for Jackson's political future.

So there are some fun things going on but a lot of annoying miscommunication, murky conversations, and avoidance. And the main premise seems to somehow get lost. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Another great book by HelenKay Dimon! Cozy romance with a feisty grandma, family hijinx, and justifiable crime - yes please!

Thank you Avon Books & Harper Voyager for granting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own and are not influenced by the publisher.

The Usual Family Mayhem by HelenKay Dimon was such a good read. It was so fun that I had a hard time putting it down.

I had fun reading this book! The humor kept me hooked.
The banter and chemistry between MFC and MMC was great. Their banter and romance, utterly fun and swoony. The cast of characters were so charismatic (and annoying) which was so entertaining.
This is the first book I’ve read by the author, and I look forward to reading more of her books.

I actually know and love HelenKay Dimon’s writing as thriller author Darby Kane, but she started out as a contemporary romance author and now she’s back. Good. Everyone needs a break from constant domestic horror and suspense thriller, both authors and readers. Now for a cozy rom-mystery that reminds me of Jesse Q. Sutanto’s Chinese/Indonesian Aunties and Mia P. Manansala’s Filipino Tita Rosie’s Kitchen (minus the recipes included by those authors). Here we have southern Grandmas Mags and Celia (longtime “dear friends” once they were rid of husbands), dishing up very special pies, so special that people (usually mean horrible abusive men) might literally die for.

Mags’ granddaughter Kasey has returned to the old gals’ Winston-Salem,North Carolina kitchen to pitch them a business proposition. Kasey works in D.C. for some sort of exploitive corporate raider firm (her memorized description is that her company “quickly and effectively develops new investment opportunities and strategizes about their implementation and financing”). Her pitch is that the Grandmas go beyond their sleepy town appeal and branch out nationally into boutique desserts (to eventually get gobbled up by a high end grocery conglomerate). Kasey gets ready for the expected blow-off from both her supervisors and Grandmas, but her scummy boss’s boss likes it. Reluctantly, she heads south to talk to Mags and Celia, but not before she and Celia’s attractive nephew Jackson (not really a blood-related cousin, but a lawyer who thinks Kasey’s current job is BS) notice an alarming death rate among the nasty husbands of customers.

In between the making of sawdust pie, chess pie, blueberry crunch pie, golden milk pie and funeral raisin pie (there are many calories in this book), Kasey and Jackson must also navigate their journey from her teenage crush days to his more mature current view of her. It’s a fun romp that mixes romance and suspense. This would make a great beach read! 5 stars!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): NO Brown and blue eyes, but no green ones.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): Hmmmm. Foxglove is really an outdoor plant, usually biennial, and not truly suited to only being in a greenhouse. Maybe they were just planning to re-sow the seeds…

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy!

Surprisingly enough “domestic abusers receiver justice through poison pie” is a trope I have seen multiple times and this is unfortunately not the strongest. While I absolutely loved the portrayal of the older deeply Southern lesbian couple, clearly crafted with love and experience of the culture, the main character here is just so hard to root for and really takes the wind out of the sails.