I have loved all of her thrillers, that she writes under Darby Kane! This is more of a cozy mystery, with some life lessons and love. And it was such an enjoyable story! I loved *almost all of the characters, the small hometown setting, the theme of found family and females getting revenge! I also loved that this book took me back to my great grandma’s kitchen! I can’t leave out one of Gram’s rules, no unannounced visitors! Anybody who knows me, knows that you cannot do unannounced popins! 🤣 That made me laugh! Highly recommend this one!

Kasey, with her back against the wall at work, throws out a pitch for her grandma Mags’ dessert business which is absolutely NOT up for sale. But her bosses immediately send her home to clinch the deal, with her job on the line. She heads home, hoping to figure away out of her dilemma when some mysterious coincidences catch her attention. Could her sweet grandma really be involved in some suspicious deaths in town? Trying to investigate Mags and her partner, Celia on the sly only raises the suspicion of Celia’s nephew and Kasey’s long time crush, Jackson. Ahhh, yes I could see why she’s had that crush on Jackson!
This was a cozy mystery with a slow burn, closed door romance to add to the fun. Filled with fun antics, feisty and strong women, loving family and lots of mouthwatering delicious desserts!

This book was hilarious. I really enjoyed the characters and their personalities. I would definitely recommend this book!

What a fun read! Celia and Gram cracked me up and the rom com elements were great. This was a great cozy mystery that kind of reminded me of Dial A for Aunties in a way. I will definitely be reading more from this author!

At times, we can really put our foot in our mouth at work—and that’s exactly what happens to Kasey when she feels the pressure to secure a business opportunity for her job. The catch? She hasn’t told her grandmother and her partner that she’s pitched the idea of selling their beloved bakery. While visiting them and trying to gather the courage to present her proposal, she runs into Jackson, an old friend who’s now much more attractive than she remembers. But things get even more complicated when Kasey stumbles upon some strange discoveries that suggest the two most important women in her life might be involved in something sinister—possibly even killing off men in their town. Now, Kasey must figure out what’s really going on while also trying to backpedal on her pitch to sell the bakery.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read. The story started off slow, but by about a quarter of the way through, I was hooked and eager to see how everything would unfold. The concept was fresh and unique, and the characters were relatable and often humorous. However, Kasey’s aloofness did start to wear on me after a while. The romance, while not the central focus, had a nice slow-burn quality that was satisfying by the end. My main critique—though this may just be a personal preference—is that the book had a lot of description. While it helped build the setting and develop the characters, at times it felt a bit heavy and unnecessary. Despite that, I would still recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a cozy mystery with a touch of romance.

A special thank you to NetGalley and publisher Avon/Harper Collins for the advanced reader copy in exchange for honest feedback.

The usual family mayhem by Helen Kay Dimon

Kasey visits her hometown in an effort to make a big win for her job, pitching her grandmothers Bakery. While providing a quirky cast and authentic plot. This book fell short for me. It was slow to start and it seemed to be heavy in unnecessary portions. I did enjoy some of the humor but not so much the man hater digs. Although seeming to drive the story it fell flat and became boring.
While this may be enjoyable for readers who enjoy cozy mystery with a Kick of romance. It just wasn’t for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon or Harper Voyager for this Arc and my honest review.

I loved the idea of revenge with pies and this book had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed getting to read this. The characters were everything that I wanted and was enjoying how they worked in the crime element. HelenKay Dimon wrote this so well and had a charm to it, I really enjoyed how good she wrote the characters and storyline. The overall story worked well and was glad I got to read this.

This book brought me back to Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe (the secret’s in the sauce).

The story was over the top and ridiculous which was the intent so well achieved. However, I struggled to get into the book since the main character was self-absorbed and I found it hard to empathize with her and her actions. She didn’t really have much character growth throughout the book so while she could acknowledge her faults, it seemed she wasn’t interested in becoming better.

Thank you to NetGalley, HelenKay Dimon, and Avon for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

In a time when people need cozy reading material, I couldn't think of a better book to recommend! The Usual Family Mayhem has it all! A cozy mystery, romance, and two awesome grandmas! I loved every minute of this book, and now I want more. I truly hope this turns into a series. If you are looking for your next cozy read, this one is for you!

Kasey is struggling at her new job where they seek new opportunities for investors. When put on the spot in a meeting, she pitches a bakery business, Mags’ Desserts, with a handmade, smalltown appeal, believing it will be shot down. However her boss loves it and sends her home to North Carolina to land the “client”, which happens to be her own grandmother and her partner Celia. Kasey knows her grandmother will not be slightly interested in expanding and expects herself to be in a world of trouble. However when she gets home, she finds other things to worry about – several abusive husbands in the town have died mysteriously, right after their wives ordered a particular pie from Mags. There is a locked cabinet in the pantry and strange notations on some orders in the computer. Are Mags and Celia helping abused women kill their husbands? Kasey investigates, enlisting the assistance of Celia’s nephew and her childhood infatuation, Jackson.

This was a fun read! After some heavier reads recently, this was a welcome reprieve. Mags and Celia are an entertaining duo, and I found myself chuckling at their unpredictable pronouncements and shameless intrusion into Kasey’s love life. While Kasey investigates the possibility of poisoned pies, Jackson’s father Harlan is the villain of the story, manipulating his son, targeting Kasey and circling Mags’ Desserts like a vulture. The simmering romance between Jackson and Kasey bubbles over, much to the delight of Mags and Celia. This is an engaging and humourous feel-good novel which will appeal to any reader looking to get lost in a story which entertains and comforts.

Kasey impulsively pitches her Gram's pie business and is sent back home to try to land the deal. Along with her life-long crush, Jackson, she starts to investigate as she starts having suspicions. Could these sweet ladies really be related to the deaths of abusive men around town?

This was a quick, fun read. Kasey is a little all over the place, and Jackson provides the perfect foil to her. Celia and Gram are absolutely spunky and delightful.

This book is perfect for those who like cozy mysteries and closed door romances. The slow burn was slooow, but I actually enjoyed how clueless the two were. The vigilante justice was a fresh twist on a typical rom com.

Thank you to Avon, Harper Voyager, & NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. All views and opinions are my own.

Love this cozy thriller that takes several well known tropes and gives them a fresh new look.

Kasey Nottingham travels south to her childhood home to pitch her grandmother and aunt on the needs of signing with the business incubator company that employs her. Mags’ Desserts is currently a well known small-town business and could potentially be the next big thing.

Right away she clashes with a family friend and finds that not only are Grandma Mags and Celia not interested, they seem to be hiding something. There are locks, there are strange business records and plenty of whispering. Kasey needs to get to the bottom of the mystery right away and be sure to help her beloved family.

There's a thread of rom com and plenty of hilarious banter. Just loved it and you will too! Be sure to get yourself some delicious muffins when you start this great read. #avonharpervoyage #theusualfamilymayhem #helenkaydimon #bookloversthebuzz @hkdimon @@bookloversthebuzz

This book was so fun. Mags and Celia had me laughing all the way through the book. I loved all the trouble they got into and caused. Kacey was a great character and caused her own amount of trouble and I loved her story as well. A great book!

A perfect southern family book filled with loving grandma’s, a best intentions granddaughter, and the other family in the neighborhood. I couldn’t get enough of Kacy and her side comments had me laughing. She didn’t hold back (at least in her mind) her thoughts and feelings. I didn’t want this book to end because I wanted to sit the kitchen with everyone and join in their conversations. A feel good book that I loved reading.

Right off the bat I enjoyed the witty banter. Good dialogue and banter can make an entire book. I also enjoyed all the clashing personalities within the family (be they blood or chosen). The story was paced so well, with secrets popping out at just the right times and enough intrigue to make you keep turning the page. Great fit for fans of Deanna Raybourn, Lauren Berenson, or Jesse Q. Sutanto.

What’s that I hear?! That would be #thebuzz from my friends @bookloversthebuzz @hkdimon @avonbooks about this cozy cute book!

I feel like if you enjoyed the book The Change you may like this one too! This one is very strong in the female empowerment category but written in this cozy, fun, baking environment which made me love it even more!

Mags Desserts is a family owned business where Grandma Mags and her best friend kickstarted this company after leaving their deadbeat husbands behind. Their marketing? All word of mouth and boy are they busy! Kasey, Mags granddaughter, needs some help with a catchy business idea and she decided to use Mags desserts as her focal point. Kasey zips home to to try and start her work but notices that there are definitely things happening in words that aren’t being said and glances between grandma and her best friend. Kasey can’t get past some of the vague messages and locked cabinets and so when some men end up dead Kasey is convinced Grandma is poisoning her pies. 🥧 Kasey must stop her sweet granny from ending up in the slammer if that’s in fact what is happening!

I thought this book was a fun, sweetly delicious, cozy book that I ended up enjoying more than I had expected! I really loved all of the characters and how each one had so much spunk! This book was fast paced and kept my attention the whole way through and even had me chuckling a few times at the family drama. My favorite part was the ending and they “why” behind it all! If you love baking, like a dash of romance, with a cup of love and teaspoon of family craziness then make sure you grab yourself a copy of this one next March when it comes out!

I was thrilled to get this book and a Netgalley copy for Book Lovers The BUZZ! This was my first by this author and it was a fun read. I love to read in several genres and this was a perfect one filled with family drama, kitchen antics, desserts, and revenge.
Fun characters you love to hate. Revenge can be fun, but don't getting caught is NOT so fun. You decide which!

What a fun read!
🥧Cozy Mystery
🥧Strong Female Characters
🥧Family Secrets/Drama
🥧Romance
🥧LOTS of yummy desserts

Kasey gets herself in a mess when she pitches her grandmother and Celia’s small business, Mags Desserts, to investors at work. Especially when the owner likes the idea and she has to go home to tell her family what she did.
But when she gets home she discovers something weird going on with the business and clients husbands ending up dead. Kasey and Celia’s nephew, Jackson, work together to see what secrets they are hiding.
A fun and humorous cozy mystery with romance!

This was cosy and mysterious read. Loved the warm characters and some were deceptive. Author has created such a beautiful family dynamics and everything is so mysterious in this book. You can expect family dynamics, female empowerment, unexpected romance, secrets and mystery. If you love the description of a small town Desserts business, baking fragrance and the small town vibe with mystery, secrets and romance, read it.

Kasey Nottingham returns to her hometown to land a deal. But there is something suspicious going on in the small town business owned by her grandmother. She tries to get to the bottom of the mystery. While she comes across her childhood friend and not only secrets and mystery unveils with grudges also comes in light and unexpected romance blooms. I loved the investigation part. The secrets her grandmother was harbouring were unpredictable. I didn’t see some twists coming. Kasey’s backstory is so touching. This was such a good read.

Thanks to the Author and Publisher

In HelenKay Dimon’s latest novel, we follow Kasey Nottingham, a driven professional who returns to her small hometown in North Carolina in a bid to secure a deal for her company. Her grandma Mags and Mags’ partner, Celia run Mags’ Desserts, a local bakery that seems to have more than just pies in the oven. With quirky humor and a dash of mystery, Kasey and her long-time crush, Jackson Quaid, team up to uncover what’s really going on behind the locked cabinets and cryptic conversations in her grandmother’s kitchen.

Dimon expertly weaves together elements of family dynamics, female empowerment, and a light-hearted investigation into the secrets that could change Kasey’s life—and the lives of those around her—forever. Fans of cozy mysteries and strong female leads will appreciate the characters and the small-town charm. As Kasey navigates her career, budding romance, and a potential scandal involving the elderly bakers, readers are treated to moments of suspense, humor, and heartfelt emotion.

With a mix of mystery, romance, and intrigue, this novel will certainly appeal to those who love their stories with equal parts sweetness and sass. Perfect for a weekend read!

A huge thank you to Avon Books, HelenKay Dimon, The Buzz, and Netgalley for the ARC in return for a honest review.