I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. It was entertaining, sweet, and the mystery was there. I thought the step away from torte was a great change of pace and as Juliet prepares for twins, her sending some of her workers out on their own made sense. The mystery was really strong and there were multiple suspects until the culprit was revealed. I really enjoy this series.

I am new to A Bakeshop Mystery series. For the 20th book in a series, the author did a nice job of introducing the main group of characters to new readers. Regular readers probably liked the change of scenery to a resort on the Oregon coast. I also liked that for a culinary cozy, the chef defers to the actual investigators and mostly snoops with permission. (Looking at you, Hannah Swensen.) But I felt like the name of murderer was just pulled out of a hat at the end of the book and that was that. The motive and clues didn't make sense to point to that person.

<spoiler>There was one (big) plot point I didn't understand. If Erik was running the resort into the ground, why didn't the cabin owners fire him? There isn't a board or an HOA that hired him? There isn't there an accounting firm that reviews the finances and budgets? If not who hired him? Who pays him? I found it hard to believe that the owners only were involved when a mega-corporation wanted to buy them out. </spoiler>

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the advance reader copy. I am required by law to disclose this.

I really enjoyed seeing Steph and Sterling stretch their wings in this newest installment in the Bakeshop Mysteries. Seeing them grow in an unfamiliar environment but with the love and support of Jules and the rest of the Torte team was so fun! Unfortunately, the mystery fell flat to me. In a cozy mystery, I love being able to go along with the sleuth and gather clues and try to figure out the killer with the sleuth. However, I felt that the killer didn't make a lot of sense and was just picked based on convenience, rather than the clues actually pointing to them. It felt very all of a sudden when the killer was revealed and the book was wrapped up, and I felt frustrated by the end of the book because the mystery just seemed brushed aside. I hope mystery becomes more of a focus for these books, and not just the characters! While I do adore the characters, I am also wanting a good mystery!

In this latest addition to the Bakeshop mystery series, Chef Jules and husband Carlos travel to the Oregon coast, intending to help their former employees Steph and Sterling launch their chef careers at a resort restaurant. However, the resort itself might be doomed, as real estate deals and under the table plans may derail their new venture. When the resort owner goes over a cliff, was it murder or an accident? Throw in an eccentric artist, disgruntled employees, and unscrupulous business owners, to add many suspects to the list.

Readers familiar with the series will find some of their favorite characters here, although the setting is far from that of the previous novels. This can be read as a stand alone novel. Readers who enjoy lots of detail and recipes will find this a good choice, although the characters are what really draw one's interest. The last chapter is a blatant nod to the next book in the series.

I received this novel from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

4.25⭐
Instead of Ashland, Oregon, where most of the books in the series have been located, the action moved to the beautiful Oregon coast. Sterling and Steph, two beloved ex-employees of Torte, are spreading their wings and relaunching a restaurant at a popular resort that is experiencing some issues. High on the issue list is their volatile, and perhaps larcenous, boss. Jules, queasy and pregnant with twins, and Carlos arrived to lend a hand. But with murder on the menu, are their friends' new jobs in jeopardy? A solid mystery enhanced by the wonderful characters that we call friends. Thanks to netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This latest in the long running series (which will be fine as a standalone) sees a pregnant Jules (twins!) trying to help Steph and Sterling, who have left Torte to open a new restaurant. This is always a stressful endeavor but....murder? Yep. The victim was thoroughly unlikable so which among the various people he harassed is the killer? Jules, Carlos, and the rest are on the case sorting through the red herrings to get to the truth. As always. this series soars on the characters and the descriptions of the treats at Torte as well as on the puzzle. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Can't wait to see what happens in the next one.

Although I love good heavy-duty edge-of-your-seat thrillers by my favorite authors, sometimes I get too much suspense and want to read something a little lighter. There are dozens of good cozy mystery series by excellent authors. My favorites tend to be culinary mysteries, and most include recipes. One series I like to read is Ellie Alexander’s Bakeshop Series, with Jules, the protagonist who worked as a chef on a cruise ship with her husband before taking over her family business, Torte, a high end bakery in Ashland, Oregon. The 21st installment of this delightful series is Killing Me Soufflé, where two long-time employees Sterling and Stephanie have been hired to run the kitchen at the Whaleshead Resort on the coast. Although Jules, et al are saddened by their departure, Jules and her husband travel to the resort on opening day to support them and help. There is, of course, a murder, and Jules must work to solve the murder before one of her beloved employees takes the blame.

Alexander does a good job of building suspense while telling a light tale. She includes scenarios that are believable, and some that are dangerous. Most readers who are familiar with the series know the characters, since they have been well developed throughout the books. Alexander has a way of presenting the characters so they seem real, and even readers who don’t know the characters, will have enough information to know and understand them.

There are enough suspects that readers won’t know who did it until the very end. After the dénouement readers will be tempted to start cooking immediately, while waiting for the next installment. There are enough food references to keep readers of all ages hungry throughout. This is definitely a fun one.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

Thank you to Net Galley for the advance copy of this book. My opinion is my own.

This is book 20 in the Bake Shop Mystery. I have read some of the others. I love all the characters and the bake shop with the Shakespeare thrown in for good measure.

Jules travels to Whaleshead with her family while pregnant with twins to visit her two star bakers who have struck out on their own. She is helping the two bakers get their opening night started when she finds on the trail leading to the beach a dead body. The Whaleshead resort is in trouble and she is determined to find the clues to solve this mystery.

All the characters are lovable, fun and interesting! Elle Alexander pulls this off with her usual style of writing which pulls the reader in from the first page.

I recommend this whole series!

Juliet "Jules" Capshaw, owner of Torte, the bakeshop in Ashland, OR is going away for the weekend. She, her husband, Carlos, stepson, Ramiro, mom, Helen, and step-father, Doug (The Professor) are going to the grand opening of former Torte employees, Steph and Stirling's new venture, the SeaBreeze Bistro. Steph and Stirling are stressed by not only the opening of the bistro, but by the antics of Erik Morton, the manager of the resort and rumors of a buy out and razing of the resort for high-end condos. Jules is pleased by the surprise appearance of her friends Lance and Arlo.
Just hours before the opening, Jules hears a scream and runs down the trail to spot Erik dead below, apparently having fallen. As Erik had clashed with practically everyone at the resort, there is no shortage of suspects. The is Hoff, the handyman, artist Mary Beth, Jess, receptionist, Travis, the fish supplier, Lucy Clarke, who was trying to get the owners to sell and may or may not be in cahoots with Erik.
As Jules, pregnant with twins, Carlos, and the Professor (who is assisting the police as he works for Ashland PD) look for clues and try to keep themselves and each other safe, Steph and Stirling open the bistro to rave reviews, even as they wonder if they will have the opportunity to keep it open.
As the suspects shaky alibis are proven or disproven, several other problems that could have bearing on the case are revealed. Finally, Jules talks to the wrong person, who confesses to her and then tries to kill her and her babies. Fortunately, she is saved at the last minute.
This is another great addition to the series. I was so sad that Steph and Stirling were leaving, but this book shows how they are making good on all the confidence and skills aquired while working at Torte. So great to see the character development of Jule's family and how she nurtures her employees and offers support even when they leave to go out on their own.
I have very much enjoyed this series from the first book to now, and can't wait to meet the twins.

A different setting is a fun change of pace for one of my favorite cozy series. Juliet (Jules), her husband Carlos and most of the core characters leave Ashland for the stunning Oregon coast to support two of their own as Sterling and Steph have left their Torte family to run a restaurant at beachside resort tnat has seen better days. Not changed in this 20th book in the series is the sense of family….some blood and some chosen, support and warmth for each other and strangers tnat makes the characters so likable. As usual Jules gets drawn into a death that is quickly determined to be a murder, and has Lance at her side, Descriptions of delicious foods and the beautiful coastal forest painted pictures in my mind as I read, adding to the fun of trying to sort through the suspects in my head. As much as I love the series as it is I’m looking forward to seeing how all the changes happening in Jule’s life play out in future books, while certain aspects of the books stay the same the series never gets stale.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for an advance copy, I’m recommending it to foodies and mystery lovers!

Another great installment of one of my favorite cozy mystery series! Jules & company hit the road for the Oregon coast to help with the opening of Steph & Sterling's new restaurant - the change in scenery was fun and fortunately most of the gang was along for the ride. As usual, I enjoyed the mystery and delicious sounding recipes, but that is often secondary to how much I love all of these characters! This book really seemed to set the stage for future books with lots of big changes for Jules, Carlos, Lance and the rest. Can't wait to read the next one!

Juliet “Jules” Capshaw is called to the Oregon coast to assist her former chefs, Sterling and Stephanie in the grand reopening of the SeaBreeze Bistro.

Nestled within the confines of the Whaleshead Resort, the SeaBreeze Bistro has gone through a number of chefs without much success. Hopefully, Sterling and Stephanie could transform the restaurant into a successful venture for the owners.

But as luck would have it, Erik, the new manager hasn’t been cooperative or helpful with Sterling and Stephanie’s transition. In fact, Erik was becoming part of the problem for the restaurant’s failings. It came as no surprise when Erik was found dead — an apparent fall from a cliff. An accident or murder? It’s up to Juliet’s sleuthing skills to help solve the mystery.

Killing Me Soufflé is author Alexander’s 20th installment in her popular Bakeshop Mystery series. Even though it’s the 20th installment, I didn’t have a problem reading it as a standalone. However, I did wish I knew more about Jules’, Carlos’ and Ramiro’s background. I could only infer that they were in a second marriage relationship with a somewhat stormy past.

The story like most cozy mysteries is more about atmosphere — creating a slow and cautious mystery encompassed in warm and comfortable surroundings. But author Alexander has managed to balance the coziness with enough twists to keep the reader engaged.

I loved the characters in this novel. From what I gathered, many are carryovers from prior installments. But nothing was lost in their development over the years. They all seemed to maintain their sense of humor and snark.

Now that I’ve read my first cozy mystery from this author, I just have to read the rest from the first installment. Five stars.

I was invited to read a DRC from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley. This review is completely my own and reflects my honest thoughts and opinions.

This was a fun addition to the long-running cozy mystery series--and there's an added bonus of several yummy-sounding recipes at the end! There's a change of venue for the setting, which makes the story seem fresh. Steph and Sterling have taken new jobs at a resort on Oregon's southern coast and Jules and her husband go there to help out on opening day. All the rest of the usual cast of characters come to support them too. Unfortunately everything is in chaos due to their rather nasty boss. When Jules finds a dead body, she and her best friend Lance are eager to help the local police find the killer. Light plot--entertaining with delightful characters and fantastic-sounding meals. If you enjoy baking or cooking, this series is for you! I'll be trying some of the recipes included soon, especially Rhubarb Crumble Cake and Breakfast Lasagna.

Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an arc of this latest in the Bakeshop Mystery series. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

Killing Me Souffle is another fun title in the Bakeshop Mysteries (#20.) I’ve always enjoyed this series, but I think that I have missed the last couple of books. Nonetheless, it was still easy to catch up with what is happening and would work fine as a standalone.
For this adventure, we are at a resort where Jules spent some of her childhood vacations. Two longtime employees in her bakeshop are stepping out on their own to revive the failing restaurant. They may have bitten off a bit more than they can chew with a difficult manager and some flakey staff. Jules, along with Carlos her husband and chef, need to find out what exactly is going on at the resort, if it will really be sold, and who is annoyed enough with the manager to murder him.
The setting is beautiful; I haven’t spent any time on the Pacific Northwest coast and these books always make me want to go there. The food sounds amazing, and there are recipes to back that up at the end of the book. The plot moves quickly, and because the murder victim was wholly disliked, we can just focus on the “whodunit” and why. There are several plausible suspects to keep the reader guessing.
This enjoyable read from Ellie Alexander will keep me going with this series.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC.

Killing Me Souffle by Ellie Alexander has Jules, Carlos, and Ramiro traveling to the Oregon coast for Sterling and Stephanie’s grand opening of the rejuvenated restaurant at the Whaleshead Resort. I knew the opening would not go smoothly as soon as I learned about the nasty resort manager, Erik Morton. It is a good thing that the Professor is on hand to assist the local detective with the investigation. Of course, Jules and Lance (he can never miss a party) do a little probing on their own. Killing Me Souffle is easy to read. We get to catch up with the gang from Torte as well as the Professor, Jules’s mother, Lance, Arlo, and Ramiro. I liked that we get a change of scenery. I enjoyed the picturesque descriptions of the Oregon coast. The mystery was straightforward. I was able to identify the guilty party early in the story (it was so obvious). Killing Me Souffle lacked substance. There was an excessive amount of repetition (Jules learns some information, repeats it to Lance, then to the Professor, and so on). Food preparation and food descriptions seem like filler (do we really need the details on how Jules prepares different desserts). There is a special moment at the end that will delight fans of the series. Killing Me Souffle is the twentieth A Bakeshop Mystery. Background details are provided for readers who are new to the series. Killing Me Souffle is an upbeat tale with a mean manager, delectable desserts, a disappearing receptionist, a curious crime, unsettling queasiness plus Lance has plans for romance.

To support her former employees, Jules travels to a seaside resort. Only to find their new boss dead at the bottom of a cliff. And too many questions and too many people wanted him dead.

I really love the community and the characters in this series. Jules and Carlos are such a lovely romantic couple and it is delightful to see how they’ve grown together. Jules’s mother and the Professor show that romance isn’t only limited to the young. And the friendships between everyone are just so charming. They are all so much fun.

And the importance placed on the food is absolutely delicious. Once again, I want to make every single recipe included in the back of this book and I can’t wait to get started on them.

Previously, my issues with the mystery side of things is that everything gets wrapped up really quickly, but this one seemed paced a little better. I was disappointed that the book ended with “the suspect is crazy” when the stated motivations were already enough. I totally believed that this suspect would commit this crime, but instead everyone kept commenting “oh they’re crazy.”

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for this arc.

I love a good cozy mystery and will definitely settle in for the night reading one when I want something fun and quick. Jules is excited to go to the coast of Oregon to see Steph and Sterlings new adventure. However, Jules isn't aware that she is going to embark on an adventure herself solving the murder of Erik, Sterling and Steph's boss.

I enjoyed this quick fun read and trying to solve the murder along with Jules.

Thank you #NetGalley for the advance copy

Yet another great addition to the Bakeshop Mystery series! I love visiting Torte and all our friends in the series. Can't wait to see how things are going for Jules and Carlos and their new additions! Stephanie and Sterling have left Torte and are on the Oregon coast to take over an old restaurant that needs revamping. Of course during their opening weekend, where Carlos, Jules, Ramiro and their friends are there for support, someone is killed. Who did it? Why? I won't tell, but you will be surprised when the murderer is revealed, I was!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher.

Ellie Alexander’s latest installment in the Bakeshop Mysteries takes Jules, Carlos, and the gang to a seaside resort where Sterling and Stephanie, former Torte staff members, are reviving the resort’s struggling restaurant. Their grand opening weekend is anything but smooth when the resort’s horrible manager, Erik, turns up dead just before dinner service. With plenty of people who had a motive to kill Erik, Jules finds herself once again drawn into solving a mystery.

The new coastal setting and fresh characters brought some fun changes to the series, offering a break from the usual Torte-centric plotlines. Sterling and Stephanie’s journey to run their own kitchen felt authentic and gave readers a chance to see their growth. However, while the setup was engaging, the mystery’s resolution left something to be desired. The conclusion felt random and anticlimactic, which dampened the overall impact of the story.

As with the rest of the series, there’s plenty of cozy charm, with detailed descriptions of food and baking woven into the narrative. For fans of the series, these familiar touches are comforting, but for longtime readers, the repetition of backstories and baking minutiae might feel a bit excessive, especially this far into the series.

Character development shines in this installment, with strong moments for Jules, Carlos, and even some secondary characters like Jules’ mom and Lance. Jules’ pregnancy adds another layer to her character, and readers will likely enjoy the hints of major life events on the horizon, including a wedding. However, the mystery itself takes a backseat to character interactions, which may leave some readers wanting a stronger focus on the whodunit.

Overall, this is a solid addition to the Bakeshop Mysteries series that will likely delight longtime fans. While the mystery wasn’t as strong as it could have been, the rich character dynamics and new setting make it worth the read. Dedicated followers of Jules and the gang will enjoy this trip to the coast, and I’m looking forward to seeing what’s next for these beloved characters. Thank you NetGalley for my ARC

Jules and Carlos are off to Whaleshead Resort in Oregon to kickoff Sterling and Steph’s grand opening as chefs. Many of their family and close friends are joining the group. The resort brings lots of memories to Jules and her mom as they spent time there as a family. But the resort is going through a tough time and no one is sure of the real reason. When Jules finds the manager dead, she and the Professor are looking for the murderer and the motive. Another great story in this series. #NetGalley