The baking contest should have brought more business to Tomes and Tea but what is actually brought was....murder! And now Jazzi and her partner Dawn are investigating to find out who killed Finn, the photographer with more than a few secret enemies. This second in the series, which is a spin off of another beloved series from Smith (don't worry- it's fine as a standalone) sees more worldbuilding and back story for the two women especially Dawn. The mystery is classic cozy with a few nice red herrings. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good read and I'm looking forward to the next one.

Tomes & Tea sounds like the kind of charming spot I’d love to spend an afternoon in. The town is abuzz with excitement over the Gentleman’s Bake-Off contest—until the event takes a dark turn. Jazzi’s partner, Dawn, discovers one of the contestants bludgeoned to death beside his prizewinning Black Forest cake. Determined to uncover the truth, she sets out on a mission to solve the mystery. This well-paced story kept me engaged from start to finish.
#BookedforRevenge #NetGalley

Jazzy and Dawn are doing their best to get Tomes and Teas off to a great start. Summer is here in upstate New York where a baking contest for men is being held. Jazzy and Dawn are holding a celebrity judges cookbook signing at the shop. When one of the contestants is found dead in a competitors kitchen, its up to the girls to solve. Thanks #Netgalley and #Kensington for the eARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are mine.

Booked for Revenge is the 2nd book in the Tomes & Tea Mysteries and it is a pleasant cozy mystery. The characters are likable and there are plenty of descriptions of the characters and the scenery. There are a lot of characters introduced quickly which was a bit overwhelming. It might help to read the first book beforehand plus it is a spinoff from another series. Jazzi Swanson and her best friend Dawn are partners in a bookstore and tea shop. They are hosting some events for the judges and contestants participating in The Gentleman's Bakeoff. Several of the people involved don't get along and then a local contestant ends up dead. The story picked up somewhat and the mystery kept me guessing. Jazzi has a potential romance which adds to the story. Overall, this ended up being a good cozy mystery. #BookedForRevenge #Tomes&TeaMysteries #KensingtonCozies

Book Review: Booked for Revenge by Karen Rose Smith

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

This read was a bit different from my usual choices, and I appreciated the change of pace. Booked for Revenge gave me major Harriet the Spy meets Veronica Mars vibes, which was super nostalgic in the best way.

The pacing was on the slower side, so it took me a little longer to get through. The plot has a great concept at its core, but at times, it felt like there were filler sections that didn’t push the story forward. I didn’t realize this was the second book in a series, but the author included enough context that it wasn’t hard to follow.

The main characters are enjoyable, and the story weaves in themes of life challenges, love, adoption, and uncovering truths. That said, I sometimes felt the characters were missing a certain spark. For instance, despite the main female character's previous involvement in cases—and her mother's role too—she never really suspects the actual murderer. The reveal didn’t fully land for me and felt a bit random. But since this is more of a cozy mystery than a full-blown thriller, I can see how the tone may have influenced that direction.

The small-town charm is a highlight, and the characters are easy to root for. This book is perfect for readers who enjoy a lighter mystery with a romantic touch and don't want an overly complex plot.

While the story has its strengths, some parts felt overly detailed or like they were setting up for the next book rather than standing strongly on their own. Still, it was an enjoyable read, and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a cozy mystery with heart.

Final rating: 3.4/5 stars

This is book two in the A Tomes and Tea Mystery Series. Jazzi finds herself wrapped up in another murder. Her business partner and best friend, Dawn, found the victim. Dawn struggles with finding the victim and Jazzi wants to help her in anyway she can so she sets out to solve the crime.

There are a lot of back stories that are interesting to follow along with as well as the mystery of course.

I enjoyed the book a lot. The only thing I’m not a fan of is Dawn’s family, they are slightly judgmental and very over protective. They give the book an odd vibe when they are in the scene.
Over all a great read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Cozies for the advanced copy.

The Tomes & Tea mystery series is a spin off of the Daisy's Tea Garden mystery series. In this second book of the new series we find Daisy's daughter, Jazzi Swanson is owner-operator of a book shop / tea shop in the resort town of Belltower Landing, New York along with Dawn Fernsby, Jazzi's business partner, roommate and best friend.

A resort town like Belltower Landing must do as many promotions as possible to keep the tourists coming. The Gentleman’s Bake-off is their most recent event. Local men are competing and celebrity chefs are judging. The chefs will also be signing their cookbooks at Tomes & Tea.

All is going well (for the most part) and it's time to announce the winners. As the mayor is about to make the announcement, he notices one of the contestants is missing. When Dawn volunteers to fetch the missing contestant, she finds his dead body on the floor of the contest kitchen.

Of course, the Belltower Landing Police will do everything they can to catch the killer. Jazzi, Dawn and their friends are trying to be patient but when Dawn has a panic attack Jazzi realizes she needs to hurry things along.

Booked for Revenge is the second in Karen Rose Smith's Tomes and Tea Mystery series. Jazzi Swanson and her friend, Dawn, are hoping to boost their bookshop sales when the Belltower Landing cook-off brings in celebrity chefs and judges. Before they can blink there is a murder and poor Dawn finds the body of a competitor. Even though Jazzi does not want to be known as a crime solver, like her mom, she has no choice but to investigate in order to sooth Dawn's upset. And the hunt is on for the killer!

I enjoyed this cozy mystery with its quick pace, strong storyline, and well plotted mystery. I would recommend this book to others who enjoy cozy/light mystery reading.

Thank you for an advanced reader e-copy to read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. #BookedforRevenge #NetGalley #KarenRoseSmith #KensingtonCozies

I always loved Karen Rose Smith's Daisy Teahouse Garden series and was intrigued when she gave Jazzi her own series set in upstate New York, Tomes and Teas is a shop Jazzi opened with her best friend from college, Dawn. I enjoyed the first book in the series, but I enjoyed this new one even more! Jazzy and Dawn are two smart young women, really trying to understand themselves and the lives they want while building a successful business. With a men's baking contest as part of a summer celebration in their tourist town, the ladies are busy and promoting their business by hosting the four celebrity judges and selling their cookbooks in a signing at the shop. They think little of the tension between some of the judges and contestants until Dawn finds the body of one of the contestants in the competition's kitchen. What follows is a wonderful mystery, some nice summer weather, and the growth of the two main characters and their group of friends and employees. I enjoyed this book very much. Thanks to #Netgally, #Kensingtonbooks, and the author for an opportunity to read! #BookedforRevenge #ATomesandTeamystery #KarenRossSmith #bookreview #bookideas #retiredreader

A traditional cozy set in rural New York. Jazzi is the owner of Tomes and Tea, a combination bookstore and tea bar. This is book two in the series, and after solving one murder, Jazzi is shocked to find herself wrapped up in another. The town is having a bake off and one of the bakers is found murdered, and it was Jazzi's business partner, Dawn. She struggles with what she found, and it is up to Jazzi to find who committed the crime to help Dawn get over trauma. I liked the story and am looking forward to the next in the series. Thank you to Kensington Cozies and Netgalley for the advanced copy.

A cozy mystery set in a charming lakeside town, Booked for Revenge delivers all the ingredients for a fun, small-town whodunit—delicious treats, a beloved bookshop, and a puzzling murder. Jazzi Swanson, bookshop owner and amateur sleuth, once again finds herself caught up in a crime when a local photographer is found bludgeoned next to his prizewinning Black Forest Cake. With a mix of celebrity judges, competitive bakers, and plenty of suspects, Jazzi has her hands full as she tries to uncover the truth.

The setting of Belltower Landing is wonderfully cozy, and the bookshop/tea bar concept adds a warm, inviting atmosphere. Jazzi is a likable protagonist, and her investigative skills make for an engaging read. The mystery itself has enough twists to keep readers intrigued, though the pacing drags in some places. The cast of characters—especially the judges and contestants—brings plenty of personality, but at times, the "too many cooks" issue applies to the storytelling as well, with some elements feeling underdeveloped.

1/5 stars: This is the second entry in Smith's Tomes & Tea Mysteries series, which is a Literary Culinary Cozy Mystery set in Upper State New York and follows a bookshop and tea bar owner who finds herself turning sleuth after her best friend and business partner discovers a local photographer and recent bake-off winner bludgeoned to death. Between the celebrity judges and the local contestants, she's steeped in suspects and will have to work fast to figure out who's trying to have their cake and eat it too. Smith's writing and character work are well done. Smith touches on some sensitive topics; so take care and CWs. Unfortunately, this just wasn't a book for me; leading me to DNF it at 28%.

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

Synopsis: Belltower Landing is hosting a Gentleman’s Bake-off with celebrity judges, book signings, and loads of excitement. But just as the winner is about to be announced, a body is found! Jazzi Swanson knows she has to get involved, especially since her best friend, Dawn, is the one who discovered the victim. With a long list of suspects, will they find the killer, or will everyone involved – including Dawn, their bookshop, and the other locals eager to move on – stay under suspicion?

The cozy mystery was a joy to read. It was full of twists and turns and red herrings to keep you guessing. I also really enjoyed the subplot with Jazzi, her roommate/business partner Dawn, and Dawn's parents. There’s a lot of tension around adoption and birth parents, which adds some nice depth to the story.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

The author has done it again! A great cozy mystery novel that has intrigue, a bit of suspense, and lots of twists and turns.

Synopsis:
The Gentleman’s Bake-off is not only good for the town’s tourism, it’s bound to boost business at Tomes & Tea. The celebrity judges of the contest—chefs, bakers, restauranteurs—will all be signing their cookbooks at Jazzi’s shop. But with all the big personalities and inflated egos, she’s starting to wonder if there are—as the saying goes—too many cooks.

The competition is far from killer, with mostly residents and neighbors vying for bragging rights. But when local photographer Finn Yarrow takes first place, someone commits a most ungentlemanly act. Jazzi’s partner Dawn finds the man bludgeoned next to his prizewinning Black Forest Cake.

This is a quick, fun read. The mystery is fine and logical, though I found myself not caring a whole lot about who killed the victim. I like the subplot of Jazzi and Dawn, her roommate/business partner, and Dawn's parents. There's lots of tension over adoption and birth parents there, which offers some depth to the book.

A nice, escapist read.

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

This is a spinoff of another great series. I like that it has just enough mentions of those folks and circumstances, but we get to live Jazzi’s life in this series. I can definitely see traits of her adopted mom in Jazzi. I enjoy her relationships with all her friends and fur babies. I’m like Jazzi, I never would have guessed our culprit. I loved that! I received an ARC of this book, but my opinion is my own.

Belltower Landing is holding a Gentleman’s Bake-off with celebrity judges, book signings, and excitement galore. When a body is discovered as the winner is about to be announced, Jazzi Swanson knows she has to investigate, especially as her best friend, Dawn, found the victim. With suspects galore, will the killer be unmasked or will suspicion cling to everyone who had anything to do with the bake-off, including Dawn, their bookshop, and other locals who are desperate to move on?

This is the second book in Karen Rose Smith's spin-off Tomes and Tea mystery series, but although I enjoyed it, it fell flat for me towards the end. The killer’s motive was sound, but why voluntarily reveal an important clue only they knew about when without it nothing could have been proved? It is a shame because the back stories are entertaining, definitely held my interest, and ensured I want to know what happens next.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Kensington Publishing/Kensington Cozies, but the opinions expressed are my own.

I would recommend this book. This a second book in a series. Its a sequel to another series. There is a good murder mystery tied to the book store Tomes and Teas and a bake off.

This one was pretty good, although parts of it seemed a bit repetitive. I’d say that it was probably better than the first one, though. Decent story

I enjoyed the first book in the series, so when I saw there was a second I jumped on it! I enjoyed being back in this world with the characters. The author does a great job with a unique premise, and those of us who love a book themed cozy will be so happy to see this series continue!