You just know that the book is going to be quite an interesting one when it starts with the sentence "Cinn Spice took shallow breaths as she tapped blush onto her former math teacher's dead cheeks."

Yes, our dear protagonist is a mortician who goes by the name Cinnamon Spice. Yes, you read that right. Her name is something she often got bullied about in school, and was definitely a surprise to the people she met. (Her sister's name is Ginger Spice, so I suppose it's only fair to assume that her parents had a sense of humor, though one that didn't do much good to the two girls.)

Back to the story. Cinn, a history-major practicing as a mortician, lives in the little town of Oldport. When her bully from school, Kharma Sparks, suggests conducting a dating show in order to raise money to maintain their public library, Cinnamon has mixed feelings. As much as she wants the library refurbished, she isn't too confident about hopping onto a dating show that her enemy is hosting (it's the perfect recipe for disaster after all), and it does not help that the new police chief in town, Pete Hart, happens to be participating. While he is extremely attractive, the two did not get off on a good start.

That's how the story begins. No spoilers, but then, gradually, things go wrong, and it appears as if someone is after Cinnamon's brother-in-law's house (that she is looking after in his absence).

This book has just the right amount of romance and mystery. It's super creative (I love the entire setup so much, and Cinnamon Spice? MWAHH), and of course, quite sufficient to have you on your toes throughout the read.

This book was so surprising. It had a bit of everything in it, romance, love/hate, laughing, being angry, crying, friends and enemies. I was unsure of this due to the title but don't let the title fool you. The compassion that Cinnamon has for everyone is so magnetic she draws you in. When she is hurting you can actually feel the pain and then her love.... it's "to die for".
The banter between the characters is great. Cinnamon and Kharma with their relationship having gone on for years being rocky and then coming around in the end because of communication issues was great. Then the communication with Pete being so off... well I don't want to spoil anything.
I will happily suggest this book to friends and family. I wouldn't be afraid to offer this one to my granddaughter either. Such a good read.

This is the first time I have read anything from this author, and I was not disappointed. The writing style was different, but I loved it. This book was a Rom Com between enemies to lover, our favorite trope. I loved the dark humor and the dynamics of the different characters. The main character, Cinn, had excellent character development throughout this book. I enjoyed the mix of elements in this book, and It was a fun read that I highly recommend.

Thank you Net Galley ARC

Rom com vibes with enemies-to-maybe-lovers? Check!
Mild morbid mortician humor? Check!
Vigilante dective and the cop next door? Double check!
Dating show? Christmas vibes? Narcissistic in-laws and exes? Check, check, check!

I was honestly so impressed by the depth of this genre mixer! If you've ever watched the show Pushing Daisies, that's what it reminded me of. Part mystery, part mortician humor, part relationship drama, and 100% goodness. It was very unique while still featuring some of my favorite aspects from several different genres.

It was cool to follow Cinn's character over the course of the book. You can tell from the beginning that she's basically allowed herself to become a people pleasing doormat that says yes to everything people ask her to do and has trouble caring for herself. It's cool to see her journey of self-discovery and healing as she is forced to examine why she does what she does. It was also gratifying to see that her journey towards healtheir boundaries didn't mean that she had to sacrifice all of the middle-of-the-cinnamon-roll kindness and goodness that made up her soul (sorry, Cinn, that pun was just too easy!)

The side characters were also amazing! I loved how Cinn hung out with all of the "oldtimers" in town. Nothing says cozy mystery charm like old people with no filters and lots of time for stakeouts. The cast in the dating show was also hilarious. And the love interest(s)! I don't want to give any spoilers, so let's just say I totally ate up the hilarious dating show scenes. I could not have been happier with how everything

Overall, this was an amazing read! If you're a mood reader like me, this is a good one to pick up when you're not sure what to read next. It's more substantial and heavier than a typical rom-com, less "whodunit" than a cozy, and kind of Christmasy, but not really. Highly recommend!

I enjoyed this book, it just felt a little long in some areas! Writing style wasn’t my favorite but I enjoyed the plot!

I really enjoyed this as a mystery novel and thought the idea of the Bachelor in a haunted house was a fantastic concept. The characters worked well in this universe and was hooked from the first page and enjoyed the overall story. It had that mystery element that I was looking for and enjoyed the overall feel of this. D.M. Tregaskis has a strong writing style and can’t wait for more.