Thanks to netgalley & Storm Publishing for an advance audio copy of this title.

I was really looking forward to this as I've been reading tons of cozy mysteries lately but this one was different from what I usually grab so I figured it would be nice to get outside of my normal reads but in the end I was disappointed.

Dakota Green, the star of our novel, gets a request by her late mom-who recently died from cancer-to participate in her local town's famous beauty pageant. Over the past year, every month, Dakota has been receiving letters from her mom, delivered by her best friend, asking her to do certain things & entering the pageant is the final thing.
Not only does her mom want her to stop grieving for her but she's going to need the prize money to pay back debts incurred during her cancer treatment & make sure Dakota doesn't lose the family home. Never mind Dakota is the furthest thing from a girly girl & never participated in a pageant in her entire life!

So our entire premise is a bit crazy, which is perfectly fine as lots of cozy mysteries have crazy premises & I've enjoyed them just fine. But this one couldn't pull it off, sadly.

The first half was slow to the point I was bored & the second half had so much happening I almost couldn't keep it all straight. Then we get an extra reveal in the epilogue which had me yelling 'are you for real'. Maybe I should have seen it coming but frankly it just annoyed me.

I also was not a fan of the narrator & felt as though the southern accents were fake-- it could have just been me but I also disliked the way she made the male characters sound too.

The one thing I thought was GREAT was Dakota's positive attitude towards the other pageant girls overall--her (for lack of a better description) girl power & props towards her fellow contestants was wonderful!
That was the best part of the book overall.

The blatant set-ups for the next volumes in the series were a bit too obvious IMO & I don't think I will be continuing with volume 2.

I would round this down to a 2.5 out of 5

Thank you to the author publisher and Net Galley for an ARC of this book in exchange of an honest review.

I enjoyed this fun, cozy, small town mystery. Bird immediately makes you fall in love with "down in the dumps" Dakota as she struggles to begin life with out her mother. She receives letters from her mom each month giving her tasks to complete. That is how she ended up in a beauty pageant .I loved watching her grow and find "family" . This story is funny, charming, and twisty. If you need a light-hearted fun story pick this one up.

Not really my cup of tea. Maybe I should stick to regular mystery instead of cozy crimes. You may love this, if that's your genre.

Dakota Green is still mourning the death of her mother and is deep into debt from all the past medical bills. Dakota, a tomboy, is forced to enter the local beauty pageant in hopes of winning a financial prize that will save her home and pay off her debts.

The pageant begins and bodies start to pile up - Dakota becomes involved in solving the murder when someone close her becomes the main suspect. The novel weaves between clues and a reluctant beauty queen.

I listened to the audiobook and the narration was fantastic! This is the first book of Kristen Bird that I have read, it was a fun read!!!!

Thank you to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for the advance copy of the audio book.

What do you get if you cross Miss Congeniality and the Thursday Murder Club? This book!
This is a light hearted cozy mystery about a beauty pageant gone wrong.
Dakota mourns her mother's death. Her last dying wish? That she enter the local beauty pageant. The potential winnings would save their house from repossession.
Reluctantly but left with no choice Dakota enters the centennial run of the pageant. One which both her Grandmother and Aunt were past winners of. When her Aunt us unexpectedly arrest for stealing and a sudden murder occurs, Dakota can't help putting on her best Miss Marple and get to the bottom of it. With the crown and her family' s future on the line can she get it all done?

I thought the book was ok, entertaining enough but nothing too original or special. I listened to this and the audio was very very southern with some of the characters almost robotic or comically clichéd sounding. Narrator could have been a bit more believable in this dramady of a book.
Many thanks to Dreamscape for providing me with an Audio copy of this book via NetGalley for review. All opinions are my own.

This was such a fun read! The cover and story are quirky, and I loved it. This book is a fantastic mix of Nancy Drew and Miss Congeniality, and I could not get enough. I enjoyed following Dakota as she navigates the minefield of catty contestants, skeptical judges, the infuriatingly handsome new sheriff and of course solving the mystery. I am a huge fan of small-town mysteries, and the audio book narrator did a great job! I hope this becomes a series!
Thank you, Net Galley, the author, and the publisher, for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Dakota Green reluctantly finds herself participating in a local pageant after receiving a letter from her late mother. Before passing, her mother wrote Dakota monthly letters to be delivered for the next year. In one of these letters, her mother urges Dakota to enter the pageant, revealing that she had already given Dakota’s aunt—who sits on the pageant's board—clear instructions on what should happen. But things take a dark turn when a board member is found dead, and her aunt becomes the prime suspect. Dakota, along with a few new friends from the competition, embarks on a quest to uncover the truth, clear her aunt’s name, and catch the real killer.

I absolutely loved this book! It’s a perfect blend of Nancy Drew and Miss Congeniality—funny, suspenseful, and filled with twists that will keep you guessing. Prepare for a rollercoaster ride of surprises, with clues that lead you everywhere except the right direction. Will anyone solve the mystery before more people are hurt?

I'm sorry but this book was boring as hell, nothing substantial happened until 60% through. It was just a little bit of pageant and a lot of reminiscing about her dead ass mother. Don't get me wrong, I get that she's in her grieving phase but a mystery novel that promises murder and mayhem should not be about remembering when the MC's cooler-than-most-moms mother said something while on her deathbed. This was a waste of time and seriously underwhelming. Also, I was not surprised she won the pageant even though she did nothing to earn it. The romance between her and the sheriff was so annoying that I had to stop the audio several times. I will not be following this series

This is somewhere between high, camp drama and cozy mystery and I think this be my niche.

Though our protagonist does suffer from 'I'm not like other girls’ syndrome at times she is a fun, if a little chaotic narrator who keeps the story going at a steady pace throughout. While the plot isn't exactly the most unique one to sit the shelves, there are enough twists and turns that keep it unlike most beauty pageant mysteries,

Bonus points need to be given to Bird for the ditsy Sevilla who regularly mixes up her words, making up wild explanations for what she meant. There are many comedic points in the novel but she brings some of the best.

The romance not being the focal point is a blessing as when it is brought up, it almost falls flat with the love interest declaring he cares about her after barely any positive interactions.

Downgraded from a 3 to 2 star after a few days.

I really wanted to like this because the cover is amazing! But this felt like a badly done Miss Congeniality knockoff. One contestant is sweet, but sort of shallow, one is mean and nasty but seems to become an amazing friend overnight, one keeps making up weird words and calls her step-mother “Step-Mommy”. Gross. The half assed love interest was the only truly interesting part and then he got backburned time and time again. The “twist/s” were able to be seen coming from a mile away.

The narrator was ok, but had a super heavy, generic southern drawl that was extremely grating.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC in exchange for an unbiased review.

I enjoyed this cozy set during a Virginian beauty pageant. Dakota Green is a likable character, and her mother’s letters are funny and poignant. The mystery had several branches - historical and current - and a couple twists I didn’t see coming. The romantic interest seemed abrupt, but the relationship between contestants was well done. Narrator Katie Beudert delivers satisfying performance with a variety of accents and intonations to clearly identify characters. More please. Recommended.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a review audiobook. All opinions expressed are my own.

A Beauty Queen's Guide to Murder and Mayhem by Kristen Bird, narrated by Katie Beudert, is an absolute gem of a read! Set in a refreshingly unique pageant backdrop, the story draws you in with its vibrant setting and intriguing plot. The supporting characters are rich and well-developed, adding depth and color to the narrative. And the protagonist? She's the kind of character you'll instantly connect with and root for throughout the twists and turns. Katie Beudert's narration brings the characters to life with perfect pacing and emotion, making it an unforgettable listening experience. A must-read (or listen)! (I received an advance listener copy and all opinions are my own.)

What a fun cozy mystery. This story follows Dakota, who's left with heaping debt after the tragic loss of her mother, and who relies on her mother's monthly posthumous letters to guider her mourning. When one of her mother's letters tells her to compete in her small town's big-deal beauty pageant, she is full of reservations, but ultimately decides to go for it - and in the process she manages to find herself deeply embedded in the pageant's mysteries.
I loved this book's characters, twists and turns, it was such a fun cozy mystery and I would definitely seek out more from Kristen Bird.

𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁: 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼
𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝟰/𝟱⭐️
𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗱𝗮𝘆: 𝗙𝗲𝗯𝗿𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟮𝟴

This book was exactly what I needed right now. Something fun, heartwarming, and reflective all at the same time. I loved the themes of sisterhood and family and all the hilarious mispronunciation of words. A cozy mystery with a fun beauty queen backdrop!

Thanks Storm Publishing for the arc via Netgalley!

I just finished a fun audiobook that is out today. A Beauty Queens' Guide to Murder and Mayhem by Kristen Bird is one to pick up!

3.5⭐️

A murder mystery set at a beauty pageant? That’s definitely a first for me, and the premise immediately had me intrigued.

📚premise of the book📚

When Dakota Green reluctantly enters a beauty pageant out of sheer necessity due to struggling with financial debt after her mother’s passing, the last thing she expects is to stumble into a murder mystery. With guidance from her aunt, a former pageant queen, she steps into the competition. But when Mr. Finch, the pageant owner, suddenly disappears and her aunt is arrested, things spiral out of control. What really happened to Mr. Finch? And how is the mysterious disappearance of the 2001 winner connected to it all? Juggling newfound friendships, a high-stakes mystery, and the cutthroat world of beauty pageants, Dakota is determined to uncover the truth and save her aunt.

🤔my thoughts🤔

While I enjoyed the story, there were moments that felt predictable, and certain sections dragged a bit without much happening. Some of the character motivations also felt a little rushed or unrealistic, which took away from the mystery’s impact.
That said, the strong female friendships were a definite highlight, and the epilogue hit me with a plot twist I never saw coming.

❗️SPOILERS AFTER THIS PART❗️

WARNING DO NOT PROCEED READING IF YOU HAVEN’T READ THE BOOK YET

😭plotholes in the book😭

-if Miss 2001 was right there in front of everyone, why did no one recognize her? Had she undergone plastic surgery? Like the older people, for example the other female judge who were likely present during the 2001 competition?
-what was the male judges motive for assisting with the murder? And what were his motives for going rogue? I didn’t understand that
-Why was Sevilla not upset with her fathers death if she truly had nothing to do with it?
-miss 2001 was allowed to judge the competition because she had won in a different year. Had she re-entered the competition after her disappearance? Why had mister finch allowed that? Again, why had no one recognized her?


To end on a high note, here’s a quote that really stood out to me:
"Dead bodies are heavy, but angry women get things done."

3.5 stars This was a fun cozy mystery based around a beauty pageant in the south. It's pretty much what you think it will be. Protagonist Delilah's mother passes away, the family has a lot of debt, but her mom leaves a note saying she should have her aunt help her enter the pageant she's been involved with for the last 30 years, which has a big cash prize. In 1991 one of the contestents was murdered and now people are starting to go missing! It's amateur Miss Congeniality in Virginia.

Overall I enjoyed this book and was surprised by the reveals at the ending. I did find it a little hard to keep track of the characters on audio initially, and that made it harder for me to get into it, but I stayed up to finish it by the time I was in the second half. Overall, this is a fun, women-centered cosy mystery, and if that sounds good to you you'll probably like it!

Thank you to Dreamscape Select for giving me an advance review copy for an unbiased review.

This was an incredible read with some amazing characters. I hope this turns into a series. I am a fan of Kristen Bird. Narration was great.

Dakota Green is convinced by her aunt to enter into her town’s beauty pageant to try to win a cash prize. This felt like a modern and southern version of Miss Congeniality. I love that the contestants of the beauty pageant were represented as real people and not all ditsy girls. I love stories that take someone who isn’t used to being pampered, done up etc and gives them these experiences as they compete for something, in this case a beauty pageant. It opens their eyes into another world. Some of the characters were over the top but I enjoyed the storyline that kept me interested throughout. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did a great job. This was the first in a series that follows Dakota. I can’t wait to see what mystery she gets into next. This was a fun cozy mystery that was exactly what I needed.

Thank you for the opportunity to listen to this ARC. It was one that went really fast for me and enjoyed from the beginning. I think it will be one of the favorites in this genre when it eventually comes out.