A cosy mystery with a cheesy flavour, that takes a twisty path to a satisfying ending.

“Cheese-obsessed Bird Nichols has just inherited her grandmother’s estate in a quiet, quirky Californian town. But when a body is found on her property, her life begins to get rather loud”

This totally delivered what it said on the tin - a cosy location; some mystery and intrigue, and a lot of cheese.

Bird Nichols has inherited more than just her grandmother’s estate - she’s also inherited her grandmother’s inquisitive nature and predisposition to get involved with investigating crimes, especially when those crimes are close to home and threaten those she loves.

I’m somewhat wary of stories where an amateur sleuth outwits the police in solving a crime, but this book masterfully navigates that. The police are competent and thorough, while Bird has reasons to take her own road in investigations, and to make choices about what to reveal to the police (and what not to) in order to avoid incriminating herself or others.

The way the plot unfolds is very satisfying, with various twists and turns that I wasn’t expecting. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Thank you #NetGalley and Datura Books for the free review copy of #CheddarLuckNextTime without obligation. All opinions are my own.

If any of your special interests involve cheese, gaming, cats, or cozy mysteries, this book is their Venn diagram intersection! When Bird Eakles inherits her grandmother’s home in a small coastal Californian town, she hopes to make a fresh start there with her gourmet cheese board business. Things get complicated when she discovers the body of a local troublemaker, right after having a confrontation with him over trespassing on her land.

I loved Bird’s strong sense of justice and fairness that came along with her adult autism diagnosis, her sympathy toward troubled characters. I very much related to a lot of her idiosyncrasies, especially the need for ear plugs in loud situations. As a fellow cheese lover, the amount of delicious descriptions and advice on serving and pairings were so much fun! I also loved that her potential romantic interest shared similar obsessions and even introduced new possibilities to her.

This was a quick and easy read, lots of action and some shocking twists that made it fun. You will very much be craving something melty and delicious while reading it though!

Thank you so much to Datura Books for the gift of Cheddar Luck Next Time by Beth Cato!

In Cheddar Luck Next Time, Beth Cato has created a cozy mystery with cheese with delightful characters, a dash of murder and tons of intrigue. She’s also written an authentic presentation of a character with autism Bird who uses her skills and her special interests to dig into the truth even when its complicated and messy unlike her cheese boards.
One of the elements that makes this story so unique is the cheese as Beth Cato describes different cheeses and presentations, all in a way that is important to the story and to the character, helping to develop Bird and create a world that we might want to revisit, especially the small town down the road that is full of unusual characters, including one orange cat and other cheese aficionados. I also like how Bird gets others to open up to her with kindness even as she attempts to solve the murder.
The mystery of who killed the victim, when there are many possibilities along with the mystery of what and who Bird’s grandmother was up to adds layers to the intrigue. It is a great mystery with a hard to guess ending and threads that leave room for future mysteries, especially surrounding Bird’s grandmother and her past.
If you like cozy mysteries with authentic and memorable characters, I recommend this one. It is a cozy mystery with cheese, lots of fun and heart, tons of intrigue and a whole lot of using kindness to help others and solve the mystery.

Thank you NetGalley and Datura Books for this ARC!

This was such a freaking adorable book. It was the coziest of mysteries and just what I needed!

I absolutely loved the setting, if Foghorn were real I would love to visit.

I loved Bird so much, she was such a fun and refreshing character. Oh and Dale too, he was just lovely and I loved him so much as well! Such wonderful characters, the whole town was really!

This isn't a twisty thriller, it's a fun cozy mystery and the perfect for a break after a lot of thrillers.

I absolutely loved falling in love with the characters and of course, I loved the cheese. Who can't love cheese?

3.5 stars

I was interested in this read because I loved the idea of an autistic lead character and I really loved the way she was written. There is a lot of love and care not only in Bird's character but in those around her who treat her with care. It was a major highlight to see so much love for autism in a cozy, easy to enjoy book.

Overall I think the story was an enjoyable and silly story that's easy to read. I don't think I was particularly wowed by anything other than Bird's character, and some of the sillier aspects were, well... cheesy. I can get by with a little cheese in a cozy mystery but I do think it was a bit overpowering in this circumstance. I don't feel strongly in love or strongly disappointed. The mystery wasn't the most exciting thing I've read but it did have some fresh twists I didn't expect. I'm right in the middle with this one.

Cheddar Luck Next Time is a cozy mystery novel, written by Beth Cato, published by Datura Books. A really enjoyable book following Bird Nichols, a neurodivergent character having to navigate life after lost and in a new town when a corpse appears in her property, a perfect story if you love a cleverly crafted mystery, and cheese, so much cheese that you will end smelling it out of the text.

After her beloved grandmother's death, Bird Nichols inherits her grandma's home in a small village, where she hopes to continue with her cheese board business and live quietly meanwhile; however, a few days after moving, a local tough is found death, just after she and Grizz, an old friend of the family, had an altercation with him, putting Grizz in the eye of the hurricane as the main suspect. As Bird has a well-earned distrust of police, she will take the investigation herself, all while juggling with her own cheese business, adaptation to a new place, and a new obligation as the cat delivery system works its mysteries to give her Bowser.

There are multiple brilliant aspects in this novel, but especially I would like to put the spotlight on how well Cato has captured Bird's voice; not only portraying her neurodivergence and the conflict to adapt to a new place, but also creating a really relatable character, including details such as over-analyzing the conversations, preparing for a thousand scenarios or how important certain sensations are for her. She's quite a cute character, but also we see her inquisitive side that brings her into the middle of the mystery; and particularly, you can't avoid blushing seeing how she gets along Daryl.
The rest of the cast is less developed, but still giving us enough to get an idea of why they are acting as they are (even if some like Grizz are a bit mysterious); all playing along with those small village stereotypes that fit so well into this novel.

The small coastal town is a marvelous setting for this kind of mystery, especially with that closed community feeling that makes you think everybody knows the rest of them. As you could have imagined reading the title, cheese is an important part of this cozy mystery, and Cato manages to make you almost taste and smell each one through her writing, transmitting the passion felt by Bird for her job. It is a bit slow in the pacing, but it also helps with the cozy part of the book, making it a really enjoyable read; and there are enough hints to kinda guess the twists of the plot, but are not too easy to find, in a good balance.

Cheddar Luck Next Time is an excellent cheese scented cozy mystery, a read with a great autism representation, which I recommend if you are looking for a funny but still engaging book. Come for the crime, stay for the cheese and cat(s).

Cheese, cats and a cosy mystery set in a small (very small) coastal town in California.

I really liked the main character, Bird. She inherited her grandmother's estate and is now trying to establish her cheese board catering services in the area. Of course, as with all cosy mysteries, trouble seems to either follow Bird, or she seems to be very adept at finding it. Soon there is a dead body, a person who wasn't much liked by the community, and Bird takes on the busy-body-mantle her grandmother left her and investigates.

Bird is on the autism spectrum. No, not "Rain Man" like, not all autistic people are like that. A lot of research and, I guess, the author's personal experience went into Bird's character and it was well-done. A lot of research also went into the fictional cheese boards and grilled cheese sandwiches. I would love to be able to try them all.

A lovely cosy mystery with a neurodivergent main character and interesting secondary characters. Should there be a sequel, I'd read it.

I hadn't heard of this book when I received an offer for the eARC, but I love cozy mysteries, and I love books with neurodivergent characters, so I knew I had to read it as soon as possible. Plus, the title was just too good to pass on.

Cheddar Luck Next Time is about an autistic woman who has just inherited her grandmother's home. Shortly after settling in, a local troublemaker is murdered, and Bird realizes that she'll have to solve the crime since the police seem to be considering herself and her friend as suspects.

Bird was an instantly likeable character. Her special interest is cheese, and she runs a small business that sells cheese boards. She's empathetic, kind, and so relatable. Grizz was her grandmother's friend, and Bird considers him to be somewhat of a grandfather. He helps her stand up to a local troublemaker and then becomes the prime suspect when that man is murdered shortly afterward. Bird pushes past her anxieties and works to find out who really committed the murder. Along the way, she makes friends, unravels some secrets, and acquires a very chonky cat.

All the supporting characters are delightful, too. A love interest, various townies, old friends, and very frustrated law enforcement officials are included in the quirky cast of characters.

The plot in this is absolutely addictive. I love mysteries, especially cozy mysteries, but I've never had one hook me so quickly and thoroughly. A large part of this was my love for Bird, but the mystery is also plotted and paced really well, with no filler.

This book wasn't on my radar, but I'm so glad it was pointed out to me and that I made time to read it. I highly recommend picking up Cheddar Luck Next Time. It's under 300 pages and can easily be read in a day or two, and you won't want to put it down once you start. It's smart, charming, and has great neurodivergent representation. I genuinely hope that this is the start of a series!

3.5 stars. A decent intro to what I hope will be a series, I liked the characters of Bird, Dale and Bowser the cat, and I hope that romance does find Bird and Dale… I did spot whodunnit (though not why), but I didn’t spot the twist…

I did like that Bird is openly autistic and is treated well by those around her, and she shares her stressors and coping mechanisms in the book. It was mentioned without me feeling like I was being beaten over the head by it, which I appreciated. It felt like the mystery was a little light, maybe the cheese took a bigger slice (sorry) of the book than the mystery did at times.

I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review.

I'm built different (worse) and that includes not being able to enjoy cozy mysteries. If you enjoy charcuterie boards, neurodivergent rep, and cats, you should absolutely check out this book!

I found myself disappointed with this book. The plot is fun and it does have some good mystery elements. Unfortunately, I found the characters a little flat and the “cheese” motif felt gimmicky and overused to develop Bird as a character. This book relied on its first-person narration to hide the fact that it leans too heavily on directly telling the reader the story. I did not find this book immersive and I struggled to read it.

#Cheddarlucknexttime #NetGalley
I really enjoyed this unique cozy mystery that kept me guessing until the end.
Bird is a special character that I easily connected with, and I appreciated the way the author included her Autism into the pages.
Bird loves cheese, so when she inherited her grandmother's home and property, she knew right away that she wanted to grow her business, creating magnificent charcuterie boards to other cheese lovers.
Bird doesn't expect to become involved in a murder investigation, nor does she expect to become attached to a fellow cheese lover.
I hope there will be more books in this series, I know Bird has a lot more to give us.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.
Solid 5 star review

I enjoyed getting to know Bird and her new friends as well as following along as they tried to unravel the truth behind the murder of Chase Perkins. All of the characters were likeable and fun and I loved how no matter what they were doing, the author managed to bring the story back to cheese, including many interesting tips and making my mouth water as they were described, particularly the grilled cheeses. There is a twist in the end which most people should see coming as it’s somewhat mentioned a few times but it does surprise you in the way it plays out. Looking forward to more from this author and hopefully Bird also.

Ebook received for free through NetGalley

This was an adorably cute mystery book that I’m so glad I came across. Was tough to put down, over quick, and I can’t wait to ready more if the story is continued. Thank you

This was a really fun novel, and oh wow! The cheese! I could have read nothing but the cheeseboard descriptions and I would have still thoroughly enjoyed this book! I read an eARC of Cheddar Luck Next Time (great pun by the way), on Net Galley so thank you to the author and the publisher.

I had a great time reading this. I really liked the main character Bird, and her love of all things cheese! I loved the food descriptions both through Bird’s cheese board business and when she stopped at local businesses to eat.

Alongside all the cheese, we also have a mystery. Bird has inherited her grandmother’s house and moved to a small town where her grandmother had a reputation as a meddler and troublemaker. When Bird runs in to trouble with a local criminal, it seems she will be picking up her grandmother’s mantle as she finds herself embroiled in a mystery.

This was a great mystery set in a small town with memorable characters and quirky, fun little touches (the cat). I’ll be looking out for more from this author!

I couldn't resist this cheesey titled cozy mystery! I also was excited to see Autism representation throughout the text with Bird's character. Her behaviors and thought processes are quite relatable (I'm also Autistic) and I appreciated her care when navigating her world through self accommodation and advocating for herself.

The story was well woven with many characters and plot threads to tease out. I was surprised by one reveal and happy to have guessed another -- a good balance when engaged with a book. I was hoping for a few more cheese puns beyond the title, but still was happy with all the cheese information Bird shares along the way and I'm certainly going to make one of Quesoquick's sandwich combos someday. Yum!

I'm hopeful this isn't our last adventure with Bird, and I would love to spend more time getting to know Foghorn's residents. Maybe we'll even learn more of Grandma's background? I'm clearly not quite ready to leave this town behind!

Bird Nichols has moved to a small California town after inheriting property from her grandmother. She is ready for a fresh start after a bad year that saw the death of her parents and then the disappearance and suspected death of the grandmother she was just really getting to know, having been kept apart from her as a child. Things don’t go too well to begin with, she orders the local bad boy off her property and then later finds him murdered. Since her grandmother’s friend, Grizz, is the prime suspect, Bird sets out to protect him and find the murderer herself.
Our main character is autistic as well as cheese obsessed which makes sense since the author herself is both autistic and obsessed with cheese. The plot is well thought out and moves along well interspersed with lots of information about both cheese and autism. The murderer was not who I suspected though one big reveal I did suspect. I look forward to more stories about Bird and her friends in the small town of Foghorn and I really want to know more about grandma’s mysterious past. Highly recommended.

What a fun book! Bird Nichols is entirely herself, and entirely relatable. I loved the autism representation that creates part of what makes Bird, Bird. Actually, the entire cast of characters in the small town setting were convincingly real and well-rounded. Not one became a cutout cardboard character, and shades of gray instead dominated--just as in real life. Having grown up in a small town myself, I was drawn in by these true-to-life dynamics.

Another thing to love is, obviously, the cheese. I found myself longing for some of the grilled cheese sandwiches from the food truck Quesoquick. And also some of the cheeses from Bird's own cheese boards (note: you *will* buy cheese after reading this book. I think that's another plus.). The food here is half the draw, and it's perfectly balanced, so it never felt like the food bits pulled me away from the plot, or vice-versa either.

Finally, the plot itself was just tense enough to keep me intrigued and guessing all the way until the ending, where I found a very satisfying conclusion--as well as a way for these characters to come back for another book (hopefully!). I managed to read this while engaged in a cross-country move, so the "cozy" was a huge draw for me. I didn't need anything crazy stressful, as my life was already giving me that. This book was perfectly tailored for my reading needs, and I'll be recommending it to my friends.

Bird Nichols is not only a cheese enthusiast, but she's managed to turn that into her job, selling bespoke cheese boards, mostly through social media. After her beloved grandmother's death, hot on the heels of that of her parents, she inherits her gran's home in a small village in California, hoping to live quietly. That doesn't work out when only a few days after moving in, a local tough is found dead, after she and the friend she regards as her last remaining family, had an altercation with him. With Grizzy the main suspect, and a chronic, and merited, distrust of the police, Bird takes it upon herself to investigate.

This was a really fun modern, pretty cosy, whodunnit mystery. I'd read A Thousand Recipes for Revenge by the same author, and bounced off it, but I'm glad I gave this one a go as I thoroughly enjoyed it. The title helped sell it (I do love a good pun) but I quickly got invested in Bird and her investigation, even if I did think she was sometimes pushing her luck a bit in poking her nose in and bothering the police. I worked out the plot twist (yes, I'm pleased with myself) but was entirely taken by surprise by whodunnit.

On the food, the author really did her research. All the cheeses mentioned are real, and there's an impassioned plea to discover more local cheese to your area in the author's note at the end.

The setting feels like an American version of Midsummer Murders or something similar. It's a tiny village, not exactly isolated, but out of the way, where everyone knows everyone and their business, for good or ill. The other characters do get more fleshing out than can sometimes be the case, but I'd have liked to have seen more interactions with the landowner's agent, Rita, who is hostile to Bird from the get-go.

There's a slow burn romance as well, as Bird meets the owner of the local grilled cheese sandwich shop (somewhat inevitable, really), but the whole thing was really cute.

I also liked the depiction of Bird's autism, which comes out well through the first-person narrative. While neurotypical myself, I know enough people on the spectrum that this feels realistic and sympathetic.

I'm only a middling cheese person, but after finishing this I really wanted one of Bird to make me one of her custom boards.