Nothing is more exciting then opening your own chocolate shop, and that’s exact what happens in this cute story.
Of course, no cozy mystery and a complete without a murder and investigation, which of course takes place in this new book.
I’m looking forward to reading more in this series.

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of GRAND OPENINGS CAN BE MURDER (Book 1 of the Bean to Bar Mysteries) by Amber Royer in exchange for an honest review. Felicity Koerber feels like she’s finally leveling out and getting a life. After suddenly being widowed, Felicity returned to Galveston, Texas, and spent the year working toward opening the bean to bar chocolate shop of which she and her husband dreamed. The grand opening party is scheduled around the same time as the anniversaries of both her wedding and her husband’s death. When one of her employees is murdered at the party, Felicity has very little time to dwell on her grief. Felicity’s high school ex-boyfriend, now a homicide detective, seems determined to pin the murder on her no matter what evidence is provided to prove the contrary. Felicity must dodge media attacks by an inimical blogger, reputation attacks by the police, and physical attacks by the actual killer until she can figure out who actually dunit. All of this is set in the midst of a burgeoning natural disaster. Can Felicity survive long enough to save her reputation and her business?

I enjoyed this book and thought it was a great start to a new series. I liked that the author spent some time on the dangers of living on an island during storm season. I recommend this book to fans of cozy mysteries featuring murder, sweet shops, confidence games, theft, widows, family, ex-boyfriends, and mysterious heroes.

#GrandOpeningsCanBeMurder #NetGalley

I craved more of this story when it ended. I was tantalized by all the talk of chocolate and wanted more, more, more!

The Galveston, TX setting attracted me to this story as I’m a Texas girl myself. Ms. Royer captures the essence of Galveston in her lovely descriptions of the Seawall, the yummy dining choices, the Strand area, and the weather, of course. The reader is introduced to Felicity Koerher, a widow, who is a bean to bar chocolate maker just about to open a new shop, Greetings and Felicitation in the Strand shopping district. Besides chocolate, Felicity plans to carry a few special books for her customers to peruse.

An unexpected betrayal and murder sets the grand opening back. Who is the killer in this popular beach town? Author Royer, a new writer to me, pens a fascinating plot that hynotizes your interest! I was fully engaged in the story and with the excellent characters, and my mind was working away trying to figure out the perpetrator.

This cozy story has such a nifty plot that I never lost interest or felt like the pace was slow. I did pick a person of interest as the possible killer and was pleased to discover I was correct at the author reveal. I hope other cozy reader’s enjoy this novel as much as I did! I eagerly look forward to the next story.

I posted an honest review of a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Golden Tip Press. All opinions are my own. Thank you.

I must confess that the cover for Grand Openings Can be Murder was not to my liking. However, the book itself was quite a delight.

I especially liked Felicity's character. The book has all the ingredients for a truly great read. This new author to me had me hooked from the very beginning.

Highly recommend this book!

This book is a great read it covers two of my favourite things chocolate and murder mysteries.

Felicity Koerber is a widow who returns to Galveston and is in the process of opening a bean to bar chocolate store. At the opening party for the store one of her employees is murdered, which is not a great start to Felicity’s new venture. Her high school sweetheart Arlo is the detective investigating the case and he has Felicity down has his number one suspect . So she tries to investigate the murder herself to try and clear her name . An ex cop , body guard and pilot enters the story and joins Felicity in the investigation and offers her personal protection..

The book describes the process of making chocolate which I found fascinating also recounting Felicity’s travels to buy the beans to make the chocolate I found this an added dimension to the story and very appealing.

I found the story engaging and enjoyable with plenty of twists and turns keeping you guessing who the murderer is.
Overall a great cozy mystery read , can’t wait for the next in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc copy

A good storyline with lots of background detail on chocolate making (maybe a bit too much if you would rather get on with the story). The characters were not too annoying as people interfering in Police investigations can sometimes be!

Thanks to Netgalley, I have given an honest unbiased review of Grand Openings Can Be Murder (Bean to Bar Mystery #1) by Amber Royer.
Felicity Koeber is a chocolate baker, Jane Austen fan who lives on the island with a rabbit named Knightley (A literary bunny, guess his name). Felicity returns to Galveston, Texas, to start a new life, open a new chocolate shop. She and her late husband dreamed about having a bean to bar to make the chocolate. She tried hard to make this dream came true AND
BOOM!
Is murdering an employee on the opening day good for business?
It's not the worst part, Felicity’s high school ex-boyfriend is a detective now, he sure about Felicity’s guilt.
There are many things in this cozy mystery that makes it interesting to read. An engaging storyline with twists, unexpected suspects, and a hot guy name Logan which not Wolverine.
I liked the background detail on chocolate making. Every time I was reading it, I fetched a coffee with chocolate, I used more caffeine and sugar more than having needed. I look forward to the next bean to bar and recommended it if you like a delightful mystery.

I received this ARC via Netgalley and BooksGoSocial, in return for an honest review. As this first book in this series, this is a promising start to a new series. Felicity Koerber, unexpectedly widowed, returns to Galveston, Texas, to open the bean to bar specialty chocolate shop that she and her late husband conceived. This goal allows her to move toward something new even as she’s still grappling with his death. When the grand opening is marred by an unexpected death, it jeopardizes everything that Felicity and her team worked to achieve. Add in a looming hurricane barreling toward the area and things might sink before they have a chance to swim.
The premise of this book is fun and combines mystery and chocolate. The book dragged a bit in the middle for me as I worked through the descriptions of the chocolate growing, harvesting, purchasing, and making. All very informative but the balance can be tricky when trying to move a mystery plot forward. Ms. Royer ties things up well at the end and future books will have a strong cast of characters to draw upon.

Felicity has come back home after her husband's death. She's going to run a chocolate shop they had planned but in her hometown where she has friends. She never expected to find one of her employees dead...

BooksGoSocial and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you). It will be published February 2nd.

She's shocked to found out the detective is her boyfriend from high school. They act like they are walking on eggs when they are around each other. He even accuses her of murder.

She decides to figure out who the murderer is so she can get that accusation stopped. She finds a man who was a bodyguard and hires him to help keep her safe.

They arrest a friend of hers (and an employee). She can't believe she did it. And then someone is in her home and shoots at the purse she threw back down the hall.

She keeps checking all the people who knew the victim. She needs her bodyguard now.

It comes down to a dramatic ending. I was surprised by who the killer was...

Felicity is a young widow who has returned to her hometown of Galveston, Texas to open her dream business: a bean-to-bar chocolate shop called Greetings and Felicitations. But her grand opening is marred by the sudden death of one of Felicity's employees Emma. Felicity is considered a prime suspect by the local police detective who happens to be her ex-boyfriend Arlo since she had caught Emma stealing money from the business account earlier in the week. Determined to clear her name and get her fledging business back on solid ground, Felicity does her own sleuthing with the help of her best friends.

This was a fun debut cozy mystery. The Galveston setting is unique and the author provides vivid descriptions of the historic Strand district, weather and local dining options. The process of how Felicity transforms cacao pods into single-source chocolate was also very interesting for this foodie. Looking forward to reading the next books in this yummy series.

I received a digital ARC from Netgalley and BooksGoSocial with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

New author for me. I really enjoyed this book and looking forward to the 2nd book in the series. If you haven't read it yet. I highly recommend it

Thank you to NetGalley, Amber Royer and BooksGoSocial for Grand Openings Can be Murder. This is my personal review.
Grand Openings Can Be Murder is the first in series Bean to Bar Mystery Series by Amber Royer.
Felicity Koerber is chocolatier who owns her own business in Galveston Texas. She opened her business after having very rough year. She opens her business because it was a dream her and her late husband had for their future.
After one of her employees dies at the shop on the opening day, she is the focus of the police that she is the guilty party.
The plot had a lot twist and turns but I was able to figure out the guilty party just was not sure of the reason the murders were committed.
The book was a good start to a new series and I look forward to the next in the series.

Grand Openings Can Be Murder by Amber Royer is the first book in the Bean to Bar Mystery, and my first book by this author. What a great start, I loved this book and can't wait for the next book to come out. Felicity Koerber has had a bad year, so she moved to Galveston Island to open a chocolate bean to bar factory in honor of her late husband. Unfortunately at Felicity grand opening, one of her employees drops dead. Felicity is determined to solve the murder and save her factory/store. The police officer, who is Felicity's ex boyfriend, puts her at the top of the suspect list. Plenty of twists and turns to keep you reading. I highly recommend this book, if you enjoy cozy mysteries.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I thought this book started out on the slow side but I found myself staying up way too late to finish it. I read it in one sitting.

Felicity is a recent widow who is trying to rebuild her life in her hometown of Galveston, TX and opening her and her late husband's dream bean-to-bar chocolate shop. Unfortunately, during her grand opening party one of the staff is murdered and Felicity is a suspect. To make things worse, the investigating detective is her old high school boyfriend and he still carries a grudge. Felicity has to solve the crime to get her shop and her life back before the bad publicity ruins her shop.

I liked all the chocolate making information in here, it is clear the author did her research and it felt very authentic. I like niche cozies and this is one that has not been explored very often. Felicity is a determined character and some of the book was a little funny with her adding and removing suspects from her list, sometimes bordering on the absurd.

I would definitely read another book in this series.

It's such a joy to start a new cozy mystery series and this book, the 1st instalment in Amber Royer's Bean to Bar Mystery series, is no exception! In Grand Openings Can Be Murder set in Galveston Island, Texas, Felicity Koerber has moved back to her small hometown to open a chocolate factory and shop. It's a dream she has shared with her late husband, Kevin, for many years. However, on the opening day of Felicity's new shop called Greetings and Felicitations, an old flame turns up, the dead body of one of her employees is discovered and Felicity is considered one of the suspects.

This is a riveting cozy, rich in intrigue, mystery and plot twists. The police are called in to investigate and Felicity is eager and determined if not experienced in sleuthing. I warmed to her character very early on and found her extremely down-to-earth, with a terrific attitude, though a tad reckless. The novel covers the process of making chocolate which I found fascinating, also detailing Felicity’s travels to buy the beans for the chocolate-making, allowing for added dimension.

Amber Royer's writing style is imaginative and the story has a great flow. Although I have never visited Texas, I thought the author did a brilliant job of transporting me there and I felt the charm of the picturesque Galveston whilst slowly working my way through a box of chocs as I read. The many and varied, colourful characters brought depth to the tale including Felicity's circle of friends, her aunt and uncle and, of course, her bunny, Knightley. I enjoyed the back and forth between Felicity and the town's investigating police officer and high school love, Arlo Romero and the vivid characters all had something to contribute to the story. With several twists in this engaging mystery, there were a couple of surprises. Very highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from BooksGoSocial via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

A classic cozy mystery, entertaining and engrossing.
I liked the setting, the fleshed out characters and the solid mystery that kept me guessing.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! It was a delight to read! I'll be posting my full review on Instagram, Goodreads, and Amazon!

A fun first in series! I really enjoyed the personalities of the characters and loved that there was a bunny rabbit instead of the typical cozy mystery cat or dog! Also, you can't go wrong with a chocolate theme and the descriptions of the different chocolates that the main character was selling in her shop was really interesting. Don't try to figure out the solution to the mystery because there are lots of red herrings that will keep you guessing until the very end! I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

Felicity has recently moved and opened up a chocolate factory. On opening night, an employee drops dead, and unfortunately, Felicity is suspected for murder by her ex-boyfriend who's now a cop. Felicity and her rabbit work to clear her name. They also make some friends, and maybe more than friends, along the way.

This story was so much fun! I can't wait to read more in this series because I'm sure Felicity and her friends are going to have more trouble to get into and out of.

this was a great start to a mystery series, it had a great premise and followed through with it. I really enjoyed reading this book and getting to know the characters.

"Grand Openings Can Be Murder" by Amber Foyer is a thrilling mystery that takes readers on a journey alongside Felicity Koerber, a resilient woman who is determined to pursue her dream of opening a bean to bar chocolate factory. Returning to Galveston Island after a difficult year, Felicity sees her chocolate factory as a way to honor the memory of her late husband and find happiness again. However, her grand opening takes a dark turn when one of her employees is found dead, and Felicity becomes a prime suspect in the eyes of her ex-boyfriend, who is now a police officer.

As Felicity races against time to clear her name and save her business, she finds herself entangled in a web of mysteries surrounding the murder victim's life. With the threat of another hurricane looming over Galveston, Felicity must navigate treacherous waters both in her investigation and in her personal life. Reluctantly teaming up with Logan Hanlon, a puddle-jump pilot who enters her life at the wrong time but may hold the key to her innocence, Felicity must unravel the truth before the evidence is washed away.

Amber Foyer crafts a suspenseful and atmospheric tale, capturing the essence of Galveston's history and its tumultuous relationship with the ocean. Readers will be captivated by the intricacies of Felicity's investigation, rooting for her as she faces challenges and grapples with her own vulnerabilities. "Grand Openings Can Be Murder" is a delightful blend of mystery, romance, and a love letter to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity.