Tag: food

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The Amberglow Candy Store

ABOUT THE BOOK

In this charming, fable-like book from Japan, a fox spirit sells magical confections to troubled humans, only for them to get a little more than they bargained for…

Welcome. We don’t get many humans here.

In a cozy night-alley lies a very special store. It’s only open between the full moon and the new moon, and it’s full of wagashi, Japanese sweets. Each candy claims to cure some ailment of the heart or the head. But who is the mysterious proprietor, and why does he study his customers so closely?

From the girl who craves more time with her boyfriend to the friends with some buried resentments, each customer learns a valuable lesson from these sugary treats. The candies can give you what you most desire, but not always in the way you expect…

Back to the shop owner—did that shadow just make it look like he has a pair of ears? Surely, not a tail? If he is a half-fox spirit, so be it. But why is he so keen to study human emotions, and why does he say each candy has a “dosage”? Patience. Like the center of a gooey caramel, the best things take time to reveal themselves.

MY THOUGHTS

This book has been translated from the Japanese language.
A fantasy book of short stories.
I read this quickly and enjoyed it a lot.
The story revolves around a magical candy store.
The street to get to it is hidden past the hedges and only is available to those who have a true need for it.
Once in this magical otherworldly candy store you will find candy unlike any available anywhere else. This magical candy will help solve your problem, but you absolutely cannot overindulge.
I enjoyed seeing how people who needed help with life’s problems unexpectedly stumbled onto a magical candy store. Though this magical candy helped them at first, they came to realize the help they need came from strength they already had within themselves.
A happy feel-good story that I recommend. I enjoyed reading tuis Asian literature.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you for stopping in.

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Sugar and Spite (A Witch City Mystery)

304 pages Publisher Kensington Cozies Publication date October 28, 2025

ABOUT THE BOOK

There’s no place like Salem, Massachusetts—aka “the witch city”—for Halloween. As residents embrace their historic heritage to celebrate the season, WICH-TV program director Lee Barrett is assigned the decadent task of highlighting the village’s delectable sweet shops—only to learn that some revelers prefer deadly tricks over delicious treats . . .

Casa del Chocolate is one of Salem’s most charming boutique candy shops, making it a perfect profile story. Although preoccupied with her own personal sweet news—Lee and her detective husband Pete Mondello are expecting a bundle of joy—she cheerfully agrees to interview the chocolatier. Since becoming pregnant, the radiant and exhilarated mother-to-be has discovered that she is finally free of the unwanted haunting “visions” she has endured since childhood.

Shirley Parker inherited Casa del Chocolate, housed in her beautiful ancestral home on the waterfront, continuing her family’s sweet tradition of conjuring magical treats for the folks of Salem. Mesmerized by the delightful chocolate scented aromas filling the air while touring the kitchen, Lee is shocked when she stumbles upon the murdered body of Barney Bingham, Shirley’s estranged husband.

As the police focus their suspicions on Shirley, Lee learns that many people had reasons for wanting Barney dead. Now, with help from Pete, tarot reader River North, and clairvoyant gentleman cat O’Ryan, as well as some new feline friends, Lee must unmask the true killer—and cope with the sudden return of her troubling “visions”. . .

MY THOUGHTS

Sugar and Spite is chocolate themed and who can resist delicious chocolate at Halloween or any time really.
Taking place in Salem, Mass television reporter, Lee Barrett is assigned the task of visiting candy shops during the Halloween season and reporting on them. Can’t beat that especially when free candy is thrown into the mix.


Lee and her husband detective husband Pete Mondello are expecting their first baby and that chocolate is going to be extra tasty. All thoughts of chocolate tasting are quickly forgotten when a body is found in cold storage in the chocolate shop.


When the body turns out to be the estranged husband of the owner, Shirley Parker we find out there are many who may have wanted him dead as he seemed to make enemies wherever he went.
Along with her husband Pete and many others helping to solve this Halloween mystery this wraps up with a satisfying conclusion.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

MEET THE AUTHOR

About the author

Carol J. Perry is the author of three cozy mystery series. Salem Massachusetts provides the background for her Witch City Mystery series–and is the city where Carol was born–on Halloween eve! Carol and her husband, Dan, now live in the Tampa Bay area of Florida, and the Sunshine State provides the setting for her paranormal Haunted Haven Mystery series. Her newest series, Wicked Salem Mysteries is a “spin-off” of the Witch City books, with many of the original characters, but with a fresh point of view. All of the books feature murders, of course, and each one has the expected cast of animals. Watch for Finn, a friendly Golden Retriever and Toby a sweet black Lab. O’Ryan, a clairvoyant gentleman cat is multi talented, and you’ll enjoy meeting a pair of outdoor cats, Bogie and Bacall, along with Frankie, a white cat, who seems to wander through some of the stories whenever she feels like it.

Thank you for stopping in. Happy Wednesday!

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Public Anchovy #1: A Deep Dish Mystery (Deep Dish Mysteries Book 3) 

316 pages St. Martin’s Paperbacks December 26, 2023 publication date

ABOUT THE BOOK

Public Anchovy #1 is the third book in Mindy Quigley’s delectable Deep Dish Mystery series, set in a Wisconsin pizzeria.

While Geneva Bay’s upper crust gets ready to party down at a Prohibition-themed fundraiser, pizza chef Delilah O’Leary is focused on seeing her struggling restaurant through the winter slow season. The temperature outside is plummeting, but Delilah’s love life might finally be heating up, as hunky police detective Calvin Capone seems poised to (finally) make a move.

But Delilah’s hopes of perfecting a new “free-from” pizza recipe for a charity bash are dashed when a dead body crashes the party. Soon, Capone, Delilah, and her entire staff are trapped in an isolated mansion and embroiled in a dangerous game of cat and mouse.

To catch an increasingly-desperate killer, Delilah will have to top all of her previous crime-solving accomplishments, and a few pizzas, too.

MY THOUGHTS

Though this is book three in the series it is my first read of the Deep-Dish mystery series. I will be going back and reading the others in the series very soon.


Geneva Bay’s pizza chef Delilah O’Leary is doing a fundraiser at a swanky mansion the upper crust is attending. All is going well until a distraction is caused by a need to change the pizza recipe to accommodate dietary restrictions.


Chef O’Leary’s cat stows away in a mixer box and so we’re treated to its presence the whole story through. With cat like accuracy, we don’t get much out of the cat as far as listening but when it’s time to eat and shenanigans are to be found you know that cat is involved.


With a heavy storm happening and the generator not kicking on the lights not working lead to the atmosphere of suspense with a body found at the mansion where all the staff are trapped because it’s unsafe to leave. A cat and mouse game as the suspense mounts and then another body is found. Kept me guessing right til the end as I wouldn’t have suspected the suspect or the reason for it either.


I’m excited to try the gluten free pizza crust recipe for my daughter who has this food restriction. There are many recipes included, and I am going to try a few others as well. The descriptions of the foods sound so yummy. Looking forward to reading more in this series soon.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

THE AUTHOR

Mindy Quigley is the author of two cozy mystery series. Her most recent, the Deep Dish Mysteries (St. Martin’s Press), has been featured in Parade, Woman’s World, and Kirkus Reviews.

Mindy’s non-writing career has been stranger than fiction, taking her from the US to the UK, where she worked as the personal assistant to the scientist who cloned Dolly the sheep, and as project manager for a neurology research clinic founded by the author J.K. Rowling.

She lives in Virginia, with her Civil War history professor husband and their children.

Enjoy your day and have a slice of pizza. 🙂

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Blog Tour for Pepper Lane Sweet Shoppe

ABOUT THE BOOK

Pepper Lane Sweet Shoppe

Welcome to Pepper Bay, where you’ll find love, drama, and a happily ever after.

Snuggle down with this cosy, feel-good, comfort read that whisks you away to a beautiful bay on the Isle of Wight – Perfect for fans of Christie Barlow, Alison Sherlock, Rachael Lucas, and Holly Martin.

The Pepper Bay books are standalone stories, best read in order, that intertwine with recurring characters.

Pepper Lane Sweet Shoppe: Erin Mason didn’t know she had any family left, so when she inherits a sweet shop, she’s not entirely sure what to do. There isn’t much else going on in her life, so she goes to check it out in Pepper Bay. After all, a short trip to the Isle of Wight is hardly going to change her life.

MY THOUGHTS

The Pepper Bay series is quite an entertaining series. I’ve read quite a few books in the series, but not all, yet. These are a great comfort read with characters you can relate to and emphasize with.
The beautiful bay on the Isle of Wright sounds charming and I’m sure I’d feel right at home there.


This was a smile my way through it comfort read.
I’ll admit I’m a sucker for sweet shops in books, it must be a comfort thing taking me back to my childhood.


: Erin Mason is stunned to realize she has inherited a sweet shop when she didn’t even realize she had any family left. Not getting on the best with her mother she was never told she had a grandfather while he was living so that took away any chance, she had of knowing the man. After his death she inherits his sweet shop. That would be a terrible thing to have happen to you.


Traveling the short distance to Pepper Bay she investigates the shop and apartment above. Through her grandfather’s sweet shop employee, she’s able to make a decision on whether to sell the shop or reopen it. I enjoyed the fun interaction Erin had with her new friend, there are some pretty funny interactions.

It was lovely seeing her fitting right in with the town’s folks and his friends, it’s as though she was meant to be there, but does this mean a new romance is in the works too?

Books in the series aren’t overly long, so you get a full and fun read but don’t get bogged down when time is short. I keep making fun new discoveries while reading this series. Every time I read one of these books, I realize why this is one of my favorite series.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Purchase Link – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pepper-Lane-Sweet-Shoppe-Book-ebook/dp/B0CNVD4DYB

VISIT OTHR BLOGS ON THE TOUR

AUTHOR BIO

Author Bio – Hello, I’m K.T. Dady. I’m the bestselling author of the Pepper Bay series. I’m also a chocolate lover, mum to a grown-up daughter, and a huge fan of a HEA. I was born and raised in the East End of London, and I’ve been happily writing stories since I was a little girl. When I’m not writing, I’m reading, baking cakes, or pottering around in my little garden in Essex, trying not to kill the flowers.

Social Media Links –

Welcome

https://www.instagram.com/kt_dady

https://www.facebook.com/ktdady

Thank you for stopping in. I hope you’re having a wonderful day.

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Paris, Pumpkins, and Puns: A Sweet Fake Dating Romcom

325 pages Cinnamons Rolls and Pumpkin Spice series September 24, 2024 publication date

ABOUT THE BOOK

n a city known for its romantic clichés, can reality surpass the fantasy?

Paris in the fall.
The Eiffel tower, the blanket of colorful leaves on the ground of the Jardin du Luxembourg, the picturesque cobbled streets of Montmartre.
Sounds amazing, right? That’s exactly what I thought when my boss offered me to come here to critique restaurants.

Well, the reality is a completely different beast.

There is no accordion music playing in the street, the city smells like smoke, and I have yet to see a single guy wearing a beret! This was all a lie.

To top it all, I’m now a prisoner of this city because of a national strike keeping all planes on the ground and flooding hotels capacities. At least one cliché wasn’t false.

Enter Olivier Brun, chef of a Michelin star restaurant and as hot as a pizza oven who offers me a room and even cooks me breakfast.
So, when he asks me to pretend to be his date for his matchmaking mom’s birthday, I return the favor.

As we get to know each other through pun-filled cooking lessons, farmer’s market outings and autumn festivals, I start to fall in loaf with Paris… and Olivier.
Suddenly, the idea of relocating here isn’t as crazy.

But does Olivier feel the same? And if he does, will he be able to get past the fact that I lied about my job?

Paris, Pumpkins & Puns is a closed-door romcom with cozy autumn vibes, plenty of cooking puns and an irresistible Frenchman.

Fans of Fake Dating and Secret Identity, you’ll enjoy this standalone novel full of laughs and sizzling chemistry without the explicit scenes!

Enjoy the other full-length books in the Cinnamon Rolls and Pumpkin Spice series, which can be read in any order:

Hating the Cinnamon Roll CEO by Camilla Evergreen
Falling for Autumn (Again) by Jen Atkinson
Paris, Pumpkins & Puns by Marion De Ré
Fall With Me by Amanda P. Jones
Cinnamon & Spice Conundrum by Leah Busboom
Cinnamon Roll Set Up by Genny Carrick
Coffee Break with the Billionaire by Holly Kerr
The Friendly Fall by Kristine W. Joy

MY THOUGHTS

It’s almost Fall so what am I doing? Reading Fall themed books of course and this one hits the nail right on the head. Who doesn’t love a rom com with the cutest Fall cover?


An American food critic is sent to Paris to do food reviews for her work. Now a person dining alone in Paris maybe should set off bells but after taking over his dad’s restaurant head chef, Oliver doesn’t think anything about it he just wants to impress his customers. He can’t help thinking how pretty this American customer is but she’s less than impressed with this bland cooking.

When she can’t find a place to stay at a hotel he offers her a room at his house. She takes it on a friends only basis. But when his mother tries once again to matchmake for him he tells her he has a new girlfriend, let the fake dating begin.

What happens when your fake dating rules seem to become more of a bother as each day comes along. This foodie rom com is filled with delicious sounding food preparations on every page, the essence and elegance of Paris, and marvelous Fall vibes. What happens when you want to stop the fake dating and for it to become the real thing?

When Oliver realizes she has kept a huge secret from him will she have to leaf? Filled with fun puns and lots of French language which only added to the charm of the story. I’d love to read more by the author.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Marion De Ré is an Amazon Bestelling author of closed-door romantic comedies with sass, swoonn and sizzle. She lives in the French countryside with her husband and adorable cat. You can expect all your beloved tropes in her writing as well as a good dose of humor and all the feels. When she’s not reading or writing, you can find her on a plane to a far-away destination or in a Champagne cellar, indulging in a tasting of her favorite drink. 

Get a free story by susbcribing to Marion’s newsletter directly on her website!

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Blog Tour for The Sticky Toffee Pudding Club: (Little Duck Pond Café)

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Sticky Toffee Pudding Club

After bonding with the lovely Jensen as they save a dog in trouble, Annalise – new to Sunnybrook – is gutted when they part without swapping numbers. She’d had the weirdest feeling he could be The One but now she might never see Jensen again. When she loses her new job in a wedding boutique, her week goes from bad to worse – until Maddy and the café crew come to her rescue with an exciting solution. The Pudding Club. Can Annalise rise to the challenge and – with the help of the Little Duck Pond Café crew – start teaching others how to make her glorious puds? And could The Pudding Club be the key to finding Jensen again?

MY THOUGHTS

The Little Duck Pond Cafe series is right up there amongst my favorites of series, which of course means I have to read every one of them.
Look at it this way, can you really go wrong with a book filled with everything pudding?
I was smiling my whole way through the book, what’s not to love, a mischievously adorable rescue dog named Barley, a granny so kind that you’re rooting for, laughs, charming characters and glorious puddings. Though a novella length story this has all that’s needed for a fabulous storyline.
The romance was such a fun addition and really hope to see these characters included in another book by the author. Having a pudding shop sounds like so much fun and the pudding demonstrations were making me hungry with the mention of so many different types of pudding. I’m always happy to see authors mention the adoption of animals and hope this encourages someone to rescue their forever pet. Love the author’s books and it’s such an exciting time to read them.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own

VISIT OTHER BLOGS ON THE TOUR

Purchase Link

Author Bio – Rosie Green’s Little Duck Pond Cafe series of novellas is centred around life in a village cafe and most can be read as stand-alone stories. (‘The Sunshine Sisters’ is a trilogy within the Little Duck Pond Café series and it would benefit from being read in order: Aurora, Skye and Blossom.) Look out for ‘Cosy Nights & Snowball Fights’, and ‘Maddy’s Christmas Wedding’, both out later this year in time for the festive season!

Follow Rosie on Twitter – https://twitter.com/Rosie_Green88

Thank you for stopping in. Have a lovely day.

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Death by Iced Coffee (A Bookstore Cafe Mystery Book 11) 

259 pages Kensington publisher April 25,2023 publish date

ABOUT THE BOOK

A smart, well-crafted mystery set in a charming Midwestern small town, where bookstore-cafe owner Krissy Hancock has a sideline in sleuthing—just right for fans of Leslie Meier, Cleo Coyle, and Carolyn Hart.

Bookstore-café owner Krissy Hancock is stepping out from behind the counter to take part in the first annual Pine Hills, Ohio, marathon. But with a killer close by, she may soon be running for her life . . .
 
It’s a brutally hot day in Pine Hills, and Krissy Hancock would love to be sitting in a shady spot and sipping her favorite iced coffee. Instead, she’s lacing up her sneakers for a marathon—and swiftly regretting it. Especially when she finds one of the other runners lying motionless. At first Krissy suspects heatstroke, but the red marks around the man’s throat tell a more sinister story.
 
The victim, it turns out, had brewed up all kinds of enemies thanks to his cheating ways—both romantic and financial. Krissy’s not keen to get involved, but her friend Rita’s boyfriend, Johan, seems to be mixed up in the mayhem. For Rita’s sake, Krissy wants to help filter out the real killer. But can she do it before another Pine Hills resident gets permanently iced?

MY THOUGHTS

I’ve really gotten into cozy mysteries over the past few years and have started a few series and this is one of them. I enjoy cozies that have cats in them and have a coffee shop as the main area it takes place. Co-Owner Krissy Hancock, of Death by Coffee, a coffee shop in Pine Hills, Ohio has given up slogging joe for the day and entered a marathon raising money for a good cause.


Not sure I understand why the race was run during an ungodly heatwave and Krissy Hancock hadn’t trained for this race or gotten into shape for it. The race proved too much for her and she almost fainted from the heat and was couch bound after the race.

During the race a body was found, heatstroke is suspected but upon inspection it’s determined not to be the case. I do enjoy the cozies, but they can be a bit predictable as many are very similar. It surprises me how many people will just talk to the amateur sleuth and how much they’ll tell them.

Lots of clues presented and the victim did not have the best character so many people could have had reason to want the victim out of the way.
Enjoyed this and I’ll be reading more in the series.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Thanks for stopping in today. Do you prefer hot coffee or iced coffee if you drink it? My choice is iced coffee.

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Christmas Wishes at Pudding Hall: A gorgeous Christmas romance to sweep you off of your feet!

281 pages Aria publisher September 2,2021 publish date

ABOUT THE BOOK

Wrap yourself in the taste of Christmas with this fantastic festive romance!

Christa Playfoot is looking for a fresh start after her divorce. Having lost her Michelin-starred restaurant, she hadn’t expected to be job hunting and single just before Christmas, so when her best friend says she’s recommended her for a gig as a private chef over the Christmas period, she can’t think of a reason to say no…

Christa has no idea what to expect but it’s certainly not grumpy billionaire divorcee Marc Ferrier and his rambunctious twin sons, or the beautiful but cheerless country estate, Pudding Hall, that they inhabit.

With her knack for pouring love into her cooking, Christa is determined to make this Christmas sparkle for the Ferrier family and maybe get her life back on track in the process…

Winter cookies recipe

MY THOUGHTS

Christmas Wishes at Pudding Hall by Kate Forster is a warm, wonderful and festive book.
I enjoyed all the feelings of a warm holiday get together with characters that cared about each other. Out of a job and single isn’t the way anyone wants to spend the holidays but that’s a former Michelin-starred restaurant owner’s reality. Then her best friend recommended her for position of private chef over the Christmas period. This is for grumpy rich divorcee Marc Ferrier and his rambunctious twin sons at their prestigious country estate, Pudding Hall. The descriptions of Pudding Hall, it’s lovely decorations and the landscape sound exquisite. Filled with delicious sounding recipes. Christa succeeds at her private chef’s job, but can she bring the holiday spirit to the grump and his twin boys? Enjoyed reading about the delicious sounding foods being made because you can’t have the holidays without trying new foods and recipes. The twins were adorable and so lively.
Another book from an author that guarantees a nice feel-good read and I’ll be looking for more reads by this author.

Pub Date 02 Sep 2021
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kate lives in Melbourne, Australia with her husband, two children and two dogs, and can be found nursing a laptop, surrounded by magazines and watching trash TV or French films. Kate is the author of the adult novels; The Perfect Location, The Perfect Retreat, Seduction, Close Up, Picture Perfect and For the Love of Christmas. She has also written five young adult romance books including; Unlucky Break, Head over High Heels, Beauty and the Beat, Piece of Cake and Twice Upon a Time.

Thanks for stopping in. May your day be blessed with goodness.