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cheesygiraffe's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed it but she pandered her other book series too much. Yes we know you write the cheese shop cozy mystery series under the name Avery Aames but your main character doesn't have to go and on about the books.
By the way, I like the other series better so far.
By the way, I like the other series better so far.
littletaiko's review
3.0
Set in a coastal California town, this is the first book in the Cookbook Nook mystery series. Jenna Hart has moved back home to help her aunt open a cookbook shop and cafe. When her friend and celebrity chef is murdered right before the grand opening, Jenna finds herself as a suspect. While I didn't warm to Jenna completely, she's a bit too emotional and illogical for my tastes, I couldn't help but enjoy the book. There is potential for this series as long as Jenna stops acting like she's playing some sort of Jump to Conclusions game.
literary__escapism's review
5.0
In the first book in the Cookbook Nook Mystery series, Daryl Wood Gerber creates a mouth-watering mystery set in Crystal Cove, a idyllic by-the-sea town where murder and mayhem take place.
Jenna returns home to Crystal Cove, after her husband was declared dead two years earlier, after going missing during a sailing trip. Her Aunt Vera has convinced her to open The Cookbook Nook, a cookbook store with a cafe, and with Vera, her father and school friends they prepare to open the most delicious store in Crystal Cove. Jenna has lined up Desiree Divine, celebrity chef and a friend from her college days. However before opening day Desiree turns up dead and it's up to Jenna to try and solve the murder!!
I feel for authors with first books in a new series. There is a lot of pressure to not just create a great murder mystery, but to set up a memorable town with likeable characters that will make readers want to return for consecutive books. For me, first books in a series are make or breaks. If I like the town and characters I will return. A fantastic mystery to solve is always a bonus.
With this in mind I was interested to see whether Crystal Cove would steal my attention just the way that her other series (The Cheese Shop Mysteries under the name Avery Aames) has. I'm happy to report that Crystal Cove, the Cookbook Nook and the Hart family left me completely captivated. Apart from the mystery, there is a lot of other things going on in Crystal Cove. There is Jenna's father, retired "FBI analyst", Aunt Vera and her psychic abilities, and the devilish Rhett Jackson (yes I imagined him having a Rhett Butler voice!!!).
I won't spoil any of the little secondary stories but I will say that it's not just the mystery that will keep you guessing but also the gossip and happenings in the lives of the locals of Crystal Cove.
With the mention of several delicious cozy mystery series (many of which I recognized) and mouth-watering cookbooks, Final Sentence was an absolute winner for me. I absolutely can't wait for Daryl Wood Gerber to release the second book in this series. In the meantime, I think I will heading out to the bookstore to pick up some cookbooks and to try the recipes in the back of Final Sentence.
Jenna returns home to Crystal Cove, after her husband was declared dead two years earlier, after going missing during a sailing trip. Her Aunt Vera has convinced her to open The Cookbook Nook, a cookbook store with a cafe, and with Vera, her father and school friends they prepare to open the most delicious store in Crystal Cove. Jenna has lined up Desiree Divine, celebrity chef and a friend from her college days. However before opening day Desiree turns up dead and it's up to Jenna to try and solve the murder!!
I feel for authors with first books in a new series. There is a lot of pressure to not just create a great murder mystery, but to set up a memorable town with likeable characters that will make readers want to return for consecutive books. For me, first books in a series are make or breaks. If I like the town and characters I will return. A fantastic mystery to solve is always a bonus.
With this in mind I was interested to see whether Crystal Cove would steal my attention just the way that her other series (The Cheese Shop Mysteries under the name Avery Aames) has. I'm happy to report that Crystal Cove, the Cookbook Nook and the Hart family left me completely captivated. Apart from the mystery, there is a lot of other things going on in Crystal Cove. There is Jenna's father, retired "FBI analyst", Aunt Vera and her psychic abilities, and the devilish Rhett Jackson (yes I imagined him having a Rhett Butler voice!!!).
I won't spoil any of the little secondary stories but I will say that it's not just the mystery that will keep you guessing but also the gossip and happenings in the lives of the locals of Crystal Cove.
With the mention of several delicious cozy mystery series (many of which I recognized) and mouth-watering cookbooks, Final Sentence was an absolute winner for me. I absolutely can't wait for Daryl Wood Gerber to release the second book in this series. In the meantime, I think I will heading out to the bookstore to pick up some cookbooks and to try the recipes in the back of Final Sentence.
karen62's review
2.0
The description on the back of the book sounded good but the characters were just too annoying. I had to stop after a quarter of the way in.
greenvillemelissa's review
4.0
Book #51 Read in 2014
Final Sentence by Daryl Wood Gerber
This is the first book in a cozy mystery series, set in a cookbook store/café. Jenna moves back to her hometown after her husband dies and opens up a cook store/café with her aunt. Jenna invites her college roommate, now a big cooking show star, to be the special guest at the store's opening but her roommate is murdered before she can appear at the store. Jenna becomes a suspect and begins her own investigation to clear her name. But will that get her into more danger?
This book was a good mystery and I loved the cozy setting. Also a big hit was stray kitten Tigger and secondary characters such as Jenna's dad, aunt and friends. There was also a hint of romance in this book as Jenna and fish shop owner Rhett connect. I enjoyed this book and will read the second book in the series.
http://melissasbookpicks.blogpsot.com
Final Sentence by Daryl Wood Gerber
This is the first book in a cozy mystery series, set in a cookbook store/café. Jenna moves back to her hometown after her husband dies and opens up a cook store/café with her aunt. Jenna invites her college roommate, now a big cooking show star, to be the special guest at the store's opening but her roommate is murdered before she can appear at the store. Jenna becomes a suspect and begins her own investigation to clear her name. But will that get her into more danger?
This book was a good mystery and I loved the cozy setting. Also a big hit was stray kitten Tigger and secondary characters such as Jenna's dad, aunt and friends. There was also a hint of romance in this book as Jenna and fish shop owner Rhett connect. I enjoyed this book and will read the second book in the series.
http://melissasbookpicks.blogpsot.com
hugbandit7's review
3.0
I'd probably give this 3 1/2 stars. It was good and I enjoyed it, but the main character got on my nerves. I liked a lot of the other characters and perhaps it was just getting to know Jenna and her story, but she seemed really nervous/jumpy and while I know being accused of murder is enough to make everyone batty, she seemed a little over the top.
Now there is a hunky man who is a former chef, Rhett Jackson. I think he will be Jenna's love interest since her husband went missing/died several years back..but wouldn't it be a real twist if her husband wasn't really missing and he pulled some stunt to get away from people? Only future books will tell us more about this.
that said, I have started book 2, Inherit the Word, and Jenna seems to have calmed down and I am enjoying it more.
Now there is a hunky man who is a former chef, Rhett Jackson. I think he will be Jenna's love interest since her husband went missing/died several years back..but wouldn't it be a real twist if her husband wasn't really missing and he pulled some stunt to get away from people? Only future books will tell us more about this.
that said, I have started book 2, Inherit the Word, and Jenna seems to have calmed down and I am enjoying it more.
bkread2's review
1.0
I liked the book okay, however I liked and connected with the lesser characters a lot more than the main character. It would have been better if it was Cinnamon as the main character! A neater twist would be if it turned out to be half-sisters without their knowledge!
carolynaugustyn's review
3.0
This was a pretty solid first book in a cozy mystery series. I didn't love it but from experience I've found that most cozies take a book or two to settle into a rhythm and get to be great. So with a few sloppy parts and slow scenes, this book has a lot of potential to start off a really cool series. I really liked Jenna a lot- probably because we are somewhat similar. I could relate with enjoying all things cooking- cookbooks, cooking shows, eating- but not being the best cook ever. Since I liked the characters and the setting so much (seriously, can I live in Crystal Cove?!), I'll definitely continue on.
melissapalmer404's review
4.0
Book #51 Read in 2014
Final Sentence by Daryl Wood Gerber
This is the first book in a cozy mystery series, set in a cookbook store/café. Jenna moves back to her hometown after her husband dies and opens up a cook store/café with her aunt. Jenna invites her college roommate, now a big cooking show star, to be the special guest at the store's opening but her roommate is murdered before she can appear at the store. Jenna becomes a suspect and begins her own investigation to clear her name. But will that get her into more danger?
This book was a good mystery and I loved the cozy setting. Also a big hit was stray kitten Tigger and secondary characters such as Jenna's dad, aunt and friends. There was also a hint of romance in this book as Jenna and fish shop owner Rhett connect. I enjoyed this book and will read the second book in the series.
http://melissasbookpicks.blogpsot.com
Final Sentence by Daryl Wood Gerber
This is the first book in a cozy mystery series, set in a cookbook store/café. Jenna moves back to her hometown after her husband dies and opens up a cook store/café with her aunt. Jenna invites her college roommate, now a big cooking show star, to be the special guest at the store's opening but her roommate is murdered before she can appear at the store. Jenna becomes a suspect and begins her own investigation to clear her name. But will that get her into more danger?
This book was a good mystery and I loved the cozy setting. Also a big hit was stray kitten Tigger and secondary characters such as Jenna's dad, aunt and friends. There was also a hint of romance in this book as Jenna and fish shop owner Rhett connect. I enjoyed this book and will read the second book in the series.
http://melissasbookpicks.blogpsot.com