Break Notice...

It's that time of year again when we take an extended break from blogging. We'll still be around on Instagram, Twitter, goodreads, and on the blog to answer any comments. See you all in the New Year!

The Cookie Book Tag (Round 3)

 

It's December 25th, so Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! I hope everyone has a great day. The year is almost over, and today we're going to do a book tag. It has been a year to the day since Adri and I participated in the Cookie Book Tag for the second time. And today, we're going to do it again to see how our answers do and don't differ. Before we begin, here are the more technical details about the tag.

The Cookie Book Tag was created by Nicole @ Sorry, I’m Booked. And you can check out the original tag post here: Sorry, I’m Booked, The Cookie Book Tag.

The rules…

• Link back to the person who tagged you + the creator of this tag 
• Pick a book that corresponds with the cookies theme 
• Have fun 
• Tag 1-3 people

Chocolate Chip: A Classic Book That You Love or Really Enjoyed (interpret classic how you want, it can be a classic written 100 years ago or 20 years ago)

Breana: It may be 10 years shy of 20 years, but I'm going to go with Cold Magic by Kate Elliott. It came out in 2010, and it's one of my all-time favorite novels. It's also one of the first general fantasy books I picked up around the time my reading tastes were changing.

Adri: I have a Barnes & Noble edition, which includes The Invisible Man and The Time Machine. I finished reading The Time Machine around two years ago. This year, I just now completed The Invisible Man. It was a wild story. 

Thin Mints: A Fandom That You Really Want to ‘Join’ AND/OR a Hyped-Up Book You Want To Read (your source(s) of a book being hyped can be from anywhere)

Breana: I'm still waiting for A Crown So Cursed by L.L. McKinney. The Nightmare-Verse is currently one of my favorite series, and I can't wait to get my hands on the conclusion to the story.

Adri: The Shadows by Alex North has been out for some time, but I was never really sure if I wanted to read it. However, when I saw an interview with the author from BookBub--which mentioned lucid dreaming--I became intrigued. And now I want to read it. 

Shortbread: An Author You Can’t Get Enough Of

Breana: I have two choices for this one: Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Jun Mochizuki. I've really been enjoying Mochizuki's The Case Study of Vanitas. It's one of my favorite takes on vampires, and the world building for the series is just fantastic. I've also read two of Garcia's books so far (Gods of Jade and Shadow and Mexican Gothic), and I've enjoyed both of them. There are a number of other books by the author that are still on my TBR list. 

Adri: My choice is the late Mary Higgins Clarke. I've already read Remember Me, but we have quite a few of her books around the house. I've been meaning to read them but never got around to it. I look forward to when I can get my hands on them.

Samoas/ Caramel DeLites: An Emotional Rollercoaster (this cookie was hard … so any book that made you feel more than one emotion, strongly. The choice of emotions is up to you)

Breana: I know Jelly by Clare Rees doesn't come out until May next year, but I had so many feelings while reading this book. My review will explain it, but it won't be up on the blog until its closer to the release date.  

Adri: Hollywood Park by Mikel Jollett. As I said before, one look at the description will tell you why.

Oreos: A Book Whose Cover Was Better Than The Story OR Vice Versa, Where The Story Was Better Than Its Cover

Breana: I really liked the first cover for The Sisters of Straygarden Place, and the second one is just fine. The story though is fantastic and I highly recommend it.

Adri: I don't dislike the cover for Exploring The World of Lucid Dreaming by Stephen LaBerge and Howard Rheingold. I feel like in contrast to its simplicity, the contents of the book are definitely more interesting. 

Tagalongs/ Peanut Butter Patties: A Book That Wasn’t What You Expected (good, bad, or just different, interpret how you wish)

Breana: Deal With The Devil by Kit Rocha was surprising in a good way, and it renewed my interest in post-apocalyptic stories.

Adri: The Complete Book of Fashion Illustration by Sharon Lee Tate and Mona Shafer Edwards. There were no preview images when I purchased this book, and I looked really hard for them too. Since it was a used book, I really didn't know what I would get. However, I've come to love it and have been using it to practice a different art style from my usual. 

Snickerdoodles: A Book You May Never Stop Rereading/ Loving

Breana: I have two for this one. The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden. In terms of series conclusions, this book is one of my top favorites. The same could also be said about Ann Leckie's Ancillary Mercy.

Adri: I will never stop rereading Victorian Fashions & Costumes From Harper's Bazar 1867-1898 edited by and with an introduction by Stella Blum. Note: the cover is in shambles..... **Update: the cover fell off while writing this....***

Bonus: Choose a cookie I didn’t list and make up a question!

Our question from 2018: Monster Cookies have bold flavors and a long and varied list of ingredients such as M&Ms, chocolate chips, peanut butter, oats, and even sometimes raisins. It’s like a handful of cookie types mashed into one monster of a cookie. So… Monster cookie: name a book with a bold and whimsical title or a book title with four or more words.

Breana: The Haunting of Tram Car 015 by P. Djèlí Clark.

Adri: Dreamscapes Creating Magical Angel, Faery & Mermaid worlds with Watercolor by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law.

That's about it for today. We tag you to do the cookie book tag to see how your answers differ (if you've done it before). If you're curious about our original take on the tag and our second try at it visit the post HERE and HERE. 

Short Stories I Read In November

Today, I’m here to talk about the short stories, miscellaneous posts, and podcast episodes I read or listened to in November. This post is appearing earlier this month, since I will mostly be away from the blog toward the latter half of December.

An Egg Before It Is Broken by Miyuki Jane Pinckard (Strange Horizons; November 9, 2020)

An Egg Before It Is Broken was the first story I read in November, and it was a nice bit of light reading. Recently, I’ve enjoyed stories where a character reminisces about some event in the past, and that’s essentially what this story was about. It was a scene, a moment in time, and it was written excellently. Also there were soft-boiled eggs.

Judge Dee and the Limits of the Law by Lavie Tidhar (Tor.com, November 11, 2020)

In October, I read a story by Lavie Tidhar called Juvenilia. In searching for more work by this author last month, I came across Judge Dee and the Limits of the Law. Recently, there have been a slew of vampire novels, and I’m not mad at the trend—especially if it keeps giving gems like Judge Dee and the Limits of the Law. This was such a fantastic vampire story. I loved the characters, and at times the story had a mystery novel feel to it along the same lines of Sherlock Holms—while part of it also felt like an origin story as well. The two characters, Judge Dee and Jonathan, kind of gave off a feel that reminded me of the dynamic between Holms and Watson. I gotta be honest, it was great. Besides the characters, the story was easy enough to get into, and the case Judge Dee and Jonathan took on kept me reading till the end. As the synopsis says “No vampire is ever innocent.” The limits of the laws vampires had to abide by were pretty clear, and it was interesting to see how Judge Dee applied them while making his verdicts. All-in-all, this was an enjoyable story to read.

From Around The Web…

• Our Opinions Are Correct Episode #70
• Writing Horses: Setting the Magic (Judith Tarr; Tor.com, November 16, 2020)
• Evoking The Gothic: The House That Anxiety Built (Meghan Ball; Uncanny; Issue Thirty-Seven, November/December 2020)
• Gingerbread Bricks, Cherry-Stealing Cats, and Other Culinary Disasters (Patricia A McKillip; Tor.com, November 25, 2020)

Music Monday (143): Holiday Edition

Rules:

• Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren Stoolfire at Always Me that asks you to share one or two songs that you've recently enjoyed. For the rules, visit the page HERE 

Breana: We've been sharing holiday music throughout the month. That being said, it's the Monday before Christmas, so it's time for the holiday edition of Music Monday.

Some of the holiday music I've been listening to this year includes A Hand For Mrs. Claus by Idina Menzel featuring Ariana Grande and Last Christmas by Wham!.

 

Andrea: This week, I'm listening to Christmas Prayer by Gloria Gaynor. Have a great week all!

Adri: I've been listening to a variety of music as always. Today, I'm listening to Ain't A Lonely Christmas Song by Tayla Parx.

 

What holiday music are you listening to?

2020 Favorites: Media

Today, I’m here to talk about my favorite books, movies, TV shows, and music I watched, listened to, or read in 2020. Usually, I break this post down into various parts, but the year is 2020 and it’s going to be a little different.

Books...

With the pandemic going the way it is—as well as how nerve-wracking the election was—I read fewer books this year. However, the ones I did pick up were mostly good. I’m just going to list them here since I already did dedicated posts for them, and for short stories check the Short Story label. 

Nonfiction

• Floriography by Jessica Roux 
• The Radium Girls by Kate Moore
• The Hidden Life of Ice by Marco Tedesco
• The Eternal City by Jessica Maier

Fiction & Manga

• Dragon's Bait by Vivian Vande Velde
• God's of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
• Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
• The Forgotten Girl by India Hill Brown
• The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert
• The Night Country by Melissa Albert
• Deal With the Devil by Kit Rocha
• Axiom's End by Lindsay Ellis
• Haunted Heroine by Sarah Kuhn
• Midnight at the Barclay Hotel by Fleur Bradly
• Silver In the Wood by Emily Tesh

• Ghost Squad by Clairbel A. Ortega
• All Systems Red by Martha Wells
• Fangs by Sarah Anderson
• Unbirthday by Liz Braswell
• The Case Study of Vanitas volume #1 , #2 ,  #3 ,  #4 , and #5 by Jun Mochizuki
• Heiress for Hire by Madeline Hunter
• Come Tumbling Down by Seanan McGuire
• The Bright and Breaking Sea by Chloe Neill
• The Haunting of Tram Car 015 by P. Djeli Clarke
• Artificial Condition by Martha Wells 
• I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett 
• The Sister's of Straygarden Place by Hayley Chewins

Movies & TV Shows...

It doesn’t feel like I’ve watched anything new this year, but I know I have. Earlier in the year, I talked about watching Labyrinth (1986) for the first time. (I Watched Labyrinth (1986))  I also revisited movies like Stardust, Total Recall, and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. 

In the last three months of 2020, I started watching holiday-themed shows. I enjoyed the usual classics when I caught them on TV, as well as the various baking competitions that aired on Food Network.

One series that was my absolute favorite was Over the Garden Wall. It took a while for me to watch this one, but I’m so glad I did. It was the perfect way to get into fall, as the show has a very autumnal aesthetic with the perfect amount of heartwarming feels and quirky spookiness. 

I watched a number of movies on Netflix around this time as well. For Halloween, my favorites were A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting and Vampires VS the Bronx. And for Christmas, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Story was the clear winner here. It was hands down one of the best musicals I watched in 2020. I also watched Christmas on the Square with Dolly Parton and Dance Dreams: Hot Chocolate Nutcracker, a documentary involving Debbie Allen and her dance students. 

Podcasts

My list of podcasts hasn’t changed. I mainly listened to Print Run, Our Opinions Are Correct, and Fangirl Happy Hour.

 

Music... 

And last but certainly not least, music. I listened to a lot of great albums and EPs this year. I did try to step out of my comfort zone and find new artists to add to my playlist, and I did accomplish that.

• I Listened to Treat Myself by Meghan Trainor
• I Listened to Where Are You? by Abi Ocia
• I Listened to Ungodly Hour by Chloe X Halle
• I Listened to Jaguar by Victoria Monet
• I Listened to Cape God by Allie X and Where Does the Devil Hide by Zella Day
• I Listened to Shadow Works by Kerli
• I Listened to Super Sunset by Allie X
• I Listened to Death Stranding Timefall

Two Mixtapes I did not get to do a post for this year was Tkay Maidza’s Last Year Was Weird Vol.1 and Vol.2. I did mention them on a Music Monday post, but they needed to be mentioned again and with a little more details. Last Year Was Weird Vol. 1 and Vol.2 were probably two of the best mixtapes I listened to in 2020. The sound and lyrics of every song was done so well, and I often find myself wanting to listen to them again and on repeat. They're memorable and give a smooth R& B vibe with a number of catchy rap flows. There’s going to be a Last Year Was Weird Vol.3, and I’m looking forward to when that gets released.

Adri: I'm here to tack on some of my favorite music that I have been listening to. I didn't do any post for these (some of them I mentioned for Music Monday), but I am listing it anyway. This year, I gravitated toward more metal artist, like Ocean's of Slumber, I Prevail, and Tetrarch. I discovered a lot of past albums from the likes of Grace Jones, Mythos, and Samantha James. And, of course, have been enjoying recent releases from various artist. Anyway, here's my full list in no particular order. (Sorry in advance for the long list...)

• Earthgang - Mirrorland
• RL Grime - Sable Valley Summer Vol. 1 (Compilation)
• Lone - Not Seeing Is A Flower (EP); Cluster Dreams (EP) Lone x KETTAMA
• Grace Jones - Muse; Hurricane/Dub
• Samantha James - Subconscious; Rise
• The Airborne Toxic Event - Hollywood Park
• Disclosure - Energy (Deluxe)
• Mythos - The Reality Of A Dreamer
• Stephen Rhodes - Perfume
• Tetrarch - Freak
• Bree Runaway - 2000AND4EVA
• Oceans of Slumber - Oceans of Slumber; The Banished Heart; Winter
• I Prevail -Trauma
• Swing Out Sister - It's Better To Travel (Deluxe Edition)
• Thunder Cat -It Is What It Is; Apocalypse

Songs

• Oceans of Slumber - Strange Fruit; Kashmir
• WOODKID - Goliath
• The Spiritual Machines - Sleepwalk; Moon of Honey; Dancing in the Streets; Flood it all
• Les Friction - The End of the Beginning
• Tetrarch - I'm Not Right
• Lion Babe - Umi Says; Hot in Herre
• Cookiee Kawaii -Vibe
• Moonchild Sanelly - Bashiri
• Bree Runaway - Gucci (Feat. Maliibu Miitch)
• Lil Nas X - Holiday

So that was all my favorite media from 2020. What movies, shows, music, books, or podcasts brought you joy in 2020?

Review: I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett

Title: I Shall Wear Midnight 

Series: Discworld #38 (Tiffany Aching #4)

Author: Terry Pratchett
Source/Format: Purchased; Paperback
More Details: Young Adult; Fantasy
Publisher/Publication Date: Harper Collins; September 1, 2015 (first published on January 1, 2010)

Goodreads     Amazon     Barnes & Noble     Target

Synopsis from Goodreads...

The fourth in a series of Discworld novels starring the young witch Tiffany Aching...

As the witch of the Chalk, Tiffany Aching performs the distinctly unglamorous work of caring for the needy. But someone—or something—is inciting fear, generating dark thoughts and angry murmurs against witches. Tiffany must find the source of unrest and defeat the evil at its root. Aided by the tiny-but-tough Wee Free Men, Tiffany faces a dire challenge, for if she falls, the whole Chalk falls with her. . . .

For the longest time, I have said I wanted to continue reading the Tiffany Aching series, since Wintersmith is one of my all-time favorite books. I have yet to read the first two books in the series, but I had no trouble stepping back into the somewhat silly but also serious/dangerous and magical world of Tiffany Aching. I was always curious to know what happened after the business with winter was over. So I have finally read Wintersmith’s sequel, I Shall Wear Midnight, and it was a fantastic read.

The beginning of I Shall Wear Midnight was almost calm by comparison to the later part of the story. Sure it was chaotic and busy, but it was all typical to witches in the Tiffany Aching series. That being so, once the fear, rumors, and anger towards the witches started, that calm vanished. There was a gradual build to the tension, which was only heightened as more and more of the twists—and ultimately the villain of the story—was revealed.

There is something so immersive and engrossing about this story. Part of it was the characters—or rather Tiffany Aching herself—as well as the role magic occupied within the story. Pratchett’s take on witchcraft can at times be pragmatic, but it’s one of my favorite versions. In Wintersmith, Tiffany was still learning how to be a witch, and as a consequence she was around other witches a lot more than she was here. In I Shall Wear Midnight, she was mostly on her own, in her “steading”—which is essentially the geological area a witch looks after. She had big shoes to fill, and as the story stresses: witches handle the unglamorous work, i.e. the tasks that may go unnoticed otherwise.

Tiffany is such a wonderful character. She went through quite a bit in this story, as relationships she had relied on and cherished were tested as often as they changed. In that way, I Shall Wear Midnight felt more like a coming of age tale, as Tiffany really stepped into her own and fortified her confidence and pride as a witch. It was great to see, and it kept me turning the pages. As always, Tiffany’s bond with the Nac Mac Feegle (Wee Free Men) was great. Some of their antics served as some much needed comedic moments in a story that was otherwise quite serious in tone.

I Shall Wear Midnight was a fitting sequel to Wintersmith. I’m glad I can finally mark this one off my TBR list, and I look forward to read more of Pratchett’s Discworld series.

Music Monday (142): Twenty One Pilots, Thundercat,

 

   Rules:

• Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren Stoolfire at Always Me that asks you to share one or two songs that you've recently enjoyed. For the rules, visit the page HERE 

Breana: Twenty One Pilots released a Christmas song last week called Christmas Saves The Year. I kind of want them to make a full holiday album, but I'll take what I can get. Anyway, I really like this song.

Adri: Recently, Thundercat released his album, It Is What It Is. It included my favorite song, Dragonball Durag, which is my first pick. 

My second pick became a new favorite when I first listened to it. It's called Innerstellar Love. I think it's too short, but I can't stop listening to it! 

What holiday music are you listening to this week? If you have any recommendations, leave them in the comments.

The Friday 56 (191) & Book Beginnings: I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice where every Friday you pick a book and turn to page 56 or 56%, and select a sentence or a few, as long as it's not a spoiler. For the full rules, visit the the page HERE

Book Beginnings is a weekly meme hosted by Rose City Reader that asks you to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you're reading.

Synopsis from Goodreads...

The fourth in a series of Discworld novels starring the young witch Tiffany Aching...

As the witch of the Chalk, Tiffany Aching performs the distinctly unglamorous work of caring for the needy. But someone—or something—is inciting fear, generating dark thoughts and angry murmurs against witches. Tiffany must find the source of unrest and defeat the evil at its root. Aided by the tiny-but-tough Wee Free Men, Tiffany faces a dire challenge, for if she falls, the whole Chalk falls with her. . . .

Beginning: "Why was it, Tiffany Aching wondered, that people liked noise so much?"

56: "Jeannie sat down by her husband and watched the brawling for a while." 

Comments: I can finally mark I Shall Wear Midnight off my TBR list. I really loved the fourth installment in the Tiffany Aching series. What are you reading this week?

Favorite Recipe: Chocolate Chip Cookie + Round-Up

Hello, I hope everyone is doing well. Today, I'm here to talk about a new favorite tried-and-true recipe.  Breana recently came across a great cookie recipe. It is The Most Amazing Chocolate Chip Cookies by Laura from her website Joy Food Sunshine. For the longest time, I have been looking for cookies that remain chewy after baking. Most of the recipes tasted good. However, they were chewy when warm and crispy when cooled. This one is, kind of, the opposite. Breana described it to me as being slightly crispy (but still soft) out of the oven, and chewy once cooled.

After Breana made a half batch, we discovered how good they were. So, she made a whole batch soon after. When I made them, I used white chocolate chips (pictured). However, I didn't have enough brown sugar at the time. One commenter, Gulshan Naqvee (on October 6th) mentioned they used all white sugar. So, I just used 1 ½ cups of white sugar. These ones were really rich. To be fair it could have been the difference in sugar, but I’ll eventually remake them with the proper measurements.

We also tried other add-ins besides chocolate chips. Some of the combinations we tried were chocolate chips and raisins, chocolate chips and peppermint chunks*, and just peppermint chunks. Speaking of which, I totally recommend Ghirardelli Peppermint chunks, it taste just like their peppermint squares, without the chocolate.

*With chocolate chips and raisins/peppermint chunks, I used 1 cup of each one. 

And with that, let’s get to the Round up. It’s holiday baking season, so I thought I would re-share some desserts (except for one).

Brownies

In our experience, you can throw everything in the bowl without separating it. However, following the directions exact is what guarantees that top layer.

Our thoughts about the recipe: HERE

Original Recipe by Sarah: HERE 

Waffle cones/ bowls

I preferred making waffle bowls because it was easier than trying to roll it into a cone…

Our thoughts about the recipe: HERE

Original Recipe (chocolate) by Sara Wells: HERE

Original Recipe by Williams-Sonoma: HERE 

Pie crust and pumpkin cheesecake pie

This is a mix-match post. The crust is flakey, and the pumpkin cheesecake pie was delicious.

Our thoughts about the recipe: HERE

Original Recipe by Melissa Stadler: HERE 

Stadler includes both a single and double pie crust recipe.

Original Recipe by Lyuba Brooke: HERE 

Dark chocolate sour cream cake

I love sour cream cakes because most of the time they come out moist.

Our thoughts about the recipe: HERE 

Original Recipe by Tami Baity: HERE 

Biscuits

I know I said desserts, but biscuits occasionally end up part of our end of the year baking, so I have to include them. Plus this recipe has been forgiving when I’ve been lazy about making it.

Our thoughts about the recipe: HERE 

Original Recipe by Amber: HERE 

Eggless Sugar cookies

I’m including this last because of some technicalities. Some of the amounts called for are different than when we first found this recipe. The main difference is that we use only ½ cup of butter and 1 cup of flour + any extra needed. Everything else is the same. 

Our thoughts about the recipe: HERE

Original Recipe: HERE 

That’s all for now. Thanks for reading. What's your favorite recipe to make around the holidays? And do you prefer crispy or chewy cookies? We would love to know.

Music Monday (141): Pentatonix, Stevie Wonder, Duke Ellington, Lil Nas X, John Legend, Carrie Underwood

Rules:

• Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren Stoolfire at Always Me that asks you to share one or two songs that you've recently enjoyed. For the rules, visit the page HERE 

Breana: I'm currently listening to Pentatonix's new holiday album, We Need A Little Christmas. I enjoyed all of the songs, but then again I should have expected it. Pentatonix's holiday albums are always a perfect way to set a festive mood. One of my favorite songs from it is Once Upon A December. This song is just lovely.  

  

Adri: I'm listening to Sugar Rum Cherry by Duke Ellington and Holiday by Lil Nas X.

Andrea: This week I'm listening to Hallelujah by Carrie Underwood and John Legend and Ave Maria by Stevie Wonder.

What are you listening to this week?

I Watched Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Story (2020)

It has been a while since I’ve been this excited to talk about a holiday movie, but Jingle Jangle deserves all the praise. This is probably one of my favorite movies released by Netflix to date, and it goes alongside others I’ve recently enjoyed—i.e. The Babysitters Guide to Monster Hunting and Vampires VS the Bronx. Jingle Jangle was fantastic, and it ticked all the boxes for everything I look for in a musical. It’s the kind of family-friendly movie that feels like it’s going to be a holiday classic, and in my opinion it more than has the potential to cross that threshold.

For a movie about a toymaker, the holidays, family, and stolen inventions, the story was just good. It was a magical adventure with steampunk notes. It seemed equal parts heartwarming, sad, but still all around fun and humorous. And even when there were some of the more emotional moments, the movie never quite lost its hopeful tone.

Jingle Jangle is very stylish movie. The casting decisions Netflix made were top-notch with picks such as Keegan-Michael Key from Key & Peele, Forest Whitaker, and Anika Noni Rose who voiced Tiana. Every actor was phenomenal in their roles, and as a result the characters came off as charming and joyous. The costuming as well as the set design was colorful, wintery and eye-catching—and it really set the mood for the movie.

Since Jingle Jangle is a musical, I was paying close attention to the aspects related to it. Well, the dance numbers were excellent, the music is just “chefs kiss,” and even after the credits were rolling, I was already thinking about listening to the songs again. The scene transitions were notable as well, especially between the talking parts and the singing/dance segments. It was so smooth that the overall impression left by Jingle Jangle is that the movie found its rhythm and kept it.

Jingle Jangle was fantastic. I can’t recommend it enough, and if you’re looking for a holiday movie to watch, then consider giving this one a try.

Also, check out the trailer….

ARC Review: Finished Off In Fondant by Rosemarie Ross

Title: Finished Off In Fondant
Series: Courtney Archer #2
Author: Rosemarie Ross
Source/Format: Netgalley; eARC
More Details: Cozy Mystery
Publisher/Publication Date: Kensington Publishing; December 1, 2020

Goodreads     Amazon     Barnes & Noble     Target

Synopsis from Goodreads...

Hosting a reality cooking show could be the perfect career boost for Chef Courtney Archer--as long as the contestants aren't suspected of murder . . .

Despite a few early hiccups, Courtney is thrilled with her starring role on The American Baking Battle, filmed at a grand resort in the Pocono Mountains. The icing on the cake? The new season has a wedding theme--complete with formalwear. But the first day on set, the producer seems to care more about profits than pastry--and the topper comes when her cohost Skylar falls ill. Little does she know things are about to end in tiers . When a barely coherent, blood-covered Skylar is discovered at the doorway of his room, Courtney is horrified to walk inside and find a towering wedding cake--thoroughly smashed by the body of a woman in a bridal gown. Now suspicion is filling the studio and falling on Skylar, and Courtney has to look at coworkers and contestants, working through layers of deception to find the real culprit . . .

I was excited for Finished Off In Fondant. It’s been a while since I dived into a cozy mystery, and this one seemed like one I would like. Finished Off In Fondant was fine. I liked it. The characters were good, and the setting afforded for some interesting situations.

I liked the idea of Finished Off In Fondant, since it had a main character who was a host of a cooking competition as well as for her own show. It was a fun set up, and for the most part I did like the competition as well as the cooking aspects of the novel. I liked how much knowledge the character had about food, as it did come in handy. For the most part, I did like the cast of the characters. Courtney was interesting. Her situation was up-in-the-air for a while, as she had to come clean about her identity and the discrepancies of her on-air persona. So there was the possibility that her career could take a hit. So there was some tension in the story before the mystery began. I also liked the side characters. They were interesting in their own right.

Now when it came to the mystery—the very thing that hooked me from the start—at times it seemed to take a backseat to the filming of the competition, and the actual investigative portions seemed few and far in-between for much of the story. There was more speculation than anything else, and a lot of time was spent on other characters telling Courtney to mind her own business. That’s a common thing I’ve come across in most cozy mysteries I’ve read, and the characters always kind of disregarded that. However, Courtney did stumble onto some clues, but I wish the development of the mystery was more present than it was.

Overall, Finished Off In Fondant was fine.

About the author....

Rosemarie Ross is neither a chef, gourmet cook, nor television cooking star, but she loves watching them and turned that love into a cozy mystery series. Rosemarie Ross is also the pseudonym of multi-published author Rose Ross Zediker, who writes contemporary and historical inspirational romance novels.

Disclaimer: This copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Kensington) via Netgalley for this review, thank you!

Music Monday (140): Tkay Maidza, Charlie Wilson, Smokey Robinson

  

   Rules:

• Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren Stoolfire at Always Me that asks you to share one or two songs that you've recently enjoyed. For the rules, visit the page HERE 

Breana: Two weeks ago, I mentioned I was listening to a Mixtape called Last Year Was Weird Vol.2. Well, I finally checked out Last Year Was Weird Vol.1, and I love it as much as Vol.2. One of my favorite songs from it is Lullabies. 

Andrea: This week I'm listening to All of My Love by Charlie Wilson featuring Smokey Robinson.

 

What are you listening to this week?