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theavidreaderandbibliophile's review against another edition
4.0
Pressing the Issue by Daryl Wood Gerber is the sixth book in A Cookbook Nook Mystery series. Jenna Hart is busy getting the Cookbook Nook ready for the Crystal Cove Renaissance Fair. Bailey Bird, though, is of little help since she is out of sorts. Bailey is getting married in two weeks to Tito Martinez at Baldini Vineyard. Lola Bird has not helped matters by telling Bailey that she has a bad vibe about the nuptials. Bailey receives a cryptic message from Nick Baldini and it sounds like he is in trouble. Jenna and Bailey rush to his home to find him on the floor with blood coming from a head wound. They check for a pulse and find their King of the Renaissance Fair, Nick is dead. Jenna quickly contacts Police Chief Cinnamon Pritchett who warns Jenna to stay out of the investigation. The murder weapon turns out to be a winepress that Nick had shown them earlier in the day. Bailey is thrown into a tailspin. What will happen to her wedding? Jenna quietly (does not want to incur Cinnamon’s wrath) begins asking questions to find out more about Nick and who could have wished him harm. Time is running out because soon the Renaissance Fair visitors will be departing, and the killer could be hiding among them. Who could have committed this dastardly deed? Will Bailey and Tito have their wedding?
Pressing the Issue can be read alone. Everything a reader needs to know is included in the book. Returning to Crystal Cove is like visiting old friends. It is a charming town with welcoming townspeople, a beach, and inviting shops. The main characters are warm, friendly and relatable. It was lovely to catch up with Jenna, Bailey, Kate, Rhett and Aunt Vera. The descriptions of the Renaissance Fair are vivid. I enjoyed reading about the costumes, food and activities (the Renaissance Fair speak was entertaining and amusing). It felt like I was there enjoying it with them. There are delightful book descriptions (cookbooks and some cozy mysteries). The tantalizing food narratives will have your mouth watering (recipes included at the end of the book). I appreciated how the author incorporated Charlotte Bessette of Fromagerie Bessette into the story (from the Cheese Shop Mystery series written under her Avery Aames pen name) and her mention of Ohio State University (Go Buckeyes). The mystery was enticing, but avid cozy mystery readers will find it child’s play to solve. There are several suspects and some good misdirection that will lead readers down the wrong path. I do wish that Police Chief Pritchett would start working with Jenna on the investigations. Cinnamon knows that Jenna’s natural curiosity will not keep her away from looking into a case and Jenna is good at ferreting out information. I found the ending to be endearing. I am rating Pressing the Issue 4 out of 5 stars.
Pressing the Issue can be read alone. Everything a reader needs to know is included in the book. Returning to Crystal Cove is like visiting old friends. It is a charming town with welcoming townspeople, a beach, and inviting shops. The main characters are warm, friendly and relatable. It was lovely to catch up with Jenna, Bailey, Kate, Rhett and Aunt Vera. The descriptions of the Renaissance Fair are vivid. I enjoyed reading about the costumes, food and activities (the Renaissance Fair speak was entertaining and amusing). It felt like I was there enjoying it with them. There are delightful book descriptions (cookbooks and some cozy mysteries). The tantalizing food narratives will have your mouth watering (recipes included at the end of the book). I appreciated how the author incorporated Charlotte Bessette of Fromagerie Bessette into the story (from the Cheese Shop Mystery series written under her Avery Aames pen name) and her mention of Ohio State University (Go Buckeyes). The mystery was enticing, but avid cozy mystery readers will find it child’s play to solve. There are several suspects and some good misdirection that will lead readers down the wrong path. I do wish that Police Chief Pritchett would start working with Jenna on the investigations. Cinnamon knows that Jenna’s natural curiosity will not keep her away from looking into a case and Jenna is good at ferreting out information. I found the ending to be endearing. I am rating Pressing the Issue 4 out of 5 stars.
kimdavishb's review against another edition
5.0
It’s been 1-1/2 years since the last release of a Cookbook Nook Mystery book by Daryl Wood Gerber and I am beyond happy that there is a new addition! PRESSING THE ISSUE, the sixth book in this delightful series, finds Jenna Hart and the town of Crystal Cove, California, getting ready for a Renaissance Fair. While I have never attended a “Ren Fair”, the author’s descriptive voice brings the sights, sounds, and yummy tastes to life and the reader will feel like they are right there. Ms. Gerber effectively uses “fair-speak” between the characters which adds to the festive atmosphere, providing fun entertainment. Jenna owns the Cookbook Nook, a shop I would dearly love to spend lots of time in. Not only does Jenna have plenty of Renaissance-themed decorations and period music for her shop but she has also located and stocked numerous medieval-themed cookbooks. I love the clever names assigned to these cook books and who knew there were so many out there?
Jenna is helping her good friend, Bailey Bird, plan her wedding, which is scheduled to be held at the Boldini Vineyards. When they find the winery’s owner murdered, Jenna’s curiosity and sense of justice drags her into getting involved. Plus she needs to find a resolution for the bride-to-be’s wedding venue. There are plenty of suspects to keep the reader guessing and plenty of twists that kept me turning pages late into the night. Ms. Gerber includes a unique condition called “Face Blindness” in the book and I found the use intriguing! The chilling climax ties all the subplots together and provides a satisfying conclusion. I so enjoyed catching up with Jenna and the characters surrounding her. They have been allowed to grow and develop in their personal lives and relationships and it’s been a pleasure reading their adventure!
The Renaissance Fair provides so many opportunities to indulge in yummy food and you will be drooling while reading the decadent descriptions. Fortunately for the reader, Ms. Gerber provides numerous recipes at the back of the book to indulge in!
I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Jenna is helping her good friend, Bailey Bird, plan her wedding, which is scheduled to be held at the Boldini Vineyards. When they find the winery’s owner murdered, Jenna’s curiosity and sense of justice drags her into getting involved. Plus she needs to find a resolution for the bride-to-be’s wedding venue. There are plenty of suspects to keep the reader guessing and plenty of twists that kept me turning pages late into the night. Ms. Gerber includes a unique condition called “Face Blindness” in the book and I found the use intriguing! The chilling climax ties all the subplots together and provides a satisfying conclusion. I so enjoyed catching up with Jenna and the characters surrounding her. They have been allowed to grow and develop in their personal lives and relationships and it’s been a pleasure reading their adventure!
The Renaissance Fair provides so many opportunities to indulge in yummy food and you will be drooling while reading the decadent descriptions. Fortunately for the reader, Ms. Gerber provides numerous recipes at the back of the book to indulge in!
I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
katreader's review against another edition
4.0
PRESSING THE ISSUE by Daryl Wood Gerber
The Sixth Cookbook Nook Mystery
Excitement is running high in Crystal Cove with the annual Renaissance Fair in town and preparations underway for Bailey's wedding at a local vineyard. While Jenna Hart is practicing her "fair-speak" and stacking the shelves of the Cookbook Nook with Renaissance themed cookbook, Bailey is in a tizzy, worried about her wedding, especially since her mother has got "vibes". And not good ones. A missed phone call sends the pair and their significant others to the vineyard only to find the owner murdered. Bad vibes indeed.
Love is in the air, unfortunately, so is murder. Could Nick's death be caused by love gone wrong? There are plenty of possible suspects including the girlfriend he recently dumped, the woman who has stolen his heart, even his brother! The book delves into other loves as well. In addition to Bailey's wedding preparations, wedding bells are on the minds of more than one other character.
I enjoyed the Renaissance Fair theme to the latest Cookbook Nook mystery. I've always wanted my own Ren costume and I know I could nail down my "fair-speak". As for solving the murder...Daryl Wood Gerber creates an intriguing mix of suspects and clues which Jenna navigates, well, more accurately, Bailey drags her through.
PRESSING THE ISSUE combines Renaissance Fair fun, wedding preparations with a mini bridezilla, and murder to create a delectable mystery.
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a digital ARC provided through NetGalley, in the hopes I would review it.
The Sixth Cookbook Nook Mystery
Excitement is running high in Crystal Cove with the annual Renaissance Fair in town and preparations underway for Bailey's wedding at a local vineyard. While Jenna Hart is practicing her "fair-speak" and stacking the shelves of the Cookbook Nook with Renaissance themed cookbook, Bailey is in a tizzy, worried about her wedding, especially since her mother has got "vibes". And not good ones. A missed phone call sends the pair and their significant others to the vineyard only to find the owner murdered. Bad vibes indeed.
Love is in the air, unfortunately, so is murder. Could Nick's death be caused by love gone wrong? There are plenty of possible suspects including the girlfriend he recently dumped, the woman who has stolen his heart, even his brother! The book delves into other loves as well. In addition to Bailey's wedding preparations, wedding bells are on the minds of more than one other character.
I enjoyed the Renaissance Fair theme to the latest Cookbook Nook mystery. I've always wanted my own Ren costume and I know I could nail down my "fair-speak". As for solving the murder...Daryl Wood Gerber creates an intriguing mix of suspects and clues which Jenna navigates, well, more accurately, Bailey drags her through.
PRESSING THE ISSUE combines Renaissance Fair fun, wedding preparations with a mini bridezilla, and murder to create a delectable mystery.
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a digital ARC provided through NetGalley, in the hopes I would review it.
peggyemi's review against another edition
4.0
Another good installment in this series
I'm a bit behind on this series but glad to be catching up. This book was an entertaining read. I love how the theme of each book revolves around a specific event taking place in Crystal Cove. However, our main character Jenna, has the worst luck ever when it comes to finding dead bodies. And when she does, she can't help herself, she has to investigate and be right in the thick of things. The secondary cast of characters is really well done. They are diverse and have depth of character. The mystery kept me guessing. The author provides plenty of suspects and does a really good job of providing clues that support any one of them as the killer. I'm happy to be catching up on this series and will be reading the next book shortly.
I'm a bit behind on this series but glad to be catching up. This book was an entertaining read. I love how the theme of each book revolves around a specific event taking place in Crystal Cove. However, our main character Jenna, has the worst luck ever when it comes to finding dead bodies. And when she does, she can't help herself, she has to investigate and be right in the thick of things. The secondary cast of characters is really well done. They are diverse and have depth of character. The mystery kept me guessing. The author provides plenty of suspects and does a really good job of providing clues that support any one of them as the killer. I'm happy to be catching up on this series and will be reading the next book shortly.
historical_bookworm's review against another edition
4.0
Another delightful cozy mystery filled with suspense and plenty of twists and turns along the way. An amazing book to get lost in.
morticia32's review against another edition
4.0
Book 6 in the series.
I was thrilled to see a new book in this series, it's always fun to visit Jenna and Aunt Vera as well as the town Crystal Cove to see what event they're cooking up next. This time around it's a Renaissance Fair, complete with copious amounts of "Ren speak." I will admit that personally, I don't see the appeal, I know too much about how things actually worked in that time period to allow myself to fall into the romanticized version, haha.
However, the plot was solid, and I liked the characters enough to ignore the setting and just enjoy the folks of Crystal Cove and the solid writing.
This was a quick read for me, and had some nice twists and turns to keep me entertained and guessing for a while.
I can't wait for more Crystal Cove craziness.
*I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book provided by the author.
I was thrilled to see a new book in this series, it's always fun to visit Jenna and Aunt Vera as well as the town Crystal Cove to see what event they're cooking up next. This time around it's a Renaissance Fair, complete with copious amounts of "Ren speak." I will admit that personally, I don't see the appeal, I know too much about how things actually worked in that time period to allow myself to fall into the romanticized version, haha.
However, the plot was solid, and I liked the characters enough to ignore the setting and just enjoy the folks of Crystal Cove and the solid writing.
This was a quick read for me, and had some nice twists and turns to keep me entertained and guessing for a while.
I can't wait for more Crystal Cove craziness.
*I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book provided by the author.
lunifur's review against another edition
4.0
**I voluntarily read this ARC**
This is a series best read in order. I was able to follow along, but there were multiple references to previous events that possibly included minor spoilers. The setting was beautiful. The mystery was great with a really good ending. I had a lot of fun reading about the faire, and all the faire speak was an amusing addition.
This is a series best read in order. I was able to follow along, but there were multiple references to previous events that possibly included minor spoilers. The setting was beautiful. The mystery was great with a really good ending. I had a lot of fun reading about the faire, and all the faire speak was an amusing addition.
nicolepeck's review against another edition
3.0
Fun cozy-style mystery. There is a lot of focus on the Renaissance Fair language throughout most of the book, making some of the characters' dialogs a little tougher to follow, which slowed down the flow of the book some for me, but the setting of the fair in the town added an interesting element to the story line. I haven't read any of the earlier books in this series, so I think I missed some of the background of the main characters from the previous books, but not enough to affect the action of this story, though it would be nice to go back and read the earlier books to help me become more familiar with the characters. The recipes sound delicious, and I love how they related to the story line. I definitely want to try out every one of them!
valerielong's review against another edition
4.0
I was waiting for this book to come out ever since the fifth one, Grilling the Subject had been published in August 2016. I’m thrilled that Daryl Wood Gerber found another publisher to continue the series as I really enjoy it. Even though I’d had a long wait between books, this newest installment in the series did not disappoint at all!
It was so good to be back in Crystal Cove with Jenna, Aunt Vera, Bailey, Katie, Rhett, and the rest of the townspeople. It’s one thing I love about reading series – the characters start to feel like they’re old friends that you’re visiting. These are great characters. Daryl Wood Gerber has done a great job creating well-developed and complex characters. They’re fun to come back to book after book.
This plotline had several red herrings. I did wonder about the villain but I wasn’t sure about my wonderings until just before they were revealed in the end. I was sorry the victim had to die. We’d met him in other books and I kinda liked him as a character. But alas, what’s a mystery without a victim of some sort?
This is definitely a series that you want to read from the beginning, starting with Final Sentence, the first book in the series. Each of the mysteries are stand-alone but there’s a lot of back story that will make MUCH more sense if you read the books in order.
I do recommend the series for cozy mystery fans. Come join the fun in Crystal Cove and get to know this great cast of characters!
It was so good to be back in Crystal Cove with Jenna, Aunt Vera, Bailey, Katie, Rhett, and the rest of the townspeople. It’s one thing I love about reading series – the characters start to feel like they’re old friends that you’re visiting. These are great characters. Daryl Wood Gerber has done a great job creating well-developed and complex characters. They’re fun to come back to book after book.
This plotline had several red herrings. I did wonder about the villain but I wasn’t sure about my wonderings until just before they were revealed in the end. I was sorry the victim had to die. We’d met him in other books and I kinda liked him as a character. But alas, what’s a mystery without a victim of some sort?
This is definitely a series that you want to read from the beginning, starting with Final Sentence, the first book in the series. Each of the mysteries are stand-alone but there’s a lot of back story that will make MUCH more sense if you read the books in order.
I do recommend the series for cozy mystery fans. Come join the fun in Crystal Cove and get to know this great cast of characters!
dollycas's review against another edition
5.0
Dollycas’s Thoughts
We arrive in Crystal Cove just in time for the Renaissance Fair and Bailey’s wedding. Everyone was having a great time until the Nick, the king of the faire and owner of the venue for Bailey’s wedding is found dead. With a booth at the fair, the Cookbook Nook, and all the wedding plans the last thing Jenna Hart needs in a murder to solve. Nick was a very popular resident of Crystal Cove, who would want him dead? Jenna starts talking to everyone she can, maybe she can find the killer before all the people in town for the faire clear out and maybe Bailey’s dream wedding can take place as planned. Let the sleuthing begin.
The last book in this series had me struggling with many emotions. I was so glad to pick up this book and reconnect with all the characters and their lives at a happy time with the wedding and Ren Faire. The author does an excellent job of getting us up to date and back into the groove with Jenna and her friends and family. We also meet some new characters in town for the faire. Daryl Wood Gerber creates such delightful characters that have grown in each new installment of this series.
I was very taken with the vineyard setting Bailey and Tito had chosen for their nuptials. It was described so nicely and sounded like a beautiful place. I have never been to a Ren Faire but I had in my mind a set-up similar to the setting in Joyce and Jim Lavene’s Renaissance Faire Mysteries, but this being only a pop-up type event it wasn’t as elaborate as the faire in those stories, but it sure appeared to be a lot of fun.
The mystery is so well-written, plenty of suspects and plenty of twists. I do have a problem when I read books by this author. I tend to get all wrapped up in happening to the regular characters and the great books Jenna has a the CookBook Nook that I usually miss some very important clue. This time I made myself pay attention, even highlighting lines from the book on my Kindle. This time when we reached the reveal of the killer I was so happy to see my diligence paid off and I was right.
Another great story from Daryl Wood Gerber.
This series is best read in order for maximum enjoyment.
We arrive in Crystal Cove just in time for the Renaissance Fair and Bailey’s wedding. Everyone was having a great time until the Nick, the king of the faire and owner of the venue for Bailey’s wedding is found dead. With a booth at the fair, the Cookbook Nook, and all the wedding plans the last thing Jenna Hart needs in a murder to solve. Nick was a very popular resident of Crystal Cove, who would want him dead? Jenna starts talking to everyone she can, maybe she can find the killer before all the people in town for the faire clear out and maybe Bailey’s dream wedding can take place as planned. Let the sleuthing begin.
The last book in this series had me struggling with many emotions. I was so glad to pick up this book and reconnect with all the characters and their lives at a happy time with the wedding and Ren Faire. The author does an excellent job of getting us up to date and back into the groove with Jenna and her friends and family. We also meet some new characters in town for the faire. Daryl Wood Gerber creates such delightful characters that have grown in each new installment of this series.
I was very taken with the vineyard setting Bailey and Tito had chosen for their nuptials. It was described so nicely and sounded like a beautiful place. I have never been to a Ren Faire but I had in my mind a set-up similar to the setting in Joyce and Jim Lavene’s Renaissance Faire Mysteries, but this being only a pop-up type event it wasn’t as elaborate as the faire in those stories, but it sure appeared to be a lot of fun.
The mystery is so well-written, plenty of suspects and plenty of twists. I do have a problem when I read books by this author. I tend to get all wrapped up in happening to the regular characters and the great books Jenna has a the CookBook Nook that I usually miss some very important clue. This time I made myself pay attention, even highlighting lines from the book on my Kindle. This time when we reached the reveal of the killer I was so happy to see my diligence paid off and I was right.
Another great story from Daryl Wood Gerber.
This series is best read in order for maximum enjoyment.