2019 reading challenge: A book with POP, SUGAR, or CHALLENGE in the title

[baronessekat]

Sugar and Iced by Jenn McKinlay

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Mel owns a cupcake shoppe that she operates with her two best friends. She's hired to provide cupcakes every day for a beauty pageant taking place. Lupe, the girlfriend of one of Mel's employees, is goodnaturedly strong-armed into participating in the contest by Mel's mother. Lupe agrees because the grand prize is full 4-year scholarship to any college she wants and Lupe cannot afford to attend school if she doesn't win.

At the pageant, one of the judges lowballs Lupe for scores of the interview portion and things get heated, with Lupe coming to Mel's mother's defense. It only gets worse when that judge is found dead the next day, strangled with a pageant sash.

Mel gets drawn into the investigation trying to help Lupe clear her name and continue with the pageant. It doesn't help that Mel is also being pursued romantically by three different men (number one her Mother adores, number two is one of investigating detectives, and number three is a defense attorney).

This is book 6 of a series and I cannot say that I think I missed much by not reading the previous 5 books. This would classify as a cozy romantic murder mystery. I don't think it was great, but I did not hate it and do not regret reading it. But I do not think I will be actively looking for more in this series. This series, and books like it have a distinct reader base, and I am just not generally part of that base.

If you like cozy mysteries, you would probably like this one too.



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