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N. N. Light
May 8, 20184 min read

Looking For a Sassy Cozy Mystery With a Healthy Dose of Swoon-Worthy Moments? Bring Your Own Baker b


Title: Bring Your Own Baker

Book Series: Death by Cupcake, Book 2

Author: D. E. Haggerty

Genre: Cozy Mystery, Humor, Romantic Comedy

Book Blurb:

Anna just wants to earn enough money on the side to buy into the bakery, Callie’s Cakes, where she works together with her best nerd pal Callie. The last thing she expects to see when she walks into Arthur’s apartment to do some moonlighting is a blood bath. Callie’s ready to jump into the investigation into Arthur’s murder, and she’s bringing another bakery worker, Kristie, into their hijinks whether Kristie wants to or not. But things aren’t as they seem. There are gang affiliations, illegal gambling dens, and ladies of the night to wade through. Will Anna and Callie discover who murdered Arthur or will Callie’s detective boyfriend and Anna’s self-appointed protector put a stop to such aspirations?

Come join us at Callie’s Cakes, where murder investigations are on the menu, but make sure to bring your own baker, because Anna’s a bit preoccupied at the moment.

Warning: This is NOT your mom’s cozy mystery. Bring Your Own Baker may be a ‘clean’ read, but if gangs, illegal gambling, and pimps make you turn your nose up at your e-reader, you might want to skip this one. Although you’ll be missing some sizzling chemistry between Anna and her protector. Not to mention a whole bunch of witty dialogue.

My Review:

Looking for a sassy cozy mystery with a healthy dose of swoon-worthy moments? This is it!

Anna, the pixie sidekick of Callie (Death by Cupcake, book 1), wants to buy into Callie’s Cakes and she’s almost made enough money moonlighting as an accountant for her buddy, Arthur. But before you can say buttercream frosting, Anna walks into Arthur’s brutal murder. So. Much. Blood. The goofy, inept police detectives suspect her (of course they do) for the crime. Are they serious? Anna is a pixie in every way from her five-foot frame to her pink hair. There’s no way she did it but little does she know, she’s in more danger than she could ever possibly imagine.

Cue bad-boy music…

A tall, dark stranger breaks into Anna’s apartment, only he’s there to protect her. He’s got the tats of one of the most ruthless gangs, Angel Band, and Anna’s blood pressure just spiked higher than her crème brulee blow torch. She doesn’t know what to make of him but she can’t deny the way he makes me melt like chocolate ganache.

Anna needs to find Arthur’s murderer and she enlists the help of Callie, Kristie and even Ben (Callie’s boyfriend). The more they dig, the more they discover nerdy Arthur is not who he appears again. Then there’s the way Anna’s protector swoops in to rescue her at just the right moment. Can Anna find justice for Arthur or will she back herself into a corner she can’t talk her way out of.

A brilliant cozy mystery slash romantic comedy by Haggerty! Anna comes alive off the page and I found myself laughing at her antics. Then there’s her bad-boy protector. I swooned more than once and sparks fly between him and Anna. The plot moves at a super-fast pace, I was able to keep up with all that’s going on.

I can’t wait for more! Bring Your Own Baker has everything you love in a cozy mystery: witty dialogue, overly excited amateur detectives (Callie and Anna), baking, romance, great one-liners and a murder to solve. Did I mention baking? There’s even a fantastic recipe after the epilogue. This is a must-read!

Favorite Character:

Anna. She’s my alter-ego, I swear. Hot on a trail of her friend’s killer, she stands up to gangsters, pimps and a den of catty prostitutes. She may be a pixie but she’s got guts the size of the Grand Canyon. Oh, and I adored the way she compares her yummy bad-boy protector to various baker items (chocolate ganache, frosting, whipped cream, crème brulee, etc.). I’d love to see her in another book. I loved her POV!

Favorite Quote:

Logan’s grin is wicked. “I always thought Tinker Bell was hot.”

I huff. “Tinker Bell’s a fairy, not a pixie.”

My Rating: 5+ stars

Buy it now:

Author Biography:

I grew up reading everything I could get my hands on from my mom’s Harlequin romances to Nancy Drew to Little Women. When I wasn’t flipping pages in a library book, I was penning horrendous poems, writing songs no one should ever sing, or drafting stories which have thankfully been destroyed. College and a stint in the U.S. Army came along, robbing me of free time to write and read, although I did manage every once in a while to sneak a book into my rucksack between rolled up socks, MRIs, t-shirts, and cold weather gear. A few years into my legal career, I was exhausted, fed up, and just plain done. I quit my job and sat down to write a manuscript, which I promptly hid in the attic after returning to the law. Another job change, this time from lawyer to B&B owner and I was again fed up and ready to scream I quit, which is incredibly difficult when you own the business. Thus, I shut the B&B during the week and in the off-season and started writing. Several books later I find myself in Istanbul writing full-time.

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Reviewed by: Mrs. N

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