From the author of Kitchen Addiction! AND Christmas Bizarre:
5-STAR READER’S FAVORITE REVIEW for CHRISTMAS BIZARRE: “It kept me laughing all the way through and brought to mind Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum stories. Ms. Lund has a bit of a winner on her hands here… “
Valentine’s Day stinks – literally – after a shift at The Shrimp Shack, getting showered with a vat of marinara and being haunted by a messy ghost.
The romance holiday looms large for Mina Kitchen – a forty-something single without a boyfriend in sight, and a catering disorder to beat the band. Everyone else is all set: even her Swiffer-addicted neighbor Vito (the ex-leader of the Moils, the Jewish-Polish Family from Bumville, New Jersey) has a significant other. Who knew?
And then there’s her best friend Trixie. She’s got a steady boyfriend, and a full time job with plenty of OT, too. She’s even quit smoking! Except now she’s a jelly junkie. Well, not just jelly – any sweet will do.
What’s a girl to do? Set her sights on handsome Chef? Or dare a flirt with juicy James? Who you gonna call? GumBuster! Wait, that’s just one of Mina’s new part time jobs.
Romance fills the air (or is that fried chicken?) but dates remain elusive as a series of mysterious thefts rattle the shop owners of Lancaster “Pee-Ay”. Can mild-mannered Mina land a full time job, a boyfriend and save Trixie’s waistline without getting konked by some creepy crook? Vinnie, her mini mountain lion-sized tabby keeps assuring her everything will turn out fine – but he’s been wrong before.
Confection Connection is packed with laughs, mysterious thefts and a ghost – with a cherry on top – recipes. Set in Lancaster, “Pee-Ay” you’ll discover quirky characters, hysterical dialogue and funny surprises simmering away.
˃˃˃ AMAZON “VINE VOICE” — 5-STAR REVIEW for KITCHEN ADDICTION!
“… one very enjoyable madcap adventure. I haven’t done a lick of housework all day, and I’m not the least bit repentant. Spending my time with Mina and her entourage was the most fun I’ve had in quite a while.
"An excellent cooking, comedy crime caper that is well worth a read."
Reviewer: Angel for Bookangel.
Mina Kitchen is not having a good time of it. Having a cooking compulsion and a series of part time jobs that start and end on the same day, doesn't help. She also finds herself caught up with a chef who may, or may not like her, her friends who all have their own issues including a ghost living in one of their houses and her neighbour who likes to clean her flat. After all, what else could go wrong in the lead up to Valentine's Day when she doesn't have a date.
Well the heavy snow and a van that only will only run with Gospel playing followed by a series of mysterious cheap sales in the area that the local shopkeepers cannot remember. Then again, her cat likes to convince her it will all be fine in the end.
I wasn't sure what to make of this book at first. Was it a romance, a crime caper or even a comedy that was being told. In the end, it managed to pull off all three with style and kept me reading as the story unfolded. I was quite surprised when I checked and found I had gone through half the book without noticing, as the story kept me intrigued as to just how much worse Mina's luck could get. The characters are well observed and excellently written and create a wonderful backup to the lead. This may be the third book in the series, but the cracking dialogue and sharp observations enable you to get right up to speed without having to worry about the previous books. The only detail that threw me was setting it in Lancaster. That is Lancaster PA in the USA, and not Lancaster, Lancashire in the UK, which did confuse me for the first part of the story. Just a note for any British readers.
But having read the book and thoroughly enjoyed it, I would have no hesitation in recommending it or even some of the other books starring Mina Kitchen. Rating:4
I am not really sure what to make of the "crime caper", but I think that it sounds like something that would be up my alley. I like the cooking and comedy combination, anyway, and would think that this is enough to keep me motivated to keep reading.
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