Literally had déjà vu with this but I’m okay with it!

Back in November, I listened to another NetGalley book where I described it as murder mystery meets Great British Bake Off…and this book is exactly that as well!

It had me guessing several characters throughout the whole time and kept me intrigued with the baking competition side of things too!

I will say, we hear so much about how she uses her magic pies to rid the world of evil men…but I wouldn’t really say it’s actually a part of the book. It’s more of a side fact about her and I don’t see it as a driving factor, more of a coincidence. Makes me wish we could have another story about her and have it revolve around her magic pies and the people they go to. I haven’t read the first book though, so someone correct me if that’s what the first one was about?

Overall though, this was a cozy mystery that I would recommend to anyone who wants to give mystery/thriller books a shot.

Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and of course Misha Popp for this audio ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I adored this! It gives major Hallmark Movies and Mysteries feel, which is right up my alley. The main character has just enough background information to make them reliable and unreliable, so the book can go several directions. The author does a great job describing the minor characters in depth that I could visualize similar people in my life. Is it too early to ask for the third one in the series? 😅😅

For my first cozy mystery, I was thoroughly impressed! My instinct is a 4.5/5 star only because I don't believe I'll gain anything from re-reading but really enjoyed the book. Plus, I was a bit confused, but that's on me for not reading the first book in this series before delving into this Advanced Reader Copy.

We follow Daisy as she goes on the show "Bake My Day", a competition show meant to be like the Great British Bake Off, but is an American knock off. While Daisy is there, she investigates two deaths that happen during the filming of the show!

Did I mention she also bakes murder pies and has delivered some in this book too?

It was very fast paced, a lot of characters, great queer representation, and I found myself laughing half the time. I was also very hungry, the description of the foods in this book were amazing!

I really liked Daisy as a main character. I thought she was charming, quirky, and had good intentions throughout. I definitely want to read the first book after my experience with this!

Cute cute cute! As with the first book in this series, I really love Daisy and her mission of "pies before guys". I am a fan of magical realism and in this series it's subtle but effective magic that doesn't take away from the cozy mystery genre. I am a big fan of the GBBO which is the basis of the competition featured in this book. Because of the nature of the show, Daisy has to be away from her home base so most of the characters form the last book are not included except for in the first chapter and the epilogue. The pacing was a little slow about 2/3 of the way through, but it picks up again and has a satisfying conclusion.

Overall, I really like this series and I want to read more books from Misha Popp!

Additionally, the narrator was really good, thank you so much to Dreamscape for an advance listener copy of this book.

Second books in a series can be such letdowns sometimes, and I’m so glad this one was not! A Good Day to Pie follows Daisy as a contestant on a baking competition similar to The Great British Bake-Off. Should be a safe place to be and bake but then a couple mysterious deaths happen and the show wants to pretend nothing has happened.

I loved the theme of this book, it was so fast paced and read like I was watching the series unfold. The side characters were all so fun to meet as well. I especially loved the asexual representation in this book, which is so lacking in books as a whole. I’m also a total sucker for secret passages so I loved reading about those as well.

Cannot wait to see what the next book in this series holds! Quickly becoming a favorite cozy mystery series.

I was given an ARC of the audiobook for my honest review. Warning: the following review contains spoilers. Sorry! I would also raise this to 3 1/2 stars if that was an option given.

“Pies before guys.” The premise of the story was a new one. Our main character, Daisy, bakes magic pies on the black market that murder whomever it is made for. She only bakes and delivers to men-and only men who are BAD (we’re talking pedophiles, human traffickers, abusers). I was intrigued from the very beginning! Off she goes to a two week baking competition much like the British Baking show. So fun! But then the story turned. A contestant has an accident and is found dead. One of the hosts is found dead. Now all of a a sudden it’s a “who done it” mystery.

It was still a good story, but I thought the entire plot line was going to focus on the fact she made magic murder pies. The fact that she doesn’t even use this gift until the very end of the novel was odd….especially since the author didn’t follow the murderous pie theme. The focus became more about secret tunnels and wondering who was going to win the baking competition. I liked that plot line as well…maybe just stick with one, though? I originally asked to read this because the idea of magic pies killing only the bad men she makes them for was awesome. It felt like the author started with that idea but wasn’t sure where to go with it, had another idea about a murder mystery at a baking competition and then decided to just mix the two. I would like to see the author take Daisy on as a series; kind of like a murder mystery except we know who the murderer already is and we kind of cheer her in taking out the evil in the world. I would read that!!

Daisy was a cute, retro chick that got along with everyone. I like that she was polite, but still assertive. I appreciated there not being a major love angle to fall back on; too many authors try to force a love match in (or make the relationships a focus) and it doesn’t always work.

The overall writing style had an easy flow and I thought the narrator of the audiobook did a good job. There were quite a few different characters to narrate, both male and female, and she did well with them all; even the accents. I always prefer male for male characters and female readers for the female characters, but this time it didn’t bother me. Well done!

I got the audiobook for this one! And I have to say the narrator was spectacular. Having say that, the actual content was ok!
I loved the premise of the story but the way it was written wasn’t for me! It felt like every chapter was a little episode and sometimes it felt incomplete!

Unfortunately, I didn't care for this book. I found it predictable, and I think I would have preferred the murder pies to have been like poison or something rather than some kind of supernatural/ magic type of thing. Overall, just not my cup of tea

This book was delightful!
Daisy is a sweet character that loves baking and loves justice, and now finds her herself in a baking competition. At this competition. There is a series of murders, but she isn’t involved, so now she is trying to figure it out. I love the whole cast of characters, including the diverse representation without it feeling over-done or forced.
I highly recommend this, and plan on recommending it to a friend who loves the story of La Bufanda.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape for this advance copy in exchange for my review.

This is a cleverly punny book! I love this new location and the new characters that were introduced! I wish Freddy could be my BFF in real life! It is was entertaining to have Daisy using her skills in a new way & have the story take to a different place. Love this book & I hope we will get to read more of Daisy’s story!

This one really fit the cozy mystery vibe! I liked the atmosphere of the baking show and was really invested in the competition. The baking/cooking was written well and it really did feel like The Great British Baking Show.

I didn’t figure out the whodunnit until Daisy did, so I was also entertained by that mystery throughout.

The narrator did a great job and I’d listen to her again!

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

Daisy Ellery is a vigilante. A vigilante baker with a fabulous vintage wardrobe, actually. She is a witch who bakes magic into her pies and uses this talent in various ways, including running Pies Before Guys. In this specialty shop, she bakes murder into the pies of irredeemably bad men who have done women seriously wrong.

In this second book of the series, Daisy enters a televised baking competition similar to the Great British Baking Show. She's also been hired to deliver a murder pie in the area as soon as filming has ended. To her surprise, her intended victim is one of the show judges. When he is murdered before she delivers the pie, Daisy must find out who did him in and if they plan to reveal her secret too.

Such a darkly delicious and fun series! Although you do not need to have read the first one to read this. Fast-paced with memorable characters, especially the stylish, magical, and morally gray Daisy. I loved the baking show plot with its large suspect pool, behind-the-scenes drama, fantastic desserts, and several laughs! Tonya Eby's excellent narration brought this to life and added to this cozy mystery's edginess. Bubbling over with magical realism and red herrings, this is well-written with superb narration, and I thoroughly enjoyed this! Cannot wait for book 3!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to review this ALC.

I loved A Good Day to Pie. This is the second in the series featuring pie baker Daisy Ellery. I would suggest reading the first, Magic, Lies, and Deadly Pies, before starting this one. Daisy has magic that she can bake into her pies and she most often uses that skill to kill abusive men.

This time around Daisy has entered a baking contest, apparently like the Great British Bake Off which I’ve never seen – I’ve watched enough competitions on the Food Network to get the idea though. It turns out that one of the judges is a man she is supposed to deliver a murder pie to after the contest, which is a bit worrying. It becomes an even bigger problem when the man ends up dead before she can even give him the pie. Now she needs to find out who killed him and whether there is any way the cops might be able to connect Pies Before Guys to the crime.

There are a lot of characters here – the judges, the production staff, and the contestants. It’s impossible for them all to be fully developed, but they were a quirky, interesting group, and some of them are definitely more likable than others. I listened to the audio and the narrator did a good job at giving each of them their own voice. Of course, it helped that a few of them had regional accents.

The mystery was put together well. There was enough to keep you guessing til near, but the clues lead you to the murderer. I liked how Daisy used her magic to help solve the case. It wasn’t over the top but fit her character well.

My favorite part was probably all baking. So many delicious treats!! It makes me want to give baking a pie from scratch a shot. There are also a couple of recipes in the back that are neat. She gives a basic recipe and then suggestions on ways to mix it up, like add-ins.

A Good Day to Pie by Misha Popp is a cute little cozy mystery with a little bit of witchy magic. I never read a book by Misha Popp and was not sure if I should start with A Good Day to Pie since it is book two in the series. But do not fret, the book gives a lot of background along the way, and I did not feel lost. I was able to catch up quick without reading the first book in the series. I am glad I took the chance and read the book.

The reason I decided to read A Good Day to Pie is because of the baking show element. I love watching this type of reality tv and was intrigued to see if my imagination would do a baking show justice. Mischa Popp gives so much imagery it was easy to picture the events in my head.

A Good Day to Pie is about Daisy and her adventure in a reality tv baking show. Along the way she encounters the unknown of baking with stress and DUN DUN DUN murder! And not the murders she is known for with her Pies Before Guys Business. While taking on the challenge of doing a baking competition Daisy takes on new clients with her pie murder business (but do not worry she only kills guys that really deserve to die. They are scum of the earth type guys. And she kills them with magic in the pies) Her intended target becomes the murder victim. Who killed the bad man? Will she be able to solve the mystery with a little magic? Who will win the baking competition?

I really enjoyed this book and the accuracy of reality baking shows. I really felt like I was there watching the judges and experiencing the stress of each baker. Misha Popp shows the tight knit relationships that can be built by experiencing competition together. I liked the character development and the pacing of the book. The narrator is also good. I liked their take on guys and girls voices.

I have no complaints. It was a cozy little mystery with a mixture of magic, mayhem, comedy, and baking. And at the very end of the audio book the author provides delicious recipes. No one can go wrong with that.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this book for my honest opinion. I highly recommend Misha Popp and her book A Good Day to Pie. I will look for more books from this author and in this series. I am hoping the next book in the series keeps the tradition of magic, mystery and fun while finding different topics to cover. May I suggest gymnastics and the Olympics to the author.

I did not read the first book in this series, but I have now added it to my list! This was a super cute cozy mystery! I absolutely loved the baking competition storyline!

The second entry in the Pies before Guys Mystery series is sure to satisfy fans of cozies. Daisy travels from her usual baking/murder turf in Massachusetts to compete in a GBBO-style reality show in North Carolina where all the contestants stay in a mansion on location with minimal outside contact for the two-week shooting schedule. Characters from the first book appear near the beginning, but Daisy mostly handles the investigation into a contestant’s death by herself with an occasional call to her activist/murder concierge friend, Mellie. If you like baking, hidden passages, and a powder keg of secrets, this book is your catnip.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for gifting me this Advanced Listeners Copy.

Great British Bake with a dash of murder and set in America with a hint of magic. I loved this and the characters were enjoyable and the production of the show and the mystery tied in really well. This was very fun.

*ARC review*
3.5
I received a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really quick, fun read! Although it was the second in a series it worked as a standalone. There wasn’t a great depth of character development but it was more plot driven anyway. The mystery was simple but I still enjoyed the ride! I think I’d like the first book if it talks more about the Pies before guys business and how it came to be.

My suspension of disbelief complaint for the book is that, filming schedule or not, no way is a reality show just not stopping when two cast members die. Like… that is in no way plausible to me. Magic murder pies? Sure. But I don’t think the PR department signed off on continuing the project!

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape media for this advanced release copy!

This is book 2 in the Pies Before Guys series, but can 100% be read as a standalone.
This was a really fun book!
The plot of a baking show was totally fun, and the characters were all really well developed.
A very cute little cozy mystery with a dash of magic.
The addition of recipes at the end of the book was very sweet.
Much love to NetGalley & Dreamscape Media for my DRC

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

Daisy Ellery returns to baking her magical pies and other desserts in a TV Baking Competition reality show: Bake My Day. Daisy road trips up with her new Beau to the Estate where the show is being filmed. This way, she can drop off her Pies Before Guys Murder Pies on her way there and back to the men who truly deserve to die.

As she begins the competition, she realizes one of the judges is someone she was planning to drop a pie off to on her return, as ordered by his wife. The judge dies before she has the chance to serve him the murder pie. What happened? Who killed him? Will someone find Daisy’s correspondence with the wife and find out her business?

Overall, I adore bake off competitions and the cozy genre and so I enjoyed the book in general.

The mystery itself was good and played out well. I appreciated the build up and it felt realistic. I didn’t guess the entire outcome and I was pleasantly surprised.

I was impressed with the representation of diversity and inclusion within the book.

I could not give this book the 4 stars I gave to the first book. I was disappointed in this sequel because I loved the first one so much and this one didn’t have as much charm. The “Pies Before Guys” Murder Pies were not the main focus at all in the book and it takes away from why I love Daisy so much. This felt more like a side quest.

I found the setting of a reality baking competition to be unique and compelling but the author was very repetitive in describing all three rounds, each day, of the competition. As I mentioned, I love these type of shows and am a baker myself so I was still interested.

That being said, the fact that this was a reality show competition filmed in a hotel with strict deadline, NDAs, and zero internet access or contact with the outside world made for a modern twist on a Locked Room Mystery.

Thank you to Net Galley, Crooked Lane Books and Dreamscape Media for an ARC audiobook in exchange for an honest review.