This is the second book in the series. It was fairly standalone but do think I would have benefited from reading the first one. While I liked Leila, I found a lot of the other characters hard to take. The mystery didn't really grab me.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Poisoned Pen Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, Poisoned Pen Press

Another quick cozy mystery that I thought would be perfect for fall. But it could be read at anytime of the year.

This one is not for me, I decided not to finish the book as there were all sorts of difficult characters, either mean (Monica), pushy (Mark), or manipulative (her mother), despite the lovely Lebanese details and food.

I might have given it another go if it had more colorful, unusual, kind characters or if the cat shenanigans had drawn me in...

Syrup to No Good is the second book in Catherine Bruns’ Maple Syrup Mysteries series. The storyline flows smoothly in this clean, fast-paced cozy whodunit. The characters are three-dimensional, the well-plotted mystery is intriguing, and there is a perfect mix of mystery, everyday life, and complicated family relationships. There’s no shortage of twists, turns, or suspects to keep the reader engaged. I recommend this delightful series to readers who enjoy well-crafted cozy mysteries.

Leila Khoury, her mother, Selma, and younger brother and reporter for the Maple Messenger, Simon, are adjusting to the passing of their father and beloved husband, Victor Khoury. When her father’s will was read, Leila learned that he left the family farm, Sappy Endings, to her, stipulating that she run the business for one year, after which time she could sell the business if she desired. Even though all Leila wanted to do was return to Florida, she honored her father’s final wishes. In addition to the farm filled with maple trees, there’s a café, a gift shop, and the sugar shack where the maple syrup is processed. Leila’s mother provides maple-flavored baked goods for the café, and Noah Rivers, a man Leigh didn’t know or trust, was managing the farm and maple syrup production. Now, Sappy Endings is thriving under the combined management of Leila and Noah, and they are building what they hope will be a lasting relationship, both personal and professional.

In this installment, Leila is helping her best friend, Heather Turcot, as she prepares for her upcoming nuptials with a local pediatrician, Tyler Murray. Part of Leila’s duties as maid of honor is hosting her bridal shower. Even though one of the guests, Heather’s aunt, Monica Butterfield, is obnoxious and rude during the bridal shower, things are going well. Once most guests had left, one of the servers found Monica’s purse, and Leila began looking for her. Leila eventually finds Mrs. Butterfield, stabbed with a unique knife, in her car in a small parking lot across the street from the country club. With Heather’s uncle demanding that her parents postpone her wedding, she begs Leila to investigate, which places her in harm’s way. In the meantime, as if Leila doesn’t already have enough on her plate, her lousy ex-fiancé, Mark Salem, who essentially left her at the altar, is in town. And Mark, with the blessing of both their mothers, wants to go back in time to where they were before he dumped her.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

Syrup to no Good is the 2nd book in the Maple Syrup Mysteries.

There are developed characters, great storyline, and the expected humor that keeps thing light for a fun read, along with a dose of intrigue.

This is a great series and I grateful to NetGalley and the author for a chance to read the Advanced Reader’s Copy.

Leila Khoury is her best friend Heather’s Maid of Honor.

At the bridal shower, Heather’s aunt Monica, who is very wealthy and entitled give everyone she meets at the shower her unwanted opinions as if it’s her right to give them.

While leaving, Lei finds Monica body in her car with a knife in her back.

Her uncle who is loaning to money to Heather’s parents for the wedding tells them that the wedding is off until the killer is found.

Heather begs Lei to help her as Lei had already found the man that murdered her own dad just a few months earlier.

Their investigation draws the attention of the killer to Lei, and now it’s a matter of finding the killer, or be killed herself.

Thank you, NetGalley, Poisoned Pens and Catherine Bruns for this ARC.

This is the 2nd book in the Maple Syrup Mystery series. I enjoyed the 1st one and this was no exception.

Lelia's best friend, Heather is getting married so she is throwing her a bridal shower. The bridal shower not only has family drama but ends with a guest being murdered. Lelia has to help solve the murder so Heather can have her dream wedding.

I'm a sucker for a cozy mystery that is food themed in it and throw a wedding in it, I'm in heaven. It was great to get to know Lelia more and go another adventure with her. I love that Heather is her partner in crime. There were alsi so many suspects and each one had a motive. It was fun trying to figure out who the murderer was. I couldn't put this book down. My only complaint is that I now have to wait for the next book in this series!. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries!

The second book in Catherine Bruns’s series about the owner of a maple syrup farm finds Leila involved in solving a murder again, this time to try to save her best friend’s wedding plans after a relative gets killed at the shower. Leila also has to contend with the return of her ex, who seems to be seeking another chance, and some questions about her future with Noah. I would suggest reading the first book to get the most enjoyment of this one and better understand the relationships. The mystery is well-plotted, and it’s good to see how characters are developing. As can happen with books featuring amateur sleuths, there are several places where you wonder a little why Leila is willing to risk quite so much to solve the crime when the police are working the case and why her friend is comfortable with the risks she takes. It’s otherwise an enjoyable entry in this series, and I’ll look forward to the next.

This was humorous, fun, mysterious, and twisty. I absolutely loved the orchard and wedding shower vibes and the perfect setting for a murder mystery. Leila did such a good job at sleuthing and I enjoyed looking for clues with her.

Overall, this was a decent addition to this series. The main character, Leila, is easy to relate to. Some of the others, not so much. I felt like some of the characters were overblown and exaggerated. I didn't believe anyone deferring to Monica or Grant because of the one jewelry store that they owned. The motive seemed a bit forced and avoidable. The best part was the flow between the regular characters.

"Syrup to No Good" by Catherine Bruns is the second book to the "Maple Syrup Mysteries" series. I enjoyed the Middle Eastern food mentions, there was a bit less Middle Eastern cultural reference to this one but it was more focused around Heather's wedding/the murder in that family. I am glad that it seems we wont have Leila's ex in the picture much more and she seems to have an actual resolution to her mom's attitude over that.

The mystery part was fairly interesting. I had a good feel for who it could be. It did end up being one of my top picks, with a twist I wasn't expecting.

This is a fun series based in Vermont in the maple syrup industry. I enjoy the atmospheric descriptions of spring in Vermont in this next addition to the series. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinions are my own .

This is a fun cozy series with a theme of food for all to enjoy .The charcters are well crafted to the series and the sleuth is always a fun puzzle to conclusion. I enjoyed the addition of middle Eastern receipes for this next in series. This theme is a wedding, family, dynamics between people and food as well as a murder. It was a fun read.

The mystery was okay. The writing was clunky and contained way too many unnecessary details. I don't need a step by step account of the main character walking around the kitchen to make a sandwich. The best friend was super annoying. All she did was cry about her wedding.

A light, fun mystery with some ethnic insights, maple syrup recipes and some details about characters pasts that keep you wondering.

recipes, Vermont, small-business, small-town, maple-syrup, family, farming, grieving, grief, ex-marine, family-business, family-drama, family-dynamics, rural, unpleasant-guests, entitled-attitude, wealthy, wedding, wedding-madness, blackmail, local-law-enforcement, murder, murder-investigation, amateur-sleuth, cozy-mystery, egoist****

A good whodunit with lots of unpleasant characters. The relationship between Leila, her mother, and the self-absorbed jerk who jilted her right before the wedding is as abominable as the awful woman who was stabbed to death. The sleuthing made up for everything. And the recipes are to die for!
I requested and received a free e-book copy from Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley. Thank you!

Syrup to No Good is a well written cozy mystery . I definitely enjoy the plot and character dynamics. I recommend this book. I received an advance ebook from Netgalley. This is my unbiased review.

Another hit in a fun series. Makes me hungry for maple syrup now, but luckily there are so recipes at the end. Trying to help her best friend with her wedding, finding bodies makes it more complicated. A good cozy mystery series by a wonderful author. Would recommend.

Heather and Tyler’s wedding is almost here. Leila is hosting the bridal shower as the countdown begins, but Heather’s Aunt ends up being killed at the country club. Unless the killer is caught, the wedding is going to be delayed. Leila will do anything for her bestie to have he dream wedding, even putting herself in danger as she tries to figure out who actually killed the unpleasant woman. Will this one be a case of I do for the betrothed, or will it be a case of Leila having tried and failed?

The second entry in this Vermont based cozy series is just as sweet as the first. Leila, Heather and the Khoury family make for a great series with a cute kitty and Ride or Die BFFs. Keep’em coming!

Syrup to No Good is the second in this new series by Catherine Bruns.
Leila Khoury is continuing to work hard at the family maple syrup farm, Sappy Endings.
Her best friend Heather is is getting married, and Leila is still in the early stages of a relationship with Noah.
When a murder threatens to postpone Heather's wedding, she begs Leila to investigate.
The story unravels at a fast pace and I was shocked when the killer was revealed.
I had a hard time liking Leila's mother, but in the end she redeemed herself, a little bit.
I highly recommend this series as the characters are quite likeable and easy to relate to.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of the book.