This book was everything I hoped for and more. The mystery surrounding the murder of Stan, all of the little sub mysteries that don't come to light until the end makes for such a wonderful read! I love how awkward Penn is, how she is trying to come out of her shell, but it is such a struggle. It adds such a real human aspect to this book with her relationships not always being rosy or conflicted. I love that there is always that gray area where she wants to have a family and be accepted, but always keeping everyone at arms length so as not to get hurt.
The story line was great, full of twists and turns that completely keep the reader engaged and interested until the very end. Just when you think a mystery is solved, the author throws you a curve you don't see coming. I definitely cannot wait to see where all of the characters end up in the next installment!

Easy to read, really enjoyable series.

Penn has finally settled into the town of Camellia Beach, South Carolina where everyone knows your business. She has got the chocolate shop back up and running.
She has helped to organize a beach festival which has brought many people to t he town ready to dance. As well as Bixby Lewis music star to entertain. Penn finds one of the lead singers from a local band dead by a bonfire on the beach.
Penn decides to try her hand at making a new hot flavored bonbon. Will she succeed?
Threatening note, old secrets keep Penn trying to catch a killer.
The second book in the Chocolate Shop Mystery is a delightful read that left me wanting chocolate and bonbons. Recipes included.

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read this book.

Playing with Bonbon Fire has all the characteristics of a cutesy don’t take me to serious novel. I read the synopsis and that what I believed, yet I requested it anyway and I’m so glad I did. The book is far more than just another “cozy” mystery. I enjoyed the setting of North Carolina and how the character plays off the setting so well. Charity feels like a friend that you’ve known forever. I could see myself running around town chasing down leads with her. Take the time to read this series I think that fans of Janet Evanovich, Juliet Blackwell, and Charlaine Harris would enjoy this one.

Interesting story for the most part, but since this was the first book I read in the series I was lost a bit with some of the story lines. Charity Penn, or Penn as she liked to be called, is the owner of a chocolate shop. She inherited the shop from her grandmother, and is fighting with her uncle and aunt over the property. She is also fighting with her father's family too, so basically cannot get along with any relatives, except for her half-sister Tina. A cozy murder mystery centered around a music festival being help in their small Carolina town. I liked the story of the murder, and following the clues, but was distracted by the family drama that seemed out of place. Obviously if I had read the others it might explain more, and for the most part was not lost, but didn't see the point. Wish there would have been more of the romance with the hunky lawyer too. Otherwise, enjoyed the book and would recommend.

A great, quick, cozy mystery. A perfect read for snuggling under a quilt with a cup of hot cocoa.

Charity Penn is making a home for herself in Camelia Beach, South Carolina. The chocolate shop owner has joined forces with locals to help organize a music festival. It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt – murdered actually, when one of the singers from the festival is found dead by a bonfire. Charity gets to work right away, or at least as fast as she can with Lothario Bixby Lewis chasing after her. It would appear someone wants Charity to stop investigating the crime, and they will do anything to stop her. Bixby is nearly taken out when a barbecue explodes. Could someone in this quaint little town really be a murderer? St James combines two of my favorite things, mysteries and chocolate and pens a yummy cozy mystery with just the right amount of chills.