In this new book we meet Daisy the owner of Daisy's Tea Garden. Her aunt begins dating a man who is not only well known in the community but still married leaving Daisy feeling very apprehensive about all that could go wrong. When the man in question is murdered and things start pointing in Iris's direction Daisy hopes that she will be able to help solve the mystery of who killed Harvey and why. Follow along and see of you can solve the mystery!!! What a lovely start to a series, Karen didn't disappoint with this new book and I look forward to seeing where these characters progress.

Murder with Lemon Tea Cakes by Karen Rose Smith is the first book in the new cozy Daisy’s Tea Garden Mystery series. Daisy Swanson runs Daisy’s Tea Garden with her aunt Iris where they serve specialty teas and desserts along with catering to events.

Daisy is a young widowed mother who since the passing of her husband has come to realize just how important family is to her so she can’t help but worry when her aunt Iris starts seeing Harvey Fitz. What Daisy never expected was for her aunt to find Harvey murdered just outside in the garden and then become a suspect herself in the murder.

Daisy refuses to let the police point the finger at her elderly aunt and is determined to find out just who else would want Harvey dead. The more she questions people the longer her suspect list grows but then she and her aunt find themselves in danger as they are looking for answers.

The only thing really that kept me from rating this one at a full five stars was I’d would have liked the characters to have a bit more quirkiness about them to make them stand out a bit more. My favorites cozies are the ones that the characters just pop out of the story and make themselves known and while likable enough Daisy seemed a bit too normal mom/business woman. The murder mystery within the book was one that was a good solid start to the series though so I would be interested in continuing on with these characters in the future.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

This debut in a series by Karen Rose Smith is a cosy mystery with recipes. Daisy and her aunt, Iris co-own a tea shop. Daisy is a widow with two daughters, one just off to college. Iris has a wealthy, not quite divorced, gentleman friend who ends up murdered in the garden of the tea shop. When Iris becomes a suspect Daisy decides to investigate. There is some added depth to the story concerning the daughters and Daisy's relationship with them. There is also potential love interests with a detective and a local store owner. I look forward to reading more of this series.

Murder with Lemon Tea Cakes in the first in the Daisy’s Tea Garden Mystery by Karen Rose Smith. The main characters are Daisy Swanson and her maternal aunt, Iris, is set in Willow Creek, Pennsylvania. Both are co-owner’s of a business named Daisy’s Tea Garden. Daisy, a widow with two daughters, has worked with her aunt to establish the Tea Garden which included spaces for those who wanted to just buy their tea and baked goods/soup, but also could accommodate those who enjoyed an afternoon tea. Iris, having never married, was currently being courted by Harvey Fitz, the owner of Men’s Trends. Daisy finds it amusing how her aunt acted when Harvey was around, but she was also troubled because Harvey still being married but separated. Ms. Smith has developed the characters very well and the description of the tea garden makes me want to sit down with a cup of tea and a lemon tea cake. Through in the romance and also a murder and what more could a reader want. It will be interesting to see what adventure is next for Daisy and Aunt Irma.

Lovely classic cozy with just a tad more to it than most. Daisy, a widowed mother of two young women, and her aunt Iris run a tea shop in Amish country in Pennsylvania (so there are also recipes- yum). Iris is suspected of murdering her own love interest- Harvey- who had more going on behind the scenes than she knew. Of course, Daisy has to help absolve her. At the same time, her younger daughter, Jasmine, would like to find her birth mother. Could Jake, the detective Daisy hires, be a future love interest? Could Morris Rappaport, the police officer investigating the murder, be one? There's lot of potential here for further novels. No spoilers but you know all will turn out ok for Iris, don't you? Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A nice, fast, entertaining read.

Murder with Lemon Tea Cakes is a great start in a new series (Daisy's Tea Garden Mystery) by Karen Rose Smith. This is a light and relaxing read, with a great cast of realistic characters and an intriguing murder mystery with lots of twists and turns and possible suspects. I’m already looking forward to reading the next installment in this series.

Daisy Swanson is a widow, with two daughters (Jasmine, who is in high school, and Violet, who is away at college) who moved back to the small town of Willow Creek, Pennsylvania, to be near family. She and her aunt, Iris Albright, are co-owners of a quaint tearoom, Daisy’s Tea Garden. Harvey Fitz is the owner of Men’s Trends, a high-end men’s clothing store, is in the process of divorcing his wife, Monica, and wants to marry Iris once his divorce is final. When Harvey is murdered in the tearoom’s garden, it appears Iris may be Detective Morris Rappaport’s the prime suspect and Daisy sets out to prove her aunt is innocent. Daisy and her deceased husband, Ryan, adopted their youngest daughter and even though Jasmine grew up happy, knowing she was loved, she’s decided she wants to find her birth mother. Daisy has mixed feelings but is determined to help her daughter and engages the help of Jonas Groft, a retired detective and current owner of Woods, a furniture store.

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

This is one of the best debut cozy mysteries I've read in a long time. It doesn't in any way read like a first book. The characters are beautifully developed, like real people with real issues and lives. The Tea Garden, makes you wish you could visit, indulge, and enjoy, and the mystery itself is oh so good. Better have some tea and sweet treats on hand before beginning this. Wonderful read, especially on a cold, wet, snowy day/night. You won't want to put it down! So curl up with a hot cup of tea and savor the story. Thanks NetGalley and publisher for an advance read. A definite winner!!!

A very good debut for a new series. It was well written with no plot hole, all the characters are realistic and there is an interesting family dynamic, a bit dysfunctional to be honest, that differs from so many perfect families in other cozies.
It was a good read and hope that a new instalment in this series.
Really recommended.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Books

A new author for me and the second book in Bread Shop series. I found a well written story and a lot of originality in the book. Also, I felt the characters were swallowed and I did not connect with them. I had difficulty staying with the book.
Ivy Culpepper is a working at the Yeast of Eden which is located in her hometown of Santa Sofia. The owner, Plays Solid is teaching her about baking bread. Ivy becomes aware of the Blackbird ladies and with Penny Branford to look for Hank "Mustache Man" Riviera who has disappeared. The twists that the tale takes will lead you around the area looking for Hank. You expect that the body will be found several times. Ivy reconnects with Michael Baptista, her high school boyfriend who is also looking for Hank. Ivy is looking for answers to whether Hank is dead? Will a romance develop between Ivy and Michael again?

Disclosure: I received a free copy from Kennington Books through NetGalley for an honest review. I would like to thank them for this opportunity to read and review the book. The opinions expressed are my own.

I really enjoyed this series. Daisy Swanson is a great character and I loved meeting all the other characters in this well written mystery.

When a tragic death strikes at their teahouse, Daisy and Iris are the prime suspects.
Leaving her no choice, Daisy strikes out on her own, asking questions that put her life in danger.
Daisy can't catch a break, her oldest daughter is at college and her younger daughter is going through her own personal crisis.

Karen Rose Smith is a wonderful author and this book was very hard to put down.
It's sure to delight fans of the cozy mystery genre.

I voluntarily read an ARC of this book offered by the publisher and Netgalley.

I absolutely loved this book. I loved the setting and the community in which the tea shop is located. The characters were very real and easy to relate to. I liked the family dynamics in this one with Daisy and her two daughters. The mystery was engaging and well written as are all of Smith's books. Looking forward to reading the next book in this wonderful new series.

A well done start to a new series. I had wondered how it would stack up to Laura Child's tea shop series, happy to say I enjoyed it just as much. Has warm and wonderful developed characters with a strong strong story line. So happy to see another smart, in charge woman character and loved the family touch. Looking forward to more from this one.

This is the first book in a new series by Karen Rose Smith and I enjoyed it. It takes place in a small town with Daisy as the main character. Daisy has returned to her hometown after the death of her husband. She and her two daughters are living in a renovated barn and she and her Aunt Ivy have started a business. Purchasing an old Victorian home, they have opened The Tea Garden. All is going well until Harvey, Ivy's boyfriend, is found dead, bludgeoned in their back garden. Of course, Ivy is a suspect and Daisy is determined to do what she can to get her aunt off the suspect list.

I really enjoyed the characters in this book. Daisy is a strong, loving person who is dedicated to her family and business. She is smart and is beginning to open up to the idea of having a man in her life once again. Daisy is not the typical sleuth I have come to expect in a cozy. She does not outright investigate, but does ask poignant questions and meet people who might have information about the crime. Her family plays an important role in the story with both background, filling out her character and the main plot of the story. There are a couple of men in the story that look like romantic interests and I am looking forward to seeing where this leads in upcoming books in this series. The police detective is a crochety guy who reminds me of the television detectives who latch onto someone and will not let it go. I always enjoy a cozy mystery that has food and family as part of the story. The mystery was solid and clues were spread out through the story. There were some red herrings and I did not figure out who the killer was until it was obvious at the end of the story. throughout the story. I think fans of cozy mysteries will enjoy this series. I have read other books written by Karen Rose Smith and this one did not disappoint.

A good start for this new cozy mystery series, with appealing characters and an engrossing mystery. Daisy and her Aunt Iris own a tea shop, which is disrupted when Iris’ boyfriend gets murdered outside their store. With two possible love interests introduced for Daisy, plus her two daughters with their own personalities, I look forward to the next installment.

Daisy Swanson is concerned that her Aunt Iris is going to get hurt in her relationship with Harvey Fitz. After all, he is still technically married, and even though Iris has assured her that he is separated and arranging to sign the divorce papers, Daisy still has her doubts. But when Harvey's dead body is found in the garden of their tea shop, and her aunt is the prime suspect, Daisy knows she has to snoop around to help prove her innocence. This is the first in a new series by author Karen Rose Smith and provides the reader with a strong female lead (widowed with two teenaged daughters). If you like the Caprice DeLuca mysteries, then you will enjoy this series. Family support and ties with one another are stressed in both series, as well as presenting an interesting mystery with several suspects and varying motives. Disclosure: I am voluntarily reviewing an advance reading copy of this book.

I am a big fan of Karen Rose Smith's Caprice DeLuca series, so I when I found out that she had started a new series I was very interested to see what it was about and I was delighted to find out that it is every bit as good as the earlier series. We are introduced to Daisy Swanson, a feisty, intrepid young widow who has moved to her small hometown of Willow Creek, Pa. along with her daughters and opened Daisy's Tea Garden in partnership with her favorite aunt, Aunt Iris who has never married. Aunt Iris has, however, finally found love in the person of local men's shop owner Harvey Fitz. And when Harvey is found murdered in the tea shop's garden the local police detective is looking at Iris as his leading suspect. There are plenty of twists and turns in the plot, an interesting plot addition of Daisy's adopted daughter Jazzi deciding to try and find her birth parents, and the possibility of a new romantic interest for Daisy. Altogether a great read.

A good story with great pacing. The heroine is smart, an entrepreneur and a business owner - I love her! Her powers of observation help solve the case. The epilogue was a little too quaint; but I like her to have a romance. I like the town setting and hope it and its residents become more substantial to future stories. A good series lead off, I'm looking forward to reading book 2.