A really nice start to a new series featuring Brynn, who has moved to Shennandoah Springs for a fresh start of her own. She's got the bug to make cheese (I enjoyed learning a bit about the process) so she's got three cows, one of which-Petunia- is grieving the loss of her calf- loudly. You wouldn't think this would be a problem for the neighbors but it is. Then Nancy, Brynn's new friend, is killed in a mysterious fire. Nancy's been great to Brynn but some people in town weren't happy with her because she wanted to renovate a church. Then some weird things happen at Brynn's! Of course she's going to investigate. Because this is a set up book, you will be surprised at the good guys and. bad guys. There's some twists and a couple of turns. Thanks to net galley for the ARC. A pleasant cozy with a fun cast and you gotta love the cows!

Christmas Cow Bells is a fun holiday story with a little murder and mayhem. I really like when a craft is involved in my mysteries, and cheese making is a new one for me. The "cheeseballs" of information had me chomping at the bit(should I have said curd?) to learn more about making my own cheese! The recipes included in this book look delicious. The big reveal was a huge surprise! I guess Christmas for me isn't all candy and elves. I love the relationships formed in this book and it is refreshing that even though single, there wasn't a man chasing Brynn down. I believe it takes time to recalibrate your life after a big upset like a breakup of that magnitude. Kudos to Mollie Cox Bryan, this is a great first in series! I'll be on the lookout for #2!

Thank you so much for the chance to read this book (Provided a copy through Netgalley)

A good start to a new series. As in most first of a series a lot of the book is centered on the characters and place but not this one. The characters were introduced nicely and the story line very well written. The mystery captivated me and kept me turning the pages.
Just a note, if you're looking for a Christmas based story, this one only lightly touches on the holiday.
A good read all around.

A delightful start to a new series. I look forward to reading the next one. While some things were fairly obvious (the cow needed a companion), the culprit had a few possibilities. I enjoyed getting to know the key characters. If one is expecting the story to be centered around Christmas they may be disappointed. I, however, almost didn't request the book as I am not interested in Christmas tales. So glad I did not let that stop me from enjoying this book. Christmas is minimally discussed.

Brynn MacAlister dumps her cheating fiancée and decides to go it alone to become an organic micro-dairy farmer and cheese maker. She is thrilled to be living in Valley Springs with her three cows, meeting neighbors other townspeople and doing what she loves. That is, until a deadly fire is at a neighbors home and other strange things begin to happen to Brynn.
An enjoyable fast paced, cozy by Molly Cox Bryan that is a good reading start to the Christmas season. Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Books for this ARC. The review and comments regarding this book are of my own opinion.

First in a new series. I was excited to request this book from Netgalley. I have enjoyed this author’s previous series and was not a happy camper when some of those were cancelled by her previous publishing houses.

The description along with the cover had me sold on the author’s new series. I thought the premise was an interesting one. I learned a few things and would have never contemplated acupuncture for animals on my own.

Yes, it follows the standard cozy formula – romantic breakup, new town, sleuth presses on and a murder she is compelled to solve. I thought the twists were different enough to be refreshing.

I would highly recommend this book. As stated above, I received this book from Netgalley. I am not required to leave a positive review.

Christmas Cow Bells is the debut of the A Buttermilk Creek Mystery series set in Shenandoah Springs in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, VA and featuring cheese maker Brynn MacAlister. Brynn had purchased the old parsonage with her ex boyfriend but after catching him cheating she finds herself the sole owner of 3 Devon Red Cows and her dreams to become an organic cheese maker.

Brynn's cow Petunia has given birth to a stillborn calf and is very depressed, mooing constantly and annoying the neighbors. She's also become a member of the local CSA and is finding it difficult to fit in with the locals. Unsure if it's because of her noisy cow, their resistance to newcomers or her friendship with neighbor Nancy Scors, who has recently purchased the Old Glebe Church and wants to convert it into a Farmer's Market, Brynn is beginning to second guess her move to the area.

When Nancy's home goes up in flames and she succumbs to her injuries, Brynn joins forces with Nancy's nephews and her two friends Willow and Schulyer to find the arsonist/murderer. Someone isn't happy with Brynn's investigation and she soon finds herself and her animals the target of vicious and violent acts.

A chilling plot with dark characters make for an interesting read but I found myself being dragged down by the repetitive actions and ruminations of Brynn. However, because Brynn's role in capturing the killer seems to earn the community's respect, she takes on a new partner in her cheese-making operation and she adopts two new animals into her fold, I will look forward to more adventures in Shenandoah Springs.

I received an advanced copy of Christmas Cow Bells from NetGalley via Kensington Publishing. While not required to write a review I am happy to offer my honest opinion.

This is the first in a new series by Mollie Cox Bryan set in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The surrounding seemed delightful however I just couldn't appreciate the personality of Brynn MacAlister. I felt as if she treated people unkindly for no reason and that attitude never really resolved for me. There was a sinister feeling to the book and the mystery was current and suspenseful. I feel as if so many people were suspects that overall I just didn't like them. I think there are a lot of loose ends that hopefully will be addressed in future additions to the A Buttermilk Creek Mystery series which I actually will look forward to reading.

I received a complimentary copy of this gook from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

First in a new series! Brynn MacAlister and her 3 beloved cows are embarking on a cheese-making venture in the Shenandoah Valley. After a fire next door and the death of her new friend, Brynn finds herself the target of harassment and worse. She needs to find out who killed her neighbor and keep herself safe so she can try and have a merry Christmas.

This book was very good. I have zero knowledge of cheese-making and found that interesting. I don't like cheese, however, you might find yourself craving some if you do! The writing was a little repetitive at the beginning and could have flowed better. The murder is also solved "off-stage," as it were. I felt a bit of disconnect from the main character and the mystery but that may be due to the fact it's written in the third person. Overall, a cozy Christmas read! I'm looking forward to the next one.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

#NetGalley
#ChristmasCowBells

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book!

Oh how I loved this one! It had absolutely everything that I want to see in a first cozy book; great, memorable characters, unique setting/theme, an interesting crime and a great mystery! It was well written with just enough twists and turns to keep you wondering who the murderer actually was. I learned a little about the book's theme too (cheese making) and it's definitely something I've never thought about before. I can see why it's something that might make for teaching classes in the future.

I loved the secondary Christmas theme too; usually cozies have Christmas partway through a series when you've already gotten to know the characters, but this was a focus point. There was no romance either, which was kind of refreshing. The main character is suffering after a break up, but no hunky local appears this early in. I won't say they won't eventually, but it seems Brynn is focused on herself and her new business first.

Can't wait to read more in this fantastic series! Five stars!

Dairy farmer/ snoop extraordinaire
Brynn MacAlister is adjusting to running her cheese making business alone...that was NOT the plan. After catching her fiancee cheating, there was no way she'd go into business with him.
Things were tight but doable, and she had made a few friends, Nancy in particular lived very close in the old church, Brynn in the old parsonage.
Not everyone was happy with their renovation plans and had no problem expressing their views.....but murder? Nancy's church was set on fire and she died quickly after from her burns.
Who would do such an evil deed?
Brynn was determined that she would ask and snoop until she found answers to her questions, despite the things that were happening to her and at her farm. Locking her in the basement gave her the last clue she needed to point the police to the killer. Vivid imagery makes this a winner.
I requested and received a NetGalley ARC to peruse and offer my honest opinion freely.

Cozy mysteries are supposed to challenge your deductive skills while entertaining your brain. This one hits all the right marks. Mollie Cox Bryan takes an unlikely hero and sets her...and her cows...into a familiar community where they should feel welcomed. Well, noisy cows do not good neighbors make, so they find themselves at odds in their new home. Add in a murder, cant have a cozy murder mystery without a murder, and stir. As the first in a new series, Christmas Cow Belles has set the bar for the next volumes.

What a great start to a new series! I was engaged in the book from Chapter 1. The setting is awesome and the characters are interesting. The mystery is well written and I'm looking forward to reading more books in this series.

Christmas Cow Bells is an EXCELLENT start to a brand new cozy mystery series! I honestly couldn't get enough of this one. I'm going to have to add it to my paperback collection because I loved it so much. I think all fans of the genre should check this one out!

This is precisely what I needed: a gentle cozy mystery. The premise is original. The writing is average, but so wonderfully soothing. If you need the comfort of a cozy, then this book will deliver.

Really great first-in-a-series from a new-to-me author. I was a little hesitant to read this at first because I didn't think the cheese making would catch my interest, but it did. There wasn't too much technicality involved. It was a fun read. Very enjoyable!

I thought I was going to really enjoy this book, however, I grew very bored reading so much about cheese and cows. I did like the mystery aspect to the story. I enjoyed the characters for the most part.

As I enjoy the author's other series I was interested to see how this one would go and was not disappointed. With a small town and farm setting, cute cows, and cheese make for a wonderful background to the story line with interesting twists and turns and lovely characters. Looking forward to more.

What a great first book in a new series!
Brynn is starting out small, a farmette with 3 cows and a big desire to make cheese.
Settling into her new place should be simple, but unfortunately, the death of a new friend has her rethinking her choices.
When she becomes the target of a prankster, Brynn understands that these pranks need to be taken seriously.
Luckily she has made some other friends who are quick to rally around her and help her dig for answers.

I absolutely loved this book. Brynn is a great character, easy to like, strong, determined and independent, she knows what she wants and isn't afraid to go after it.
The author has created a small town where everyone knows each other and will make the reader want to visit. I could taste the cheeses that Brynn was making and the recipes at the back of the book sound delicious.
I'm looking forward to reading more in this new series.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for approving me to read this book.

I loved this book. It was different from a couple of the other books I'd read by this author. The setting was a nice small town, which is one of my favorite cozy settings. Brynn has a lovely farm where she makes rational cheese and is part of the local CSA. Her friend and neighbor is looking to convert an old historic church, where she also lives, into a community market for folks to sell their wares. Then tragedy strikes.
You can feel the love ,Byrnn has for her 3 sweet cows and her worry over darling Petunia, as well as her anxiety over the loss of her friend. I know nothing of cheese making and that was an interesting thing to learn about. I found all the characters to be interesting and well fleshed out. The only thing I wasn't crazy about was the death of her friend and loss of such an obviously historic building. Then again that's probably the former librarian and history buff in me. It was however, necessary for the plot to work. If you are looking for a fun new series that will make you care about the town and it's characters, look no further than Christmas Cow Bells! I look forward to more in this series!
Oh, and don't be surprised if you crave cheese and a trip to a farmer's market!!!