Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book. I really enjoyed Sugar and Vice. The friendship between Kate and Maxi makes the book really pleasant, along with the island setting, and all the mystery around pirate Sir George. I like the fact that the book is character driven, and there was enough said about Kate's background story to make her an interesting character. From the instant the body was discovered, I wanted to know who had been buried, as well as who was the culprit. I will check out Eve Calder's first book in the series, as Sugar and Vice sparked my interest for the previous book. I will definitely read the third book when its gets published. I hope other readers will enjoy it as I did. Highly recommended!

Pirates, skeletons, murder and a wonderful cookie shop are keeping Kate McGuire busy! Add in a lovable best friend, Maxi, and a rambunctious Goldendoodle named Oliver and you have the ingredients for a fun cozy mystery!

When Kate helps her best friend Maxi find out who is buried in the back of her yard - past and present day crime solving is needed. Along with all that, Kate has started a new promotion for her shop, the Cookie House and is dealing with an "old" and maybe a "new" love.

Kate is smart, kind and determined. I loved her willingness to help her friends and how she deals with her ex-fiance. A mystery that keeps you guessing and wanting cookies!

I received an ARC from NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.

Eve Calder has taken the ingredients for a perfect cozy mystery:

*Coral Cay, a lovely small town full of engaging , sometimes eccentric people
*Kate, baker and amateur sleuth
*Oliver, adorable and intuitive pupper
*Maxi, bestie with a corpse in her flower shop’s backyard
P*lus- bonus pirates!

This second Cookie House mystery finds Kate and Maxi trying to solve two mysteries - who is the corpse in Maxi’s backyard and who was George Bly, the mysterious, pirate founder of the town. Between investigations, Kate is baking scrumptious sounding cookies and dodging Evan, her ex-fiance who’s determined to win her back.

I enjoyed revisiting all of the quirky residents of Coral Cay, especially Oliver the golden doodle. It was good to see Kte settling into her new life and take on her new role as business owner and town sleuth. A gentle, fun read.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

This second book in the series has sealed it as one of my favorite cozy series.
With a pirate festival looming, a cookie of the day challenge and the remains discovered of perhaps the famous Sir George Bly, Kate has her hands full.
I love the setting of Coral Cay and the inhabitants. The characters are entertaining and intriguing.
The whodunit was first rate, and kept me guessing.
I cannot wait to read the next in the series.

I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

This is. a fun, cozy mystery. I enjoyed the characters and the storyline. I’m looking forward to reading more by Eve Calder

This was my first time reading work from
Eve Calder. I really love cozy mysteries and this one did not disappoint! The twists and turns are exciting and the characters kept me guess. Great read!

I enjoyed reading this book, right up to the resolution. Until that point, I liked the characters, their interactions, the plot, and the intertwining of the mystery from history as well as the present-day mystery. But when it got to the ending, it felt too unbelievable to me. And also, it just felt ridiculous that the resolution of both the historical mystery AND the present-day mystery were virtually the same. So I was left with a disappointed feeling.

Review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was lucky to get an advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for my unbiased review.

I love cozy mysteries and this one has me on my toes til the very end! I love a mystery that isn’t easily solved in the first few chapters. I loved getting to know the characters from Coral Cay and can not wait to read more about them! I was not disappointed!

Sugar and Vice is a delightful follow up to the first book in the Cookie House Mystery Series. In this one, Kate McGuire has another murder to solve. A skeleton has been found behind her friend, Maxi's, place of business. First believing it could be the corpse of the long dead pirate, Sir George Bly, a legend in their town, it is soon found to be much more recent. Kate has her work cut out proving that Maxi had nothing to do with the death. While trying to solve the murder, Kate is plagued by her ex-fiance, Evan, who has come to town determined to win her back.

I really love Kate, and I think the Cookie House is such a great setting! This series has proven to be very charming so far, and I look forward to more.

I received a digital advanced reader’s copy of Sugar and Vice from NetGalley. This review may contain minor spoilers. 

Sugar and Vice by Eve Calder is the second book in the A Cookie House series. When I read the synopsis for this book I wanted to read it, so I ran out and bought the first book And then there were Crumbs. I devoured that book and immediately started Sugar and Vice.

In Sugar and Vice Kate McGuire is settling into her new life in Coral Cay. Kate has made friends and her partner in the Cookie House Sam has warmed up to her. When Kate and her new BFF Maxi discover a skeleton of a pirate in Maxi’s flower shop yard, it ignites a mystery and pirate fever.  

Kate has a lot going on. She is trying to solve a murder and the mystery of a famous pirate Gentleman George. Make a custom treat for Coral Cay’s new vet Jack Scanlon’s welcome party. All while dispelling rumors started by her ex-fiance Evan. Kate has a lot going on. 

What I liked about this cozy is, for once the killer wasn’t obvious from early on. The book flowed well and quickly. The characters were all likeable and fun. You felt the characters, and the plot was all real and enjoyable. 

I have no legitimate complaints. Which lately is rare as a lot of cozy series have been challenging my suspension of disbelief. In many of my recent reads there is a plot element at some point that makes you think that is not logical. I did not feel that with Sugar and Vice. I have one minor concern. 

There was a subplot however, I felt was unnecessary. While it did not spoil the plot for me, I just felt it made one subplot a little over the top. Mainly it detracted from the positive flow of the book. Despite being a murder mystery, the residents of Coral Cay were all positive and happy people. It felt like a community you could imagine being a part of. 

The part I felt took away from the book involved Kate’s sister and it just added a negative tone. Until that point, the book’s tone was light, and the book was flowing well. It halted that for me. I wish there was a half star rating system on Goodreads. While I did not like this enough to detract a full star Goodreads would not allow me to give the book 4.5 stars. 

If that chapter had not been so brief, the book would have truly been a 4 star book for me. Before that chapter, I was ranking the book at five stars. I hope Kate’s sister is not in the next book, perhaps other than in a passing mention. I rated the book 4 stars, though it is truly a 4.5 star book. 

Sugar and Vice is a fun and easy read. Kate is a realistic protagonist, and her friendship with Maxi makes the series lighthearted and fun. Which is necessary to counterbalance the seriousness of a murder. I really enjoyed this offering in the series and cannot wait to read the third book. I recommend you read Sugar and Vice.

3.75 stars

An enjoyable second book in the Cookie House mystery series. Formally trained pastry chef Kate has landed in a small community on the coast of Florida as a partner in a bakery. Kate is a great character and the supporting friends and neighbors cast works well.

Kate and best friend/neighbor Maxi are planting gardens when an unexpected discovery is made -- some old buried human bones. Is this the legendary pirate captain who disappeared centuries before with his treasure? Or is this a more recent, and more sinister skeleton?

The mystery itself is interesting and has a strong historical thread. The plot is complicated by the presence of Kate's ex-fiance Evan who she left at the altar and who won't take no for an answer. He's not her only fan -- there is a soon to be divorced wealthy wine shop owner and also the new veterinarian in town who are in the running.

Strong plot, cast and setting combine to make this a fun read. I will be watching for the next installment. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Culinary Cozy Mystery lovers are in for a treat! Sugar and Vice is just as sweet as the first book in the series and I am now officially HOOKED! If you're a fan of authors like Joanne Fluke this book (and the first one) should be on the top of your TBR list. Trust me, you won't want to miss either of them!

** Full review to be posted on release!

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I loved loved loved this book! A cozy involving a pirate? Sign me up!

A body is found in the backyard of Kate's friend and at first it's assumed to be the corpse of legendary pirate Gentleman George Bly but nope!

This leads the town on a hunt to discover what happened to George led by Kate's ex.

The mystery is intriguing and it comes to a very satisfying conclusion.

Cookies, flowers, and pirates! Arrghh! Eve Calder mixes up a great plot in the second installment of her Cookie House series with a fast-paced story that will leave you craving cookies and the next story!

In beautiful Coral Cay, Florida, Kate McGuire (pastry Chef), and best friend, Maxi (Flower shop owner), watch Kate’s dog, Oliver, dig up a skeleton out back of Maxi’s shop. Could it be the missing pirate known as Gentlemen George Bly? The local detective, Kate and Maxi, the Coral Cay Irregulars Book Club, and a private investigator and his beagle, all want to know whose body was buried there, and when?

I fully enjoyed this fun, light Mystery and Kate’s constant baking kept me hungry for baked goodies! A great cozy series!

I honestly reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press. Thank you.

Cookies, bread, friends, and pirates. Almost doesn't seem like it goes together, but, the author does a wonderful job of setting the stage for this mystery. The first book in the series was fun and this second installment just adds to it. The twists that the author throws at the reader are well thought out, it does nothing but add to the story without losing touch of the plot. I cannot wait for more from this series.

I didn't read the first book in this series but that certainly didn't stop me from enjoying this book. I found the setting to be delightful and I really enjoyed the characters. The mystery was also well written and wrapped up nicely. Cookies, pirates, and a murder make this a fun read.

Sugar and Vice was a tale of deceit, murder, Pirates, and cookies. I had no trouble jumping right in with all the characters and the story even without the context of the first book. Calder does an excellent job or leading you in, capturing you, and making you laugh along the way. The story is fun and inviting and the description of the cookies, pastries, and bread were just mouth watering. I can’t wait to go back and read the first book and I am looking forward to book three in early summer 2021.

"Sugar and Vice" is the second book in Eve Calder's Cooke House Mystery series, and was a fun, quick read. In this book, pastry chef, and part-owner of The Cookie House, Kate and her friend, and neighboring-store owner, florist Maxi, discover the remains of a body while digging plots for vegetable gardens in the backyard of Maxi's flower shop. Because the body appears to be wearing some pirate-looking clothing, Maxi is excited that it could be the remains of Gentleman George Bly, a famous long-ago pirate in the area who may have been one of the original settlers in their town of Coral Cay, FL. However, once the police and historical experts arrive, they date the remains as having been buried there less than a year, leading them to wonder who exactly was buried in the backyard of the flower shop. As the discovery was made just as Coral Cay is getting ready for it's annual Pirate Festival, the town book club that Kate & Maxi are a part of decide to try to find out more about the famous Gentleman George Bly, and Kate & Maxi do some additional sleuthing on their own to find out whose remains they discovered.

Although "Sugar and Vice" was the second in the series, it easily read as a stand-alone book. It was an easy read, and I would definitely read others in the series. In addition to the mystery, there was some humor with Kate's ex-fiancé showing up in Coral Cay (from Manhattan) and trying to win Kate back.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Paperbacks for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. "Sugar and Vice" is set to be available for release on April 28, 2020.

Sugar and Vice by Eve Calder is the second book in Ms. Calder's Cookie House cozy series and was another book that I could not put down.

Kate and Maxi are preparing for Pirate Days in Coral Cay when Oliver finds a buried skeleton in the backyard of Maxi's floral shop. The plot combines both a past mystery regarding an infamous pirate in Coral Cay, Gentleman George Bly as well as who is the skeleton. The characters are beginning to become fully developed now and I enjoy Kate and Maxi's friendship. The plot is well-crafted with enough red herrings and twists that I kept guessing throughout the book. In fact, I was shocked at the reveal. Ms. Calder's series is a winner in the cozy mystery genre.

The second installment in The Cookie House Mystery series does not disappoint! I had been eagerly anticipating this book since reading Eve Calder's And Then There Were Crumbs.

In this fun cosy, Kate is settling down in Coral Cay with her canine sidekick Oliver who has decided to make his home with Kate. When Kate and her friend Maxi find a body in Maxi's garden, pirate fever erupts in Coral Cay.

This is such a fun read and the ending was a surprise with a lot of twists and turns to get there. We'll have to wait until May 2021 to read the third book in the series :(

I received a digital Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley, the publisher and the author in exchange for an honest review. This review can also be found in my Goodreads account.