Not only a mystery, but a romance to boot! What a win-win. In her sophomoric outing for this series, Baumann hits all the high points. Fast-paced plot? Check. Likable and dislikable characters? Check. Small town setting? Check. A lovable pet? You got it. If you're looking for a mystery to hunker down with, this is the book for you.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. This review is also published on my Goodreads page.

This is the second book in the series but can be read as a stand-alone—I never read the first book, and I followed the story line easily enough. However, as sort of cliffhangers, the author has left some issues the character in the series have as unresolved, hoping, I guess, to entice the reader to read subsequent books.

In this story, Sawyer Davis, who inherited her mother’s book shop, is juggling a lot: an author diva with lofty demands, being surrogate mother to a 15-year old girl, and working with and thru a sheriff who once-upon-a-time broke her heart. Sawyer remembers the “easy” days as a chef, when she only cared if her recipe did not turn out right or, worse still, flopped. On top of all this comes the death of the diva author’s husband in her friend Renee’s ice cream shop. Sawyer must use the help of her book club friends and her adorable goldendoodle to work through the mystery, uncovering clue after clue, recognizing red herrings, until she can bring it all together in the end.

The two main characters are rather predictable but some of the other characters bring interest and excitement to the story. I also enjoyed the way the author wrote, including just enough mystery and romance to make the book an interesting read. I did find that the main character sometimes came across as not so smart, but, all in all, she managed to do things in a way to get to a solid ending. The book comes across as a fun read with lots of crazy events/actions, only adding to the already full main plot. This is a book series worth looking at. I received this form NetGalley to read and review.

The first time I have read this author and I really enjoyed this cozy mystery. Sawyer, the sleuth in this series is really good for getting herself into trouble with the Sheriff Dylan who was her fiance at some point. Sawyer owns the local book store. This is one where you are not sure who did it until the end. A GOOD READ.

This is the 2nd installment of the Cozy Bookshop Mystery series. I had started this and went back to read the first one and glad I did. This can be read as a stand alone but I preferred to get some of the backstory about Sawyer’s Mom and what happened in the last story. This story is a couple of months after the first one and Sawyer and Brittany are hosting an author who grew up in Sunset Cove. Angelica and her husband Zach (an ex of Renee’s) are in town and doing a book signing at her store. Renee plans to stay away and wants nothing to do with her ex from high school and later when he ends up dead in the freezer at her ice cream shop she is the primary suspect. She cannot believe Dylan (her ex who left her at the altar) the Sheriff can even think Renee possible of this. Sawyer and Madge are sleuthing and Dylan is not happy. I enjoyed this mystery and it was hard to figure out who did it for sure but I had my suspicions. I think Sawyer’s Uncle Frank is outrageous and am rooting for her to beat him at his own game with the trust fund. Also glad that the love triangle of Sawyer, Dylan and Gage is resolved as I am not a fan of that extending too long. Brittany is a great character and love seeing her and Sawyer’s relationship growing. I am looking forward to the next in this series. Highly recommend.

Didnt get a chance to read this one. Hopefully someone else has a chance too. I like most books. I know I have to rate the book

Another great instalment in this enjoyable series.
A great cast of characters and a solid mystery that kept me guessing, it was an excellent read.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Thank you NetGalley and Tamra Baumann for the advanced copy. I loved this book. This was a great mystery that had me guessing the whole time and trying to figure out who did it. Aside from the mystery, there was a really cute love story between characters Sawyer and Dylan. I can’t figure out what I liked more the mystery or the love story. Although this is part of series, Tamra gives enough background through that it can also be read as a stand alone. I do however plan on going back and reading book one. I will definitely recommend this book to my friends.

What do you do when you love to cook, and it's really your profession, but you inhereit a bookshop with strings attached, that can ultimately give you your dream of owning your own restaurant? Why run that bookshop! LOL. Sawyer is an enjoyable charachter and this is a solid mystery with a few red herrings thrown in, that keep you reading and wanting to finish it all at one time! With a few modern twists, like video cameras and doorbells, and a charming small town with its quirky characters, this is a cozy mystery perfect for afternnon reading, and it will make you want to go back and grab book one, Plotting for Murder, in the series too!

I was a big fan of Plotting for Murder so I was very excited to have the opportunity to read this next installment of the Cozy Mystery Bookshop series. A Novel Way to Die picks up pretty soon after the events of the first novel with Sawyer continue to work on making her bookshop successful and protecting her inheritance from her uncle. I was a little disappointed that the love triangle was resolved so quickly mostly because I found Dylan kind of obnoxious in this book (and I really liked him in the first book). He comes across as arrogant when it comes to winning Sawyer back - he claims he wants her to try dating Gage so that she knows for sure who she wants to be with and then doesn't stop trying to insert himself into her life every time she turns around. The arguments between Sawyer and Dylan about her amateur detective attempts were redundant and don't really seem to get them anywhere. I think the author does a great job of creating a mystery where there are multiple legitimate suspects which keeps you guessing for much of the book - even when you're pretty sure you know who it is there is enough there to make you question yourself. The conclusion to this murder mystery was a little over the top, but that kind of made the whole thing more enjoyable. The supporting characters continue to add depth and humor to the story - I liked that we got to see more of Brittany and Sawyer navigating their new relationship.

Overall, I really liked this book and can't wait for the next mystery in this series. I'd rate it at 3.5 stars.

I can never get enough of a great mystery. Sawyer just can’t stop trying to solve a murder her friend has been implicated in. It’s a whodunnit with many possibilities and twists. The love triangle is also quite fun and a sweet second chance romance. But there’s more to come because her uncle is not finished harassing her about the trust. I received a copy from Netgalley, I wrote my review voluntarily.

A Novel Way To Die, by Tamra Baumann, is available at booksellers 3-5-2020. Novel is book #2 in Ms Baumann's Cozy Mystery Bookshop series. Novel is also my first experience with Ms Baumann's writing. I'm pleasantly surprised at how much I liked the book and wondering how I missed Ms Baumann at the bookstore before now. The characters are appealing and the plot was well crafted and executed. I love to read so any story set in a bookshop grabs my attention. That there's also a cute dog, who goes to "work" in the store everyday, is also another plus. The characters lives are messy, no one is perfect or has the perfect relationship, and the bookstore is floundering. Family and friendships are valued and defended. All believable and relatable. My one big problem, and it was big, is that the main character doesn't have her last name mentioned until the very last page. I was 1/3 through the book when I gave up and googled it. I'm not sure if Novel works 100% as a stand-alone book, I found myself wondering at the backstories that had gone on before. Yes, that's hard to do without inserting the 1st book into the current story. Either way, I intend to go backwards and read book 1, Plotting For Murder. Novel was such a fun read that I'm looking forward to the next murder.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

#Netgalley #TamraBaumann #ANovelWayToDie #CozyMysteryBookshop #murdermystery

A Novel Way to Die earns 5/5 Diva Authors...Entertaining!

Sawyer Davis wakes up not knowing if she’s crossed over or lying on a gurney in the emergency room. Oops, best to start at the beginning...Sawyer inherited her mother’s cozy mystery bookstore, and with help from her fifteen-year-old adopted sister and support from long-time BFF Renee, she is preparing to have her first book signing with diva/author Angelica Kane. Of course, the whole situation is like a soap opera since Kane’s husband is Renee’s former fiancé; Renee says, without true conviction, she’s over it, but Kane’s husband still ends up dead, found at Renee’s ice cream shop, and Renee is the number one suspect. More drama arrives in the form of the town’s sheriff who happens to be the man that left Sawyer at the altar. They are, however, working on being friends. Oh, Sawyer’s mother gave her a mini goldendoodle just before she passed away naming it after the sheriff in hopes that one day Sawyer would take him back. Add a quirky book club of amateur sleuths, surrogate motherhood, navigating a broken engagement/friendship, and an uncle, with questionable motives, in control of her trust fund and Sawyer has much to occupy her day,

Whew! Tamra Baumann, a new-to-me author, has penned a delightful story and starting with book two I didn’t feel at a disadvantage since enough background and character connections were provided. Her writing style is entertaining with expressive descriptions of the small California town, the bookstore/café, the ice cream shop, and the look and mannerisms of a variety of characters...who wears Christmas sweaters all year? Her dialogue does well to illustrate personalities, emotions, and tone that adds to the drama. I was kept engaged by a murder mystery which had the elements of a nice cozy mystery with a few suspects, personal interest, twist, turns, and dead ends, but was slightly disappointed that it brushed only the surface of more suspense thriller. The immediate felony was solved nicely and the ongoing personal storylines look to continue. The characters were traditional, yet enjoyable, but also some are more stereotypical than well-rounded and hopefully will develop further over the series. I enjoyed the book, planning to get out book one, and am eager for book three.

I have a divided opinion on this book. Taken on the surface of being a cozy mystery it is a good read. I like the characters. I like how the author was attempting to do a mystery that was a little bit different. However, it was convoluted and way too detailed and when you really think about those details, they don't add up or work. Since this was the second book in the series, there is a continuation of growth of the characters' arcs. Normally this is fine, however their back story is so detailed and complicated that you really had to read the first story to have any clue. The mention of the uncle, the trust, Sawyer's sneaky way around it, the teenager "sister" all create interest but some explanation would have been helpful. I had read the first book when it came out and still I had to struggle to connect the dots.

“A Novel Way to Die” is a cozy mystery that includes quirky characters and plot twists, leading to a surprising ending. Sawyer tries to manage her inherited bookshop and Victorian home and live a quiet life in her small town. Her attempts to do this are thwarted when the spouse of a best-selling author turns up dead after a book-signing that took place at her store. Sawyer’s best friend Renee is implicated, involving Sawyer in actions intended to clear Renee of the deed. Throw in Sawyer’s adopted teen-aged sister Brittany, who has a knack for technology, along with Madge, a friend who works at the police station. Don’t forget Sawyer’s father, the professional magician who pops in from time to time, and Sawyer's adorable Goldendoodle dog! Add in Sawyer’s on-again and off-again love relationship with Sheriff Dylan, who once left Sawyer at the altar, and you have a humorous mix of mystery and mayhem.

The plot bogs down occasionally with dialogue, but most readers will find something to like about this cozy. The interesting and well-drawn characters are what really make this a fun read. While this is part of a series, it can be read successfully read as a stand alone novel.

I received this book from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

A Novel Way To Die by Tamra Baumann is the second book in her Cozy Mystery Bookshop series. I really enjoyed reading this murder mystery. In this story chef/mystery bookstore owner Sawyer Davis needs to find out who murdered a famous author's husband. It's especially important to get to the truth because all the circumstantial evidence points to Sawyer's best friend Renee being guilty of the murder. There's plenty of mystery, intrigue and surprises to keep readers turning the pages until the very end

A clever cozy mystery. A charming and delightful series. Family issues. Second chance problems. Small town and former classmates. All of these add to the spice and fun. A page-turner. I am eager to read the next one.

A bookshop owner finds herself looking for a murderer who has framed her best friend while dealing with the sheriff, who is her ex fiance and the older than her years fifteen year old girl her lat mother adopted to keep her safe. Adding to the turmoil is a very hateful uncle, the mayor, who wants the late mother's assets and control of her trust fund! Can't wait for the next adventure!!

Despite this being the 2nd book in a series it can totally be read as a stand alone.
The author gives you enough recap info so you aren't lost on what happened in the first book.
The two MC's are predictable (Dylan & Sawyer), but all the side characters are plenty of fun.
The murder is completely resolved by the end of the book (though it was kind of easy to figure out...maybe I have read too many mysteries?).
A number of personal issues for some of the characters remained unresolved.
Seemed like some weird choices for cliffhangers. I would say it's more annoying than intriguing that the author never circles back to...what happens with Brittany's mom, or Sawyers uncle or the renovations for her store and plans for her restaurant. Do Gage & Renee start dating?
Thanks to NetGalley and BookBuzz.net for my DRC.

If you love a cozy mystery, Tamara Baumann’s Cozy Mystery Bookshop series will not disappoint. This is the second in the series and Sawyer is settling in with running her mother’s Mystery Bookshop and raising her newly discovered 15 year old sister Brittany. While hosting a book signing for a local mystery author, the author’s husband Zach is murdered in her friend Renee’s ice cream shop. Since Zach is Renee’s ex, she becomes a prime suspect. Sawyer and her book club set out to find out who the real killer is. Love all of the characters and had a fun time trying to guess whodunnit. I was given an Advanced Reader Copy of the book from NetGalley for my honest review.

2.5 stars

This cozy was the second in a series. I felt seriously confused since I didn't read the debut and there was a lot of background information that I didn't have.

Chef Sawyer has moved back to her hometown from Chicago after her mother's death. A big piece of the plot is Sawyer's plan for opening a new restaurant with the proceeds of a family trust. But the trust is legally tied up and there is an evil greedy uncle lurking in the wings. Perhaps if I'd read the first book this would all make more sense.

In addition, there are family details that are murky. Before her death, Sawyer's mom adopted a 15 year old girl who had a rough life with her sketchy birth mom. This could complicate the trust legality, and Sawyer is now guardian of a teen.

Sawyer is running a failing bookstore and also trying to renovate her mom's old house. Although Sawyer (I think) is in her 30's, the major plot strand is her he-left-her-at-the-altar relationship with Sheriff Dylan which goes back more than a decade. Their coy on-again, off-again repartee is mostly just annoying.

On to the mystery -- an author does a book signing at Sawyer's bookstore, but the author's husband is later found murdered at Sawyer's friend's Renee's ice cream store. Both the author and the victim were once locals, and there is history with the other characters.

I usually start at the beginning of a series and work my way through and starting out with the second book didn't work well with this one. I didn't get attached enough to these characters or this elaborate plot to want to go back and start with the first one. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.