I really wanted to like this tropical cozy but it jus doesn't quite work. Unlikable main character that spends more time stumbling around then trying to solve the mystery.

Thank you NetGalley for an audiobook ARC.

I definitely loved the continuation of Plum's story living on a Caribbean Island and starting a new life. There was a perfect mix of murder, humour, beach dreaming, and love.

I adore the quirkiness of Plum and how she is discovering herself amidst all the chaos of her daily life.

Definitely a fun series to check out - the audiobook was wonderful to listen to!

SOMETHING’S GUAVA GIVE, the second book in the Trouble in Paradise Mystery series by Carrie Doyle, is the perfect beach read or a cold winter day read when you’d like to dream of a tropical island getaway! In this newest release protagonist Plum Lockhart is settling in to living the island vibes. I found she wasn’t nearly as annoying as she came across in book one, which made the book more enjoyable for me. With Ms. Doyle’s strong descriptive voice, I felt the humid island heat, tasted the abundance of fresh island produce, heard the lapping of the waves, and feasted my eyes on the over-the-top habitats of the very wealthy. With a new murder to contend with, and her former employee, Gerald, arriving from New York to solve the murder, and a new villa rental agency to run, Plum has her hands full. There is snappy and snarky repartee between Plum and Gerald and he makes the unlikeliest of sidekicks… yet it works to add some humor to the mix. The gorgeous resort’s Director of Security, Juan Keven, is also invested in solving the case and I enjoyed how he and Plum have connected.

The murder mystery was well-plotted with suspects galore on who might have wanted to kill the kleptomaniac billionaire heiress. There were twists and turns to keep me guessing and zany characters to keep it entertaining. The reveal wrapped up the loose threads neatly and, while a bit rushed, left me satisfied and eager to revisit the island of Paraiso in the near future!

The narrator did an admirable job speaking the different characters' parts with great clarity. Her voice added to the enjoyment of the book.

Thanks to Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this title.

Plum Lockhart is living the life on the Caribbean island of Paraiso. After ditching her job in NYC, she has migrated south to great success. She has opened her own villa brokerage agency and is loving life. That is, she was until her obnoxious frenemy, Gerald, demands that he check in on his young assistant, Arielle, after she gets in a bit of trouble at the local resort. Turns out the rich and completely obnoxious twit is also a kleptomaniac. After being thrown out, she moves to the villa of Dieter, another super rich resident who believes life is a party. However the party ends fast when Arielle is found dead the next day. As a favor to Gerald, Plum starts looking into the murder. However this is not enough for Gerald when he invites himself to stay with her so he can help - and buy help, I mean eat and drink each day until he passes out, then starts over again.

The mystery was interesting, and I wasn't quite sure who the perp was. But there are an over-abundance of reprehensible people living on the island. And Plum is a bit of a pain in the ass too. I don't know if I'd want to read more of the series, but this was pretty good.

Something's Guava Give is the second book in the Trouble in Paradise! mystery series by Carrie Doyle. I received an ARC of this audiobook from Netgalley in exchange for this honest review. I requested this book after reading the description even though I hadn't read the first book in the series. I was in the mood for a beach read to escape the winter doldrums, and this book was the answer.

The narrator did a great job embodying the pure quality of Plum while also bringing to life the cast of islanders and vacationers. The narrator is upbeat and matches the fun and whimsical quality of the island without losing my attention.

The story opens with our heroine Plum on the heels of a new adventure in paradise: entrepreneurship. Going against her former employer, Plum is the new gal on the island. It doesn't take her long to fall back into her old detective habits when her former assistant's young female charge ends up murdered.

I love cozy mysteries, and this book certainly delivers a sweet and sassy tale that could live on Hallmark. The characters are elevated with intricate backstories makes the book less predictable than the typical novel in this genera.

I’m thoroughly enjoying the Trouble in Paradise series so far! Something’s Guava Give is the second series installment and as It Takes Two to Mango was one of my top cozies of 2021, I was eagerly awaiting this book’s arrival.

Plum Lockhart, although still salty, has softened up a bit in this story. So while she took on a less harsh approach at getting information out of potential suspects, she still had that saltiness that made me laugh out loud.

What also made me laugh out loud were the insults thrown around, including at Plum’s expense just like the first novel and the dialogue between Plum and her unexpected former colleague, Gerald had me in stitches.

The narration was good and I really love the tropical setting for this series. Also, the romance aspect is coming along and it’s nice that it’s not being dragged out over several books to be developed.

Something’s Guava Give was a fun read and provided the perfect summer vibes this cold month.

Listen, I love a good cozy mystery, but this wasn't the reading experience I had hoped for. I will say that I didn't read the first in the series and might just be a hard copy cozy reader versus listener.

I wanted to love this so much, because the premise is just so cute! Unfortunately, this book seemed very slow to me. There was more fluff than action going on. The characters were a little on the annoying side instead of feeling like people I could actually meet in real life.

I would have loved a bit stronger/more active plot, but I also fully recognize that reading a physical copy of this would most likely be a much better experience even though I enjoyed the narrator.

2.5/5 stars, partially because of the title alone (punny cozy mystery titles have my heart)

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing me with an Advanced Audio Copy of Something’s Guava Give. In exchange I offer my honest review.

I was unaware this is the second book in a cozy mystery series known as Trouble in Paradise. I don’t believe it’s necessary to read the first book, but it may have helped with some of Plum’s background story. I was looking forward to a fun beach getaway with a little mystery thrown in but unfortunately this book did not deliver. I found the premise silly and the characters were caricatures. The writing was awful and the narration was beyond painful. I generally look for positives when reviewing a book, but other than the lovely island setting this book was a total misfire for me. I appreciate the publisher’s sharing a copy for my review. Perhaps, I’m just the wrong reader for this cozy as others seemed to have enjoyed this book more than I did.

My thoughts: The word that comes to mind when I think of this book is FUN. I enjoyed the setting and crazy people involved but unfortunately I just don’t like the main character.

What I liked:
🏝The Caribbean setting that is larger than life with enormous villas, exotic animals, fake volcanoes and more.
🏝Great descriptions from the characters to the setting to the action.
🏝The Audiobook. I alternated between formats but loved the audiobook, especially for the Spanish mixed in.

What I didn’t like:
🏝Mystery wraps up too abruptly at the end
🏝Plum.

This is the second book in the series. I started reading it and got a chapter or so in before I thought to look and see if there was another before it which I then read before I continued. I think you could read it as a stand-alone but it would kind of be like walking in to a conversation. I listened to the audio version and enjoyed the narrator. The setting is interesting as it’s on an island and the characters are all entertaining with big personalities. The mystery is interesting and has lots of red herrings. I will definitely read the rest in this series!

This one was just pure fun. Plum has moved to the island from NYC and left her journalist job to become a broker and finds herself also as a part-time detective. This story was just over-the-top zany with over-the-top characters from the klepto who was murdered to the aging rock star. Add in the second death which was not determined to be either murder, accidental or suicide and this one kept the golf cart moving around the island chasing the next lead. I enjoyed this one and will be looking for the next in the series when it comes out.

A pretty perfect cozy mystery. I didn't enjoy the first book of this series, but this second book is excellent. Plum was fired from a high power magazine job at the beginning of the last book. She is an abrasive, aggressive, ambitious snob, who is also smart, sophisticated, insightful, resourceful and pretty funny. You sort of hate her even as you love her and you totally understand the mixed reactions people have to her. Anyway, she ended up as a villa rental specialist on a tropical island. She has a flirtation/romance which gets pretty rocky, usually because she says the wrong thing. In this book, she is pressured into first taking care of a spoiled girl and then solving her mysterious death. I love Plum. This is a cozy mystery but Plum's selfishness keeps the book from being cloying. I love that since the first book, when she was truly a terror, she's acquired some friends and has settled into life a little. I think the mystery is compelling and so are the characters. A++

Carrie Doyle's 2nd Trouble in Paradise! book, Something's Guava Give, was just as much fun as its predecessor (It Takes Two to Mango)! This fast-paced cozy mystery finds protagonist Plum Lockhart nicely settling into island life on Paraiso, and when a visiting young heiress from New York is found murdered on a billionaire's estate she helps her visiting friend Gerald investigate. A quick read with lots of suspects, I highly recommend Something's Guava Give! The narrator, Elizabeth Cottle, does a great job and made the characters come alive! A+++

Paradise meets Hollywood with a little mob sprinkled in, in this fun cozy mystery. I love a good cozy mystery, and I will be picking up the first book in this series.

Plum Lockhart has left her publishing past and moved on to focus on a new business venture in a tropical paradise, but after a frenemy calls, asking to help out his boss’s daughter, her new home turns into a place of malice and murder. With little faith in the police, Plum sets out to figure out who murdered the boss’s daughter.

The characters in this book are extravagant and whacky, which will leave you laughing out loud at their arrogance and outlandish tendencies. I loved the tropical setting of this book and the book had me constantly guessing and going back and forth on who I thought the killer was. I did listen to this in audio, and the narrator was good, but it was a little hard to keep track of who was who with all of the characters introduced, so it may be a better with a physical book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💫

Thank you Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!

Several laugh out loud moments for me with this audiobook; ducklings aren't ugly! :)

Plum saves the day by helping to solve a murder ... again.

I wasn't familiar with the author (thank you to NetGalley for introducing me to another "new to me" author!) and I didn't read Trouble in Paradise! #1; but it didn't really slow me down in appreciating Something's Guava Give.

Very creative in what an ultra rich person can come up with in terms of a gaudy estate.

Narrated by Elizabeth Cottle who did an excellent job.

Thank you to NetGalley, Carrie Doyle the author and Dreamscape Media the publisher for providing a copy of the advance listen (audiobook) copy of Something's Guava Give in exchange for an honest review. Publication date is 25 Jan 2022.

The second installment in the Trouble in Paradise series by Carrie Doyle is as much a joy to read as the first. Plum is a unique heroine, a truly no-BS, says it like she sees it, ambitious woman--but also a good person, with loyalty, who cares about animals. Her flirtmance with Juan Kevon is still there, as her trusty assistant, Lucia. In this book, we see a socialite murdered on a billionaire's estate, and her connection to an old friend has Plum and Juan Kevin poking their noses into what really happened.

Plum's refreshing personality and the island setting really separate this series from other cozy mysteries and make this series one I know I will continue to read!

I will say, I started this book on audio and just couldn't do it--it was absolutely dreadful. I could barely understand the narrator and her voices for the auxiliary characters were painstaking. She also doesn't seem to fit Plum's "give no f--s" vibe and is much too happy. I couldn't even get through a chapter before switching to reading this one.

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for my eARC and Dreamscape Media for my ALC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 9/10

This is the second book in a series. However, I have not read the first book. The book has the ability to stand alone, but there are a lot of characters to keep straight. At times the characters became confusing.

Plum teams up with the Head of Security, Juan Kevin on a tropical island to solve the second murder since Plum arrived on the island. It is definitely an unlikely pair and makes for some cute and funny awkward moments. The mystery and story fit well within the cozy mystery genre, however, I was never really hooked by the story. I think reading the first book may have made me more invested in the story.

Overall, I would give this book a 2.75/5 if you haven't read the first book. It was just okay for me. If you are looking for an escape to a tropical paradise where two people get murdered, I suggest checking out the first book and then this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this ARC audiobook in exchange for my honest review. #SomethingsGuavaGive #NetGalley #Dreamscape

💭What I thought would happen:

Honestly, I really liked the title and the cover. I didn’t think it would be too serious.

📖What actually happens:

Plum is back for this second murder mystery book. The entitled, bratty New Yorker tourist, Ariel, has been strangled to death and not in an s&m kind of way. Foul play not an accident. It’s up to Plum to determine who the culprit is even though she didn’t care for the spoiled victim.

🗯Thoughts:

I never read the first book. I feel like it would have been helpful but wasn’t necessary. There were a lot of characters introduced and questioned. It was very hard to keep them all straight.

I liked Plum. She was a savvy clever ex-actress/travel magazine reporter/detective. A suppose a woman of all trades or just indecisive. I am assuming she got into the murder mystery career due to curiosity, a need for low key sleuthing or perhaps a childhood full of excessive amounts of Clue.

Perhaps it’s just the name but I got a Stephanie Plum vibe from Plum. New to the field, ending up in odd situations and seemed distracted by love more than once. Maybe I’m wrong, I gave up on that series after book 1. Still new to the cozy mystery genre.

Starting with what I like, the title is clever and fun.

I love cozy mysteries but the characters in Something's Guava Give left much to be desired for this reader. They felt like caricatures -- the harsh New Yorker, for example. The socialite. The characters were very one-dimension and not likable. I found them to be self-absorbed to a point of absurdity. They didn't seem to have much humanity or humility.

Narration was great, no complaints there. Thank you Netgalley, for the opportunity to review this audiobook.

In Something's Guava Give, Carrie Doyle's second book in the Trouble in Paradise series, Plum Lockhart is settling in to her new business as a villa broker on the island of Paraiso. While she is busy with the renovation of her newest property, her friend and former employee, Gerald, asks for her help as his current boss's daughter, Ariel, is on the island but has run into some trouble at the resort hotel. Plum goes to talk with Juan Kevin, the head of security, and discovers that Ariel has been taking items that don't belong to her. Plum negotiates a deal where as long as Ariel leaves the hotel no charges will be filed. Ariel is fine with that as she has a friend that she can stay with. Unfortunately, the following morning, Ariel is found murdered on the beach on her friend's property.

Due to the fact that the victim is portrayed as a not very likeable character to begin with, I found that the author did a great job of fleshing out the other characters to the point that while there are plenty of suspects with motives galore, the killer is not revealed until the very end. She also writes in such a way that I could easily visualize the scenery and settings throughout the book.

In the first book of this series, It Takes Two to Mango, Plum was introduced as a very self-centered, high-powered magazine editor. As a result of her magazine folding, she found herself looking for a new job and accepted one with a property management firm on the island. When she discovered that her boss and one of her co-workers were actually sabotaging her efforts, she decided to create her own competing firm and took the office manager away from her former boss. Throughout both books, Plum is adjusting to the lifestyle on the island and becoming a more laid back and attractive character in her lifestyles and attitudes. I look forward to seeing how she changes and adapts in future installments of this series. Because of the character development and growth, I highly recommend reading or listening to this series in publication order.

The narrator, Elizabeth Cottle, does an excellent job of maintaining the pace of the story and allowing the listener the opportunity to comprehend and imagine the scenes as they happen.

I received a copy of this audiobook courtesy of NetGalley and Dreamscape Media in exchange for a fair and honest review.