Gone for Gouda is book 2 in the Cheese Shop mysteries by Korina Moss. I can’t say I was surprised when it was Phoebe that died. She was charismatic but a user. She treated people around her poorly and thought they should fawn over her and agree to her every wish. I wasn’t even surprised that her declaration of being vegan was fake.
The author does lead readers on a merry dance of red herrings and misdirection. The murderer was pretty unsuspected, at least by me.
I like Willa okay. She wasn’t quite as out there with her accusations as she was in book 1. A good number of Willa’s activities and thoughts ramp up the drama factor. I’m not really sure why detective Heath is so patient with Willa. It may play into the possible love triangle the author may have in mind for future books - Roman, Heath and Willa.
The book was good but not high on my recommendation list. I enjoyed reading a fall themed book in the fall.

Cheesemonger Willa Bauer has high hopes for her shop's latest event, but as soon as celebrity chef Phoebe Winston arrives, things start getting complicated. The chairs for the audience are wrong. The ingredients Willa purchased for the cooking demonstration are wrong. Still, Willa is hopeful that the event will bring attention and extra income to her shop -- until the guest of honor is found dead.

I enjoyed this one. The characters are fun to spend time with, the mystery was intriguing, and the setting had me wanting to put the book down just long enough to make myself a cheesy snack. One of my favorite things about cozy mysteries is the chance to step out of my own day to day life and this one definitely fit the bill.

Gone for Gouda is a delight (cheese and all)! The second entry in the series sees cheesemonger Willa Bauer grow both in her strengths in her cheese store and in her two possible romantic entanglements - more importantly, her loyalty to friends is apparent as she tries to prove the innocence of teen employee, Archie, who is the chief suspect in the murder of an alleged celebrity vegan influencer who turns out to not be what she appears. Author Korina Moss gives the readers plenty of plausible suspects, twists and turns, and wonderful recipes. A perfect fun read.

3.5. I'm a fan of food-related cozy mysteries--especially the ones set during autumn, like this one is--and Korina Moss depicts a solid sense of place in her descriptions of Yarrow Glen. I, unfortunately, did not read the first book in this series, but I still enjoyed the mystery and the side characters. The sort-of love triangle fell flat, however, and I wish I would have gotten to know Willa more; I felt like I was being kept at a distance from her in favor of the mystery and the lives of the other characters.

Ultimately, though, I would read another book in this series; it's light, fun, and creates just enough suspense to keep the story interesting.

Where are my Aurora Teagarden Hallmark movie fans because this one's for you! In the second installment of the Cheese Shop Mysteries, Willa, a cheesemonger with a cute cheese shop called Curds and Whey, is back preparing to host an event for the upcoming cookbook from vegan cookbook author/influencer Phoebe Winston. However after a horrible scandal appears in the paper the next morning Phoebe is then found dead, by Willa! The story takes place in a small town called Yarrow Glen overlooking the beautiful Sonoma Valley. It's full of small town charm and adorable and corky characters, many of whom seem to be hiding something. After one of Willa's employees appears to be the number one suspect, Willa takes the case into her own hands, much to the frustration of the local Detective.

This story is the perfect cozy fall mystery. I read it in a little over 2 days! The vibe completely reminded me of Aurora Teagarden and the murders she always seems to get wrapped up in and then tries to solve herself. I wasn't able to read the first book, Cheddar Off Dead, before getting my hands on this one but I think I did just fine keeping up and learning who all the main characters were. If you like cozy mysteries or are into the Hallmark style books/movies I think you'll love this latest book from Korina Moss. Thank you Minotaur Books, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the gifted ebook in exchange for an honest review.

How about some cozy mystery love on a Saturday? 😍 I loooove finding a new series to get drawn into! Gone for Gouda is book 2 in @korinamossauthor's Cheese Shop Mystery series. I was approved for Gone for Gouda on Netgalley but I decided to grab Cheddar Off Dead to start with book 1 in the series. I'm so glad I did! There were lots of ins and outs in the mystery in this book and I enjoyed the ride the entire way. Willa is a fun main character to follow and I'm loving the two potential & complicated love interests. Go ahead and sign me up for book 3- I definitely need more!!

Gone for Gouda is out Tuesday, September 27!! Thank you Minotaur and Netgalley for my advanced review copy!

It is really rare that an mystery author can "get me" and I completely celebrate when it does happen. And folks, I am celebrating today as this author totally and completely "got me". "WHAT does that mean?" you ask - let me tell you; it means that the author wrote such a clever mystery with such a convincing red herring, that I totally dismissed my initial idea of who the killer was and jumped into where she was leading her readers hook, line, and sinker. And all I could think when I was close to the reveal was, "Well done Korina, well. freaking. done."

I also will say that the one thing I didn't love about book 1 was totally resolved in this book - I hate when the MC doesn't do their job and then complain about how afraid their business might go under and that happened in book 1 and it is what kept the book from being 5 stars for me. In this book, Willa puts her job first and only sleuths on the days the shop is closed or at night and it made for a better book. Because it shows that her job and her beloved cheese shop [and let's just take a moment to talk about HOW great it would be to be around cheese all. day. long. Mmmmm] are more important [or at least just as important as ] sleuthing and butting into the police's jobs. ;-)

Willa, Archie, Mrs. Schultz and Baz are a great core group of characters and I love how much they all love and respect each other and how well they work together. Add in the surround characters and you have a really great group of people and add in that these books are smartly written and full of fun as well as murder and mayhem and you have a really great story. And what a story it was!! A lying liar meet a sticky end and Archie is under suspicion and the team gathers together to try and clear his name. The twists and turns will keep you guessing [even a long time mystery reader like I am] until the end [this was a great reveal too] and will make you wish the next one was ready to be read! ;-)

I am so glad I found this series and really am looking forward to the next one!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Korina Moss, and St. Martin's Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Back w/ Willa and the gang @ Curds and Whey! This book was a great new addition to follow up book 1. In Gone for Gouda a vegan influencer is hosting an event for her new cookbook @ the cheese shop. So, when she ends up dead and Archie is the prime suspect....Willa (and Heath lol) are on the case!
Im loving this series...the characters, setting, the CHEESE!! Believe me. you are going to want to make yourself a cheese board and dive into this read!
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank Netgalley, the author Korina Moss, and the publisher for this opportunity.

The lead female protagonist, Willa, runs a cheese shop in a small, quaint California town. One of her suppliers is sponsoring a demonstration with an author who went to culinary school in the town. The author is an egotistical, entitled hot shot who has mutliple men in awe of her. Willa entertains all of the author's demands in the hopes that the experience will drum up business. You'll have to read Gone for Gouda to see how plans get turned upside down.

Gone For Gouda is an excellent follow-up to the first book in this cozy mystery series, Cheddar Off Dead. Willa Bauer’s cheese shop seems to be thriving, in the small Sonoma town of Yarrow Glen. She has a big event coming up with a social media influencer who has written a vegan cookbook and her book tour is being sponsored by a company that makes the one vegan cheese that Willa carries in her shop. Unfortunately this influencer, Phoebe, turns out to be anything but pleasant and is murdered before she can do her demonstration at the shop. When Archie, the young man who helps part-time in the shop, seems to be the last person to see her alive, Willa and her friends can’t help but try to clear his name by investigating.

The mystery is complex and kept me guessing. The town’s returning characters are fun and diverse, with interesting back stories. I love Willa’s brotherly relationship with her next-door neighbor Baz. There are two potential love interests for Willa, as well. In addition, we get to learn something about cheese. In this case, I learned that different types of gouda are wrapped in different color wax! Who knew?

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I love cheese, and I love cozy mysteries, and I'm really enjoying this new series featuring a northern CA cheese shop and its owner, Willa Bauer. The death of a hot and cold influencer is the mystery to be solved in this one, and with the way she treated people in life, there are unsurprisingly plenty of suspects to investigate. There's so much great development of the Yarrow Glen community and characters in this, and readers who also love cheese will want to make sure there's plenty on hand for the descriptions of the cheeses Willa has in her shop and cooks with. This is a newer series I'm happy to recommend.

Cheesemaker Willa Bauer owns a Northern California cheese shop called Curds and Whey. Although celebrity vegan chef Phoebe Winston is very demanding, Willa is happy to be hosting the young woman's cookbook signing for the publicity it will bring to the shop. It seems to be working because there are lines of people waiting to see the chef and cookbook author, but Phoebe is a no-show. Willa later learns Phoebe was found murdered in the bathtub of her rental house and one of Willa's employees is the prime suspect, so Willa is determined to prove his innocence.

This is the second book in the Cheese Shop Mystery series. As Willa starts investigating, she learns there are several people who may have wanted Phoebe dead. I like that this gives Willa plenty of suspects to investigate. Her tendency to jump to conclusions each time she finds another possible suspect gets a little frustrating, though. Overall, the investigation is interesting and I was surprised by the ending which is a plus.

The romance aspect has been a weak part of this series for me, but has a lot of potential. For now, the mystery and the setting make up for it. I enjoy the series and will definitely be on the lookout for the next in this series when it comes out.

I received an advance copy of this ebook at no cost from NetGalley through the courtesy of St. Martin's. However, my review is voluntary and unbiased.

Thank you NetGalley, Korina Moss and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of Gone For Gouda. This is my personal review.
This is the second book in the Cheese Shop Mystery series.
Anytime you can mix cheese and murder in a book it has to be good.
This book has Willa Bauer inviting a vegan influencer to the cheese shop she has high hopes things will go well but little did she know the influencer is murdered and one of her employees is the main suspect.
Willa soon finds out that finding the murderer is not going to be as easy and quick as she thought when she finds out there are a lot of people who want Phoebe dead.
There are twists and turns that kept me hooked to the very last word.
I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

Yarrow Glen’s newest cheese shop, Curds & Whey, has a lot on its plate, but cheesemonger Willa Bauer relishes a challenge. There’s a float to build for the fall festival, plus the French-inspired cheese shop is playing host to celebrity vegan chef Phoebe Winston. But when photos surface that prove this vegan influencer is, in fact, a carnivore, things crumble faster than any cheese on the market: Phoebe is murdered. Willa’s employee, the affable Archie, was the last one to see Phoebe alive and the first person the police suspect. To clear his name Willa must uncover who’s been up to no gouda..

Floats and Vegan cooking at the shop make for a busy time for Willa, but the show can't go on when the celebrity chef is killed with incriminating evidence of a life filled with lies leaked the morning after... Willa knows her employee Archie isn't guilty, but can she prove it before he is arrested?

Loved reading this book and author. If you haven't read it yet I highly recommend her and her books Books with cheese always makes me very happy and hungry

This is the second in a series, but I don’t feel like I’ve missed anything by not having read the first one. The author throws in enough clues for me to figure out who the people are, how they fit in together.

Willa owns a small cheese shop called “Curds and Whey” in the Northern California town of Yarrow Glen. I learned a lot about cheese in this book, especially Gouda cheese—enough that I was able to beat an expert to answer a trivia question the other day. I loved that! And the author finishes up the story with cheese-filled recipes at the end.

Willa is hosting celebrity chef Phoebe Winston in a “Cook and Book” demonstration in her cheese shop. Willa’s excited about the event until she actually meets Phoebe—a self-absorbed diva who expects everyone to do what she wants without question and without a thought as to how it might affect the other person.

Then pictures of vegan-proclaimed Phoebe scarfing down ribs appear in the papers and she is a no-show at the event. Then Willa finds out Phoebe has been murdered and everything goes downhill. One of Willa’s employees is suspected of the act and she goes into sleuth mode.

There is a touch of romance between Willa and Roman, the man who owns a meadery across the street, but also sparks between Willa and the lead detective Heath. A triangle that is so common to cozies.

The ending is well-done and satisfying and there are a couple threads left dangling that you know are going to show up in the next books in the series.

Recommendation: Definitely recommended. Have a plate of your favorite cheese selections — and maybe a glass of mead — while you read. Or maybe try a new one that you read about here.

Disclaimer: Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing this ARC. I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

There's something so exciting about catching celebrities behaving badly and having the murder be based on this was entertaining. Phoebe was easy to hate and her murder provided a wide variety of suspects, who again, Willa, one by one, accuses of murder; her investigating style needs a little work. I enjoy her friendships with Baz and her employees and the setting of the small town of Yarrow Glen is quaint. I will continue with the series but there's just something about it that doesn't work for me.

Didn't hate it, didn't love it either. It was a predictable cozy with its "unique" hook being a cheese shop small business. Would read more but wouldn't actively go seek them out at the same time.

3.5 ⭐️ Thank you #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review. This was the second installment in this series. Willa owns a cheese shop Curds and Whey. When a member of her team is suspected of murder Willa decides she cannot just wait for the police and starts investigating. I love the cheese shop setting and that there is room for character development in future books. The food sounds amazing and I would love to try some of the recipes! Overall this was a fun cozy mystery.

In this cozy and flavorful mystery, Willa is a cheesemaker who is delighted that her cheese shop will be hosting Phoebe Winston, a vegan influencer promoting her new vegan cookbook. What she doesn’t expect is a demanding selfish self-absorbed woman who takes over the Curds and Whey shop, demanding she needs Willa’s employee Archie to help her, and then turning out to be something she’s not. After pictures turn up on the internet with Phoebe caught eating ribs from the best barbecue in town, all Willa sees is a disaster as her shop’s reputation is in jeopardy with the event threatened. But then Phoebe is found dead, murdered in her bathroom and Willa’s faithful but young impressionable employee Archie, was the last to see her. Willa sets off to clear Archie’s name, but as she searches for answers, sometimes she doesn’t always see where she is going. It turns out that there are several people who might have motives and perhaps are not who they seem to be. Could it be her assistant, her childhood friend, a jilted lover, or some unknown man from her past? Just when you think the murder is solved, the plot thickens like a good queso dip. Not to be too cheesy, but the characters are portrayed as typical of small-town cozies where the single woman helps the local law official and sparks are flying. The plot moves quickly, some twists and turns, but a delightful mystery that will wet your appetite.

Many thanks to #netgalley #goneforgouda #st.martinspress #korinamoss for the opportunity to read and review this book.