Thank you, Netgalley, for the ARC!

I almost went into this book without reading the first one. However, if I did, I think I would’ve been fine. This book could’ve been a standalone with some background info about Daisy and Pies Before Guys added in, alongside Noel’s role and their relationship.

I don’t know if this is an unpopular opinion, but I liked this one better than the first book. It felt like there was more of a mystery here and a much more intriguing one (I read the first book not so long ago and don’t really remember what the main mystery was, so take that as you will).

If this series continues, I'll definitely read the books to come!

This is a Cozy Mystery, and this is the second book in the Pies Before Guys Mystery series. I really loved the first book in this series, but this book let me down a little bit. I found the book was mainly about the baking show, and we did not get a lot of the mystery or the characters that I loved from the first book. I liked this book, but I have to say I did not love it. I found parts of this book to be boring. I am just not a person that wants to read a baking show book. I really missed the food truck and the deli in this book. I also really missed the craziness and love between the characters that the first book showed so while, and this one just did not. I hope she is back in the town she lives in for the next book. I did listen to the audiobook for this book, and the narrator was good. I was kindly provided an e-copy and e-audiobook of this book by the publisher (Crooked Lane Books) or author (Misha Popp) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

A paranormal cozy series with a twist - Daisy has a magical talent. She makes a mean pie with an added magical edge. Her pies kill off men who mistreat the women in their lives. This time Daisy is participating in a bake off and she has set aside one of her deadly pies for that special guy. Before she can serve it someone beats her to it. Soon there is another death and she sets out to track down the killer. Hopefully she will also do well in the bake off.
Every once in a while I like to step back from the cute cozies and enjoy a cozy with something extra added. This series fits the bill nicely. The mystery is satisfying and the main character sure is different. The fact that I really like pies and this series makes me drool over her descriptions of her creations, well, I know for sure I will be reading the next book in this series without any hesitation.
My thanks to the publisher Crooked Lane and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

If I had to describe this book then it would be a cross between cozy mystery, the lost apothecary, and the magic of lemon drop pie. This book was ad ode to baking shows and competitions with a dash of murder, a sprinkle of murder for hire and a smidge of lgbt+ . This book had me smiling and Daisy is really just a lovely character who you really want to succeed.

I’m gonna have to go back and read the first book in the series but honestly this book can be read as a standalone. If you are looking for a book with a diverse cast and a fun mystery with lots of food in the mix then this book is really for you.

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

It goes without saying, but if you're someone who both enjoys who-done-its and cooking competition shows, be it Chopped or Cupcake Wars, this will be right up your alley! Believe it or not, I don't fall into either of those categories, but I was intrigued by the serial killer premise and I'm a sucker for a good isolated setting, so I had to give it a go and I wasn't disappointed.

There were some iffy parts, including a) the magic system [it's veryyy simple and ambiguous], b) the amount of characters you have to get to know, c) the pathetic attempt at a police investigation, d) the pretty obvious culprit, and e) the amount of distinctly British turns of phrase(?), but there were also some really good parts too—the author's descriptions of baked goods made me HUNGRY, omg.

The real pièce de résistance of this book, though, is the pacing. It reads so. fast. it's like I was watching a real cooking show—which I imagine was the intention—and it came off so well.

Overall, despite not being a huge fan most of the themes and subjects in this book, I had fun and I couldn't put it down, so I guess that says a lot. Solid 3.75-leaning out of 5 stars, ★★★☆☆

What's more fun than a pie baking vigilante? One that also solves crimes.

I was originally drawn to the first book in this series, Magic, Lies, and Deadly Pies, as I thought it was a typical Cozy Mystery. It is definitely NOT a Cozy Mystery. I would say this is a Soft-Boiled Mystery/Women's Fiction.

This book was a little less dark but there is cursing which takes it out of the CM genre. If you like cozies and can handle the F* Bomb, read this book.

An American spin on a popular baking show has the contestants nervous, but when people start turning up dead, they have more to worry about than prize money. Can this pie baking vigilante find the culprit before it's too late?

I really liked the spin/different direction this book took. I missed some of the characters from book 1 but really enjoyed the contestants.

I adore this series already. I highly recommend it..

While I loved the first book, this one just didn't grab me the way the others did. I do think it has a lot of potential and will find its audience, but that audience is not me. More time is spent in this book in describing recipes and cooking, which has famously been something that I really don't enjoy in literature.

I hope this book finds its audience, and I will continue to recommend the series heartily.

I found it to be a little better than the first book of this series although it still missed the mark for me with the plot. It's decent but failed in the execution. There were moments where I would become intrigued but then the scenes seemed to pass in a blur before you could even settle into them. Chapters feeling more like a synopsis given instead. Many of the side characters blended together instead of standing out on their own.


Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing a copy for an honest review.

Really enjoying this series! I love that it's a cozy with a morally gray main character, and all the pie and other dessert chatter in this one, and the baking show backdrop, were entirely enjoyable. I do wish we'd had a little bit more time with Daisy's hometown friends as those connections are some of the best parts of the first book, but I can hope that there is more to come in this series and we'll get that great community back.

I admit, I struggled with how to write this review as I have mixed feelings about the concept of the book/series.
I love a cozy mystery, and this definitely is one, and the premise of having a bunch of people living/working together at a resort to film a baking competition show is quite clever.
My challenge is with the idea that the MC, Daisy, is almost indignant that someone dare kill a person before she had a chance to do so via her magical pies that, when delivered to the targeted person, will result in their death.
Now, admittedly, I haven't read the first book in the series, but I find it a bit strange that she is able to rationalize a vigilante approach to justice (killing awful people) but when someone else does it, she needs to solve the murder.
It's just... strange.

Putting that concept aside, I did enjoy the mystery-solving, and the clues and red-herrings the author set up for us. It was also fun to have it intertwined with a baking competition, and how Daisy had to balance her investigation with competing on the show. Not having any experience being on a baking competition show or knowing someone who has, I can't speak to whether the portrayal is accurate, but it was certainly fun as a reader! Definitely could see the influence of the Great British Bake-Off style of show.

If the vigilante justice using magic component wasn't included in the book, I would have rated it a lot higher. I don't think I'll be reading the first book or other book in the series, but that's not to say that other people won't like the concept. It's just not for me.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an eARC of the book.

A Good Day to Pie is the follow on instalment in Misha Popp's mystery series featuring pie baker Daisy Ellery. However, like her hairdresser mother and seamstress gran, Daisy has another special talent - she has the ability to include a special magical ingredient in her creations. When she realised she could kill people with them after accidentally killing a man, she decided to make avenging women who suffered at the hands of evil men her calling and starts a word-of-mouth free service she calls Pies Before Guys, delivered using a bakery van. This storyline centres around a reality TV baking competition in which Daisy is participating.

A fun, paranormal and immensely compelling read that ensures I'll be looking out for book three. The characters are interesting and well constructed. Fresh and unconventional.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

This second book in the series was a fun addition. The storyline is developed around a reality TV baking competition that Daisy is participating in. Of course there are also a couple of murders thrown into the mix to make the competition even more interesting. It was easy to visualize setting, individual characters and the competition itself. It was like watching a reality baking competition in book form. The characters were interesting, distinctly individual and entertaining. The story was weighted quite heavily on the actual baking competition rather than the murder investigation, but I still found the book engaging and entertaining. An enjoyable read!

This was a fun continuation in the Pies Before Guys series. Daisy is back at it, this time as a contestant on a baking show (much like GBBO). Of course, there are a few murders to solve! While I did prefer the first book in this series, this was a good addition. I enjoyed the baking show aspect of the book, but it felt like there were portions where solving the murders took a bit more of a backseat that caused the book to drag a bit for me. If you are a fan of the cozy mystery genre, this one is worth checking out!

** I received an e-ARC from NetGalley in advance for an honest review.

I liked the pie competition storyline and the great characters, but didn’t personally like the murder-pie angle of the story. There are some great recipes at the end for making basic cookie dough, quick bread base, and brioche donut base.

I listened to the Audiobook ⭐️⭐️⭐️. The narrator was a little bland when it came to the dialogue. The characters didn’t have much difference in the voice and it was often confusing about who was speaking.

Thank you to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books, and Dreamscape Media for the ARC and Audiobook in exchange for my honest review!

Daisy and the gang are back in the second installment of this cozy mystery series, but I was sad that we did get to read much about the lovable, crazy characters that support her in her pie business, since she spends most of the book out of town at a baking competition. However, being isolated from everything and everyone does make for a great mystery when one of the contestants winds up dead, followed shortly by one of the judges. Daisy uses her pie magic to solve both crimes, but gets herself into sone sticky situations while doing it. A Good Day to Pie is a funny, engaging, suspenseful and down to earth read!

Daisy bakes pies, but not always why you'd think. When she has a two week stint at a bakeoff event, twists and turns have her sleuthing for why her plans were disrupted.

This was a fun read that has me checking out the first book in the series. Bits of fun, drama, reality tv, and of course - baking. The book even comes with some recipes at the end that look like fun to experiment with in the kitchen!

#AGoodDaytoPie #NetGalley #CrookedLaneBooks

I love cozy mysteries but feel like sometimes they are overly cutesy so A Good Day to Pie and the Pies Before Guys series as a whole are a refreshing change for me: they have all the cozy elements such as amateur sleuth, small community, no gore, but with more of an edge. Add in the baking competition, one of my favorite things to be included in cozies, and I had to give this one 5 stars. I love how the focus of the book was the bake off, and we got lots of details about the various entries at each stage of the competition. The story flowed well and I enjoyed this one so much. Can’t wait for the next one.

Misha Popp is easily becoming a favorite author of mine. She is one of the only mystery authors I've ever read, and although I don't have much experience in the genre, if they are all as talented as Ms. Popp, I've definitely been missing out on some amazing books.

The plot of this book (the 2nd in a series) is just as bonkers as the first, and I mean that in the best way possible. Daisy is a baker in her early 20s who has one very special ingredient she puts in her pies: murder. Daisy comes from a long line of women who have special powers, and Daisy uses hers to help get women out of physically abusive relationships. She bakes the "murder" into her pies (it's a kind of magic), and by word of mouth, she is able to find women to need her help.

The first book in the series was a 5-star read for me. Mysterious, intriguing, sexy--it had a little bit of everything. And if didn't make you crave pie the entire time you were reading it, there's something wrong with you. It's not technically a "murder" mystery. It's more of just mystery (even though there is death involved). She meets two interesting people along the way--Noel and Melly. Another part of the novel that I loved was the LGBTQ+ rep. Daisy is bisexual, and Popp writes the love-triangle so realistically. You can tell she's not virtue signaling. She's really good at this type of plot.

The second book--while not as good as the first--is still a good example of Popp's unique writing style. She does a good job of the little details; anxiety, lust, archetypes--they are all masterfully written. I can't stress this enough--Popp is a REALLY good writer. Super creative. The only small issue I had with this book is the setting. I think the Great British Bake-Off-type setting has been overused. Big time. There are so many romances that have this type of plot. It can be very predictable, and there are conversations and plot lines in this book that I've seen a number of times. The competition trope, the TV Villian trope, the snarky producer type--they're all here.

Now don't get me wrong: Popp does a really good job with this plot and setting. However, after the amazing first novel, a fresh and original plot would have been better (to me, at least.) Also, this is technically a stand-alone book, but I would read the first book before you attempt this one. If not, you're going be missing a LOT of background info.

Overall, I really liked this book, and Popp is quickly becoming an author to look out for. Her books are fresh and unique, and if you're looking for a super-fun mystery, this one will make you happy.

In this second outing of pie baker, Daisy Ellery, we are taken to a bake off, ala, The Great British Bake Off. Daisy has a "side hustle" baking "murder pies." She has a website on the dark web where women can place their orders.

Daisy has an order for one such pie and it turns out he is one of the judges. Before she can deliver her pie, the judge is murdered. Daisy decides to find the culprit before someone points the finger at her.

This is such a fun series. I did miss the characters from the first book, they showed up briefly in the beginning and end of this installment. The author gives us a few twists and turns until the murderer is exposed. There were many characters and it was sometimes hard to keep track of them. The descriptions of the food made me want to bake and eat. The author includes recipes at the end of the book.

I highly recommend this book. It can be read without having read the first book, Magic, Lies, and Deadly Pies, but to know Daisy and her side gig better I advise reading the first book.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC. The review is my own.

Book 2 in the Pies Before Guys Mystery ~ I suppose fine as a standalone.

Featuring ~ single 1st person POV, cooking competition, cozy mystery

Daisy is back and making her deadly pies. She enters a cooking competition and the judge is the intended victim.

While I love watching them on tv, and it was a fun part of the story, I felt like it took up too much of the book. It was a bit slow going trying to figure out who killed Brian before Daisy was able to. I wanted more killer pies. There were some good concoctions made though and I like how recipes are listed at the end.

Overall, this was fine and if you're into cozy mysteries you might like this one.

I was fortunate enough to receive a kindle copy and the audiobook to review. Tanya Eby did an alright job for 7 hours and 43 minutes.