Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Golden Spoon.

A mystery that takes place during a baking competition? Count me in!

The only similarity The Golden Spoon has to The Great British Bake Off is the show's format and setup, except Betsy is no Mary Berry and Archie is a sleazier co-host than Paul Hollywood.

This is not reminiscent of Clue; Clue was fun, quirky, with memorable, engaging characters.

The Golden Spoon is a slow moving novel revolving around the contestants, despicable co-hosts, and a producer's desire to boost ratings.

The mystery is barely a plot; someone unlikeable is killed (boohoo) but that's a minor point. That doesn't happen until past the midway point of the novel.

Instead, the narrative is filled with each character's personal stories and issues, Lottie's true reason for gaining access to the estate, and Betsy's desperate need to hold onto her show, as ageism has made her expendable, despite her pedigree and the fact show is filmed on her family estate.

The writing is good, but the narrative is painfully, agonizingly slow; there's no urgency, no suspense, no drama or chills.

The subplot involving Lottie makes up most of the plot, but you know what's going to happen at the end.

When the big reveal occurs, you move on. It's nothing earth shattering.

The epilogue is a quick wrap up; the good guys stay good and the bad guys get their comeuppance.

I did enjoy the delicious descriptions of the pastries and baked goods, but The Golden Spoon didn't meet my expectations at all.

I loved The Golden Spoon! Yes, the murder bookends the story but the way the chapters flip through the different characters made me feel like I was reading a book and binge watching a baking show season at the same time. The writing was solid and the pacing was spot on. It was hard to put this one down when I actually had to do things like go to work...

I really enjoyed this book. It was fun to read and exactly how I wanted to spend an afternoon. The characters were all interesting and I liked spending time with them.

Another cozy mystery. While that’s not a bad thing I just expected more from the hype. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy in exchange for review

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

The Golden Spoon alternates between the narrator with each chapter and with each chapter we as the reader learn a bit more about each of the bakers competing in Bake Week. This book definitely makes for quick reading with the short chapters and could easily be binge read in a weekend. The author does a good job setting the scene of the novel. There is a mystery in the story that slowly reveals itself as you get to know more about the main characters. The big reveal is a tad bit predictable, but overall this is an enjoyable read and I definitely recommend for fans of baking competition reality shows.

This was an unputdownable mystery set in the backdrop of a baking competition. Betsy Martin hosts "Bake Week," during which contestants compete to win the Golden Spoon every summer on her family's Vermont estate. This year's only difference is that some contestants hold numerous secrets that could be her downfall. Everything goes downhill when someone is murdered, and the secrets unravel. Despite the dark circumstances, it was an interesting and enjoyable read.

I've heard about this book for months! So many book influencers have had nothing but major praise for this baking show murder mystery. Which that phrase itself had me hooked and ready.

I didn't devor this one as quickly as I thought I would. It lagged a bit in the changing perspectives and daily challenges. I somehow found myself a bit disinterested in the stories of these characters, there was a lot of potential for more interesting backstories for multiple characters but Lottie's story made up for a lot of it.

I did enjoy the book overall but the major gripe I have is it's set in America! British Bakeoff is the standard and it's all I could picture but then I'd be thrown off by the characters talking about their American surroundings or home states. The characters themselves are written very "britishley" and I couldn't get past it.

3.5/5 stars for me

I’m not the biggest mystery reader, but I found this one really enjoyable and easy to get through, especially on audio which I highly recommend. I loved the foodie, GBBO vibes and definitely was here for all the food descriptions! If you need something to keep you company on your daily walks, or commute to work, definitely consider this audiobook for an easy and engaging mystery.

I didn't love this book. I found it hard to get into and kept setting it down for other books. I'm glad that I have finished it finally. I liked the characters and I thought the story had great potential but I found it a little predictable.

Thank you to Netgalley and publishers for the ARC even though it took me way longer than anticipated to finish reading.

In this book, we follow a baking reality show. Betsy Martin is a celebrity and the judge of Bake Week. Six contestants are competing to win the title and the Golden Spoon. As the competition begins, some unusual things happen, ending with a murder!

I feel like the book had a lot of potential to become a twisty thriller. I loved the theme, mysterious characters, unusual happenings during the show, etc, but unfortunately failed to deliver an appreciable climax. It's a fast-paced cozy mystery with interesting characters. The book keeps you hooked from the very beginning.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review.

E-Arc provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

This was a lot of fun!

While it wasn't one of those thrillers that had you at the edge of your seat, and the reveals weren't necessarily the most shocking, it was still enough fun that it kept you reading. If you like shows like the Great British Bake Off, then you are sure to ADORE this book!

My only complaint is that the characters needed to be a little bit more fleshed out. It seemed like they were more or less caricatures of what the author wanted them to be - stereotypical, even. Not that it necessarily took too much away from the story as a whole, but it was enough for me to notice.

This book also had so much going on, yet at the same time seemed more on the cozier side of the mystery/thriller genre. My favorite plotline involved Lottie, and if the book had only centered around that, I would still enjoy it just as much.

Overall, I do highly recommend this book if you are looking for something fun, but not too dark!

The Golden Spoon is a well-plotted mystery centered around a baking competition similar to the Great British Baking Show. Betsey Martin is the host of a popular baking show that takes place on her family estate in Vermont. Bake Week has been a highly successful program for ten years. Betsy Martin authored countless cookbooks that are always bestsellers. Now the network wants to add another host - the popular but loud and obnoxious Archie Morris Betsy is horrified that this vulgar man will be in her childhood home and muddle up the perfection she demands from those around her. Enter six contestants, each with their own reasons for being on the show and possessing their own problems. Once the competition starts everyone is caught up in the baking and the recipes and the sabotage that begins as the bakers fall apart. Add a dead body to the mix and you have a thrilling, suspenseful mystery with many layers of action. Readers who enjoy watching the cooking programs as well as those who enjoy a good mystery will love these books. Many thanks to Netgally for the chance to read an ARC.

Set during a reality baking show, this book is told through many different points of view, all while the contestants bake and share how their pasts are tangled up with the show. It's been compared to Clue, which makes sense to me. I will say, the twist wasn't particularly twisty, since you can assume pretty much immediately that someone is super entangled with the host and house of the show. I think that the book giving us so many points of view did it a disservice, as the reader ended up with too much information. The audiobook was decent, and the voice acting was nice, but the story was really monotonous.

This plot was very interesting to me, but I think I enjoyed the vivid characters more.. I loved the different points of view. Great debut.
Many thanks to Atria and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book gives off huge Great British Bake Off vibes. I found the characters interesting and the story moved along well. The ending could have been stronger. Overall, I liked it and would read more from this author.

This book got me out of a massive reading slump. It was engaging and kept you wondering until the final reveal.

The Golden Spoon is a stunning debut that will keep readers on their toes. Not only is the storytelling device unique, taking place day by day from multiple perspectives, Maxwell also manages to weave multiple mysteries together without becoming predictable.

While there are numerous points of view, each voice stands on its own. I have enjoyed the trend of 'books being set in reality TV shows', and must say I never would have thought to utilize a baking show competition as the setting for a murder mystery.

I am eagerly awaiting Maxwell's next book. Whether it is a continuation of this story, or something entirely new, you can bet I will be waiting at the edge of my seat to read it!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for the advanced review copy.

The Golden Spoon is the perfect blend of the locked room effect, reality tv and mystery. When Betsy Martin, the host of Bake Week, films the series at her Vermont estate, she's in her element. While she may be known as America's Grandmother she is definitely not the warm, fuzzy woman she appears to be on tv. She, is, however, talented, single-minded and built a strong empire based off her best-selling cookbooks. This season does not start out like the rest as the producers bring in another baker as a co-host. Then, as the episodes start filming, it appears the bakers are being sabotaged. All bets are off when a dead body is discovered and The Clue like mystery begins. Everyone is a possible suspect with different motives. And what follows is a quick-paced, intriguing mystery that will keep readers guessing. This debut novel is dazzling.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

The Golden Spoon by author Jessa Maxwell is an excellent book for people who enjoy cozy mystery novels and shows like The Great British Bake Off. The book follows the contestants and creators of the made-up reality baking show, "Bake Week," filmed at a manor house in Vermont. Each character has a lot of backstory, and the plot is filled with fun twists and turns. So, why did I give it only three stars out of five? Because it took so long for the murder to happen!

The idea behind The Golden Spoon caught my attention right away, and as soon as I started reading, I became invested in each character. From Betsy, the well-known host, to Hannah, the pretty young girl who wants to be famous - each character resembled the reality stars we see daily on reality cooking programs. Were they a bit too one-sided? Yes. But in this cozy mystery, fully fleshed-out characters weren't needed, and each one serves their purpose in the story.

The murder isn't the only mystery in The Golden Spoon, but I still thought it took way too long to get to that part of the story. I believe I was more than two-thirds of the way through the book when the murder happened, and by the time it did, I forgot it was coming. Because of this, the book meandered at times and could sometimes feel very slow. The book's first half was easy for me to put down, but the last half was filled with plot twists, and I couldn't stop reading it until I finished it. I wish the book had been more evenly paced. A lot of information at the end could have been spread out throughout the rest of the novel.

Even though I had issues with how the story moved, I would still recommend The Golden Spoon to anyone who wants something light and fun. I think this is Jessa Maxwell's debut novel, and I enjoyed it enough to want to read more of her work in the future.

This one was so much fun! So I started this on my kindle and loved it! I didn't want to put it down. I loved getting to know the cast for the bake-off like show and the little tidbits about their life and histories. I loved the little moment snapshots we got of their cooking and what they were observing. I found each of their voices unique and easy to remember who was who.

But I was finding myself low on time and really needing to know what happened next! so I grabbed the audio and was entranced. There are multiple people for each person and their unique voices really came through on the audio. I loved how it brought out the high tension moments because each narrator on the audio did a wonderful job of sucking me in and keeping me in the story. I can't recommend the audio version of this enough. It was a great twist on the who-done-it with the bake-off, the secrets that were slowly revealed and all the twists. It was fun and cute and just what I needed in my busy schedule!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I am sorry to say that this was not all that and a bag of chips! I wanted to like this but I really didn't! This is NOT A THRILLER! It was a boring unlikeable mystery. This was boring on top of boring with terrible characters.