Bailey Briggs, her daughter Daisy and their golden lab Cooper are all headed to Humble Hills, Colorado to visit Bailey's grandmother, who's broken her foot. Granny Bee has a ranch with cattle, a few horses and lots of bee hives. Honey products are sold there and her friends (and book club) are called the Hive. When Bailey arrives, Grandma is busy throwing an older white haired man out of her house. Bailey learns that he is Werner Humble, the town's mayor. He'd been making advances to Granny Bee and she didn't appreciate it, and yelled "I'll kill you if you come back" as she throws him out. Werner left his suit jacket behind in his hurry to leave, so the next day Bailey volunteers to take it to his house. When she arrives, there's no answer to the door bell, but looking through the window she see him lying on the floor. When the Sheriff arrives, he breaks the door down and they enter the house to find Werner dead. He was extremely allergic to honey and bees and his body was found with honey in his mouth. Bailey is very worried that her Grandmother will be considered the killer and she and The Hive set about to find out who the read killer is.

The first couple of chapters were very busy and frantic, with lots of running around and many characters doing silly things, and at first I thought this was a silly book. But by the time I was half way through, I enjoyed it a lot. Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy.

Bailey Briggs returns home to help, with her daughter, Daisy, to Honeybuzz Mountain Ranch and the farm she was raised on. Blossom Briggs, better known as Granny Bee is Bailey's grandmother and a beekeeper. Bailey isn't prepared for two things, her 'old bad boy' boyfriend, Sawyer Dunn, and watching Granny Bee toss the town founder off the property.

When Bailey and Sawyer find the town founder dead, evidence points to Granny Bee. Defying the sheriff’s orders, Bailey, and her best friend, Evie, find themselves in all kinds of outrageous predicaments to find the real killer.

This is the first book in the series, where all the women in the Briggs family are named after flowers. I enjoyed Granny Bee's two eccentric sisters, high tea, and how The Hive all came to Granny Bee's rescue leaving the sheriff exasperated. It is a fun plot and includes some yummy-looking recipes in the back of the book. I look forward to reading the second book.

I requested and received an ARC from NetGalley via Crooked Lane Books and I voluntarily reviewed this book.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from Crooked Lane Books and #NetGalley. Thank you to the publishers, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.


The first in a new cozy mystery series leaves me wanting more. With characters who are likable, you feel like you know them. The story itself is fun, intriguing. Kudos!

I couldn’t get into the main character in this cozy mystery - her immature behavior and reactions put me off the book completely and I had a hard time getting immersed in the story. The beekeeping enterprise was the saving grace for me.

This was an interesting cozy mystery. Because part of it took part on a Bee/Honey Farm I was really interested. The facts about and recipes using honey were mouthwatering. Most of the characters were 30 years old or older. Daisey, the preteen was written in a way you knew she was really trying to grow-up and make positive decisions; she had a good support system of positive adults. I can understand why the character who ends up being the murderer did the murder; I just wished it had not been that person. I will keep my eyes open for this author again. I hope this author hits it as "big" as Joanne Fluke.

Sometimes you just need a good cozy mystery to round out the year and goodness this hit the spot for me. From the Hive to the cliffhanger at the end (I'm calling Sawyer by the way) I absolutely loved this book. I laughed, I felt every emotion, I I got teary-eyed, and it had me flipping pages. I cannot wait until book number two comes out. Not to mention, I did not guess who the killer was. Five stars from me. This was my first read by this author but definitely will not be my last. If you want a feel-good mystery, definitely pick this up.

With the winter rolling in, I was in a mood for a lighthearted, cozy read. A dose of happy, if you will, amidst the rainy days. The sunny cover of Take the Honey and Run by Jennie Marts immediately drew my attention and made me smile. I decided to check it out and I am so glad I did. The first in a series, this lovely story turned out to be so much more than I expected. Take the Honey and Run is the perfect cozy mystery to curl up to - a fun, fast paced page-turner that is a joy to read and hard to put down.

The MC is a successful mystery author Bailey Briggs, who discovers the dead body of the founder of her hometown of Humble Hills, Colorado. Bailey is visiting Honeybuzz Mountain Ranch where she was raised by her beekeeping grandmother, Blossom Briggs, aka Granny Bee, and her two eccentric sisters, Aster and Marigold. When Granny Bee is the prime suspect in the case Bailey and her best friend Evie must find a way to prove granny innocent. Or is she?!!

I don't remember the last time I laughed this much while reading a book. I couldn't put it down. How Jennie Marts managed to end every chapter on a cliffhanger is still a mystery to me, but well done I say. From the first to the last sentence she had my attention and as soon as I finished the book I found myself searching for when the second one is coming out. Needless to say I quickly remembered that I was reading an ARC and that the book doesn't come out until 2023.

While Take the Honey and Run, the first in the Bee Keeper's Mysteries, is a debut cozy mystery for Jennie Marts, it is by no means the author's first novel. Her romance series have been around for years and I love her writing. I am so excited that she is writing cozies now, because when you combine mystery, laugh-out-loud humor, romance and community you get a story worth reading again, and again. It's one of those things where you never knew what you were missing until it's 3am and you can't put it down.

The characters were perfectly flawed, relatable and I had so much fun getting to know them all. I really enjoyed the scenery, the mouthwatering menus, the friendships, and the sweet romance. Having been a single parent for almost a decade, I could relate to the main character and her unconditional love for her lovely daughter. The mystery kept me on my toes, as well, and while not guess the killer had fun guessing along the way.

Jennie Marts crafts a feel good mystery that keeps you on your toes. And then there is the food. Not only are many mouthwatering dishes mentioned in the story, but the author has included 6 full recipes at the end of the book. Talk about the PERFECT book club party book.

When I first set out to read Take the Honey and Run, I was hoping for a feel-good read to pass the time and had no big expectations. Turns out, I found a book and an author I know I will be reading again and again.

Full in-debt review is available on my Literary Lifestyle website. I would like to thank NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books and Jennie Marts for the advanced copy of Take the Honey and Run. While not required to write a review I am happy to offer my honest opinion.

This was such a cute, cozy mystery. There were lots of old friends, supportive family, and tons of delicious sounding honey-related recipes, included at the end of the book.

When mystery writer Bailey Briggs comes to visit her childhood home and take care of her ailing grandmother, the last person she expects to run into is her high school boyfriend, Sawyer. Or to come face to face with an actual dead body. But both those things happen within her first night and day of returning to Humble Hills.

When her grandmother is implicated in the murder, Bailey can't stop herself from investigating. After all, she does have experience in solving murders, sort of. Even when her ex-turned-sheriff repeatedly warns her off from digging further into the murder, Bailey can't bring herself to stop. And her best friend Evie, and her grandmother's book group (The Hive) are all too willing to help.

While I truly enjoyed reading this - it had good pacing, the characters were fun, the dialogue was cute - there were several times where I found myself wishing for more background. It's hard to come into a book and feel like your years behind on all the inside jokes. Especially when you've picked up the first one in the series. However, I plan to keep an eye out for future books in the series, as well as checking out others by Jennie Marts!

A Honey of a new Cozy Mystery Series!

I’ve been a longtime fan of Jennie Marts’ Contemporary Romance novels. I’m now a huge fan of her brand new book in the Bee Keeping Mystery Series, Take the Honey and Run.

Bailey Briggs is a successful mystery author who has returned home to Humble Hills, Colorado to help her grandmother after a bad fall. Bailey has no sooner pulled up in the driveway when her grandmother threatens the mayor on her own front porch. Not only did the mayor proposition Grandma Bee, but he was two-timing other women of the town, including two members of The Hive bookclub, one of whom is Bailey’s Aunt Aster.

Just one day later, Bailey and her ex-High-School-boyfriend slash new-Sheriff Sawyer stumble over the dead body of the mayor. Everyone in town knew the mayor was incredibly allergic to bees and honey, and now Grandma Bee is about to be stung with the charge of murder when the weapon is her own jar of hot and spicy honey. Bailey, her tween daughter, and the Hive all set out to prove Grandma Bee is not capable of murder. Many secrets come to light and more suspects crop up in town.

Jennie Marts’ has successfully branched out into a new Cozy Mystery series and I’m very excited about it. Her trademark voice for humor is present and I found myself laughing out loud as I read this book. The characters are quirky, but many have depths that took my breath away. Mix Lucy and Ethel with Thelma and Louise and you get Bailey and her BFF Evie hot on the trail of a killer.

At one point I was laughing hysterically, then goose-bumps erupted when Bailey is nearly caught snooping by the murderer. The plot is woven with clues and red herrings peppered throughout to keep you guessing until the very end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for allowing me to read an advanced copy of Take the Honey and Run. I’m very happy to leave my thoughts and opinions on this fabulous new series!

I love a cozy mystery, but I don't gravitate to them as much as I used to. However, this book sucked me in and I can't wait for the next one! The characters are incredible and charmingly hilarious. The mystery was a twist and turn from the start. I thought I knew who did it from the beginning, but the rabbit trails and tons of motives made me keep guessing. Bailey is a fabulous narrator and charmingly witty. Her relationship with the town sheriff provides that extra bit of fun I love in a cozy mystery. I cannot wait to read more from Jennie Marts and look forward to seeing more from this series as well!

As a mead maker, I have a life which involves fermenting honey! Take the Honey and Run appealed to me for obvious reasons! A fascinating mystery with carefully laid clues, leads you through fun and intrigue on many levels. Like my mead this story is lightly sparkling, tasty and can go straight to your head, Witty, clever and all carefully woven I felt at home from start to finish! A great debut mystery and promise of more to come! A very cosy mystery with murder, red herrings, light hearted heroines and an enjoyable outcome.

I adore Jennie Marts; her romances are amazing! So when I saw she was writing a cozy mystery I knew I had to have it! My friends, this one did not disappoint! I am super excited for the next one even though I know it won't be available for quite some time.

Take the Honey and Run is a fun debut for a new series. Jennie Marts has created a sweet cosy mystery without the usual bookstore/library setting that seems to be the hallmark of cosy mysteries. Instead, Take the Honey and Run is an original and creative mystery, with a cast of diverse and funny characters, a murder victim, who was so awful that half the town wanted to murder him, and. the usual hunky sheriff. All these characters make for a number of laugh-out-loud antics.

Take the Honey and Run is a lighthearted cozy mystery, with Bailey, a single mom and mystery writer, who has returned to her Granny Bee's farm. Bailey and her best friend, Evie, are modern day Lucy and Ethel characters, whose efforts to solve the murder, lead to some very funny moments. There are a plethora of red herrings to keep the reader guessing.

This cosy mystery is an enjoyable read. However, Take the Honey and Run also presents several episodes where the clues are so obvious that I want to shake the novel and say "wake up!" These are smart thinking adults, and so don't let them look dense. I do recommend this book, since I enjoyed reading it and laughed out loud several times. Thank you to the author and Crooked Lane Books for providing this ARC. Thank you also to NetGalley for including it on their web site.

Even though this was well written it did also seem a bit immature. There could’ve definitely been more of a character development. They seemed a bit one sided. But, all in all I thought it was well written and will strike the interest of tweens age group.

The author has a great writing style; however, I really struggled to get into this story. It felt like half of the book was Evie and Bailey mooning over men and the other half was them finding out every other woman in town was mooning over the slimy now-deceased mayor.

And the ending just left me feeling sad and disappointed, with no real emotional resolution. Would I give the second book a chance? Maybe. As I said, the writing style is witty and quick and the characters are interesting, but it depends on where the focus lies.

A fun filled quick read filled with excellent characters. A good solid mystery. Lots of twists and turns that keep the reader engaged. Thanks#netgalley and#CrookedLaneBooks for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

A great start to a new cozy series. Bailey Briggs and her daughter go back home to visit Baily's grandmother. She gets into a whole mess when she discovers the mayor dead. When she thinks things can't get worse her grandmother is a prime suspect. I like the book the only small things was the amount of characters introduced, the fact that the daughter was a part of the investigating and the fact that some parts were very unrealistic.
I am looking forward to more adventures.

Take the Honey and Run was a lighthearted cozy mystery that followed Bailey, a single mom and mystery writer to her Granny Bee's farm. Shortly after arriving, a murder takes place in the town and Granny's infamous spiced honey turns up making her the prime suspect! Bailey then takes matters in to her own hands to help solve the murder and clear her grandmother's name.

All of the fun characters made this a quick and entertaining read. A couple scenes in the book had me laughing out loud! All around a great wholesome read that could be enjoyed by all ages.

Thank you Netgalley and crooked Lane Books for an advanced reader copy! 4 star rating

If you’re a contemporary cozy fan, put this one on your honey-do list. Mystery writer Bailey Briggs has come home to her family’s farm just in time for the obnoxious mayor to get murdered. Now her beloved Granny Bee is a suspect.

This fast-paced charmer gives you all of the cozy elements in one bee-licious package. Amateur sleuthing, a small town with quirky characters plus secrets and suspects, feisty gran, cute kid, adorable dog, and romantic tension between Bailey and the sheriff. Plus it’s buzzing with bee facts and recipes.

This debut sets up the series fantastically and I can’t wait to see what sort of shenanigans Bailey and Granny Bee get up to next.

This was an interesting debut book in a new series. I like the topic surrounding bees. Bees are fascinating; I would have liked to see a bit more info about bees in the book. I hope that will be continued in future books. This was a typical cozy mystery. It was an enjoyable read for a new book. It has some room for future fleshing out of characters and setting.