Story line lacked depth and characters were hard to follow. Some parts I lost interest in and ended up not finishing the story

I'm always up for a new series and willing to give it time to grow but this one this one wasn't for me.  Marci Beaucoup (seriously?) owns a pastry shop in Paris, Kentucky and she's worried about what will happen to the building where it's located. And then there's a murder.  And a love triangle of sorts.  This has all the elements of a classic cozy (including the pets) but it felt forced (I know, I know).  Thanks to Netgalley  for the ARC.

I read so many cosy mysteries that I suppose the law of averages means every now and then I have to come across one that is not a great read. This is one.

Macarons Can Be Murder was okay but just okay. I was unable to develop any attachment to the characters and then there was that awful set up that I hate of a love triangle. Mind you, the main character was so undecisive about everything it was not surprising she was the same with her men.

This one was not a winner for me and I doubt I will continue with the series.

Good start for a new series. I liked the setting and learning about her day-to-day operations in the bakery (and the fact that she does go to work!) but there are some overly cutesy elements that appear in cozies that just irk me - the name (Marcie Beaucoup), the matching pet names... etc. And there is a love triangle, my least favorite thing in the world! I have enjoyed other works by this author but she seems to have moved away from the paranormal and on to fluffier stuff, which is fine, but it's just not for me. There just wasn't much substance to this one. I will try the next one and hope that the characters and plot are more developed.

Macroons Can Be Murder 
(Paris Kentucky Bakery Mystery 1)
Rose Betancourt


Author Rose Betancourt is better known by many of her fans as Rose Pressey.  Ms. Betancourt is a wonderful mystery writer with a large back catalog in paranormal, romance, and mystery. My top three favorite series are Ghostly Haunted Walk, Maggie PI, and Halloween LaVeau. She has 10 series out plus this soon to be 11th!  All of which were exciting and enjoyable reads. 

 
Marci Beaucoup has learned to live with her name. She is working on learning to live with people calling her desserts magical.  Marci is the proud owner of La Belle Patisserie the only French bakery in Paris, Kentucky.  

One day a Frenchman walks into her bakery looking for a taste of home.  Sadly, she is out of madeleines.  After making a second choice his ex-girlfriend walks in making a scene.  

The next morning Kellie is found by Marci, dead in front of her bakery!  Like any small southern town rumors spread faster than a wildfire ever dreamed. Now, not only does Marci need to clear Antoine to keep her bakery, but she has to do it while dealing with delicious detective Maverick. 

Love may be in the air but will Marci be struggling to breathe or lost in love?! 

This was a good series starter. It had some funny moments, I especially liked Pepe, Fifi, and Aunt Barb! I admit Aunt Barb can be overly opinionated, especially about Marci's love life, but I know a lot of older southern women who act this way. Honestly, many of the characterizations are ones I'm familiar with. The mystery is solid, but the pacing seemed to be a bit off in places to me.  This also hit me with Mystic Cafe vibes at times. As a long time reader and lover of her many books, it’s just not her normal five-star material.  3 stars













Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC. 
#Netgalley #MacroonsCanBeMurder #RoseBetancourt #Bakery #Paris #cozy #Kentucky

This is the debut entry in Betancourt's Paris Kentucky Mystery series that takes place in fall and is set in the small southern town of Paris, Kentucky. Betancourt's has written some incredibly likable characters; I love Marci's relationship with her Aunt Barb, who is retired military and oh so hilarious. Additionally, Marci's interactions with Antoine and Maverick are fun and I look forward to seeing which man Marci eventually chooses. Plus there are two super adorable pet sidekicks... Fifi, the poodle, and Pepe le Pew, the cat. Betancourt's mystery blends the right balance of suspects, clues and red herrings and will leave you guessing whodunit till the last page. And don't fret, there are some yummy French pastry recipes included, so good. Take care and check the CW's. Can't wait to read more!

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

This is the first book in the new "Paris Kentucky Bakery Mystery
 series by Rose Betancourt.  Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinions are my own.  This is a great start to a fun series that all cozy readeres will enjoy. 

The protagnist is Marci who runs a Parsian Bakery with to die for Macarons and treats. She loves her business and is successful . Her landlord  wants to sell the bakery building and Marci disagrees with him . When his girlfriend is murdered Marci  is the primary suspect and she must investigate to both solve the crime and save her reputation.  She does not hesitate to involve her friends and townspeople who all support her . 

I enjoyed the descriptions of the bakery and the inner day to day workings. It was fun and fast paced to read. The supporting charcters are all likable and added to the fun. The protagnist is smart, savvy and has potential to grow as a investiagtor. The sleuth was well crafted to conclusion . I look forward to the next in series. Well done to the author.

This is a wonderful start to a new series! It pulled me in right away & I appreciate how quickly the author establishes both the bakery & Marci as a character. I feel readers who love charming Parisian vibes will appreciate this. Marci is pretty direct & gets to trying to solve things right away. It had a sense of urgency that kept me flipping pages faster & faster. If you love cozies about bakeries then this is a good one to try. I’ll be keeping a lookout for the next book to see where it all goes.

MACARONS CAN BE MURDER is the first book in the brand-new Paris Kentucky Bakery Mystery series by Rose Betancourt. The darling cover caught my attention and the cover description had me drooling over protagonist Marci Beaucoup’s French-themed patisserie set in Paris, Kentucky. But then, unfortunately, the story fell flat for me. There is so much internal dialog and exposition that intruded on even the most suspenseful parts of the action, which slowed the pace down to a crawl. Marci is sweet but dives into situations that she knowingly admits are dangerous, with no backup plans. And then there’s the start of a love triangle, which I suppose is to ramp up tension between the main characters. Instead, it seems forced and is not my cup of tea. The basis for the mystery is great (which is why I’m rounding 2.5 up to 3 stars). I feel like the book/series could be so much better with a strong editor to bring the action to the foreground and lose the repeated internal dialog. 

I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Marci loves her French bakery as well as baking there.  When her landlord tells her she is going to sell the building, Marci thinks the possible new buyer, Antoine, will make her life better.  That is until his xi girlfriend turns up dead and puts Marci in the middle of all the maddening chaos.

I received this book for free from Netgalley for an honest review.

This mystery definitely give me my toes. Unpredictable and fun all the way till the last page. I highly recommend.

This book had a winning name, which I liked, but I’m disappointed with the story itself. Marci was clueless and inept as an investigator. She procrastinates a lot and acts a bit too childish. Its intrigue and excitement levels were low.

I enjoy cozy mysteries, and this first book of a series certainly fit the bill. 

Marci Beaucoup runs a bakery in Paris, Kentucky with some assistance from her Aunt Barb. A lover of all things french (and who wouldn't be, with a name like that!) Marci is very interested when handsome frenchman Antoine visits her bakery while he is in town on business. 

Marci discovers that her landlord is about to sell her building, and then she finds out that Antoine is looking to purchase it. She is very relieved to hear that he intends on allowing her to renew her lease on her store. 

All of this has the potential to screech to a halt, when Antoine's ex-girlfriend is found dead early one morning outside the bakery. Antoine is under suspicion for the murder - especially by Maverick Malone, the police detective who has an interest in Marci. If Antoine is arrested, the landlord will sell to developers, and Marci's building will be demolished. 

Marci decides to investigate, and attempt to prove Antoine innocent. 

The plot was fun and this was a light and quick read. We end up with 2 love interests, which clearly sets up a plot line for the next book in the series. I found Marci very naive, and she made some truly bad decisions during her investigations. It was hard to understand how she could be so dumb in a few places in the story. 

All together a pleasant book, but not the best of the similar cozy mysteries I have recently read.

This is my first book by this author and I have to say that it was the cover that sold me. Unfortunately I didn't love the book. It started off great and I was really enjoying it; but for the rest of it - not so much. It leaned a bit to the French for me... It was just too much.

Oh Merci....or should I say Marci. Marci Beaucoup (our MC).  The first 28% of this book really flowed for me. I loved how the characters and plot were established. Yes it's a little cheesy, a little too Frenchy, there's a bakery and the obligatory bakery dog/cat.  But I was happily plodding along checking all my cozy mystery boxes.

Until ...Marci. I've heard some people say it was the French-iness that got them in the reviews. Also had some imply that Marci was silly or dumb. I did not get that impression at all. My impression is that she has TOO much anxiety, inability to focus and.....goodness gracious, I do not need to know EVERY thought that goes through her head. It actually took away from some great scenes.  The plot had great buildup...but when she goes to search an office....half the search is her going "oh I'm scared", but wait "oh I'm very daring", then "oh it smells like him in this room", "omg do I want to make out with him if I'm the killer", "oh wait I need to focus", "oh no is someone coming", "oh gosh he was soooo cute".  Literally, this makes it so hard to follow the story and get through the scene.   This type of back-and-forth made me wonder if the author was just trying to fill pages. 

I would have much rather NOT heard Marci's every wayward thought.  Would have liked a red herring in the office search, more of a reason for the "kidnapping" or follow through/lead up to that, or even some sneak peaks into a character's past (for a reoccuring long term character). 

Instead Marci's every thought simply eclipsed what could have been a great mystery. Please cut out all of Marci's self dialogue in the future. Build the story up...because that was great.  A short good book is just as good as a longer one if done well (look at Kathi Daley mysteries). 

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC.  I would love to see this author as she improve because there is so much potential here for a cozy series.

** spoiler alert ** This book started off really well, Marci loves everything French which makes sense why she would open up a pâtisserie bakery. Her Aunt Barb helps her run her shop. She's a lovely lady even though she seems to annoy Marci most of the time.

But then as we go along there are some things that start to bug the heck out of me: such as this: we never find out why she's so into everything French, we never truly find out why she won't forgive Maverick for something that clearly happened eons ago but she won't let it go, she states that Maverick is always dating someone new yet there seems to be no actual proof of that.

Then there seems to be a whole entire change in her countenance as well. One minute she's shy and demure, the next minute she's pushy and overly self-assured. So, the question begs asking, which one is she really?

Then there is also a lot of the dumb things she starts doing that are completely reckless, such as *spoiler alert* her running off into places and not telling anyone, her running off during the fall festival with a killer on the loose and doesn't bother to take her phone? Then this one is the one that really made me start to dislike her and the book: she gets out of a trunk of the car after being kidnapped, ends up running to her friend Kristina's dress shop and ends up buying a dress? A killer is literally looking for you and you're shopping? Smack me in the head that's dumb. And on top of all of this, she starts getting notes, getting followed by some cretin and doesn't bother telling the police? Why? How is the police supposed to even have a chance at cracking this or any other case if you keep ALL of the clues you have found to yourself?

Now, I have no problem with cozies that have the MC help the police or have to figure things out themselves because they are the main suspect, but she was neither. She ended up making the police department look bad. And as if that wasn't bad enough then she ends up dating the main suspect and the detective? Jiminy Christmas, this woman cannot make a decision to save her own life.

She's a jumble of nerves, ego, mangled conclusions, lies, and lucky breaks. And don't even get me started on all of the mistakes just dealing with the murder weapon....my husband is a Gunsmith, so I am fully learned on gun lingo. First off, if you're going to mention a gun then actually be specific on the type. And then there is a difference between shot gun shells and bullet casings. There are no shell casings. Shells are for shot guns and bullets are for pistols and rifles.

Then you're going to go into a gun shop with a receipt and then ask the proprietor about who he sold the gun to? Not going to happen. Legally, he cannot do that without getting himself into trouble with the law, plus if you have the receipt then it would already have the person's name on it because of the fact that they have to call in and check his record to see if the person is legally able to purchase a gun. If there is a receipt, then the sale went through which means that it would legally have that person's name on it.

I really hate to sound harsh because I love authors and I love to read. I just feel like that this book needed more research done. And yes, I am sure most people are going to say, 'but this is just a cozy, what difference does it make.' Well, without the correct facts, etc. then the story itself falls apart.

I believe the author gave a good effort but since it did not resonate with me then no, I cannot recommend this book.

Thank you to Net Galley, the publishers, and to Rose Betancourt for the ability to read and review this book. All opinions are mine and mine alone and are completely honest.

Marci Beaucoup lives in Paris and runs a bakery, that's Paris, Kentucky, where she has gained a reputation for baking sweet treats which provide good fortune for all who try them. When a handsome French newcomer to town hints he may be buying the building where La Belle Patisserie is situated, Marci doesn't know what to think. Soon though she’s wishing that was her only problem after discovering a dead body on the sidewalk outside her front window. 

Detective Maverick Malone, who Marci has known for years, is soon on the case and her Aunt Barb is dropping hints into most conversations as to why they should be dating! Determined to ignore her aunt's suggestions, get to the bottom of what happened, and why her shop was targeted, Marci soon finds herself knee deep in trouble with no real idea how to save herself. 

As the first book in a new series this has a lot going for it. Unfortunately it also has some things which didn't work for me. A potential love triangle and some protagonists who were difficult to relate to, (this doesn't include Marci, who I did like), made the going a bit of a struggle at times but overall I will see what happens in the second outing before discarding it.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the opinions expressed are my own. I'm glad I gave this a chance.

Unfortunately I didn't love this one. The first person POV didn't work for me - the main character made bad choice after bad choice and I think I might have liked her better with the extra distance of being third person. I found the plot a bit forced, and all the characters a bit one dimensional or something.

Loved reading this book. Looking forward to the next book in the series. If you haven't read it yet I highly recommend her and her books

Macarons Can be Murder by Rose Betancourt is a cozy mystery novel that introduces us to a pastry shop owner turned amateur detective. The protagonist, Marci Beaucoup (yes that is her name), has a knack for solving mysteries and is aided by her aunt, who is also her pastry assistant.  When a woman is killed the morning after an argument with a charming Frenchman in Marci’s shop, she sets out to clear the man.

The pacing of the story is generally well-maintained with the mystery gradually unfolding. However, the supporting characters lack depth and development, often falling into clichéd roles that don't contribute much to the story. While the book is a bit lackluster, it does offer delightful descriptions of the pastry shop and its macarons. (I reviewed an advance reader copy and all opinions are my own.) Sadly, I’m not so sure that I would read other books if this series, if it were to continue.