Cover Image: Macarons Can Be Murder

Macarons Can Be Murder

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Member Reviews

‘My mama said I had an aptitude for pandemonium.’ 3%

I’m always a huge fan of anything Rose writers but this time I was just satisfied with the story and not overly thrilled with it. The concept is intriguing, the cast of characters has potential but it was lacking, dare I say it, her usual je ne sais quoi.

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"Macarons Can Be Murder” by Rose Betancourt the first in her new "A Paris Kentucky Mystery" series. It has been awhile since I read a book by Rose Betancourt and I usually love them, but this was a bit hard to get through. But since I loved her other series I will give book two a chance.

Living in Paris, Kentucky, and having a sidekick cat named Pepe le Pew gives Marci Beaucoup’s life a certain je ne sais quoi. Combining her love of baking and France, Marci opened La Belle Patisserie to bring her small Southern hometown a bit of French flair and lots of croissants. Everything is sunshine and macarons at the bakery until her landlord calls to tell her she’s selling the property. Marci’s relieved to hear that if the top bidder, an enchanting Frenchman named Antoine Dubois, gets the property, he’ll renew her bakery’s lease. Charmed by Antoine, Marci figures this development isn’t half bad and sees a handsome new landlord in her future—but then Antoine’s estranged ex-girlfriend Kelly turns up dead in front of her bakery. Sacrebleu!

I requested and received an Advanced Reader Copy from Crooked Land and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Marci Beaucoup owns the French patisserie in Paris,Kentucky and is happy in her daily life until the day she finds a body in front of her bakery. The police suspect the Frenchman who argued with the victim in the bakery the day before, and Marci is compelled to investigate because her bakery is involved.

I was excited about this series when I started it. Now, not so much. The entire book is Marci's internal monologue, which is rambling, anxiety ridden, and illogical. This makes for some difficult reading. I love a good cozy and accept the heroine making some questionable decisions, but Marci makes one illogical, unsafe decision after another. The lovable relative character, Aunt Barbara, behaves inconsistently, and none of the other characters are remotely fleshed out. The killer is obvious, and efforts to establish other suspects are weak.

This was almost a DNF for me, which is rare for me, due to the writing style. I won't be reading any additional entries in this series. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title.

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Macrons Can Be Murder by Rose Betancourt is a great start to a new cozy mystery series.

Marci Beaucoup is the owner of a bakery in Paris, Kentucky. The owner of the building wants to sell. She meets the new possible buyer. After his ex is found dead outside of the bakery, Marci joins with her friends to solve the mystery.

This is a cute cozy with a great setting and wonderful characters. Love Pepe. I’m looking forward to the next book in this series.

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The description of Macarons Can Be Murder was so promising that I think my expectations were too high. This book probably comes in at about 2.7.
Marci, the main character, has a cheesy name. She is indecisive and acts rather dumb. She falls firmly into the too stupid to live category of main character. Time after time she put herself into dangerous situations simply because she had issues with the town detective, Maverick, and didn’t want to talk to the police.
The narrator for the audiobook was good, if a little dramatic.
I read and listen to a great many cozy mysteries. I am often on the look out for a new series to get enthusiastic about; this won’t be one I recommend.
Thanks to Netgalley, Crooked Lane Books and Dreamscape Media for the review copies.

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This debut could have worked better and is hard to recommend to serious cozy readers. The writing is cliched and needs a stronger editor.

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A really cute mystery and it keeps you turning pages. I recommend this book. I was provided a copy by Netgalley but the opinions are mine.

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"Macarons Can Be Murder" by Rose Betancourt presents a mixed bag of delights and frustrations in this series debut. Set in Paris, Kentucky, the story follows Marci Beaucoup, a pastry baker with a passion for all things French. When her bakery's future hangs in the balance due to a murder investigation involving her enchanting new landlord, Antoine, Marci takes it upon herself to solve the case and save her beloved bakery.

While the premise and the charming setting hold promise, the book falls short in some areas. I felt the characters, although quirky, failed to establish a strong connection with me as a reader and the love triangle subplot feels forced and indecisive. Additionally, the excessive use of French terms may alienate those unfamiliar with the language, diminishing the overall reading experience.

On the positive side, the book offers humor and mouthwatering descriptions of pastries, adding to its appeal. However, the mystery itself is somewhat predictable, with the killer's identity becoming apparent early on. Despite its flaws, "Macarons Can Be Murder" holds potential for a cute and enjoyable series, especially with its unique Paris, Kentucky backdrop. With improved editing and a stronger plot, the subsequent books in the series might fulfill the promise hinted at in this debut installment.

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I love a good cozy and being from Kentucky, I was really looking forward to this one. I felt like it was a rough start, the characters (especially Marci) need to be a little stronger and lose the too dumb to live personality flaw. It has the potential to be a great series and I know it will improve with each book because the author has an entertaining writing style and throws in humor throughout. I will definitely read more in this series! The narrator was a perfect choice, her accent is nice and I love the different voices for each character.

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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