I’m way overdue on this ARC, but the third book came out recently so maybe some of you would like to check this series out! (Especially since a lot of the cozy mysteries I’m reading have me currently awaiting the next novel).

I will say that this story is a little slow since a lot of the beginning is dedicated to backstory. I personally just need the minimal details for (really any story) cozy mysteries since they’re usually already pretty short and quick. But after that drag, the pace did pick up and it followed the usual path of a cozy foodie-themed mystery.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the ARC!

Lyndsay Murray is finally realizing her dream of opening Spice Isle Bakery with her family in the Brooklyn neighborhood where she lives. Her neighbors are supportive, but fellow bakery owner Claudio Fabrizi is not happy about having competition; he shows up to her opening day, getting into a heated argument with Lyndsay. When Claudio is found murdered the next day, Lyndsay is the prime suspect. Lyndsay is determined to clear her name by figuring out who actually killed Claudio before her bakery suffers from association to the murder.

I loved the close family bonds in this book. The food made in the bakery sounded delicious, and the book actually included a few recipes at the end! This book set up the series well and contains everything I would hope for and expect of a cozy mystery.

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an audio ARC of this book.

Adorable! Exactly what my cozy mystery loving heart needed. Reminds me of the cupcake cozy mystery series which I’m obsessed with 🫶🏻 this was just so fun!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for an audio-arc. Sadly this was a DNF for me. I couldn't get into the story and the mystery aspects were not there for me. The story was moving very slowly and so that was when I decided to DNF.

Against the Currant was an absolute gem of a novel I would recommend to any fan of cozy mysteries!

I loved Lindsay as a MC and found her voice really relatable and fun to follow along through. This book was such a fun mystery to follow along with. I liked the twists and turns, and adored the bakery focus. The recipes were a fun and creative addition to the book I can’t wait to try as well!

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Against the Currant was a cute, quick read. The characters were sweet and lovable. Unfortunately I don’t think there was anything memorable about this one.

Lyndsay Murray and her family open a bakery called Spice Island Bakery in New York. On the day of their opening, she gets into a very public and heated argument with rival bakery owner, Claudio. The next day, he turns up dead and Lyndsay finds herself at the top of the suspect list. Lyndsay decides to start an investigation of her own to clear her name.

I didn't find this to be anything spectacular in my opinion. I wasn't bored, but I wasn't fully engaged either... I just... was. There were a surprising amount of suspects, that were hard to keep track of at times. I did like the family dynamics in this, and how supportive they were of one another. Grandma was definitely my favourite of the bunch. I also liked how much Lyndsay grew by the end of the story, learning to find her voice and stand up for herself.

I enjoyed this new cozy mystery series! I had to speed up the audiobook to 1.75x as the narrator was a very slow speaker. But once I did that, I was able to get into this cozy with Lyndsay and her family and her Caribbean-inspired cafe! Lyndsay also felt a bit young. Who is still talking about high school bullies at 27? I loved her grandmother! I will be reading the next book!

A fun series starter with some delicious recipes. I look forward to visiting the cafe again! There's a strong flavor to the writing that will definitely please cozy fans.

I really loved this first book in a new to my series and author. I can't wait to read the next one. The characters and location really add to the plot. This book keeps you guessing until the end.

BOOK REVIEW

Against the Currant by Olivia Matthews

⭐️⭐️⭐️

I picked this book because of the super cute cover, a mystery plot, and food! While I love the premise of all three, this book was just “okay” to me.
It’s rather slow (it took me forever to finish and honestly put me in a reading slump), and the main character’s harping on bullies, and her brother outshining her, if you will, gives me an impression she’s much younger than she actually is.
I did enjoy two things, the culture/family aspect, and when Lyndsay decided to try to take control of the situation.
It’s a cozy read and an easy read… but it is not a great one.

The idea of the plot is great and I liked the characters. However the author added too many unneeded details. It felt like many things were being described in detail for no reason. They didn't advance the plot or explain the characters. Taking out some of the extra would make the book more readable.

I love a cozy book with a baking shift. they seem t0 be really popular lately and i'm all for it. I'll take them all. This is one of the better ones!! a family element. I'm not close to my family (outside of my younger brother and my own husband and children) so i love living thru others.

A new Brooklyn Caribbean bakery owners become a suspect to murder when the local competitor is found dead. Lindsey works overtime to create a successful family business and clear her name. This is a fun title to listen to. An engaging reader. Good for libraries.

I've read quite a few books similar to this one and I'm afraid Against the Current just doesn't measure up. The characters aren't compelling and I was not invested in the story.

I much preferred Arsenic and Adobo or the A Caribbean Kitchen Mystery series.

What's the recipe for a good cozy mystery? Start with a compelling amateur sleuth. Add in a close family for support, plus a strong (and witty!) grandmother. Mix these with a bakery setting, coupled with a community full of interesting characters. Add a dash of romantic tension. And - of course - toss these ingredients up with a murder to solve!

This is a fun read - Lyndsay is a great main character, and the overall storyline of her working to start her bakery works well with the mystery of who murdered the owner of another local bakery. Ms. Matthews doesn't just concentrate on the bakery, but also paints a wonderful picture of the local community as well, I look forward to seeing the setting and these characters returning in future books in the series.

I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator was perfect! This was such an enjoyable story to listen to.

Great start to this new cozy mystery series!

This was such a fun cozy mystery! It's the first book in Olivia Matthew's new Spice Isle Bakery Mysteries series and I can't wait to read the next ones. Bonus, she includes recipes for some of the amazing treats at the end of the book.

📖 Lyndsay is living her dream of opening a little Caribbean bakery with her family in Brooklyn. She is planning to serve all her favorite West Indian treats (which all sound so good) while helping support her community and family.

On opening day when Claudio, a disgruntled neighbor, and fellow bakery owner drops by to cause a bit of a ruckus and threatens to have Spice Isle Bakery shut down. Lyndsay is not going to take his threats lying down. She decides to confront him in the moment and has a heated exchange in front of the whole neighborhood.

The next day, news breaks that Claudio has been murdered, and due to the very public altercation, Lyndsay is the prime suspect. Now to prove her innocence and protect Spice Isle's reputation, she is on a quest to figure out who really killed Claudio before anything else goes wrong.

🎧 Janina Edwards narrates the audiobook. It's a great listen, entertaining, fun, and a quick listen. I would highly recommend checking it out. I can't wait for the next books in this series.

⚠️ Content Warnings ⚠️
This book contains descriptions of murder, bullying, death, gun violence, suicide, violence, drug abuse, and drug use.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media for the Advance Reader Copy of this audiobook!

Against the Currant is the story of how Lyndsay's dream to open a family bakery is about to come to fruition when she gets into an argument with another neighborhood baker and then he is murdered. Lyndsay is the police's main suspect so she and some of her family set out to identify other suspects as well as successfully get their bakery off the ground.

My biggest issue with this book was the premise of Lyndsay having a lifelong dream to open a bakery despite being unable to bake. Her parents aren't even characters; they just stay in the back of the bakery doing all of the baking and occasionally being hesitant about Lyndsay accepting other new projects when they are the only members of the family generating product.

The writing was good and the overall story was intriguing but everything felt a little one-dimensional.

The narration was good.

I'll 100% admit it, this adorable cover drew me in right away. How could I resist?

So glad I gave Olivia Matthews' Against the Currant a try. Matthews captures this little corner of Brooklyn perfectly (I live a few miles from this area, and I can promise it is just as colorful as the author's portrayal).

Creative, realistic characters fill the pages, even if the mystery itself is a scootch fantastical. It was still a lot of fun.

I listened to the audio edition of Against the Currant and I really enjoyed Janina Edwards' performance. Lovely!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape for the advance audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This book’s cover had cozy mystery all over it, right down to the pun in the title. It did not disappoint—even including the recipe for the currant buns! The narrator was excellent—I was disappointed in the lack of West Indian accents at the start of the book, but it was explained away as we were introduced to other members of the family with distinct and appropriate accents!

Lyndsay Murray has brought her family together to make her dream come true—the Spice Isle Bakery is ready for business. But not everyone in the neighborhood is thrilled, and when its biggest detractor turns up murdered, Lyndsay is the number one suspect.

To clear her name, she begins her own investigation to cast suspicion away from herself—but can she solve the case in time to save her bakery’s reputation?

With family and friends supporting her, she gets close enough to become the murderer’s target herself. Will she make her way through the twists and dead ends in time to save herself?

Advertised as first in a series—looking forward to seeing what comes next, and planning to try the recipes provided!