Against the Currant was easy to follow. The narrator made listening to the story pleasant. Since this is the first in a series, I'm looking forward to reading and listening to more storeis from this author.

I love a cooking romance! This book was sweet and spicy with excellent narration and character development.

I have read Olivia's Hallmark books before and really enjoyed them. So it was nice being able to listen to an audio version of her story. Janina Edwards narrated this audiobook and I thought she did a good job holding my attention and keeping me entertained. This was a fun and cozy mystery. I loved how supportive Lyndsey and her family was to each other in personal life and business. I also loved the community in this town. This community loves to support each other and their businesses. I was smiling so much throughout this book. If you want a good book that will feel like it's wrapping you in a hug but also giving you some mystery as well, then this book is for you. I would definitely recommend this audiobook.


Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for allowing me to listen to this ALC for my honest opinion.

I love mysteries and bakeries as a setting so this book was a no brainer absolutely yes for me. I’m so glad I found this author! Terrific narration too!

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!