I love the family aspect of this book. Everybody had each other's back and it was wonderful. The food descriptions were great and the main character is very likeable. The mystery was interesting and central enough to feel necessary to the story. I will definitely check out more books by the author and will watch for more books in the series.

My one complaint would be with the "romance" getting set up. As the story goes, there are 4 possible love interests. One drops off quickly as a possibility, another gets clearly set aside, but by the end we are still left with 2 possible love interests for the main character. Unfortunately, it seems like the author is leaning towards the less interesting option as the endgame. Lyndsay doesn't spend nearly enough time with either of them for it really to be considered a love line at all. The man she spends the most time with in the book isn't either of the possible love lines. I'm fine with there being no romance in the book at all, but cozy mysteries have a certain expectation to them, and it felt like the author was aware of that but not really interested in pursuing it. Usually you get something of a slow burn romance in a mystery series, but it's also usually at least obvious where it's headed by the end of the first book.

The audio narrator did an excellent job.

This is a new start of a cozy mystery series. While I did enjoy this book, it is very similar to many other series I’ve read. That being said I still love listening to these books on audio, they’re easy to follow and very entertaining. I especially connected with the main character and you’ll spend the whole book rooting for her! I will definitely continue the series.

Against the Currant is a fun, cute cozy murder mystery set in a family-owned bake shop. Just when you think you have it figured out, the ending will surprise you!

Such a fun and intriguing afternoon read. Strong characters in a lovely family following the american dream of owning a bakery. Add in a whodunit and you have a recipe for success!
Note: The recipe at the end for Currant Rolls is missing when to add the sugar/cinnamon mix to the puff pastry.

Against the Currant by Olivia Matthews is a cozy mystery set in Brooklyn, NYC and the first in the Spice Isle Bakery Mystery series. I listened to the audiobook, which clocks in at a little over seven and a half hours and is narrated by Janina Edwards.

Lyndsay Murray's lifelong dream to open Spice Isle Bakery with her is finally coming true. On opening day Claudio, another bakery owner who hates competition, threatens to close her down and they have a verbal altercation. When he is murdered the next day Lyndsay decides to seek out further evidence to clear her name.

I'm definitely a sucker for culinary cozy mysteries. This one was cute, and I'll definitely continue on with the series.

Lyndsay and her family immigrated from the Caribbean (Grenada) and this book feels steeped in that heritage to an outside observer. I really enjoyed how close-knit they were, and how easily they would go to bat for one another. A few potential future relationships are drizzled throughout this book, with our main character and also her cousin.

I was also pleased that recipes are included in the back of the book! I'm definitely going to be making some of these because they were described so well in the prose that I really wanted to try them.

I identified with Lyndsay in part because she was a bit of a nerdy outsider in high school, and over the course of the book starts building up her confidence.

Some downsides to this book include the fact that Lyndsay sometimes acts younger than her stated age, including being kind of hung up on what happened to her in high school. There were also things that were repeatedly mentioned, which could get annoying.

Tropes in this book include: cozy mystery, bake shop, immigrant community

CW: murder, firearms, attempted abduction

I received a copy of this audiobook for a honest review from netgalley.

This was one of the best mysteries I've read in a while. The characters were believable and lovable. I wanted to go to this bakery so bad. The food sounded wonderful and the people and their clothes so colorful. I could understand her need to prove herself innocent and enjoyed watching her try to figure out who did it.

3.5 stars rounded down

This was a cozy mystery with absolutely NO spice and verrrrryyyyy little romance.

There wasn’t any twists that were major and the killer was kinda predictable. It wasn’t anything that made me say “WOW” or kept me super entertained unfortunately. However if you like Joanne Flukes books, you’ll probably enjoy this.

I did like that the MC was a POC and that the author included recipes at the end of the book.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of the audiobook.

Overall, a good read. The narrator has a pleasant voice and was easy to listen to. I loved the supportiveness of Lyndsay's family and the community. The mystery kept me engaged and guessing until the end. There was just something keeping it from getting four stars, but I would read the next book in the series.

Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The narrator's skills along with talk of the Caribbean cuisine kept me engaged. It almost made me go shopping and cook up so food! I thought the telling of her relatives curriculum vitae, education and work experience was a bit too much... There was too much extra self talk dialogue going on. I liked the story enough to anticipate the next book in the series though. The Brooklyn location, the West Indian accents, mannerisms and cultural catch phrases kept me entertained.
#AgainsttheCurrant #NetGalley

Against the Currant is the first book in a new cozy mystery series set in a Caribbean bakery in Brooklyn.
The story is told mostly in first person, which made it hard for me to remember the name of the main character….Lyndsay Murray. I don’t mind stories told in first person, but it does mean I remember the other characters names better than the actual protagonist.
I enjoyed the descriptions of the foods and the author offers the reader an “easy” version of the currant rolls using puff pastry.
The mystery of who killed Claudio was one where I didn’t figure out the culprit. I had my eye on someone else. There were some good suspects that Lyndsay looked into while the police seemed happy to pigeon hole her for the role of murderer.
I enjoyed reading Against the Currant. It was interesting to read a cozy set in Brooklyn.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book.

Feb 2023 - I listened to the audiobook. I found that I focused on different things than when reading the ebook. I enjoyed the narrator. I still like the descriptions of the food. Lyndsay’s insecurities and frequent self talk were much more on display in the audiobook since the listener heard all of it. I think I must have skimmed the self talk or just read it more quickly than I could listen to it. I enjoyed listening to the book and recommend it to those who like listening to mystery audiobooks.Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape media for the opportunity to listen to this book.

Against the Currant by Olivia Matthews is a classic cozy mystery with a New York twist! I adored this book and can't wait for the next installment in this series. The character development is fantastic but it is also a plot driven novel, which I appreciate. Lyndsay Murray is someone you'd want to be friends with but also, her new bakery, Spice Isle Bakery, that she opens up with her family in Little Caribbean,Brooklyn, is a shop you want to visit. Olivia Matthews imbues coziness into this murder mystery set in Brooklyn, New York with her descriptions of the bakery and the baked goods. I listened to the audiobook version which was great because the narrator added Caribbean accents to certain characters. Loved it!

I have mixed feelings on this one. On one hand. I loved the narrator which was the main reason I requested this book as an ARC. She did a fantastic job voicing the characters and bringing the drama. On the other hand, I found this to be a bit shallow and rushed in the storyline. I liked the overall premise a lot and found the family to be charming and likable, but the murder mystery just didn't quite resonate with me like I was hoping. I really liked that this took a turn I wasn't expecting when Lyndsay is accused, but found the overall investigation to be a bit lackluster. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an enjoyable cozy mystery. It centers around Lyndsay and the opening of her new bakery that highlights her West Indian culture. A rival bakery owner turns up dead right after showing up at her bakery opening and making a scene. Making Lyndsay the prime suspect.
I didn't find it over thrilling just enjoyable enough to listen to in the car.

thank you to the publisher and netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, Dreamscape Media the publisher and the author. I loved thia cozy mystery book with bakery vibes. Loved the narration and the twists i did not see coming. Cozy mysyery isn't usually my go to genre but this ine was done so well and looking forward to the next book.in series. Love that recipes were included innthe book that were part of the story.

Highly recommend.

This sounded like a cute cozy murder mystery set in a newly opened bakery in NYC. I enjoyed the characters and how close they were. Plotline was good, but a little unbelievable. The police only looked at one main suspect with only a verbal argument against her and seemly where ready to charge her. Lyndsay had to then work on her own to prove her innocence.
I did enjoy that they included the recipe at the end. It was a cool detail.
I received the Audio book for this from Netgalley.

I listened to this book on audio which can influence my opinions based on the narrator’s inflection as well as any voices they made do.

Pros:

First, the narrator was awesome. Her tone was smooth and I didn’t cringe with any part of the book. I would listen to the narrator endlessly because not many do so well.

As for the story I felt this is exactly what I’ve been looking for in a cozy mystery. I like some but I usually have to hold my sense of reality to the side to really accept the things that happen in them. Here we have the police telling the main character not to look into things. We have family and friends voicing concerns, going with her and getting legal advice. It was exactly what I would hope for after watching too many police procedural television shows.

I adore the family dynamics and think it is amazing getting some culture into a cozy. I don’t know much about Caribbean lifestyles or food but this book has made me curious and I want to learn more which I think is a great way to draw people in instead of talking down and explaining every detail.

Cons:

I, by my own rules must come up with a con, and while this book was nearly perfect for me I think people used to cozies will be looking for a bit more romantic development but I’m holding out hope for future books!

Lyndsay has just opened Spice Isle Bakery with her family in her neighborhood of Little Caribbean in Brooklyn. She wants this bakery to showcase their talent as cooks and bakers and to bring some Grenadian culture to the area. Claudio, who also has a bakery in the neighborhood, is livid because he thinks that Spice Isle is going to be competition for his bakery. He starts instigating continually when they first open. He comes into the bakery and makes threats. Lyndsay defends herself but also retaliates with a threat that comes back to bite her when Claudio turns up dead the very next day. She becomes the main suspect even though she has plausible factors that remove the guilt from her. Eventually after seeing the business suffer from her mistake, she takes matters into her own hands and tries to find out who the killer is. Eventually she is led to the murderer and is free from guilt, charges and any additional threats. it was a very entertaining listen and I hope to get some more stories based in Spice Isle Bakery soon. The narrator was excellent.

This is the first installment in the Spice Isle Bakery Mystery. Our main character Lyndsay is opening up a bakery with her family in Little Caribbean, Brooklyn, New York. But not everyone in the area is super stocked about the new business. Lyndsay gets in a verbal altercation with another business owner, and everyone in the bakery witnesses it. When the business is found dead a day later things don’t look so good for Lyndsay after she was seen arguing with him.

This follows Lyndsay and her family and friends as they try to prove her innocence. This was a cute start to a new series.

The narrator did a great job with this story and giving the characters their voices.

A great start to a new series, full of a lively cast of characters and starring a wonderful cozy mystery protagonist, with excellent narration to further bring this story to life!

*3.5 stars*
Cozy mystery indeed! Lyndsay is a Grenadian American opening her own bakery with her family in Brooklyn. At Spice Isle Bakery, you can expect to find tastes of the Caribbean. I loved the descriptions of the food and bakery. On the day of the soft opening, another bakery owner comes in to pick a fight with Lyndsay. He doesn't want her opening the bakery hear his. Soon after, he ends up murdered with Lindsay at the top of the suspect list. I loved how the family and community came together to support Lindsay. The middle dragged a bit for me, but I'd pick up the second one to try it out! The audio narrator did a great job with the accents and making the characters come alive. I just wish I had a currant roll to eat while I was listening to this audio book! Thanks to Netgalley for providing this audio book in exchange for a review.