This was a decent beginning to a new cosy mystery series set in Paris, Kentucky. The main character seems to have some dreams of going to Paris, France some day, but that's not really pursued. And neither of the two love interests really draws the attention of the reader or the main character. They're both kind of "blah". The other thing that bothered me was that the main character, Marci Beaucoup (yes, that's her name) takes knowing more than the police to a whole new level. She thinks she can do the murder investigation better. She gets a death threat, but doesn't report it to police. Kidnapped - no report. You get the idea. I'm not sure that I'll continue with this series. I wish this could've been a better review.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for an ARC audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

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.

The story flowed well and the characters were well developed. I recommend this book and look forward to more from this author.


****Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review****

Macarons Can Be Murder by Rose Betancourt

This is the first a new a cozy mystery series centered around Marci Beucoup, a baker in Paris, KY. It was an ok listen for a roadtrip, but I don't know if I would have been compelleed to finish if I hadn't been in the car. The story had potential and all of the typical components of a cozy mystery - a bakery owner, a slightly wacky sidekick, a peripheral murder, a potential love triangle, etc. The problem for me is that none of these various pieces seemed fully developed. It's like there was a lot of setup but little follow through. A good portion of the story could have been left out and more important pieces emphasized. Yes, the mystery is solved, but kind of abruptly and without much background. There were also elements and characters of the story introduced that were just dropped or included at the end.

The building blocks for a series are there, and future books could improve with better character and plot development. I won't rush to pick up the next one, but I could give it a try at the right time.

The narrator did a good job.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #DreamscapeMedia for a free copy of #MacaronsCanBeMurder by Rose Betancourt. All opinions are my own.

Okay, it’s not exactly France, but Marci is sure the residents of her little Southern town will appreciate the French pastries she’s offering at her bakery. Locals are certainly enjoying her wares – until Kelly Lowry is killed right in front of the bakery. Marci’a mind is briefly taken off the murder at the appearance of the suave Antoine Dubois in her shop. But local lawman Maverick Malone thinks Antoine is the killer; leaving Marci to find a way to prove his innocence.

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.