Fudgie season is about to blow wide open on Mackinac Island, which means that Allie is about to be very busy. More importantly, her bestie, Jenn, is about to give birth. As a matter of fact, she is two weeks overdue. When Hanna (Jenn's doula) is found standing over her the dead body of her future husband, Allie knows everything is about to implode. She does not believe that mild-mannered Hanna, who makes her living helping new mothers during the birthing process, would hurt a flea, much less her future husband. However, she is literally holding the smoking gun, which means it does not look good for her.

Jenn is frantic to get Hanna out of jail before she has her baby. This means Allie and company need to solve the mystery of who killed Matthew quickly. To make matters even more difficult for Allie, her over-bearing mother shows up at the hotel with Allie's ex-boyfriend, Brett. She is convinced that Allie needs to give up the hotel and marry Brett. Her mother drives me crazy. She is so snobby with her nose stuck so high in the air she would drown if it rained. Then you have slimy Brett. I do not trust him as far as I can throw him. I do love all of Allie's friends on the island, and I believe her and Rex belong together. We will just have to wait and see.

This was another fun mystery to solve in the Candy Coated Mystery series. I always enjoy the descriptions of the fudge, and the recipes that are shared will make your mouth water. My favorite character is the little white dog on the cover, Mal. Mal charms everyone she meets. A good cozy mystery is not complete without a cute dog or cat. The mystery was fun to try and solve as there were several suspects to choose from. Caution - reading this book will make you hungry for chocolate.

Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I enjoy this series so much: the writing flows well, the characters are likeable, and the mysteries are well-paced with plenty of clues and misdirection to keep you guessing. This one, however, was not my favorite in the series. I enjoyed the spotlight on Jenn, Allie’s best friend, but she came off as needy and whiny. I get that she’s pregnant and it’s terrifying not having everything fall into place but to demand that your best friend find a way to get the doula out of jail was over the top. And then Allie’s compromising of her values to do so makes her a great friend but a terrible person. Also, the 30 or so pages where she couldn’t figure out who the guilty party was when she has all the clues smacked of trying to make the book longer than it needed to be. I will continue with the series in the hopes that it gets back to what it was before.

I love this cover! Looks so cute and makes you want to read the story.

Jen is Allie's best friend and is due to give birth any day now since she is two weeks past due Allie is with her all the time helping her out. When the doula is supposed to show up for an appt but turns out that they start worrying because she is not there yet they go and find her but instead they find a man bleeding on the ground and the doula is holding the gun. Jen thinks that Hannah, the doula, is innocent and asks Allie to investigate.

I loved the story but holy crap was her mom the most annoying person ever! I liked the story and will read more by the author.

Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review.

I enjoy arm chair visits to Mackinac Island every time I read a Candy-Coated mystery. Allie’s friend Jenn is two weeks overdue in her pregnancy as the book opens. Murder happens and seems to involve Jenn’s doula. Even after hearing the definition in the book I’m not sure I get it, but Hannah was important to Jenn.
To help Jenn, Allie gets herself into all sorts of situations in Three Fudges and a Baby. I understand friendship is important, but feel like Allie may go to extremes that she wouldn’t if some of her other relationships were healthier.
There is a contrast exposed in Allie’s relationship with her mother. I think Allie goes to the lengths she does because she feels more understood by Jenn and more loyalty toward Jenn than she does in her relationship with her mother or even with Rex, boyfriend.
I’m an amateur at analyzing emotions and motivations in myself and others, so I’ll move on from that aspect of the book.
I like the characters and found the book to be an enjoyable read. I spotted the murderer well before the reveal. As usual finding the motive behind the action was not the strong point for me.
Allie often seems to get injured in the course of her investigation and this book was no different.
Overall, I enjoyed reading Three Fudges and a Baby, always enjoy a trip to Mackinac Island and like to check out the recipes in the book.
Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington for the opportunity to read the book.

Allie McMurphy's best friend Jenn is just about to give birth, she's two weeks past her due date. When her doula is late for an appointment. Allie and Jen go to her apartment to find her. Instead they find a man bleeding on the ground and Hannah the doula holding a gun. Hannah is arrested and charged. Jenn is convinced Hannah is innocent. She asks Allie to investigate.

I liked following the clues with Allie. Allie was dealing with some family drama. Her mother was annoying. I really like the writing of this series and can't wait to read more.

Nancy Coco takes us back to Mackinac Island in Three Fudges and a Baby where we join Allie as she investigates a murder while her bestie wrestles with labor pains. Allie has her hands full in this visit between saving Jenn's doula from a murder charge and keeping her self-absorbed mother happy, while feeling forced to deal with the obnoxious ex her mom came with. Poor Rex seems to be an after thought too much of the time, I wonder where this is heading.

I was excited to return to the Island and these character-friends when the advanced reader copy came. They have their ups and downs just like real people do; I am interested to learn how their lives work out. Jenn having her baby is the highlight of this addition to the Candy Coated Mystery series. I have been as excited for this as Shane and Jenn! The storyline of their doula being a suspected killer added so much to the mystery. Allie's mom is difficult to like and I would not mind seeing less of her

The fudge recipes included look easy to make and quite tasty. This book is the twelfth in this very enjoyable series. I would recommend it to all culinary cozy lovers and to mystery readers. Thank you to #ThreeFudgesandaBaby #NetGalley, #KensingtonCozies for the early read. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I have been yelling who the killer is since the middle of the book. I found it frustrating that Allie focused on everyone except her. I also did not like her mother! How pushy , old-fashioned & self-oriented can you get. I am starting to find the series a little stale. #ThreeFudgesandaBaby #NetGalley

Three Fudges & a Baby
(Candy Coated Mysteries)
Nancy Coco




Allie and Rex are at it again!

It’s time for Shane and Jenn’s baby to arrive. In fact, poor Jenn is overdue!

Mal needs a walk and Jenn is meeting her doula Hannah for coffee, so Allie decides to combine the two walks. On the way they find Hannah sitting in shock with Mella, a gun, and a dead man!

Quickly accessing the scene Allie sends Jenn away with Mal. After removing the gun, she calls Rex, Mackinac police officer/detective and her boyfriend. Rex rushes over to secure the scene and arrange help for Hannah. Shane is Jenn’s husband and the forensic investigator, assigned to the case. As Allie leaves she runs into the new DA and coroner.

After identifying the victim as Matthew Jones, Hannah’s fiance. A witness claims to have overheard an argument between Hannah and Matthew. But nobody claims to have heard the shooting?!

After returning home, Allie’s mother shows up unannounced with her wealthy ex-boyfriend. She is forced to put them up at the McMurphy. Jenn upon finding out Hannah is being held for Matthew’s murder begins to have Braxton-Hicks and is forced to go to the clinic. She refuses to have the baby without Hannah by her side.

So many lies… will Allie and Rex be able to unmask the real killer before Jenn gives birth? An innocent woman stands accused of a heinous crime. Gossip, deceit, jealousy, and greed lay heavy in this case.

4****
I enjoyed this book a great deal, the mystery was engaging and I love the characters! I did figure out the killer fairly early but it took nothing away from my enjoyment of the story. The surprise at the end… oh my!

I love the recipes and I try many of them. What I have a problem with is the way they were placed directly into the storyline. It was annoying as the recipes had nothing to do with the scenes they were placed in. We receive eight recipes, 5 Fudge, 2 Bars, and a Bonbon. I think unless a recipe or its title is adding to the reading experience they should be indexed in the front or back for easy usage.






Thank you to Netgalley, Ms. Coco, and the publisher for the ARC.
#Three Fudges & a Baby #CandyCoatedMysteries #NancyCoco #Cozy #Mackinac #fudge recipes

I was so happy to be back on the Island of Mackinac! Wow!
This book will make you drool and it has wonderful recipes in it that I'd love to try!
I really have enjoyed this series and this book was no exception.
I couldn't put it down so I ended up finishing it in one evening.
Quite a story too with twists and turns that actually will surprise the reader. I know it did me.
Wonderful quirky characters with some returning ones that I very much loved and admired.
The Island of Mackinac is my favorite place in the whole world so it's a joy to read about my favorite place once again. I call it my piece of heaven.
The cover of this book is cute too but it was really the title and author that made me want to read it.
And the fudge super yummy! Best in the world! This book will absolutely make you drool to the fullest!
5 stars for returning to my favorite place ever! I highly recommend this book and series.
My thanks to Netgalley and Kensington for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Fans of this long running series- and new readers who can enjoy this as a standalone- know that Allie and Jenn definitely will figure out who really killed Matthew because it wasn't Hannah. For one thing, they've got to do it fast because Jenn's new baby is already two weeks late and Hannah is meant to be her doula. As always, this has a delightful setting and the characters are a hoot. The mystery is classic cozy but the need for speed adds to it. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good cozy read.

This book is like a visit with old friends. I really enjoyed catching up with Allie and Rex and all the gang. The mystery was a bit predictable and I thought it was obvious who the culprit was, yet I still found it a very enjoyable cozy read. Give this book a read and spend a few hours making fudge with friends.

Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

“ Three Fudges and a Baby” book 13 in the Candy-Coated Mystery series by Nancy Coco. I really love this series and visiting Mackinac Island!

When her pregnant best friend’s doula is found with a smoking gun, fudge maker Allie McMurphy’s sleuthing becomes a labor of love . . .

DID THE DOULA DO IT?

I found myself engrossed in the story and reading in a couple days. The mystery is interesting and well plotted, and I loved the characters which are well developed.

I kept guessing and second-guessing myself on whodunnit right to the very end. I did figure out who the villain was shortly before Allie did.

I recommend this book to all my cozy lover friends and can’t wait for the next instalment to come out!

I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Kensington Books and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Nancy Coco presents us with another exciting trip to Mackinac Island with Three Fudges and a Baby, the 12th book in her Cany-Coated mystery series. I love all of the central characters in this series; they are the reason I keep coming back; in fact, we met a couple of new people that I hope will be in the next book. The mystery was interesting, but Allie's investigation frustrated me a bit. I think she was off her stride because she was so distracted by her best friend's imminent delivery, her snobbish domineering mother, and her relationship with Rex. Jenn is expecting any minute and her doula, childbirth support person, is under arrest for murder, so the soon-to-be mother and best friend is frantic. I guess a baby running two weeks late could do that to a first-time mother. Allie's demanding mother arrives with a very wealthy ex-boyfriend, and anyone can image how well that goes. I don't feel Allie's love for Rex, and having the rich ex around isn't helping his feelings for her.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Cozies for allowing me to read Three Fudges and a Baby, a fun, light read reconnecting us with characters we care about.
#NetGalley #KensingtonCozies #KensingtonBooks #NacyCoCo #Candy-CoatedMystery

Allie’s best friend, Jenn, is about to give birth and is planning to give birth on the island with a doulah and a midwife. When Allie and Jenn find Hannah, the doulah, holding a gun next to the body of her boyfriend, Hannah is quickly arrested. Jenn panics at not having Hannah to help her and begs Allie to find the real murderer. Allie’s snooping causes trouble between her and her boyfriend. Then there is her mother’s interference and pushinenss.
Set on Mackinac Island and including a fudge shop, this is a fun cozy mystery series. The characters are likable and relatable and this book continues to be an enjoyable read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC.

Another delightfully silly cozy mystery. This is a great series with lots of fun and familiar favorites. I love the recipes interspersed and the great descriptions throughout. The stories are silly and somewhat unbelievable, but that's the charm. I love that things take place at actual locations on the island, which makes it feel more real. Please keep this series going, it's a fun and happy escape each time!

Another trip to Mackinac Island with Allie and another mystery. This time, we find Allie's best friend, Jenn, two weeks overdue with her first baby. When Allie and Jenn try to meet up with the doula, they instead find the doula standing over a dead body with a smoking gun in hand. No one believes she could have done it, but an ambitious DA has her locked up immediately. It is a race against time for Allie to find the real culprit before Jenn goes into labor. I like this mystery series a lot. There are some great characters, and the setting is fantastic! Thank you to Kensington and Netgalley for the advanced copy.

Spring has sprung and tourist season is just beginning on Mackinac Island. With Jenn due to give birth at any time, Allie is ready when she is. Though when Jenn’s Doula is arrested for the murder of her fiancé, Allie agrees to try and clear the Doula,, so that she can be with Jenn when she gives birth.

Hannah clearly loved her fiancé, but witnesses claim to have seen the fighting right before the shooting and she was found with a smoking gun in her hand. Who really wanted the man dead, or does Hannah just not remember pulling the trigger. Can Ally figure it out before Jenn truly goes into labor?

I have long love this series and enjoy each and every entry. Apparently, I’m not the only one, as this is the 12th book in this sweet and delicious series. I was taking the time away and being able to transport myself to Mackinac Island and trying to solve a mystery right along with Ally and the gang. It is the perfect escape.

In this fudge book we are back on Mackinac Island. Allie gets drawn into a mystery because her friend is pregnant and really needs her doula who is accused of murdering her boyfriend. There are some relationship bumps in the way of an old boyfriend and her mother. There is concentration on two suspects and no one else. It is obvious who the killer is.

Nancy CoCo is a new to me Author and I’m impressed with the first book of her’s that I’ve read. I loved her writing style and she has completely won me over. Three Fudges and a Baby is the twelfth book in CoCo’s Candy Coated Mysteries. I didn’t have a bit of trouble keeping up with the story. I was drawn into the book and my interest was further peaked as I turned the pages. I do feel it’s better to start a series with book one but I had an opportunity to read an arc copy and thought I would give it a try. I loved the book and I have found a new Cozy mystery Author. I loved that the geographical location for these murder mysteries is Mackinac Island in Michigan. I’m familiar with this area.
Early in the book main character, sleuth Allie and her friend Jenn come upon a dead body while they are out for a walk. Jenn’s doula is in a daze and covered with blood. She’s holding a smoking gun and sitting on a stairway from her apartment, that comes down to the street . The murder victim is the doula’s fiancé. It doesn’t look good for Hannah Riverslund. She’s holding a gun at the scene of the crime. Earlier that morning Hannah and the victim, Matthew Jones were heard arguing loudly and now he’s dead. But there wasn’t any witnesses and no one heard a gunshot. Allie questions the new D.A. decision to arrest Hannah for the murder of her fiancé. Something isn’t right and everyone says Hannah wouldn’t kill anyone. If there is even a shred of doubt Allie feels led to investigate the murder. She wants to be sure the wrong person hasn’t been arrested while the real murderer runs free.
I recommend this book to readers of Cozy Mystery and to Fans of the Author. This book is scheduled to be released on 3/26/24.
I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed here in this review are my own.
#ThreeFudgesandaBaby #NetGalley

Jenn is about ready to pop with her new baby (son or daughter, we don't know yet!) Her dream is to have her baby on the island but the clinic isn't equipped for that so Jenn finds a midwife and a doula and makes arrangements to allow her to have her baby at the clinic. Everything is going great until her doula, Hannah, is found in the alley behind her apartment with a smoking gun in her hand and her dead fiancé, Matthew, at her feet. Jenn demands that Allie figure out who really killed Matthew so Hannah can be present for her delivery.

I will start out by saying that I had very definite feelings about a lot of the things that happened in this book. Though I didn't like a lot of it, it's a sign of a well-written book if it can evoke strong feelings in the reader. That being said, the things that bothered me were many. Jenn being at least three weeks past her due date when the baby was born was unrealistic. I can't imagine that being allowed to happen, if only because the baby would be enormous and the likelihood of being delivered by a midwife at a clinic (particularly one not prepared to perform a C-section) at that point would surely be very, very small.

Another thing that bothered me was Allie's mom. She's really something else. She's only concerned about having grandchildren and having a son-in-law she can brag about. Allie's passions and feelings are meaningless to her mom, she only cares about what she wants for Allie, not what Allie wants for herself. Which unfortunately is very realistic. Also, Allie's mom trying to foist Brett upon Allie even though he's not Allie's type at all was super annoying. Allie's only response to her mom's overstepping was "I love you," which felt almost as though she was inviting the abuse.

I felt like the investigation was a bit clunky and marred by some silly arguments that popped up between Allie and Rex. In the past I've felt that Allie's stubbornness when it comes to others worrying about her safety was a bit childish and I felt that here too. She overreacts and assumes people are just trying to tell her what to do and I find that a bit annoying. People who care about her should be telling her to be careful, she shouldn't be faulting them for that. I also thought it was odd that Allie didn't speak to one critical witness until very near the end of the story. The suspects were few and the killer was quite clear from very early in the story. That's not necessarily a bad thing but it took some fun out of the investigation.

Overall, I did enjoy this story though it was probably one of my least favorite of the series. I love the setting on Mackinac Island and the McMurphy Hotel is very cool. The fudge recipes all sound really good, though I have never tried to make any of them. I also appreciate that they're not all chocolate based, some are other flavors and chocolate-free. Though this wasn't my favorite of the series, this is still a series I highly recommend.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.