Cover Image: Brie Careful What You Wish For

Brie Careful What You Wish For

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

There's another murder in Balsam Dell, and naturally Carly has to be right in the middle of it. She knows there's no way the young man who is being questioned could kill anyone. She's determined to get to the truth....even if the police chief is threatening to put her in jail if she's doesn't stay out of the investigation. The victim wasn't well-liked, so the problem wasn't finding who could have done it, but narrowing down who actually did.

Plenty of twists and turns in this interesting cozy mystery. I enjoyed hanging out with Carly and crew as she tried to figure out whodunit, without getting herself shredded in the process. Plus there was lots and lots of cheesey goodness.

Many thanks to Beyond The Page Publishing and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor or expectation.

Was this review helpful?

The newest Grilled Cheese mystery finds Carly investigating when her delivery man, Ross, is accused of murdering an old woman. She soon realizes that the deceased had many enemies who could be responsible.

Another good one in this series! The mystery was good, plus we got some character development for Carly and Ari! This series is really enjoyable and a great mix of cozy elements.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Another bite of cheesy goodness for fans of Linda Reilly's Grilled Cheese cozy mystery series. Did Carly Hale get caught up in another murder? Of course! It wouldn't be Carly if she didn't. The sandwich recipes look scrumptious as always and there are a few new characters that I can't want to see more of. There are several twists and turns to keep this a nice light read.

Was this review helpful?

Carly Hale is back in the fourth installment of the Grilled Cheese Mysteries in Brie Careful What You Wish For, where Ross Baxter, who has a food delivery business to earn money for college, delivers to a woman who is generally hateful and difficult. He finds her body in her kitchen, and evidence points to murder. Many of the small town residents, including the Balsam Dell police are convinced that this young man is the murderer, even though those who know him are sure he isn’t guilty. Because Carly knows Ross isn’t guilty, she puts her sleuthing hat on, against the wishes of the police and investigates. Carly uncovers enough clues to be sure that the list of suspects becomes longer and longer, and Carly, as usual, puts herself in danger.

This cute cozy is a fast read. The story flows well and the suspense slowly builds. Reilly does a good job of developing the characters, and for those who haven’t read the previous books, gives readers enough information that they can relate to them and come to know them. They are quite believable, and most are likeable. One of the nice things about the novel is that Reilly makes reference to several mouthwatering grilled cheese-type sandwiches. There are clever plays on cheese words, too, including Carly’s beloved dog, Havarti.

All told, this is a cute cozy and it includes a couple of recipes for grilled cheese sandwiches at the end. This is fun, and is suitable for readers of all ages.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you NetGalley and Beyond the Page Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Brie Careful What You Wish For is the fourth book in the Grilled Cheese Mysteries, and my introduction to the series. I liked that I did not feel lost or confused even though I had not read the previous entries in the series. I was able to jump right in and to appreciate reading the book. Carly, the main character, is very interesting and likable, which is important with a cozy mystery. The mystery is well written and keeps the reader wanting to know more. It was a very satisfying read, and it makes me want to read the previous books in the series.

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed this cheesey excuse the pun , but fun cosy mystery.

Another Carly, Carley .
It was an amazing read .

I loved carly as a main character and she had my name but a different spelling .

I felt sorry for Ross. I really wanted him to be innocent.
You will see if He is if you read it .
I definitely say to read it .
You won't regret it .
I wrote a full review on my goodreads and Instagram.

Was this review helpful?

This was my first book by this author, and I really enjoyed it. I love grilled cheese sandwiches myself, but I had never thought of a grilled cheese sandwich shop. I love the idea and the premise. I really liked Carly, and I thought she was a great character. I could feel her desperation, frustration, and resolve to help Ross out of the mess that he had gotten himself in.

I thought the entire gang were written really well and I loved all of the different attitudes and personalities. They all cracked me up at some point in the story. The mystery certainly had my mind going everywhere. Lots of red herrings and twists and turns, which I love! I love a book that keeps me on the edge of my seat. I couldn't read this book fast enough.

I understood Carly getting upset with some of the others in the book because here she's trying to help someone, and people are purposely being thick headed and that would make anyone want to pull their hair out. I felt myself getting upset at some points and wanting to smack some sense into people. Jiminy Christmas, someone's life is on the line!

However, I digress, all in all it was a wonderfully written book with fantastic characters. And I just truly fell in love with the story and everyone in it. I highly recommend this book. I myself will be going back and reading the others in the series.

Thanks to Net Galley, the publishers, and to Linda Reilly for the ability to read and review this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own and are completely honest.

Was this review helpful?

This was a great fourth entry in the Grilled Cheese mystery series, I enjoyed the overall feel of this story. The mystery element was everything that I was looking for from the other three books and from Linda Reilly. I thought the concept worked and enjoyed the cheese element to this. The characters were everything that I wanted and thought the overall feel of the characters had that spark. I’m excited to read more in this series and from Linda Reilly.

Was this review helpful?

Luckily this book went down better than if I was really eating brie! (Yuck! Not my favorite cheese!) But I really have enjoyed the books I have read in the Grilled Cheese series. The characters are well developed, the story is always interesting, and the murder mystery will have you engaged in the book until the end. There were lots of twists and turns and clues that might lead you astray. But they are worth the effort and you will find yourself flipping through the pages quickly to see if you can figure out who is guilty. I love the characters at Carly’s Grilled Cheese Eatery in Balsam Dell, Vermont. This is a great cozy mystery series that I think you will enjoy biting into and savoring every page you read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Beyond the Page for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

Was this review helpful?

This is the first time I have read this series and I really enjoyed all the characters. Carly, the owner of the grilled cheese restaurant is the amateur sleuth and she is really good. Ross Baxter set up a delivery service in town and he delivers grilled cheese sandwiches of every kind to the seniors in the community. One day he was delivering to Octavia Gray, a really hard person to satisfy, he finds her lying on the floor with a skillet over her head. He gets scared and calls Haley after calling the ambulance and police. He , of course , is a prime suspect. Once Carly finds out she goes into her sleuthing mode because she knows he couldn't have done it. See how this is done, I couldn't figure who done it until the book told us. A VERY GOOD COZY READ. Going to have go back and read the others.

Was this review helpful?

The prior three books in this series were delightful, and I was eager to dive back into Balsam Dell with Carly and her quirky crew. This has become one of those fun series where I have gotten attached to the characters, to the point where they feel like real people to me, and a new book is like a chance to revisit my friends.

The title is a cheesy pun, but I still love it, and I’m amazed at how many the author can come up with. (The recipes at the end of the book never hurt either, and they always sound so good!) But back to the story itself: We’ve had a slow-burn romance developing over the course of the series, and it was awesome to see the relationship between Carly and Ari really taking off now.

The relationships that Carly has built within the town of Balsam Dells are wonderful. As a restaurant owner, she has the opportunity to interact with just about everyone in the town, and while some are nicer than others, she’s still a magic touch with even the tougher customers for the most part. But since this is a cozy mystery, you know the grumpiest customer of all gets murdered and Carly manages to find herself in the middle once again—when her delivery driver is the number one suspect.

From here, the story takes off at a pretty fast pace, and kept me guessing at every turn. Naturally, there are certain people who look shady, and they’d be the obvious choice for the murderer, but Reilly is a master at red herrings. She keeps her readers guessing the identity of the murderer for much of the story, until she basically lays everything out for us. Or at least, that’s how my experience went. You might be better at predicting the murderer, but I tend to enjoy the ride even if I can’t guess the right villain.

One of the biggest appeals of this series and this book, especially, is the strength of the relationships. Reilly’s characters have personalities that are complex and multifaceted, and while their relationships have a natural feel and have become deep over several books. I particularly adore the friendships between Gina and Carly, and Becca and Joyce; the former a long-term friendship, and the latter a caretaking relationship that is mutually beneficial and has become a friendship as well. I’m clearly a huge fan of this series, but don’t just take my word for it, give it a read yourself and see what you think! I highly recommend it.

Was this review helpful?

Brie Careful What You Wish For by Linda Reilly and her fabulous grilled cheese sandwich shop. It’s summer now and a terrific young man named Ross Baxter has started a cash-only/call-in delivery service primarily for seniors and they love him. All is well until the day he walks into a home to find the resident dead on the floor. She’d been hit over the head with a frying pan. Of course, the police suspect Ross but Carly knows he’s innocent. She also knows the police chief is adamant about her staying out of it, but, Ross? As Carly starts asking around it turns out that almost everyone has a motive. The deceased was not a very nice person and it could have been anyone. She’d had a dispute with a neighbor about moving a fence, with her stepdaughter about the woman’s mother’s things, and had pushed a woman off a barrel years earlier and the woman still had to use a cane. Carly really had no idea. The police made Ross curtail his business so she hired him to work in the kitchen and that, at least, was working out well.

Carly is a good character. She lost her husband several years earlier in a freak accident and had moved home and used the life insurance money to start her cafe. She had met a man, Ari, and had fallen in love, but felt guilty that maybe it was too soon. She wasn’t sure where their relationship was going, mostly on her part. Her staff was always there supporting her in the cafe and in her investigating. This turned out to be a relatively complicated crime and one she solved only by accident. This is a very cozy cozy mystery. It always feels like coming home. The continuing characters are well written and show some sort of growth in every book. The mysteries are complicated enough to hold one’s attention and yet there is little to no gore. Always a plus. A good read, to be sure. Thanks, Linda Reilly, for the Grilled Cheese Cafe!

I was invited to read Brie Careful What You Wish For by Beyond The Page Publishing. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #BeyondThePagePublishing #LindaReilly #BrieCarefulWhatYouWishFor

Was this review helpful?

In this 4th book in the 'Grilled Cheese Mysteries' series, restaurateur/amateur sleuth Carly Hale feels compelled to investigate when a young man she knows is suspected of murder. The book works fine as a standalone.

When thirtysomething Carly Hale's husband died in a tragic accident, she moved back to her hometown of Balsam Dell, Vermont and opened Carly's Grilled Cheese Eatery. In time Carly's grief subsided, and she started dating an electrician named Ari Mitchell. Carly and Ari are now in a serious relationship, and very happy together.

Carly's restaurant has become quite popular, and she currently employs assistant manager Valerie Wells; part-time server Suzanne Rivers; and grill cook/aspiring chef Grant Robinson, who'll soon be off to culinary school. In addition, a young man called Ross Baxter, who's saving up for college, delivers food from Carly's Grilled Cheese Eatery to elderly residents of Balsam Dell.

Ross is personable, and all the senior citizens like him except for one grumpy woman, Mrs. Octavia Gray. Ross confides in Carly that Mrs. Gray called his grandmother, and complained that Ross was rude, spied on her, and ate some of her chips - none of which is true. Carly offers to have the food delivered to Mrs. Gray by someone else, but Ross insists he'll do it, because his grandmother is a stickler about respecting your elders. The next day, when Ross delivers Mrs. Gray's Smoky Steals the Bacon sandwich, with extra chips, he finds Mrs. Gray dead.....her head bashed in with a frying pan. Police Chief Fred Holloway takes Ross in for questioning, and Carly fears the young man will be arrested for murder.

Carly is certain Ross is innocent, so she decides to investigate herself, against the advice of all her friends and family. Carly's previous investigations endangered her life, and everyone fears this could happen again. Carly learns that the victim, Mrs. Octavia Gray, was disliked by almost everyone in Balsam Del. So Carly enlists the help of journalist Don Frasco, who's always looking for a story, to help her investigate. Carly manages to interview and collect information about a number of possible suspects, including:

Tara Gray Shepard - Octavia's stepdaughter, who's opening a pocketbook store called Pugs and Purses. Tara resented Octavia for giving away expensive handbags that had belonged to Tara's deceased mother. Sawyer Gray - Octavia's stepson, who needed money to finance his kitchen supplies store, and might have expected to benefit from Octavia's will. Mrs. Imogene Hughes and her adult son Mark Hughes - Octavia's neighbors, who were forced to move a fence at Octavia's insistence. Lois Feeney - a woman whose husband had an affair with Octavia. In fact, in her younger days, Octavia had targeted many married men, so any number of women resented her.

In between running her restaurant and investigating Octavia's death, Carly visits with her mother Rhonda; hangs out with her best friend Gina; chitchats with her landlady Joyce; plays with her pooch Havarti; and plans for the future with her boyfriend Ari. Carly also makes the acquaintance of baker Nina Cyr, and considers featuring Nina's specialty cookies in Carly' Grilled Cheese Eatery.

This is a good addition to the grilled cheese mysteries, with recipes for Raspberry Sizzle and Zesty Pesto grilled cheese sandwiches.

Thanks to Netgalley, Linda Reilly, and Beyond the Page Publishing for a copy of the book.

Was this review helpful?

Carly's young friend Ross has been doing home deliveries for local senior citizens, bringing grilled cheese sandwiches to the homes of folks who can't go get them for themselves. When he goes to deliver a sandwich and finds the customer dead on her kitchen floor, the police think he is responsible for the woman's demise. Carly decides to investigate despite repeated admonitions from the chief of police to leave things alone. How can she stand by while Ross's freedom is in the balance?

I really enjoy this series. It makes me crave grilled cheese like crazy! Carly is pretty sweet for the most part, though I don't really care for how she sometimes reacts when the people who care about her caution her about her investigations. She should understand and appreciate that people want her to be safe, but she seems to see it as people trying to control her. On the flip side of that, I don't understand why the people in her life are constantly telling her to stay out of things. They know she isn't going to, and they know she has a good track record of solving cases, so why can't they just make arrangements with her to be available when she's doing something risky?

There were some great characters in this book, though we left a few of them kind of hanging. There was also a loose end with Carly's friend Gina that was never tied up. Hopefully these people and these circumstances will come up again in later books. I'm also really curious to see how things will go when Grant leaves the restaurant and other characters come in.

This is a fun series, definitely worth checking out.

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

Was this review helpful?

When a murder occurs, Carly has to get involved to keep Ross out of jail. In spite of everyone telling her not to investigate she just cannot help herself. If you like food related cozy mysteries, this is right up your alley. My mouth was watering with the descriptions. This book is a fun cozy read for sure.

Was this review helpful?

This series is just so much fun. I love the town, characters, and the yummy sounding grilled cheese creations. The plot was just a tad predictable if you read a bunch of mysteries but overall a fun, easy read for a lazy day at home.

Was this review helpful?

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of BRIE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR (Book 4 of the Grilled Cheese Mystery series) by Linda Reilly in exchange for an honest review. Carly Hale’s business is benefitting from a local teenager’s new enterprise. Ross Baxter is making his summer money offering delivery services to local seniors who prefer cash transactions. Everyone is pleased with Ross, except one particularly curmudgeonly patron. When Ross arrives one day to delivery the woman’s lunch, he finds her body. It seems like Ross becomes the focus of the police investigation because the woman had so many enemies, they’re having difficulty narrowing down the suspects. Carly knows Ross and decides to prove his innocence.

I like this author and enjoy this series. I recommend this book to fans of the series and the series to fans of cozy murder mysteries featuring themed eateries, good friends, combative law enforcement, and adorable doggos named after cheese.

#BrieCarefulWhatYouWishFor #NetGalley

Was this review helpful?

Brie Careful What You Wish For is the latest in the Grilled Cheese Mystery series by Linda Reilly. Once again Carly gets herself involved in another murder investigation, but with so many suspects will she be able to narrow it down to just one before becoming the killer’s next victim? Read Brie Careful What You Wish For to find out.
I loved getting to visit with the citizens of Balsam Dell again. I really enjoyed seeing friendships develop and deepen. I can’t wait to read what happens next with Carly and Ari and the rest of the Balsam Dell gang.

Was this review helpful?

EVen if it's not my favorite it's an excellent cozy mystery full of twists and entertaining.
Linda Reilly delivers another excellent story that will keep you hooked and guessing.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Was this review helpful?

Great Culinary Cozy
Carly runs a deli focusing on cheese sandwiches with a crew of friends...but she is also too curious for her own good. When her delivery guy is accused of murder and she's sure he's innocent, she investigates on her own despite being told nor to. Well written with a twist or two. I recommend highly.
I received a NetGalley ARC gratis and am giving my opinion in the same.

Was this review helpful?