2024 API Month

I think my time with Lila has come to an end. While I enjoyed revisiting this cast of characters, she and her friends no longer bring me any joy, as none of them seem to have learned anything on their many adventures. The dog propaganda is also at an all-time high.

There was an obvious choice for the killer, which obviously didn't turn out to be the killer, and a less obvious choice which I thought was rather obvious. As I hate the twists that come from domestic thrillers, this makes cozies a welcome change, but there also things about cozies I dislike. They feel like palate cleansers, just one step above a Christian romance in the scheme of things, and as I'd never touch of one of those, I think it's time to let this go.

That's not to say my time here was all bad. I enjoy the Park brothers, and Lila's aunties for the most part. Sometimes they fat shame her, which is prevalent in Asian culture. This doesn't make things right.

Another thing that bothers me, and I counted it twice now, is that someone isn't vegetarian if they sometimes eat seafood. They are pescatarians that eat seafood sparingly. For a series centered on food, there are a few food things that bother me. This is just the one I remember now.

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley

Guilt and Ginataan is the latest installment in Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mysteries, where an dessert-making business owner is an amateur sleuth. Thanks to all her aunties, friends, and copy buddies, she's often in the middle of a murder mystery. In this case, her bestie, Adeena, is found standing with a knife over the dead body a woman who flirted with Adeena's girlfriend. Revenge? Jealousy? Something more deeply hidden? Toss in a mayor from a neighboring town who is seemingly perfect but has a darker side we get to know further into the book. Drama! Less time with the aunties, more time with new friends, but still chock full of great dessert ideas and new foods from different cuisines to savor. Mystery was good but ended way too abruptly without enough explanation.

Welcome back to Shady Palms for another cozy mystery filled with mouth-watering Filipino recipes, entertaining dialogues, and the sweet romance between Lila Macapagal and Jae! This addictive combination keeps me coming back for more. As long as Mia P. Manansala writes new books in this series, I’ll remain a devoted fan!

This time, the story begins at Shady Palm’s Corn Festival, organized in collaboration with Shelbyville despite the ongoing rivalry between the towns and their mayors. How dangerous can a tour in a corn maze be? Our gang experiences it firsthand when a race through the maze ends in tragedy. Shelbyville’s Mayor Reyer’s wife, Yvonne, is found dead on the cornfield ground, and Adeena, Lila’s best friend and work partner, is found unconscious next to her, clutching a bloody knife that appears to be the murder weapon.

This raises questions: Who killed the politician’s wife, and why frame Adeena? As always, Lila is compelled to sharpen her detective skills, teaming up with her family and retired detective Park (who is now her aunt’s boyfriend) to find the real perpetrator and save her friend. However, when the political wheels of the system and bureaucracy get in their way, and powerful people insist on blaming Adeena, the stakes rise, putting the entire gang in more danger than they anticipated.

This was another fast-paced, highly enjoyable read for me! I wish someone would bring these mouth-watering food and drink recipes to life by opening a Lila-themed café in real life. I would be their number one customer, sampling the entire menu until my stomach couldn't take any more! The combination of Filipino cuisine, cozy mystery, and the Jae-Lila love story is one you don’t want to miss! I look forward to their next adventure!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for providing me with the digital review copy of this amazing series’ latest book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I got the ARC on netgallery and as someone who loves this series, I really enjoyed it.

Lila and Jae are meant to be!!! One thing for sure is that sometimes the bestest friend can be your biggest downfall is all what I’m going to say!