This book was such a unique storyline and I can honestly say I enjoyed every second of this read. The characters were loveable and sassy at the same time. Except Harlan, never Harlan.

The second they started talking about the spread sheet and how there was a star on some of names I was thinking murder. And then they mention poison and I'm damn grandmas have a business going. This is cute story, but Kasey was giving me a headache with her thought process and constant involvement in things she had no business in. She was blundering her way in a situation that was clearly being taken care of. Like girl your about to ruin and expose your grandma's business. She got in the way at times when she should have just stayed out of things. The whole thing with Jackson, I mean she did not explain anything just that she had a crush and he wasn't interested. When I heard the full story... omg nah I was on Jackson's side what do you mean you were sixteen. I would have also ran screaming my head off while yelling ew on top of my lungs. Romance is sort of there, but it kind of became a jumbled mess because Kasey can't focus on one thing at a time. I feel like the story would have been amazing through the grandma's point of view, but it was a cute read. Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager!

I found Kasey's internal, and external for that matter, monologue to be hilarious! This little family exudes so much love. And Gram and Celia are fun feisty duo.

"People let the bob of white hair and sweet smile fool them. Amateurs."
I absolutely devoured this hilarious romantic cozy mystery! This book was non-stop laughs with an adorably unhinged always hungry FMC, sassy Southern Grandmas and a side of romance. If you enjoy the Riley Thorn series mixed in with the Pies Before Guys series, you definitely need to add this one to your TBR!

This was such a cute cozy mystery. It was over the top, and I just loved the grandmas. I didn’t love it, but overall thought it was a fun easy read.

There were some lines that bothered me a little and made me not love the story as much. I would recommend this to folks who love a cozy mystery with fun hijinks.

This was a fun book! A little slow in parts, but entertaining.

Kasey is hard up to present an opportunity at her job and throws up her grandma's baking business has a hail mary - only to have her boss like the idea and sends her back home to arrange a presentation. Once back home, Kasey can't find the courage to tell her grandma and hems and haws around a week or so - that part of the story drags, we get she isn't brave enough to mention what she pitched and it's redundant. However, she meets back up with her childhood crush and his crazy dad, who is getting himself involved in Kasey's business proposition. In the meantime, Kasey begins to think her grandma is baking up death pies and is trying to solve the mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

The Usual Family Mayhem

This fun and sweet story is packed with humor, pies, sassy Southern grandmas, and just a pinch of mystery. Kasey is a bit of a mess, but her heart’s in the right place. In an ill-thought-out attempt to impress her boss, she puts her grandma’s beloved pie business in the spotlight of a big company eager to take things national. The catch? Kasey knows her grandma would never go for it. What follows is a chaotic scramble of keeping secrets and trying to uncover what her grandma has been up to during her absence. With the help of Jackson—a family friend (and a swoon-worthy lawyer)—Kasey must figure out how to save both face and her grandma’s business.

This was an adorable story with strong female characters and plenty of humor. While I found myself cringing at the unnecessary drama that could’ve been avoided with some honesty, I get that it would’ve made for a much shorter story! The mystery element is subtle, but the banter and dynamic characters more than made up for it. Overall, this was a delightful read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Usual Family Mayhem was a fun read with suspense, family and a lot of heart! Kasey is a hot mess 26 year old who goes home on "business" when she pitches her grandmother's bakery's as a good investment opportunity. She is a free spirit with a tragic past and just can't figure out what she wants to do. Upon returning home, she reconnects with Jackson, her grandmother's partner's nephew. Jackson is a lawyer and always teasing Kasey about her faults. Kasey and Jackson suspect that her grandmother and his aunt are up to something and work together to figure out what they are up to! This book has so many different things going on: romance, mystery, suspense, family dynamic. Trigger warning: this book does discuss domestic violence and multiple characters are victims of domestic violence. I had never read a HelenKay book before and now I will definitely be going through her backlist!

Thank you HarperCollins and NetGalley for the ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and highly recommend if you enjoy a romance mixed with some mystery and suspense!

The premise is fun, the voice is distinct, and the writing is easy to read.

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the ARC.

HelenKay does a great job of creating characters who color outside the lines or live a bit outside the law but who you can’t help but root for. I wasn’t as sold on the romance in this one but I loved the cast of characters and wouldn’t say no to another book with the loveable scheming grandmas at the center.

Kasey is a fledgling employee at a DC business development organization, she's young and very out of her depth. When a last-ditch business pitch to her bosses results in a visit home to North Carolina to visit Kasey's grandmother and her business/life partner, everything goes topsy-turvy and turns into a mystery a la "Arsenic and Old Lace" but with a domestic violence twist. (Just *what* are the ladies up to?) Throw in a childhood crush turned grown-up hottie and there's a lot happening in this witty and surprisingly layered story.

I found this to be an engaging story overall (and you'll want to keep reading just to figure out what's going on), but I struggled with warming up to Kelsey. Her personality was frustrating and she came off as very immature much of the time. The mini-age gap between Kasey and Jackson highlighted that immaturity, as did her flightiness and avoidance in communication. The overly-prolonged evasion of why Kasey was really home for a visit caused unnecessary tension in an already semi-tense story (with its themes of secrets and a family history of domestic violence), which unfortunately impacted my overall enjoyment of the book. (I thought the second half was better than the first half.) And while I wasn't a huge fan of Kasey's, I also didn't like the serious and stable Jackson being presented as her perpetual savior always cleaning up her messes. They were intended to complement one another, but what an exhausting relationship dynamic for the both of them. There are definitely darker themes in this book so pay attention to content warnings. I did enjoy the author's witty writing style and there is plenty of dry humor and fun banter to offset the heavier moments. There are lots of layers to this story, which is a mix of tension and murder and enduring love. Reading this book made me hungry for pie and vigilante justice. If you're a fan of a friends-to-lovers slow-burn romance wrapped up in a cozy-ish mystery, with a lot of focus on baked goods, then this is the book for you! 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars for the witty writing. Publishes March 11 2025. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing an ARC of this story, this was my objective review.

The description feels like a Hallmark Movie, but it is not, at least it is more realistic. Yes, it’s about a woman going home and seeing an old flame, but in this case the old flame is one sided. Both of them argue and love their family, so eventually something has to be given, the suspected murderous bakery business is what brings them together. I loved the humor in the dialogue and inner thoughts of Kacey. For a semi southern like myself I enjoyed the bits about hospitality and sweet tea. I would say I drink my hot tea (shocking) with a lot of sugar a la Grams. Though most southerners drink sweet tea iced, which I do drink occasionally. The story does have a happy ending with some twists and turns before coming to a good resolution in the end. At the end of the book I really liked it. It was really funny and enjoyable to read. The author wrote it really well and developed very dynamic and intriguing characters. I recommend getting this book when it comes out March 2025. Be sure to grab it from a local library or bookstore!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Usual Family Mayhem has a quirky and clever premise as a cozy mystery with family secrets and drama and a side of romance. However, the execution didn’t quite live up to the premise.

I think the characters are what let down the plot. The book is written solely from the POV of Kasey, who panics in a work meeting and pitches her Gram’s pie business as a potential business opportunity. She heads home to North Carolina and stumbles into some mysterious happenings with her family and the pie business.

Because everything is told from Kasey’s POV, everyone seems to be in on what is going on except for Kasey. And because Kasey doesn’t know, neither do we as the reader. Instead of it being fun, the bigger the mess got and the longer she went without telling the truth, the more anxious I got.

For a 26 year old adult, Kasey read as very impulsive, naive, and immature. Her main character traits seem to be causing chaos and being confused.

Enter, Jackson Quaid. He is a 33 year old lawyer, and the nephew of Kasey’s Gram’s life partner. I found the romance to be lacking and, honestly, confusing. What is the allure of this man? Kasey has had a crush on him since she was a teenager, but is still into him…Why? There is a lot of implied history between them that is not shown on page. I didn’t feel any spark between them while on page and, overall, Jackson as a character fell flat.

The poison pie plot line wasn’t as prominent as I thought it would be. It felt like it kept getting swept to the side or forgotten just to be picked back up again, and never really came to any conclusion.

Overall, this was not for me. But could be for someone looking for a cozy mystery with quirky characters.

3.5 ⭐️, rounded to 4

This was fun and lighthearted, a quick and easy read that had the potential to be more but didn’t quite get there.

I enjoyed the opposites attract dynamic between Kasey and Jackson. Even if the whole “female protagonist is a loveable mess” thing is overplayed, Kasey’s curious nature drove the plot of this book. And Jackson is the perfect match for her—steadfast, grounded, and unfailingly kind. It was refreshing to have a male protagonist who was both unproblematic and forthright with his intentions, even if Kasey was absolutely clueless about said intentions.

I really liked the plotline with Mags and Celia. In fact, I wish it (along with the romance, of course) had been the sole focus of the book. The plot had too many moving parts and the acquisition storyline felt unnecessary.

I also had an issue with some of the more serious subject matter (spousal abuse of various kinds and murder). Either wade into the details and adjust the tone of the book to match, or keep them vague to fit the lighter tone of the book.

Overall, a fun read that could have used some fine tuning.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyage for this book, provided in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Woof. This book had promise but it was a hot mess and not in a way I can appreciate. I don’t have much else to say other than I hope there’s another round of editing before it releases because it was so all over the place and I couldn’t keep up with anything. I loved the author’s last release, Moorewood Family Rules, so this was a big disappointment.

I received an arc from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

3.5 stars

This was a fun refreshing read. I haven’t read anything like it and I really enjoyed it. I loved Mags and Celia’s characters and relationships and to me - they were the stars of this book

I enjoyed Kasey and Jackson’s characters as well I just wanted a little more from there relationship. More yearning or subtly. It didn’t necessarily feel like he’d been in love with her for years.

But overall fun read! Definitely will recommend

As soon as I read the summary I knew I was going to have to read it this book, as the premise was really appealing. Unfortunately it did not hit quite like I was expecting. The main characger, Kasey, felt all over the place and in some ways incompetent. It didn't seem like the right character for the murder mystery aspects of this book. It was also frustrating how her family treated her like a child and wouldn't let her get a word in. It doesn't surprise me that Kasey didn't admit to her grandmother what was going on until the book was nearly over.

I do think the romance between Jackson and Kasey was sweet, and the timing of it throughout the book was well done. Compared to other aspects of the book, the romance was definitely the best part.

Overall, I think this book wasn't for me but would be perfect for someone who loves a good cozy mystery novel with just a smidge of romance.

Ok, this premise was very Arsenic and Old Lace meets those Merge Mansion ads that you see all the time with the grandma with a secret from her granddaughter. I loved the idea and the characters were so fun! Gram & Ceila were by far my favorites and I loved that the two were not just business partners but romantic partners too.

Kasey's banter between her grandmothers and the constant meddling and accident prone storyline was super cute, and I even really enjoyed the romance between her and Jackson (Ceila's grandson & Kasey's childhood friend) but I will say the story started to shift about half way through where the focus started to be pulled from the poisoned baked goods storyline and began to focus mostly on Kasey's romance and what she perceived to be her life failures. It made the ending kind of rushed and a little unfocused and that bummed me out a bit. It went from a five star read for me down to just a solid 3.5/4.

Best mystery rom com I’ve read in a while! My favorite character was Gram because she tells it like it is and doesn’t let anyone step on her toes. Loved the relationship with Jackson and Kasey. Couldn’t put this book down. Definitely recommending to everyone I know!

THE USUAL FAMILY MAYHEM is a book I wanted to love and was expecting a funny and clever read. I loved the author’s previous novel, Morewood Family Rules, and was really hoping to love this one, which is why I was so excited to get an advanced copy. However, this novel did not have the charm or vibe as the previous one, which I expected to be quirky family dynamics, funny and charming banter, and clever, almost like a Surviving the Applewhites vibe. I think it has to do with the main character, Kasey, and the plot itself.

We are told this story through Kasey’s POV, and, ultimately, I think that was a mistake. The author is going for loveable chaos monster here, but instead we get a character who is scattered, avoidant, and messy. Her train of thought is very hard to follow and, as this is told in her perspective, that does not lend itself well to the narrative and the story. I also didn’t feel like she had a personality besides being what was supposed to be a cute character who injects chaos into the narrative.

And I think it is like this because the story felt incomplete almost or not strong enough on its own. You’ve got three major plot points here: murder, romance, and keeping her job and none of these can make the narrative stand on its own. That is difficult with so much happening with what felt like little substance.

Overall, this wasn’t the novel for me. However, it could be for you. If you like light novels, quirky family dynamics, non spicy romance, potential murder, and a FMC who is just trying to find herself in a sea of chaos, I would read this book.

Thank you to Harper Avon and NetGalley for a copy of this review in exchange for an honest review!