3.25 stars

I wanted to like this one better than I did. The premise was great -- a young woman discovers that her grandmother and partner might be dishing out a little something extra to their bakery customers -- in fact, maybe poisoning abusive men.

But the main character Kasey is all over the map. She is scattered and seems unable to follow through on much. She inadvertently put the bakery business in the sights of her snarky boss who is looking for takeover acquisitions. But Kasey can't bring herself to tell her grandmother what she's done.

And that's not all Kasey is worried about. She's had practically a lifelong crush on Jackson, a close friend of the family. His father, a truly awful man, wants Kasey to disappear in case she interferes with his plan for Jackson's political future.

So there are some fun things going on but a lot of annoying miscommunication, murky conversations, and avoidance. And the main premise seems to somehow get lost. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Another great book by HelenKay Dimon! Cozy romance with a feisty grandma, family hijinx, and justifiable crime - yes please!

Thank you Avon Books & Harper Voyager for granting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own and are not influenced by the publisher.

The Usual Family Mayhem by HelenKay Dimon was such a good read. It was so fun that I had a hard time putting it down.

I had fun reading this book! The humor kept me hooked.
The banter and chemistry between MFC and MMC was great. Their banter and romance, utterly fun and swoony. The cast of characters were so charismatic (and annoying) which was so entertaining.
This is the first book I’ve read by the author, and I look forward to reading more of her books.

I actually know and love HelenKay Dimon’s writing as thriller author Darby Kane, but she started out as a contemporary romance author and now she’s back. Good. Everyone needs a break from constant domestic horror and suspense thriller, both authors and readers. Now for a cozy rom-mystery that reminds me of Jesse Q. Sutanto’s Chinese/Indonesian Aunties and Mia P. Manansala’s Filipino Tita Rosie’s Kitchen (minus the recipes included by those authors). Here we have southern Grandmas Mags and Celia (longtime “dear friends” once they were rid of husbands), dishing up very special pies, so special that people (usually mean horrible abusive men) might literally die for.

Mags’ granddaughter Kasey has returned to the old gals’ Winston-Salem,North Carolina kitchen to pitch them a business proposition. Kasey works in D.C. for some sort of exploitive corporate raider firm (her memorized description is that her company “quickly and effectively develops new investment opportunities and strategizes about their implementation and financing”). Her pitch is that the Grandmas go beyond their sleepy town appeal and branch out nationally into boutique desserts (to eventually get gobbled up by a high end grocery conglomerate). Kasey gets ready for the expected blow-off from both her supervisors and Grandmas, but her scummy boss’s boss likes it. Reluctantly, she heads south to talk to Mags and Celia, but not before she and Celia’s attractive nephew Jackson (not really a blood-related cousin, but a lawyer who thinks Kasey’s current job is BS) notice an alarming death rate among the nasty husbands of customers.

In between the making of sawdust pie, chess pie, blueberry crunch pie, golden milk pie and funeral raisin pie (there are many calories in this book), Kasey and Jackson must also navigate their journey from her teenage crush days to his more mature current view of her. It’s a fun romp that mixes romance and suspense. This would make a great beach read! 5 stars!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): NO Brown and blue eyes, but no green ones.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): Hmmmm. Foxglove is really an outdoor plant, usually biennial, and not truly suited to only being in a greenhouse. Maybe they were just planning to re-sow the seeds…

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy!

Surprisingly enough “domestic abusers receiver justice through poison pie” is a trope I have seen multiple times and this is unfortunately not the strongest. While I absolutely loved the portrayal of the older deeply Southern lesbian couple, clearly crafted with love and experience of the culture, the main character here is just so hard to root for and really takes the wind out of the sails.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins, and HelenKay Dimon for providing this free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was a huge fan of HelenKay Dimon’s book “Morewood Family Rules” - it was campy, funny, and wildly clever. So, needless to say, I was excited to read yet another hijinks filled family comedy from her.

While “The Usual Family Mayhem” was full of hijinks and family drama, it lacked some of the charm of Norwood. Kasey was a bit of a space cadet, and being that she’s the only narrator, it sometimes made it hard to follow what was going on. The alleged murders, trying to fool her boss, and her budding relationship with long-time frenemie Jackson were all pinging around her brain at once, and she (and as a result we, the readers) would get distracted between thoughts.

I think this is a story that ultimately would’ve benefitted from less of a focus on the romance, and a tightening up of the two main plots. But, I do love Dimon’s snappy writing style and quirky cast of characters that are a tenet of her works.

loved this mystery and romance . I loved that the grams liked baking . Kasey is working at job that is okay but comes home to woo grams into the business. Along the way she reconnects with Jackson and figure out those feelings. She also is figuring out a mystery with ladies and funeral pies. Loved this book.

Kindle Copy for Review from NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager.

I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.

It is an amusng mystery read. A grandma known for her delicious pies branches into a world of poison pies. String a deaths of abusive men dying suddenly hits the town. Family disfunction will come to play as they clash over things,A fun read tio enjoy.

A cozy mystery with a touch of romance, and a whole lot of baked goods made for a fun and entertaining read. I really enjoyed the characters of the loving, kind, yet strong grandmothers, and would love a book about their backstory! If only the main character, Kasey, did more than constantly eat baked good and avoided making decisions and taking action, I would have enjoyed the book even more!

This was my first book by this author. I received a free ARC and happily leave my review.

The Usual Family Mayhem releases March 11, 2025.

My rating 4 ⭐️

I received an ARC for this book because it was similar to another book I had reviewed and liked. I’ve never read anything by this author before but the premise sounded fun and I wasn’t disappointed! This was a quick, fun read. I liked the characters and thought the story was really engaging. It started off a little slow but it picked up and I ended up finishing the book in less than a day. Would def recommend if you need a light, easy read!

Such a fun book to read. I love when there is a strong written grandmother character in a story. This book had that! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Kasey puts her foot in it at work and has to return to her hometown to fix it. She finds a lot more than she bargained for in this delightful comedy/mystery/romance. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

Great cozy book, I loved it immediately. Excellent dialogue and banter and I definitely enjoyed/recommend.

I requested The Usual Family Mayhem because the concept sounded like so much fun - who doesn't love the thought of grandma's baking killing bad husbands in the neighborhood?

Grandma lived up to the hype - I loved the sass, charm, and colorful setting of the neighborhood, home, and the baking business. I wasn't the biggest fan of our protagonist, but generally speaking I think that was more of a Me problem. The do-it-and-apologize-later panic moment of pitching her grandma's business was a first impression I had a hard time shaking off, but as the story progressed I felt I could settle in and just enjoy it.

The story was slower paced than I expected after such an abrupt start but the romance and dynamic with her childhood friend, and the mystery around the business, were just enough to keep me going.

Overall I rated this 3/5 stars. It was a good read but not one I was super engaged by, or hooked on.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

Oh my gosh, this book is so much fun! Funny and charming and absurd and southern hospitality shenanigans. The FMC is a mess, but she’s our mess, you know? I love this silly cozy mystery/rom-com sub-genre! Thanks to Avon for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book!
3.5⭐️
A cozy mystery with excellent banter, desserts galore and some sassy grandmas… yes, please!
When Kasey impulsively (read: moment of panic) pitches her grandmothers pie business to her boss as a possible investment, she never expects he’ll take her up on it. Imagine her surprise when she’s given two weeks to close the deal- for a business her grandmother has no interest in selling.
The deaths of several abusive men after the delivery of her grandma’s pies, locked cabinets and cryptic notes leads Kasey to wonder what exactly is going on in this small North Carolina town. Kasey recruits her childhood friend and sometimes nemesis to help her figure out what is going on.
With a sloooowwww burn romance and relatable and often humorous characters, this was an overall enjoyable read. I did find that parts really slowed down and almost dragged- especially in the beginning. Also, as someone who REALLY dislikes a miscommunication trope, this one went on too long hence the 3.5 stars.
If you enjoy a cozy mystery with good banter, this is the book for you.

Kasey Nottingham has a reputation for lack of follow-through. She hasn't managed to hold a job. She quit law school after a single year. And her love life is no better. When her latest boss insists she come up with a potential client for their venture capitalist firm, she rashly suggests her grandmother's very successful small Southern baking company, Mags' Desserts. The only problem is that Mags, her grandmother, and her partner Celia don't want to sell. Kasey knows this, but her boss tells her she has a week to convince them or she'll lose her job.
The other problem is Jackson, Celia's son, who Kasey has had an unrequited crush on since she was a teenager.
While Kasey dodges questions about her abrupt return to her North Carolina town, she begins to notice strange happenings surrounding her gram, including dead husbands, locked cabinets, and mysterious entries in the business accounting software.
HelenKay Dimon sets up a hilarious tale, full of delicious-sounding sweets, lots of secrets, some of which may be criminal, and a generous helping of family mayhem. For fans of Elle Cosimo and Jesse Q. Sutanto, this tale of Southern justice is a rollicking good read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

3.5 stars for a fun, romantic, cozy mystery! I enjoyed the antics of the crazy grandmas and their love for each other and their town! It was a fun and easy read!

🥧👵 Book Tour 🥧👵

Oh this was such a delightful and cozy mystery.

I ended up enjoying this one so much more than I thought I would!!

Loved all the female empowerment in this book!!! Grandma Mag is such a bad ass I loved her!!

Can we talk about cozy mystery, delicious desserts, and such sassy and fun characters!!

Oh and grandma may or may not be poisoning pies for revenge 😏

Family drama with a kick and a baking element that leaves your heart lulling from comfort.

Thank you so much to the publisher for my copy!!

4/5