I requested this mostly blind, it felt a little dial A for aunties-esque (which was so extra and I loved every minute of it) and so I was curious about this one for sure.

Ultimately I didn't love it. I expected something a bit more light hearted, a romance that I wanted to root for and some sluething on the side for what the family was getting up to and overall it was a little too messy, the romance had no depth and didn't fit/was competing with the mystery and let's be honest the FMC was more than a little insufferable.






Thank you Netgalley, and Avon, and Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for my review!

This was a DNF for me. For the most part this was just too predictable and I found the main character to just be kind of whiny and always making bad decisions. It was also more of a romance than I enjoy.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for a honest review.

Rounding up from 3.5 stars.

This old ladies in this book were deeply chaotic in the very best of ways, and I think they’re the strongest part of the story. They have strength and convictions and moxie.

While the mystery elements were interesting. I wish the romance had been equally as strong as those ladies. I didn’t really feel the connection between our leads, and their family histories and the way he knew she’d liked him since she was way too young have me a little bit of an ick.

This was a fun premise and I was excited to read it but I didn’t really enjoy Kasey as a character. I got really frustrated with how much she just couldn’t fess up to her grandmother and “Aunt” about what she did and in doing that just kept making her situation worse. She just couldn’t get her act together and it wasn’t in a fun way. This was just not my cup of tea but the writing was good and I will try another book by this author.
Thanks to Avon and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

✨ Thank you to Avon and HelenKay Dimon for this ARC! ✨

Revenge plus cute sapphic grandmas running a pie business in a small town—sounds like an absolute delight, right? 🍰👵 Unfortunately, this one didn’t quite live up to its incredible premise.

What did you love the most?
I struggled to connect deeply with any of the characters, even the charming grandmas. However, I did enjoy the small-town vibes, the quirky banter, and the themes of found family. That said, everything felt a bit surface-level, leaving me wanting more depth.

Read if you like:
🕵️‍♀️ Cozy mysteries
🏡 Family secrets
🍮 Yummy desserts

🔥 Steam level: Closed-door

How was the romance?
I just couldn’t buy into the romance. The FMC really irked me—her actions often felt immature, and there were some offhand comments about body image and eating disorders that didn’t sit well with me. The romance itself felt clunky and inconsistent, making it hard to get invested in the relationship.

Do you recommend this book?
If you're looking for a story with a similar premise but stronger execution, I’d recommend Dial A for Aunties instead. This book started off hilarious and dramatic but quickly lost its spark, leaving me disappointed. 😕

This was a little cheesy but overall a really fun read.

I loved all of the characters at play here. I LOVED Kasey and Jackson together so much. I loved Gram and Celia. I loved the mystery of it all and the looming deadline that helped move the plot along.

But most of all, I loved that I could feel the personality of each character seeping through the pages. Everyone was so distinctly themselves, that it was easy to follow along and keep reading.

Such a fun time with this book and these characters!

The Usual Family Mayhem is a perfect romcom-cozy mystery that I couldn't put down. As soon as I heard there were sassy grandma's I knew I had to give this book a try and I was not disappointed. I love how lively this book was, full of family hijinks and possibly poisoned pies. This was funny and quirky and a feel good read. I love the dynamic between the main characters and their relationships. Kasey and Jackson are adorable and southern charm is always a plus for me because southern women are full of sass and "Bless your heart's" and I love that. I also adored how they accurately touched on domestic violence issues. Fun read! Looking forward to more from HelenKay Dimon.

P.S. I also listened to the audio, Mia Barron was fantastic!

This is a first by this author for me but definitely won’t be the last!
What a great read! By the third chapter I was all in. It gave me serious Arsenic and Old Lace vibes 😁

Thank you to Netgalley for this arc. This was a cozy mystery. It was very enjoyable and I had a good time reading it.

Huge thank you to Avon for the ARC!

I love HelenKay Dimon books and really enjoyed Moorewood Family Rules and was so excited for this one!

The cover and synopsis sold me entirely! So cute!

While I thought the overall idea was fun, it just didn't work for me as much as I hoped it would. I didn't find myself wanting to pick it up. I'm sure this is just a me issue and not a book issue.

I hope this one is a big hit for many!

Do NOT read this book hungry. When Kasey's career stalls in Washington DC, she heads home to Winston Salem to convince her grandmothers to expand their pie bakery business, while dealing with nosy childhood friend Jackson, who knows Kasey is up to more than she says.

I really loved that this book was about the quiet ways that women take care of themselves and other women, and often in very quiet ways. I will warn readers that Kasey has an incident of horrifying family violence in her history, which I hadn't expected from the book's marketing. But her grandmother Mags and Mag's companion Celia have their own ways of empowering women, as well as encouraging Kasey to enjoy her cupcakes and find her dreams - and so the plot line does become quite empowering.

The book was set in Winston Salem and very specific about the story Dimon is telling - this is a place with North Carolina barbecue, sweet tea and delicious lunch spots. I was also impressed that the book was open and appreciative of Mags and Celia's LGBT relationship. There is far less representation amongst older characters and these sweetly settled, kinder older ladies, were wonderful to see. I also enjoyed the the relationship between Kasey and Jackson. He might be a corporate lawyer (boo, hiss), but he's supportive both of Kasey and of the women, in addition to looking great in a never ending array of suits.

I'd recommend this one to anyone who loves a cozy romance and enjoyed She Doesn't Have a Clue or the novels of Sarah Adams.

The Usual Family Mayhem by HelenKay Dimon centers on Kasey Nottingham, who, in her rush to deliver something for her company, promises them that her grandmothers would be interested in having investors in their small-town pie business. Her boss loves the idea, and sends her home to North Carolina to gather information and pitch the idea to her grandmother, Mags, and her "best friend" Celia.

However, Kasey reads cryptic signs in their records and overhears them having whispered, mysterious conversations, leading her to the conclusion that the business is selling poisonous pies to murder abusive men. Kasey then has to keep this from coming out, balance keeping her job, and deal with her crush turned frenemy, Jackson Quaid, Celia's nephew.

This book was such a cute idea in theory, and definitely a fun read. However, the main character, Kasey, was hard to root for. First, she lied to her company and pitched something she knew her grandmother would never go for, then she consistently avoided telling them anything or telling her boss anything, deciding to put off all decisions in the hopes it would go away. Her "work nemesis" who comes to check on her progress is considered a villain, but honestly, he's entirely right.

I had trouble enjoying the more fun parts of the book because Kasey was so consistently irresponsible and read very young for her age. In the end, everyone saves her, instead of her solving her own problems, but it wraps up happily with her discovering she's able to create a great filing system.

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc! 3/5.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this book! Kasey ends up in a tight spot at her job in an investment company and the only way to get out of it was to pitch the idea to invest in Mags’ Dessert, her family’s (grandma and aunt Celia - not her biological aunt) bakery business. Intrigued with this pitch, Kasey’s boss sends her to Mags’ Dessert to get the deal going. While at her grandma’s house, instead of discussing the investment deal, she digs up some alarming findings in the business excel sheets. Continuously avoiding the topic of the deal, she discovers that her grandma and aunt Celia might be involved in selling poison pie as it coincides with certain deaths in the town. Kasey brings in her long time crush and Aunt Celia’s nephew, Jackson, into the mix to figure out this ordeal of poison pies. I was going into this book after reading the synopsis thinking it’ll be a fun mystery involving baked goods and poison! Unfortunately, the murder mystery plot was overshadowed by the multiple subplots of politics, business deals, and love confessions which slightly devastated me.

Kasey is the main character and I found her annoying. I spent the majority of this book rolling my eyes and annoyed that she wouldn't communicate the truth. When she returns home with ulterior motives. The suspects her grandma of nefarious acts. The romance redeemed the book a bit. I just couldn't stand the miscommunication.

This is such a fun book so many hijinx. Casey is sent back to her hometown to try to convince her grandmother and her partner to allow their bakery to be part of a business idea. Casey finds herself puzzled and looking into she thinks our mysteries with the help of Jackson who is her grandmother partners Celia‘s grandson. It’s really fun to see all of the mayhem and Su all while Casey and Jackson find themselves falling for one another. It’s such a fun, crazy book.

This was a compelling read. It took me a few chapters to get into, but I ended up enjoying it.

I think the reason I had so much trouble in the beginning was because Kasey was not a likable heroine. She was so negative! Yes, a snarky comment every once in a while can be fun, but it was near constant from her, and it just came off as mean. It wasn’t helped by the fact that this was told from her first-person point of view. But once I stopped trying to like her, I was able to enjoy the story a whole lot more. I had no trouble liking Gram and Celia, though. They were quite the pair! I was so intrigued by their business and curious if they really did sell poison pies! I really liked Jackson too. I noticed that, as the story went on, Kasey got less annoying, and by the end, I was sad to say goodbye to all of those characters, even her.

I thought the premise was really intriguing, and the writing style was engaging. It kept me hooked and reading on.

While this book had a rocky start for me, I'm glad I pressed on because I ended up really enjoying it. It was a ton of fun! I'd be interested in a sequel! I'm curious what Gram and Celia could be up to next!

I received a copy of this book and voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and comments are my honest opinion.

The Usual Family Mayhem by HelenKay Dimon is an intriguing cozy mystery meets romance that is a recipe for entertainment.

The Usual Family Mayhem is great for those looking to read…
💛 Cozy Mystery
💛 Romance Subplot
💛 Amateur Sleuth
💛 Family Secrets & Drama
💛 Long Time Cruah

I’ve read & loved another one of HelenKay Dimon’s series so I was really excited to read this. This is such an interesting concept. I struggled a little with the miscommunication, which is one of my least favorite tropes & made me struggle to keep focus. I loved the strong women characters. I really do like this author & I would like to read more from them.

Massive thanks to NetGalley & Avon for the gifted copy, which I voluntarily read & reviewed.

Le sigh. This one felt... unnecessary? Actually, the romance was cute, the mystery felt forced. I both liked and wanted to slap the MC for being so damn nosey. Amateur sleuths are nosy and/or just get thrown into it, but this one felt as if the MC was just trying to fix something that wasn't broke.

I really enjoyed HelenKay Dimon's last book, so I was excited about this one. Unfortunately, it just fell a bit flat and was too predictable for me.

A fun cozy mystery. Just wasn't for me. I had a hard time connecting to the story and characters. I do think a lot of readers would find this book charming with its drama and plot.