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.

I loved reading her previous title Moorewood Family Rules!
So of course I jumped up and down when I seen a new novel pop up!
The Usual Family Mayhem by HelenKay Dimon was such a delight!
I found this book to be funny, compelling and such a page-turner.
The twists just kept coming and I just kept turning and I couldn't flip these pages quick enough.
A manipulative, dysfunctional, hilarious read and one I enjoyed tremendously.

A super fun and at times, laugh-out-loud story! Kasey Nottingham has had little luck with finding and keeping a job and now works for NOI, aka Nexus Opportunity Ideas. It is time for her to announce her latest (well, her first) promotion idea for the company; one that she doesn’t have. Instead, she mentions Mags’ Desserts, hoping to buy some time and come up with another idea. What she didn’t mention was that the business belongs to her grandmother and aunt. What she didn’t expect was for her idea to be well received and for her to be sent to close a deal. Arriving home, she’s unable to find a way to mention the real reason she has come home. Before she can tell them, she begins to have concerns about their business and what her grandmother and aunt may be providing in addition to their pies. She decides to confide in Jackson Quaid, her aunt’s nephew and someone she has thought way too much about, for his input. As she tries to quietly investigate the business, Jackson, a respected attorney, is trying to avoid his father’s intent to push him into a political career. Will she and Jackson be able to shut down the interest in Mags’ Desserts, his father’s devious plans and still find time to pursue a possible romance? I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

This gifted storyteller is one I first found through her romance and romantic suspense, and I'm here for her hilarious shenanigans era. This on has a little of everything and is sure to please a wide reader base.

Kasey Nottingham needs a business idea to pitch for her company. In desperation, she fells her boss about Mags' Desserts, her grandmother's company she runs out of her home. So it's back home to Winston-Salem she goes to convince Grandma Mags and her business partner, Celia.

Except when she gets there, she sees some things that don’t add up. Kasey enlists the help of her long-time crush, Jackson Quaid, who is also Celia's nephew. As they begin snooping around—okay, Kasey snoops and Jackson tries to rein her in—there are things that don’t add up and point to her grandma and Celia somehow being involved with unexplained deaths popping up in their community.

Part small-town Southern charm, part second-chance romance, part mystery, and part vigilante justice, the madcap mayhem and hilarious hijinks kept me reading this one late into the night. With deeper elements of family bonds and following your heart, this is one you won’t want to miss.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Mary at Harper Collins for providing an early copy.

This book was marketed to me by the publisher as a book that was similar to The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year. I really enjoyed that book and the mixing of the mystery and rom-com genres. This book did not do that quite as well. Unfortunately, the whole time I was wishing for more. The mystery plot was lacking, and the romance was not believable to me. I did enjoy this well enough, though I only finished due to the publisher reaching out personally.

i am not sure how i feel about this to be honest. the premise was so promising but this felt a bit all over the place. thanks netgalley & the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 Stars. This story was dial a for aunties meets the lost apothecary. It was SO MUCH FUN! Who doesn't love morally grey grandmas? This is the type of book that will get you out of a reading slump. It's light, funny, quirky, and has a the perfect amount of romance. I absolutely loved the age gap x second chance romance aspect but it was developed so subtly. The flirting and the banter between Kasey and Jackson was *chefs kiss* and the banter between Mags/Celia/Kasey was even better. Mags and Celia talking without Kasey able to get a word in was such an accurate portrayal of many families. More books with Morally Grey grandmas please!! The concept that they are helping women escape the shithead men in their lives is a storyline I wont easily forget. I look forward to reading this author again.

For those looking for a light, humorous, cozy read. I would recommend picking up The Usual Family Mayhem. While this book does touch on some serious topics, it overall has a lighter feeling to it with the humor throughout the book.

The Usual Family Mayhem setting gives all of the cozy vibes with a big house in the South; Gram’s in the kitchen baking all of the desserts you could want (it may also leave you with some cravings).

This book also has a little bit of romance, mystery and shenanigans. I actually wish there was a little bit more shenanigans with the main character and her Grams. But overall a fun read!

asey Nottingham, 26, works at Nexus Opportunity Ideas (NOI) in Washington, D.C. So far, she has not had anything big for her to work on. In a meeting she is pressured to come up with an innovative idea. Impulsively, she suggests Mags Pies which is fairly small company in North Carolina that makes primarily pies, but also cakes and cupcakes could be bought to make it larger and be quite a lucrative investment for the firm. She admits that the company is run by her grandmother, Mags Nottingham, and her aunt Celia. Her boss gives her two weeks to head to North Carolina to see if she can get them onboard to sell the business to NOI.

Kasey was raised by her grandmother after her father killed her mother and set fire to the house. He is now in prison. Her grandmother had been in an abusive marriage and understands how bad that can be. Thus, she and Celia have been very loving to her.

Back home in North Carolina, she is wrapped up in all of the delicious goodies that Mags and Celia make all day. She loves the sweets that they make. She is dragging her feet presenting this proposal to the ladies. Some sleuthing on their computer turns up some surprising and scary things.

Kasey’s longtime friend, Jackson, is the nephew of Celia and a very successful attorney. Kasey has had a crush on him since she was 9-years-old. Seeing him again, makes her heart race. However, his father, Harlan, is a jerk who has made his way through life schmoozing people and wants Jackson to follow in his footsteps to be a politician which is something Jackson does not want. Kasey and Jackson spark an attraction that leads to, let’s say, fun things.

This story had me somewhat confused at times but I finally know that it was due to the squirrelly, air-headed actions of Kasey. She is impulsive and doesn’t necessarily think things through before acting on them. But her love for baked goods is solid, as is her love for Mags and Celia, and let’s not forget Jackson. Harlan is a true villain and his character is written to make him such a jerk. Loved it. Well done. Enjoy.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

While this book had a lot of merit, I had a hard time getting through it. Mayhem is the right word to describe the book. So much of the conversation in the book was chaotic and tiring to follow. I honestly couldn't tell what genre the book was supposed to be. The romance was not particularly enticing and the mystery was not much of a mystery at all.

The main character, Kasey, was a bit annoying to me. Having a character that is adrift and trying to find herself is one thing, but Kasey came across as immature, incompetent, and kind of lazy. She had her moments where we saw glimpses of a competent adult, but they were few and far between and they didn't develop into much.

Kasey's relationship with Jackson was basically a childhood crush turned adult crush. There wasn't much substance beyond that. The book as a whole is not positive toward men at all, and while Jackson is supposed to be the one "good guy," he was kind of mean to Kasey and didn't stand up for her as much as I would have liked.

As for the mystery, there wasn't much to it at all. There isn't much in the way of clues or twists. It is primarily Kasey making assumptions.

I did like Gram's character. She was fun and feisty, and she did care a great deal about Kasey. Her snark was the high point of the book.

I adored this book! Thank you Netgalley for selecting me for an ARC copy! I wasn't sure what to expect going in, but this is the perfect blend of cozy small-town mystery and a sweet, closed door rom-com romance. Literally the marriage between all of those things is freaking perfect.

There are so many little layers to this story that you don't really understand all of them until the end, but I will say it was very slow through 40% then I couldn't put it down. I think the issue was that in the first 40% we are getting to know the lay of the land so to speak and we get nothing conclusive except more questions. Which is perfect, it's what should be. But I feel like I needed a little more gravity to hold on to at the beginning whereas we learn little pieces through the whole story.

Kasey is an unpredictable time bomb. Maybe a whirlwind. There's a little bit of unresolved trauma *see content warnings* and undiagnosed ADHD with sugar overload. While it's endearing, it makes for a hilarious plot and excellent banter. Jackson couldn't be more opposite of Kasey; he's also a little bit older and her grandma's partner's nephew. But those opposites complement each other so well and again, makes for excellent banter! I laughed out loud so much! Kasey comes back home after getting herself in a pickle. Jackson's been keeping an eye on things at home and on Kasey. He's had feelings for her for a very long time and her unexpected return to their small town is raising questions... and interests.

I would be remiss to not mention Celia, Jackson's aunt and Mag's, Kasey's Grandma. The story is as much theirs as it is Kasey and Jacksons. Celia and Mags come from traumatic backstory's and found love and friendship by chance through baking. This story is all about breaking generational curses and women helping women through tough and scary times. Even if that means serving some funeral pie.

If you're looking for a lighthearted cozy small-town mystery, then this is it. Don't miss it.

This feels like a bit of a deviation from my usual, so I was excited to read it! The highlights for me were the banter between the FMC and the MMC and the overall storyline. I love scheming grandmas, so add in scheming grandmas who may be secretly poisoning bad men and I’m intrigued!

I liked the banter between Kasey and Jackson, even though I thought it was super obvious that they were both into each other. It was cute to get their backstory over the years and watch them inevitably admit their feelings.

ALSO this book made me hungry. Kasey is constantly eating little sweet treats and it made me want a sweet treat too!!

And the whole semi-murder mystery plot was fun! It was a little less of the focus than I would have hoped though.

Unfortunately, the FMC was just SO insufferable for me. I genuinely couldn’t stand her, and every time she had a chance to tell the truth or take accountability for her actions and actively made the decision not to was really frustrating.

A special thank you to NetGalley and publisher Avon/ Harper Collins for the advanced reader copy in exchange for honest feedback.

3.75 ⭐

The Usual Family Mayhem is a fun, cozy mystery, with a hint of romance following Kasey and her grandma, and Jackson and his aunt. While at work, Kasey *accidentally* pitches her grandma and aunt's dessert company to take it ubernationally. Returning home, she is forced to confront them about the idea that she shared, while also realizing that Grams and Celia (Jackson's aunt) is being a little....spacey and cryptic.

This book was fast paced and fun. While the mystery aspect was quite predictable, there were some fun twists and turns. I enjoyed how the romance wasn't the main focus of the story, but loved seeing the relationship between Kasey and Jackson develop as the story went on.

Thank you to HelenKay, Avon, and NetGalley for the eARC! The Usual Family Mayhem is out now!