This book was just a lot of fun. It’s chaos, it’s strong personalities, it’s resilient. It’s about strong women, about surviving, and about injustices. A lot of fun.

First and foremost as always thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book. This was an incredibly good read! The story was beautifully written and the characters were flushed out really well! This was a really great murder mystery! Definitely worth the read!

This didn't feel as light and funny as I thought it was going to be. Reading the book synopsis, I felt like this was going to be jam packed with comedic family mishaps and adventures. Sadly, for me, it didn't quite pull together. We have our main character who basically has no idea how to do her job and so she comes up (on the spot) with the idea to sell her grandmother's pie company. She goes back to her hometown with this mission and then it pivots to her sleuthing out a theory that her grandma is using pies to poison the husbands in town. We throw in a love interest and his controlling crappy father. There's a lot of withholding information from all the character and it just felt like it didn't come together. The book has fade to black romance which was alright. (the FMC and MMC had ok dialogue overall).

I wanted more humor and a stronger FMC so unfortunately my rating is 3.25 out of 5

The Usual Family Mayhem is a cute title for the latest book by HelenKay Dimon. Filled with strong female characters, it’s a cross between a cozy mystery and a romcom with some laugh-out-loud moments. There are so many secrets to uncover, and that’s half the fun.

Kasey, at twenty-six, is still trying to find herself. She now lives in Washington, D.C., but is always waiting to be fired, especially since her direct boss doesn’t like her. She grew up living with her grandmother and her grandmother’s close friend in Winston-Salem. Gram and Celia run a business that creates pies and other desserts, and I was drooling over some of the descriptions.

When Kasey shows up back home for several weeks, they think the worst, but little do they know why and what she has inadvertently set in motion. Jackson, a friend and Celia’s nephew, always seems to be around when he’s not being a workaholic lawyer. There’s a definite attraction, but Kasey seems clueless about what’s really going on, even with romance in the air. He comes to her defense throughout, always picks up the pieces, and always seems to be in the right place at the right time.

There are multiple stories being told with many unexpected twists and turns. The story was sometimes choppy, but other times, it had a good flow. The secondary characters besides Jackson seemed to pop in and out when they were least expected, but we didn’t get to truly know them.

Jackson’s dad, Harlan, had his own agendas and was always vocal about them, even when no one else was interested. Gram and Celia definitely knew how to use their Southern charm, and I was surprised there weren’t more “bless your hearts” thrown around. There is some closure, but the story ends abruptly.

The Usual Family Mayhem stands up to its name with multiple stories and Kasey always snooping around. Grab a glass of sweet tea and discover what everyone is up to.

The review is posted on NovelsAlive.

Kasey Nottingham needs a big idea for the next big thing to save her job. In panic she pitches a small-town pie business that happens to be run by her grandma Mags and live-in “best friend” Celia, She goes home to see if they would be interested in this idea. She is scared to talk to them about it, and starts snooping. Kasey finds information that could implicate Mags and Celia in murder! Enter Jackson Quaid, Celia’s nephew and Kasey’s long-time crush, while a huge distraction, becomes very helpful to Kasey trying to find out about these secret pies!

How have I never read HelenKay Dimon?! Fun cute read, AND I looked at her backlist and added more books my TBR!

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC. #TheUsualFamilyMayhem #NetGalley.

So fun! I loved grandma and Celia and their pie business. Readers of Pies Before Guys will enjoy this family dramady!

Thank you so much to Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC of The Usual Family Mayhem!

4.5 rounded down to 4.

This book was really, so, so funny. It was filled with memorable characters that were flawed, yet incredibly endearing! Kasey and Jackson pair up to figure out some puzzling things about Kasey's grandma and Jackson's aunt. Kasey has also gotten herself into quite the pickle and her impulsive nature doesn't help her out at all. Kasey was hiding lots of secrets from her grandma and it drove me crazy the throughout most of the book! After quite a while of her sneaking around, being dishonest,
I was so annoyed. BUT, this book was filled with humor and baked goods and I can't think of anything better! I would love some of those scone recipes! 😀

This story is cute and has so much potential! I really enjoyed the storyline of the bakery and everything Mags and Celia do together. But I didn’t love Kasey. Her attitude about everything was subpar and didn’t seem to mesh well with Jackson. I also felt like there were a lot of things happening at once which made the story hard to follow.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon books for this ARC

This cozy mystery strikes a perfect balance between humour, kitchen antics, family drama, romance, sisterhood, and eccentric characters.

The story follows Kasey, who reluctantly offers up her grandmother’s beloved business for sale. Amidst this, she navigates her complicated relationship with her bosses and a secret crush.

While the book delves into serious themes such as loss, trauma, violence, and misogyny, it does so in a way that doesn’t overshadow the overall enjoyment of the story.

One of the standout aspects of this book is the quirkiness of its characters. Each one is unique and memorable, including Kasey herself, despite her occasional flaws.

The grandmothers, in particular, shine as resilient figures who have endured immense hardships. Their bond with Kasey and Jackson is both heartwarming and entertaining, while their relationship with each other adds a layer of emotional depth and complexity to the story.

However, the book falls short of its potential. The central plot point, the poison pie business, was underdeveloped, rushed and failed to deliver.

The slow burn and miscommunication were completely unnecessary. The story dragged on and on in places and could have ended way earlier than it did.

Also, telling this story from only one point of view (Kasey’s) didn’t exactly help matters as she is messy and uncoordinated and not a reliable narrator.

Despite these flaws, this book offers a cozy mystery experience with a touch of romance and a dash of quirkiness. If you’re looking for a light-hearted and entertaining read, it might be worth checking out.

I very much enjoyed the story of the little old ladies running their bakery business and helping out women who needed a hand. They were the highlight of the story and absolutely charming. However, some of the other parts fell flat for me. The romance was sweet, but there wasn’t a lot of depth to the relationship, and the MMC’s father was almost cartoonishly villainous. It was fun, but not my favorite.

3 stars

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Kasey Nottingham needs a win. She needs to pitch an investment to the company she works for. In a moment of panic, or perhaps brilliance, she pitches Mags' Desserts. It so happens this small town business is owned and operated by her grandmother, Mags, and her long time lover (partner), Celia. The business means the world to these women, having started it when their husbands left them in financial distress. Kasey's bosses are interested in the business and send her to get the women to sell them the business.

Kasey has put herself in a tough situation. If her own business situation isn't complicated enough, her longtime crush, Jackson Quaid, Celia's nephew, is on the scene. Wow, and to add even more chaos to the situation, there are rumors that Mags and Cecila are serving poisoned pies to abusive husbands who wind up dead. Well, there are locked cabinets in the kitchen, strange notes on their business papers. Could they possibly be operating a poison pie business? Kasey, with Jackson's help, is going to find out.

This is a fun and engaging cozy mystery. I found that the stars of the book are Mags and Celia. They are a delight to watch as they work together. Kasey was scattered and at times I could do without her little lies, not telling why she was really visiting. I was reminded of Misha Popp's Pies Before Guys series as I read this.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Avon, for an ARC. The review is my own.

THE USUAL FAMILY MAYHEM by HelenKay Dimond is equal parts mystery and romance.

Or maybe a bit more romance, but there's definitely a strong mystery element. Kasey's grandma, Mags, and her partner ("aunt" Celia) have a thriving baked goods business, but Kasey gets suspicious when a bad husband dies under mysterious circumstances not long after his wife received a delivery from Mags' Desserts. Kasey enlists Celia's actual nephew Jackson to help her investigate.

Jackson, the guy Kasey has had a crush on since she was a teenager. Jackson, who has ignored and hassled her for years. Jackson, whose dad is trying to convince him to run for office and Mags and Celia to sell their business.

There's actually a lot of plot, which puts this more on the mystery side than romance (I'm sorry, but a lot of books have become real thin on the plot lately. Which is a separate conversation). I haven't even talked about Kasey's job! She needed to pitch a business deal and impulsively suggested getting Mags and Celia to take their baked goods to wide distribution. Her supervisor is a jerk, Jackson's dad inserts himself...so much happens!

Note that there is a strong plot thread involving domestic abuse, mostly in the past, including physical abuse, financial abuse, cheating on a terminally ill partner, killing a partner, etc. If you've ever read an post about how lotta men used to die in mysterious ways before no-fault divorce, that's definitely the vibe.

I thought it was a lot of fun, even if the mystery side isn't actually that mysterious. Not really red herrings or any of the classic mystery devices, mostly we are just on the journey of discovery along with Kasey. But it's a fun and original premise, and I hade a good time.

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager | Avon. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Mystery Romance, RomCom, Suspense
Spice Level: Fade to black
Language: Some profanity
Representation: Gay secondary characters

THE USUAL FAMILY MAYHEM, a hilarious book about love, family, and justification.

Kasey continually makes bad decisions, but because she's self-aware that she's failing, it makes it work. I was a tiny bit confused about the relationship with her and Jackson (yeah, they're not related and annoyed with each other). I chalk my confusion up to not paying attention.

I always love it when a character causes more chaos in their lives. This is one of those, full of chaos, laughter, and even twists.

Is this book cosy or not?
- Cozy setting and family
- Not cozy the dive into how abusive some men are and some swearing and fade to black sex
I'd say it's closer to cozy than not, but some diehard cozy fans might be upset.

Mystery readers are going to have fun with this one. It's more of a suspense than a mystery.

Happy reading!

THE USUAL FAMILY MAYHEM – HelenKay Dimon
Avon
ISBN: ‎ 978-0063240582
March 11, 2025
Contemporary Romance

North Carolina – Present Day

Kasey Nottingham needs an idea at the company where she works that will wow her boss. The company finds and develops the next big thing for investors, and Kasey, during a spur-of-the-moment decision to save her job mentions the pie-baking business run by her grandmother (Mags) and best friend Celia. She is sent home to talk to Mags and Celia, but she isn’t sure how to approach them about selling the company. Kasey barely arrives when she begins to get worried. The two women are acting mysteriously, with whispers and a locked cabinet. Then the talk turns to the recent death of a local man, whose wife just recently bought one of the pies. Why would a healthy man suddenly keel over and die? Was he poisoned after eating one of their pies? After the police confirm that he was poisoned, Kasey wonders if Mags and Celia helped the wife commit the deed.

Meanwhile, Celia’s nephew, Jackson Quaid, arrives to visit his aunt. Kasey talks to him about whether he agrees that the two women might have poisoned the man. Or if they were involved in a recent death of another local man. Jackson thinks Kasey is crazy to think so, but as Mags and Celia continue to act strangely, the more she’s convinced that she’s right. She came here to talk to them about selling the baking business but now she’s involved in a possible murder mystery.

Readers soon learn that THE USUAL FAMILY MAYHEM is a quirky tale that pulls you into a “did they do that?” type of mystery. Kasey has always admired her grandmother because she dealt with an abusive husband (now dead) and the murder of Kasey’s mother by Kasey’s dad. Yes, there have been a lot of abusive men in Mag’s life, and she seems to be the perfect crusader for justice. But…murdering the culprits? Kasey doesn’t want to confront Mags or Celia, but she attempts to enlist Jackson’s help. He doesn’t believe her but lets her run with her theory by meeting her. They are growing closer, but will it end with them both reeling by what they find?

There are lots of humorous scenes and dialogues in THE USUAL FAMILY MAYHEM as Kasey reacts to the reactions of Mags and Celia at various times. The two older women are closer than two peas in a pod as they seem to convey by looks between each other what they’re saying. Kasey loves her Grams and doesn’t want to actually come out and accuse them of murder, so she does some digging when they aren’t around. Meanwhile, her boss and a fellow employee by the name of Brock are pushing her to get back to them about the sale. Then Brock shows up in town, and he’s up to no good when he goes behind her back. She can’t tell Mags and Celia why he is there. Will Kasey get to the bottom of what is going on and succeed in keeping everyone happy? Will getting closer to Jackson lead to some romantic hijinks?

If you like to read a romantic comedy with a bit of mystery thrown in, then THE USUAL FAMILY MAYHEM is the perfect book for you. It was fun and highly entertaining. Be sure to pick up a copy today.

Patti Fischer
Romance Reviews Today

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
This was a fun, cozy romance, and mystery! I loved the idea of a pair of grandmas that bake pies and are poisoning evil men.

A cozy mystery that lacks mystery!

I was so excited to read this as cozy mysteries is one of my favorite genres and it started off so well. As I kept reading, it just completely lost my interest and the point of it.

I really liked the grandmas, regardless of their mischievous ways. Like I could almost look past what they helped in doing given their point was a good one. However, it didn’t settle well with me either. Plus I feel everything was resolved way too fast to add any sort of pizazz to it.

For the most part, I liked Kasey and Jackson’s bantering. The whole situation with the dad was resolved way too quickly and wanted more of something in that situation.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange of an honest review!

A twisty cozy mystery involving senior bakers accused of murder. I am always here for a good women getting revenge on bad men story and this one was top notch. With poison 'funeral pies' and a second chance romance, this was all around a fun listen. Good on audio and perfect for fans of the Pies before guys mystery series by Misha Popp. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed reading The Usual Family Mayhem. The family had a lot of drama and a few shady characters. It had everything I like when reading a cozy mystery. It was funny and I laughed out loud a few times. I liked the characters and there was a strong sense of sisterhood. The romance aspect was closed door and it didn’t take away anything from the mystery of the book. I would definitely recommend it.

Thank you so much for the advanced copy. All opinions expressed above are my own.

This adorable cozy mystery read was great to get out of my reading slump. Kasey pitches her grandmas pie shop to her firm only for her grandma to turn her down. I like the hint of romance mixed into this.

Fierce, feisty Southern women are central to this one and it's a quick paced, charming read that happily takes down some toxic men. Great dialogue.