This is a fairly good cozy mystery that had some solid parts, but at times, felt a bit flat.
The main character, Savy, is a good character and I enjoyed getting to know her.
I haven't decided if I will read more in the series.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book .

I enjoyed this cozy mystery! It’s grabbed my attention from the beginning and kept me engaged throughout. Loved all of the characters. Very entertaining!

solid fun cozy mystery with a nice protagonist and a good set of other characters, although the resolution was significantly more straightforward than I expected. 4.5 stars, rounded up. Tysm for the arc.

Essie’s Soul Food Café was everyone in town’s favorite place to be, where her sweet potato pie was termed to die for by all. Then tragedy struck. But then things changed suddenly when one of their best clients,75-year-old Grandy Jaspers, dropped dead while eating a piece of the pie as he sat at his established table 2 in the restaurant.
Even though the police deemed Grandy’s death an accident, Savvy found herself surrounded by bad press and a loss of customers. Desperate to keep her café open, she engaged the efforts of her snooping assistant manager, and together, they launched their own investigation to find the murderer.
The murder itself was bad enough, but she had an investor on her back who was trying to take over her business and customers refusing to order her sweet potato pie. Savvy worked desperately to save her business by proving that Grandy’s murder was not related to her sweet potato pie.
A fantastic ending, complete with all of the recipes that Savvy served in her café.

The books was very entertaining. The conclusion was satisfying. Loved that recipes were included at the end for various foods that were mentioned throughout the book.

I love a cozy mystery, especially when they are food-centric. Of course I couldn't resist one set in a soul food cafe in Chicago. Savvy Summers is a likeable protagonist. I appreciate that she's not created to be a idealized version of womanly perfections (as more than a few cozies tend to do.) She's real, she's down to earth, and she tells us her story in her own voice, acting as the book's narrator.

Our victim du jour is a distasteful older man who's hard to like. He meets his demise in Savvy's cafe, which places her hip-deep in the mystery of who made him faceplant in a plate of sweet potato pie.

I found Grandy Jaspers, the victim, to be quite unlikeable and secretly cheered when he was gone. I was baffled by the townsfolk that stood up for him and mourned his passing... at least at first. As people finally showed their true colors, it all made more sense.

A bonus to reading foodie cozies are the recipes that are often included. The author did not disappoint! She's given us a generous selection of recipes at the end of the book.

My thanks to Sandra Jackson-Opoku, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a digital advance review copy of this book. This review is my honest and unbiased opinion.

This was quite interesting, here we have our main character Savvy who owns the soul food restaurant in Chicago. One day one of the womanizer customer dies after eating the pie and that makes Savvy go into detective mode to find out what exactly happened. She had her assistant helping her but also in the picture is her detective ex husband. Lots of characters and lots of info about food. Quite interesting.
Thank you NetGalley and publisher for providing me with this eARC. All opinions are own.

I was invited by the publisher to review this book. Savvy owns a soul food café in Chicago, and the customers love her food, especially her sweet potato pie. But then an older local, Grandy, with a history of being a womanizer, dies at one of her tables – and Savvy worries about the reputation of her food and restaurant. With bad press mounting, Savvy takes it upon herself to discover who really murdered Grandy, and save her restaurant in the process.

I really enjoyed this book, and I felt especially pulled in by the title. This book worked well incorporating a lighter feel to the murder mystery, with plenty of food talk and a good personal arc for Savvy in relation to her ex coming back into the picture. I enjoyed Savvy as a character and enjoyed going along with her as she tried to figure out who the murderer was – and of course, there were many options with a character like Grandy!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This did what it needed to do! Cozy and funny, a bit at times flat but I was here for a good time and that is what I got. Super charming debut :)

The premise of the story was good but the execution was a bit over the top even outlandish.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was a fun and cozy read. I enjoyed the restaurant setting and characters. I don't usually read mysteries, but liked this one. I will be venturing out and reading more like this.

A great debut with a good plot and fun twists.

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for the ARC.

Review for “ Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimesby Sandra Jackson-
Opoku

1. Plot Uniquenes : 4/5
2. Pacing and Coherence : 3.5/5
3. Emotional and Interllexrual Engagekent : 3.5/5
4. Twists and turns : 3.5/5
5. Protagonist Character Development : 4/5
6. support character development : 4/5
7. Setting and atmosphere : 3.5/5
8. Chapter Organization : 4/5
9. Conclusion and tied loose ends : 4/5
10. Overall rating of book : 3.5/5

This was an amazing debut cozy mystery, I wasn't sure what to expect since I was invited by St-Martin Press to review this book and seriously. I just loved it. Got some The Maid Vibes into it.

This do not disappoint at all.

🥧🔍 A Cozy Mystery as Sweet as Pie (with a Dash of Sass)! 🔍🥧

Savvy Summers thought running a soul food café was hard enough—until her famous sweet potato pie becomes the crime scene centerpiece. When a notorious neighborhood flirt keels over at table two, Savvy finds herself tangled in a deliciously twisty whodunit, with bad press, nosy customers, and an ex-husband all stirring up trouble.

Sandra Jackson-Opoku serves up a warm, witty, and utterly charming mystery, complete with a feisty heroine, an eccentric cast of characters, and plenty of mouthwatering food descriptions. Savvy’s determination, paired with her hilarious sidekick Penny, makes for a delightful ride as they race to clear the café’s name.

✨ Final Verdict: If you love cozy mysteries with strong, sassy heroines and a dash of Southern charm, Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes is an absolute treat!

⭐ 5/5 sweet potato pies! 🥧🥧🥧🥧🥧

Kindle Copy for Review from NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books.

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

A food café owner makes a deadly sweet potato pie. Customer ends up dying from consuming t as she finds herself having to clear her name and reputation. N ths new mystery will have you wondering who wanted the person dead. It’s a sweet treat that will keep you entertan and craving a slice of pie.

Review of Uncorrected Digital Galley

Savvy Summers is catering the fiftieth anniversary celebration for Matilda and Granderson. She’s struggling to keep her business, Sapphire Summers Soulfood Café and Catering Company, afloat so for many reasons it’s important that everything goes well.

Only things haven’t gotten off to a good start.

The delivery man from Annabelle’s Sweet Stuff Bakery had dropped the cake; the number of guests at the anniversary celebration was easily double the number she’d prepared for since the majority of them did not send their RSVP and simply arrived at the Majestic Ballroom ready to celebrate with Mattie and Grandy. Then the party imploded when Mattie offered a none-too-loving toast to her husband.

And when Grandy drops dead in Savvy’s café, it isn’t too long before she finds herself the prime suspect in his death.

Can the café and catering company survive? And what of Savvy? Can she find the real culprit?

=========

Quirky characters, a small-town feel to the Chicago setting, and an intriguing mystery all work together to keep the pages turning in this cozy mystery. As might be expected, Savvy’s food is blamed for Grandy’s death; a few unexpected twists add to the telling of the tale and keep readers guessing. A subplot involving Savvy being pressured to sell her business keeps tension building.

A strong sense of place, captivating details, and a clever amateur detective ultimately bring the story to a satisfying denouement.

Highly recommended.

Readers are sure to find the celebration of family a definite plus within this story

I received a free copy of this eBook from St. Martin’s Press / Minotaur Books and NetGalley
#SavvysummersandtheSweetPotatoCrimes #NetGalley

This was a bit slow for me I didn’t enjoy it as much as I wanted togahnkbuou for allowing me to read it

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes which is a quirky, fast-paced mystery with a side of Southern charm. While the plot has potential, the execution feels uneven at times. Savvy Summers is a likable protagonist, and her determination to save her café keeps the story moving. However, the mystery surrounding Grandy Jaspers' death is a bit predictable, and the characters, though entertaining, lack depth. The blend of humor and suspense is enjoyable, but it can be a bit too light at times. Overall, it’s a fun read for fans of cozy mysteries but may leave others craving a bit more substance.

I received an ARC of this ebook from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This book had a lot of characters that were difficult to keep up with at first but the more I read the more I got into it. The descriptions of the main characters cooking kept me hungry the whole time so the recipes at the end were a cute touch. The story meandered in some places but overall it was an entertaining cozy mystery with a satisfying ending.

Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes is not a book to read when hungry. Every page is filled with amazing sounding food! The book is also filled with an amazing cast of characters. Savvy has a feel that we don't get much in mysterious, but I hope we see more of it.