Another fun mystery in this series. I liked it but it definitely is not my favorite in the series.

What I liked:
🧀The found family Willa has in Yarrow Glen. These characters all work so well together, banter, comfort, etc. Their closeness shines through.

What I wanted more of:
🧀Heath. I don’t like that he has to “stay away” while investigating.
🧀The cheese shop.

What wasn’t my favorite:
🧀The conclusion to the mystery. I loved the actual mystery, investigation, trying to figure out whodunnit and who was the actual victim. At the end though, the conclusion was a little underwhelming for me.

This still remains a favorite series. The characters and setting are truly the heart of this series and I love re-visiting again and again.

I was really excited to see that we get to learn a bit more about Willa's past in this novel.  Since I picked up the series at book #2 (and still haven't managed to get back to read book #1), I was extra excited to find out about her ex and the reasons she came to Yarrow Glen.  Her ex-fiancé lives up to the non-hype, unfortunately for Willa and everyone else.   

Willa really goes through it in this installment.  In addition to having to face her ex-fiancé and ex-best friend, she's also a main suspect in the murder.  Which, inevitably, puts pressure on her relationship with Detective Heath.  I felt badly for her many times during this one, but she always manages to pull herself together and get things done.  

So many people got hurt in this book though, wow.  Thankfully there was only the one death, but I was afraid that there was about to be a second.  Willa was especially knocked about and hopefully this doesn't continue to be her norm.  While I don't mind the occasional mishap while investigating, I don't like it when the main character is constantly abused.  In the end, nothing serious happened, which makes me happy.  

To date, I've really enjoyed each new book in this series.  As the series progresses, the characters become more fully realized and the mysteries become a bit more involved.  I was completely convinced that it was one person, then a second person.  Not once did I even briefly think that the murderer was who it wound up being.  Nothing makes me want to continue a series more than this.  Keep me guessing and keep me wanting to know more, and you've got me hooked.

Bait and Swiss is another fun and flavorful mystery from Korina Moss’s Cheese Shop series. Set in the cozy town of Yarrow Glen, this one brings back cheesemonger Willa Bauer as she gets pulled into a new murder case—this time involving her ex and a suspicious chocolate shop. The mystery keeps you guessing without getting too dark, and the small-town charm, cheesy puns, and lovable cast of characters (especially Team Cheese) make it a super enjoyable read. (I received an advance reader copy and all opinions are my own.) If you like your mysteries cozy, clever, and full of cheese, this one’s a treat!

Fast and friendly. Another great adventure!

Moss is at her best with the next installment of the cheese shop mysteries. We finally get to meet some of the characters from Willa’s past, namely her ex fiancé and best friend.

The pacing was swift in this episode and the clues (and red herrings) were plentiful. My only regret is that I read it so fast! Looking forward to the next one.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Korina Moss for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Bait and Swiss coming out April 29, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I haven’t read the other books in the series, but I really love cozy mysteries. I was excited to check this one out. I love cozies involving food. The characters were fun and interesting. I would check out other books by this author.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries!

Willa’s ex is in town and is accused of poisoning a customer with his chocolates. Both he and his partner, Willis’s former best friend, beg her to help clear his name. If only Willa didn’t care so much about Yarrow, Glen, should be able to say no and walk away. Will I help find out who actually poisoned the chocolate before she finds herself the next victim?

I love this series. From the cheese to the characters to Willa’s chopped, loving pet fish, there’s nothing I don’t like. Each and every entry delivers a solid mystery gooey cheesy goodness and plenty of red herrings to go along with it. If you haven’t read a book in the series yet feel free to start with this one. It’ll read fine as a standalone, but you’ll be ready to read the rest as soon as you’re finished.

Bait and Swiss is book six in the Cheese Shop Mystery series by Korina Moss.
I just love this cozy mystery series!
These characters were amazing and well fleshed out.
The plot progresses nicely to a satisfying conclusion.
There’s just something so comforting about cozy mysteries.
And Moss has done a phenomenal job here.

Thank You NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Willa is looking forward to the second anniversary celebration for her shop Curds & Whey. The same day Hope opens her cakery with a surprise side shop inside that brings Willa’s past into the present.
Chocolate Bliss is Pearce and Riley’s chocolate shop. Pearce is Willa’s former fiancé. Riley is her former best friend. It’s been 10 years, but Willa is thrown for a loop.
Things go awry after the opening, and Willa becomes a suspect in an unexpected death.
The cheese shop mysteries seem to get better as each book comes out. There were a limited number of options for suspects, but Korina Moss kept us guessing right up to the end.
I think this might be my favorite. Willa has grown as a character and her Team Cheese is such a wonderful group.
I recommend picking up Bait and Swiss. This book may even do well as a stand-alone. It has all the back story you would need to enjoy it for itself. The cheesy recipes in the back sound delicious.
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s for the opportunity to read this book.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Death by chocolate – not cheese. You would think that would keep cheesemonger Willa Bauer out of the investigation, and she would concentrate on celebrating the 2nd anniversary of her Curds & Whey cheese shop. But no, she has a connection to this crime. Her ex-fiancé and ex-best friend have surprisingly arrived in Yarrow Glen and have opened a pop-up chocolate shop. The chocolate shop that made the chocolate creams that killed the town’s newest reporter. Her exes have asked her to help clear their names and their pop-up.

Willa really has no desire to help them, but their pop-up was coordinated with the new bakery in town owned by Archie’s friend Hope, who was already taking a big chance by completely changing a successful business. Plus, an unsolved death will hurt the whole town of Yarrow Glen.

So, it’s time for Team Cheese to get together and cream the killer before it’s too late!

There is nothing I like better than a multigenerational group of people that comes together to solve mysteries. I also enjoy when coworkers become genuine friends who truly care about each other. Willa, Baz, Archie, and Mrs. Schultz fit both to a tee. It is easy to get invested in their lives. Right now, they are all dealing with romance issues. Mrs. Schultz has an admirer, but she sees a different side of him in this story. Archie and Hope are now trying to be friends, and he is worried about how that will go. Baz dates, but could he have finally found the right woman? Willa and Heath’s relationship was going in the right direction until she became a person of interest in the current case.

The mystery Ms. Moss has penned is complicated; Was the new reporter the actual target? Could the target have been his boss? Was it Willa who was supposed to die? Did her actions land her on the suspect list, or are both true? How were the chocolates tainted? Could someone from Yarrow Glen have tinkered with the treats? Involving people from Willa’s past was hard for her. Could she trust them after how they hurt her? Team Cheese did their best to follow every clue, but a secret had to be disclosed to get the investigation truly moving in the right direction. The reveal caught me off guard, I was right there with Willa when we both got an enormous surprise. The showdown was suspenseful and painful for our protagonist, but the truth prevailed.

I always enjoy my visits to Yarrow Glen and to Curds & Whey. Willa’s anniversary celebration didn’t go as planned, but I loved all the things they had planned for the day, with costumes, games, and plenty of cheese. The author’s attention to detail in her descriptions took me right into the shop and everywhere Willa and Team Cheese went, even to a dumpster in an alley. That scene was pretty funny.

Readers will be craving cheese while reading. May I suggest you flip to the recipes at the back of the book and whip up Ms. Schultz’s Swiss or Miss Dip, then grab some pretzels or crackers to snack on as you enjoy this story.

Bait and Swiss is an excellent addition to this series. The pages were flying. The characters entertained. The mystery was well-plotted and written. There was some humor to tickle the funny bone. And plenty of cheese to tempt the taste buds. Willa’s betta fish, Loretta, was “wiggling happily in her fishbowl” at the end of the story. I was happy too and can’t wait to see what Ms. Moss has planned for her next Cheese Shop Mystery

Bait and Swiss took me back to Willa and her cheese shop Curds and Whey. There is never a dull moment when I am reading about the adventures of Willa and her friends.
This time a reporter for the town’s newspaper is poisoned and Willa is a suspect for committing the crime.
The story is filled with twists and turns until the real person is found. I love the interaction of all the characters and cannot wait for the next installment in this wonderful cozy mystery series. I highly recommend this series the Cheese Shop Mystery.
Thank you NetGalley, Korina Moss and St. Martin's Press for the copy of Bait and Swiss. This is my personal review.

I discovered cozy mysteries about five years ago, and now I’m hooked, especially when the cozy features great characters and great food! Reading Bait and Swiss was like cozying up with a big plate of favorite comfort foods, in this case, cheese and chocolate! This is the first book by Korina Moss I’ve read, and it is also the first one from this delicious series. After reading the first few chapters, I knew I had to go back and read the other five books in the series, because the fictional town of “Yarrow Glen,” (in the very real Sonoma Valley region of California), and so many fabulously entertaining and well-written characters, especially main character and cheese monger Willa Bauer, completely drew me in. Ms. Moss does a great job of giving enough background and context to help the reader get up to speed, but I have so many questions that I can’t wait to read to go back to the beginning!

In this installment, Willa and her staff are getting ready to celebrate two years of Curds & Whey, Willa’s cheese shop. On the same day of the celebration, a new cakery opens in town, and much to Willa’s dismay, there is also a pop-up chocolate shop, Chocolate Bliss, that is owned by Willa’s ex-fiancé and his girlfriend, who is Willa’s ex-best friend. Although she hasn’t seen them in 10 years, old feelings of anger and mistrust surface. Later that day, someone is poisoned, and Willa is one of many suspects. Now she and some of her friends, known as Team Cheese, work to solve this “whodunit.” What made it even more fun was that every time I thought I had it figured out, the story went in another direction, and even at the end, there were a few additional twists. The friendships among Willa, her friends, and staff are also a delightful part of this story, and yet another reason to go back to the beginning to get to know these fun characters.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, for the opportunity to read this ARC. My review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.

The Cheese Shop Mysteries by Korina Moss has quickly become one of my favorite mystery series. So when I saw that the latest installment was releasing, I knew I had to get my hands on Bait and Swiss.

The Cheese Shop Mysteries follows Willa and her staff in a small northern California town. In Bait and Swiss, the shop is celebrating its second anniversary, and the town is welcoming a new cake and specialty chocolate business. However, when a reporter dies from poisoned chocolates, Willa appears to be the prime suspect and her business is taking a hit. Of course, Team Cheese can’t just sit by and hope that the police will solve the mystery, so they begin their own investigation.

I really liked that in Bait and Swiss, Willa’s backstory was expanded upon and her budding relationship with Detective Heath continues to grow. Willa is shocked when her ex-fiance and best friend show up in town as the business partners in this pop-up chocolate shop. Willa doesn’t hide her surprise and even anger that these two from her past are in town, but she’s determined to support Hope’s half of the new business. But when chocolates are determined to be the murder weapon and Willa happens to be the one to deliver them to the newspaper office, well, it puts her as the prime suspect and puts a strain on her relationship with Heath. I found this to be a nice twist to the series to help advance Willa’s growth as a character.

I continue to enjoy Team Cheese. Willa, Archie, Baz, and Mrs Shultz are so different, yet they make a great team. Their friendship and interactions enhance the story, making me wish I was part of their group. They genuinely like spending time together in and out of work, and I appreciate that aspect of the story. And I even like that each member of Team Cheese got a bit of character development in Bait and Swiss.

The mystery wasn’t bad, but for me, it felt more like the vehicle for all the character development rather than the primary focus of the book. Willa actively investigated, and she did it with the help of her team, yet somehow it all felt secondary to their relationship growth. I wasn’t terribly surprised by the reveal of the murderer or their motives, even though I hadn’t figured it out on my own.

I have no problem recommending this book, but I suggest starting earlier in the series to understand the setting and characters better. Bait and Swiss was a fun ride and I will definitely continue with this series. Thank you for another enjoyable read, Ms. Moss!

On the eve of the second birthday of Willa Bauer’s cheese shop Curds & Whey, she got a big shock. Her ex-fiancé and ex-best friend appeared in her small California town. Local baker Hope had a grand opening for her new cakery and announced a partnership with Chocolate Bliss, the chocolate shop owned by Pearce and Riley. There had been a time when Willa had been a part of the business plan and about to marry Pearce, but while Willa had been putting in long hours learning to run a business, Pearce and Riley had been putting in long hours falling in love.

After the breakup, Willa had gone to France and fallen in love with cheese. When she came back to the States, she had chosen a small town where she could open a cheese shop and start a new life. Now Pearce and Riley are in her town, and she’s not happy about it. Willa had ordered a cheesecake for her shop birthday party, and when she goes to the cakery to pick it up, she finds a box of chocolates with it. The chocolates weren’t for her. They were supposed to go to A.J. at the local newspaper for a review. Willa swallows her hurt and offers to take the chocolates to A.J.’s office.

When Willa got to the newspaper office, she hears angry voices. Her friend and local reporter Deandre is arguing with new reporter Kevin about assignments. Kevin is competitive and pushing in on Deandre’s assignments, and she doesn’t like that. She leaves her resignation letter on A.J.’s desk and storms out. Willa leaves the chocolates on A.J.’s desk along with a note that says, “You’re in trouble,” as she was upset that Deandre would rather quit than work with Kevin. She and A.J. had worked together solving some local murders, so Willa knew she could poke at him like that.

But when A.J. shows up at the office, he finds Kevin dead. The police determine that he had eaten the chocolates, which someone had poisoned. And when they make an announcement through the town, asking anyone who had bought anything or eaten anything from the cakery’s opening, tourists start to worry about whether it’s safe to eat anywhere in town, even Willa’s cheese shop.

Willa wants to help figure out who killed Kevin and why, but there are a lot of questions. Who had access to the chocolates to poison them? And was Kevin the intended target? He was known for having a sweet tooth, but those chocolates were meant for A.J. And at first, they were placed with Willa’s order, so maybe it was someone who wanted to get rid of her. And was it meant to be a murder, or was someone trying to sabotage Chocolate Bliss and run them out of town? As Wills and Team Cheese, as she calls her crime-solving and cheese-loving team, try to sort through what they know, they get closer and closer to a killer. So even if Willa wasn’t the target originally, she becomes one as the clues pile up and the true picture of the murder comes together. Will she be able to solve it before they come for her?

Bait and Swiss is book six in Korina Moss’s tasty Cheese Shop mystery series. In this one, Willa’s past comes to her small town and upends her quiet life. I was really excited to find out more about her past, about the relationships that shaped her life in Yarrow Glen. I also love all the cheese talk in the books, but it does make me hungry. The Raclette over potatoes? My mouth was watering. Sadly, that was not one of the recipes included at the end of the book, but there are No-Bake Chocolate Cheesecake Jars and Pizza Smashed Potatoes, so all is forgiven.

I really enjoy Korina Moss’s cheesy mysteries. These are smart characters who believe in justice and cheese, and I am all in for that. Bait and Swiss is a fun read, cozy and delicious, with everything I’m looking for in a good, solid cozy mystery.

Egalleys for Bait and Swiss were provided by St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley, with many thanks, but the opinions are mine.

Bait and Swiss was so good! Willa and her crew (#TeamCheese) are the best at sniffing out clues and solving crimes. And so much yummy cheesy goodness! I can't get enough. So many twist and turns, I thought I knew whodunnit, but not sure how or why. And then when the mystery was solved, I was all, "What? No way!!" I just love it when a cozy mystery surprises me!!
Highly recommend!

Many thanks to St. Martin's Publishing and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor or expectation.

I adore this series and am always happy when there is a new book. The cheese loving mystery solving group is loveable and there are plenty of good twists.

Bait and Swiss is book #6 in the Cheese Shop Mysteries series by Korina Moss.

Not only do we have cheese in this book but there is chocolate too! Of course it’s not so good for a new reporter who ends up being poisoned by it. Or good for Willa because the chocolate shop is owned by her ex-fiancé and her ex-best friend. Willa is reluctant to help her ex when he asks her for help figuring out who poisoned the chocolates. But soon, she and Team Cheese are on the case. I enjoyed following along as they investigated. This book is another great addition to the series!

Thank you to the author, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Willa’s peace as she is settling into her new relationship with Detective Heath is interrupted when her ex-fiancée & his new partner move into town & open a business near hers. Things get even worse when he becomes the prime suspect when a journalist is murdered. And he comes running to Willa for help.

I enjoyed this one a lot better than the last one! There were plenty of suspects, a clever twist in how the murder was done, the fun of Willa’s investigating w/ her Team Cheese, and a bunch of recipes that I can’t wait to try! One of my favorite things in this series is Willa and the friendships she has throughout her community, not just her employees, but other business owners and people working for the newspaper.!

And Moss does such a great job making all the suspects valid. Each time I was certain I knew who the murderer was, one of the suspects would do something so suspicious I had to stop and reconsider. And the actual ending surprised me! I do feel the final culprit could have been set up a little better, but overall a twisty mystery that kept me engaged.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for this arc!

Bait and Swiss is a cozy mystery and thriller for YA written by Korina Moss.


My favorite supportive character was Holly. The setting in Yarrow Glen was a nice place to work. Willa was the owner of Curds and Whey, who had an aversion to chocolate.


Willa's ex-finance and her ex- best friend set up a chocolatier shop in Yarrow Glen. The last time Willa saw them was ten years ago.


Kevin, the new reporter at the Gazette was killed. Did Deandra kill him? Baz was the investigating officer who also saved Willa's life. The chocolates were poisoned.


I appreciated the twists and turns of Bait and Swiss giving it 5*. There are recipes at the end of the book that sound amazing.


Disclaimer: I receive complimentary books from various sources, including, publishers, publicists, authors, the Libby app, and/or NetGalley. I am not required to write a positive review and have not received any compensation. The opinions shared here are my own entirely. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a free copy of the e-book. All opinions are my own.

Bait and Swiss by Korina Moss is a fun cozy mystery and the sixth book in the Cheese Shop Mystery series. Readers return to the small town of Yarrow Glen in the Sonoma Valley. Cheesemonger Willa Bauer is the successful owner of Curds and Whey, the local cheese shop. Life is going well until her ex-fiancé and ex-best friend, now married, set up a pop-up chocolate shop across the street. Willa had no warning they were in town, let alone setting up a store so close to hers. The chocolate shop is in the same space as the local bakery, and Willa needs to go inside to pick up a cheesecake order. When she leaves, she also has a chocolate delivery to make to the local paper. Her bad day gets even worse when the newest reporter in town helps himself to the chocolate Willa left for the editor and is found dead.

Willa is a suspect. The editor is a suspect. But what is worse is when her ex-fiancé and former best friend press her to solve the murder and clear their names so the shop doesn’t go under. The request puts Willa at odds with herself, and the internal conflict adds tension to the story. But clearing their names may also clear hers, so she agrees to their request.

The mystery is well-written, with plenty of suspects and red herrings to throw Willa and the reader off trail. More than once, I was forced to change my “I know who did it” until the end of the book. The only drawback for me was trying to keep all the characters straight. Overall, I enjoyed reading Korina Moss’s Bait and Swiss.
4/5 stars

Willa’s team at the cheese shop and her sleuthing buddies are like visiting old friends now. Her protégé Archie’s grown and changed so much since the first book, and now they had not one but two new employees. I remembered June from the last book and how she’d hit it off well with Archie at the dairy festival.

Willa’s worst nightmare came true when the pop-up shop going in with Hope’s Cakery was her ex-fiancé and his girlfriend, so poor Willa had a ton on her emotional plate including being a person of interest in the murder case. She and her sometimes-buddy AJ from the paper did their own sleuthing. He cracked me up going under cover dressed like some 1940s detective, lol. Willa said the same thing I was thinking: he’s gonna attract more attention that way.

After a tense and crazy showdown at Hope’s Cakery, the perp was going away for a long time and peace reigned in Yarrow Glen once more. Willa and her friends celebrated my favorite way with food and fellowship. And Willa had a special moment with her detective who finally wanted to give their relationship an official label. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by St. Martin/Minotaur books via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.