This is somewhere between high, camp drama and cozy mystery and I think this be my niche.

Though our protagonist does suffer from 'I'm not like other girls’ syndrome at times she is a fun, if a little chaotic narrator who keeps the story going at a steady pace throughout. While the plot isn't exactly the most unique one to sit the shelves, there are enough twists and turns that keep it unlike most beauty pageant mysteries,

Bonus points need to be given to Bird for the ditsy Sevilla who regularly mixes up her words, making up wild explanations for what she meant. There are many comedic points in the novel but she brings some of the best.

The romance not being the focal point is a blessing as when it is brought up, it almost falls flat with the love interest declaring he cares about her after barely any positive interactions.

Downgraded from a 3 to 2 star after a few days.

I really wanted to like this because the cover is amazing! But this felt like a badly done Miss Congeniality knockoff. One contestant is sweet, but sort of shallow, one is mean and nasty but seems to become an amazing friend overnight, one keeps making up weird words and calls her step-mother “Step-Mommy”. Gross. The half assed love interest was the only truly interesting part and then he got backburned time and time again. The “twist/s” were able to be seen coming from a mile away.

The narrator was ok, but had a super heavy, generic southern drawl that was extremely grating.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC in exchange for an unbiased review.

I enjoyed this cozy set during a Virginian beauty pageant. Dakota Green is a likable character, and her mother’s letters are funny and poignant. The mystery had several branches - historical and current - and a couple twists I didn’t see coming. The romantic interest seemed abrupt, but the relationship between contestants was well done. Narrator Katie Beudert delivers satisfying performance with a variety of accents and intonations to clearly identify characters. More please. Recommended.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a review audiobook. All opinions expressed are my own.

A Beauty Queen's Guide to Murder and Mayhem by Kristen Bird, narrated by Katie Beudert, is an absolute gem of a read! Set in a refreshingly unique pageant backdrop, the story draws you in with its vibrant setting and intriguing plot. The supporting characters are rich and well-developed, adding depth and color to the narrative. And the protagonist? She's the kind of character you'll instantly connect with and root for throughout the twists and turns. Katie Beudert's narration brings the characters to life with perfect pacing and emotion, making it an unforgettable listening experience. A must-read (or listen)! (I received an advance listener copy and all opinions are my own.)

What a fun cozy mystery. This story follows Dakota, who's left with heaping debt after the tragic loss of her mother, and who relies on her mother's monthly posthumous letters to guider her mourning. When one of her mother's letters tells her to compete in her small town's big-deal beauty pageant, she is full of reservations, but ultimately decides to go for it - and in the process she manages to find herself deeply embedded in the pageant's mysteries.
I loved this book's characters, twists and turns, it was such a fun cozy mystery and I would definitely seek out more from Kristen Bird.

𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁: 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼
𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝟰/𝟱⭐️
𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗱𝗮𝘆: 𝗙𝗲𝗯𝗿𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟮𝟴

This book was exactly what I needed right now. Something fun, heartwarming, and reflective all at the same time. I loved the themes of sisterhood and family and all the hilarious mispronunciation of words. A cozy mystery with a fun beauty queen backdrop!

Thanks Storm Publishing for the arc via Netgalley!

I just finished a fun audiobook that is out today. A Beauty Queens' Guide to Murder and Mayhem by Kristen Bird is one to pick up!

3.5⭐️

A murder mystery set at a beauty pageant? That’s definitely a first for me, and the premise immediately had me intrigued.

📚premise of the book📚

When Dakota Green reluctantly enters a beauty pageant out of sheer necessity due to struggling with financial debt after her mother’s passing, the last thing she expects is to stumble into a murder mystery. With guidance from her aunt, a former pageant queen, she steps into the competition. But when Mr. Finch, the pageant owner, suddenly disappears and her aunt is arrested, things spiral out of control. What really happened to Mr. Finch? And how is the mysterious disappearance of the 2001 winner connected to it all? Juggling newfound friendships, a high-stakes mystery, and the cutthroat world of beauty pageants, Dakota is determined to uncover the truth and save her aunt.

🤔my thoughts🤔

While I enjoyed the story, there were moments that felt predictable, and certain sections dragged a bit without much happening. Some of the character motivations also felt a little rushed or unrealistic, which took away from the mystery’s impact.
That said, the strong female friendships were a definite highlight, and the epilogue hit me with a plot twist I never saw coming.

❗️SPOILERS AFTER THIS PART❗️

WARNING DO NOT PROCEED READING IF YOU HAVEN’T READ THE BOOK YET

😭plotholes in the book😭

-if Miss 2001 was right there in front of everyone, why did no one recognize her? Had she undergone plastic surgery? Like the older people, for example the other female judge who were likely present during the 2001 competition?
-what was the male judges motive for assisting with the murder? And what were his motives for going rogue? I didn’t understand that
-Why was Sevilla not upset with her fathers death if she truly had nothing to do with it?
-miss 2001 was allowed to judge the competition because she had won in a different year. Had she re-entered the competition after her disappearance? Why had mister finch allowed that? Again, why had no one recognized her?


To end on a high note, here’s a quote that really stood out to me:
"Dead bodies are heavy, but angry women get things done."

3.5 stars This was a fun cozy mystery based around a beauty pageant in the south. It's pretty much what you think it will be. Protagonist Delilah's mother passes away, the family has a lot of debt, but her mom leaves a note saying she should have her aunt help her enter the pageant she's been involved with for the last 30 years, which has a big cash prize. In 1991 one of the contestents was murdered and now people are starting to go missing! It's amateur Miss Congeniality in Virginia.

Overall I enjoyed this book and was surprised by the reveals at the ending. I did find it a little hard to keep track of the characters on audio initially, and that made it harder for me to get into it, but I stayed up to finish it by the time I was in the second half. Overall, this is a fun, women-centered cosy mystery, and if that sounds good to you you'll probably like it!

Thank you to Dreamscape Select for giving me an advance review copy for an unbiased review.

This was an incredible read with some amazing characters. I hope this turns into a series. I am a fan of Kristen Bird. Narration was great.

Dakota Green is convinced by her aunt to enter into her town’s beauty pageant to try to win a cash prize. This felt like a modern and southern version of Miss Congeniality. I love that the contestants of the beauty pageant were represented as real people and not all ditsy girls. I love stories that take someone who isn’t used to being pampered, done up etc and gives them these experiences as they compete for something, in this case a beauty pageant. It opens their eyes into another world. Some of the characters were over the top but I enjoyed the storyline that kept me interested throughout. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did a great job. This was the first in a series that follows Dakota. I can’t wait to see what mystery she gets into next. This was a fun cozy mystery that was exactly what I needed.

Thank you for the opportunity to listen to this ARC. It was one that went really fast for me and enjoyed from the beginning. I think it will be one of the favorites in this genre when it eventually comes out.

This was so much fun! I loved the setting of a small town in Virginia, at a beauty pageant with a reluctant participant fulfilling her dying mother’s wishes. The characters were plentiful but were all well-developed enough to tell them apart and had their own quirks in their own right; I was a big fan of the contestant who smushed words together to form interesting malapropisms. The mystery was interesting and I had no idea who the guilty party was until the very end. Looking forward to more in this series!

This was a fun cozy zany read. It was a quick little mystery full of fun characters. I’m looking forward to more from this author and in this series.

📚💄 Book Review: A Beauty Queen’s Guide to Murder and Mayhem 👑🔍

Pageants, murder, and a whole lot of Southern sass—what more could you want in a cozy mystery? 🌸🔪

🐎 Dakota Green is not the pageant type, but when her Aunt DeeDee convinces her to compete for prize money to save their family farm, she trades in her riding boots for high heels. Then the pageant owner goes missing, and Aunt DeeDee becomes the main suspect. Cue Dakota’s unexpected turn as an amateur sleuth—while still trying to survive the glitz and glam of small-town pageantry!

🎧 The audiobook is a treat with its perfect Southern accent from narrator Katie Beudert, and the mix of humor, mystery, and small-town charm makes this one a fast, fun read. If you love cozy mysteries with a unique twist, this series starter is worth checking out!

Thank you to Kristen Bird @kristenbirdwrites, Storm Publishing @stormbooks_co, and NetGalley @netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this book in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars - Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing an ARC of the 'A Beauty Queen's Guide to Murder and Mayhem' audiobook. Based on the description, I had high hopes for this one, expecting a blend of beauty queen humor and drama akin to Miss Congeniality. I also anticipated a tone similar to the Finley Donovan series, with sharp humor, satire, and romance. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite deliver on those fronts. The story felt drawn out, focusing on two separate disappearances with reveals that lacked impact. Overall, it didn’t meet my expectations.

Review purely for the Audiobook: Unfortunately I was unable to finish the audiobook. As a neurodivergent person, a Southern American accent was not something I could manage sadly. However, from what I have manage to hear so far, I would definitely read a written copy!

Dakota Green has spent most of her life exposed to the pageant life her town is known for, but never in her wildest dreams did she expect to participate in the competition. When her mom dies and Dakota is left with insurmountable debt, she realizes that competing in the local pageant may be her only hope to keep her family home and return to college to complete her veterinarian degree. If that weren't pressure enough, a decades-old mystery of a former missing pageant winner resurfaces, along with a new murder and additional hijinks. With the help of her former pageant-winning aunt, best friend, and fellow contestants, will Dakota be able to go from stable assistant to beauty queen while also solving the crimes and mysteries of the Aubergine pageant?

This story was a slow burn and more cozy mystery than a thriller. It had Miss Congeniality vibes but with virtually no humor until toward the end of the book. The plot involves a lot of pageant backstory and slow event progression until nearly the 75% mark. It took me about that long to get invested in the characters and story, and once the plot twist was revealed, it was a good twist. That said, it was also pretty unrealistic and felt like the storyline of a telenovela; a fun story if you aren't bothered by plot holes galore. There is a small romantic component but the chemistry didn't feel authentic and it didn't go anywhere at the end. I did enjoy watching Dakota's character gain confidence and see her personality shine as she let herself make new friends and have fun along the way.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced audio version of this book. The narrator had a pleasant voice and her character shifts were decent.

What a cute and fun novel! This book gave Miss Congeniality vibes, as Dakota Green enters a century-old pageant in her hometown to win enough money to repair her family's debts, but in the course of the pageant weekend, helps solve a murder that has taken place on the grounds. It was a fun mystery that had some twists that left me guessing till the very end, which was actually really fun.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Dakota Green is tricked into entering a local beauty pageant by her recently-deceased mother. The pageant is not Dakota's scene, preferring to spend her days with horses. Once in the fold of hairspray and snide remarks, Dakota begins investigating odd happenings and deaths during the week to help save her Aunt. Along the way, hijinks, friendships, and love happen.

How can you not enjoy a cozy mystery with shades of Miss Congeniality? Well done, and I look forward to more Dakota Green adventures!

Thank you Netgalley and Storm Publishing for this Advanced Listening Copy. All opinions are my own.