The third novel in the Rocky Start series jumps right in with more mayhem leaving Rose and Max to try to bring back some peace in their little corner of the world.

This read more like a mild murder mystery with just a touch of romantic elements. The promise of a good plot was there, but at times it felt a little bit all over the place. I miss Crusie’s writing of fun and quirky characters and felt her voice was missing here.

Although, this was not my favorite read thus far, I still stay true to my love for Jennifer Cruise and her standalone novels as I have loved her writing for years now.

The story was enjoyable and entertaining, and I can’t wait to read the third and final book in this trilogy. As with their other books, the characters really add to the overall experience. I don’t remember if we got Poppy’s POV in the first book, but having it here added a fresh and fun younger voice to the story. I loved the contrast between Poppy’s and Rose’s perspectives—both brought emotional depth and different generational angles that worked really well.

Max’s point of view, on the other hand, had that very classic “guy logic” tone, and it was interesting to see him come to grips with how much his plans and expectations were shifting. His arc added a grounded, emotional thread to balance out some of the chaos.

The small town of Rocky Start couldn’t have had a more fitting setup—retired spooks and dead bodies? It’s the perfect quirky backdrop, and it ties beautifully into the theme of the series.

Audiobook Quality:
I’ve listened to hundreds of audiobooks over the years, and one thing that consistently trips me up is when narrators don’t clearly differentiate between narration and dialogue. Unfortunately, both narrators here struggled with that. The characters’ lines blended too much with the rest of the narration, making it genuinely hard to tell when people were actually speaking. It was confusing and, honestly, frustrating.

Personal Pet Peeve:
Okay, maybe it’s just me—but does the dog have the same name as the hero?? Every time someone said “Max,” I had no idea whether they meant the guy or the dog. Apparently, the dog’s name is Maggs, but to my ears, it kept sounding like Max. Either way, it drove me a little nuts.

While I wasn’t able to finish the entire 3 audiobook series before, I did enjoy the series and hopefully to finish off the last book soon.

Very Nice Funerals is the second book in the Rocky Start series by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer. The audio version is narrated by Cris Dukehart and Eric G. Dove. After her kidnapping ordeal, eighteen-year-old Poppy Malone is suffering from PTSD and reevaluating her life choices: college is out, and making something of their Oddities shop is in, but not everyone agrees.

Meanwhile, her mom, Rose is plagued by suitors: men of Rocky Start who mostly are interested because she now owns Oddities, and there are rumours that millions are hidden somewhere within. Max did find Ozzie’s go-bag with fifty thousand dollars, but Rose is convinced that was a one-off, until another couple of $50K caches turn up in unusual spots. There’s talk of gold, too, but no sign of it so far. And then there are the creepy texts…

Max Reddy needs to get back on the AT, and is doing daily short hikes, but now his dog, Maggs is refusing to join in, he catches a rotten cold when the rope bridge over the Little Melvin is cut and he falls in the river, and one of the town’s former players is found posed in a coffin in her own undertaking shop. He’s going to have to hang around and sort this out: he can’t go back to the AT unless he knows Rose and Poppy are safe.

And then some guy in a cyber-truck turns up, who turns out to be an investigative journalist, author of a book about serial killers: what does he want in Rocky Start? Three redhead sisters driving up in the dead of night in a pink Cadillac, in a town that doesn’t like strangers, also ring alarm bells. There are several more murders after the first one, and it seems that each one, frustratingly for Max and Luke and Pike, eliminates another suspect for the killings.

This second visit to the small Smoky Mountains town with its quirky population is at least as enjoyable as the first, although this is a series that definitely needs to be read in order, as making sense of the plot is contingent on having read earlier books, although why anyone would deny themselves the pleasure of doing that is a mystery.

Again three narratives (Rose, Max and Poppy) tell the story, and their internal monologues are very entertaining; Max’s, in particular, is often hilarious, as he continues to refer to the warped sense of humour of “the entity that runs the simulation controlling my life” whenever some mishap occurs; and there’s Rose with her “cheery-boost” smiles. Wolf-like Maggs and Fernanda the llama both have starring moments. Another fun instalment of this crime/spy thriller in The Honey Pot Plot is eagerly anticipated.
This unbiased review is from an audio copy provided by NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing.

I loved being back in Rocky Start with Rose and Max! This book was just as fun and funny as the first and I can’t wait to read the third.

𝗤𝗨𝗜𝗖𝗞 𝗣𝗟𝗢𝗧 𝗣𝗘𝗘𝗞
Rose Malone’s life is chaos - her daughter’s suffering with PTSD, thirsty men are after her inheritance, and her beau Max Reddy wants to go off and hike the Appalachian Trail. But when Max finds a body in a coffin, and realizes a serial killer’s targeting their quirky town of retired spies, he puts his hiking adventure on pause.

𝗛𝗢𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗢𝗣𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗢𝗡
I loved jumping back into this series - same great narrators, and it picks up where book one finished.

It’s less romance, more mystery this time with fewer sexy moments and more focus on the serial killer, which I liked. It was nice meeting more of the town (Hermione especially) but I wish it went a little deeper, though there were quite a few characters, and the book isn’t short.

Poppy’s coming of age story felt really grown up and thoughtful, and I really liked the direction it took. I also loved how more loose ends were tied up from the series arc.

𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗛 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗?
I don’t know how well this would work as a standalone but as book two it’s just as much fun as one and now I’m just excited for the finale!

Thanks to @BrilliancePublishing and @Netgalley for access to this advance listening copy

Mayer and Crusie never disappoint. I enjoyed the first novel in the series and jumped right into this one. I am loving all the characters and drama that goes on in this town.

Again, the narrators did a fantastic job.

Perfect follow-up to Rocky Start, the first in the series. While the first one was good, the series has definitely hit its stride with this one. It was action-packed and fast-paced, with so many twists and turns, I wasn’t sure how it was all going to play out (except for that Max would eventually leave to finish his hike on the AT). There was less of Poppy’s inner monologue, which made me happy, but she is still present in the story and I like the way her story arc is progressing. Looking forward to the next in the series.

Very Nice Funerals is the second book in the Rocky Start series and follows the events of the first. We find Max itching to get back onto the Appalachian trail because he's always a man who finishes what he starts. Having said that he's also begun to see the kind of life an ex-operative can have in this town of Rocky Start, with a person like Rose, who makes him feel like he's home. But things aren't all smooth sailing. An infamous true crime author wanders into town just as a dead body is found. Just what Max needed. Finding a killer in a town of retired operatives with a journalist asking questions.

In this book we see more and more of the past being revealed, and we get a bit more clarity on how most of the inhabitants of Rocky Start found themselves there in the first place. Some big revelations including why Max even ends up in Rocky Start because was it really a coincidence? This book continues with the heartwarming, cosy and humourus vibe that the first book set while also showing us some character development that can't help but endear you to the people in this interesting town. Unfortunately, I wouldn't recommend this as a standalone so the first book "Rocky Start" would be a good place to start. Definitely recommend this series.

Rose is reevaluating her life, Max is trying to leave town to finish the Appalachian Trail, Poppy is traumatized, and it turns out that Rocky Start may just be home to a serial killer in this second installment of the Rocky Start Trilogy.

I heavily criticized the first book in this trilogy for starting with poor writing and character development. Thankfully, that book was much better on the back end and finished rather strong. I'm pleased to say that the momentum continued and this second book is a solid example of mystery fiction. Rose is personable and relatable as she evaluates her life post-Ozzie. Poppy is processing trauma as a teenager in such a realistic way that it's actually somewhat scary. She's acting right for her age without being overly whiny which is so refreshing compared to a lot of 18-year-old fictional characters. Max is the weak link as he is still a bit one-dimensional and overly stubborn but he does make some progress towards acting human this time. The plot is engaging and suspenseful, with twists and turns that kept me guessing the entire way through. ***SPOILER***It is somewhat lackluster how not-present the killer is before the reveal though.***END SPOILER***


I am a little mad though. One of my favorite periphery characters from the first book is the first victim found in this book. That's just rude.


The audiobook problems I had with the first book in the series are completely gone here. The editing is still adequate and now the accents are done well. Highly recommend listening to this one on audio.

I decided to listen to the whole series before writing my review. I felt like the second book could’ve been condensed and split between the first and second. I felt like this book jumped around a bit too much, and I had a hard time keeping all of the characters straight and who they were after/why. With that being said, I still thought it was witty and engaging like the first book. It was interesting to see how some of the characters adapted based on new information in this second book. It definitely made me want to continue onto the third. Both authors and narrators did a very nice job with this series! Even though the middle book wasn’t my favorite, I still recommend checking out this series! Thank you NetGalley and Brilliance Audio for providing me with a copy for an honest review.

I wasn't sure what to expect with this series but the book covers looked fun and the titles sounded quirky, so I gave it a go and I must say I am really enjoying this series. The story is told by three characters Rose the mother who is hiding out from the police and just wants a quite life. Her daughter, Poppy who after the last book is going through some stuff . This book is well worth a read or listen too, it also gives you the back story of the characters and how they ended up in town. Max is the other characters perspective you are treated to, he's the strange who breezed into town and just wants to get back on the road but people keep dying and his dog doesn't want to go. This makes the story enjoyable because you as the listener know everything that is going on, well except why people keep getting killed and posed but don't worry it's not gruesome and this is no ordinary town, the killer is unmasked. I must admit I had no clue who was responsible. There are so many great characters in this series. I usually get fed up of home life drama and just wish the author would get back to the investigation but that is not the case with this book. The murders and lives are so well connected and weaved together that it wouldn't work if you just focussed on one part. Off to start the next book.

Max is preparing to get back to walking the trail again with his dog by his side now that things has quieten down. Before he can set off the bridge he is crossing collapses and he takes an unexpected and cold swim. When he returns to town it's to find the body of the funeral director dead and posed in her shop window. He should have left sooner but now he can't leave Rose, Poppy or the town with just a llama to protect them. Max struggling with a cold must help Rose fend off suitors who can't wait for him to go and are only looking for the gold everybody thinks is in the shop Rose inherited, a nosy reporter in town looking for the next big story and a killer who isn't afraid to kill again.
Like the story the author uses two narrators to bring things to life and they work well as a team. With each of them having there own chapters to work there magic.
I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

"Very Nice Funerals" is back in Rocky Start, the tiny Appalachian town where everyone has a gun, a secret, and at least one fake passport. Max is trying to get back to the Appalachian Trail. Rose is trying to survive another wildly bad week. And then there’s the small problem of someone getting murdered and displayed in a funeral parlor before anyone even had time to book the service. Charming.

The town is still full of retired assassins playing small-town bingo, but now people are dropping like flies, and nobody’s entirely sure which one of their suspicious neighbors is behind it. It’s like "Murder, She Wrote," except if Jessica Fletcher used to work for the CIA and everyone in town could kill you with a paperclip.

Rose is hanging on by sheer force of will. She’s trying to help Poppy crawl her way through the PTSD mess she’s drowning in, while also swatting away a constant parade of men who keep showing up with cheap flowers and big plans for her rumored inheritance. Max is torn between finishing his little Appalachian Trail mission and admitting that maybe he accidentally caught feelings and doesn’t want to leave. Spoiler, Max, buddy... you’ve already been adopted by this town. Just stay.

Also, we need to talk about Betty. Queen. Icon. Unbothered. She drops hard truths like she's flinging knives and somehow makes every scene better. Maggs the dog remains the smartest character in the room. Fernanda the llama deserves her own Netflix deal. The side cast is so good, I would absolutely read a spinoff where half of these retirees just run a wildly illegal HOA.

The mystery is a fun ride. Sure, occasionally I had to stop and remind myself who was threatening who, and which weapon they were brandishing at that particular moment. The plot’s a little overstuffed in places, but that’s kind of the charm. This town is aggressively extra. The serial killer reveal was creepy enough to keep me engaged, even if I did keep wondering how a town full of trained assassins somehow missed having a murderer camping out in their neighborhood. But honestly, the real mystery is how Max has any intention of leaving, like sir, look around you, you’re home.

Cris Dukehart and Eric G. Dove crush the audiobook narration again. The way they deliver the banter, the awkward emotions, and the creeping tension is honestly half the reason I inhaled this book in record time. They’re already locked in for book three and you better believe I’ll be listening the second it drops.

Four stars. No notes. Just pure, cozy-murder-espionage-retirement-community chaos. And yes, I am fully ready for this to become a long running series because this town is unhinged in the best way.

Whodunity Award: For Delivering Small Town Chaos, Secret Pasts, And Just A Casual Amount Of Murder

Huge thanks to Brilliance Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced audiobook and for letting me visit Rocky Start again a little early. And extra love to Cris Dukehart and Eric G. Dove for once again making the spy shenanigans even more addictive.

Very Nice Funerals was equal parts quirky chaos and criminal mayhem but much like the first book, it took me a minute to settle into the rhythm. The plot jumped around a bit, and there were moments I had to pause just to keep track of who was threatening who (and with what weapon). It definitely brought the dry humor and wild antics, but at times it felt like the action overshadowed the emotional depth. Still, if you're here for zany characters, covert ops, and unhinged funeral drama, you'll probably have a blast.

Once again Crusie & Mayer present a romance novel in which there is more going on than two people swooning at each other and failing to communicate. There is more failure to communicate in this book than in the last one, but an 18 year old refusing to talk about her trauma is way more reasonable than your average romance novel communication failure.

This one is a murder mystery, so I got my hypothetical cozy in this story after all. (I mentioned it in my last review.) A bridge even went out, now that I'm thinking about it. Ha.

Gotta say, I don't trust anyone who chooses to drive a Cybertruck, but maybe he got a different kind of car after the book ended. Maybe. Something less... Stupid.