The Honey Pot Plot is the third book in the Rocky Start series by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer. The audio version is narrated by Cris Dukehart and Eric G. Dove. Max Reddy, to the puzzlement of everyone in Rocky Start, has returned to the AT to complete his walk, so it’s Rose Malone who is dispensing advice, and sorting most of the townsfolk’s problems, passing some on to Luke Granger and Pike Bernard.

But when someone tries to kill Coral Schmidt in her café, and puts a rattlesnake in Rose’s oven, an urgent text summons Max back. Probably a good thing, what with it being early December, the middle of a blizzard, and a couple of assassins on his trail. Max isn’t expecting that situation to be dealt with by a big friendly Russian who knows his name.

Alexei Dimitri wants Max alive because he feels certain that Max will be able to find the treasure that Pike and Ozzie stole from him some three decades earlier. But first, they need to find out who is targeting the women of Rocky Start. The would-be assassin’s body is efficiently dealt with by Luke, whose looks and physique have a jaw-dropping effect on Dr Jacqueline Quill, who has inherited Sid Quill’s Pharmacy. Rocky Start could use a doctor: Rose wonders if Luke might be sufficient reason for Jacqui to stay…

Meanwhile, almost nineteen-year-old Poppy Malone breaks up with her boyfriend when he can’t accept her decision not to go to college: making something of Oddities holds much more interest. And apprentice mechanic, Marley Bernard supports her choice, helps realise ideas for the shop, and seems to be an antidote to the PTSD plaguing her since her kidnap.

When another of the town’s women faces an attack, saving Poppy’s life at the same time, it’s up to Rose to mobilise the town’s honeypots to work out who is after them and why, because Rose is the only one who was never a player, the only one that everyone trusts. One theory is that someone is trying to unsettle them all.

Before matters are resolved, there are more deaths, some residents leave for their own safety, there’s a car bomb, a building is blown up, treasure is sought, someone is poisoned, and a bunch of people who don’t trust one another team up to save the town. All this against the background of a free-loading kleptomaniac who, to everyone’s irritation, wants to pipe Christmas songs through Rocky Start.

Again three narratives (Rose, Max and Poppy) tell the story, and their internal monologues are often hilarious; Max’s, in particular, is truly amusing, 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. There’s a hefty body count by the end, but a very satisfactory resolution, and fans will be sad to bid farewell to this cast and setting.
This unbiased review is from an audio copy provided by NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing.

Great ending to this series. I wouldn't mind more from the townspeople!

Thank you Netgalley for a gifted audio copy.

First of all, the narration for this book was great.

As for the story, it was fun and the plot was dynamic. The characters were well rounded and relatable. The setting was interesting, with this town full of retired (or not so much) spies and killers.

I wasn’t able to finish this 3 audiobook series before it expired, unfortunately. I enjoyed the audiobooks that I made it through and I hope to finish the last book soon.

This was a great conclusion to the Rocky Start trilogy. I’m really going to miss Rose and Max and the wacky cast of characters that inhabit the town. I’m eagerly anticipating Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer’s next collaboration.

𝗤𝗨𝗜𝗖𝗞 𝗣𝗟𝗢𝗧 𝗣𝗘𝗘𝗞
Final book in the Rocky Start series! Rose is back on murder duty when someone starts targeting the former female hit women. Max is hiking the Appalachian Trail and stumbles into a conspiracy. They reunite to take down the real villain and finally wrap things up.

𝗛𝗢𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗢𝗣𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗢𝗡
By now, these audiobooks feel like hanging ma besties. Same fab narrators, a few new faces, and plenty of familiar ones (minus the murdered few). I jumped in right after book 2, and honestly, it works best that way - feels like one big story told in three parts.

I loved seeing Max complete his true journey and come back into Rose’s world. It was a bit predictable but lots of action packed fun like always, though this time the end leans more into romance which felt exactly right.

𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗛 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗?
Rocky Start is a fantasy mountain town. The whole series is a joy - cozy, funny, and packed with heart. I loved the mix of middle-aged characters and how inclusive the cast was. And Hermione totally brought the lolz and Christmas vibes!

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

The perfect ending to the series, though I hate to see it end All loose ends are tied up and everything is as it should be in Rocky Start. I loved getting to know all of these characters and they all feel so familiar now, possibly because I read them all pretty much in a row. There’s no shortage of action in this series and there are plenty of laughs, too. Hoping that a spinoff series is released with the younger generation.

The Honey Pot Plot is the third and seemingly final book in the Rocky Start series. Max finally leaves for the Appalachian trail, sans Maggs, but circumstances seem to want to force him back to Rocky Start when he finds himself followed by assassins. In Rocky Start the women seem to be dropping dead and who the culprit may be is anyone's guess. Do we have a traitor in the group? Who is talking to whom, and among a group of trained killers, does anyone bear a grudge enough to kill? Rose finds herself appointed the person in charge of the remaining honey pots in town, much to her surprise.

This book is Rose further coming into her own, while also giving some other characters their due. The characters arcs and growth we see are quite enjoyable to read. This book ties up the whole series giving a fairly satisfying conclusion to the series. This series is a definite recommendation for fans of cosy mysteries such as Richard Osman's the Thursday Murder Club, only here all of them are ex-operatives and all retired in the same town. I sincerely hope there's more to come in this series in the future despite the well tied ending. Definitely Recommended.

Mercenaries keep targeting the town's matriarchs (and Max), young and not-so-young love flourishes, and friends are lost in this final installment of the Rocky Start Trilogy.


Not quite as great as the previous book, but the final showdown was worth waiting for. I enjoyed the addition of the doctor to the cast, her refreshing presence almost made up for the Witch sister still being annoyingly around. Max finally became human and had personal growth! Meanwhile Rose explores what the people of Rocky Start see in her which completes her arc of self-discovery pretty well as she decides to live her fourth act for herself instead of others. Poppy's PTSD is present without being her only personality trait, thankfully. She continues to be one of the most realistic teenagers in fiction, with complicated relationships that move maybe a bit too fast but show real potential. Her optimism after all she's seen is incredible.

Overall, this book (and series) is some good cheesy fun and I've loved it.

A touch of negative, while it makes sense that some characters would choose to leave Rocky Start, the way it's handled here feels rushed. I would have liked to see more anxiety from these characters before they decided to flee. Additionally, the resolution and wrap-up chapters were rather repetitive, like somebody rewrote them and forgot to remove parts.

The narration isn't quite as good as the second book but it's miles above the first book in this trilogy. I feel I could easily recommend reading this one on audio.

I don't know if this is the last book in the series (and I will be sad if it is) but it was a great way to wrap the series up. This is the third book in the series and I think as the stories continue from each other it is better if you treat the series like one big book. I don't normally read or listen to three books from the same series straight after each other but I was hooked and once one was finished I was onto the next. That way the story was fresh in my mind, the action was continuous, the bodies dropped like flies and the romance bloomed. There was a lot going on throughout the series, as the characters learnt who they could trust and tried to uncover why the puppet master brought them all together. I really enjoyed how the characters grew throughout the series, from the first time we meet Rose and Poppy who were just trying to learn to live after to the death of there benefactor, to how everybody in town turns to Rose to fix there problems and Poppy faces her demons head on, in this book. Much has changed and it's been an entertaining journey.
With Max finally off on his trails, the town of Rocky Start finds its self turning to Rose to fix there problems but living in a town of ex operatives the problems don't stay simple for long and it seems like once again the residents have targets on there backs. Even Max out in the wilderness isn't alone and when two hit man make there move he finds himself once again returning to Rocky Start to protect the ones he loves. Can Rose, Poppy and Max find out who wants to take the residents out and stop them once and for all.
With two narrators reading the story it is easy to follow as the story jumps around to the different perspectives of Rose, Poppy and Max. Just like the characters the narrators work together to make it an enjoyable and entertaining listen.
I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntarily left this review

3.5 stars rounded up! The final book of the Rocky Start series was witty and chaotic like the other two books of the series. Like the second book, I felt there was a bit too much going on. I didn’t really like the pressure put on the young adults in this book. With that being said, I still really enjoyed the series. It had a nice, clean ending for those that like things tied up neatly. The first book was my favorite, but I’m glad I read the whole series. If you like witty banter in a town full of assassins with a bit of romance thrown in, this is your series! This was a nice break from the books with heavier topics that I tend to read. Thank you NetGalley and Brilliance Audio for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review!

"The Honey Pot Plot" closes out the Rocky Start series exactly how it lived: absolute chaos, a body count, and retired spies casually dodging murder attempts while swapping recipes and insults. If this is really the end, I am tragically unwell about it, but I will also drop everything if they ever decide to write more.

We pick back up with Max still out on the Appalachian Trail, living his best emotionally-repressed wilderness man fantasy, except people keep trying to kill him. You know, casual. Meanwhile, back in Rocky Start, Rose is juggling pretty much everything. Her daughter Poppy is still fighting her way through PTSD while also figuring out romance, Rose is dodging various men trying to scam their way into her inheritance, and someone just tried to murder one of her friends. Again. This town really needs a new realtor, not another funeral home.

The mystery this time around is a fun mix of assassination attempts, Russian mercenaries, multiple double-crosses, and a treasure that may or may not exist. Everyone’s scheming, nobody’s being fully honest, and the entire town operates on vibes, threats, and some extremely polite murder competence. The fact that any of them trust each other at all is kind of impressive, honestly.

Max and Rose continue to be a fantastic pair. Max is the emotionally-stunted but highly competent man we all adore, and Rose is still the badass middle-aged heroine we deserve. She’s messy, fiercely protective, and one minor inconvenience away from stabbing someone with a salad fork at any given moment. We love her for it. And Max? Sir. You are not fooling anyone. You’ve been in love since chapter one. Please sit down and unpack that.

Special shoutouts to Betty (forever iconic), Maggs the dog (still the smartest one here), Poppy’s surprisingly endearing romance subplot, and of course Fernanda and Dolly the llamas, who deserve their own novella immediately. Honestly, the entire town of Rocky Start feels like an unhinged extended found family you don’t entirely trust but would absolutely die for.

Cris Dukehart and Eric G. Dove once again absolutely nail the audiobook. Their narration is pitch perfect for this series, balancing the humor, tension, and unspoken emotions so well that I’m fully convinced these books were written to be heard.

This landed solidly at 4 stars for me. Some of the plot got a little tangled with all the moving parts, but that’s also part of the charm of this world. I was never bored. If this is truly the end of the series, it’s a satisfying, ridiculous, slightly unhinged conclusion. But if they ever decide to pull a surprise book four? I’m ride or die.

Whodunity Award: For Turning Midlife Romance Into A Full-Blown Spy Thriller With Bonus Llamas

Huge thanks to Brilliance Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced audiobook and for letting me return to Rocky Start one more time. And extra love to Cris Dukehart and Eric G. Dove for making this madcap spy town even more addictive.

It was a satisfying conclusion, but I am also sad the series ended. It occurred to me that this is unlike most "romance series" because each book does not focus on a different pairing (though there is a new pairing in each book), but instead on a puzzle the protagonist and those close to her have to solve at risk of loosing their lives. Honestly? I think that's why I prefer it to most romance series, but if you want to be a purist it may be good to think of these three books as one Long romance novel, broken up into 3 action / mysteries.

Whatever the case may be, I want more of this, and will continue to pick up anything by Crusie & Mayer that I can get my hands on.

The Honey Pot Plot continues the madcap momentum of the series with undercover shenanigans, shady schemes, and (you guessed it) more weapons. While the humor and banter were still on point, the plot sometimes felt like it was doing too much at once. It was fun, but a bit chaotic, like trying to follow a car chase while blindfolded. If you're in the mood for quirky characters, conspiracies, and chaotic romance, this one delivers but it’s not exactly a smooth ride.