Melanie Cooper and Angie DeLaura are taking a gamble by opening their first franchise of the Fairy Tale Cupcakes Bakery, so where better to hit the jackpot than in Vegas? Business manager Tate Harper has lined up a meeting with Holly Hartzmark, a former showgirl who’s looking to bring Mel and Angie’s sweet treats to Sin City, but Mel isn’t so sure she’s ready to hand her recipes over to a complete stranger—especially one as brash as Holly.
But after the potential bakery location gets blown up, Mel begins seeing another side to Holly—one that reminds her very much of herself. Determined to help a kindred spirit, Mel sets out to discover who is trying to keep the bakery from cashing in. But with a murderous mischief maker on the loose, the odds are stacking up against a happy ending for Mel and her friends...[summary via Goodreads]
The cupcake gang are off to Vegas!
I'm a long-time fan of the Cupcake Bakery mysteries. I picked up the first book in the series, Sprinkled with Murder, and I've been hooked on both this series and Jenn McKinlay's writing style ever since. I absolutely love curling up with the latest installment and enjoying an adventure alongside not just Mel, Angie and Tate, owners of the Fairy Tale Cupcake Bakery, but their friends, Marty and Oz, who provide just as many laughs!
While I do enjoy the gang being in their hometown, I loved that Jenn McKinlay took the gang on the road to Vegas. They are off to negotiate and inspect locations for their very first franchise. The action is non-stop as it appears someone is determined to ensure that they don't open a location in Vegas, and willing to murder someone to ensure it doesn't happen!
The trip was a laugh a minute, as the girls get themselves into hilarious situations, even dressing up and dancing as showgirls! The boys find themselves in similarly funny situations, that involve Elvis impersonators, and I loved every second of their Vegas trip.
However, more than the adventure and laughter, what I liked about Vanilla Beanned is the realism that Jenn McKinlay brings to the story. Mel is concerned about franchising her business. Her business is her baby, and as any of us business owners know, a franchise can be a daunting prospect. I like that Mel remained true to herself, and her skepticism about the franchise was very well written. Jenn McKinlay writes a beautiful mystery, with real characters. These are people that you could imagine in your own hometown, hopefully without the murder!, and this is what makes her mysteries the most enjoyable on the market.
If you haven't picked up this series yet, pick up Sprinkled with Murder, and enjoy a mouth-watering series that you won't be able to put down!
