Reviewing For Batter or Worse by Jenn McKinlay
For Batter or Worse is the thirteenth installment of the Cupcake Bakery Mystery series and it would have been my first if I wasn’t able to get a hold of the series’ first audiobook, Sprinkle with Murder. I’m glad I did listen to the first book before really diving into this one so that I learned the initial foundation of the characters and their relationships with one another. But with that being said, Jenn McKinlay does an awesome job at getting the reader up to speed on who’s who in this novel so you won’t be lost if you start with this book.
This novel sees the series’ protagonist, Mel finally tie the knot with her longtime love, Joe. But before they say I do, her friend Oz is accused of murdering the head chef at the resort he’s working at, and Mel can’t concentrate on wedding planning when she wants to clear Oz’s name. And so, Mel and her friends set out to uncover who is the true murderer.
As this is the third book that I have read written by Jenn, I've concluded that I really love the way she writes. She sets up the characters clearly and sprinkles witty banter and scrumptious puns throughout the story. I also enjoy that the history of characters were added but didn’t take over the actual mystery story. Although I guessed who the murderer was in the last third of the book, there were many red herrings that made this story so fun.
And to top it off, as a big cupcake fan, she includes recipes for the delicious cupcakes she describes in the story.
For Batter or Worse comes out today!
Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for the advanced reader’s copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Book Description
The Fairy Tale Cupcake crew must discover the truth behind a death sprinkled with suspicion before Mel and Joe can say I do", in the thirteenth Cupcake Bakery Mystery from New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay.
Life is sweet and business is booming at the Fairy Tale Cupcakes bakery--and the fact that Mel and Joe are getting married is the icing on the cake. Their reception will be held at the swanky resort where Oz works as the pastry chef. The wedding planning is all fun-fetti and games until Mel and Joe meet the head chef at the resort who has been making Oz's life miserable. When the eccentric chef insults Mel's bakery, Oz gets into a blowout argument with the culinary prima donna.
Things turn extra sour when the chef is murdered, and Oz is the police's main suspect. As the countdown to the wedding day begins, Mel, Joe, and the rest of the Fairy Tale Cupcake crew must sift through clues to catch the real killer and clear Oz's name before their wedding plans are totally battered and baked.