Chocolate Bridal Bash

Title: The Chocolate Bridal Bash

Author: JoAnna Carl

Date Finished: June 30, 2009

Personal Book Count: 44 out of 100

Rating: 4 out of 5

Genre/ Subject: mystery

First Line: After I overcame all my misgivings and invited my mother to my wedding, it was a little disappointing to learn that she didn’t want to come.

Summary: from the back cover-

“Caught up in a whirl of champagne and china patterns, bride-to-be Lee McKinney has butted heads with her future mother-in-law over every detail of the wedding bash. The last thing she needs is trouble with her own mother. But this is bigger than the hot versus cold hors d’oeuvres debate: Sally McKinney doesn’t even want to be at the wedding if it takes place in Warner Pier, her hometown.

Irked that her mom might be MIA on the Big Day, Lee heads to her aunt’s chocolate shop, TenHuis Chocolade, for advice. There, the bride is shocked to learn that years earlier, her mother ran away on what would have been her own wedding day—hours before her fiancé was found dead, an apparent suicide. Now, to smooth things over with her mother—and ease her own way down the aisle—Lee must untangle a mystery older than she is....”

Why did I pick this book? : It was the next in the series.

Review:

The chocolate mysteries are always a fun, light, quick read (this one was just over 200 pages). I like that Lee is generally a smart, independent, heroine. Of course there have been times I shake my head at some of the decisions she makes, but in this one I understood her motivation. I like that we got to know her family a bit better in this one (in the form of her mother). And I like that the story progresses. They don’t necessarily pick up right when the last ends, but there is definitely continuity, and a smooth flow. I was hoping for a bit more of the wedding, like maybe a book to itself, with a mystery around it, but maybe that would have been too obvious. I did like the ‘surprise ending’, and am interested to see where they take it in the next book (luckily, I shouldn’t have to wait TOO long, as I have that one my shelf). I think I had actually figured out the “who” of the who- done- it pretty early in this one, but it was an enjoyable read anyway. Will I read the next one? Oh yeah. I’m seeing this series through to the end. =D

Agree? Disagree? Recommendations? Any insights, suggestions, or comments on the book or format, or blog at all are most welcome. If you have read this and/ or review it yourself, please let me know. Can you think of any books like this? Give me a recommendation! =D