The Devil is in the details . . .Cletus Byron Winston wishes to marry Jennifer Anne Donner-Sylvester (aka The Banana Cake Queen) posthaste! He’s spent the last year wanting nothing more than for the celebrations to be brief, libations flowing, and BYOB (bring your own blueberries). His future mother-in-law has other plans, plans his intended has been willing to indulge, much to Cletus’s chagrin. … chagrin. Therefore, so must he. To a point. But truth be told, he wouldn’t mind if the meddlesome matriarch disappeared, at least until the nuptials are over.On the night of Cletus and Jenn’s long-awaited engagement party, just when the surly schemer is of a mind to take matters into his own hands, a shocking event upends everyone’s best laid plans and sends the small hamlet of Green Valley into complete disarray. The final months leading up to Cletus and Jenn’s matrimonial bliss are plagued with chaos and uncertainty. Will Cletus and Jenn finally make it to the altar? Or will murder and mayhem derail their happily-ever-after?And most importantly, who done it? ‘Marriage and Murder’ is the second book in the cozy mystery series Solving for Pie: Cletus and Jenn Mysteries. It is best read after Winston Brothers #3, ‘Beard Science’ (which can be read as a standalone) and Solving for Pie: Cletus and Jenn Mysteries #1, ‘Engagement and Espionage.’
more
Marriage and Murder is the second cozy murder in a limited series. So far this series has been focused on Jenn’s messed up family and Cletus’s desire to protect her from any fall out that may happen because of them. The mystery of who did what, and when, is the primary focus of this novel but truth be told, it’s just a vehicle for more Cletus and Jenn and I’ll always be 100% down for more Cletus and Jenn. They never get old. Cletus and his code for living are immensely entertaining. The way his family and community accept him and yet are so exasperated by him never fail to crack me up. And his capacity for love and concern for his loved ones under that curmudgeonly exterior just keeps my love affair for him alive and well. Plus, Jenn and her old lady southern mannerisms in her young self just cracks me up. For those who aren’t from the south, many of things she says or thinks are really things I’ve heard older southern women say all of my life–it’s just funny hearing it from a younger person. Her absolute adoration of Cletus and her huge heart for all those who cross her path make her the perfect addition to the Winston family. Together these two are incredibly charming and when you throw in cameos from many of our favorite Green Valley couples, it’s just real good time.
If you’re a Cletus and Jenn fan, you’re going to have so much fun with Marriage and Murder.
I would give this book all the stars! Cletus is my absolute favorite Winston brother. The way he loved Jenn is the way all men should love their women! This book will have you cracking up so much!! I love how close this family is and how much of them you get in this story is amazing!! You will also catch all the feels too! This book will have you thinking you know what’s happening and then take so many twists and turns! It was a great ride!! I can’t wait for the next book!!
Received a arc for a honest review.
Penny Reid does it again – another phenomenal book about one of the greatest families and communities I’ve ever read. Marriage and Murder is a cozy mystery with romance and the typical Winston family shenanigans woven throughout. I didn’t know it was possible to fall even more in love with this family but, by the end of this story, I was wishing they would adopt me and let me live in Green Valley with them.
For fans of the Winston Brothers series, this story is uniquely perfect in a way that can only happen with this family. There were so many moments between the siblings and their significant others that warmed my soul, made me laugh out loud and even had me wiping tears from my eyes. The way they interact with each other and love each other is unlike anything I’ve ever read before and it brings me back to these characters time after time. Even though this is mainly about Cletus and Jenn, we’re treated to so much more from Jethro, Billy and Ashley – Jethro’s redemption story and more on its origins, Billy’s strength and support of not only his family but their significant others, and of course Ashley’s hesitation about marriage and the depth of her lingering heartbreak from Bethany’s death. I loved seeing the Winstons take Jenn in to offer her the family she never had but always deserved and appreciating the depth of her love for Cletus and all of his quirks. This family tugs at your heartstrings because of their love for one another and I’m here for every second of it.
Cletus and Jenn are both such unique characters on their own and them being together as a couple is really extraordinary. They both function on such a different level than most people around them and the way they understand each other’s perspectives and motivations is so special. They’re both growing and maturing but the one constant through everything is how much they love and care for each other.
And, of course, there’s the murder aspect of the story. This is where Cletus’s brain really shines. I really enjoyed seeing him work through everything in such a logical way, making sense of all the little details along the way. The whodunnit part of this story kept me turning pages faster and faster, devouring the story to not only get more from the characters, but to figure out what had really happened on the night of their engagement party. Loved that this storyline gave us more on Jackson, Boone and Isaac as characters, fleshing them out and giving them so much to say – I can’t wait for them to get stories of their own
I highly recommend this series and the Winston Brothers series to anyone looking for an escape from real life – Green Valley is always a great place to visit! Looking forward to walking through the rest of Cletus and Jenn’s major milestones right alongside them in the rest of the series.
How does Penny do it??? These aren’t new characters—I’ve read about them before. There’s already a layer of familiarity and comfort but it was still a pleasant surprise to see more sides to them. Penny Reid made me fall even more inlove with the Winstons after Marriage and Murder.
PLOT:
During Cletus and Jenn’s engagement party, someone winds up dead. And they end up as part of the suspects. I’m constantly amazed at how Cletus’s mind works. He’s the logical and cunning type. I could see his calculated moves, down to the things he says and information he chooses to divulge during the aftermath of the scene. Even him trying to piece everything together after the incident. The whodunnit aspect led the book to be a total page-turner for me as the pieces were slowly coming together.
CLETUS AND JENN:
Cletus’s sassy and whip-smart remarks will always get me. He brings so much humor in the pages and I love that. And Jenn… I am so proud of her after seeing how much more growth she had gone through! Now with the investigation and murder case, they really support each other in many ways. They always take each other’s feelings into consideration. Always. Cletus’s #1 priority is Jenn and it’s so evident in his words and actions. They are sooo inlove and I’m here for it.
THE WINSTONS:
I can’t get enough of them!!!! They really tug at my heartstrings. Cletus and Jenn are the main characters, but the Winstons and their significant others made this book a family affair. Everything wedding-related and even during the case, they all took part in planning things and giving them much-needed support. BEST FAMILY!!
tl;dr: This is so much more than what I expected. Cletus and Jenn, the romance, the mystery/whodunnit, the Winstons, even the other people in Green Valley who had a hand in the situation… I truly, truly loved everything about this book.
‘Marriage and Murder’ promises two things; there will be a marriage and there will be a murder, but it delivered so much more.
“Our love story might’ve been a little mixed up. Some folks might even call it weird. I’d threatened and blackmailed him. We’d become friends. We’d fallen in love.”
“I was so glad I’d stayed away from the normals, because I wouldn’t have traded being weird with Cletus for being normal with absolutely anyone else.”
My first thoughts were that this book was **STEAMY** and it is. At first glance, it was easy to question why the steam was needed: Was it gratuitous? Was is it too much? But as with most superficial judgements, I was wrong. I get it now. It isn’t just **steam**. It is Jenn coming into her own, finally accepting her sexuality. She was raised to repress those feelings and desires and taught that they were wrong. One can’t have those and be a good girl. So now, in a committed relationship, where she once struggled with the ideas of sex, she’s flourishing. She no longer sees sex as an act, but as part of her fully functioning, healthy relationship with Cletus. As the story unfolds, and with the help of her friends, she learns these desires and feelings are normal and healthy, but more so that she is normal, healthy and perfect the way she is.
I loved this version of Cletus in this story. Of course he was broody, domineering and sneaky but Cletus was also sexy, protective and incredibly loving.
Y’all, the coming together of Jethro and Cletus was incredible! Their touching conversation added so much heart and character to this story and their relationship. The revelations revealed shined light onto why Jethro was the man he was, and why he is who he is now. It was like reading a story within a story. I think I cried a few times while reading it.
Also … I need and am so excited for Jackson James’s story.
“I want somebody to look at me like Jenn looks at you, how Ash looks at Drew.”
“Jackson, you do realize that in order for somebody to look at you that way, you have to be with the same woman more than once?”
But also … will mamma finally get her HEA?? (psst. Penny, asking for a friend)
‘Marriage and Murder’ is the story telling from Penny Reid I fell in love with; great banter, great laughs, great emotional pull. Just GREAT! It elicited all the gooey delicious feelings! All of them.
Marriage and Murder opens with the anticipation of Cletus and Jenn’s upcoming wedding, but actually getting to the happy event turns out to be a deliciously windy road!
Though there’s murder and mayhem to deal with, the heart of this story isn’t really the twisty whodunnit of a plot, but the cast of wonderful characters. Penny Reid’s genius brings the Winstons vividly to life, and their struggles, heartaches, and joys always make me laugh and get a little teary (*sigh*). It wouldn’t be overstating things to admit that I’m totally in love with every member of the Winston family, and I especially love how Cletus and Jenn’s relationship evolves and deepens as the story progresses.
Get out your fan, because Marriage and Murder is HOT in places. It’s also tender, sweet, and heartfelt. I loved it even more than the first book in the series, Engagement and Espionage. But really, if you don’t love the Winstons, do you even have a heart?
Highly, highly recommend.
I don’t think I will ever tire of Jenn & Cletus stories! Funny, steamy and emotional, Marriage and Murder continues to explore their relationship amongst the chaos of mystery and suspense. I adore all of the idiosyncrasies of these characters and look forward to many more stories from them!
3.5 stars
ARC received from author for an honest review
I will admit, after reading the first book inthe Solving For Pie series, I wasn’t exactly jumping up and down waiting for the second book. Engagemetns and Espionage just wasn’t my favourite Penny Reid book out there.
I am glad I read Marriage and Murder, as I liked it more than I did E & E.
Cletus, Jenn and the extended Winston family are again embroiled in a mystery and mayhem, and I love the way they all band together to free the innocent and get the bad guys.
There were some heartbreaking, but also some LOL moments to be had
Whilst this is not my favourite Penny Reid series, I still want to read where it goes in the future.
“Let’s Think Crooked.”
Marriage and Murder is a multi-layered cozy mystery romance novel, which explores the many ways people love and why they love each other. It is the second novel in the “Solving for Pie” series and is best enjoyed after Engagement and Espionage – though arguably far better enjoyed after reading Beard Science. However, you could read it as a standalone. Once again, I felt like I, too, gained the many siblings Jennifer gains in marrying Cletus. Best of all, more of Cletus’s depth is revealed [his declaration that he has a vengeful heart – it is why I love him!]…and if you’re a conscientious reader, you’ll notice the foreshadowing in chapter one.
From the outset, Cletus resists changing too many times in a single day, yet marriage, the act of even getting married demands compromise and change. To me, change is a theme of marriage and Penny expertly weaves it throughout.
Attempting to count the plot twists in this “who-done-it” is like trying to count the twists of a corkscrew. No joke, at the 83% mark, there’s a new plot twist… ”Let’s think crooked,” indeed! Penny’s been holding out on us. She writes an excellent romance novel, no doubt about it, but the plot twists in this book would make Agatha Christie’s head spin!
I don’t know which book I’m ready for more…Home and Heist, Totally Folked, or Isaac’s story… please tell us he gets a story.
As usual, every chapter sub-heading is a quote which is not only relevant to the chapter, but applicable to life itself. And they have bolstered my TBR list as a result!
This was yet another wonderful story in this series. I adore these characters and am so happy to continue to get more of them. I can’t recommend this book and series enough.