Picturesque South Cove, California, is the perfect place to celebrate Mother’s Day, but not everyone is feeling motherly . . . Jill Gardner, owner of Coffee, Books, and More is almost out of Mother’s Day cards. She has a few more in stock, but she’s set them aside because she needs Greg’s help choosing one for his mother. It’ll be Jill’s first time meeting her boyfriend’s mother, and she’s … mother, and she’s understandably nervous.
Turns out Jill isn’t the only one having feelings about mothers. Kyle, who works at the antiques store next door, needs to find the perfect card for a mother he hasn’t seen since he was five—when she went away to jail. But her arrival in South Cove isn’t exactly celebratory, her behavior toward her son unexpectedly restrained. Piqued, Jill discovers that a mother can never be replaced . . .
Praise for The Tourist Trap Mysteries
“I love the author’s style, which was warm and friendly . . . [A] wonderfully appealing series.”—Dru’s Book Musings
“Light, fun, and kept me thoroughly engaged.”—The Young Folks
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Mother’s Day Mayhem
A Tourist Trap Mystery, Book #10.5
Lynn Cahoon
5 Stars
Synopsis:
Picturesque South Cove, California, is the perfect place to celebrate Mother’s Day, but not everyone is feeling motherly…
Jill Gardner, owner of Coffee, Books, and More is almost out of Mother’s Day cards. She has a few more in stock, but she’s set them aside because she needs Greg’s help choosing one for his mother. It’ll be Jill’s first time meeting her boyfriend’s mother, and she’s understandably nervous.
Turns out Jill isn’t the only one having feelings about mothers. Kyle, who works at the antiques store next door, needs to find the perfect card for a mother he hasn’t seen since he was five—when she went away to jail. But her arrival in South Cove isn’t exactly celebratory, her behavior toward her son unexpectedly restrained. Piqued, Jill discovers that a mother can never be replaced…
Praise for The Tourist Trap Mysteries
“I love the author’s style, which was warm and friendly . . . [A] wonderfully appealing series.”—Dru’s Book Musings
“Light, fun, and kept me thoroughly engaged.”—The Young Folks (Goodreads)
Review:
This series is very good and this novella did not disappoint. The characters are friendly, engaging and personable. Their friendships seem genuine and you can tell they are close-knit and care about it each other a lot. They might stick their noses in someone’s else business, but it is done with love!
I enjoyed the fact that Jill did not find a dead body, that was refreshing. But there is still a mystery to solve, finding a resident of South Cove’s mother. It was a little bit more emotional, which is good.
The author creates a great small town setting and her descriptions bring this setting alive in my mind. I would like to spend a holiday in South Cove.
I would highly recommend this novella (and series) to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy. You cannot go wrong picking up this series.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Kensington Books, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.
What do you do if its Mother’s Day and you are all of a sudden meeting your boyfriends Mom? You freak out and help a friend find their long lost Mom, duh.
Short but good (except for moody Aunt Jackie ). The story line was relatable and sad but I think it worked out in the end and now Kyle has the answers he was looking for. Jill will always feel she doesn’t measure up to Sherry but she has to remember Greg isn’t with her anymore. A Very nice and Enjoyable afternoon read.
Mother’s Day Mayhem is a charming addition to A Tourist Trap Mystery series. If you have not read the previous books in the series, I do not suggest starting with this one (you would be out of step). I like Lynn Cahoon’s conversational writing style. It makes for an engaging and easy to read story. A Tourist Trap Mystery series has friendly, developed and relatable characters. It is sweet that the residents of South Cove consider each other family and they look out for each other (I want to move to this town) which gives Jill the perfect excuse to meddle in Kyle’s life. I look forward to visiting South Cove to what the characters are up to in each new book. Jill and Greg have been dating for a year and she has yet to meet his mother. I could feel Jill’s nerves and I knew what she was feeling plus what she was thinking (would the mother like her, what if the meeting goes bad). Kyle has been without his mother since he was a small boy. It was obvious he was worried about being rejected. There is no dead body or burglary in this book. The mystery involves Kyle’s mother, and Jill wants to make sure Kyle will not get hurt. Mother’s Day Mayhem is a short story that progresses at a steady pace. There is humor in the story from Greg’s case of the missing gnomes. Jill’s theories had me giggling. There is a recipe for Tiny’s provolone stuffed meatloaf at the end of the book. Mother’s Day Mayhem is an emotional story that will touch your heart.
Mother’s Day Mayhem is another entertaining story in Cahoon’s Tourist Trap mystery series. I always love returning to South Cove when Cahoon releases a new book, and these short novellas are such a treat. Mother’s Day is coming close, and Jill finds herself getting ready to meet Greg’s mother for the first time. Jill is nervous about this meeting, but she finds a distraction when Kyle brings to her a mystery concerning his absentee mother. Wanting to help out a friend, Jill decides to investigate so that Kyle doesn’t get hurt.
Cahoon does a great job at setting up an entertaining story despite its short length. The story-line and mystery fit in perfectly with the Mother’s Day holiday and provides Jill with two tasks: helping a friend and meeting her boyfriend’s mother. I also enjoyed how these story-lines also brought to her attention her own relationship with her Aunt Jackie. Overall Mother’s Day Mayhem proved to be an entertaining read that I would most definitely recommend. I look forward to reading Jill’s next adventure.
Received a copy of Mother’s Day Mayhem through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
The plot line about Kyle was new to me. Enjoyed the story!
I like this series. These novellas are fine but I would like longer novels. This one did not have a very interesting mystery. I always like visiting the characters.
I’m a fan of Lynn Cahoon’s Tourist Trap series, so reading her new novella felt like coming home to characters I already like. I loved the way Cahoon used the Mother’s Day theme for this novella. It’s a short mystery, only 75 Kindle pages, so I zoomed through it in one night (and I’m a slow reader). All I can say is that it was a satisfying way to spend the evening. I liked it that Jill and Greg were trying to solve who Kyle’s mother was and why she doesn’t want to connect with him after getting out of prison, instead of the typical murder mystery. It made for a nice change, and there was plenty to keep me guessing. The end was bittersweet but satisfying and left me with a feel good mood. A quick, fun read.
Mother’s Day Mayhem is a easy to read novella with the Tourist Trap Mystery series by Lynn Cahoon.
Even though there are no dead bodies, there is a mystery Jill is set to get to the bottom of. Her friend Kyle wants her to find his mother he never knew and Jill finds a way to incorporate a week end get away with her detective boyfriend, Greg. Throw in meeting Greg’s mother for the first time on Mother’s Day and you get a cozy mystery you won’t want to put down.
I received an ARC from Netgalley for an honest review.
California Cozy Mystery
This is a short and sweet cozy mystery. The story takes place in a small coastal town where everyone knows everybody. The plot is cute and keeps the reader engaged. I have read several books from this series and they all leave me with a smile on my face. This is a quick read – only 75 pages which makes it excellent to fill a lunch hour or read before bed. There is nothing scary in this book! I received this ARC for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.
This was a a fun quick novella. I really enjoy Lynn Cahoon’s Tourist Trap Mysteries series. The main character, Jill and her boyfriend, Greg are getting more serious and Greg wants Jill to meet his mother on Mother’s day. Although there’s no murder in this novella, there’s still a mystery surrounding Jill’s employee Kyle. I really enjoyed this book and love the series!
Jill Gardner, owner of Coffee, Books, and More needs help selecting a Mother’s Day card for Greg’s mother from her dwindling supply. Jill is supposed to meet her for the first time on Mother’s Day. Jill is not the only one who is having anxiety over Mother’s Day, Kyle, who works at the neighboring store is trying to find the right card for his mother whom he hasn’t seen for a long time. Kyle’s mother was sent to jail when he was 5 and he hasn’t seen her since. He recently found her on social media and reached out to her. Is everything as it seems with Kyle’s mother? Can Jill survive a Mother’s Day meeting with Greg’s mother?
This is my first book in the series, I was able to enjoy the book, however, I feel I would have better understood the characters if I’d read the previous books. The characters are interesting. Although the mystery isn’t a murder mystery it is well written with several twists to keep the reader engaged. This type of novella is a wonderful opportunity to get to know characters a little better. I recommend this book to cozy mystery fans.
I voluntarily agreed to read a copy of this book supplied by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own and in no way have been influenced.
“Mother’s Day Mayhem” earns 4/5 Greeting Cards…Clever and Entertaining!
Mother’s Day is usually met with loving anticipation, but Jill has nothing but trepidation since she’s been invited to meet her boyfriend Greg’s mother. But, it’s Kyle, the young man who works at the antique shop, who is struggling the most with the upcoming holiday. Having lived with his grandmother since he was five-years-old and only receiving postcards from his mother saying she would return, he sadly would learn she’d really been in jail. But now, she is out of jail, and reaching out to her, they plan to meet. However, he still worries she may break her promise. Jill can’t stand to see her young friend in such emotional turmoil and, with help, sets out to find out what’s going on.
This novella is short and easily read in an hour or two (of course, if you don’t have Mom duties) with interesting angst and dynamics between mothers and daughters and mothers and sons. It’s “mayhem” not murder that is the focus, so the inquiries are less checking off suspects, validating motives, and avoiding personal peril, and more discussion, background checks, and happening upon details. The story also includes Jill and Greg’s relationship and a quiet weekend away that also mixes “business” and pleasure. I enjoyed the first-person narrative sharing Jill’s anxious manner to uncover the story of Kyle’s mother since her mother is no longer around, but it’s her worry about meeting Greg’s mother with which I can identify. I remember meeting my now mother-in-law for the first time running through my head the desire to stand out, be liked, and accepted by the family.
Fans will also enjoy “one of Greg’s favorite meals at Diamond Lille’s.” Said to “fit the bill” for those on a low carb/low sugar diet, we can enjoy Tiny’s Provolone-Stuffed Meatloaf. Ok, there is ketchup and brown sugar, but I won’t tell!
This is the first book/novella I’ve read in the series but I thought it was interesting and fun. I’ve already added the other books to my wish list/tbr pile.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias.
A fill good story on how a small town looks out for there friends.
Mother’s Day Mayhem by Lynn Cahoon is a novella in celebration of the holiday. It is centered on Coffee, Books, and More’s owner Jill and her police detective boyfriend, Greg. At lunch, Greg has sprung an invitation on her: to meet his mother on Mother’s Day. Jill is not thrilled, to say the least. Well, neither is Greg, really. His brother Jim already doesn’t really like Jill and she is as far away as being like his ex-wife as possible. To make it up to her he suggests they go away for a weekend, which suits her purposes just fine since she wants to find Kyle’s, her friend from the store next door, estranged mother. What Greg doesn’t know won’t hurt him, for now.
This was a sweet little book. All’s well that ends well and it all ended well, although not necessarily as expected. The characters were cut, although somewhat flat. To be fair, I have not read any other books in this series so there may be more than meets the eye. The mystery was subtle, one that was actually pretty realistic. It was a short and sweet read. I recommend it.
I was given a free ARC of Mother’s Day Mayhem. All thoughts and opinions are my own. #netgalley #mothersdaymayhem
Jill isn’t sure how she feels about meeting Greg’s mother and on Mothers Day no less. She loves Greg but meeting a parent is always a scary ordeal, will she like her won’t she like her. When Kyle from the store next door comes looking to Jill for help she is happy to do what she can to keep her mind off her nervousness. Kyle hasn’t seen his mother in years, she went to prison a long time ago, but he heard that she was free and he wants to make contact. When he hears back that she wants nothing to do with him Jill decides to step in and find out what the issue is. Her and Greg are going away for a weekend why not to where Kyle’s mom lives. Follow along as Jill tries to step in and help bring Kyle and his mother together. She likes Kyle and wants him to find some sort of closure when it comes to his mother. Will Jill be able to help or will it be a wasted trip. This was a fun short that gave us a better look into Jill and Greg’s relationship and also a fun mystery to dig into. I love getting to know the characters better through a novella and can’t wait to see what happens with them in the next book.
Jill Gardner gets an unpleasant surprise when her boyfriend Greg springs on her that his mother is coming for Mother’s Day. She already knows his brother cannot stand her so she feels this visit is doomed for failure. Jill is also feeling bad because she accidentally let a secret slip about someone who works next door to her coffee and book store.
This novella is #10.5 in A tourist Trap Mystery series but could easily be read as a stand alone. It is a quick mystery that will leave you wanting more and I am especially interested in the secret in Jill’s family tree in which she feels her boyfriend would not be able to forgive.
Thanks to Kensington Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this story. The opinions expressed are my own.
I have enjoyed these novellas until the next full-length novel is released but I felt this was out of order. I would suggest reading Mother’s Day Mayhem before Killer Party.
Mother’s Day Mayhem is the perfect way to pass a lazy Sunday afternoon.
I received a complimentary copy from Kensington through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.
This was a nice, quick read with wonderful characters. It was easy to follow even though I hadn’t read any of the previous stories. It follows a shop owner & her cop boyfriend as she tries to help a friend & obsessed over meeting her boyfriend’s mom. The mystery takes her mind off of some of her worries. I enjoyed the interactions between the characters & the small town feel of the community.
Mother’s Day Mayhem by Lynn Cahoon was another enjoyable addition to the Tourist Trap series highlighting Mother’s Day in South Cove.
A quickly paced story featuring Jill and Greg working together this time to solve a mystery for another South Cove resident. It was an emotional story regarding families, both biological and the family a person creates with friends and community. An easy afternoon read that kept me turning the pages until the the end.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Lyrical Press via NetGalley. All of the above opinions are my own.