A mystery with a heap of laughs, a generous portion of romance, and just a smidgeon of suspense. Callie’s life is rather awesome. She owns a successful bakery and teaches German literature at the local university. There’s just one tiny problem. She has no self-confidence when it comes to her body. And then there’s the little matter of her being accused of murdering her pole dancing instructor. … instructor. There’s no way Callie’s going to risk losing her teaching position and thus she embarks, with her best baker bud Anna, on a journey to discover the real killer. Between stripper auditions and a detective who insists Callie is the woman of his dreams, it’s a roller coaster adventure. Cupcakes not included.
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Favorite Quotes:
Anna’s not even five feet tall and, with her bright pink spiky hair, easily confused with a pixie. The girl doesn’t even weigh enough to donate blood – let alone drag a heifer like me across my kitchen.
I debate leaving my glasses in my locker but decide I’d rather look like the nerd I am than be the idiot that knocks herself out when she walks into a door. It wouldn’t be the first time.
My Review:
D.E. Haggerty is a sure thing – she has never failed to put a smirk on my face. Her latest cozy mystery guarantees an afternoon of delightful entertainment with likable and relevant characters, snark, clever humor, and a fun plot. I adored Callie and her tendency to spout off obscure yet loosely relevant trivia when nervous. She has a real woman’s body and struggles more than a little with body issues, although she also enjoys her baked goods. Most of us will see a bit of ourselves in Callie, I hope that you notice her intelligence and perseverance as well.
Callie’s business partner, Anna, signed them up for pole dancing classes. Callie felt very uncomfortable about going because she was self-conscious about her weight thanks to her boyfriend just dumping her because he thought she was too heavy. Both Anna and Ben (a police detective who has been asking Callie out for a year) tell her she isn’t over-weight and is beautiful but she doesn’t believe them.
The pole dancing instructor is so rude and obnoxious that Callie doesn’t plan on returning after one lesson. But when the instructor is found murdered and Callie is the prime suspect, she keeps going in order to find the real killer. Callie is also a professor of German Literature at the nearby university but they threaten to fire her unless she can prove her innocence before the start of the semester in two weeks. So this puts more pressure on her to find the killer fast and without Ben’s help or he could loose his job.
I knew I would like this book on the first page and was laughing out loud in the first chapter! D.E. Haggerty’s books are always enjoyable reads and the Death by Cupcake series looks like it’s going to be just as good as her other books. The lines at the beginning of each chapter are hilarious. I especially liked “A recent study has found that women who carry a little extra weight live longer than the men who mention it.”
Callie was an amazing woman that was intelligent and beautiful – even though she didn’t think she was. And Anna was the perfect pushy side kick. I was surprised that Ben AKA Detective Hottie kept asking Callie out for so long and didn’t give up.
Seriously, this was a great book and I can’t wait to try more from D.E. Haggerty! Obviously, I’m glad I received a copy of Never Trust a Skinny Cupcake Baker in exchange for an honest review.
Never Trust a Skinny Cupcake Baker is a charming cozy mystery, a perfect read to snuggle up on the sofa with on a Sunday afternoon.
Callie is such an endearing and relatable character- she’s intelligent, successful, and fiesty; she has an awesome friend and business partner, and a sexy cop who is quite determined to finally make her his. But like a lot of women she’s not comfortable with her body and has a hard time accepting that hot cop Ben could be really interested in her, because of course the ex broke up with her due to the little extra weight she’s carrying around…the jerk. Determined to get Callie more comfortable and accepting of herself, Anna, cute little pixie Anna, signs them up for a pole dancing class…and that’s where the fun begins!
I got such a kick out of the the antics Callie and Anna went through as they tried to clear Callie’s name and solve the mystery of Dolly’s murder themselves. These 2 are so fun, I really enjoy the friendship they share- Anna is such a great friend and supporter of Callie.
And Ben, oh sweet sweet Ben! Such devotion and patience he’s had for Callie… “Fight me all you want, Callie, but you’re mine.” “Sweetheart, give me this. You getting hauled into the police station scared the pants off of me. I’m finally getting the chance at making you mine. I can’t lose you now.” Swoon!
This is just a really cute read, it’s light-hearted, sweet, and funny. I hope we get to see more of Callie, Anna, and Ben in future books…I can only imagine the troubles and hijinks these characters will get into!