Murder with Lemon Tea Cakes by Karen Rose Smith

Murder with Lemon Tea Cakes by Karen Rose Smith

I read this for the Cozy Mystery Book Club, and you can check out the discussion here.

I love culinary cozies and I’m a tea fan, so I liked that aspect of the storyline. The mystery was fairly intriguing as well. However, the writing style seemed really basic. I was always aware I was reading a book because everything was told and explained instead of shown through action and dialogue, so that was disappointing.

Daisy was a weak character, too. She had no personality and deferred to men so much. She was a widow and mentioned her late husband a bit, which is understandable, but she never got into her grief, so even bringing him up felt hollow and didn't add anything to the story.

Beyond that, she kept saying she “didn’t know why” she had feelings for handsome, kind Jonas, but also went on dates and seemed trying to force something with Cade, which had been her prom date but was really dismissive and somewhat controlling of her. I found it off-putting that she kept acting like she wanted to be with him even after admitting how he treated her annoyed her. Get a backbone!

I did like the aspect of an adopted daughter wanting to find her birth mother and how that was handled. It felt really rushed at the end though, and a lot of that action happened off the page. And also, it was all facilitated by... guess who? A man! So that was kind of a bummer.

I think this would have been a much better book is Daisy (and her aunt Iris) were stronger characters - and stronger women. I wouldn’t have finished this if it wasn’t for book club.

Convenience Store Woman vs. Sky Daddy

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata, translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori

vs

Sky Daddy by Kate Folk

I read both of these books in December 2025 and saw some similarities. As far as I can remember, both were recommended in the back of The Collected Regrets of Clover by 

Mikki Brammer (but my memory is terrible so don't hold me to that). I was on library hold lists for both and got access to Convenience Store Woman first.

I've previously read translations, including the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series, and I appreciate how hard it can be to translate work and keep the author's original intentions and the beauty of their language. I also know that there's still a lot lost, and cultural context can certainly shape your interpretation of a book.

It took me a bit to get through the book, but here are my thoughts:

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata, translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori. This book was interesting until incel Shiraha came into play. His rants were too realistic and repetitive, so I had to skim a lot of his sections. The resolution definitely improved my thoughts of the book, but I was much more intrigued by the essay included at the end that spawned the book idea. I like the concept of the romantic relationship with the store more than the overall novel itself.

When I got access to Sky Daddy, I read it all basically straight through. Here are my thoughts:

Sky Daddy by Kate Folk. I wanted to read this book because the title made me laugh and I was curious about how the concept would play out, but damn did it become my favorite read in December 2025! I read it in about a day and keep thinking about it. I wish it had gone on longer just because I want to immerse myself in Linda’s world more, but I have to say the ending is PERFECT and I would be so angry if it ended any other way.

Overall, there were a lot of similarities with the main characters, in my opinion. I'm not sure if they were meant to be autistic or just... "different" because honestly, the more adult women I meet, the more I feel that we're all drastically different in wonderful ways, and without a diagnosis and being told if someone is autistic, it's hard for me to tell. But these characters were certainly not "typical" female main characters, and I love them both for that.

That said, they were both a bit naive, moreso the narrator in Convenience Store Woman. She seemed oblivious to how she was being treated by the incel and put up with it for appearances, and I wish she was stronger than that. The Sky Daddy narrator seemed to be using the man as much as he was using her and kind of turned that situation on its head by the end, which was more satisfying, whether it was "wrong" of her or not.

I think the "relationship" in Sky Daddy was more interesting and engaging. I think that's what the author of Convenience Store Woman was trying to do, but it didn't come off that way because the incel derailed things, whereas in Sky Daddy, nothing came between the narrator and her planes. I'm not sure if that relationship aspect was something lost in translation or if it just wasn't really present in the story. It was definitely clear in the essay at the end, so I think that was the intention, but maybe the author didn't want to follow it through for the novel, or maybe it was an editorial decision.

If I had to recommend just one, it would definitely be Sky Daddy. I keep thinking about the ending and am ready to read it again, honestly, because the writing style was so engaging and I'm willing to just read anything and everything about this character's daily life.

Have you read one or both of these? What were your thoughts?

Castle Dark Series by Veronica Bond

I first read Death in Castle Dark in August 2024 after getting the recommendation from the Cozy Mystery Book Club (though I read it too late to participate).

Death in Castle Dark by Veronica Bond. First read: It’s the first book in a cozy mystery series (A Dinner and a Murder Mystery Series). I love the setting of a castle used for murder mystery dinners because it’s already engaging and spooky - then add in a real murder, and I’m hooked! 

Re-read December 2025: I heard there was a new third book in this series so I wanted to re-read the first. This is SO cozy to me - I love the mystery dinner theater concept, and set in a castle makes it that much better. This is one I'll definitely re-read again.

Castle Deadly, Castle Deep by Veronica Bond. This one didn’t pull me in as much as the first. I thought Nora’s relationship drama seemed kind of middle school and immature, and that dragged on for most of the story. Some of the twists were good though, so the ending redeemed the book overall. Also too much dependence on the Doll's House play - explaining it too much.

Death at a Castle Christmas by Veronica Bond. This was a bit too sweet for me. It felt like it was more of a clean romance than a cozy mystery. The ending seemed especially over the top, with everyone getting engaged for Christmas? After dating six months? I also felt like the storyline of the men trying to find treasure in the castle was a bit too similar to the last book, which is disappointing. I’d read another installment if it went back to “seeing” the murder mysteries performed in the castle - I think there could be 3 or 4 unique storylines around that concept and I wouldn’t think it was too played out.

The first book will always be a cozy mystery I'd like to re-read. However, the second seemed like too much filler, while the third seemed like it was trying too hard to wrap up the series. I'd read further installments if they focused more on the mysteries than sugary-sweet romance, but I have a feeling the author was indeed trying to wrap up the series with this delayed third installment.

The Unwedding by Ally Condie

The Unwedding by Ally Condie

Was this a thriller? It didn’t play up the suspense, though the potential was there. Instead, it felt like I was ambling around the rainy resort with Ellery, and not in a good way, like we were solving the mystery together. Instead, it felt like I was stuck following her around even though I wanted to be doing anything else. That said, I did feel like I needed to finish this book once I started it, so I guess that’s on me.

These aren't all spoilers but just to play it safe...