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Rating: 
Summary: I couldn't put it down!
Review: Alhough some readers thought this was too much romance and little mystery, I found this to be fun and exciting in both areas. I loved the way Pence grabbed my attention from page one, and the excitement continued until the end. I couldn't put it down! I thoroughly enjoyed the way Pence kept me guessing if Angie and Paavo would ever become an item, and the way she tenderly wove their romance into the story. I enjoyed this book so much that I clicked on to amazon.com and ordered all of Pence's Angie Amalfi mysteries. I can't wait to get them in the mail!
Rating: 
Summary: Fun, fast-paced Cozy
Review: Although very predictable (I had it figured out by page 50), this mystery is fun to read and hard to put down.
Joanne Pence finds just enough balance between a hard-boiled criminal investigation and sizzling romance to turn this book into a nice, fast-paced cozy that would otherwise be a complete disappointment to cozy mystery fans.
However, Angie Amalfi's character needs a little work. Although she wears her emotions on her sleeve and seemingly has a heart of gold, she still comes across as slightly spoiled and oblivious to anything that goes on in the "real world".
I'm looking forward to reading the next mystery in the series to see how things develop.
Rating: 
Summary: Is it a mystery? or a Romance?
Review: Don't get me wrong. I love a good light-hearted mystery and/or a romance with a little suspense thrown in, but not in the same book. About halfway through the mystery got lost and the romance took over. By the end, I really couldn't have cared less about who had done it and why. The characters also seemed too one-dimensional. Angie is sterotypically young, beautiful, and rich. She also has a fabulous career. Paavo was drawn slightly deeper, but still the sterotype of a dark, brooding cop who has a past remained. I have not read the additional books in the series, but from this first one, I probably will not. The premise is intriguing, and heaven knows, any addition to genre is appreciated. I enjoyed it only when I realized it was more of a romance than a mystery.
Rating:
Summary: Couldn't Put It Down!
Review: I absolutely loved this book; it kept me interested from first page to last. I usually only read while commuting to and from work, but I found myself carrying this book around, reading it whenever I had a few minutes to spare. I don't normally go out of my way to buy a romance, but this book combined the best of both mystery and romance (and Pence certainly knows how to write romance!). I just ordered several more of the books in this series - can't wait to get them!
Rating: 
Summary: Curiously anticipating next in series
Review: I have read Diane Mott Davidson's Culinary Mysteries and was left "wanting more " after I finished her 11th book . Pence was also reccomended and this book was quite entertaining ...but did not tie together well in my opinion . I still couldn't put it down and eagerly await next in series.
Rating: 
Summary: a real disappointment
Review: I love mysteries combined with romance, so when a romance started to develop I eagerly read on. However, Pence goes way overboard, laying it on so thick that you think you're reading a Harlequin Romance. Added to that, the heroine--since there's no way you can call her a detective, even an amateur one--continually gets herself and others into hot water through her sheer stupidity. She also has few positive characteristics, not someone I could relate to or see as a role model; she's just a nice, stupid girl without any common sense. This book was just plain irritating. I'm definitely not going to order any more Angie Amalfi mysteries.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointment
Review: The series starts out with an interesting mystery and characters that switch around the usual typecasts- this time the heroine is the rich one (though not self-made- she's more an heiress) and the hunky love interest is the cop with a dark past. Unfortunately, the author's handles the mystery angle much less then the romance angle here, so things get wrapped up too easily. Having a somewhat ditzy woman to lighten up a loner guy could work... if the author didn't paint her even stupider as the series progresses. For this book though, Angie is still tolerable. If you're looking for anything culinary from the series, look somewhere else- its something Angie only dabbles in.
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