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THE DIVA SERVES FORBIDDEN FRUIT is the fourteenth book in the Domestic Diva Mystery series by Krista Davis. From the charming cover to the endearing characters to the well-plotted mystery, this newest release captures it all! I always look forward to visiting Old Town Alexandria, VA and catching up with Sophie Winston and her friends. With the backdrop of creative festivals, this time around a DIY Home Decorating Festival, the characters exhibit their strengths in spades. Sophie is an expert at organizing and hosting large events while solving a multitude of problems. Natasha (Sophie’s frenemy) is a house decorating diva, however impractical her designs may be, but they do provide lighthearted humor! And Nina (Sophie’s best friend) has always been there to lend support to the multitude of bad situations Sophie finds herself in. However, in this newest release, Nina is the one needing all the support she can muster when her traveling companion is brutally murdered shortly after returning home from Portugal and finds that she might be the next victim on the killer’s list.

From the first, Ms. Davis sets up intriguing scenarios that tie in to the international travel and the ongoing festival. I was captivated as the story unfolded and each clue sent my mind scurrying off in a tangent direction. At times the crimes committed were heartbreaking but the author’s interjection of heartwarming community spirit and friendship kept the book from becoming dark. There are suspects aplenty and lots of subplots to keep track of, but in the end all the threads of the story are pulled together in a cohesive conclusion. And best of all, the ending gives the reader a heartening surprise that left a smile on my face.

Sophie is known for her generous hospitality and shows her affection and love for her friends by feeding them – all the time! So many mouthwatering meals, snacks, and desserts are served at Sophie’s table, that the reader will be left famished as they read the tasty descriptions. Fortunately, there are several recipes, both savory and sweet, at the back of the book which all sound fabulous. I was instantly drawn to the recipe for Bourbon Chocolate Chip Blondies. As you know, I love cookies and I think that chocolate and bourbon have a natural affinity. With pantry and dairy staples, these mixed together quickly and it didn’t take long to pop them into the oven. My family also appreciated that these bars don’t need to be thoroughly cooled before cutting into and savoring each delectable bite!

Amazon Synopsis

With Old Town’s DIY Home Decorating Festival in full swing, Sophie’s swamped, juggling a bumper crop of artisans, antique dealers, and decorators for the busy street fair. Still, when her best friend Nina suddenly needs a ride from the airport, Sophie is happy to help . . . until she sees Nina disembarking in a state of disarray. It’s obvious the trip to Portugal soured somewhere along the way. But after one of Nina’s traveling companions turns up murdered the following day, Sophie knows something is truly rotten . . .

Though the crime scene is staged to look like an accident, Sophie isn’t fooled and peels off to conduct her own investigation. Her only clue is a strange image the victim scratched into the soil before dying. Could it point to a cryptic killer in Old Town? A bitter travel adversary? Or a cursed artifact smuggled back from the trip? As the mystery grows, so does the body count, and if Sophie doesn’t pluck the murderer soon, her best friend may be the next to fall . . .

A special thanks to Krista Davis for providing one lucky winner with a print copy of THE DIVA SERVES FORBIDDEN FRUIT! Giveaway is limited to U.S. residents. Contest ends Wednesday, June 2, 2021 at 11:59 pm PST. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below to enter. The winner will be announced on this page and on Cinnamon & Sugar’s Facebook page, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!)

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Bourbon Chocolate Chip Blondies

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2/3 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 - 3 tablespoons Bourbon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• Flaky sea salt, optional

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F). Grease and flour an 8 x 8-inch pan and line with one piece of parchment paper cut to fit the sides, but long enough to act as handles on two sides for removing the blondies.

2. Melt the butter and set aside.

3. Mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.

4. Beat the eggs with the dark brown sugar until thick and lighter in color. Beat in the bourbon and vanilla.

5. With the mixer on low, alternate adding the flour mixture and butter. Give one quick mix to combine and pour half of it into the pan.

6. Sprinkle the chocolate chips in a single layer and pour the remaining batter over them, spreading it out over the top. If adding flaky salt, dust the top with a pinch or two.

7. Bake 20 minutes. (Do not bake longer or else they won't be chewy!)

8. Using the edge of the parchment paper as handles, lift out of the pan and cool on a baking rack. They can be eaten warm or cold.

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I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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KNEE DEEP IN DOUGH, the tenth book in the Cookies & Chance Mysteries by Catherine Bruns, is another terrific addition to a long- enjoyed series! While this can be read as a stand-alone, the author’s strength is in her character development over the course of the series. The protagonist, Sally Muccio, and her husband, dreamy Mike Donovan, are celebrating their third wedding anniversary and life couldn’t be better with their eight-month-old daughter, Cookie, by their side. Not only has the protagonist grown and changed (like we all do in life) but the core cast of characters have as well. Sally’s parents are still a hoot and not only is her father still blogging as Father Death but he now owns a mortuary and Sally’s mother is designing a funerary clothing line. Ms. Bruns knows how to create scenes for maximum hilarity and Knee Deep In Dough doesn’t disappoint. While some of the characters are quirky, there’s never a doubt that Sally and her family are loving, kind, and deeply supportive of each other, and never more so with this new book. I’m always tentative about a cozy mystery series where the protagonist is a mother and there’s a baby or child involved. Ms. Bruns handles the situation with sensitivity and, given the support Sally receives from her family, it put my mind at ease so I was able to sit back and enjoy the story as it unfolded.

The murder mystery starts out early and when Officer Brian Jenkins, a longtime friend of Sally’s, becomes the main suspect, she feels the need to come to his assistance. Afterall, Brian had saved Sally’s life on more than one occasion and she feels she owes him a debt. Plus, the victim was a friend of Sally’s from high school days before she moved away. As Sally begins to ask questions, it’s obvious the victim and Brian were/are hiding secrets. Uncovering the truth isn’t easy and it doesn’t take long before she’s attracted the attention of the killer. The clues are sprinkled throughout the story and with a fast-paced plot, I didn’t want to put the book down. It certainly proved to be a “just one more chapter” read until I’d finished the very last page. With a heart pounding reveal, and a couple surprising twists I didn’t see coming, Ms. Bruns has proven once again to be an accomplished storyteller!

Sally owns her cookie bakery, Sally’s Samples, and so many delectable goodies are mentioned on the pages. I had the honor of providing a recipe for the book and when I found out the season in the book was summer, I wanted to have something that was reminiscent of summertime treats from my childhood. My family made s’mores around a campfire after a long day spent hiking in the woods or on a lake boating with my cousins and the memory appealed to me. But in all honesty, the last time I had a s’more a few years ago as an adult, I was disappointed. The marshmallows were overburnt, the chocolate didn’t melt, and the graham crackers were too dry. Instead, I decided to create a S’mores Cookie Bars so that the perfect ration of graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows could be had and no campfires were required. My husband took a stack of the S’mores Cookie Bars to share with his golf buddies and the overwhelming consensus was, they were one of the very best treats I’d had them taste so far!

Amazon Synopsis

For once, baker Sally Muccio’s life isn’t a recipe for disaster. She’s happy to be out celebrating her wedding anniversary… that is until she spies her friend Officer Brian Jenkins with a gorgeous blonde who is not his newlywed wife. The woman’s name is Kelsey Sherman, and it turns out she once dated Brian. Which doesn’t make Sal feel any better about the situation, but she decides to mind her own business and enjoy her evening.

Only before the night is over Kelsey is dead from a gunshot wound, and Brian is found standing over her body. To make matters worse, the bullet is confirmed to have come from his own gun. Brian swears he had nothing to do with the murder, and Sal believes him, even if the rest of the town’s convinced that he’s a total crumb. With nowhere else to turn, Brian asks for help to prove his innocence. But when the tables turn and someone tries to kill Sal as well, she might come out of this mess battered for life.

A special thanks to Catherine Bruns for providing a winner with a print copy of KNEE DEEP IN DOUGH! Contest ends Sunday, May 16, 2021 at 11:59 pm PST and is limited to U.S. residents. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below to enter. The winner will be announced on this page and on Cinnamon & Sugar’s Facebook page, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!)

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S'mores Cookie Bars

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 6 (1.55-ounce) Hershy's Milk Chocolate bars, divided
• 1 (7-ounce) container marshmallow creme
• 3/4 cup mini marshmallows

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F).

2. Create a foil sling for a 9-inch square baking dish. Fold 2 long sheets of foil to fit the inside of the baking dish then place them perpendicular to each other, allowing extra foil to hang over the edge of dish. Spray foil with non-stick cooking spray.

3. Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter with the granulated and brown sugars, and salt, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla.

4. Stir in the flour, graham cracker crumbs, and baking powder. The mixture will be crumbly.

5. Reserve 1 cup of the dough and press the remaining dough into the prepared baking dish to form the crust.

6. Cover the crust with 5 chocolate bars, breaking bars as necessary to cover evenly. (Try to leave the bars as whole as possible.) Coarsely chop the remaining chocolate bar and set aside.

7. Spray a spatula with non-stick cooking spray and use to spread the marshmallow fluff over the chocolate bars.

8. Sprinkle the marshmallow fluff with mini marshmallows and the reserved cookie dough mixture.

9. Bake for 22 - 24 minutes or until the top looks golden brown. Remove the dish from the oven and sprinkle with the chopped chocolate bar.

10. Allow the bars to completely cool until the chocolate has set, about 4 hours. Do not refrigerate.

11. Using the foil sling, remove the S'mores Cookie Bars from the dish and place on a chopping board. Peel off the foil and cut into bars with a knife spritzed with non-stick cooking spray.

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I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.