Aug 4, 2014

Book Review: Billionaire Blend by Cleo Coyle

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by Miz B; choose two teaser sentences from your current read.
Billionaire Blend
How can it be? This club of the rich and powerful has been completely duped. Someone's passed off this dud of a bean as the Village Blend's signature Ambrosia, which it decidedly is not! Not even close! 
"Clare?" Eric said, obviously sensing my distress. 
Scene or not, I could not let this situation stand. "Please call the waiter back." (ch. 31)
Billionaire Blend by Cleo Coyle is the 13th Coffeehouse Mystery, a stand alone cozy with the coffee house theme. Set in Manhattan, the novels follow owners Clare Cosi and her ex-husband Matteo Allegro, along with Matteo's enigmatic mother, who are all co-owners of the successful coffee house, The Village Blend.

In this novel, Clare helps save the life of online game app and tech wizard, Eric Thorner, who is injured in her coffeehouse when a car bomb goes off outside, killing Eric's female chauffeur. Clare jets all over the world to exotic coffee growing locations in South America, Jamaica, Africa, and Asia, sampling coffee to find the right beans to create the Billionaire Blend, a blend Eric is planning to create and market exclusively to the very rich.

Clare's love interest, the detective Mike Quinn, helps with the solving of the car bombing and its link to Eric and his high tech businesses. Matchmaking for her daughter Joy is another concern for Clare, and the subplot takes on Clare's reuniting Joy with her true love.

Recommendations: I liked going on whirl wind trips around the globe with Clare and learning about different types of coffees and how they are grown and produced. The trips are never dull, the characters are always intriguing, and the plot does keep you on your toes, just like a cup of strong coffee. You can tell that Cleo Coyle is an experienced cozy writer as she takes you effortlessly into her world, in this case around the world with coffee. A five star rating, in my books.

Thanks to Berkley and Penguin for a review copy of this book, which will be released in paperback August 5, 2014. 

11 comments:

  1. And now I am really craving my first cup of coffee this morning. This sounds wonderful--great review,Harvee!

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  2. My wife and I are something of Coffee fanatics.

    She likes mysteries like this and the coffee connection sounds fun. I will recommend this series to her.

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  3. Since I love coffee, I think I would love this book. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Great review Harvee.

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  4. This sounds like an interesting story and series. Despite my intense dislike of coffee, I would read it. My teasers this week are from Iron Hearted Violet by Kelly Barnhill and Pray for Silence by Linda Castillo. Happy reading!

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  5. That sounds interesting and I love series mysteries.

    Mine this week though is not a mystery, the first of a 19th Century trilogy by Arnold Bennett. http://wp.me/pZnGI-aw

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  6. I have read and enjoyed one of the books in this series...sounds like fun!

    Here's mine: “THURSDAY’S CHILDREN”

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  7. This sounds like a fun story and a delightful series that I'd enjoy. Thank you for introducing me to this author!
    My Tuesday post features BETTER THAN YOUR DREAMS.

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  8. Makes me think of Dick Francis' "Proof", except it was about wine rather than coffee.

    How about a Christmas cozy mystery to help to cool you down during the summer? Here's my latest teaser: http://pdworkman.com/excerpt-from-christmas-carol-murder-teasertuesday-2/

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  9. I don't usually read cozy mysteries, but this one does sound like fun! Happy reading!

    My Teaser.

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  10. I read her first in the series and wasn't sure whether to continue, though having coffee and NYC as "stars" of this series helps a lot. I guess I should give it another try--sometimes first books can be a bit weak as they set up the storyline. Thanks!

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  11. How cute is that title? This sounds like a nice series and I like the coffee theme.

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