#bookreview Killer Wedding Cake by Gayle Trent

Daphne Martin’s wedding to Ben Jacobs is only a couple of weeks away. An award-winning cake decorator, Daphne is busy designing their wedding cake. Her twin nephew and niece, Lucas and Leslie, are excited about being in the wedding party. And Daphne’s brother-in-law Jason is planning a bachelor party for Ben. Everything is going beautifully until Daphne’s ex-husband Todd shows up. Just released from prison after serving a sentence based on his shooting a gun at Daphne, Todd comes to Brea Ridge to profess his undying love for her.

Despite Daphne’s attempts to make Todd leave town, he insists on hanging around to reconnect with people he used to know. When he’s found murdered, Daphne finds herself at the center of the investigation. Now she must track down Todd’s killer before she becomes the next victim. Can she still make it to the church on time?

GoodReads

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REVIEW

OK.  The week leading up to Daphne's wedding were far more of a nightmare than mine.  The worst thing that happened to me and my intended (now my husband of more than 18 years) was the officiant backing out the day before.  We both had exes.  Neither one showed.  Of course that was Utah.  Here in Kentucky, if a sociopathic ex showed up, the bride's male kinfolk (and maybe some of the grandmas) would provide shotgun security.  (Of course, some of Daphne's neighbors did offer something similar, much to the consternation of local law enforcement.)

I love that Daphne bakes.  It's cool that she has an arrangement with a local grocery store to stock baked goods for them.  She must have an amazingly clean kitchen, because otherwise the liability would be astronomical and the government would be all up in her business.  I wish I could do that lacey-type trim on the cakes, like the one in the picture - but without the bloody handprint.

Being an old hat at not seeing eye-to-eye with my mother, I can understand Daphne's frustration in that department as well.  And having eventually achieved a measure of peace with my mother, I'm glad to see  Daphne and her mother were able to reconcile.  

Ms. Trent does an especially wonderful job describing the terror Daphne felt when Todd, her ex-husband, still sociopathic, ex-con shows up unannounced at her door.  Not sure I would have had Daphne's presence of mind.  

The author's engaging writing style, both as Gayle Trent and in the Embroidery Shop Mysteries as Amanda Lee makes each book a yummy layer to the cake that is its series.  (Truth be told here, I read Wicked Stitch multiple times and I can see that happening with Killer Wedding Cake as well.

Last, but not least, the links to organizations designed to assist victims of abuse at the end of the book file are most appreciated.

If Trent/Lee is a new-to-you author, I have a great opportunity for you.  I am authorized to give away one e-copy of Killer Wedding Cake to one lucky commenter on today's post?  Please list your email and answer the following question:  What's your favorite kind of cake?  Winner will be chosen on Aug 17.

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AUTHOR INFORMATION 
 

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Gayle Trent (and pseudonym Amanda Lee) writes the Daphne Martin Cake Decorating series and the Embroidery Mystery series. The cake decorating series features a heroine who is starting her life over in Southwest Virginia after a nasty divorce. The Embroidery Mystery series features a heroine who recently moved to the Oregon coast to open an embroidery specialty shop.

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Here we are smack dab in the middle of the book tour.  If you click the banner above, you can visit the tour page, which I highly recommend, where you can find more reviews, as well as guest posts and an interview!  You can also find out how to become a reviewer for Great Escapes!

(Disclosure:  I received an ecopy of this book from the author and publishers via Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.)