Kasey is a  fledgling employee at a DC business development organization, she's young and very out of her depth. When a last-ditch business pitch to her bosses results in a visit home to North Carolina to visit Kasey's grandmother and her business/life partner, everything goes topsy-turvy and turns into a mystery a la "Arsenic and Old Lace" but with a domestic violence twist. (Just *what* are the ladies up to?) Throw in a childhood crush turned grown-up hottie and there's a lot happening in this witty and surprisingly layered story. 

I found this to be an engaging story overall (and you'll want to keep reading just to figure out what's going on), but I struggled with warming up to Kelsey. Her personality was frustrating and she came off as very immature much of the time. The mini-age gap between Kasey and Jackson highlighted that immaturity, as did her flightiness and avoidance in communication. The overly-prolonged evasion of why Kasey was really home for a visit caused unnecessary tension in an already semi-tense story (with its themes of secrets and a family history of domestic violence), which unfortunately impacted my overall enjoyment of the book. (I thought the second half was better than the first half.) And while I wasn't a huge fan of Kasey's, I also didn't like the serious and stable Jackson being presented as her perpetual savior always cleaning up her messes. They were intended to complement one another, but what an exhausting relationship dynamic for the both of them. There are definitely darker themes in this book so pay attention to content warnings. I did enjoy the author's witty writing style and there is plenty of dry humor and fun banter to offset the heavier moments. There are lots of layers to this story, which is a mix of tension and murder and enduring love. Reading this book made me hungry for pie and vigilante justice. If you're a fan of a friends-to-lovers slow-burn romance wrapped up in a cozy-ish mystery, with a lot of focus on baked goods, then this is the book for you! Publishes March 11 2025.  Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing an ARC of this story, this was my objective review.