Wreath Beneath The Lines is the seventh installment to this series. Set in Crystal Cove, California with Jenna Hart as the amateur sleuth and owner of the Cookbook Nook.

Jenna receives a surprise visit from her sister, Whitney, her husband and their daughter. They are in need of some Christmas spirit and straightening out. Also, there is a murder, attempted murder and insecurities in her sister’s marriage.

See who is trying to ruin Christmas & how it’s resolved.

What I did like:
The cast of characters – their diversity.
Lots of twists and turns, leading to a not so easily picked culprit.
Recipes and cookbook references included.

Looking forward to another installment.

Wreath Between the Lines is the seventh book in the delightfully cozy Cookbook Nook Mystery series by Daryl Wood Gerber. In this new story, Jenna Hart of Crystal Cove, California is getting ready for the Christmas holiday and is busy making sure the shelves of her shop, the Cookbook Nook, are stocked with plenty of cookbooks and other merchandise to satisfy her holiday shoppers. Both Jenna and her Aunt Vera are also busy decorating the store and getting their Cookbook Nook-themed wreath ready for the town’s holiday wreath festival. Jenna loves the holidays and is excited to have her sister, brother-in-law, and niece in town for the holiday with her being that her father is away on his honeymoon. Getting into the Christmas spirit, however, proves to be more difficult than Jenna could have imagined when, first, she realizes that her sister’s marriage is in trouble, and then she is asked by her father’s friend, Jake, for help after his friend is killed after being strung up in Jake’s Christmas lights. Once Jenna and the gang figure out that Jake was actually the murderer’s intended victim, Jenna sets out to sift through her list of suspects, unravel all of their secrets, and put the murderer on the Naughty List before Christmas is ruined altogether.

As with all of Daryl Wood Gerber’s books, Wreath Between the Lines is a superbly written mystery with an engaging plot, steady pacing, and extremely likeable characters. Ms. Gerber’s descriptive writing really brings out her characters’ personalities and makes them so much more relatable and personable. The twists and turns throughout the story were fun to follow and kept me engrossed until the very end. Even though Wreath Between the Lines is part of a series, it can absolutely be read as a stand alone due to the wonderful job Ms. Gerber does with providing just enough back story to catch up a new reader while keeping repeat readers engaged. A Christmas themed cozy wouldn’t be complete without a mouth-watering selection of new recipes to try, and the recipes included sound positively delicious! Ho Ho Ho!

Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of this book by the author through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, and I have done this. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I love a good Christmas cozy and this one didn't disappoint. Fast paced and a real page turner. The murder was well plotted and kept me guessing. As always Gerber's descriptive writing style made for a fun read. you can smell the smells and feel like you are part of the festivities.

The holidays are Jenna Hart’s favorite time of year. As she’s decorating the Cookbook Nook for all the festive events, her imperious older sister makes a surprise visit, anxious that her husband’s been more naughty than nice. To make matters worse, her father’s good friend Jake shows up on her doorstep with a frantic report that his friend has been murdered, trussed with Christmas lights and impaled with a tree star.

Worried that Jake was the intended victim, Jenna makes a list of suspects and checks it twice. Swapping her Santa hat for a sleuthing cap, she gets busy investigating Jake’s long-lost sister, his Grinch of a neighbor, and a stamp collector who covets Jake’s most treasured piece. When Jake himself is poisoned and nearly dies, Jenna knows she’ll have to do whatever it takes to corner the culprit before it’s lights out for Jake.

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Series: A Cookbook Nook Mystery - Book 7
Author: Daryl Wood Gerber (Avery Aames)
Genre: Cozy Mystery/Holiday
Publisher: Beyond the Page

Daryl Wood Gerber has a knack for telling stories that make your mouth water and causes your mind to linger over pages filled with wonderful characters. She writes captivating plots and her setting of Crystal Cove, California is made for holiday celebrations.

In the seventh book in the series, Wreath Between the Lines delivers on exceptional entertainment, suspects that are fascinating, and a story that will keep the reader coming back for more. Although a part of a series, this addition can stand on its own. However, it is always fun to go back to previous volumes to get a better understanding of who the characters are and what has happened to each of them throughout the series.

Jenna Hart is worried about her customers at the Cookbook Nook, her employees, and her family. She cares deeply about all of them, but a few seem to bring out the detective in her. This holiday season her sister, brother-in-law, as well as their teenage daughter are in town, and things are not as jolly as they should be. Then her neighbor and fathers’ friend, Jake becomes a possible murder suspect after his friend Geoffrey is killed. Or worse yet, Jake could become a future victim. Jenna can’t keep her nose out of it and jumps into figuring out who killed Geoffrey when they may have really meant to kill Jake.

Jenna is a wonderful character. Many of us know someone just like her. She is driven by her need to make things right, which usually lands her in trouble. She is mostly happy with a few quirks to her character that makes her lovable. Other characters throughout the book add to the intrigue and fun factor. Readers will find at least one character that they can relate to within these pages. When the killer is revealed readers will be happily surprised and delighted.

Wreath Between the Lines is a well-written story with characters that make you laugh, feel a bit of frustration for, and at times, imbues you with the Christmas spirit. The recipe book inside this book will have you running to your local bookstore to buy as many as possible, not to mention the recipes in the back that readers will want to try for themselves. The writing is smooth, characters are believable and the plot seamless. I highly recommend this book and series to lovers of cozies of all types.


ARC provided by NetGalley

Crystal Cove is preparing for the Christmas Holidays. Jenna is decorating her bookshop the Cookbook Nook.
When Jake Chapman's homeless friend Geoffrey is found dead, Jenna springs into action to help find the killer.
Jenna's sister, brother in law and niece are also in town.
So many suspects, secrets, surprises to be found.
Great characters, lots of twists and turns to keep you turning the pages until the very end.
Lots of recipes at the back of the book.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Wreath Between the Lines is a cozy, amateur sleuth mystery. The seventh in the Cookbook Nook Mystery and my first by this author, I found the story easy to catch up on and to follow along with. The characters are fun, quirky, and entertaining. When Cookbook Nook owner, Jenna Hart's sister comes home for the holidays, she wants Jenna to find out what her husband is hiding from her. Then Jenna's friend, Jake finds his old friend murdered in his kitchen and it looks like Jake may have been the target. Jenna starts asking questions and multiple suspects crawl out of the woodwork. The story keeps you guessing and even when you think you have the killer nailed down, the motive throws you for a loop. A good amateur sleuth mystery, Wreath Between the Lines made me want to read the whole series. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.

A mystery that keeps you guessing while getting you in the spirit of the holidays! Reading this story was like visiting old friends, it was comfortable and not the least bit boring. Even though this series is not new, the author keeps the characters and setting fresh with the writing. The mystery itself flowed wonderfully from point to point without getting lost in details. Overall a great read that you can enjoy again and again.

Jenna Hart is up to her elbows in cookbooks and decorations for her shop The Cookbook Nook. When her father's friend Jake finds a dead body at his house, he rushes to Jenna for help. Complicating matters is a domestic dispute between her sister Whitney and her husband. When Jenna discovers the dead man looks remarkably like Jake, she is concerned for Jake's safety thinking it might be a case of mistaken identity.

A little bit a love a bit a murder makes for an intriguing and exciting package. Jenna gets to put her sleuthing skills to work, by trying to solve the murder mystery that happened too close for comfort as far as Jenna and her family were concerned. With new relations on the horizon, all having a dramatic impact on their little cozy settings. She aimed at solving this puzzle quickly, so they all could get back to celebrating having a merry Christmas.

As a newcomer to the Cookbook Nook Mystery Series by Daryl Wood Gerber, I found "Wreath Between the Lines"a fun, engaging Christmas read. There was plenty of action to the plot and Jenna is a friendly and sweet character with maybe more than her share of curiosity. Because I am new to the series I didn't fully understand Jenna and her father's relationship but her father seems to be supportive of all her investigative actions even while he is away on vacation.

The plot jumps right into a murder which happens at Jake Chapman's home, a rich millionaire who happens to be a friend of the family. Suspicion about the motive for the murder, Jenna jumps right in to solve the case and find out why it appears Jake was the intended target of the attack. This is the point in the story where I find my first major critique. I am surprised at how quickly Jenna accuses everyone around her. She doesn't seem to have a filter in who she suspects as a criminal and often confronts people directly. I think the story loses a bit of its credibility with Jenna's immature investigative tactics. This is the first reason I have only given the novel a rating of 4 out of 5 stars.

My second major critique would be wordiness. There are too many descriptions and unnecessary details added which downplay some of the action in the plot. For instance, when Jenna is running to help Jake whose friend has been murdered and strung up by Christmas lights, why do we get a description of Jake's detached garage? I just feel as though some long descriptions of characters and places are unnecessary or awkwardly placed. Here is another example of this: "We went through the rear door, as we always did, passing by the vegetable garden. December was typically a cool month, but headier vegetables like chard and spinach were doing nicely. Rhett plucked some chard as he passed by. Once inside, he directed me to sit at the granite counter" ("Wreath Between the Lines", Gerber, D.W.). It feels like the writing is overly detailed to the point where it is excessive. Some of these things might still be edited out before the final copy so I haven't given too much weight to that in my rating.

All in all, I think I would be happy to give another one of Daryl Wood Gerber's books a try and would definitely not hesitate to recommend this as a quick and spirited Christmas read.

I also want to thank NetGalley and Beyond the Page Publishing for an advanced copy of this e-book to read and review. Also, the quote I used in my review for NetGalley and the Publishers is for reference as to my rating, and I have not included the quote on my published reviews because the book is not yet available. A copy of my review will be posted to Amazon once the book becomes available (we are not able to post reviews of books pre-publication on Amazon). Thanks!

This is the 7th in the Cookbook Nook Series

Jenna Hart is back along with all of our favorite characters.

While Jenna and her staff are decorating the Nook for all of the special events for the holidays, it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

With her sister in town with her daughter and husband staying at her dad's home it looks like everyone will be home for the holidays.

Only there is something off with her oh so pulled together sister and her husband. And in the midst of trying to figure that one out, Jake, who has the best ever Christmas display in town and is also an old friend of the family, goes out for pizza and comes home to a dead friend. 

This is probably one of my favorites in the series. Everyone is holding a secret. But only one of them is a killer. And Jenna knows it isn't Jake, but can she find out who wants him dead and why?

Leave it to Jenna and her friends to have everything wrapped up by Christmas Eve. You won't want to miss this one. Surprises are around every corner! Oh! And there are recipes...lots of them!

Well Done!

Netgalley/ November 8th 2018 by Beyond the Page

The newest Cookbook Nook mystery finds Jenna Hart’s sleuthing split between family drama and attempt’s on good friend Jake Chapman’s life.

As Jenna prepares for the Crystal Cove Christmas Festival, her sister Whitney and 14-year-old niece Lacy surprise her with a visit, planning on staying at their dad’s house since he is traveling. Her sister is extremely upset as she suspects her husband is having an affair. And Lacy is competing in a musical competition with her group Nothing But Treble.

Then Jake’s friend Geoffrey is murdered while staying with Jake. Speculation that Geoffrey was mistaken for Jake is proven right when Jake is poisoned while judging the cookie bakeoff at the Cookbook Nook.

The two leading suspects for the murders are Emmett Atwater, a contentious and complaining neighbor, and Olivia, Jake’s long estranged sister looking to reconnect after years of separation. And in the middle of chasing all the clues, Jenna is pleasantly surprised when boyfriend Rhett proposes.

This is a fast-paced mystery with lots of twists and distractions. The plotting is very well done and the ending unexpected. This series just keeps getting better.

It’s Christmas in Crystal Cove, but time, and murder, stops for no man, or woman. With Christmas festivities in full swing, Jenna Hart finds herself knee deep in festivities when a close friend of her father, Jake, becomes a suspect in the murder of a visiting friend. I matter how busy things are, Jenna finds herself trying to find the murderer and clear Jake.

Murder, Christmas, cookies, elves, Santa, love, family, and music make this one Christmas cozy not to miss! Loved it!

4 stars

It’s the Christmas season and the small town of Crystal Cove, CA is buzzing with its annual holiday festival. Jenna Hart, along with her aunt and the staff at The Cookbook Nook, jumps right into the spirit of things decorating and offering seasonal cookbooks and related activities. Even something as festive as the bookstore’s cookie contest takes the reader in yet another sudden and unexpected turn in solving the murder of a visitor who was found wrapped in Christmas lights.

Even though I’m not a regular reader of cozy mysteries, I think I just might be hooked after reading <i>The Wreath Between the Lines</i>! Not only does Gerber’s latest (#7) in the Cookbook Nook Mystery series fit the cozy niche perfectly but add in the festivities of the Christmas season along with cookbooks and recipes galore and you have a winning combo. The characters and their dilemmas are all believable and realistic ranging from family disputes to budding romances. Crystal Cove is the kind of town that makes me want to take a road trip just to visit in person!

For me, this was the perfect light read to kick off the holiday season!


FYI - I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love this series. The characters are likable, the relationships realistic and the descriptions of the town and local events make me wish I could go visit.

In this story, Jenna Hart becomes involved in a murder investigation when her father's friend, Jake, shows up at her door in a frenzy because his friend has been murdered while visiting at Jake's house. Jenna has suspicions that Jake was the intended target and starts asking questions at her father's prompting. There are ample suspects and you will be guessing until the end. A final twist makes everything fall into place.

This is book #7 in A Cookbook Nook Mystery but could be read as a stand alone. I received an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Cozy Christmas Murder Mystery
This is a lovely cozy mystery that takes place in the Christmas Season. There are all sorts of Holiday doings at Crystal Cove involving tons of people and their relatives. This book is a nice addition to the series. It stands alone well, but it would be better to read them in order for the background story. The plot is great with plenty of suspects. All of the characters are believable and multi-layered. I anticipate reading more of this author's work. I received this ARC book for free and this is my honest review.

A great holiday mystery. Interesting characters that will keep you entertained. Lots of twists and turns that will keep the pages turning until the end.

I love a good Christmas cozy. Wreath Between the Lines is the seventh in the Cookbook Nook mystery series, but it can and does stand on its own. The quaint town of Crystal Cove is preparing for Christmas festivities, but this is Crystal Cove, so the festivities are interrupted when a body is found murdered with Christmas decorations. The suspects include Jenna’s brother-in-law and Jenna’s father’s friend. Jenna feels compelled to step in and solve the mystery to clear her loved one’s good names. This is a good addition to the series and you’ll love the recipes provided at the end of the book.

This book was filled with lots of great character and relationship development. The mystery wasn’t the strongest but I felt like the other aspects of the book were well crafted so it didn’t hurt the book overall.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was not paid for this review.

This is the 7th book in the Cookbook Nook series and a welcome addition! It's a cozy mystery with a dash of romance, and some VERY yummy holiday cooking- in fact you'll be surprised HOW many recipes are included at the end of the book! But before you get there, you get a look at Jenna's charming town and it's many characters, as it sets up for the merry season. Add in family drama and a surprise guest who gets murdered, and you have the perfect setting for Jenna to show how multi-talented she is! A real page turned, you may find yoruself reading this in one sitting like I did! It's a fun series for the mystery readers, and cookbook lover alike!