Christmas season wouldn't be same if Carly didn't get involved trying to solve a murder, but when her friend Gina was a main suspect, she wasn't about to let her be accused. I got a kick outta Don and how he was always on the trail of information for Carly. Who would've known she'd babysat the little twerp when he was a kid lol.

I was completely wrong about whodunit and enjoyed the lower-key showdown and how Carly handled it. She's definitely learned a thing or two in all the cases she's helped with. I loved the friends’ Christmas party at the end, everything a great Christmas needs was right in one room.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Beyond the Page via NetGalley m and my opinions are my own.

I truly do appreciate a heroine who can have exciting adventures, solve mysteries but not act like a nominee for the Darwin Award. That is why I like Carly. She not only runs a cheese sandwich shop that makes me drool but she works with the local police and does not rush blindly into situations. She also has the good sense to recognize when she may have tread on toes or made the situation worse.

Jacob Marley is dead. No, this is not the start of a Christmas Carol but what happens at the dress rehearsal for the play at the Opera House. He is a thoroughly despicable man who has been the bane of countless people throughout his life. Any number of them might have wished him harm but Carly gets involved when her best friend, Gina, is dragged in as a suspect because she discovered the body and, like so many others, had grievances with the deceased.

As Carly discovers some of the horrible things the man has done, more and more suspects come to the forefront. The actual killer has such a sad story that the reader can only empathize. This is not a villain and when Carly realizes the situation, she acts in a very logical and steady manner. It did not detract from the story. If anything it added pathos to it. Five purrs and two paws up.

I have been enjoying author Linda Reilly’s Grilled Cheese Mysteries series, so when I saw a new Christmas installment, You Feta Watch Out, I knew I had to get my hands on it. And I was not disappointed.

Carly is invited to a dress rehearsal performance of The Christmas Carol when one of the actors is found dead shortly after storming off stage. When her best friend is the prime suspect, Carly can’t help but investigate. Then, to add chaos to the mix, it’s the Christmas season, and Carly’s restaurant is insanely busy. The question is how Carly will juggle everything, clear Gina’s name, and find the real killer.

I really like Carly and all the people in her circle. In this book, her relationship with Ari progresses nicely, and they’re planning a wedding and celebrating their first Christmas in their new house. The reader also gets more insight into her relationship with her sister, Norah, who is finally back in Balsam Dell after traveling the world with her boyfriend. Also, Carly’s employees and friends make for a diverse and colorful bunch of secondary characters.

I found the whole plot revolving around The Christmas Carol quite interesting. The author was very descriptive when setting the scene for the play and introducing the reader to the suspects, which included actors, the producers, and even support staff and stagehands. The victim was quite mean and unlikable, so there were a lot of potential killers with quite a variety of motives.

I was along for the ride, completely drawn into the story, and couldn’t wait for the reveal. The mystery was very well-developed and kept me guessing. The only ding I had was that, once again, the mystery isn’t so much solved by Carly, but she basically stumbles on the solution with a gun pointed at her. But I’ll forgive that since the rest of the sleuthing and story was so strong and interesting.

I truly enjoyed You Feta Watch Out and can’t wait for the next book in this series. I got strong Christmas vibes along with a great mystery and had fun revisiting Balsam Dell and Carly’s Grilled Cheese Eatery. I highly recommend this series to fans of cozy culinary mysteries.

Christmas in a beautiful Vermont town, where a theatre company has come to town and is putting on a showing of A CHRISTMAS CAROL. Turns out that the lead actor playing Scrooge has a bit of a temper. His temper must rubs someone the wrong way and he is murdered and his body is found by Gina. Gina is framed for the murder and her best friend Carly works to clear her friends name.

YOU FETA WATCH OUT is number 5 in a series with Carly and Ari as the main characters called THE GRILLED CHEESE MYSTERIES. I read this one first, but now cannot wait to start with number 1 to revisit the antics of Carly and Ari.

YOU FETA WATCH OUT is a fun cozy holiday mystery set in the small community Balsam Dell, Vermont. The characters are just delightful and the reader finds that they want to know so much more about them. The description of the food being served at Carly's restaurant will make your mouth water. Overall, a very well written cozy mystery!

I do recommend starting at the beginning of the series because so that you are familiar with the cast members. I plan to go back and read the others in order.

Thank you to the publisher, Beyond the Page, and NetGally for providing a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

A theater company will be performing A Christmas Carol at the Flinthead Opera House in Balsam Dell this holiday season. Prescott Lennon appears to have been cast for the wrong part, instead of Marley, he should be playing Scooge although the man is even worse than Scrooge. He rebukes nearly every member of the cast and crew and basically everyone he meets. He must have pushed somebody too far because the man was found dead in his dressing room. Sadly the evidence points to Carly’s friend Gina as the killer but Carly knows she is being set up. With a theater full of suspects Carly has plenty of people to grill. Then she learns that it may be someone from the victim’s past that did him in. Carly is going to hold everyone’s feet to the fire to prove Gina’s innocence but she may die trying.

I really enjoy the characters Ms. Reilly has created for this series, they feel like old friends. Carly has a huge heart and loves serving up grilled cheese to the masses. Ari and Carly are getting their new home all decked out for the holiday but aren’t getting too much wedding planning done. Hopefully, after the holidays, they will start to firm things up. Carly is surrounded by a great staff who are also friends. Her former assistant manager and new grill cook, Valerie recently married the chief of police, Fred Holloway. Her new assistant manager Nina is getting comfortable in her new job. Server Suzanne, the proud mom of nine-year-old Josh, rounds out the crew and isn’t afraid to throw her two cents in on any topic. Carly’s BFF Gina was in hot water after being cast as a caroler in the A Christmas Carol production but her stationary store has a huge order of invitations for a “fancy-schmancy” New Year’s Eve party to keep her busy and her boyfriend Zach to lean on. Carly’s sister Norah even lent a hand in Carly’s investigation. A big treat in this story was that former grill cook and friend Grant was home for the holidays and asked to work and he was definitely needed. All the characters feel true to life and grow in realistic ways.

The “magnificent” Flinthead Opera House had been a dilapidated farmhouse when Nate Carpenter’s family undertook its huge renovation. It is an interesting location for a murder with its massive and confusing layout of rooms, hallways, the stage, and many exits. How did the killer do what they did and get away unseen? Did they blend in? or did they sneak out in the chaos? Carly did her best to follow each clue and get answers to her questions. Her observation skills are excellent but putting what she has seen into context took a bit. Eatery regular and publisher of the town’s free paper, Don Frasco is always a good source for information. A piece of evidence by Norah moved the case along but it didn’t reveal the murderer. That came later and both Carly and I were surprised. Nicely plotted Ms. Reilly.

As always the offerings at the Grilled Cheese Eatery make my mouth water. This time there was an unusual sandwich that was very fitting for the Christmas season. In Scrooge’s Redemption Nina has found the perfect way to use a typically scorned Christmas classic and transformed it into something so yummy. Grant shows off what he is learning in culinary school too with some festive appetizers. Recipes for both are included at the end of the book.

You Feta Watch Out, which I think should be followed by You Cheddar Not Cry, was a wonderfully entertaining Christmas cozy that I just had to squeeze in before moving on to non-holiday reads. Everything about it is cozy, from the small town of Balsam Dell to the close-knit cast of characters and the mystery that will make you think. It is all entangled with enough Christmas spirit to get you into the holiday mood whether you read it in December or July. I am very excited for this series to continue.

This was a lovely little cozy mystery that would appeal to a wide range of mystery lovers
The characters were well developed and believable. The plot was very interesting and I wanted to find out how it would eventually all work out. I did not guess who the murderer was and I didn't suspect who it eventually turned out to be. So overall a good mystery.

“You Feta Watch Out” is the nicely done fifth book in Linda Reilly’s Grilled Cheese cozy mystery series. I love the world that Reilly has created in Balsam Dell including Carly Hale’s Grilled Cheese Diner (I’m not a big fan of grilled cheese but by the end of the book I was wishing I could taste the fruitcake grilled cheese sandwich!). I especially love the relationship between Carly and her coworkers who are like family to her. This book is set at Christmas – I love Christmas mysteries and this is a good one and drives the plot for the mystery. Carly’s best friend Gina is thrilled to have a small role in the play A Christmas Carol – until one of the actors is murdered and Gina is the prime suspect. As Carly works to clear Gina's name, she realizes plenty of people wanted the victim dead – readers will feel like they are working alongside Carly to unravel the clues and find the killer. The part where the killer was revealed was well done although I found it quite sad. Well done by Reilly.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.

The latest Grilled Cheese mystery finds Carly investigating when a much disliked actor is murdered in his dressing room of the theater. Many people seemed to dislike him, but it is her best friend Gina who is the prime suspect at first. She becomes determined to clear Gina's name before Christmas.

Another good entry in this series! Reilly did a good job with this in terms of layering the clues to make the reader think an event was not as relevant as it ended up being. It seems like we are building up to Carly and Ari's wedding, so I am intrigued to see if the next book is right before it and ends with the wedding, or if there will be a few more before the wedding. Can't wait to see where the mysteries take Carly next!

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Carly Hale takes you on a culinary adventure as she delves into the mysterious death of a local theater actor. Her best friend has become the main suspect and she can't let her unfairly end up in jail. With a suspect list a mile long finding the killer won't be an easy task. She knows she must sort through pieces of the mystery and connect those that fit together. Will she unmask a killer before her friend ends up in jail?

You Feta Watch Out is a well written cozy mystery.. The plot is fast paced and a real page turner. I recommend this book. I received an arc from the publisher and Netgalley. This is my unbiased review.

This was another fun addition to the Grilled Cheese shop series. I always enjoy the characters and hearing about new grilled cheeses, and this time, I enjoyed the theatre setting. I did clock the murderer fairly early on, but I didn’t work out all the details of how and why. Overall, a fun, light, and quick read.

It's Christmastime in Balsam Dell, Vermont, where Carly Hale is the owner of the well-loved Grilled Cheese Eatery. To celebrate the season, she is excited to enjoy a production of A Christmas Carol...until tragedy strikes. When one of the actors is murdered and Carly's best friend is framed, she is determined to find out who the real killer is.

You Feta Watch Out may just be my favorite installment in the Grilled Cheese Mystery series, by Linda Reilly, thus far. All of the ingredients come together to form the perfect Christmas cozy. What really keeps me coming back to a series is the cast of characters and this one is certainly no exception. I enjoyed spending time with Carly and her team at the Grilled Cheese Eatery. They have such great rapport and it's obvious that they truly care about one another.

Specific to this installment, I especially enjoyed spending more time with a character I wasn't sure would be there after the previous book. When this character appeared in You Feta Watch Out, you may have actually heard me shout out with glee. I felt like I was seeing one of my friends again for the first time in a while. I'm hoping this isn't the last we'll see of this character. There is another character from previous installments that was mentioned as well. I like that these characters have not been forgotten. There are also some new characters I enjoyed meeting.

Every solid cozy has a strong mystery and that is the case in You Feta Watch Out. Carly's sleuthing in this installment, at times, reminded me of Jessica Fletcher from Murder, She Wrote. There are plenty of suspects to consider, but not too many to overwhelm the reader. There were also lots of twists and turns. I thought I had the culprit narrowed down to two possible suspects, both of which turned out to be wrong. I was surprised when the killer was revealed, but it all made sense. I also really enjoyed the way in which the killer was revealed and I thought Carly's feelings about this character being the culprit were perfect.

This cozy is well-balanced with some light, witty humor sprinkled throughout the book. It was just the right amount of comic relief in the midst of the mystery. I found myself chuckling at some of the metaphors several times

For fans of culinary cozies, there are two at the end of the book. One of them has a strong holiday twist, that I likely won't try, but I'm certain there are readers out there who will enjoy it. I like the sound of the second one, so I will have to try that one.

I continue to enjoy this series and I'm hoping there will be more. I'm very excited to see how relationships progress, which new grilled cheese recipe will be served at the eatery next, and what Carly's next sleuthing adventure will be.

Thanks to NetGalley and Beyond the Page Publishing for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love this series and always look forward to the next installment. You Feta Watch Out is the 5th book in the Grilled Cheese cozy mystery series and it didn't disappoint. The story takes place at Christmastime in Balsam Dell, Vermont. It's full of great characters who seem to grow with each story. You Feta Watch Out is a great read at Christmastime or any time of year. Thank you #NetGalley and Beyond the Page for the opportunity to read this book.

Another solid addition to the series. There is more growth for the characters, which is nice, and I enjoyed the setting of the Christmas Carol production. The mystery was interesting and kept me guessing. This was a good way to pass a rainy afternoon, especially considering all the wonderful treats that I considered making while reading this.

As someone who has always loved grilled cheese as a comfort food, it’s kind of hard for me to resist a whole cozy mystery series featuring grilled cheese as almost a character in itself. This series is absolutely delightful, and I love knowing that there’s going to be amazing recipes included at the end.

I have really liked this series since day one, and have only found myself adoring the characters and setting of small-town Balsam Dell, Vermont. Although Carly and her crew live in a small town, there’s always something big occurring in the town that draws people from near and far to attend. Like the theater presentation A Christmas Carol that is being put on, courtesy of a known theater company.

With a well-known theater company putting on a stage presentation for the Christmas season, the town is full of new people as well as the ones that we’ve gotten to know over the course of the previous four books. Carly and Ari, her boyfriend, along with the crew at the eatery have all earned a place in my heart over the four previous books, and I love seeing them. Part of what I love about this cast of characters is how genuinely sweet and wholesome the main group truly is. There’s a bit of a Mary Sue kind of vibe to people in small towns, but since I’ve never personally lived in a small town, I don’t know if there are places where people are all nice and friendly.

In this book, the murder suspect was an actor with a difficult personality. He’s mean to Carly’s BFF Gina, which already made me dislike him, and then he freaked out in the middle of the dress rehearsal and forced the show to take an unplanned intermission. But before the show can go on, he’s found dead by none of there than Gina, making her suspect numero uno, and we already know Carly is going to do whatever she needs to do to prove her friend’s innocence.

The biggest difference in this book is that people have just accepted Carly as a freelancing crime-solver. From the start, when she was actively discouraged and warned away from interfering with the case, both Carly and the law enforcement officers in this book have compromised to work together—but Carly has been a bit better about keeping herself safe, and the sheriff has been better about accepting that she is going to help, and understanding that she actually makes a pretty good detective.

In this book, we get to see Carly a lot more settled in her relationship and living situation, but we also see her relationship with her sister Norah in a deeper light. Norah is in town with her boyfriend, and we get to see the sisterly bond between them firsthand. It was nice to see Carly when she was more relaxed and really feeling the Christmas spirit, even though she can’t possibly avoid putting on her crime solving hat when someone she cares about is on the hook for a murder that wasn’t their fault. Even so, I can’t help but love Havarti as my favorite character.

There are a lot of potential suspects in the story, and Reilly kept me on my toes with guessing who the killer was. It’s complicated by the fact that basically everyone who came in contact with Lennon hated him, so anyone he was in contact with is potentially his killer. It made for interesting reading, and I couldn’t resist making my own guesses, but I was surprised by who it turned out to be, in the end.

Overall, this is a fantastic addition to a series I love. Carly and her crew, both at the eatery and outside of it, are written wonderfully and it makes them easy to love, even with the Mary Sue vibes. The plot is well-paced and didn’t drag or feel drawn out at any point. I finished this book in record time, and while I’m impatiently waiting for the next book, I’ll have to make some of the recipes from this book.

Book Review: You Feta Watch Out by Linda Reilly

Rating: 4 Stars

I just finished You Feta Watch Out by Linda Reilly, and it was a delightful and festive read! Set in the charming little town of Balsam Dell, this installment of the Grilled Cheese Mystery series has all the festive vibes you’d expect during the holiday season, but with a juicy twist that keeps you on your toes.

So, here’s the scoop: Carly Hale is gearing up for what she thinks will be a merry Christmas as a theater company rolls into town to put on A Christmas Carol. But instead of enjoying the holiday cheer, things take a dark turn when a rather unpleasant actor named Prescott Lennon starts stirring up trouble. This guy isn’t just a diva; he’s downright insufferable, and his harsh criticisms make him quite a few enemies among the cast. When someone finally snaps and, well, takes him out of the picture—Carly’s friend Gina gets pinned as the prime suspect. Talk about drama!

What I really loved about this book was the unexpected twist on who ended up being the victim. It definitely added depth to the mystery. The roster of suspects is vast and colorful, from a widow with a suspiciously dry eye to an eager understudy desperate for his moment in the spotlight. Each character brings something unique to the table, and I found myself enjoying the interactions just as much as the mystery itself. Plus, revisiting Carly and her friends felt like catching up with old pals over hot cocoa.

And of course, what’s a cozy mystery without some mouth-watering recipes? The book includes yummy recipes, one of which is a fruitcake grilled cheese. As a self-proclaimed fruitcake lover, I couldn’t have been more excited about that!

In conclusion, You Feta Watch Out is a fantastic addition to Linda Reilly's series. It delivers an engaging mystery wrapped in holiday cheer, complete with lovable characters and a backdrop that makes you feel all warm inside. If you’re looking for a cozy read that combines murder with melt-in-your-mouth sandwiches, then definitely check this one out! I’d give it four stars for its festive charm and clever plot twists!

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

This was my first adventure with the Grilled Cheese mystery series but it definitely won’t be the last. What a fun read, especially at Christmas. My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me an opportunity to enjoy an advanced readers copy. While it made me want to start at the beginning of the series, it worked very well as a stand alone. Highly recommended!

Thank you NetGalley and Beyond the Page Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. You Feta Watch Out is the fifth book in the Grilled Cheese Mysteries. This time, Carly Hale, the main character, investigates the murder of a very unpleasant actor who had a role in A Chrismas Carol. Carly investigates in order to clear her friend Gina's name, but there are quite a few suspects, considering how unlikable the victim was. You Feta Watch Out is a great cozy mystery set during the holidays, as well as a great entry in the series. The main character is great and the setting is charming. You Feta Watch Out is the perfect mystery book to relax and unwind after a busy day. Highly recommend!

What a fun Christmassy cozy mystery! I enjoyed it so much. I've been missing Carly and her yummy grilled cheese recipes and her amateur sleuthing. I was so excited to read this book and catch up with her and the town of Balsam Dell. I'm already looking forward to Carly's next adventure.

Many thanks to Beyond The Page Publishing and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor or expectation.

You Feta Watch Out is the fifth cozy mystery in the Grilled Cheese Mysteries series. It is Christmas time in Balsam Dell and the opera house is putting on A Christmas Carol, but when one of the leads turns up murdered the show can’t go on as planned. When Carly’s friend becomes one of the main suspects she must break out her sleuthing hat again and get to the bottom of the case before it’s too late.

This is such a cute series and I have enjoyed it from the beginning so I was excited when I saw this latest book coming out. The cover pulled me in immediately, it is so pretty and I love the lights and design so much. I always enjoy visiting Carly and her friends again and wasn’t disappointed in the mystery that was told on these pages. The story was fast paced and easy to get through and it had me guessing until the end. This was the perfect pre-Christmas mystery and I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a cozy mystery holiday read. You don’t need to read the other books in the series to follow along with this one, but the series as a whole is good too. I can’t wait to see what Carly will get up to next time.