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Cake and Punishment
(A Southern Cake Baker Mystery #1)
by
In the first of a delectable new Southern-set baking cozy series, Sophia Cummings, pastry chef extraordinaire, must craft the perfect cake for an old friend’s wedding while sifting through the suspects in a murder.
Bucolic Rumford, Kentucky has glowing fields of bluegrass, a fine selection of bourbons, and now a professional pastry chef. Broken-hearted Sophia Cummings has ...more
Bucolic Rumford, Kentucky has glowing fields of bluegrass, a fine selection of bourbons, and now a professional pastry chef. Broken-hearted Sophia Cummings has ...more
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Hardcover, 311 pages
Published
May 8th 2018
by Crooked Lane Books
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Start your review of Cake and Punishment (A Southern Cake Baker Mystery, #1)

This book was a fun and delicious read! It has everything a light-hearted mystery should have: some romance, some mystery, and humor.
Sophia Cummings is a pastry chef in a upscale restaurant in New York. After finding her boyfriend in a compromising position with another woman, she decides to go back home to Rumford, Kentucky, just for a few days. Back home her friend Charlotte is getting married and Sophia agrees to bake her wedding cake, for this task she will use the Rumford Country Club's ki ...more
Sophia Cummings is a pastry chef in a upscale restaurant in New York. After finding her boyfriend in a compromising position with another woman, she decides to go back home to Rumford, Kentucky, just for a few days. Back home her friend Charlotte is getting married and Sophia agrees to bake her wedding cake, for this task she will use the Rumford Country Club's ki ...more

Cake and Punishment by Maymee Bell is the first book in the new cozy A Southern Cake Baker Mystery series. In this series Sophia Cummings has returned to her hometown of Bucolic Rumford, Kentucky from New York to nurse her broken heart with family and old friends.
No sooner that Sophia arrives home though she finds that her old high school friend, Charlotte, is getting married and is without a cake baker. Since Sophia is a pastry chef back in New York Charlotte does her best to convince her to ta ...more
No sooner that Sophia arrives home though she finds that her old high school friend, Charlotte, is getting married and is without a cake baker. Since Sophia is a pastry chef back in New York Charlotte does her best to convince her to ta ...more

Sophia Cummings left the hustle and bustle of New York City for much slower paced Rumford, Kentucky. Her relationship is in ruins, and resulted in her being fired from her job as a successful pastry chef. Sophia agrees to help bake pastries for several local events although she only plans to stay about a week longer. When Chef Emile at the country club is apparently murdered in cold blood; gossip says he had affairs with several of the club members, with or without their husbands’ knowledge. The
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Dollycas’s Thoughts
When I first saw the cover of this book I didn’t know the author was a pseudonym for Tonya Kappes, but as soon as I read the first page, I knew I was reading a book by Tonya Kappes. She has a distinctive writing style and her characters are so much fun.
This new cozy series introduces us to Sophia Cummings, a pastry chef at a top Manhattan restaurant. That is until she finds her boyfriend, also a chef at the same restaurant, cheating on her. She decides to head home to Rumford ...more
When I first saw the cover of this book I didn’t know the author was a pseudonym for Tonya Kappes, but as soon as I read the first page, I knew I was reading a book by Tonya Kappes. She has a distinctive writing style and her characters are so much fun.
This new cozy series introduces us to Sophia Cummings, a pastry chef at a top Manhattan restaurant. That is until she finds her boyfriend, also a chef at the same restaurant, cheating on her. She decides to head home to Rumford ...more

A fun first in series mystery by Maymee Bell with recipes, romance and murder!
Sophia Cummings is a pastry chef who goes back to her hometown in Kentucky after a bad breakup.
Before she has time to wallow in self pity or her own delectable desserts, she's recruited by the country club to fill in for the murdered chef who was cooking for her friend's wedding. Not only does Sophia take charge of creating a spectacular wedding cake, she also takes it upon herself to help solve the murder case! If sh ...more
Sophia Cummings is a pastry chef who goes back to her hometown in Kentucky after a bad breakup.
Before she has time to wallow in self pity or her own delectable desserts, she's recruited by the country club to fill in for the murdered chef who was cooking for her friend's wedding. Not only does Sophia take charge of creating a spectacular wedding cake, she also takes it upon herself to help solve the murder case! If sh ...more

Release Date: May 8, 2018
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Actual Rating: 5 stars
Wohoo! This book is the PERFECT southern, cozy mystery. And, it's the first in a brand new series- one of which I am very much anticipating for the future (can I have it now, please!?!). Also, this book is a culinary cozy, meaning a lot of it revolves around a murder AND delicious desserts, which is an absolute FAVORITE of mine. If any of this sounds good to you, then this is a must read! Even if you aren't a fan of the genr ...more
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Actual Rating: 5 stars
Wohoo! This book is the PERFECT southern, cozy mystery. And, it's the first in a brand new series- one of which I am very much anticipating for the future (can I have it now, please!?!). Also, this book is a culinary cozy, meaning a lot of it revolves around a murder AND delicious desserts, which is an absolute FAVORITE of mine. If any of this sounds good to you, then this is a must read! Even if you aren't a fan of the genr ...more

I did not want this book to end, that's how good it was! From the small town Southern setting to the amazing characters and their overall chemistry with one another, I loved everything there was about this mystery. I do admit that I was able to guess the killer but it was fun seeing how that person got caught. Retribution came swiftly to the killer at the end, but to me it was very satisfying.
Sophia Cummings was head pastry chef for The Manhattan, an exclusive New York restaurant, who, after fin ...more
Sophia Cummings was head pastry chef for The Manhattan, an exclusive New York restaurant, who, after fin ...more

Newest assignment details:
Where- Rumford, Kentucky
Who- Sophia Cummings- a pastry chef who has come home (or escaped) New York City to lick her wounds after finding her chef boyfriend is cheating on her
Upon arriving in Rumford, Kentucky I met up with Sophia Cummings who insisted the moment I met her...she was just taking a short vacation from the City and the mess of her love life. Her mother (who was thrilled to have Sophie home, and took it as a personal offense to her that she left) insist ...more
Where- Rumford, Kentucky
Who- Sophia Cummings- a pastry chef who has come home (or escaped) New York City to lick her wounds after finding her chef boyfriend is cheating on her
Upon arriving in Rumford, Kentucky I met up with Sophia Cummings who insisted the moment I met her...she was just taking a short vacation from the City and the mess of her love life. Her mother (who was thrilled to have Sophie home, and took it as a personal offense to her that she left) insist ...more

Southern cozy at it’s finest, author Maymee Bell has penned what is sure to be one of the top new cozy mysteries of 2018.
As a lover of culinary cozies, I had been looking forward to CAKE & PUNISHMENT since I first heard about it. Starting a new series can be a bit dicey. You’re never sure if it will live up to your expectations. I’m happy to say, this book did that and more!
CAKE & PUNISHMENT drew me in immediately. Great characters, southern charm, detailed descriptions that made me feel like I ...more
As a lover of culinary cozies, I had been looking forward to CAKE & PUNISHMENT since I first heard about it. Starting a new series can be a bit dicey. You’re never sure if it will live up to your expectations. I’m happy to say, this book did that and more!
CAKE & PUNISHMENT drew me in immediately. Great characters, southern charm, detailed descriptions that made me feel like I ...more

A cozy mystery wrapped in southern charm and humor! What's a girl to do when she gets her heart broken, why visit her hometown of course! However, as with most journey's this one opens up a crossroads in the life journey for the main character especially after finding a dead body may mean disrupting a friend's happily ever after! Characters full of wit, charm and interest to keep you connected to the plot and entertained for hours this is definitely a new series that I can't wait to read more of
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This is an enjoyable start to a new series. Cake and Punishment is the debut book in A Southern Cake Baker Mystery series. Sophia, a pastry chef in NYC, discovers her boyfriend Noah has been cheating on her, so she heads home to bucolic Rumford, Kentucky. But things aren’t as peaceful as they appear to be. A pastry chef turns up dead and there are quite a few people who wanted him that way. This book is perfect for readers who love quirky characters and thick southern charm. I was fortunate to r
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*I recieved a free copy of this book from Netgalley which I voluntarily chose to write an honest review for.
Incredible start to a brand new series. We get to follow Sofia as returns home to Kentucky after being cheated on in order to heal. She just happens to get wrap up in a murder while shes there. I was loving the Southern charm and all the coming she does to distress herself. It kept making me hungry even while we learned more about the murder. Add some colorful characters and you end up wi ...more
Incredible start to a brand new series. We get to follow Sofia as returns home to Kentucky after being cheated on in order to heal. She just happens to get wrap up in a murder while shes there. I was loving the Southern charm and all the coming she does to distress herself. It kept making me hungry even while we learned more about the murder. Add some colorful characters and you end up wi ...more

Sophia Cummings is hiding out in her hometown of Rumford, Kentucky after catching her chef boyfriend with another co-worker at the swanky Manhattan restaurant where Sophia is the pastry chef. While staying with her parents Sophia becomes involved in her mother's endless round of club meetings and reconnects with old friends. After learning her best friend Charlotte's wedding baker has quit with the wedding only days away, Sophia offers to bake Charlotte's dream wedding cake. Then disaster happen
...more

Cake & Punishment by Maymee Bell is coming out in May, published by Crooked Lane Books and it made me Ugly Cry! I loved this book. Maymee Bell has set up a truly wonderful southern cozy town in Kentucky and in a great cozy way. I love the way she wrote this book and the setting for main character Sophia to come home too. While some of the book is set up so you know and hope what is going to happen, the mystery and murderer actually caught me off guard. I found that I was so involved in how the w
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Pastry chef Sophia comes back to her privileged background for a mini-breakdown after she catches her chef-boyfriend cheating. Her high school bestie is getting married, and Sophia promises to bake the cake of her dreams. When she goes to check out the country club kitchen, their chef is lying bludgeoned on the ground, and she ends up promising to help out, both with the kitchen and--to herself--with clearing the lead suspect, the woman who hired her for her first cooking job. Of course, the han
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This is the first book in "A Southern Cake Baker Mystery" and it is a very enjoyable read. The author puts in just the right amount of fun and mystery and tops it off with a lovable cat. Sophia Cummings is the head pastry chef at a big-time restaurant in Manhattan and has come home to Rumford, Kentucky, for a break after finding her now ex-boyfriend in a compromising position. One thing leads to another and she finds herself filling in temporarily as a chef at the country club after the murder o
...more

Cake and Punishment by Maymee Bell, aka Tonya Kappes, is the 1st book in A Southern Cake Baker Mystery series, and it is wonderful. Sophia Cummings works as a pastry chef in New York City, but when she catches her boyfriend, a chef, with their co-worker she goes back home to Rumford, Kentucky to regroup. When her friend Charlotte from high school needs someone to make her wedding cake she agrees. When the head chef for the wedding is found dead, Sophia rushes to find the killer. I strongly recom
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This was a nice beginning to the series. I liked the small town and the characters. It was nice that while Sophia was back she reconnected with an old friend. I was also happy to see that she has a new love interest. I was surprised by who did it. Which is always nice. I don't like being able to figure it out right away. I just hope that the next book will be just as good.
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What a fun cozy mystery with a southern drawl! A Kentucky drawl, to be precise, so you know I love it. Perfect for the armchair sleuth with a sweet tooth, this new series is off to a great start!
Sophia is a little bit ‘Sweet Home Alabama’, returning home to small town Kentucky from her high-profile job as a pastry chef for an elite restaurant in Manhattan after she catches her chef boyfriend cheating on her with the hostess. Her group of long-time friends, not to mention her colorful mother, are ...more
Sophia is a little bit ‘Sweet Home Alabama’, returning home to small town Kentucky from her high-profile job as a pastry chef for an elite restaurant in Manhattan after she catches her chef boyfriend cheating on her with the hostess. Her group of long-time friends, not to mention her colorful mother, are ...more

3.5 stars = I liked it quite a bit
CAKE AND PUNISHMENT, the first book in the Southern Cake Baker Mystery series, is a quick read, as fluffy as the finest buttercream frosting.
Here we meet head pastry chef Sophia Cummings as she comes home to lick her wounds after discovering that her chef boyfriend Noah has been cheating and she is apparently the last to know. She keeps telling herself that she is only going to stay for a couple of weeks but is more than willing to step up and bake her childhoo ...more
CAKE AND PUNISHMENT, the first book in the Southern Cake Baker Mystery series, is a quick read, as fluffy as the finest buttercream frosting.
Here we meet head pastry chef Sophia Cummings as she comes home to lick her wounds after discovering that her chef boyfriend Noah has been cheating and she is apparently the last to know. She keeps telling herself that she is only going to stay for a couple of weeks but is more than willing to step up and bake her childhoo ...more

I’m a big cozy fan and, being, a southern gal, I enjoy books set in my neck of the woods. The icing on the cake for me was. literally, the dessert. The author described some sweet concoctions that had me craving something sweet. And there’s more than one kind. The possible romance between Sophia and Sherriff Carter of the adorable dimples added to the flavor.
I like a story about starting over too. Been there. Done that. And with loads of humorous scenes and eccentric character’s I couldn’t help ...more
I like a story about starting over too. Been there. Done that. And with loads of humorous scenes and eccentric character’s I couldn’t help ...more

I always enjoy reading other reviews, so imagine my surprise to find out Maymee Bell is a pen name for Tonya Kappes! Holy Moly, I was so excited. Tonya is a fun writer who surely knows how to write a good story.
When pastry chef Sophia Cummings returns to Rumford, Kentucky, it's to help heal her broken heart.
Finding her fiance in the arms of another woman has destroyed her, so returning to her hometown is a good solution.
Unfortunately for Sophia, things go awry and she finds herself baking her be ...more
When pastry chef Sophia Cummings returns to Rumford, Kentucky, it's to help heal her broken heart.
Finding her fiance in the arms of another woman has destroyed her, so returning to her hometown is a good solution.
Unfortunately for Sophia, things go awry and she finds herself baking her be ...more

Cake and Punishment is the debut book in Maymee Bell’s (Maymee Bell is the pen name of Tonya Kappes) Southern Cake Baker Mystery series. I read an ARC of this book and noted several inconsistencies in the storyline, but am sure they will be corrected prior to publication. The writing style flows smoothly, the book is an easy read, and the characters are well developed and well rounded. The author is a gifted storyteller who is very talented in descriptive writing and she’s created a perfect Sout
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Cake and Punishment
A Southern Cake Baker Mystery, Book #1
Tonya Kappes
5 Stars
Synopsis:
In the first of a delectable new Southern-set baking cozy series, Sophia Cummings, pastry chef extraordinaire, must craft the perfect cake for an old friend’s wedding while sifting through the suspects in a murder.
Bucolic Rumford, Kentucky has glowing fields of bluegrass, a fine selection of bourbons, and now a professional pastry chef. Broken-hearted Sophia Cummings has come home from New York City. She’s not ...more
A Southern Cake Baker Mystery, Book #1
Tonya Kappes
5 Stars
Synopsis:
In the first of a delectable new Southern-set baking cozy series, Sophia Cummings, pastry chef extraordinaire, must craft the perfect cake for an old friend’s wedding while sifting through the suspects in a murder.
Bucolic Rumford, Kentucky has glowing fields of bluegrass, a fine selection of bourbons, and now a professional pastry chef. Broken-hearted Sophia Cummings has come home from New York City. She’s not ...more

Cake and Punishment by Maymee Bell is the first tale in A Southern Cake Baker Mystery series. Sophia Cummings, a pastry chef, has returned home for a visit to Rumford, Kentucky after finding her boyfriend, Noah in a compromising position with the maître d’ where they work. At the Rumford Country Club (RCC) she encounters her friend, Charlotte Harrington who is getting married in a few days. Charlotte’s cake baker has quit, and Sophia offers to make her a beautiful wedding cake. The next day they
...more

Sophia Cummings has come back to her hometown of Bucolic Rumford, Kentucky to take a much needed breather from her everyday life. She found out that the man she was seeing was cheating on her and needed to get away, not only do they work together but they live together too. While in town her friend asks her to make her wedding cake, you see Sophia is a very talented pastry chef and she immediately says yes. The kitchen at the local Country Club has agreed to let Sophia make the cake there and sh
...more

Cake and Punishment by Maymee Bell (Tonya Kappes) was a lovely new beginning to a new cozy series. I loved Ms. Kappes' writing voice because her descriptions of small town life in Kentucky always make me feel as if I've been invited into a friend's home. I feel comfortable and welcome as I meet the characters and get to know them while the story progresses. With a fast paced plot, several suspects and enough twists to keep me on the edge of my seat, I was rooting for Sophia to solve the murder a
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Maymee Bell's Cake and Punishment is the first in a new cozy mystery series and is a light and easy read. Sophia Cummings, pastry chef extraordinaire, returns home to small town Kentucky for a break after she discovers that her boyfriend is cheating on her. One of her friends is about to get married, and Sophia agrees to bake her wedding cake. While looking at the country club kitchen, she discovers the body of the head chef. Sophia quickly gets involved in solving the murder while baking delici
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What a great 1st book in the Southern Cake Baker Mystery series. Sophia returns to her home town when she discovers her chef boyfriend with another woman. As pastry chef in the same restaurant she decides to visit her family and nurse her bruised heart. She is roped into baking her high school friend’s wedding cake and helping out when the chef at the country club is murdered. Great characters and instant attraction between Sophia and the sheriff. This cozy is a good mystery and is well written.
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A Southern Cake Baker Mystery
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