“But like the ever changing tides, our lives had ebbed and flowed in different directions.”

With a chance to expand Torte in a new direction falls in Juliet’s lap she’s hesitant, but quickly finds herself falling for the idea even as she’s riddle with doubts about her personal life. When murder happens, as it always does, Juliet’s new venture might just go up in flames, along with her relationship with Carlos! ( )

I thoroughly enjoyed this one, mainly for the descriptions of the Railroad District, and Torte building out a second location. The mystery was kind of an afterthought, as is usually the case with these books. Nice to have Lance in the story, even though he wasn't at his funniest. ( )

I don't know how Ellie does this every single time. But she has given me chills, made me tear up, and have made me fallen in love with this series even more than I was before. I loved the character growth in this book. So many loose ends were tied up and yet she untied some that still have me guessing what is going to happen next in the quaint town of Ashland, Oregon.

I love watching characters grow and become more of who they really want to be. I would highly recommend reading this series in order if you can. Watching Jules' relationships with friends, in romance, and in her self is something to grow with by reading from the beginning.

I love that Torte is trying to stretch its wings and branch out into different avenues and try new things. This makes the series stay fresh and new. A lot of times when someone is this far along in a series it is hard not to become stagnant and to cease growing. But Ellie has my heart with these characters. I can't wait for the next one. ( )

Chilled to the Cone by Ellie Alexander takes us back to Ashland, Oregon when the theater season is about to begin. Jules Capshaw has an opportunity to open a seasonal shop in the Railroad District. It would give her a chance to expand Torte’s offerings into iced coffee’s and ice cream. Jules is worried about taking on more work while Carlos is in town. She can tell that he is debating about where he wants to spend his future and Carlos has been keeping secrets recently. With encouragement from her mother and her staff, Jules signs the lease and work begins on the new space (and it needs it). Plans are derailed when a local eccentric homeless man named Wizard is murdered. Jules cannot help but delve into the death and the other misdeeds that have been happening in the area. Chilled to the Cone is the 12th A Bakeshop Mystery. If you have not read the previous books in the series, I do not suggest you start with Chilled to the Cone. The storyline regarding Carlos and Jules’ future is finally resolved. Will Carlos stay in Ashland or return to the cruise ship? I like that we are seeing growth in the characters. Jules, Andy, Sterling, Stephanie, Lance, and Thomas are growing in their careers and in their personal lives. I like how Jules, Helen, the Professor, the Torte staff, and their friends have become one big family. They support each other and are there for each other in times of need. The identity of the killer was a no brainer (it would have been nice if it had not been so obvious). I would have liked a more complex mystery as well, but I know that it does not go with this series. There are good details, a couple of suspects, and helpful clues. Cooking, baking, eating, coffee drinking, and romance abound in this cozy mystery. I liked the idea of Scoops. The Torte gang came up with some clever ideas for this pop-up shop. The ending will leave readers smiling. Chilled to the Cone is a sweet treat with chilled coffee confections, blooming romances, teen trouble, pop-up problems, a furtive figure, and long anticipated answer. ( )

mental-illness, homelessness, small-business, small-town, family-dynamics, friendship, relationship-issues, Oregon, amateur-sleuth***

This is the most recent entry in a prolonged series. There are changes to be made in the family business, issues with her marriage, strange things happening among the local merchants, and then comes the murder of a local homeless character. The sleuthing is good and the plot twisty.
I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley. ( )