This book was okay. I will admit that I didn't identify the guilty party until it was revealed at the end, which is a plus, but otherwise I was not overly impressed with the book. It seemed to contain a lot of innuendo and risque comments which didn't do anything to advance the plot; some of the comments were, I think, intended to be joking in nature but to me they fell flat. The relationship between the two main characters, Juliet and Pete, is rather complicated and given the nature of their apparent romantic interest in each other, I wasn't sure why they each had a separate love interest.

This appears to be the second book in a series; perhaps if I had read the first one before this one, things would have made more sense. Having read this book, however, I don't think I'm going to go out of my way to find the first one or subsequent ones. If I stumble on one of them and I'm not reading anything else right then, I will probably read it, but I'm not going to search for them as I would with other authors I've read.

I finished this book literally in two days. I went in unaware that there was a book one and had no problem keeping up with what was going on. I will definitely be going back to purchase book one.mthis book had me going back and forth thinking I knew who the guilty party was and then second guessing myself only to be completely wrong in the end. Juliet is a fierce, devoted friend determined to do the work that the detectives and law enforcement are dragging their feet to do, and let's face it...she's pretty awesome at it. I advise reading when you have time on your hands because you will not want to put it down.
Thanks Chatterbox for allowing me to read this book!

I have to say that I'm really not impressed with this book. I'm feeling very confused and like I'm missing something, but I guess that's because it's not the first book in the series? I don't like starting in the middle of a series. To be honest, I couldn't get past the first chapter - I read the first few pages a few different times, as I just couldn't get them to stick with me. I felt that what I did read was just awkward and really not all that great. I was bored and I hate feeling like that when I'm reading a book. It just wasn't for me, sadly.

I did receive the book for free in exchange for honest opinion. Despite that, my thoughts weren't influenced.

I really enjoyed "Mug Shot" by Caroline Fardig. It was my first experience with the Java Jive Mystery series and I found myself deeply immersed in the book's world from the first chapter. I typically don't care for jumping into the middle of an established series, but thanks to Fardig's excellent writing I was never once lost or felt like I was missing anything due to not having read the first book. I found a lot to love about Juliet, the singer-turned-coffee shop manager with a knack for snooping and, ultimately, solving mysteries. She's a wonderful, relatable character with plenty of sass- exactly what I look for in a heroine.

As for the story, I tend to pride myself on guessing "who" in whodunits early on. This time around, I found myself stumped right alongside Juliet until the very end! It's a shocking twist and one that I'm so glad I got to experience.

I strongly recommend "Mug Shot" and I really look forward to picking up "Death Before Decaf" and seeing what else is in store for Juliet, Pete and the rest of the Java Jive gang!

I received a free digital copy of this book from Random House and Netgalley as part of the Random House Monthly Mystery Chatterbox by House Party in exchange for my honest review.

I was given a free copy of this from Random House and Netgalley as part of the Random House Monthly Mystery Chatterbox in return for my honest review.
I had not read the first book in this series before reading this one, Mug Shot. Although the bits and pieces I learned about the first book makes it sound interesting, I don't think it is necessary to read the first book first. You may just have a little more backstory.
Overall I thought this was a fun quick read. It was an easy read and I finished it quickly. The mystery was pretty good and I didn't solve it long before the main character did, so it kept my attention in that way. I found the main character, Juliet, pretty relatable and enjoyed getting to know her. I loved reading about the friendship between her and Pete and definitely questioned if it would lead to more, although I'm glad it didn't in this book because it would have been the completely wrong time. Overall a fun quick read for anyone who wants an easy little mystery to read.

**I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review**

This was a really fun book to read. Lots of laughs, a good mystery, and characters that felt real. There is some swearing, but I don't feel that it was excessive.

***********Copy from NetGalley in return for an honest review*****

Didn't do it for me - it's trying to hard to be Stephanie Plum crossed with a bakery/coffee shop cozy crime and it didn't work for me. I read to the end because I wanted to know who did it, but I'm not sure that I'll go back for any more.

I loved this! I fell in love with Juliet while reading Death Before Decaf and I couldn't wait to get my hands on this Java Jive mystery. Juliet is working on her sleuthing skills again, this time because her best friend is behind bars and she has to clear his name. With great characters, humor, and a plot that kept me guessing to the very end, I loved this one every bit as much as the first. I couldn't stop reading.

This is one of my favorite mystery series. I keep coming back to see if the author has written any more in this. It is a quick read and easy to pass the time with. I love the heroine and her ability to make light of the situations that result in death so the topic is not too dreary.

This 2nd Java Jive mystery was even better than the first! Juliet is embroiled in another murder mystery when her best friend is accused of murdering his insufferable (according to Jules) fiance! Even though she's semi-dating the murder victim's brother, Juliet is considering everyone in Cecelia's family a suspect.
I really enjoyed this book with the humor and "colorful" language. Although fans of Miss Marple might be slightly offended by the sarcastic humor, I thought it was fun and quite enjoyable!