The next delectable mystery featuring quick-witted, unforgettable Savvy Summers, owner of a soul food café in Chicago.
e-ALC, 08:51:08
304 pages, ARC
Narrated by: Karen Chilton
Release Date: July 21, 2026
Published by: Macmillan Audio
Read from: June 23- July 2, 2026
Savvy Summers, #2
Source: The Publisher and Libro FM (I received this e-ALC and the ARC from the publisher. This did nothing to influence my review.)
Content Warning: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death
For Readers of: Adult, ARC, Audio, Contemporary, Cozy, Sparkly Cover, Most Anticipated, Mystery, Racial/Ethnic Diversity, Realistic Fiction
Savvy has her work cut out when an old friend hires her to cater a company luncheon at a nearby office building on Chicago’s South Side. Stepping out of her traditional soul food comfort zone, Savvy whips together a menu of Creole classics, with her own spin, of course—mini po’boys with assorted fillings, sunburst salad, and bread pudding using Great Aunt Essie’s famous buttermilk biscuits.
But when someone is found dead in the company’s conference room, Savvy’s culinary creations are suddenly in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. While the focus should be on their delicious flavors and inventive techniques, Savvy’s beloved café instead becomes the center of a murder investigation once again.
Caught within a messy web of gossip, miscommunication, and fraught coworker relationships, Savvy will have to settle the confusion to clear her name. Somebody’s hiding something, and with the help of her trusty assistant manager, Penny Lopés, Savvy sets out uncover exactly who is to blame. With familiar faces turning up the heat on her investigation and her café still in hot water, will Savvy be able to save her reputation before it’s too late?
*MY THOUGHTS*
When I read the first one last year I remember wondering if there was going to be more in the series. I had to know. When I found out about this one, I asked for an ARC and was told there weren’t any. I was a little sad, but I was also still hoping for an audio. In short, I BEGGED MacMillan for just a crumb of this book LOL
This was so good! The plot? Absolutely hilarious. Well no, not funny. It was crazy. I gotta say, I didn’t see that coming at all. But just like the first one, it taught me a lot about food. Also, I gotta say, the timing couldn’t have been better LOL To have this whole lettuce situation at the same time someone ate something that killed them in this book. But I hate to speak ill of the dead, but like, don’t be vacuum? Idk she really needed to keep her hands to herself. But the pepper thing and how dangerous and the po’boy story was was news to me. It was pretty cool.
The mystery was good too. She found her clues and red herrings here and there. And the entire time she was still arguing with her (kind of?) ex. I do wish there was more in this tho. Idk how else to explain it besides, more. In the last one they were taking risks and the ending was crazy. But this one felt a little more subdued? She took less risks, but she helped more with the unhoused person. She still had some times where she was the old her, but for the most part it was softer. The ending was weird af tho. It went 0 to 60 so fast, I had to flip back and see wtf was going on. I definitely didn’t guess who it was either lol It went way to fast from nothing and I was so confused.
I still love this series. I even told my momma about it lol I have her ready to sit and blow through both of them like I did. I really hope there’s more. This one could have used a little more umph, but I still want another book! The mystery and food just go so good together lol I need it!
Overall, I give this
