Sweet Revenge (Cocoa Narel Chocolate Shop #1) By Morgana Best

Narel Myers was given the ironic name Cocoa Narel by the cruel popular kids in high school, as she was far from elegant and was obsessed with chocolate. The truth of the matter was that her love of eating chocolate had caused her to become excessively overweight. Some years later, a car wreck leads to her undergoing extensive plastic surgery on her face and body. Now that she is medically unable to gain weight, she decides to indulge her love for chocolate by opening a designer chocolate shop.
When people who bullied her at high school are murdered one by one, she becomes the prime suspect. Will she be able to prove her innocence when the police think she’s out for revenge? Will Carl, her best friend, stop flirting with the police long enough to help her find the real killer? Sweet Revenge (Cocoa Narel Chocolate Shop #1)

Bad science, awkward writing, wish-fulfillment

I'm prepared to suspend some amount of disbelief when reading a cozy mystery, but the details of the heroine's transformation are unnecessarily preposterous, and she appears determine to ruin her health even if not her figure.

The grammar is correct but the writing doesn't flow well, particularly in the dialog. I did appreciate the one interaction with the police that showed they were doing a competent job without amateur help, as that is a common irritation in cozies.

It wasn't impossible to finish but I wouldn't read another. 288 2 star

Premise doesn't feel credible, especially how and what the doctor told her. It contradicts itself repeatedly in a variety of ways. The characters feel like cardboard cutouts shoved and manipulated as it suits the author without characterization or consistency. And it was pretty blah for the mystery itself. Hopefully I will remember not to pick up more of these. Mystery, Paranormal I really enjoyed getting to know Narel Myers and her bestie Carl. They'd both been bullied in high school and sort of stuck together through the last twelve years. Who wouldn't love a best friend like Carl, he was sweet, funny and always there for Narel, especially after she got out of the hospital following extensive surgeries and treatments as the result of a car crash. Someone was killing off the mean kids from high school, and Narel along with Carl made it their business to find out who it was. It was so hilarious to see the two of them in action. In the meantime, Narel was getting ready to open her own gourmet chocolate shop, and the realtor turned out to be a guy she had a crush on in high school, a fellow bully victim. I never guessed the killer until the clues came together, it was a good twist with an awesome showdown. I love it when pets (in this case, her adopted cat Mongrel) get to save the day! I've read the blurbs from the next books and am definitely interested in reading more. English Ridiculous

It is very hard to like a book when the heroine is a ridiculously defective glutton. The premise by which she becomes slim and beautiful and incapable of gaining weight is way too unbelievable and I am sorry that I wasted my time. Mystery, Paranormal A delightful, well written cozy that was fast to read and joy able to read. Narel Mayer’s is obsessed with chocolate. So much so that the kids called “The Populars” in high school nicknamed her Cocoa Narel. “The Populars” were a group of people who spent all their time harassing those that were not up to their definition of the right people. Their high school is having a reunion, 12 years after graduation.

Suddenly “The Populars” start getting murdered. One by one they keep dying. At first Narel and her best friend Carl are suspect’s because they were harassed by them. Can Carl and Narel figure out who the murderer is before one of them becomes a target.

This is the first book in the Cocoa Narel Designer Chocolate Shop Mysteries. I really enjoyed the story and hope to read more of this series.

For fans of cozy mysteries I definitely recommend. Mystery, Paranormal

Is that the state of the medical practices in Australia? Please say no.... Medically impossible to gain weight? Eating nothing but chocolate without other severe health consequences? Extensive plastic surgery with no evidence? No recommended follow-up medical or psychiatric care?

Then the other nopes ...

One friend in town? A friend who brings you a cat who'll rule your life?

The Populars?

Opening a business with no concept of business requirements (well, for a cozy mystery, that one's not too unorthodox). Calling this a culinary mystery is well beyond the realm of belief.

Stilted dialog, often repetitive. Unrealistic naming conventions. Twelve-year reunion rather than a milestone year such as 10 or 15?

Too much for this reader's tastes. I came very close to abandoning the book midway, and I'm not certain I did myself any favors by finishing it. ebook This was a fun read. I would love to wake up in hospital and lose a ton of weight and finding out that you will never put on another pound. I would be in heaven and just like Narel I would buy a chocolate shop and eat nothing but chocolate lol. There is a mystery around all the fun. The popular's from school all start dying and in the end it turns out that even the populars hate each other. ebook I knew from reading some reviews this was a little different. It was and I loved it.

The book is about Narel a woman who spent months in a Sydney hospital recovering after being put back together after being hit by a drunk driver.
Narel was no beauty to start with and with forced dieting and reconstructive surgery she is now beautiful and when she returns home no one is her town recognizes her except her best friend Carl.
Now here's the bizarre part of her problem after the accident. She can't gain weight. And she adores chocolate. In fact that's all she eats, except for drinking coffee.

The murders start of the popular's, or the bullies in the school and Narel is suspect #1 since she is in close proximity to the first two victims and she was the most bullied. Grossly overweight, acne and always eating chocolate you can imagine what the bullies of the school did. When the fourth victim is discovered at the reunion Narel, picks up on a chance clue and figures out who the murderer is.

I found this book fascinating because it made me pause and realize that mean, nasty and bullies never really do change when they grow up. They stay the same. They just can be a little better at the put downs.
It also pointed out that people are more accepting of a good looking person than a flawed one.

The only thing that really bugged me about the book and it probably will the whole series is that Narel eats nothing, and I do mean nothing, but chocolate.
Now I am not a chocolate person so I had to try to relate with my favorite foods, burgers and pizza (I couldn't pick just 1) and try as I did the thought of eating nothing but those foods made my stomach hurt. So the idea of eating just one thing all the time boggles my mind. And is kind of a fun thought at the same time. Just the part of eating all you want and never gaining weight. Oh the thought of never having to look at a carrot stick again.

There are some editing errors and some of the sentence structure seemed odd to me. But that's just me so it's probably correct.

I enjoyed the first book so much I purchased/signed up to receive the next books since they are always at a discount the first few days (.99) For my dry sense of humor this book is perfect.

The only negative thing is I never got a physical sense of the characters. What they look like. But I do know what makes them tick and that is the main thing.
And the picture I have in my mind of the little town and the chocolate shop Narel plans to open is perfect.

I'm so happy the theme was chocolate and I read all my fudge shop books. Now I have a new series that won't be on my kindle for two yrs. before I read it. YAY 9781370237128 Sweet Revenge by Morgana Best is the first book in the Cocoa Narel Chocolate Shop Mysteries series. Narel Myers is transformed after a serious car accident leaves her needing extensive surgery and returns to open a chocolate shop. She finds that her previous school bullies are being killed off and investigates. An interesting and fun mystery showing that bullies do not change. I liked getting to know Narel and her friends and I envy her ability to eat chocolate without gaining weight. Although rather unrealistic, it was still entertaining and enjoyable. ebook A lighthearted, fun cozy mystery

I SO bonded with Narel over her love of chocolate! I’m a true chocoholic LOL. Very enjoyable book, and lots of fun! The characters are great. The mystery was well-written. I adored Narel’s cranky cat Mongrel! It’s true: any book gets better with pets! Sweet Revenge (Cocoa Narel Chocolate Shop #1)