The Usual Family Mayhem by HelenKay Dimon-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 11, 2025

Kasey Nottingham needs a splashy idea at her company where they find and develop the next big thing for investors—her job depends on it. Impulsively, she pitches Mags’ Desserts, a beloved small-town business run by her grandma Mags and live-in “best friend” Celia, two women who overcame deadbeat husbands and financial ruin to build a word-of-mouth clientele. Kasey expects her boss to say no. Instead, he sends her home to North Carolina to land the deal…and now she has a problem.

Mags and Celia aren’t interested, which isn’t a surprise, but something else is going on in their kitchen. Locked cabinets. Cryptic conversations. Unexpected notations on business records. The ladies have secrets and whatever they’re hiding is big. As reports of mysterious deaths of abusive men in the area surface—all in households that recently received a delivery from Mags’ Desserts—Kasey worries Gram and Celia have gone into the poison pie business.

As investors start circling, Kasey enlists Jackson Quaid, Celia’s nephew and Kasey’s long-time crush, as her reluctant investigation assistant. Jackson is practical. Kasey has a wild imagination. Together, they dodge Kasey’s boss and gather intel. And kiss. Lots of kissing, though probably not the best idea to start an unexpected romance. Doing it while keeping two feisty ladies from going to jail for knocking off bad husbands—even if those husbands deserve it—might be impossible…but Kasey never shied away from a challenge.

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REVIEW:THE USUAL FAMILY MAYHEM by HelenKay Dimon is a contemporary, adult storyline focusing on Kasey Nottingham’s return to Winston-Salem, North Carolina in the hopes of convincing her grandmother to sell her business.

Told from first person perspective (Kasey) THE USUAL FAMILY MAYHEM follows Kasey Nottingham as she struggles to remain employed at Nexus Opportunity Ideas, a centre for creativity and business proposals but weeks go by and our heroine is unable to come up with a definite plan. Put on the proverbial spot, Kasey is forced to come up with a business idea, and spews the first thing that comes to mind-franchising her grandmother’s at home bakery, a business that does more than sell treats and sweets. Hoping to convince her grandmother Mags, and business partner Celia, Kasey’s arrival home comes with much trepidation, and the face to face confrontation with the man who broke her heart years before, a man who is hoping to get a second chance. Jackson Quaid is a successful attorney, and Kasey’s arrival in Winston-Salem comes with too many questions including the obvious why but Kasey believes she has stumbled on to a dangerous secret, and with Jackson’s help begins to uncover a potential murder-for-hire plot using baked goods as the vehicle of death.

The world building follows several pathways including the potential for Jackson to enter politics. Jackson’s ambitious father is determined to push his son onto the forefront of power but Jackson is refusing to play the games, and Harlan Quaid takes aim at Kasey, and her grandmother’s business. Kasey is struggling with a direction in life, and in this, she battles between head and heart, in the face of loving our story line hero.

The relationship between Jackson and Kasey is one of unrequited love but although Kasey has been in love with Jackson for as long as she can remember, our heroine is unaware that Jackson has felt the same, for just as long. Kasey Nottingham is smart yet flighty, and in this, her inability to stay focused will be used as a threat against our story line hero. There are no $ex scenes.

We are introduced to Kasey’s grandmother Magnolia Nottingham, and her partner, Jackson’s aunt Windsor; Jackson’s father Harlan Quaid, and Kasey’s bosses Brock and Micah.

THE USUAL FAMILY MAYHEM is a story of secrets and lies, family and relationships, acceptance and love. The premise is captivating and thought-provoking; the romance is subtle; the characters are sassy, energetic and charismatic

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy