This audiobook popped up while I was perusing Libby so I decided to nab it and listen to it in the car. It was a sweet little confection which entertained and didn't stress me out, so it was exactly what I was looking for!

The story takes place in a picturesque, storybook village called Miracle Springs and revolves around a group of 4 female friends, all with a dark and painful secret in their past. Together, they tackle a murder mystery in the town and forge a bond of trust and support, while healing from their past unhappy experiences. The book ends with a teaser indicating a second mystery to come.

The Secret Book and Scone Society isn't going to win a Giller, but that isn't the point of the book. I needed something a little lighter and less intense to just enjoy and be entertained, which is exactly what the story delivered. The narrator was excellent, expressive without being annoying, the mystery was sufficiently interesting, and the characters all very likeable and engaging. Yes, the picture of the town that is painted is a bit technicolour and overly quaint, a bit like a Hallmark movie, but this is a flaw I can overlook given that the characters are all flawed and realistically damaged, which makes their stories more interesting.

I quite enjoyed it and would continue to listen to other books from the series.