The Chocolate Cupid Killings

Had to read this one for book club or I would have DNF'd it right away. I kept holding out hope that it might redeem itself, and it did not. I should note that I never pick up the 9th book in a series and just start reading, but I needed a Valentines Day themed book so I took a chance.
If I could ignore the loose writing, the dumb character names (literally Dolly Jolly), and the quirk of the main character (accidentally blurting out the wrong word when she is stressed out), I cannot ignore gems like this:
“Dolly was a big woman. Somehow it was surprising to see how feminine her decorating taste was.”
Carl is very concerned with people's appearances. Lee's employees are the “hairnet ladies”. Glad to see they are valued. I mean, how hard would it be to at least describe them as chocolatiers?
On top of a very easy to solve mystery we have way too many family characters, and townies. None of whom have anything to do with anything. They are like clutter in an already sloppy story.
Also, a side note, it bothered me how poorly written the relationship between Lee and Joe was. Perhaps they are more lovey-dovey in the first 8 books? Here were two people who barely seemed to stand each other,and who spent the entire book keeping secrets from each other.
In a way, I'm glad. It's sometimes so much more fun to talk about a book you disliked in book club.