Collards & Cauldrons by Bella Falls

 

In Charleston for a witch convention, Charli is surprised to learn that she is also going to learn more a about her biological family. But only if she can figure out why the people from Honeysuckle Hollow are causing some consternation among her fellow conference goers. And there’s also the little matter of the murder that some are blaming on her beloved grandmother...

Charli does get to learn a little bit more about her bio family as well but none of it seems good. Her cousin Abigail might be fine but her cousin Ethan is definitely set up to be a big bad later in the series.

I liked that Mason is maybe regaining his feelings for Charli if not all of his memories and that Dash was just a blip. Probably the best book in the series so far.

Three stars

Follows Barbecue & Brooms

Followed by Cornbread & Crossroad

This book came out May 21st, 2019

Opinions are my own

The Gargoyle Gets His Girl by Kristen Painter

 

This book just wasn't as good as others in the series. It was very much problem: resolve the problem: new problem: resolve the new problem. Other books in the series would  have been better as a novella.es create an overall story with oth

er  issu

es tackled as subproblems. At least three times, I opened the audible (escape) app and looked to see if the book was really done because it seemed like it should be... but it wasn't.  This is one of the very few stories that I think 

Willa Iscove is fae and a jeweler. Too bad her latest creation has created a stalker. And that's what it did. And she gets all het up because the customer is obsessed with her because of her own mistake. Which she acknowledges. But then she accidentally conscripts Nick Hardwin into protecting her. And he's not stoked. Because there's a long history of the fae enslaving gargoyles (which is what he is), he is skeptical that her motives are pure. But Willa actually left home at a young age which is a whole different story and didn't know what she was doing. They do solve that issue pretty quickly but really, the story could have ended there.

Three stars
Follows The Werewolf Meets His Match

Followed by The Professor Woos the Witch
This book came out August 1st, 2015
Borrowed from Audible Escape
Opinions are my own

A Touch of Magic by Annabel Chase

The mystery takes a back seat to building Emma's story in this book. She is working 

hard to help make sure that her friend Lucy is elected mayor but it's hard when one of the candidates, a vampire, is killed before he can make his speech. The former sheriff Hugo, now one of the other candidates, takes this chance to accuse Lucy of the murder. It doesn't help that it's one of Emma's handmade signs that was used as the murder weapon.

Emma always has one case per book and this is no different. Now, she has a young nymph who is accused of animal cruelty. But that makes no sense since nymphs are closely connected to nature.

Her friends at the ASS academy are in the story as well. Lady Weatherby is giving Emma her own spell lessons but she is still attending the remedial magic classes as well. This time, the head of the coven goes off the books and lets the students create their own spells to show what they can do. They are all successful but it does take some work.
A nice addition to the series. I wish there had been more to the mystery, it was fairly underdeveloped. And I could do without the overblown gushing about Daniel but overall a nice addition to the series.

Three stars
Follows Cast Away
Followed by A Drop in the Potion
This book came out June 28h, 2017
Borrowed as an audiobook from the library
Opinions are my own

Always the Last to Know by Kristan Higgins

 

The Frost family has always had their issues. Barb doted on older daughter Juliet while John connected more with their younger child Sadie. Now in their seventies, it sometimes seems like the Frost parents are living parallel but very separate lives. Then John suffers a catastrophic stroke while riding his bike and all of the family secrets are bubbling to the top of the pot as are the resentments of a lifetime. 
Juliet is struggling with a new up and comer at work who is gunning for her job. Sadie can’t make her family take her art seriously. And being back in her hometown means she’s in close contact with the boy (now very much a man) who she left behind. 
I cried so hard reading this book and it was a good cry. Family drama, lives changing, and a happily for at least right now made me happy. Maybe not all of the characters were fully developed and good characterization is usually what makes a book for me but the story was so good I just didn’t care.

Four stars

This book came out June 9th

Borrowed book from library

Opinions are my own

Barbecue & Brooms by Bella Falls

 Charli is finally getting out of the stupid love triangle that's been building in previous books. She and Mason are getting ever closer. To the point that, in the last book, they were sharing their powers. But that has come at a cost. Charli's powers seem to be gone. But that is only a small part of their concerns since the witch's council of Charleston

seems ready to take over Honeysuckle. What can prove that Honeysuckle can take care of itself? A barbecue cookoff! Add in some amateur broom racing who will get to compete against some of the biggest named pros in the business and it seems like fun. Except that local leprechaun Lucky's luck has been stolen. And then there's a death. It's no longer just fun and games.
Fast, fun, and fluffy though I'm super bummed that Falls seems determined to draw the love triangle out by hook crook and every other means.

Three stars

Follows Sweet Tea & Spells

Followed by Collards & Cauldrons

This book came out May 21st, 2019

Opinions are my own

The Werewolf Meets His Match by Kristen Painter

 Ivy Kincaid isn't exactly excited to be in Nocturne Falls. Getting arrested for a bar fight when she steps in to help an abused woman makes her even less excited. And then, she finds out that the sheriff is her intended fiance. Just great.Hank Merrow doesn't know that he's engaged but he finds out at the beginning of the book. It seems that the Kincaid pack helped to save his brother's life. To return the favor, the Kincaid Alpha wants Hank to marry his daughter. 
While neither want the marriage, there is a strong attraction that could turn to love and maybe even a pack bond. But only if they can get past the family secrets.
This is a fast, fun, and fluffy book. Even the domestic dispute is sort of glossed over quickly and never revisited. Not real deep and we don't get to know Ivy or Hank very well. The premise is thin but overall a fun story.

Three stars
Follows the The Vampire's Mail Order Bride

Followed by The Gargoyle Gets His Girl
This book came out July 1st, 2015
Borrowed from Audible Escape
Opinions are my own

60-Second Brain Teasers Crime Puzzles by Diane Capri

 I used to love books like this when I was younger - short stories where you solve the mystery - so I asked for this book from NetGalley and was delighted to have gotten an ARC. These stories are definitely short and make you think. Unfortunately about a quarter to a third of the stories are not solvable with the information given; you need to have specialized knowledge in order to guess the correct solution. 

I didn’t count this against the book in my review but I would highly suggest getting this book in the physical form since flipping back and forth between stories and solutions in the ebook format is a pain.

Three stars

This book came out September 15th

ARC kindly provided by Quarto Publishing Group

Opinions are my own