Showing posts with label Spells & Caramels. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spells & Caramels. Show all posts

Saturday, October 7, 2023

Black Arts, Tarts & Gypsy Carts by Erin Johnson

The carnival is in town! Imogen is startled to find out there is another witch who is a swallow. It is Edward, the strongman, who she meets when a pole falls on the tent and he saves them from certain death. He also offers to take on training Imogen as the only other swallow they know is Prince Henry and their relationship is... complicated. 
While at the carnival, Imogen overhears the necromancer/seer get in a fight with Rhonda. When Rhonda is later found holding a saw and the necromancer has been cut in half, she seems like the obvious suspect, at least to Inspector Bon. Imogen is determined to prove her innocence. 

Three stars
This book came out October 8, 2017
Followed by Mermaid Fins, Winds & Rolling Pins
Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited
Opinions are my own


Monday, February 20, 2023

Seashells, Spells & Caramels by Erin Johnson

Imogen's scrimped, saved, and lived as simply as possible in order to save up for her dream. She was adopted and has always felt like she was on the outside of life but an unexpected order from her boss for a wedding cake that goes over better than she ever thought gives her just enough money for the bakery she's always dreamed of. 
At the wedding, two people make some very odd remarks about her cake. There are a wink and a nod that Imogen doesn't understand. One of the guests even hands her a flier about a cooking contest. Imogen is confused but she decides to bake for the contest, getting to the point of wrapping her contribution in the flier, just as the instructions say. It's just too bad that her house catches file that night and she is left with nothing. Except that her submission seems to have made it in because she gets instructions on how to get to the baking contest. She is again confused as to how she is able to get there but it looks like Imogen actually has some magic and the baking contest is to become the next chef of a magical world. It seems the last chef died under mysterious circumstances but we don't learn much about that in this story. Instead, the focus is on world-building (which is really well done; enough revealed that we know what is going on but not too much of an info dump) and on the baking contest. 
A really nice start to a new series. 

Four stars
This book came out October 29, 2017
Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited
Opinions are my own