Tag Archive | witches

Romeow and Juliet… a book review

From highly supernatural to a taste of the unusual and the witchy… Romeow and Juliet by Kathi Daley is the first in the “A Whales and Tails Mystery”. Aptly named for the central family’s connection to both whales (a brother runs a whale watching company) and tails (cats, cats and more cats). 

Straddling the line between a devote and conservative Irish Catholic family and friends who embody alternative Caitlin is a single girl on a mission. Running a cat sanctuary with her independent Aunt Maggie, trying to start a business with her best friend Tara (Coffee Cat Books… now there is a great idea – cats, coffee and books), and spending plenty of time with her quirky friends who include:

two witches, hippie neighbors, and a cat who apparently has some sort of magical powers. 

I have only one minor beef with this book. I was somewhat overwhelmed with the sheer number of characters introduced in passing at the very beginning of the book. This does illustrate successfully what a large family (diverse as well) Caitlin comes from and has you taking peeks at a number of the eccentric neighbors, but I found it a bit daunting and my fingers itched for a spread sheet to write everyone out… just a little.

Once you get past the first chapter the characters quickly flesh out and start standing out. I especially enjoy the undercurrent of kitty romance between the stray Romeo who has adopted Caitlin and her neighbor Francine’s (used to be friend of Aunt Maggie now main competition for the city council spot) pedigree kitty Juliet. 

Such a busy lady has little time for murder… until she walks in on a corpse and feels the need to figure out what happened. Enter TWO potential love interests – her first (and brother’s best friend) who ran off years ago to join the Navy and the bank manager (sexy, good with cats). There are multiple mysteries to solve, and only one is solved in this volume. The BIG mystery but there is a niggling little one that leads you into a definite wish for the next book! you really don’t feel a lacking in the ending, just an interest in continuing on to the next book in the series. Well played Kathi Daley… well played.

OH make sure you go to the end of the book… there are RECIPES!Romeow and Juliet cover

Forever Charmed… a book review

With a first name like Halloween how can you grow up to be anything but an amazing witch? Well Halloween LaVeau managed it. A witch, yes, the best, not so much. Living in Enchantment Pointe (don’t you just love the name?) in a lovely old mansion she inherited from her aunt there is an attic to conquer and a bed and breakfast to run. A seriously seasonally appropriate book for my Halloween spirit. Forever Charmed is the first in the Halloween LaVeau series by Rose Pressey. Pressey has multiple supernatural series out for the read. I have read several of hers and fallen in love instantly. This book is no exception.

Halloween comes from a long line of strong witches… until she came along that is. Her best friend is a non magical named Annabelle who is well aware of Halloween’s heritage. I love the names of the characters in this story… Halloween, Annabelle, Nicolas Marcos, Liam Rankin, Isabeau…

With one man appearing in gorgeous perfecting during a a stormy night and another hunk at the light of day what’s a girl to do? Well trying out random spells from a book that only gives an English translation when it wants to of course.

One of my favourite lines is in regards to the vampire (nope not telling who)… when asked when he was turned:

It was around the Civil War. I just got caught up with the wrong crowd. We don’t need to discuss me right now.

With two excessively attractive men lurking around and ghosts and spells and witches and all, what more can you ask for but a mystery connected to a spell book? A coven that doesn’t appreciate 

Hallie’s efforts (perhaps because every time she does a spell it fails and someone else in the area has a spell mess up to?), a mother who is determined to support her daughter while reminding her of a rather major past error. There is comedy, romance, adventure, mystery and even the hint of murder. What more can you ask for with a suitably supernatural novel the night before Halloween??51WiGp23lvL._SX310_BO1,204,203,200_

The Accidental Demon Slayer… a book review

And now I flip from light romantic library finds to… demon slaying girls with small yappy dogs as pets? In my defense, it was a free book on my Kindle and I do like to vary my reading. So, The Accidental Demon Slayer by Angie Fox. You do jump all in on the action with the main character Lizzie ready for a safe 30 th birthday celebration with a potential boyfriend before Grandma rolls in on her motorbike yelling about demons and going on the run.

The basic premise is that Lizzie has inherited the ability to slay demons from her mother who ran off when she was a baby. Lizzie is then raised by her rather stuffy adopted parents until Grandma shows up. On her birthday her slaying powers are awakened and suddenly her small yappy dog (Jack Russell terrier) Pirate can talk to her and her life is full or biker witches, a thoroughly attractive griffin turned man named Dimitri and a big bad demon out for her powers and potentially her soul.

There are a laundry list of spells (hilarious… who wouldn’t want to run into a tickle spell?) and monsters that go bump in the night in this book as well as romance, a mystery and adventure. I think my only meh moment was the sexual encounter. Though I must give the author credit, there was a reason things happened the way they did and it is soon after that you realize the greater story. BUT I do love a main character who sticks to her guns and holds strong until the end. 

One of the huge pluses for this book is the absolutely unique characters. I have not read a story with a coven on the run of witches who enjoy biker bars and hard living. And the names – Ant Eater, Scarlet… the witches of the Red Skull. 

So a contemporary romance which is first and foremost supernatural with mystery and adventure. I would say this is a mature reader book with the blatant violence and romance, but it is fun. I don’t know how hard I will hunt for the rest of the series but I will definitely read the next one if I fall across it. It is a fun read. Check out how the prim and proper preschool teacher becomes a butt kicking demon slayer with the Accidental Demon Slayer Series! the-accidental-demon-slayer