Hi guys!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.
Today is a day for bookish celebrations as is every day for that matter. Today, we are playing host to a Magical Mystery Tour via Lori at Great Escapes Book Tours starring the first book in a new series that's sure to catch your attention; I know it did mine. As many of you know, I have a love/hate relationship with the Mystery genre....some I love and some I not-so-love, the higher collection of points unfortunately falling in the latter category. Where does THIS one fall? Ah, well, you're about to find out...and pay close attention because you don't want to miss the MAGIC WORDS you need to collect to enter to win the Spellbinding Gift Package! Ladies and gents, join me as we welcome today's blog tour guest and book of choice...
(Retired Witches Mysteries, Book 1)
by
Joyce and Jim Lavene
9780425268254
About the book....
Once upon a time in Wilmington, North Carolina, three witches ran a curio shop named Smuggler’s Arcane. But as the years passed, their magical powers started to fade—leaving them no choice but to conjure up a retirement package…
Before they could blink their eyes or twitch their noses, Molly, Elsie, and Olivia somehow became eligible for AARP. But they can’t fly off to Boca Raton just yet. First they must give up their magic, recruit and train three new witches, and pass on their cherished spellbook.
They’ve barely begun to consider potential practitioners when Olivia winds up dead and their spellbook is stolen. To honor their friend and reclaim their spells, Molly and Elsie are about to go wand-to-wand with a dangerous young witch more powerful than the trio was in their prime. And this time they’re going to need more than magic up their sleeves…
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I had a lot of fun with this cozy and that's saying something!
As previously mentioned (and discuessed, and mentioned, and well, you get the point), I have a love/loathe relationship with this type of read but this time, the point goes to the LOVE side of things. Was it the inclusion of magic to add something extra to the story? Perhaps. Was it the crazy fun bunch of leading ladies that kept things going even when not in corporeal form any longer (sorry Olivia, not poking fun!)? Maybe. Was it the fact that one of their new recruits was a librarian, which brought the book lover in my heart to the forefront, with a cat that would soon correct his owner as to what his name actually is? Good chance. Maybe it was how the nonmagical blended with the magical, the mystery with the dash of paranormal, even the everyday with the curious. Or maybe, it was simply in the fact that the one who actually did it wasn't staring you in the face obvious like so many of them tend to be. BINGO...well, partially at least. ^_^
Though the ladies retirement plans are interrupted, I gotta say, they take it in stride...especially the one that REALLY has her plans changed. Older age or not, they are a fiesty group! There's Olivia with her nothing can bring her down attitude despite the fact that someone DOES bring HER down, Elsie, who's always good for a laugh but can be depended on when the time comes, and finally, Molly, the one who rounds them all out. Their magic may be waning but their spirits, determination and friendship are as solid as ever. Even when the golden boy with power to boot comes on the scene (Prime suspect, anyone?), they don't let him intimidate them....and end up teaching him a thing or two along the way. Oh and the ending, you'll never see coming. Promise. It's good too. *rubs hands together in glee for knowing the outcome when you don't....hehehe*
In the end, this was a great start to a promising series that I for one will be watching for the next release. It's not often that a cozy mystery grabs my attention let alone holds it but if I didn't know any better, I'd think Elsie used the spell she works on Cassandra to keep me around for a while. ~ponders~ Recommended for mystery and magic fans, teen age and beyond.
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About the authors....
Joyce and Jim Lavene write award-winning, bestselling mystery fiction as themselves, J.J. Cook, and Ellie Grant. They have written and published more than 70 novels for Harlequin, Berkley, Amazon, and Gallery Books along with hundreds of non-fiction articles for national and regional publications. They live in rural North Carolina with their family.
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Special thanks to Lori at Great Escape Book Tours for the review copy as well as the chance to bring this tour to all of you. (THANKS!) For more information on the title, authors, tour, or what not, feel free to click through the links included above.
Now remember, this tour has an extra special giveaway. Make sure that you stop at all the tour sites to gather the CLUE WORDS that are in each post. To enter, collect all the words and put them together to make a Witch's Spell on the giveaway entry form after the last stop. You'll be entered to win a handwritten grimoire of spells, a print copy of Spell Booked, a willow wand, and a velvet bag to carry it in. Pretty cool. right? Oh and MY magical words? Why it sounds like something our dear Molly would add to a spell, being she IS a water witch and all. The words are.... WATER CLEAR. You're welcome. ^_^
RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY
RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY
Until next time....happy holidays and happy reading!
Thank you...great review!
ReplyDeleteSuch a magical cover. Despite my swearing off series this year there are some that you just have to make an exception for.
ReplyDelete