Delectable Magic by Iris Beaglehole
This book was all over the place. It’s full of grammar and spelling errors and the dialogue is seriously disjointed. I assume this series is independently published, but surely this book was proof read by at least one other person? It is by far the worst book of the six in this series I’ve read so far. It almost made me lose all faith in a series that I was previously quite enjoying, but I persevered and the last instalment I read was one of my favourites so far.
Anyway, back to why I didn’t like this particular book. The romance subplot felt like it was finally going to take off but Rosemary’s commitment issues got in the way yet again. This is a recurring theme, still present in later books, that’s getting old real quick.
Also, the Bermuda plot never really goes anywhere. It’s been a while since I read this but I don’t remember anything big actually happening. I appreciate the shorter length of this series, especially when I’m feeling in a bit of a slump, but it’s often to its own detriment. Some instalments have a lot of plot and character development and then you get an instalment like this one that not a lot happens in. I’m hoping the final two instalments find a good balance and an ending to this story that is both satisfying and interesting. Please no more ‘a giant deity shows up and saves the day for no apparent reason’.
Synopsis: Rosemary Thorn is finally about to achieve her dream of opening a chocolate shop in the magical village of Myrtlewood…
In the lead-up to the Lughnasa festival, trouble is brewing in Bermuda…
Rosemary has her hands full with the launch of her much anticipated magical chocolate shop. She’s enjoying the peace and quiet of Myrtlewood and the last thing she wants to do is get involved in Bermuda witching politics.
Athena, on the other hand, is dying for a tropical escape, especially when things take a turn for the strange and unusual where her powers are concerned leading to terrible embarrassment.
Peculiar threats and unwanted visitors drive Rosemary to rise to the challenge of visiting the witching parliament to protect her daughter and salvage her dreams.
Witches Get Stuff Done by Molly Harper
I read the second instalment of this series recently and it was a lot better than this one, but not by much. One of my biggest issues with this book was the lack of ‘witchy’ activities. There’s a lot of paranormal happenings, but when a book has ‘witches’ in the title, you expect some type of magic usage.
Here’s a direct quote from my review from a few years ago that sums up more of my frustrations with this book: “I really struggled to keep up with the timeline/romance subplot of Witches Get Stuff Done. One minute Riley and Edison hate each other and then the next he’s kissing her after passing out from seeing a ghost. Which is super weird and also non-consensual (gross). The next thing you know they’re on a date and now apparently a week later they love each other?
They also break up and get back together within like a week of knowing each other. The pacing of Witches Get Stuff Done is all over the place. Apparently, it takes place over almost a year but honestly, it seemed like a couple of weeks at most.”
Also, for an 8 and a half hour audiobook, it feels like not a lot happens. Well, other than the aforementioned relationship drama. There’s not a lot of plot going on in general, even after finishing book two, you’re basically in the same place that you started.
Synopsis: Riley Denton-Everett always felt like something was missing in her life—and her numerous odd jobs and short-lived relationships haven’t brought her any closer to finding it. Everything changes when she receives a mysterious message: You’re a Denton. You belong on Starfall Point. Once you’re here, I’ll tell you everything you need to know.
When Riley arrives on the island, she learns her aunt has left her a historic mansion brimming with haunted antiques. Turns out, that’s not the only thing she’s inherited. Riley also hails from a long line of witches whose magic is critical to protecting the living.
Edison Held, the town’s frustratingly hot librarian, is completely unaware of the ghosts in Riley’s ancestral home and is determined to convince her to open it up to the public. Riley starts to wonder if Edison’s knowledge of the island’s history can help her get a handle on her new powers—but can she trust him with her secrets? And can she trust herself with the simmering attraction brewing between them?
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