The French Quarter is quiet for a change. Christmas is just around the corner, and the off-season is allowing for some rest and relaxation for the local business owners. Ofelia Archer is basking in it…until her mother’s walking group stumbles upon a body in Jackson Square. The White Walkers—a group Ofelia and her fiancé Zach Sully are constantly mocking—have been getting bolder and bolder in the Quarter. Their aim is to stop the crime and clean things up…even if that means pointing the finger at a homeless man Ofelia is convinced is innocent. As things come to a head between Ofelia and her mother, a group of shadow assassins takes shape and begins a cleanse in the Quarter. They’re acting as vigilantes, but who is controlling them? All eyes turn to the White Walkers. Ofelia has always made it a point to let her mother live her own life. That’s no longer an option. It’s time to infiltrate the group and find out exactly what’s going on. Ofelia isn’t going to like what she finds. Ofelia has always taken it upon herself to care for the homeless population in New Orleans. With the White Walkers working against her efforts, the battle is afoot. Ofelia won’t let those who need help go without it. Marie Charlies won’t back down. It’s mother against daughter and the fate of the French Quarter is in the balance. Who will win?
I've always loved this series.but I don't like the way everyone treats Marie. (Ophela's mum)
It finally came.to.me in this book why I'm so unhappy with the way Marie is portrayed, and that's because Ophelia finally gains some.insight into the difficulties in her.mothers life. She was having to deal.with her husband Oscar's mental illness. They've always glossed over this part of Oscar's illness but at his worst he does become violent it's mentioned in a few books how on occasion he's hurt Ophelia....throwing something at her or shoving her away from him, he's often left her with bruises. Then picture Marie a young wife with two children (who adore their father) struggling to provide a stable.home that she only divorced him when Ophela and Felix were almost adults is a testament to how much she loved her family.p and how.hard.she tried. Does she have her bad side yes, years of emotional instability have left her a control freak and her children always seeing her as the bad guy in the family has left her extremely resentful. I think I would be too, I know Oscar's mental illness is not something he can control but he has got away with so much by being the more likeable parent when it's probably his fault Marie became the woman she is. Rant over but I hope going forward we can see Marie's life take a different direction as in this book we again see Marie fall down the rabbit hole when she again becomes involved with a nefarious group that she thinks are trying to improve the community................
This book hit him on many fronts: victimization/yargeting the poor, homeless, people of color, and mentally ill only part o of it. I appreciate Ms. Hart treats all of these issues as she has: honestly, realistically, and with compassion. We're given a bit more insight into Angelique, her thoughts about and relationship with Ben. Pascal and Tansy make a fun appearance, Pascal being more insightful than perhaps we expected, just as gossipy as we already suspected. Felix, stepping in to make a request of Bernie, surprisingly being met with neither resentment or resistance by Bernie, was refreshing. This installment filled out characters, making them more real. It was enjoyable and engaging. As an imperfect mother of five, going through our trials, tribulations, and trauma, I saw myself much differently than my children did. You think you're protecting them when actually that protection leaves you open to resentments, misunderstanding, and distancing. Thank you, Lily/Amanda, for showing Marie in her flawed light, nether evil. nor the Saint she believed herself to be. People are messy, life is complicated, and raising children is challenging, not for the weak at heart. I've never had nor will I have the romance that is depicted in Ms. Hart's books, but the escapes are pleasant fantasies that make the hero and now a bit more bearable.
Ok first I want to say that I absolutely love this series. In fact I love all of Lily Harper Hart’s series (and the ones under other names) That being said, I was really disappointed in the way Ofelia is treated in this book regarding her mother. Marie is a terrible person. This is NOT Ofelia’s fault. Her relationship with her mother is strained because her mother was self centered, selfish, and generally a terrible parent. Once again, for anyone struggling with the aftermath of effects of poor parenting, YOUR PARENTS SUCKING IS NOT YOUR RESPONSIBILITY!!!!!! This book features Ofelia having “revelations” that maybe she hasn’t been entirely fair to Marie and that can be fine. As adults we can often view our parents’ behavior differently and with more empathy… but it was still bad behavior. The strained relationship is still Marie’s fault. SHE was the adult, SHE was the parent, and it was up to HER to fix things, not Ofelia. Ofelia can adjust now, she can choose to have empathy NOW, but having her look back at her childhood and take responsibility for not seeing her mother as clearly as she can now is not only ridiculous, it is harmful. Children are not supposed to be the ones to build safety and empathy into a parental relationship, they are supposed to be cared for, loved, and taught those things BY the parents. Marie sucks. She is awful. If you want to redeem her from here on out fine, but Ofelia is justified and should not be bearing guilt for this.
This is an outstanding paranormal cozy mystery series. A great cast of characters and an entertaining storyline. Ophelia is a very strong witch who lives in the French Quarter. She owns a bar in New Orleans that she bought from her father and has improved and built up to a popular Clientele of tourist as well as locals. Her fiancé is a police detective and also happens to be a panther shifter. Her father is undergoing treatment for mental issues and is getting better every day. Her mother is driving her nuts as usual. Her brother finally on a path of success is running a bar That her fiancé bought and is selling to her brother overtime. So far her brother is doing really well. Once again Ophelia and her group are up against some kind of evil issues in the quarter. Currently they’re not sure if it’s a paranormal evil or just an evil human. One way or the other they had to figure it out before anyone else gets hurt. a number of the police officers in New Orleans know about the paranormal and work with paranormal to solve crimes. Ophelia helps out these officers when needed. Read on and see what kind of trouble Ophelia can get into and if she can stop it. Always an intriguing mystery and an entertaining story. Check it out
This is an enjoyable series, Hexcess Baggage advances the Fe/Marie dynamic in an interesting and enlightening way. It’s a clean, fast story, but it evolves the character of Maria.
I have read many of the series in this overall universe and have enjoyed 98% of different series.
As Ms Lee/Harper Hart, will say in her bio, her humor is not for everyone, and I agree. I am not one of those people, I find her sarcastic, loyal humor to be fantastic. Do I care for all her characters no, but you can’t please everyone, nor should you even try.
One thing that drives me crazy is, that the author one will find is VERY OBSESSED WITH FOOD, which can get very tiring over the Universe she has created.
That is one of the best things about the Author, her worlds are not stagnant. Characters develop, that is why I stopped reading the Stephanie Plum series, the characters are stagnant and grandma Mausier be 155 by now.
It’s never easy being a witch and magic can’t fix everything. Continuing to swore about her father who has been hospitalized for mental health issues Ofelia finds her mother is targeting the homeless population. Constantly calling in complaints to the police against those who she deems “wrong”, Ofelia is incensed with her callousness. While Ofelia’s anger builds they discover her mom may actually be involved with dark magic and murder. A lifelong rift between mother and daughter puts love to the test when murders are stacking up. Ever the protector of the underdog, Ofelia doesn’t understand why her mother is making such poor choices. Yet, Ofelia’s love pushes her to make hard decisions and good outcomes. That’s operational normal for Ofelia. It’s the never ending well of compassion that makes you wonder how she does it.
The White Walkers are up to no good with some rather devious plans to force registration or shipping out on the homeless folks around the French Quarter... their behaviour is becoming more and more outrageous, and they just can't seem to understand how issuing each with a number and insisting they work for the community is racist...
When a body surfaces in Jackson Square and it leads them to the seediest bar things are only going to get as bad as they could possibly be... can Fe save her mother from her latest cult or will Marie stick to her belief she's doing the right thing?
If you've stuck it out to Book 14 in this series, then you must like it as well and you definitely know all the backstories. So here's some stuff that was going on just in case you're curious. Don't worry, no spoilers here. So Ofelia's Mom, Marie Charles, did it again...she's jumped into trouble with everything she has!! And we spend most of the book trying to figure out exactly how bad it is, what will happen to her, and what kind of legal trouble she will be in. We have the normal team working together to take the bad guys down. Felix is becoming a more prominent figure in the story and is getting his life together. And we've gotten good updates on their Dad, Oscar. All in all, this was another great book!!!
I love these characters. Ofelia's family is dysfunctional as most families are to some degree. This book brought a whole new level to the dysfunction and some enlightening perceptions to the characters. This story was sad, could make you angry at a few of the characters, heart breaking to see Ofelia & Sully at times and of course sarcastic and funny. This read brings real world issues and some possible legit solutions. Love this series and thank you Ms. Hart for making me remember are vets and some of their struggles such as homelessness.
This series has been more than a typical overpowered-magic-girl-with-a-policeman-boyfriend cozy romance. The Archer family dynamics have provided more drama than any vampire, monster, or crooked politician. Watching the personal growth of Felix, Oscar, and now even Fe and Marie, has added unexpected but welcome depth to the witch/shifter romance. I also have loved that the peek at New Orleans is authentic enough that I can google the streets and find most landmarks, and even the menus of many restaurants mentioned.
I think this is the best book of the series - so far. Connections between Fe and her mom expose some past issues/hurts that had never been discussed. This allows each to see more of the other's viewpoints. Oscar is improving, Marie and the White Walkers have a change in purpose.... Some decent discussions about homelessness, mental health, and even racism. This one isn't just about the Sully/Fe relationship a lot deeper and more involved. In my mind, it made it better and more involving.
If Ofelia's mom doesn't drive her insane, it will be a miracle. Her mother has joined a walking group, who call themselves the White Walkers. They fancy themselves as crime fighters. They are a pain in law enforcement's derrière. They are also led by a poser witch, one who bought her magic from a real witch. When this poser witch calls shadows, and can't control them after her bought power wanes, it time for Ofelia and Sully to step in. Can they stop the shadows and the so called witch before innocents get hurt?
I would recommend this series to anyone who likes cozy mysteries and don't mind a little paranormal in the mix. Lilly Harper Hart has written the supernatural Speakeasy series with her usual attention to character detail. Zach and Ofelia are so well defined that you wish you could drop in at Krewe and Archer for one of their signature drinks. New Orleans is the perfect setting for these stories. You will have fun with the chuckles you get from the antics of Ofeilia Archer and friends.
What Marie and the White Walkers were doing was commendable, but seriously wrong. The homeless are all over this country, I don't think that there is not one city that has to deal with them. I like their idea of opening more homeless shelters, and bringing in mental health workers to help where they can. Just not enough man power to cover them all.💙💚
White walkers are creating more problems going after the homeless. Ofelia's mother is deeply involved and can't be reasoned with. Ofelia's father is close to being released from the hospital. Great characters and series. Funny, serious, danger and love. No cliffhanger and hea.
The White Walkers have taken things too far this time. The homeless are in danger and Fe and Sully are in the middle of trying to stop what is on the horizon. Oscar is doing better and is soon to be released. What will happen next - wait and see.
Book 14 finds us back in New Orleans with our favorite witch and panther shifter detective and more murders, magic, and family woes. There is mystery, danger, humor, angst, and love. Highly entertaining.
If you like suspense and magic with lots of love and some craziness, then this series is for you. I finished catching up right before this book came out and was happy to continue the story.
I love Sully and Ofelia! Each book gets better. In addition to a paranormal mystery the family interaction comes across as very real. It’s not perfect but there is a lot of love. Looking forward to what’s next.
One of my favourite series I follow. I have folders created read waiting for next book, and next book to read. I have read a lot of Lily Harper heart and have found each series fun with a lot of personality. Never boring lol. I recommend for light fun reads
I really loved this story, like I do for every one that Lily Harper Hart has written. This one was filled with witches and magic, vampires and shifters, murder and mystery.
I love this book and I love Lily Harper Hart's excellent sense of humor!! I have never laughed so much. Ms. Hart has a wonderfully creative imagination. If you like to laugh, you won't be sorry to buy this book.
The ending was wonderful! (And the photo part was inspired.) Lily Harper Hart is one of my favorite authors, for all of her series. I only hope this isn’t the last we see of Ophelia and Sully!
I loved all of these books. But, I have to say that I am disappointed that the Halloween costume party wasn’t included. I was interested in ‘seeing’ how her old cronies thought about Ofelia, her fantastic life & her fiancée.
I just love these stories by this author. The characters are fun, exciting and sweet as well as being straight forward. I wait for the to be re!eased like a dog wanting a bone.
I was waiting for something to happen to the white walkers! The plot lines are interesting and suspenseful. The characters are relateable. Can't wait for the next CV book!
Each book is a great time. If you happen to first read one of the other the author give up a short update on the characters. Each book is a great reading trip and is easy to read in a few hours. Have fun reading this enjoyable series!!!
While Oscar is getting better, Marie is getting involved with a group that targets the homeless and poor. Brings up good points about family, but has funny moments, too.