Antiques and Apparitions

Enchanted Antique Shop #1

by Cielle Kenner

Hindsight is 20-20.

Antiques and Apparitions, the captivating prequel to the beloved Enchanted Antique Shop series, introduces readers to Marley Montgomery, a talented Miami photographer with a secret she's yet to uncover. In this spellbinding tale, Marley's ordinary life takes an extraordinary turn when she discovers she's no mere mortal, but a time-traveling witch with the rare ability to see ghosts and echoes of the past.

As Marley's gifts begin to develop, a series of mysterious visions lead her back to her hometown of Enchanted Springs. Here, among the enchanting streets and old-world charm of Settlers Weekend, Marley is drawn into a world where the past lingers in the shadows and whispers secrets in the wind.

Join Marley as she steps through the veil of time, unravels mysteries long buried, and discovers that every antique has a story to tell. Step into the Enchanted Antique Shop, where every object has a tale to weave, and the whispers of the past are just a page turn away.

Genres: Cozy Mystery, Mystery, Paranormal, Time Travel, Ebooks, Witches, Paranormal Mystery

296 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 29, 2024

About the author

Join me in Enchanted Springs, where ghosts are friendly, magic is real, and time is anything but linear. You can find me online and across social media @ciellekenner.

Reviews

[Cira Apitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it

I read many books within this genre and this one greatly pleased me when the author takes time in describing the scene as the protagonist sees it and how she feels about that too.
I loved this time traveling twist to the paranormal sleuthing, and I will definitely be reading more of this series and from this author as well.

[Pamela A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book I bought for 0.00 it was witty and engaging and I loved the FMC. I’ll definitely be reading more by this author. 5🤩

[Linda Mundorff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marley Montgomery is a successful photographer in Miami Florida. During a scenic photoshoot she captures the image of a woman, but when she looks away from the camera, the woman is not there. A well-timed invitation from her grandmother prompts a visit back to Central Florida and her hometown of Enchanted Springs. What unravels is a paranormal, supernatural, mystery, of family secrets, and self-discovery.
A well written, fun, and interesting cast of characters round out this cozy magical mystery adventure. There’s a big magical build-up and my expectation of a malevolent and messy confrontation didn’t happen, which lead to a non-climatic and abrupt ending.
This is a 9-book series, and a commitment that I won’t make as I don’t read series with more than three or four titles. Still, an enjoyable read with one particular surprise unveiling that I hope continues on into the rest of the series.
If you like magical mysteries, paranormal fiction, and a longer book series, then I think you will like this one.

[Tess Ailshire · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good story. Loosely based on Cassadaga, FL? A couple of holes in the story line are left open, but perhaps are answered in the next installment. In all, this is a story that has many possibilities.

I'm a bit concerned that the extremely serious breach of protocol in training was treated so lightly, and wonder what's going on there. Dora seems she should be a more prominent character, but that's another item that could be cleared up in subsequent books.

I noted minor tense issues in a couple of places that a good copyeditor or proofreader should have caught. And I was on my guard almost immediately when in paragraph one she's "trying to capture" and in paragraph 3 she's capturing the light, but that turned out to be a one-off.

[Larry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will be the first one to tell you I am not normally one for time travel stories. The ethics are usually so convoluted that I tend to avoid the thought process altogether. However, this story was subtle, intriguing, fascinating, and full of compassion. The characters, both "real" and corporeal were very persuasive, the plot flows well and is straight forward, and the premise was discovering the answer to a very old mystery that spanned over 50 years. I most definitely recommend this book and look forward to the next book.

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Felt very rushed

While I feel like the premise of the story was really good, the whole thing felt like a sprint from start to finish. I saw another review that said it felt like an AI generated story and I kind of agree. There were also a few grammar issues and plot holes. It was interesting enough for me to finish, but I won't be continuing the series.

[JoAn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed visiting Enchanted Springs, Florida and meeting Marley, Clara, Eleanor and Sadie. A temporal witch is a nice twist on a paranormal cozy mystery. This cold case mystery allowed the author the time to set the scenes of this small magical community in Florida as well as developing each of the main characters. An afternoon well spent reading this cozy mystery.

[Keely Jorgensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book, it was an easy read that I was able to finish in two days, which is unheard of for me. For the first book in the series, the author didn't give long descriptions of characters but instead jumped right into the story.

This book has a bit of everything ghosts, time travel, witches and other creatures. I enjoyed the book and look forward to others in the series.

[Skater · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun Introduction

Antiques and Apparitions is a fun, quick read. It serves, not only as an introduction to the citizens and plot, but also solves a long ago mystery. Involving murder, time travel and things that bump in the night, this is a slow starting story. I almost gave up, but now I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next.

[Danielle Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

We sure like the word ethereal, and many other words - as I found this book to be a bit wordy. Very descriptive of things that in the long run didn’t really matter.
Super cute little palette cleanser though! Glad it was only 173 pages.

[Lonnia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Present and past entwined.

I loved this story. Marley comes home to the Enchanted Springs to find out she and others are witches. To solve a unsolved mystery from 1945 it takes family, friends, and ghosts to help. The alive characters and ghosts characters are very likable.

[Beth Helm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Story

I loved this book. The characters are so real and very magical. The mystery may be decades old, but that doesn't mean it is any less important to the town to solve.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book

Started a bit slow not sure I would finish but the history and time travel caught me. Will have to try the second book.

[Lauren Heiy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a start to a great series. The characters are fantastic, and there is time travel , ghosts, and mystery.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's not what I expected. I really enjoyed the time travel mystery genre. This was my first. Will look forward to reading another in this series...

[Cassandra Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

fabulous read!!

I enjoyed reading about time travel, Marley’s gifts and solving a cold case of murder. The author kept me reading to find out who killed Colette.

[Jan Sjostrand · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting story I liked the thought of time travel and the visiting of different times to solve a cold case

[Michelle Krakowiak · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a pretty typical cosy mystery. I love the setting and the premise of the series, but the writing of the dialogue between characters and internal monologue of the FMC isn’t my favorite.

[Karin Tillotson · Rating 5 out of 5]

She found Colette??? Now she must run it for the next fifty years??? I enjoyed this story and recommended the book.

[Ginger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty sure this book was at least partially written by AI… there are a few plot holes and errors… but I enjoyed it enough to finish it.

[Kayla Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute paranormal time-traveling mystery! Absolutely loved the photography element in it. It is a quick read and definitely sets the tone for more sleuthing adventures!