Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Dahlia Wildes #3

Throwing Shades: An Eastwind Witches Paranormal Cozy Mystery

Rate this book
Will this magical winter feast serve up a disaster?Dahlia Wildes doesn’t need her Fifth Wind powers to know something strange is afoot in Eastwind. The morbid scenes she discovers at the pottery studio, the pretty werebear in town, and an unidentified stranger who looks suspiciously familiar—is it all related?

As much as Dahlia would prefer to pretend everything is fine, nasty rumors about her behavior leave her little choice but to get to the bottom of it. Before long, her only shot at salvaging her budding romance is to find the thread tying together a series of odd events since the recent winter feast… and hope she isn’t the thread.

Can Dahlia unravel the mystery before it leaves her life in tatters?

Throwing Shades is the third delightful book of the Dahlia Wildes Magical Mysteries, a new series set in the magical town of Eastwind. If you love sweet surprises, feisty familiars, and psychic sleuths, you won’t want to miss Nova Nelson’s cozy new series.

Buy Throwing Shades to solve this confounding case!

166 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 26, 2024

Loading...
Loading...

About the author

Nova Nelson

71 books274 followers
Nova Nelson grew up on a steady diet of Agatha Christie novels. She loves the mind candy of cozy mysteries and has been weaving paranormal tales since she first learned handwriting. Those two loves meet in her Eastwind Witches series, and it's about time, if she does say so herself.

When she's not busy writing, she enjoys long walks with her strong-willed dogs and eating breakfast for dinner.

Be sure to follow her on Goodreads!

Join the Cozy Coven for Eastwind updates, contests, and more! Go to: www.cozycoven.com

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
171 (77%)
4 stars
41 (18%)
3 stars
7 (3%)
2 stars
2 (<1%)
1 star
0 (0%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
391 reviews3 followers
September 18, 2024
Have you ever been incredibly thirsty and not even realized it until the first soul-enriching sip of your most favorite beverage?

Close your eyes and think about how the flavor and texture and scent enveloped your senses. Remember how, even if just for a moment, everything in your universe felt intensely life-affirming.

If you have ever had that feeling, you should read this book and feel joy again.

And if you have never had that feeling, you really should read this book for the loveliest feelings of comfort and peace.

I thoroughly enjoyed this third entry in the series. MC Dahlia and her familiar Atlas are learning what space is right for them, individually and as a found family. The character growth is extraordinary and yet true to each of them.

And, one of the mysteries reveals a way for a previously stunted character to feel valued and loved.

The theme of redemption and inclusion is what resonates so clearly in this series and makes this such an amazing world to visit.

Although it was my pleasure to receive this ARC from the author, it was completely my choice to share my honest review.
Profile Image for Andrea Stoeckel.
3,203 reviews132 followers
September 26, 2024
"It was never a dull day in Eastwind, that was for sure."

Dahlia is still working at A time to Kiln, still learning what it means to be a Fifth Wind witch, still struggling to make ends meet while feeding a hungry Hellhound and still is working through her feelings around Dante, the werebear she's been seeing.

The long winter is coming to an end and things are thawing out. At the annual Blue Sky Festival, some happens to Dahlia that throws shade on her life and makes her a little braver after testing the world she now lives in in Eastwind.

This is another fantastic visit to Eastwind. A bit different as the focus is on life instead of a murder. We get to see some of the individuals through Dahlia's eyes and an old friend or two have more depth afterwards. Highly Recommended 5/5

[ Disclaimer: I received this book from the author and chose to read and review it]
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Kandy.
1,418 reviews13 followers
September 18, 2024
Such a fun series. Love going along with Dahlia as she is discovering some of the powers that she has. The magical beings add so much enjoyment as we see how they interact with each other. Looking forward to what will happen next in this very interesting realm.
Profile Image for Christine Rice.
38 reviews1 follower
September 19, 2024
While Throwing Shades has no murder victim, don’t worry there’s still Mysteries to solve! Dahlia has some self-exploration (pun intended) to do and to evaluate how important the relationship to Dante is to her. I’m in love with the Blue Sky Festival! If only we had some witches that could clear the sky for us in the middle of the gloomy dark winter months! Anyway, that’s where Dante meets up with an old female friend and jealousy rears its ugly head for Dahlia. What will she do? It being Eastwind someone sure thinks they need to help aka meddle! Dahlia learns so much about herself and her new home in this book and we get to re-visit with Nora & Ruby and the other hellhounds. Speaking off, dear sweet scaredy-cat Atlas is coming out of his shell quite a bit, too and displays some lovely courage even though it mostly stems from his loyalty to Dahlia.
Overall, I did not miss there being a corpse, unless you count the mysterious dead animals that Dahlia keeps finding at the Pottery, there was plenty going on to keep me glued to the pages!
Can highly recommend!
Profile Image for Margery.
967 reviews14 followers
September 25, 2024
Settling into town and finding her way as a fifth witch, Dahlia is making strides to figuring her life out. An annual festival tests her and makes her braver in her new life role. No murder, but a wonderful insight into the new life of Dahlia and the residents of Eastwind. Ms. Nelson has a way to pull the reader into Eastwind.
Profile Image for Gina-Dianne Harding.
Author 13 books5 followers
September 27, 2024
Nova Nelson’s Throwing Shades is a magical mystery that masterfully weaves together supernatural suspense and a little bit of romance. The Main character, Dahlia Wilde, is still adjusting to life in Eastwind after coming here in book one after her death in New Orleans. As she continues to explore her unique powers as a fifth wind witch, the story takes unexpected turns that will keep readers guessing until the end.

Dahlia’s relationship with her werebear friend is at a crossroads, and Nelson brings depth to this subplot by making Dahlia second-guess his every move. Their budding romance faces a challenge when his pretty "old friend" enters the scene, bringing tension and uncertainty. Meanwhile, a powerful genie shares some unsolicited relationship advice, at the winter fair when he notices Dahlia not expressing her feelings. All the while strange, unsettling events are occuring at the pottery studio Dahlia works at. She is trying to figure out if everything is connected, or are these separate challenges?

I enjoy Nelson’s engaging writing style. The dialogue in this book flows effortlessly, and the pacing is perfect—just enough to keep me turning the pages long into the night. Most of the characters are instantly likeable, though a few show themselves to be misguided as the story progresses, adding layers of complexity to the narrative.

While this book is part of a larger series, Throwing Shades can be read as a stands alone. Nelson makes a few references to previous stories, but you won’t feel lost if this is your first time in Eastwind. The balance of character development, suspense, and Dahlia’s ongoing self-discovery makes this book a must-read for both returning fans and newcomers alike.

In short, Throwing Shades is a thoroughly entertaining read filled with charm, mystery, and more than a sprinkle of magic. Dahlia’s journey is engaging and unpredictable, and I highly recommended it for lovers of cozy magical mysteries.
Profile Image for Merry Chapman.
2,696 reviews27 followers
September 30, 2024
This is the third book in this series and it is a page turner. In this book, Dahlia is trying to find who she is, how to control or use her fifth wind powers and why she can never make a decisive decision about anything. Dahlia works in the pottery barn with her familiar, Atlas a skittish hellhound who needs to find his courage. Dante wants to make their dating relationship more than friends, she doesn't know how to accept this request about boyfriend/girlfriend she tells him she is fine the way things are. Although disappointed, Dante goes with it. And they are going to the Blue Sky Festival together. When an old female school friend of Dante's appears at the festival and Dante goes over to see her, Dahlia tries to convince herself it is nothing. The local genie, who is very powerful asks her what the problem is as he sees her eyeing Dante with his old female friend. She commiserates. Add to that and she keeps finding dead or so they seemed mice and a snake in the Pottery shop. Who is doing this? Why? Then when people in town become angry with her, especially Dante, she is worried that something isn't right so she goes to Ruby who agrees, something is afoot and takes her to Nora so they can try and figure out what is going on in town. And so we are taken on a real ride with so many twists and turns you just can't put this book down. But the strangeness does cause Dahlia to look into herself, a little introspection. This book in this fantastic series is highly recommend for some fast, fun and mystery. I received an ARC of this book but the opinions expressed here are strictly my own.
488 reviews4 followers
September 22, 2024
When Dahlia and Dante are at a festival he steps away to speak to an old friend. And in typical man fashion he totally misses that this 'friend' is interested in more. More includes excluding Dahlia from conversations and Dante's life. While noticing and talking to Liberty Dahlia makes an observation only to later learn that you don't have to rub a magic lamp to get a wish. Having seen someone that looked exactly like her from the back, clothing and all it doesn't hit until later an imposter is in town. Before this happens Dante angrily confronts Dahlia over blessing him out while at dinner with Izzy. Only she wasn't there. Topped off with dead animals being left inside the pottery Dahlia is being pulled in multiple directions.

I love returning to Eastwind, the only thing I don't love is how Dahlia has once again become a mouse. Not literally but figuratively. She is beyond timid in her interactions with others and believes she deserves being alone. Dahlia refuses to acknowledge that others like or care for her.
Profile Image for Nadine.
1,921 reviews2 followers
September 20, 2024
Amazing!

I adore this series, I love Dahlia and this book was amazing! She buries her own needs, pleases everyone but herself, hey, been there done that! I have always said there’s more to Dahlia than what we see, because there’s more to me too. I get her. She has a vulnerable side that I really connect with. Showing vulnerability takes courage. And she’s learning… but at a cost!

Not a murder mystery, but a different sort of mystery, and that made for a nice change. And just when I thought I knew, there was a twist! I love being surprised in a mystery. So cool! And fascinating. Fun, well, not fun for Dahlia, but fun to read! But also moving! Especially the end, I felt that so deeply! All sorts of feelings rushed through me. What a great book. Dahlia Wildes Magical Mysteries is a favorite series of mine for a reason!
26 reviews
September 27, 2024
I'm loving getting to know Dahlia (and Atlas!) better

And Dahlia's getting to know herself better, too. We get to see her grow and figure out what she wants, along with learning to express what she wants. Meanwhile Atlas tries to be braver and protect his witch. He's such a sweet hellhound!

This one's a bit different than the previous 2 Dahlia mysteries. It's a lighter, without any murders to solve. But there's still plenty of mystery to unravel! Like where those dead animals are coming from. And how she can be in 2 places at once ... or at least how people can think they see her in places she wasn't.

I am truly loving this return to Eastwind, and I hope we'll be seeing much more of Dahlia and Eastwind for a long time to come.

I received a free advanced reader copy of this book, and this is my voluntary and enthusiastic review.
Profile Image for Catherine.
490 reviews
October 10, 2024
Dahlia and Atlas are slowly settling into Eastwind. She is really looking forward to the Blue Sky Festival where North Wind witches change the dreary weather to a sunny for one day. But a former werebear high school friend of her new boyfriend has her eyes on him. While Dahlia struggles with unfamiliar jealousy and very familiar insecurity, she has deja vú when she glimpses someone who looks like her. When a death occurs, she’s glad to have something else to focus on. This death may lead to the highest level of the Council though and her insecurity keeps interfering. Rumours of her slapping her rival and other shenanigans make the town wary of her. What the heck is going on? But this East Wind witch and her albino hellhound are finding their inner strengths and won’t back down. Even from herself.
4 reviews
September 25, 2024
Engaging story. More about the agnst we put ourselves through thinking and rethinking are we doing the right thing, making the right choice - this without offending someone. It's a case of I'm damned if I do and/or I'm damned if I don't! What it boils down to is go with your gut! If you offend someone by telling the truth - then they're not worth your time and energy and worthy to be in your life. Quit second guessing yourself and take that leap of faith - IN YOURSELF! While I enjoyed the story, I much prefer when there is a mystery/murder that needs solving. The cast of characters is great, especially the hellhounds, Grim and Atlas. This story was more about a personal mystery to solve than a "who done it." Overall delightful and unexpected.
Profile Image for Rebecca .
205 reviews1 follower
October 20, 2024
Watch what You Say!

Throwing Shades
Another delve into Eastwood! Dahlia has settled into the town quite well so far. Loving her job at the ceramic store. She still figuring out all her powers though. So when something untoward happens she not quite sure if it’s her or something else!
The town is having their Winter celebration where the witches spell summertime into an area to help everyone get through winter.
Although not a fan of crowds, Dahlia goes along with Dante, her friend. She meets many people of the counsel she thought she’d never meet!
when strange things start happening at the studio she wonders what is happening. Can she work things out and get back on track? Maybe with the help of others.
Enjoyable adventure!
Loved the book. 📖
Profile Image for Sheila.
10 reviews
September 26, 2024
I truly enjoyed the character development for Dahlia on this one. Throwing Shade is a light cozy mystery read that proves not all cozy mysteries need a murder plot to be great. This book focused on Dahlia’s relationship with Dante. It was admirable to read Dahlia’s struggles and to see her overcome them to develop herself to be a better version of herself; to be true to herself. Nova Nelson has created a story that reminds her readers to be brave! To be bold, to remind us who we are and defend ourselves. Pick up this book if you like talking, witty familiars; a sprinkle of romance; a lighthearted mystery; and a fast read.
184 reviews2 followers
September 27, 2024
Loved this newest addition to the Eastwind witches novels. I started reading these stories with Ruby and Nora. Dahlia’s life before arriving in magical Eastwind was in New Orleans. She lived a quiet, uneventful life and stayed in the background. Here, she has started to make friends and even a “kind” of boyfriend. An old friend of his, a woman, shows up and starts spending lots of time with him. Dahlia’s not happy about it and her life seems to go a little haywire and she’s accused of doing things she knows she didn’t do. So what’s up?
I think you’ll enjoy this book and the series as much as I do!
83 reviews
September 18, 2024
Oh my gosh. I love this series, so when I got the chance to read an early copy, I stopped the book I was on and started this one. I read the whole thing in a day! I couldn't put it down. Dahlia and Atlas go threw some growing pains in this book, and boy it makes you think about your own life! This was one of the best ones yet in this series. I have had many cloudy days in my life, and this was definitely a blue sky!! You have to read this book, this series, shoot, everything by this fantastic author!!!
163 reviews1 follower
October 6, 2024
Another perfect cozy mystery from Nova Nelson. This author has a way of drawing you in to her world and really connecting you to the characters. A slightly different direction for this book and with Dahlia starting to find her place within Eastwind and its inhabitants. I loved following her journey as she faced feelings of uncertainty and loneliness while trying to solve a mystery and figure out her feelings for a certain handsome werebear. Certain parts were quite a hard read but the antics of Atlas and Grim always have me laughing out loud. Highly recommended.
Profile Image for Karen.
190 reviews6 followers
September 26, 2024
What a lovely story!

Dahlia Wildes has been living in the magical realm of Eastwind for several months. As comfortable as she is in her new environs, she’s still experiencing self-esteem issues which are affecting her relationship with her current beau, Dante Fontaine. And strange incidents are popping up around town and in Dahlia’s workplace. What’s going on?

I love the genuine (and relatable) emotion in this tale, moved to tears by some of it. I love the wonderful friendships, the real-life struggles, and seeing Dahlia grow as a person into a more confident person. And finally, I love that the ending is both satisfying and promising of more adventures to follow.

Strongly recommended for lovers of paranormal cozies, good mysteries, unforgettable characters, and inventive world-building.
1,454 reviews5 followers
September 22, 2024
Dahlia is ready to join Dante at the Annual Blue Sky Festival to celebrate the upcoming end of winter. Dahlia has been finding unpleasant surprises at work, small dead animals and she’s ready for a celebration and a break from the grey skies. Dante is ready to take their relationship further but Dahlia hesitates. But soon an old friend of Dante’s shows up and causes trouble. This is a wonderful book in this series as Dahlia learns to be more assertive in her life.
706 reviews6 followers
September 24, 2024
Dahlia isn't forceful enough to let her love interest that she would like to be exclusive, and she isn't impressed when he seems to be paying too much interest in an old friend of his. She is later accused of creating a scene, when she wasn't there. At the pottery studio where she works, she keeps finding small dead animals and finds that she can do something unusual. Everything is eventually explained. The story involves a genie, a cat and a friend who wants more.
96 reviews1 follower
September 26, 2024
I just never get tired of these stories and characters. All sorts of things happen here - so no spoilers! Dahlia has her work cut out for her (see the blurb) and I couldn't stop turning the pages to find out who, what, and why. You'll be entranced as well (but better to have read the first two beforehand to feel at home with Dahlia, Atlas, and Dante). - I received an advance copy and freely leave this honest review.
Profile Image for Phthon.
2,378 reviews8 followers
September 26, 2024
Poor Dahlia! Eastwind is a very different place than New Orleans! I’m surprised she hasn’t had a nervous breakdown from all the unusual things that happen to her. This was a fun and delightful mystery that has her standing up for herself and the return of an old acquaintance. I lived this story. I love that she is starting to understand that it is okay to ask for help. I seriously love this world!
Profile Image for Michelle.
1,921 reviews14 followers
September 26, 2024
Dahlia seems to be bringing things back to life and wonders if that is even possible and who is leaving the mice, birds, and snakes in the pottery for her to find. There's a pretty werebear in town making a play for Darren and someone is spreading rumors about Dahlia. There's also someone who looks a lot like Dahlia in town. That gives her a lot of mysteries to solve before her reputation is totally ruined. Great characters and fun mysteries.
106 reviews1 follower
September 18, 2024
This was a little different from our authors normal, but I really enjoyed it. It is very refreshing to read this type. Dahlia and Atlas has a new type of mystery to solve plus Dahlia has to come to an understanding about parts of herself that she hidden deep inside. It gets you to thinking about yourself and wanting to better things......
I highly recommend this book.....
74 reviews
September 18, 2024
This was a fun and interesting book. One reason I liked it was that it did not involve a murder, although there was definitely a mystery for Dahalia to solve. It is great how all of the characters we have come to know (Nora, Ruby) are active participants with Dahalia. I highly recommend this book (and the series).
170 reviews1 follower
September 19, 2024
What has Dahlia discovered in the shop that has her questioning her powers. Can she bring things back to life? Can she finally admit her true feelings for her boyfriend? Who is the person who looks suspiciously like her, right down to her clothes? Does a genie have a part in all this? A fun read you'll enjoy!
Profile Image for Charmayne.
408 reviews4 followers
September 20, 2024
Oh my goodness, I just loved this peek into Dahlia’s world. Just what I needed for a sweet little read. Atlas is so much fun and Grim and Clifford were there too. It’s going to be a long winter and I think we all need a Blue Skies festival and a sneaky Genie in the background too. Do yourself a favor and read this book!
812 reviews11 followers
September 26, 2024
Fun to read

Dahlia thought she and Dante were getting closer but there are some strange things happening. First, she finds dead/undead mice and snakes in the shop, then Dante yells at her for something she didn't do, she sees him having a good time with a beautiful wearbear, and someone is following her who looks really familiar. What in the realm is happening? Will she find out before its too late for her and Dante? Read this book, the third in the series, and find out why this series just keeps getting better.
50 reviews
September 26, 2024
Lovely cozy mystery!

It is a fast, fun read. The character development is terrific. It is also nice to have friends from previous series take part in a new one. You've already got a good connection. And enjoying the world created earlier feels like coming home.
Looking forward to the next book in this series.
21 reviews
September 26, 2024
Dahlia is finally getting braver...but not without some magical help. I actually enjoyed this book as much and maybe more without a murder to solve, because there was still a mystery surrounding the weird happenings. Atlas is also getting braver- with the hilarious dialogue I enjoy in all her books. Many of the Eastwind Witches people show up, which is always fun.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews