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Midlife Melody #1
Accidental Mystic
Bethany Parker is falling apart. Stunned on her fiftieth birthday to discover her stepchildren hate her and her husband wants a divorce, the devastated homemaker is suddenly and unexpectedly on her own. Taking a job as caretaker for a mysterious estate, Bethany fears she’s lost her mind when she learns the house is cursed … and she holds the power to break it.
Teaming with a pushy medium, a hard-drinking housekeeper, and a sarcastic talking cat, the discombobulated divorcée struggles to master the magic she never knew she had. And with the grumpy, wolf-shifter sheriff trying to run her out of town and a sleeping vampire hidden somewhere in the mansion, Bethany worries her new life is already doomed.
Can this skeptic survive sinister sorcery long enough to at last find a place she belongs?
Accidental Mystic is the moving first book in the Midlife Melody paranormal women’s fiction series. If you like strong female characters, enchanted small towns, and finding inner courage, then you’ll love Phoebe Ravencraft’s witty tale of redemption.
Teaming with a pushy medium, a hard-drinking housekeeper, and a sarcastic talking cat, the discombobulated divorcée struggles to master the magic she never knew she had. And with the grumpy, wolf-shifter sheriff trying to run her out of town and a sleeping vampire hidden somewhere in the mansion, Bethany worries her new life is already doomed.
Can this skeptic survive sinister sorcery long enough to at last find a place she belongs?
Accidental Mystic is the moving first book in the Midlife Melody paranormal women’s fiction series. If you like strong female characters, enchanted small towns, and finding inner courage, then you’ll love Phoebe Ravencraft’s witty tale of redemption.
1 pages, Audio CD
First published December 25, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
September 11, 2022
A new genre for me and so refreshing to find a midlife heroine.
I enjoyed the quirky story and the characterisation, particularly the snarky talking cat. Laced through with dry humour it was good fun.
I enjoyed the quirky story and the characterisation, particularly the snarky talking cat. Laced through with dry humour it was good fun.
December 16, 2023
The first interesting thing about the book is that the main female character is 50 years old. Most of the books I have read related to this the woman is in her twenties or even younger so it's good to see and older woman the at the center of the story.
What you have here is a woman who tried to do the best for her husband and her two children but things didn't work out and the husband demanded a divorce and both children turned on her.
She is on her way to moving back in with her parents when she takes a detour to get something to eat and ends up in a town that is very special, having various shifters and other beings living there.
She ends up becoming the caretaker of a house but things turn out to be really complicated and there's a lot that goes on.
I liked the basic theme of the book and I liked the characters. What happens seems to make sense and it doesn't end up being a really quick and easy solution.
I think it's one of the better books of its kind.
What you have here is a woman who tried to do the best for her husband and her two children but things didn't work out and the husband demanded a divorce and both children turned on her.
She is on her way to moving back in with her parents when she takes a detour to get something to eat and ends up in a town that is very special, having various shifters and other beings living there.
She ends up becoming the caretaker of a house but things turn out to be really complicated and there's a lot that goes on.
I liked the basic theme of the book and I liked the characters. What happens seems to make sense and it doesn't end up being a really quick and easy solution.
I think it's one of the better books of its kind.
July 2, 2023
I love it! Bethany, I get her. She has given a lot of years to her husband & his kids, thinking she has done what they needed & wanted. Then on her 50th birthday she finds out he wants a divorce & the kids hate her. I can understand how it would seem like her whole world was torn apart after all she had done fore them. When she finally gets it together to go back to Boston to stay at her parents for a while she really feels like she is a failure. She's on the road, exhausted & hungry. She sees a billboard about a diner & decides to go there. When she gets there, she goes in & it's packed. She is about to leave when a woman sitting alone invites her to join her. She accepts. They start chatting & the woman says her name is Rhoda. She asks how she found the town Enchantment. She tells her she saw the sign & was looking for breakfast. Rhoda tells her that Only people who are supposed to find Enchantment end up here, it is a special place. They talk some more & Bethany ends up telling her everything until when she got here. She says that she was meant to be here. She is a medium & offers to do a tarot card reading for her. Bethany doesn't believe in any of this sort of stuff, but decides to humor her. She tells her that she thinks she is here for a reason. Rhoda tells her there is a job open as a caretaker for Ellington Manor. The pay is good, & there will be housing included as well. She talks her into taking a look at the place. When they get there Bethany realizes she has dreamed about this place several times. They go in to look around & see Dori the housekeeper, who is about 18 or 20. As they walk through the house she sees a piano that she has also dreamed about. She is a very good piano player, & sings rather well also. She had wanted to be a pop singer when she first left home but didn't make it. Her first husband had divorced her because she was barren. Now her second husband was divorcing her because it seemed like she was no longer needed. Now she was in an unknow town considering staying here, where she knew no one. When Rhoda left, Bethany & Dori moved her things in. She was so stressed out, she took a long hot bath & took a nap. When she woke up, she went down & played the piano & sang. When she finished a cat told her she played great & she was so shocked. Cats don't talk! He wanted to know if she was a mundane, she didn't have any idea what he was talking about. She went to try to find the kitchen to get something to eat. She found an older woman who said her name was Dorigen & she was the housekeeper. She was really getting freaked. She told her she had met a 20 yr old housekeeper named Dori earlier & wanted to know what was going on. Dorigen got some wine out & told her that the house & everyone in it was cursed. She & Dori are the same person, only Dori doesn't realize it. The cat, Lucius, is a familiar, who was renounced by the witch who cursed the place. She finds out there is a vampire asleep somewhere in the basement but the door was magically hidden. He & the witch had been lovers but she thought he & Dori were having an affair & he was holding out on her. They had come to the manor to use the manor's power for different things. She wanted immortality& he wanted to get control over all dead things. She became jealous & wouldn't believe that Declan & Dori weren't just friends. Bethany ran out of the house & was attacked by the spirits that watched it. Dorigen helped her get back in & told her to never go out after dark. Bethany waited til morning& went to the diner to find Rhoda. She wanted to know what was going on. While she was trying to find her way to the diner, she almost hit the sheriff's car reaching for a map. He turned around & pulled her over. She told him who she was & she was trying to find the diner. He asked the same thing Lucius asked. Was she a mundane? She had no idea what that meant. He helped her find the diner. She came in & saw Rhoda, she sat down & wanted to know what was going on. Rhoda told her she needed to discover things herself. If she had told her, she would have gotten into her SUV & left. She told Bethany she is a newly awakened mystic still learning her powers. She should go to the library do research. Rhoda sees ghosts. Her husband, Reggie, dead 10 years, told her a newly awakened mystic, would find Enchantment. This person should be the new caretaker. Bethany had fit the description. The sheriff, Rusty, a wolf shifter, still couldn't believe she had put such an uneducated mystic in that cursed house. Bethany finds out after he leaves that Rhoda thinks she can break the curse. She goes to the library to do some research. The librarian, Paul, tells her every caretaker has died. She reads more about the manor, Mystics & chakras. She then goes to Rhoda's store to find out why she didn't tell her that part. She finds out Paul is part of The Order & was try to scare her. The order doesn't want the curse broken. She goes home. She gets a call from her husband about the divorce papers & is so upset she goes down to the piano & starts playing & singing again. The next day the door to the basement shows up, but is locked. They turn the house upside down looking for the key, & find several but none fit. She lets Rhoda know she found the door. The next day they go into the attic & find a locked box, she's sure it's in there. Again, no key they have fits that lock. That night, Rhoda comes over for dinner, she starts to play some songs & they sing together. While they are singing, they notice a monster behind them. It starts running for them Dorigen pulls out a silver cross & traps it in a corner, telling Rhoda to call the sheriff. It's Declan, they need to get some blood fast! Rhoda calls Rusty & tells him that Declan is awake & they need some blood ASAP! He gets there with 10 pints of blood, & he still can't believe they wouldn't leave it alone. He & Lucius feed the vampire & when he comes out he looks like a person, not a monster. A rather hansom man. He gets introduced to everyone, & Dorigen tries to get him up to speed about the last 50 years. The next night he is drinking the last of the blood that Rusty brought to them & Dorigen shows him the computer & the internet because they no longer get a news paper. Bethany goes to meet Rhoda at the diner the next day to talk about finding more blood for him, & how she feels that the curse is not all the way broken because it seems to still effect Dorigen & Lucius. Rhoda Sees Rusty & they ask him about getting some blood to help feed him. They decide to go to the manor to do a reading for Dori, but when they get there it is overgrown with trees & roots. Bethany gets a dark feeling. When they try to go in they are attacked by spirits. The door opens but it is not Dori. It is Maggie, the witch who cursed the place to begin with. She tells Bethany to get the Order representative, & bring him or she will kill Rhoda. She drives off, she doesn't want to get Paul, she doesn't trust him. He might try to kill Declan. She hates to go to Rusty, he's been such a jerk to her, but he protects the town. She goes back to the diner & talks him into posing as the Order Rep. Maggie lets them come into the basement where they see everyone but Lucius tied up with tree roots. She is putting together potions for spells & tells Rusty to give her the artifacts. He has no clue what she means. She thinks he is just denying her. She threatens to kill everyone if he doesn't give them to her. He tries to shoot her. She stops the bullets & has some tree roots tie him up as well. She is standing inside a circle. Bethany decides to tackle her, she hits an invisible wall & is thrown into the cement wall behind her. She is out of it for a few seconds, but when she comes to, she sees a ghost standing next to Rhoda. It must be Reggie, he tells her someone needs to get Maggie out of the circle. She lets hi know she tried. He telepathically tells her someone else needs to do it. She sees how the roots go down into it. She tries to send a message the same way to Rusty & Lucius. She has an idea about how to get out of this. Lucius jumps up on the tree roots into the circle onto her back, biting her neck. As she is trying to get him off of her she gets out of the protective circle. Rusty transforms into a wolf & rips her throat out. After he kills her, they go find a hacksaw to cut everyone free. The curse is broken but unfortunately Dorigen doesn't turn back into 20 year old Dori, she stay the 70 year old Dorigen she had been cursed to be at night. The order has been up at the manor reversing Maggie's spell that has the trees overgrown all over. They are questioning everyone about how Bethany was able to break the curse & what happened. Paul lets someone in Texas he had been reporting to that Declan is awake. Bethany has decided she is not going to be like Maggie & hate her family that turned on her, in the end it turned Maggie into a bitter suspicious woman & destroyed her. She is not going to let her husband railroad her either, she has already been divorced once, she knows how it works. She is going to have what is her share of things, she did her part, no matter what anyone says. She is going to have her lawyer take a look at things & have it divide equally. She isn't trying to short anyone either, no matter what they think, they were still her kids & she loves them. She loved her husband too, even if they didn't love her. So, she wants things fairly divided. I love it! I am already opening the next one! I was looking to see if one of the other books I wanted was out in print yet & I don't know how this one caught my eye, but it did. I'm glad! When I saw it & read the "trailer" (if that is what you call it), I bought all three! It just had everything there to keep me turning pages to see what would happen next.
July 3, 2024
5 stars for having an idea and fleshing it out, in 3 books, no less.
That said, I did not find Bethany likeable. So much ego, then switching to poor-me. Hard to get a grasp of this person.
Once the tale turned to fantasy, then we had to slog through her not believing while becoming a "mystic."
The best part of the storyline is Rhoda, who is smart, informative, and kind, sort of in the role of the Greek chorus of ancient literature, instructing the soul how to transform and become "itself."
I did check out the next 2 books in the series, since the talking cat was so cool, as was the house.
That said, I did not find Bethany likeable. So much ego, then switching to poor-me. Hard to get a grasp of this person.
Once the tale turned to fantasy, then we had to slog through her not believing while becoming a "mystic."
The best part of the storyline is Rhoda, who is smart, informative, and kind, sort of in the role of the Greek chorus of ancient literature, instructing the soul how to transform and become "itself."
I did check out the next 2 books in the series, since the talking cat was so cool, as was the house.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 22, 2022
Bethany Parker is having the worst birthday of her life. Her 50th. Her husband wants a divorce and her stepchildren who are teenagers hate her.
She doesn't know wether they always hated her or what to believe. Now they don't need her anymore for a maid and chauffeur?
Wow! Rude awakening!
She finds herself on her own and is on her way to go live with her parents temporarily until sorting out her life.
However, on the way, she ends up in an enchanted town and is offered the job of caretaker of an old mansion, for a nice salary.
What's the catch? Turns out the mansion is cursed. There is a talking cat, an enchanted, har-drinking housekeeper and a vampire hidden somewhere in the house that noone has seen for 50 years.
Turns out she has some powers of her own.
Good thing since she is in danger.
Great new series!
She doesn't know wether they always hated her or what to believe. Now they don't need her anymore for a maid and chauffeur?
Wow! Rude awakening!
She finds herself on her own and is on her way to go live with her parents temporarily until sorting out her life.
However, on the way, she ends up in an enchanted town and is offered the job of caretaker of an old mansion, for a nice salary.
What's the catch? Turns out the mansion is cursed. There is a talking cat, an enchanted, har-drinking housekeeper and a vampire hidden somewhere in the house that noone has seen for 50 years.
Turns out she has some powers of her own.
Good thing since she is in danger.
Great new series!
July 8, 2024
Good start to series
A lot of life lessons in this book. The heroine is devastated when her husband and step children do not want her anymore. Her husband tells her why, but she refuses to accept what he is saying. And through most of the book she is hurt and angry, but does not deal well with her emotions. She becomes the care taker of a huge mansion that is under a curse. As she learns to deal with her emotions and perceived failures, she also learns how to break the curse. But the cost may be too much to bear. This was a great growth experience for the heroine, and a few other characters in the book. I found the medium Rhoda to be the most likable and stable person in the small town.
A lot of life lessons in this book. The heroine is devastated when her husband and step children do not want her anymore. Her husband tells her why, but she refuses to accept what he is saying. And through most of the book she is hurt and angry, but does not deal well with her emotions. She becomes the care taker of a huge mansion that is under a curse. As she learns to deal with her emotions and perceived failures, she also learns how to break the curse. But the cost may be too much to bear. This was a great growth experience for the heroine, and a few other characters in the book. I found the medium Rhoda to be the most likable and stable person in the small town.
February 20, 2023
Sadly not a great read
I have read a few series with a magical house and was hoping this would be as fun as those were. The author clearly dislikes men. The main character is disappointing. She thinks she's a smart and compassionate person, but neither is evident in the first 3 books. They are an easy read, but it's a slog through constant depression and anger. It felt like the author was working out personal issues and continually beat the same drum again and again.
I have read a few series with a magical house and was hoping this would be as fun as those were. The author clearly dislikes men. The main character is disappointing. She thinks she's a smart and compassionate person, but neither is evident in the first 3 books. They are an easy read, but it's a slog through constant depression and anger. It felt like the author was working out personal issues and continually beat the same drum again and again.
October 28, 2024
good
It was on her fiftieth birthday, that Bethany Parker learned she was living a lie. Her husband asked for a divorce, her stepchildren hate her, and she’s kicked out of the family home.
One too many pitying glances send her scampering from town, which leads her to discovering a new job as the custodian for a mansion in the tiny town of Enchantment.
The job is definitely too good to be true, and suddenly Bethany is finding out that magic is real, and so we shifters and vampires.
She also discovers that she might just need to break the curse on the mansion, before it gets her killed.
This was an enjoyable, not-quite-cosy story of a woman who is starting out anew in midlife.
Featuring a feisty, feline, familiar; several new friends, and a brand new outlook on the world, it’s an engaging read that PWF fans will enjoy, and many will relate to.
It was on her fiftieth birthday, that Bethany Parker learned she was living a lie. Her husband asked for a divorce, her stepchildren hate her, and she’s kicked out of the family home.
One too many pitying glances send her scampering from town, which leads her to discovering a new job as the custodian for a mansion in the tiny town of Enchantment.
The job is definitely too good to be true, and suddenly Bethany is finding out that magic is real, and so we shifters and vampires.
She also discovers that she might just need to break the curse on the mansion, before it gets her killed.
This was an enjoyable, not-quite-cosy story of a woman who is starting out anew in midlife.
Featuring a feisty, feline, familiar; several new friends, and a brand new outlook on the world, it’s an engaging read that PWF fans will enjoy, and many will relate to.
October 6, 2025
hated what I read
Blasphemy, bad language, bad characters, bad kids, arguments turning into screaming matches yuk yuk yuk, who want to read that, and that’s the way the book starts.
No it didn’t grab me
No it didn’t interest me
No I don’t use bad language so why would I want to read it
No what I read wasn’t pleasant at all
Blasphemy, bad language, bad characters, bad kids, arguments turning into screaming matches yuk yuk yuk, who want to read that, and that’s the way the book starts.
No it didn’t grab me
No it didn’t interest me
No I don’t use bad language so why would I want to read it
No what I read wasn’t pleasant at all
June 4, 2023
Uhh
Though I liked the premise of an accidental mystic, I just didn't like the main character, Bethany Parker. She was continually rehashing over her break-up with the ex-husband and her bratty step-kids. Every chapter you had to be told how she'd been broken up with on her 50th birthday. Halfway through the book I began to seriously contemplate putting this book aside and rating it as a DNF, something I hate to do to any author. Whether you love it or hate it, I always appreciate the time and effort it took for its author to create and to keep in mind that each book has a real and sensitive human being behind the scenes. This is why whenever I do face writing a not favorable review I try to be as honest and constructive as possible. Having said this, let me get back to the book.As you can surmise from the above, Bethany is a lot like many other women out there. She's middle aged and has just been given the boot by the people that have been the center of her life for the past 8 years. She's devastated and confused, but no dummy. When she receives her divorce papers soon after leaving she realized that this has been in the works for sometime and that everyone in the house knew, everyone but her. So, she takes a little time to mourn while living in a cheap motel and still working at her part-time job in retail, where one day a fainting episode makes her realize that she's hanging on to the past and the hopes of getting back with her abusive ex and his spoiled kids and that it's time to leave Kansas behind and head back to her home state and the people who actually love her.
Though I liked the premise of an accidental mystic, I just didn't like the main character, Bethany Parker. She was continually rehashing over her break-up with the ex-husband and her bratty step-kids. Every chapter you had to be told how she'd been broken up with on her 50th birthday. Halfway through the book I began to seriously contemplate putting this book aside and rating it as a DNF, something I hate to do to any author. Whether you love it or hate it, I always appreciate the time and effort it took for its author to create and to keep in mind that each book has a real and sensitive human being behind the scenes. This is why whenever I do face writing a not favorable review I try to be as honest and constructive as possible. Having said this, let me get back to the book.As you can surmise from the above, Bethany is a lot like many other women out there. She's middle aged and has just been given the boot by the people that have been the center of her life for the past 8 years. She's devastated and confused, but no dummy. When she receives her divorce papers soon after leaving she realized that this has been in the works for sometime and that everyone in the house knew, everyone but her. So, she takes a little time to mourn while living in a cheap motel and still working at her part-time job in retail, where one day a fainting episode makes her realize that she's hanging on to the past and the hopes of getting back with her abusive ex and his spoiled kids and that it's time to leave Kansas behind and head back to her home state and the people who actually love her.
August 9, 2022
I wasn't sure what to expect but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised.
I could certainly relate to Bethany more than most of the other PWF heroines (other than the age, of course)
I also liked that she held off on a new love interest. It always seems a little unbelievable when the book starts with a major betrayal, nasty divorce, etc and a week later they're madly enough with someone new... just doesn't gel for me...
The story itself was interesting and I guess you could say "enchanting" enough.
Despite at times obvious similarities to other well-known stories.
I found the sense of time a little hard to keep track of. You know, like one moment there are refences to a lot of time having passed, making it sound like she's been there for weeks and weeks and then all of sudden someone mentions that she's still only been there a week. So that was a bit confusing.
A few minor issues with editing such as frequently misplaced quotation marks
and the pop culture references were maybe a little heavy handed at times...
I could certainly relate to Bethany more than most of the other PWF heroines (other than the age, of course)
I also liked that she held off on a new love interest. It always seems a little unbelievable when the book starts with a major betrayal, nasty divorce, etc and a week later they're madly enough with someone new... just doesn't gel for me...
The story itself was interesting and I guess you could say "enchanting" enough.
Despite at times obvious similarities to other well-known stories.
I found the sense of time a little hard to keep track of. You know, like one moment there are refences to a lot of time having passed, making it sound like she's been there for weeks and weeks and then all of sudden someone mentions that she's still only been there a week. So that was a bit confusing.
A few minor issues with editing such as frequently misplaced quotation marks
and the pop culture references were maybe a little heavy handed at times...
May 31, 2024
A humorous araormal that will entertain you.
Never would have thought of this plot. Entertaining but no real surprises. I do wish there had been some resolution with Jess and his wayward it's. Sometimes just wan to see the coeuppance.
Never would have thought of this plot. Entertaining but no real surprises. I do wish there had been some resolution with Jess and his wayward it's. Sometimes just wan to see the coeuppance.
unread-dnf
May 26, 2024So ... I was only two chapters in, but this is going to be a DNF for me. I don't feel like it's fair to give a book a rating when one hasn't really read the whole thing ... but I have to say I'm looking at the high ratings and I just don't get it.
I'm just over 50, I read a lot of paranormal. This writing just seemed ... like something I might write, if I tried. I'm not a writer. I am a reader, I read a LOT. I think I'm used to more sophistication in writing? This just seemed so stark, telling, instead of making me feel things. Just a simple statement "I actually thought about killing myself. I simply didn't know how to live with this pain."
It just felt off from the start ... our MC is looking forward to her 50th birthday celebration. She seems a little bi-polar; poor me, I'm going through menopause even though I couldn't have kids, and my first husband divorced me because of that ... of course I look pretty fabulous because I've never had kids. And although she admits (to us, the reader) "I discovered that everything I believed, everyone I loved, was nothing like I'd thought. It was all a terrible, terrible lie." And boy was it ever! She had NO IDEA anything was wrong at all, when she gets after her hubs for working a little late (after 7:00 ... I probably should not admit how late my Hubs works at times) he blows up at her and says he wants a divorce, and that "you hurt everyone in this house every single day". HOW DID THIS MARRIAGE LAST YEARS? Her parents aren't as shocked as she is, as they think he just married her to be a housekeeper/nanny. HOW DID THIS MARRIAGE LAST YEARS? I was miserable just reading about it in the first chapter, then going over it again in the second chapter ... and glancing at another review, it sounds like she continues to do it throughout the book. And yet, she hadn't a clue that anything was wrong at all ... really?
One sentence made me laugh ... "Jess's last name was Metheny. I'd refused to become Bethany Metheny."
So I didn't even get into the paranormal (weird dream, starting to set things up) but the writing just felt stilted and unnatural and instead of feeling like I wanted to pick up my kindle again, I'd dread it. So ... done.
I'm just over 50, I read a lot of paranormal. This writing just seemed ... like something I might write, if I tried. I'm not a writer. I am a reader, I read a LOT. I think I'm used to more sophistication in writing? This just seemed so stark, telling, instead of making me feel things. Just a simple statement "I actually thought about killing myself. I simply didn't know how to live with this pain."
It just felt off from the start ... our MC is looking forward to her 50th birthday celebration. She seems a little bi-polar; poor me, I'm going through menopause even though I couldn't have kids, and my first husband divorced me because of that ... of course I look pretty fabulous because I've never had kids. And although she admits (to us, the reader) "I discovered that everything I believed, everyone I loved, was nothing like I'd thought. It was all a terrible, terrible lie." And boy was it ever! She had NO IDEA anything was wrong at all, when she gets after her hubs for working a little late (after 7:00 ... I probably should not admit how late my Hubs works at times) he blows up at her and says he wants a divorce, and that "you hurt everyone in this house every single day". HOW DID THIS MARRIAGE LAST YEARS? Her parents aren't as shocked as she is, as they think he just married her to be a housekeeper/nanny. HOW DID THIS MARRIAGE LAST YEARS? I was miserable just reading about it in the first chapter, then going over it again in the second chapter ... and glancing at another review, it sounds like she continues to do it throughout the book. And yet, she hadn't a clue that anything was wrong at all ... really?
One sentence made me laugh ... "Jess's last name was Metheny. I'd refused to become Bethany Metheny."
So I didn't even get into the paranormal (weird dream, starting to set things up) but the writing just felt stilted and unnatural and instead of feeling like I wanted to pick up my kindle again, I'd dread it. So ... done.
October 13, 2025
Older protagonist is appreciated
Readers who are nearing or past 50 will appreciate a protagonist who embarks on a supernatural adventure right after her fiftieth birthday. The character deals with the emotional fallout from a surprise divorce and finds her own strength.
While the story has a positive character arc, the protagonist rehashes the same story of the betrayal by her family too many times, and it detracts from her developing new insights.
There is an intriguing mystery related to a vampire in the basement, but it resolves rather anticlimactically. The main climax of the story happens with little foreshadowing. There are a lot of chatty interchanges and then, bam!, action scene! I felt like this book reads more like a cartoon episode in that the supernatural scene details are broadly painted in instead of rendered in live action. The mundane scenes are overly described so much so that it unbalances the plot momentum.
There is profanity, betrayal, mentions of the demonic, curses, and peril. There is a hint of possible romance in future books.
Readers who are nearing or past 50 will appreciate a protagonist who embarks on a supernatural adventure right after her fiftieth birthday. The character deals with the emotional fallout from a surprise divorce and finds her own strength.
While the story has a positive character arc, the protagonist rehashes the same story of the betrayal by her family too many times, and it detracts from her developing new insights.
There is an intriguing mystery related to a vampire in the basement, but it resolves rather anticlimactically. The main climax of the story happens with little foreshadowing. There are a lot of chatty interchanges and then, bam!, action scene! I felt like this book reads more like a cartoon episode in that the supernatural scene details are broadly painted in instead of rendered in live action. The mundane scenes are overly described so much so that it unbalances the plot momentum.
There is profanity, betrayal, mentions of the demonic, curses, and peril. There is a hint of possible romance in future books.
August 8, 2024
An interesting read
I started this book not expecting much. I was, after all, going in off a reading slump and the heroine didn’t exactly sound that intriguing at 50 and getting roasted and tossed out by her family.
As the story progressed, however, I found that it was pulling me in… Not to the point of losing the world around me, but I also HAD to finish it. Just did, in fact, and while I think this was a freebie, I will definitely be getting the second book.
There’s a lot of alcohol references in here. Folks seem to drink on the regular for every little thing, especially in the evening. Not something I have a problem with, but I know it is for some folks.
I love Lucius, and while Bethany frustrated me at first and in random spots throughout the book, she ‘feels right’. Her reactions feel appropriate (mostly) for what she goes through.
I’m looking forward to getting and reading the next book in the series.
I started this book not expecting much. I was, after all, going in off a reading slump and the heroine didn’t exactly sound that intriguing at 50 and getting roasted and tossed out by her family.
As the story progressed, however, I found that it was pulling me in… Not to the point of losing the world around me, but I also HAD to finish it. Just did, in fact, and while I think this was a freebie, I will definitely be getting the second book.
There’s a lot of alcohol references in here. Folks seem to drink on the regular for every little thing, especially in the evening. Not something I have a problem with, but I know it is for some folks.
I love Lucius, and while Bethany frustrated me at first and in random spots throughout the book, she ‘feels right’. Her reactions feel appropriate (mostly) for what she goes through.
I’m looking forward to getting and reading the next book in the series.
September 19, 2025
Myths and Parables
This is a very clever parable of a newly awakened mystic who was deeply betrayed twice over and a half shifter / half fae who was not betrayed but believed she was. Each woman is angry and each woman has choices to make.
The inclusion of music and musical analogies adds depth to this parable, as does the parallel between the mystic's and vampire's experiences in the present.
Why name it a parable? It is a story that unexpectedly teaches. The shifter-fae's story is the mystic's parable, the mystic's story is the vampire's parable, and all their stories are the reader's parable. The message? It's well worth discovering!
And the story itself? How the shifter-fae's and mystic's choices play out is a tangled mess that untangles in a satisfying way. Not everything is sorted out, of course, but that's for book two! Oh, and the house itself plays a role.
Content: clean, nothing graphic, some cursing.
Good reading!
This is a very clever parable of a newly awakened mystic who was deeply betrayed twice over and a half shifter / half fae who was not betrayed but believed she was. Each woman is angry and each woman has choices to make.
The inclusion of music and musical analogies adds depth to this parable, as does the parallel between the mystic's and vampire's experiences in the present.
Why name it a parable? It is a story that unexpectedly teaches. The shifter-fae's story is the mystic's parable, the mystic's story is the vampire's parable, and all their stories are the reader's parable. The message? It's well worth discovering!
And the story itself? How the shifter-fae's and mystic's choices play out is a tangled mess that untangles in a satisfying way. Not everything is sorted out, of course, but that's for book two! Oh, and the house itself plays a role.
Content: clean, nothing graphic, some cursing.
Good reading!
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December 12, 2025I don't know what to rate this.
definitely in the cozy category. I don't want to rate it because I usually don't leave ratings that are negative. I just wish a 50 year old woman book was 'Just More' the interesting parts that grab you in the book really don't happen till last 10%.
If your into cozy chill books you may like it. But as with most books I read about with the FMC over a certain age all of a sudden it's just a chill cozy book. I feel like if people write about anyone over 39 that means boring. idk. it's probably just me. to each their own. this book was not bad just..... to dull for ME.
I like action, magic, paranormal, fantasy, SF. with a dash of spice. if I want dull I'll just look in the mirror.
I am trying to get out of my head. it sucks in there.
definitely in the cozy category. I don't want to rate it because I usually don't leave ratings that are negative. I just wish a 50 year old woman book was 'Just More' the interesting parts that grab you in the book really don't happen till last 10%.
If your into cozy chill books you may like it. But as with most books I read about with the FMC over a certain age all of a sudden it's just a chill cozy book. I feel like if people write about anyone over 39 that means boring. idk. it's probably just me. to each their own. this book was not bad just..... to dull for ME.
I like action, magic, paranormal, fantasy, SF. with a dash of spice. if I want dull I'll just look in the mirror.
I am trying to get out of my head. it sucks in there.
March 26, 2024
A fantastic book which I finished in a day, 'Accidental Mystic' is far-removed from my usual diet of crime thrillers, but such a brilliant read. Bethany Parker is served with divorce papers on her fiftieth birthday. With nowhere to live, she heads back home to her elderly parents. Then events take an upward turn. Stopping for breakfast in a small town, she's offered a job. What she doesn't realise is that her latent magical abilities have drawn her there. With a wolf shifter sheriff, talking cat, handsome vampire and vengeful witch to contend with, her talents are about to be tested to the limit.
September 30, 2025
When Bethany’s life exploded all around her: her husband wanted a divorce, her stepchildren hated her, and she had no job. She did what every sensible fifty-year old would do, she headed home to Mom and Dad, although it was the last thing on Earth she wanted.
She needed a break. She needed a reset.
Then she mysteriously arrives in the town of Enchanted and her eyes are opened to all things magical and supernatural. She discovers that she is a mystic who holds the key to breaking a fifty-year-old curse. And while working with a medium, a cursed housekeeper, and a cat familiar to find the cursed vampire, Bethany rediscovers herself.
Wonderful reading from beginning to end!
She needed a break. She needed a reset.
Then she mysteriously arrives in the town of Enchanted and her eyes are opened to all things magical and supernatural. She discovers that she is a mystic who holds the key to breaking a fifty-year-old curse. And while working with a medium, a cursed housekeeper, and a cat familiar to find the cursed vampire, Bethany rediscovers herself.
Wonderful reading from beginning to end!
March 31, 2022
This is a new PWF author for me. I really enjoyed the story. It's like most PWF where our heroine has to start over in midlife. Her husband basically married her to raise his kids. Now that they are grown he no longer has a use for her. However, she finds a little magical town she was destined to find. This story is a lot of self doubt, how could I have been so blind, etc. As the story progresses she starts to find herself and realize she still has a lot of adventures ahead of her with her new family.
January 29, 2023
On her 50th birthday, Bethany is neglected and broken-hearted. Her user husband is divorcing her and her stepkids, who she loves, are convinced she's a wicked rhymes-with-witch. Broke and disheartened, she is forced to move back home, so packs up a rental trailer and heads that direction. But before she gets there, she stumbles into a town that's not on any map and accepts the job of caretaker for a historical old mansion with a curse.
This isn't my usual genre, but I found Accidental Mystic really entertaining. It's funny, sad, and triumphant. I enjoyed it.
This isn't my usual genre, but I found Accidental Mystic really entertaining. It's funny, sad, and triumphant. I enjoyed it.
June 13, 2024
Loved the concept of a 50yr old heroine who had her whole life turned upside down and then learned to stand up for herself and find her way again. Enjoyed the talking cat.
But, the writing was a bit choppy with cardboard characters, it seemed like it was the author rather than the MC that hated men, the problems just easily solved themselves and solutions clicked into place without much effort, and the main female characters didn’t take anything seriously enough/think things through enough to be believable.
It wasn’t a bad read, but I won’t be picking up the second book.
But, the writing was a bit choppy with cardboard characters, it seemed like it was the author rather than the MC that hated men, the problems just easily solved themselves and solutions clicked into place without much effort, and the main female characters didn’t take anything seriously enough/think things through enough to be believable.
It wasn’t a bad read, but I won’t be picking up the second book.
August 1, 2024
Pleasantly surprised
4.5 stars, actually. This wasn't an extraordinary book. The writing is relatively simple and character development could use a little work. However, this was a delightful book and I am thrilled the protagonist is a middle-aged woman. The paranormal cast of characters is fun. I also enjoyed the fact that this is set in Ohio, even if it's a fictional town and there's nothing like it in real life. I wish there were - I want to get my hands on Drogo's coffee and pancakes.
4.5 stars, actually. This wasn't an extraordinary book. The writing is relatively simple and character development could use a little work. However, this was a delightful book and I am thrilled the protagonist is a middle-aged woman. The paranormal cast of characters is fun. I also enjoyed the fact that this is set in Ohio, even if it's a fictional town and there's nothing like it in real life. I wish there were - I want to get my hands on Drogo's coffee and pancakes.
January 8, 2024
I did not have high hopes when I began this. It seemed like it was going to be super cliche. And it was. But I did enjoy it. More than I thought I would. It had enough new or fun elements that I thought about it all weekend until I was able to finish it today. Definitely going to check out the next one.
December 31, 2024
Very good book
This book is sort of like a staircase leading you to different levels. There is a lot going on. The main character has a rude awakening in her personal life that leads to a life changing discovery that she is a mystic and that she has to break a curse. There is much more to this book that you will discover if you read this book.
This book is sort of like a staircase leading you to different levels. There is a lot going on. The main character has a rude awakening in her personal life that leads to a life changing discovery that she is a mystic and that she has to break a curse. There is much more to this book that you will discover if you read this book.
July 28, 2025
Fun read. Lordy the whole “my marriage has been a lie” part hit too close to home! 😂 Beyond the main plot of finding her powers late in life and battling creatures she thought didn’t exist, I truly appreciate the way the main character is badass about advocating for herself and also allows herself to love.
January 8, 2022
This book was amazing!
Ravencraft is a new author for me. I loved the story and the characters. It had just enough drama and laughter. I couldn't put it down. Definitely excited for book 2.
Ravencraft is a new author for me. I loved the story and the characters. It had just enough drama and laughter. I couldn't put it down. Definitely excited for book 2.
May 18, 2022
Celebration! Good times come on!
Bummer of a Birthday. Celebration is not an option. Halfway is Surprise party time,,, not. Futures go on and on. Knowledge is Power. Books are key knowledge. Off to my next Adventure.
Bummer of a Birthday. Celebration is not an option. Halfway is Surprise party time,,, not. Futures go on and on. Knowledge is Power. Books are key knowledge. Off to my next Adventure.
March 11, 2023
Just did not like main character!
Although this in itself is a good story, I found Bethany, the main character really abrasive and strangely unsympathetic. I gave up about 2/3 through. I just did not care what happened to her any longer.
Although this in itself is a good story, I found Bethany, the main character really abrasive and strangely unsympathetic. I gave up about 2/3 through. I just did not care what happened to her any longer.
April 14, 2024
A quick read for book club this month - definitely not my usual genre, but it was action-packed and engaging enough. I won’t continue with the series, but if magic adventures are your type of thing, you’d probably love it!
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