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The Carolina Files #1
Witchwood
My family, the Whitlows, are basically the supernatural Corleones of the Carolinas. We run a magical safe house disguised as a quaint inn, backed by more old money than sense. My sisters are more likely to start an apocalypse than prevent one—Alafair's never met a margarita she didn't like, and if Emmery had to choose between her spellbook and her heels, I'm pretty sure the stiletto sling-backs would win.
So who gets stuck with the messes? That would be me, Tula Whitlow, because I'm competent enough to be useful and way too lazy to argue.
I'm not the most powerful witch in town (that'd be my aunt Ruby, who treats dark magic like a contact sport), but I'm the only one who bothers to show up.
Now there's an FBI agent on my doorstep with a case that's way above my pay grade. His sister's life is on the line, and all signs point to an upscale vineyard with some dark secrets. Ancient curses, old gods, and the kind of magic that makes even my aunt Ruby nervous. I'm going to have to wrangle my family into helping.
Look, I know what you're thinking—why not call in the magical equivalent of SWAT? Trust me, in this town, my family IS the nuclear option. Heaven help us all.
So who gets stuck with the messes? That would be me, Tula Whitlow, because I'm competent enough to be useful and way too lazy to argue.
I'm not the most powerful witch in town (that'd be my aunt Ruby, who treats dark magic like a contact sport), but I'm the only one who bothers to show up.
Now there's an FBI agent on my doorstep with a case that's way above my pay grade. His sister's life is on the line, and all signs point to an upscale vineyard with some dark secrets. Ancient curses, old gods, and the kind of magic that makes even my aunt Ruby nervous. I'm going to have to wrangle my family into helping.
Look, I know what you're thinking—why not call in the magical equivalent of SWAT? Trust me, in this town, my family IS the nuclear option. Heaven help us all.
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First published April 24, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
April 13, 2024
3.5 - not bad! Some definite grammatical issues that could use an editor….but the plot was engaging.
October 16, 2025
If you are looking to start a cozy urban fantasy filled with mystery and humor, the Carolina Files aren’t a bad place to start. We meet Tula Whitlow and her sisters, Alafair and Emmery. Her sisters aren’t really embracing their supernatural side. However, Tula is a witch and often helps law enforcement when paranormals are involved. The girl’s mother is abroad, but Aunt Ruby is around when Tula needs aid.
The story that unfolds has Ancient curses, old gods and dark magic. It all begins when an FBI agent knocks on Tula’s door looking for help in locating his missing sister. All signs point to the Vineyard in town. Blackmore fleshes out her characters, giving us a sense of their personality and the fact that their mother has left them clueless on some important magic, in particular the thing in the basement under lock and key.
The story has suspense, danger, an angry villain and a dark god. The author lightens the story with a helpful vampire that Tula denies being attracted to, angry plants, kidnappings and double crosses. I was very entertained. Tula is forced to stretch her wings and admit she should have read the reading material her mother provided. We see character growth and plenty of kickassary.
The thread involving the FBI agent wraps up, and we see hints of trouble on the horizon. I look forward to the next audiobook in the series; Undertow, available in December. Currently, there are five books available in kindleunlimited.
Sarah Sampino did a splendid job giving voice to both the male and female characters, capturing the tension, snark and chemistry along with the troubles only siblings can get into. The story is ideal for audio; I suggest giving it a listen. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
The story that unfolds has Ancient curses, old gods and dark magic. It all begins when an FBI agent knocks on Tula’s door looking for help in locating his missing sister. All signs point to the Vineyard in town. Blackmore fleshes out her characters, giving us a sense of their personality and the fact that their mother has left them clueless on some important magic, in particular the thing in the basement under lock and key.
The story has suspense, danger, an angry villain and a dark god. The author lightens the story with a helpful vampire that Tula denies being attracted to, angry plants, kidnappings and double crosses. I was very entertained. Tula is forced to stretch her wings and admit she should have read the reading material her mother provided. We see character growth and plenty of kickassary.
The thread involving the FBI agent wraps up, and we see hints of trouble on the horizon. I look forward to the next audiobook in the series; Undertow, available in December. Currently, there are five books available in kindleunlimited.
Sarah Sampino did a splendid job giving voice to both the male and female characters, capturing the tension, snark and chemistry along with the troubles only siblings can get into. The story is ideal for audio; I suggest giving it a listen. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
April 26, 2021
A paranormal mystery story with a touch of comic horror
This is the first book in The Carolina Files; a planned Urban Fantasy meets PI series.
The story features Tula Whitlow, a magic user who has let her talents lapse. She is one of three witch sisters, living in the small town of Henley-on-Hale, North Carolina. The town is a peaceful one and is made up of a good mix of magical and non magical inhabitants.
Mystery and peril arrive, brought by visitors who are caught up in events just outside of the town’s borders. This is a tale of magic, villainy and a summoned malevolent ancient god. What could possibly go wrong?
I loved this book. The main and secondary characters are well defined, grow throughout the book and I found myself invested in their journeys. I could definitely relate to the main character, who finds herself thrust into situations she has no idea how to manage, yet somehow makes it through, often by the skin of her teeth. She grows from a young lady who is winging her way through life and not really taking anything seriously, to a woman whose need for magical skill has been thrust back upon her, giving her a focus and sense of purpose by the end of this story arc.
The writing is easy to read, funny in places and there were no grammatical or continuity issues to pull me out of the flow of the story. I found myself staying up into the early hours because I wanted to know what came next and I couldn’t put the book down.
I’m delighted that there will be more books to come. I loved the humour and the comic horror element and I am really looking forward to what has the potential to be an excellent paranormal PI series.
This is the first book in The Carolina Files; a planned Urban Fantasy meets PI series.
The story features Tula Whitlow, a magic user who has let her talents lapse. She is one of three witch sisters, living in the small town of Henley-on-Hale, North Carolina. The town is a peaceful one and is made up of a good mix of magical and non magical inhabitants.
Mystery and peril arrive, brought by visitors who are caught up in events just outside of the town’s borders. This is a tale of magic, villainy and a summoned malevolent ancient god. What could possibly go wrong?
I loved this book. The main and secondary characters are well defined, grow throughout the book and I found myself invested in their journeys. I could definitely relate to the main character, who finds herself thrust into situations she has no idea how to manage, yet somehow makes it through, often by the skin of her teeth. She grows from a young lady who is winging her way through life and not really taking anything seriously, to a woman whose need for magical skill has been thrust back upon her, giving her a focus and sense of purpose by the end of this story arc.
The writing is easy to read, funny in places and there were no grammatical or continuity issues to pull me out of the flow of the story. I found myself staying up into the early hours because I wanted to know what came next and I couldn’t put the book down.
I’m delighted that there will be more books to come. I loved the humour and the comic horror element and I am really looking forward to what has the potential to be an excellent paranormal PI series.
April 26, 2021
I really liked this book
This book is a departure from my usual style of reading.
But the cover and the blurb sounded really interesting.
So I decided to read it. I am glad I did it was excellent
adventure with mystery and excitement. I was hooked
from the start. I look forward to reading more of this authors
work.
I highly recommend this book..
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This book is a departure from my usual style of reading.
But the cover and the blurb sounded really interesting.
So I decided to read it. I am glad I did it was excellent
adventure with mystery and excitement. I was hooked
from the start. I look forward to reading more of this authors
work.
I highly recommend this book..
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
April 26, 2021
This was such a fun read for me. The characters were so interesting, especially Tula. The story starts quickly and just keeps going and going without a single instance of dragging. It has a very nice never-saw-it-coming twist near the end, which is always super satisfying. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys a good urban fantasy/paranormal mystery style of book, though this would appeal to many different types of readers.
April 28, 2021
Good story
I found the characters to be believable and the story line to be interesting. At the end of the story I was just as upset about twist in the story as Tula. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
I found the characters to be believable and the story line to be interesting. At the end of the story I was just as upset about twist in the story as Tula. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
September 2, 2024
rural fantasy at its finest!
Witchwood is an excellent rural/urban fantasy novel. Full of twists and turns and magic and discovery. This is an excellent introduction to a series I fully plan to continue.
Witchwood is an excellent rural/urban fantasy novel. Full of twists and turns and magic and discovery. This is an excellent introduction to a series I fully plan to continue.
November 20, 2025
Witchwood is book one in The Carolina Files series by Willa Blackmore and narrated by Sarah Sampino. It’s a cozy urban fantasy filled with mystery and humor.
We meet Tula Whitlow and her sisters, Alafair and Emmery. Her sisters aren’t embracing their supernatural side. However, Tula is a witch who often helps law enforcement when paranormals are involved.
The story unfolds pleasantly with ancient curses, old gods and dark magic. It’s a well crafted mystery, fraught with danger, a worthy villain and a dark god.
The author flushes out her characters well. I enjoyed Tula and her Great Aunt. Tula is in the dark about a lot of her powers and we see her stretch her wings and grow. The story is lightened up a bit with a vampire who is helpful and who Tula denies being attracted to. We also get angry plants, kidnappings and double crosses.
Witchwood was entertaining. I was surprised at the double cross; because I didn’t see it coming. The story wraps up nicely and we do get hints that more trouble is on the horizon. I’m looking forward to listening on in the series.
Audio: Sarah Sampino did a splendid job with her narration. Both her male and female voices are crisp, clear, and fit the characters. She captured the snark, suspense, and chemistry. I enjoyed the audiobook.
Rated: 3.5 Stars
We meet Tula Whitlow and her sisters, Alafair and Emmery. Her sisters aren’t embracing their supernatural side. However, Tula is a witch who often helps law enforcement when paranormals are involved.
The story unfolds pleasantly with ancient curses, old gods and dark magic. It’s a well crafted mystery, fraught with danger, a worthy villain and a dark god.
The author flushes out her characters well. I enjoyed Tula and her Great Aunt. Tula is in the dark about a lot of her powers and we see her stretch her wings and grow. The story is lightened up a bit with a vampire who is helpful and who Tula denies being attracted to. We also get angry plants, kidnappings and double crosses.
Witchwood was entertaining. I was surprised at the double cross; because I didn’t see it coming. The story wraps up nicely and we do get hints that more trouble is on the horizon. I’m looking forward to listening on in the series.
Audio: Sarah Sampino did a splendid job with her narration. Both her male and female voices are crisp, clear, and fit the characters. She captured the snark, suspense, and chemistry. I enjoyed the audiobook.
Rated: 3.5 Stars
September 3, 2021
Interesting but flawed.
Tula is a witch that works doing part-time consulting with law enforcement. Her latest case has her searching for answers on why a young woman is being consumed by vines that are growing out of her.
Normally, I can finish a book of this length in a day or two, but this one took me almost a month of stops and starts to finish. It wasn’t holding my interest, and yet, I struggled to figure out why.
The prose was strong and well written, and I didn’t spot any grammar or spelling issues. The supporting cast was quirky and interesting. The pacing of the story was good. I even liked the small-town setting.
The problem was the main character, Tula. She felt like a side character that was given her own book but wasn’t strong enough to carry it. Tula is a witch, but with little to no training, which makes her spell casting unpredictable and unreliable.
A main character in an urban fantasy novel that is weak in power can work, and if done right, can be really good. Usually, this is done by the character being exceptionally intelligent. Unfortunately, Tula wasn’t overly clever, if anything I found her a little dense, bumbling from one misadventure to another. In most of the key scenes, Tula is saved by another character that does have power, mainly her Aunt or Victor the vampire, rather than by her own abilities or wits.
I will be stopping with the series here.
Tula is a witch that works doing part-time consulting with law enforcement. Her latest case has her searching for answers on why a young woman is being consumed by vines that are growing out of her.
Normally, I can finish a book of this length in a day or two, but this one took me almost a month of stops and starts to finish. It wasn’t holding my interest, and yet, I struggled to figure out why.
The prose was strong and well written, and I didn’t spot any grammar or spelling issues. The supporting cast was quirky and interesting. The pacing of the story was good. I even liked the small-town setting.
The problem was the main character, Tula. She felt like a side character that was given her own book but wasn’t strong enough to carry it. Tula is a witch, but with little to no training, which makes her spell casting unpredictable and unreliable.
A main character in an urban fantasy novel that is weak in power can work, and if done right, can be really good. Usually, this is done by the character being exceptionally intelligent. Unfortunately, Tula wasn’t overly clever, if anything I found her a little dense, bumbling from one misadventure to another. In most of the key scenes, Tula is saved by another character that does have power, mainly her Aunt or Victor the vampire, rather than by her own abilities or wits.
I will be stopping with the series here.
April 16, 2022
Very interesting a little suspenseful. A witch from a long line of witches. She's not interested in her powers until she desperately needs them. Lots of interesting characters. Will definitely read book 2
March 12, 2023
The Deep South of the U.S. holds a particular place in the imagination, certainly for those of us who aren’t from the States. This peculiar slice of savage land inside the “Greatest Nation On Earth”, where poverty and deep-rooted pride run deep, where uncomfortable historical truths unite and divide, and where the land is as wild as the hearts of its inhabitants.
Willa Blackmore’s Invasion sits very much in that world. But instead of being say, about a poor hedge witch – or a meth addict magician, like Bob McGough – her main character comes from privilege. This isn’t the tale of discovering the hidden world, of learning to come to terms with a new reality. This is a woman who’s grown up in an unrivalled position, her mother holding a hotel that’s a seat of power, the three daughters the closest thing to nobility in the magical world surrounding them. Except…
Except they’ve not really been taught what they need to be. The familiarity has bred almost contempt, a contentment to make do with the basic trickery that comes to them naturally, without putting any work in. They’re spoilt, and as with many things that are spoiling, they’re on the edge of becoming ruined. A lack of guidance and love has left them lost, drifting aimlessly. Sure, they solve the problems that get brought to them, because that’s what the Whitlows do. But it’s out of habit, of duty, rather than a drive and passion.
Until a threat comes to their doorstep. An FBI agent demanding help, a woman bitten by vines that are now rooting into her body. A mystery that becomes a threat, and a threat at their doorstep. Perhaps beyond it. Now, if they don’t work together, if they don’t start embracing the magic they’ve taken for granted, then the Whitlows might fall, and their legacy crumble into the Carolina dust.
This book is such a great introduction to a fascinating backdrop, to an original twist on how to present a hidden world. There are twists and turn, detailed and intriguing characters and a wonderful antagonist. If you enjoy your Urban Fantasy to be darker, more mysterious, as rich as the loam of the Carolina soil, then give this series a go. I can’t wait to read the next one.
The series is available in Kindle Unlimited and definitely a strong recommendation!
January 13, 2025
I hate rounding down, so consider my 3 stars as more of a 2.5. The degree to which the author is emphasizing incompetency in the MC is... a choice... It's kind of overwhelming how NOT GOOD at anything the MC seems to be. In addition to being territorial, incredibly jealous, and insecure. Like, Willa Blackmore, do you want people to LIKE her?
At the 24% mark, I went back to count how many times the MC, while narrating, does some variation of "if I was good at my job, but I am not". It was starting to feel like, if I had approached that as a drinking game, I might die. "I didn't think much of it at the time. But I should have." After being told something weird was going on at a vineyard, she dismisses it as a tourist-y thing instead of following up on it, or even thinking more about it until she absolutely has to. "That was me, Tula Whitlow, dropping the ball." (That's just up to 3%.) Then she sees something that definitely doesn't belong, when she is literally LOOKING FOR ANYTHING THAT DOESN'T BELONG, due to an alarm. And does nothing with that information. Like, it falls right out of her head as soon as she goes into the next room. "By that time I had completely forgotten about the little green vines and how maybe I should tell someone about them. My brain had already filed the vines away as just more unimportant trivia. Mentally, I was done with them. As it turned out though, the vines weren't done with me." For length, I won't quote, but there's a section where MC is woken by urgent knocking, and wants to make whoever it is go away. So she thinks of a spell to get rid of them. Apparently she can summon birds 'really well'. But she has to be within 4 feet of her target. And then she decides that either birds will end up inside, pooping everywhere, or she will recreate the Alfred Hitchcock movie The Birds on accident. (13%) (From here, I'll be careful of including spoilers with my quotes. And be more descriptive, to work around that.) Then she sees more weird vines, in another setting. Nothing seems to click. Then, the weird vines get traced back to a winery. (Like the one she was just told there was something weird going on at.) And again, nothing seems to click. Then, "But something was bothering me...You're just being paranoid as usual."
Apparently her, and her sisters, also aren't very good at magic--so she isn't good at the detective thing OR the magic thing. By her own admission. "None of us were really adept". Talking about MC's mom "Though certainly a much more talented witch than any of her daughters". Back to Tula being bad at things. "Shifting of any sort wasn't one of my talents and I'd never once managed a full one."
All of that ineptitude in less than a quarter of the book makes me afraid how much more ineptitude the rest of the book will contain, honestly. And, there are several references to how inept the other two sisters are that I won't go into detail about.
"[Aunt] Ruby had forgotten more about magic than any of the rest of us would ever know." Then there are more, separate references to how much better Aunt Ruby is with magic than the MC or her sisters in pretty quick succession. (35%) Also, many, many mentions of how Aunt Ruby may or may not murder people-- even the ones she likes, like MC-- at a moment's notice. For any possible reason.
Our MC, trying to get Ruby to teach her more, because her mother... didn't I guess. "I know almost nothing." Then, a couple pages later, still from MC "It occurred to me that I really knew next to nothing about magic." I am literally tired of every reference to the MC as incompetent or unlikeable. I am literally skipping several of them at this point, and don't even want to keep counting them moving forward. There is way too much of both.
The incompetence continues. I just want to shake her. How is she this dumb? How is she not seeing connections that everyone else is seeing? That are obvious. Like, if she is doing detective style work, prior to this book, in this world, how? She seems too stupid to be helpful with anything. If she can't put these pieces together, what did she even do before? (43%) Finally at 43%, she figured out something she should have figured out at least 20% ago, and only because she had help with it. Had someone basically force her into it.
We had to get to 47% for Tula to do something competent, without being prodded into it. Which honestly feels weird and out of place with all that's come before it. At 51% we are back on 'safer' ground. Tula has a glaring and obvious omission from her supplies that is frankly, insane. Especially considering the repeated references from other characters in this book about her having this bag for everything she needs, at earlier points in the story. Then, at 52%, Tula tells us what her magic specialty is. And of course it's something she's terrified of and doesn't practice with or anything. Because even the one thing she's "good" at has to have extra steps/difficulty. Can't have her just be good at something without an asterisk I guess.
The further I get into this thing, the more vague I'm choosing to be, for spoiler concerns. However, Tula is still real dumb. But she is at least seeing it now, which is something I guess. And she's resolving to be less dumb in the future. And cheers to that! Some of the plot ideas are very interesting. Some are interesting good, and some are interesting bad. The "leap year thing" is interesting bad. You'll see when you get there. The related rules seem at odds with our experiences to that point. Which brings up a recurring issue. The author gets really inconsistent about a bunch of people and things and rules. For example, Tula's mom supposedly revels in her witch powers and doesn't want to give them up to anyone. But she also doesn't want to BE a witch? To the point that she did everything in her power to keep her daughters ignorant and uninterested because she didn't even want to have to acknowledge *being* a witch... Does that make sense to you? For the record, both parts of that even come from conversations with the same character. (There's more examples, but I wanted to stay as unspoilery as possible.)
Also, from about the 3/4 mark forward, this book seems to give, one after another, complications and twists and turns just for the sake of having them. Not because they actually add anything. At least one or two I would definitely say took away from the story in fact.
There are interesting ideas here, but the execution is very middling at best. Maybe the author's works improve. I'm not going to dedicate time to figuring out if this was a debut novel. But maybe it gets better. I probably won't be reading anything else by this author. Or recommending this to anyone. But I've also read worse books too.
At the 24% mark, I went back to count how many times the MC, while narrating, does some variation of "if I was good at my job, but I am not". It was starting to feel like, if I had approached that as a drinking game, I might die. "I didn't think much of it at the time. But I should have." After being told something weird was going on at a vineyard, she dismisses it as a tourist-y thing instead of following up on it, or even thinking more about it until she absolutely has to. "That was me, Tula Whitlow, dropping the ball." (That's just up to 3%.) Then she sees something that definitely doesn't belong, when she is literally LOOKING FOR ANYTHING THAT DOESN'T BELONG, due to an alarm. And does nothing with that information. Like, it falls right out of her head as soon as she goes into the next room. "By that time I had completely forgotten about the little green vines and how maybe I should tell someone about them. My brain had already filed the vines away as just more unimportant trivia. Mentally, I was done with them. As it turned out though, the vines weren't done with me." For length, I won't quote, but there's a section where MC is woken by urgent knocking, and wants to make whoever it is go away. So she thinks of a spell to get rid of them. Apparently she can summon birds 'really well'. But she has to be within 4 feet of her target. And then she decides that either birds will end up inside, pooping everywhere, or she will recreate the Alfred Hitchcock movie The Birds on accident. (13%) (From here, I'll be careful of including spoilers with my quotes. And be more descriptive, to work around that.) Then she sees more weird vines, in another setting. Nothing seems to click. Then, the weird vines get traced back to a winery. (Like the one she was just told there was something weird going on at.) And again, nothing seems to click. Then, "But something was bothering me...You're just being paranoid as usual."
Apparently her, and her sisters, also aren't very good at magic--so she isn't good at the detective thing OR the magic thing. By her own admission. "None of us were really adept". Talking about MC's mom "Though certainly a much more talented witch than any of her daughters". Back to Tula being bad at things. "Shifting of any sort wasn't one of my talents and I'd never once managed a full one."
All of that ineptitude in less than a quarter of the book makes me afraid how much more ineptitude the rest of the book will contain, honestly. And, there are several references to how inept the other two sisters are that I won't go into detail about.
"[Aunt] Ruby had forgotten more about magic than any of the rest of us would ever know." Then there are more, separate references to how much better Aunt Ruby is with magic than the MC or her sisters in pretty quick succession. (35%) Also, many, many mentions of how Aunt Ruby may or may not murder people-- even the ones she likes, like MC-- at a moment's notice. For any possible reason.
Our MC, trying to get Ruby to teach her more, because her mother... didn't I guess. "I know almost nothing." Then, a couple pages later, still from MC "It occurred to me that I really knew next to nothing about magic." I am literally tired of every reference to the MC as incompetent or unlikeable. I am literally skipping several of them at this point, and don't even want to keep counting them moving forward. There is way too much of both.
The incompetence continues. I just want to shake her. How is she this dumb? How is she not seeing connections that everyone else is seeing? That are obvious. Like, if she is doing detective style work, prior to this book, in this world, how? She seems too stupid to be helpful with anything. If she can't put these pieces together, what did she even do before? (43%) Finally at 43%, she figured out something she should have figured out at least 20% ago, and only because she had help with it. Had someone basically force her into it.
We had to get to 47% for Tula to do something competent, without being prodded into it. Which honestly feels weird and out of place with all that's come before it. At 51% we are back on 'safer' ground. Tula has a glaring and obvious omission from her supplies that is frankly, insane. Especially considering the repeated references from other characters in this book about her having this bag for everything she needs, at earlier points in the story. Then, at 52%, Tula tells us what her magic specialty is. And of course it's something she's terrified of and doesn't practice with or anything. Because even the one thing she's "good" at has to have extra steps/difficulty. Can't have her just be good at something without an asterisk I guess.
The further I get into this thing, the more vague I'm choosing to be, for spoiler concerns. However, Tula is still real dumb. But she is at least seeing it now, which is something I guess. And she's resolving to be less dumb in the future. And cheers to that! Some of the plot ideas are very interesting. Some are interesting good, and some are interesting bad. The "leap year thing" is interesting bad. You'll see when you get there. The related rules seem at odds with our experiences to that point. Which brings up a recurring issue. The author gets really inconsistent about a bunch of people and things and rules. For example, Tula's mom supposedly revels in her witch powers and doesn't want to give them up to anyone. But she also doesn't want to BE a witch? To the point that she did everything in her power to keep her daughters ignorant and uninterested because she didn't even want to have to acknowledge *being* a witch... Does that make sense to you? For the record, both parts of that even come from conversations with the same character. (There's more examples, but I wanted to stay as unspoilery as possible.)
Also, from about the 3/4 mark forward, this book seems to give, one after another, complications and twists and turns just for the sake of having them. Not because they actually add anything. At least one or two I would definitely say took away from the story in fact.
There are interesting ideas here, but the execution is very middling at best. Maybe the author's works improve. I'm not going to dedicate time to figuring out if this was a debut novel. But maybe it gets better. I probably won't be reading anything else by this author. Or recommending this to anyone. But I've also read worse books too.
January 21, 2025
I read this book because the synopsis of it said it was perfect for people who like Supernatural. That is one of my favorite shows, so I decided to give the book a try. But it wasn't as entertaining as I thought it was going to be.
The characters are all pretty boring and one-dimensional. It seemed like it was going to be a story about sisters who were witches. But honestly, the sisters were kind of annoying. They were so one dimensional. Even Tula, the FMC, was flat. For most of the story, she was very self-deprecating. She spent over half of the book talking about how she was dropping the ball on this or that. Her sisters were no help. Instead of being a story of three sisters working together, it was almost like watching a soap opera set in high school.
The FBI agent, who shows up asking for Tula's help, is just as flat. She calls him "Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome" for most of the book. That got annoying after a while. We get it. He's supposed to be the hot guy. But calling him that when they were in the middle of a dangerous situation was a bit of an overkill.
The story could have been very interesting. It had an interesting concept. But it kind of dragged. There were places in the story that could have moved a bit faster. There were some interesting things in there, but nothing that would make me want to read more of the series.
My rating: 2.5 stars rounded up to 3
The characters are all pretty boring and one-dimensional. It seemed like it was going to be a story about sisters who were witches. But honestly, the sisters were kind of annoying. They were so one dimensional. Even Tula, the FMC, was flat. For most of the story, she was very self-deprecating. She spent over half of the book talking about how she was dropping the ball on this or that. Her sisters were no help. Instead of being a story of three sisters working together, it was almost like watching a soap opera set in high school.
The FBI agent, who shows up asking for Tula's help, is just as flat. She calls him "Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome" for most of the book. That got annoying after a while. We get it. He's supposed to be the hot guy. But calling him that when they were in the middle of a dangerous situation was a bit of an overkill.
The story could have been very interesting. It had an interesting concept. But it kind of dragged. There were places in the story that could have moved a bit faster. There were some interesting things in there, but nothing that would make me want to read more of the series.
My rating: 2.5 stars rounded up to 3
July 27, 2024
Witchery... People think it's fun and easy. Whisper a spell, fire up a candle or two, then flutter your eyelashes at some sexy beast waiting in the wings. Bingo. Problem solved. Yes, that's how it goes... in movies maybe. Real life? A whole 'nother thing. And the only sexy beast waiting for me is the kind that rips your eyeballs out. My love life is a work in progress.
Yeah, being a witch is hard, but it's nothing compared to being a Whitlow witch. We’re supposed to be the problem solvers. Werewolves in the basement? Call a Whitlow. Lost dog? Ditto. Boyfriend cheated? You get the idea.
I also work with local law enforcement on supernatural cases. Most of the time it's pretty easy. Contrary to popular opinion, monsters aren't all that smart. Servants of darkness can be a little tricky, but their ego gets them every time. Give 'em enough rope, they'll go straight back to hell. But this new case is different and way above my pay grade - dark magic dating back to the time of the Druids, with a young woman's life hanging in the balance. Truth is, if I can't figure this one out, her death might be a mercy.
I’d rather walk on burning coals, but I'm gonna have to call in the cavalry. Which means working with my family, and that scares me more than any darkling ever could.
This was a fun and enjoyable read. I will be checking more of this series out.
Yeah, being a witch is hard, but it's nothing compared to being a Whitlow witch. We’re supposed to be the problem solvers. Werewolves in the basement? Call a Whitlow. Lost dog? Ditto. Boyfriend cheated? You get the idea.
I also work with local law enforcement on supernatural cases. Most of the time it's pretty easy. Contrary to popular opinion, monsters aren't all that smart. Servants of darkness can be a little tricky, but their ego gets them every time. Give 'em enough rope, they'll go straight back to hell. But this new case is different and way above my pay grade - dark magic dating back to the time of the Druids, with a young woman's life hanging in the balance. Truth is, if I can't figure this one out, her death might be a mercy.
I’d rather walk on burning coals, but I'm gonna have to call in the cavalry. Which means working with my family, and that scares me more than any darkling ever could.
This was a fun and enjoyable read. I will be checking more of this series out.
May 6, 2025
DNF 45%
How is this dumbass a detective. The number of times the I should have remember that’s and it was important but I forgot about it’s was astounding. The sisters all came off as rich, spoiled brats who don’t try at anything but partying and or getting drunk. How the FMC had a fucking pi business is just beyond me. She’s got to be one of the stupidest PI’s I’ve ever read about. The best example:
Go into the dark crazy “second basement” to look for anything weird bc something set off the alarm. Nothing weird there, as she’s leaving she trips on a vine shrugs about it and wonders off- after peeing on the door. You mean a vine that wasn’t there and then magically is was odd- No no of course it’s not weird.
Or how about a strange man comes pounding on her door. When she opens it he just walks right in and instead of closing her robe and telling him to get the fuck out of her house she runs to her bedroom to get all pretty for the hot stranger. ARW YOU TRYING TO GET MURDERED. And that’s only like 15% into the book! She’s a dumbass and I don’t have time to waste reading about characters like this.
How is this dumbass a detective. The number of times the I should have remember that’s and it was important but I forgot about it’s was astounding. The sisters all came off as rich, spoiled brats who don’t try at anything but partying and or getting drunk. How the FMC had a fucking pi business is just beyond me. She’s got to be one of the stupidest PI’s I’ve ever read about. The best example:
Go into the dark crazy “second basement” to look for anything weird bc something set off the alarm. Nothing weird there, as she’s leaving she trips on a vine shrugs about it and wonders off- after peeing on the door. You mean a vine that wasn’t there and then magically is was odd- No no of course it’s not weird.
Or how about a strange man comes pounding on her door. When she opens it he just walks right in and instead of closing her robe and telling him to get the fuck out of her house she runs to her bedroom to get all pretty for the hot stranger. ARW YOU TRYING TO GET MURDERED. And that’s only like 15% into the book! She’s a dumbass and I don’t have time to waste reading about characters like this.
Read
May 4, 2024A good story, supernatural cozy mystery
It's hard to find new, good stories to read. I'm glad I found this one. The story is fresh and interesting. The format is more to the cozy mystery side than urban fantasy, meaning it's light, it has a happy ending, not much fight and action scenes (or they are short).
There were many opportunities to make the task of the heroine much harder, but they were skipped. Maybe to keep the length of the novel short. Which is a plus - I was able to read it in two days while sick. I wouldn't start a longer story. And the opportunities can be expanded in the next books.
What irked me, enough to give it one star less, is tne name Victor for an Irish character. Victor was perused in popular culture so many times as a Russian name that every time it was mantioned, I halted reading for a second.
And the other let down was a bit of deux ex machina - most of the heavy tasks were done by others, not the heroine. But I guess it will improve in the next books.
All in all, I recommend this book.
It's hard to find new, good stories to read. I'm glad I found this one. The story is fresh and interesting. The format is more to the cozy mystery side than urban fantasy, meaning it's light, it has a happy ending, not much fight and action scenes (or they are short).
There were many opportunities to make the task of the heroine much harder, but they were skipped. Maybe to keep the length of the novel short. Which is a plus - I was able to read it in two days while sick. I wouldn't start a longer story. And the opportunities can be expanded in the next books.
What irked me, enough to give it one star less, is tne name Victor for an Irish character. Victor was perused in popular culture so many times as a Russian name that every time it was mantioned, I halted reading for a second.
And the other let down was a bit of deux ex machina - most of the heavy tasks were done by others, not the heroine. But I guess it will improve in the next books.
All in all, I recommend this book.
March 22, 2024
Great book
I'd just like to start out by saying that this is a really good book. It funny, has fantastic world building that's both minimalistic but detailed and our characters are extremely fleshed out. You can tell the author put a lot of time and energy into every detail of this book. I knew from the first 2 chapters that I'd be reading the second book in the series.
Each sentence has a purpose, every description and dialogue tells us something about the characters. It's been a really long time since I've seen such purposeful writing.
Even the description of our character was tastefully done. Usually when MC describe themselves it's them looking in a mirror or something equally obnoxious but it was really well done in this book. Quick, concise and funny.
I'd just like to start out by saying that this is a really good book. It funny, has fantastic world building that's both minimalistic but detailed and our characters are extremely fleshed out. You can tell the author put a lot of time and energy into every detail of this book. I knew from the first 2 chapters that I'd be reading the second book in the series.
Each sentence has a purpose, every description and dialogue tells us something about the characters. It's been a really long time since I've seen such purposeful writing.
Even the description of our character was tastefully done. Usually when MC describe themselves it's them looking in a mirror or something equally obnoxious but it was really well done in this book. Quick, concise and funny.
September 13, 2024
This Witch & Wizard Thriller is fantastic. Willa Blackmore, a fiery redhead, is a witch. Not a very inspiring witch, but a witch nonetheless. However, she helps law enforcement with magic-related crimes. Now, the FBI has come calling in the guise of John Newberry. His sister is gravely ill, magically so. And the magic is ancient, dark, druidic magic.
Willa is not only a fiery redhead but a feisty heroine in the making. Her personality makes the story. At times, uncertain. Others are intensely determined. She knows when to go unaided and when to ask for help. There's much for which to look forward.
Easy-to-read. Entertaining. Great world building. Page-turner. Scary. Tragic. Unpredictable. Wonderful characters.
Willa is not only a fiery redhead but a feisty heroine in the making. Her personality makes the story. At times, uncertain. Others are intensely determined. She knows when to go unaided and when to ask for help. There's much for which to look forward.
Easy-to-read. Entertaining. Great world building. Page-turner. Scary. Tragic. Unpredictable. Wonderful characters.
April 26, 2024
Never guessed the twist at the end
Absolutely loved these characters. Aunt Ruby is my favorite. Tula and her sisters are witches. Tula gets a knock on her door one night asking for help. It happens to be an FBI agent. His sister has vines growing out of her and is dying each day. Tula tracing the last places the girl went. It all seems linked to a nearby vineyard.
This was a fast and fun read. I loved the vampire and would like to see more of him. At the end, I was blown away. I sure didn't see that coming. What a surprise.
Absolutely loved these characters. Aunt Ruby is my favorite. Tula and her sisters are witches. Tula gets a knock on her door one night asking for help. It happens to be an FBI agent. His sister has vines growing out of her and is dying each day. Tula tracing the last places the girl went. It all seems linked to a nearby vineyard.
This was a fast and fun read. I loved the vampire and would like to see more of him. At the end, I was blown away. I sure didn't see that coming. What a surprise.
March 11, 2025
well, it was ok. There are parts that have a ton of promise, but character development is not one of them. I didn't really like the sisters at all. They seemed like entitled brats. Tula as the fmc was way too self-deprecating - not in a self discovery way either (although that was hinted at). It picked up a couple good secondary characters that really should be Mains. Ruby and Victor have a ton more potential than Tula or any of the others. A sad twist near the end but the whole ending was a little limp. I'm going to try Book 2 just to see if Tula steps it up. If not, I'll be done.
February 24, 2024
A different take on Witches
A strange tale that never touches on what a witch should be capable of, more like a mystery with a mention of what should be happening, almost a Steven King kind of fantasy. After thinking and evaluating what I had read it was like a big dipper ride - some ups plenty of downs then stop. The jury is out considering would book two be purchased or shelved.
A strange tale that never touches on what a witch should be capable of, more like a mystery with a mention of what should be happening, almost a Steven King kind of fantasy. After thinking and evaluating what I had read it was like a big dipper ride - some ups plenty of downs then stop. The jury is out considering would book two be purchased or shelved.
May 10, 2024
3.5 rounded up to 4 because this book actually kept my attention. I dropped 5 urban fantasy books in a row before starting this one. Overall it was very interesting. Pretty easy to read and understand. I do wish there was a bit more detail about the magic system and Tula's inner monologue was quite difficult to take at times. However the plot while fairly busy was enjoyable and easy to follow. I will probably continue on with this series.
July 6, 2025
Spoilers
At the start she is organising a shed as she helps investigate things happening. Then in chapter 18 when the Sheriff comes to her for help she say “Me, why me?”. Ummm, that’s the whole point isn’t it? And she isn’t thinking that grass problems has anything to do with the vine/forrest problems.
I mean, come on. She isn’t 15, she is mid 20’s. I feel like I’m reading something a teenager wrote though. I’m done at chapter 18. DNF.
At the start she is organising a shed as she helps investigate things happening. Then in chapter 18 when the Sheriff comes to her for help she say “Me, why me?”. Ummm, that’s the whole point isn’t it? And she isn’t thinking that grass problems has anything to do with the vine/forrest problems.
I mean, come on. She isn’t 15, she is mid 20’s. I feel like I’m reading something a teenager wrote though. I’m done at chapter 18. DNF.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 21, 2021
I love strong FMC and the author has a nack with bringing all of the characters to life. The book is captivating with its twist and suspense. I look forward to finishing this series. A must read for those who want a different unique paranormal story.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 8, 2022
Great new series!
I really enjoyed Invasion. The plot is satisfying and richly told; the characters are well developed and seem to have been drawn with an eye to fleshing each of them out fully in future books. I look forward to watching each of the girls grow into their witchly power and in their relationship with one another. Definitely a great read.
I really enjoyed Invasion. The plot is satisfying and richly told; the characters are well developed and seem to have been drawn with an eye to fleshing each of them out fully in future books. I look forward to watching each of the girls grow into their witchly power and in their relationship with one another. Definitely a great read.
December 18, 2022
No dummies here
Well written from characters thru the plot. And most of the characters had common sense. It's amazing how much characters ignoring telltale bad guy signs drags down the book. And I can't stress that enough. You won't find that here. I am looking forward to book two.
Well written from characters thru the plot. And most of the characters had common sense. It's amazing how much characters ignoring telltale bad guy signs drags down the book. And I can't stress that enough. You won't find that here. I am looking forward to book two.
August 16, 2023
Great book
I was a bit hesitant to start this book because I've been in such a book slump lately no books have kept my attention or even gotten my attention. If you like urban fantasy and mysteries with a bit of southern witchery thrown in I recommend you give it a shot. It not only peaked my interest but held it all the way till the end now I'm off to read the next.
I was a bit hesitant to start this book because I've been in such a book slump lately no books have kept my attention or even gotten my attention. If you like urban fantasy and mysteries with a bit of southern witchery thrown in I recommend you give it a shot. It not only peaked my interest but held it all the way till the end now I'm off to read the next.
November 10, 2023
Great series starter
I loved the witch characters in this book, especially that they were imperfect in such human ways. The story itself was interesting, and kept me entertained. I was frustrated with the author's constant confusion of plurals and possessives, as well as other errors. Otherwise, this is a very good urban fantasy. I will be reading other books in this series.
I loved the witch characters in this book, especially that they were imperfect in such human ways. The story itself was interesting, and kept me entertained. I was frustrated with the author's constant confusion of plurals and possessives, as well as other errors. Otherwise, this is a very good urban fantasy. I will be reading other books in this series.
November 24, 2023
Great characters. Fantastic plotting. Fast moving. Holds the attention of the reader. Author creates the ability to weave together fantasy and reality. Seems to have created a new type of vampire (no spoiler - read it yourself to find out). I'm going to be reading the next in this series.
I found this series/author in an ebook giveaway and I'm I glad I did!
I found this series/author in an ebook giveaway and I'm I glad I did!
June 17, 2024
Exciting, Well Written, Loys of Unique Characters
I was so surprised to really like and enjoy this first book of The Carolina Files. It moves along quickly, the characters are truly “characters” lol with plot twists and magic everywhere. I found it delightful to read before bedtime and look forward to the next book in the series.
I was so surprised to really like and enjoy this first book of The Carolina Files. It moves along quickly, the characters are truly “characters” lol with plot twists and magic everywhere. I found it delightful to read before bedtime and look forward to the next book in the series.
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