A Touch of Magic

Spellbound #7

by Annabel Chase

Welcome to Spellbound, where paranormal is the new normal.


Changes are afoot for Emma Hart now that her secret is out and her love life has taken a dramatic turn. Will life suddenly be a bed of roses for the plucky heroine or will she get pricked by the thorns?

A Touch of Magic is the seventh book in the Spellbound paranormal cozy mystery series.

This is a full-length, humorous cozy mystery novel.

Books in the series include:
Curse the Day, Book 1
Doom and Broom, Book 2
Spell's Bells, Book 3
Lucky Charm, Book 4
Better Than Hex, Book 5
Cast Away, Book 6

Genres: Fantasy, Mystery, Paranormal, Cozy Mystery, Audiobook, Magic, Romance

194 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 26, 2017

About the author

Annabel Chase is the author of urban fantasy and cozy mystery novels. She would love to live in a magical town where she can shop at Ready-to-Were for the the perfect outfit, flirt with hot angels and vampires, and cook gourmet meals without exerting any effort. Visit her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Annabel-Chas... or on her website at www.annabelchase.com.

Reviews

[Avada Kaddavra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wieder ein toller Ausflug in mein Lieblingsstädtchen Spellbound 🥰
Allerdings wäre diese ganze Hörbuchreihe nicht halb so cosy und wunderbar ohne Corinna Dorenkamp, die einen absolut fantastischen Job macht🏆

[Nomnivor]

Wie lange es wohl dauert, bis Spellbound keine Einwohner mehr hat, weil alle gestorben sind.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Series

So I really enjoyed the first 5books but I'm kinda getting burned out on the storyline. I don't enjoy her love interest and thought other characters were better suited. I just keep reading because I want to know how it ends

[✨ Gramy ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

.
In this humorous and cozy mystery series, the reader is swept away into an escape of exploration and adventure of well-written plots, in a magical town called Spellbound. Here you find a multitude of engaging characters - paranormal people and creatures cohabitating in one realm. Emma, the heroine, is a witch of sorts and the town sleuth.

As the defense attorney, Emma, works diligently to clear charges against a mermaid against animal cruelty. She is a very thorough and compassionate representative. In this installment, we start to learn more about what might be coming in future installments along the lines of character growth and plots regarding not only Emma, but some of the other characters as well.

Each book in the series adds new characters, some interesting and others not so much. All seem to get along with Emma.

What will happen next? You will just never know unless you crack open the book and start reading.

This book can stand on its own, it was a clean presentation, a romantical disaster was avoided, and a mystery was solved -- ALL GOOD THINGS !!

[Sophia Wordworld · Rating 4 out of 5]

Die "Spellbound" Reihe von Annabel Chase wurde mir von meiner lieben Buchfreundin Sofia (@SofiasWorldofBooks) herzlich empfohlen und da ich ihren Empfehlungen immer vertraue, habe ich begonnen, die Reihe als Hörbücher zu hören und sie ziemlich schnell durchgesuchtet. Mit zehn Bänden ist die "Spellbound"-Reihe zwar ziemlich umfangreich, allerdings sind die einzelnen Bücher nur zwischen 200 und 300 Seiten lang und lesen sich -abgeschlossen, aber doch Teil einer größeren Erzählung- wie verschriftlichte Episoden einer Lieblingsserie. Damit ist die Reihe perfekt zum Durchsuchten geeignet!

Das Grundkonzept der Reihe besteht dabei aus einer Kombination aus Kleinstadt und Fantasy Setting, Krimiplot und Liebesgeschichte und lässt sich mit einem Wort zusammenfassen: gemütlich. Egal um welchen Band es sich handelt, es ist immer genau das Richtige, wenn man Lust auf eine magische Mischung aus Krimi, Romantik und einer ordentlichen Portion Humor hat. Die Krimifälle sind zu Beginn vielleicht etwas leicht zu durchschauen, es gibt aber auch einige, die wirklich fesselnd sind. Auch wenn nicht jede Wendung überrascht, hat die Geschichte einiges zu bieten. Zum Beispiel die patente und witzige Hauptfigur Emma, die man gerne beim Einstieg in ihr neues Leben begleitet. Über die Bände verteilt steigen wir mit ihr in das Leben als neuerkannte Hexe ein, lösen mit ihr Fälle als Pflichtverteidigerin der Stadt und begutachten wie sich ihr Privat- und Liebesleben verändert. Außerdem wäre da auch noch das Rätsel ihrer familiären Wurzeln aufzudecken und der Fluch zu lösen, der auf der Stadt liegt...

In Kombination mit der Vielzahl an Charakteren und magischen Kreaturen, die seit Jahrhunderten in Spellbound eingesperrt sind und nach und nach vorgestellt und vertieft werden, ist also allemal genügend Erzählstoff für die vielen Bände vorhanden. Denn egal ob Hexen, Gestaltwandler, Zwerge, Vampire, Banshees, Feen, Vampire, Zentauren, Berserker, Yeetis, Elfen, Kobolde, Trolle oder Einhörner - es gibt kein paranormales Wesen, das nicht in Spellbound zu finden wäre. Wer also Lust auf eine entspannte, aber dennoch packende Geschichte hat und gerne mal aus dem Alltag in eine zauberhafte Kleinstadt voller Geheimnisse und Abenteuer flüchten möchte, sollte Spellbound unbedingt einen Besuch abstatten.


Fazit

Wer auf der Suche nach einer Wohlfühlreihe ist, die ein bisschen Magie, viel Humor und eine gute Prise Krimi mitbringt, wird in Spellbound definitiv fündig. Annabel Chase hat hier eine charmante Welt erschaffen, in die man immer wieder gerne eintaucht!

[Susan1566 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now everyone knows Emma is a sorceress things are a little different. Some people accept it, others aren’t pleased. But at least her close friends don’t have a problem and neither does Daniel.
With the arrest of the previous mayor, an election is happening with Emma’s friend Lucy as one of the candidates as well as her old nemesis, sheriff Hugo. But a third candidate is found murdered which means Emma will be investigating.
Along with a new case, this time defending a young girl of animal cruelty.
These investigations show some of how the Spellbound residents are reacting to the knowledge about Emma.
Good little mystery with more new and interesting characters.
This again was a quick, easy, fun, humourous read.

[Kimberly #Audiofile · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 star listen be
emma is currently a little too much for her best friend, the green eyed monster comes out which i guess is a little understandable however im not sure id like to start something with a male whos a little too into my best mate.

daniel and emma finally have a relationship and the evil doers have a year 'behind bars' we find out a little more about emmas background and her parents.

with hopes of destroying the town curse because of what emma is heres hoping we see plans forming in the next book

[Hauntedcupcake · Rating 4 out of 5]

Auch Band 7 der Spellbound-Reihe war wieder ein grosses Vergnügen. Dieses Mal gehts um die nächste Bürgermeisterwahl, einen Mord an einem Vampir, einen Fall von Tierquälerei, eine Menge romantische Dates und um das Erfinden von neuen Zaubersprüchen. Ich wurde wieder sooo gut unterhalten und freu mich auf den nächsten Teil!

4.5 Sterne

[Una · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as the former books. Hopefully the next book will have a little better plot.

[Harmony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perhaps I've read too many of these books in a row but I feel as if the "bloom" is off the rose, so to speak. I didn't read books 4, 5, and 6 because I had no interest in seeing Emma being all angst filled over Daniel being engaged to another woman.

So, I jumped into this book feeling a little out of sync and never feeling like I caught up.

The characters felt flat. The story felt flat. It all felt as if the author is telling the same story over and over again in each of these books. I also don't like the hate directed at Emma because she's a sorceress. It made me uncomfortable and made me want to stop reading the book.

I still don't really see the chemistry between any of these characters. It's not there between Daniel and Emma. It's not there between Demetrius and Begonia. It's not there between Demetrius and Emma. There's not even friendship chemistry.

I'm still a little weirded out about the fact that Emma doesn't have any friends her own age. Her friends are 13 to 18 year old *maybe a little older*. She's 25ish.

I finish these books and it never feels as if anything was really resolved. I never get that happy heart feeling that I love to get from books. I suspect it's because the author doesn't want to give too much away so she can continue this series. All that results in is me getting bored. I'd like to see more resolution instead of always feeling as if something is hanging out there waiting to drop. Like the blind woman in the visions or whoever "Luna" is.....

I'll probably read more in this series but after a break.

[Kay Hudson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Touch of Magic is the seventh novel in Annabel Chase’s charming Spellbound paranormal cozy mystery series, continuing the humor that runs through these tales of Emma Hart adjusting to her new life as a witch. This time around Emma tackles the case of the murder of a vampire mayoral candidate, helps a teenage nymph accused of animal cruelty, and uncovers some secrets about her own background. All the familiar characters are back, as the remedial witches try to create inventive spells of their own, with the expected—or rather unexpected—results.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this series

I'm looking forward to the next book in the Spellbound series. Great characters in a magical town that no one is able to leave because of a spell. As with the other books in this series there is a mystery that gets solved, a court case, spells, cats, an owl, a ghost and in this book there is also an election!

[Lissa Smith Reads'~A Bookaholics Bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rated
4 Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Kindle Unlimited Read

I'm still in Spellbound today, where Emma being a witch in a town full of paranormal's that's a part of her new life.

It's time to elect a new mayor of Spellbound. Who will it be? The old Mayor assistant, the ex-Sheriff that's lazy, or a retired citizen that loves his town?

The remedial students of the A.S.S. Academy have the opportunity they have dreamed of, to write and cast their very own spell! During the process the ladies come up with some great spells and one Emma will use to clear her client.

While Emma is working to solve her clients case of mistaken animal cruelty, yep there is another body discovered. This time it's one of the three mayoral candidates. But the question is, who did it?

A Touch of Magic is the seventh book in the Spellbound series. It's a full length novel that has light drama, humorous moments, lots of magical paranormal's, and a bit of love.

Books in the series include:
Curse the Day, Book 1
Doom and Broom, Book 2
Spell's Bells, Book 3
Lucky Charm, Book 4
Better Than Hex, Book 5
Cast Away, Book 6
A Touch of Magic, Book 7

Next in the Spellbound series:
A Drop in the Potion, Book 8

[James Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

The remedial witch class is given an assignment: two weeks to come up with their own spell that will impress Lady Weatherby. At the same time there's an election coming up for mayor with three candidates.

Make that two. One is killed.

So, Emma needs to help find the killer and come up with a spell that will impress the entire class. Also, handle a new client who is accused of abusing her cat.

If that wasn't enough Emma is having nightmares but also has a chance to see her mother with the help of her therapist and some others.

In addition Emma is the head of a committee to revise the sentencing amounts for certain crimes. So, make up a spell, solve a crime, head a committee and avoid being killed. Pretty much a typical day for her.

I really like the spells the women come up with. I'm wondering what would happen if every since witch in the town got together along with Emma, the sorceress, and all concentrated at the same time to destroy the barrier keeping their town from the rest of the world? No matter how powerful the person was who set up the barrier if Emma, who has a lot of power, and all the others worked together, maybe that might be enough to blow out the barrier.

[Jessi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The mystery takes a back seat to building Emma's story in this book. She is working hard to help make sure that her friend Lucy is elected mayor but it's hard when one of the candidates, a vampire, is killed before he can make his speech. The former sheriff Hugo, now one of the other candidates, takes this chance to accuse Lucy of the murder. It doesn't help that it's one of Emma's handmade signs that was used as the murder weapon.
Emma always has one case per book and this is no different. Now, she has a young nymph who is accused of animal cruelty. But that makes no sense since nymphs are closely connected to nature.
Her friends at the ASS academy are in the story as well. Lady Weatherby is giving Emma her own spell lessons but she is still attending the remedial magic classes as well. This time, the head of the coven goes off the books and lets the students create their own spells to show what they can do. They are all successful but it does take some work.
A nice addition to the series. I wish there had been more to the mystery, it was fairly underdeveloped. And I could do without the overblown gushing about Daniel but overall a nice addition to the series.

[James Garman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The adventure continues. With the major being deposed because she and her daughter used magic to trap Daniel Star into marrying into their family, they both were punished, and it is now time for an election to replace her. However, one night when all the candidates are speaking to the crowd for the last time, one of the three candidates is found dead.

In addition, the witches' class is trying for a personalized spell, made up brand new. There are no limits to what it can be about and each student proceed to work hard to come up what they feel is the perfect spell for them. As if, creating her own spell and trying to find out who killed the candidate for mayor, Emma has a young client who has been accused of animal criminal; an especially horrible crime in a town where many of the animals are actually were and are also regular citizens of the town.

I recommend that anybody else following on might wanna keep on following.

[Spinneretta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good

There’s a mayoral election going on, and it looks to be close until one of the candidates is killed.
Meanwhile Emma has a new defendant to protect, and a new magical spell to work on- plus she is trying to figure out more about her past. She’s certainly a busy sorceress.

More changes occurring in spellbound means Emma is very busy. Her new relationship is moving ahead, albeit slowly, and she has some new avenues to investigate regarding her heritage. All of these stories build on the previous books, so that means this isn’t a standalone tale, and absolutely needs to be read as part of the series and in order.
Not to worry though, the series is fun and quite lighthearted, with only a little angst. That makes the series a good beach read or cosy armchair sleuthing for the paranormal cosy mystery fan.

[Dharia Scarab · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since I don't normally write reviews unless I have something specific to say, here's the break down of how I rate my books...

1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.

2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.

3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.

4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.

5 stars... I loved this book! It has earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.

[Krystyna · Rating 5 out of 5]

The election that might not take place or lead to the wrong person being elected.

Astounding. Now that she has been "outed" will everyone turn against her? With the mayor also out of action a new election is set up. Things seem to be going smoothly until one of the candidates is found murdered. Was it her friend or her arch enemy to blame? A race to clear up the case is on so that election can take place. Nothing however can stop her happiness to be with her angel. This was actually more of a mystery but again all attention is really on the interaction between the characters and their relationships. A wonderful series that makes not only the town but the characters come alive.

[Severina · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 7th book is back on track with some fun banter and friendship with our apprentice witches, a murder at Speech Night as Spellbound moves to elect a new mayor, and some fun with the owl and cat familiars. I particularly enjoyed the witches' challenge to make their own spells, and the focus more on friendship and found family and less on mooning over the fallen angel. (Not that I mind Daniel, but Demetrius and Markos are right there.) The last couple of books felt more like a wacky romance novel that just happened to have some paranormal characters. This one has got the mix right again.

[Mark Fear · Rating 4 out of 5]

Der siebte Fall von Emma Hart in Spellbound.
Die Bürgermeisterin ist weg und nun steht der magische Ort vor Neuwahlen. Und natürlich hilft Emma ihrer Feenfreundin bei deren Kandidatur. Doof nur, dass ein vampirischer Konkurrent mit einem Wahlschild der Fee gepfählt wird. Und wäre das noch nicht genug, muss Emma ihre neue Klientin vor einer Anklage wegen Tiermisshandlung bewahren.
Also wie immer schöner Stoff, dem ich mit einer Kanne heißem Tee mitverfolgt habe. Wie gewohnt geht es cozy einher, auch wenn mein Hirn allmählich hinter jeder Ecke eine Verschwörung sieht. Genug Leute bringt Emma ja gegen sich auf.
Ich mag Emma, mag Spellbound und kann von dieser Buchwelt nicht genug bekommen!

[Amanda Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

The truth is out..

.. and Emma faces anger from some of the residents of Spellbound. But it's time to elect a new mayor and that's going to create it's own issues especially when one of the candidates, a vampire, is spiked.

The other two candidates Lucy and Hugo are racing to pick up votes, Emma's certain that Lucy isn't involved but Hugo's behaviour certainly brings him to notice.

Meanwhile Emma's trying to figure out if a young nymph really did harm her cat deliberately and what is the meaning of her recurring dream about her mother.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

So now that they're together, it seems we get less Daniel and Emma. I know it's not meant to really be a romance book, but their relationship leaves much to be desired, especially when everyone is constantly teasing Emma about it.

I like how Emma's character is developing, but I'm afraid it might be at the expense of other characters. Maybe it's just that she's so happy sunshine all the time that when others act normal, it makes them seem rude.

It's still a fun quick read that I'm enjoying reading. Makes me feel like a kid again, devouring Nancy Drew books

[Blair Hunt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook. I feel like I’m reading the same storyline almost every book with a few detailed alterations but I guess cozy mysteries all kind of have this same structure. I liked that this one gives you more of a glimpse into Emma’s storyline but I could do without the gushing about Daniel every other scene because it feels forced and out of place. Maybe I just need to give this series a break for a bit and come back to it later but I want to see how the main storyline plays out.

[Relina Skye · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A Touch of Magic" by Annabel Chase is the seventh book in the "Spellbound Paranormal Cozy Mystery". Emma is still recovering from the events at the last novel while trying to keep moving forward. She's enjoying her new relationship status while expanding her training as a sorceress. Meanwhile, the town is focusing on the up coming election and Emma is doing her best to solve another murder.
Overall, I really enjoyed this series. I look forward to reading book eight.

[Mike Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely entertaining series

This is an extremely entertaining series with a great cast of characters. Follow Emma the new which/sorcerist in town and her new adventures in spellbound a spell locked secluded town in Pennsylvania where supernatural beings live. Follow the cozy mystery and enjoy the entertaining story. One of many different series in this magical world by this author.

[Jeanne Brewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Characters are maturing - so is the storyline

Enjoyed this one very much. Emma is becoming a force to be reckoned with in Spellbound, along with her friends and the rest of her inner circle. Especially enjoyed getting to know the familiars a little better. As always, humor is an integral part of these stories and it, too, seems to be maturing along with the characters. Good job! Recommended

[Dessa Bergan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun book!

This is a fun addition to a fun series. If you enjoy your cozy paranormal mysteries with a few twists, an interesting world, and a whole host of quirky characters that you can love and hate them you'll enjoy this book! The mystery in the book is wrapped up at the end. There are some other larger stories that continue from book to book so I recommend reading them in order.

[Anne-Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it

There's an election for a new mayor going on and of course there is a dead body
Emma finds herself helping the sherrif to find the killer
She also has to help a nymph who is being charged for animal cruelty
Plus she has to come up with a working spell to wow her teachers...
Can Emma get everything done?
Who will be the next mayor of Spellbound?
Read this book to find out

[Mychael O'Brien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble

Emma Hart is hitting her stride, though a lot of folks seem to have been murdered since she came to town. Millie’s spell gone wrong gives Emma some insight into her past. A visit with her vampire therapist adds another piece to the puzzle: Emma remembers that her mother was a witch, but Emma is a sorceress. Hmmmm. Fasten your seat belt kids, and prepare for another thrill ride.