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The Magic Pie Shop #1
A Slice of Magic
Susanna Daniels has spent over twenty years wondering why her beloved Aunt Erma disappeared from her life. When Aunt Erma leaves a voicemail asking for help at her pie shop, Susanna thinks she’s finally going to get the answers she’s been waiting for.
But when Susanna arrives in the small town of Hocus Hills, Aunt Erma is gone, leaving only a short note and her mischievous dog, Mitzy. Running a pie shop is harder than Susanna could have ever imagined. To top it off she has an inspector and an overzealous gym owner breathing down her neck. Then a cookie shop opens up down the street bringing competition she can’t afford.
As if that isn’t enough, strange things start happening around town.
But when Susanna arrives in the small town of Hocus Hills, Aunt Erma is gone, leaving only a short note and her mischievous dog, Mitzy. Running a pie shop is harder than Susanna could have ever imagined. To top it off she has an inspector and an overzealous gym owner breathing down her neck. Then a cookie shop opens up down the street bringing competition she can’t afford.
As if that isn’t enough, strange things start happening around town.
234 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 4, 2017
88 people are currently reading
489 people want to read
About the author
A.G. Mayes
6 books24 followersA.G. Mayes is a writer, developmental editor, and parking lot striper. She grew up believing in magic and still expects someone to show up and tell her she’s part fairy.
Her Magic Pie Shop books are lighthearted, magical romances. When she’s not hanging out with her family, painting lines in parking lots, or making up stories, she’s looking up pie recipes and dreaming of dessert.
She lives in Minnesota with her husband, son, and goofy dog.
Her Magic Pie Shop books are lighthearted, magical romances. When she’s not hanging out with her family, painting lines in parking lots, or making up stories, she’s looking up pie recipes and dreaming of dessert.
She lives in Minnesota with her husband, son, and goofy dog.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
July 20, 2020
Received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
First of all, I'd like to thank Netgalley and A.G.Mayes for giving me a free copy of this awesome book. I didn't have many expectations when I started this one, since my history with ARCs hasn't really been fun. But I ended up loving this book.
There's an adorably naive handywoman turned pie-baker heroine, Mr.Goody-two-shoes hero and their saccharine sweet love story. If you think he sounds boring, you're in for a surprise. He has a secret less-creepy-gossipgirl identity! (Umm, sorry, that was a spoiler).
There's also a charming little 'magical' town, ridiculously cute puppies and kitties, people turned into kitties, moving family reunions, a bunch of native weirdos with good magic, a Machiavellian witch who bakes cookies, hilarious contests and loads of pies. Did I mention yummy, mouth watering, goodness inducing MAGICAL PIES??
A very pleasant and satisfying read with a lot of potential for sequels. Can't wait for this series to continue!
First of all, I'd like to thank Netgalley and A.G.Mayes for giving me a free copy of this awesome book. I didn't have many expectations when I started this one, since my history with ARCs hasn't really been fun. But I ended up loving this book.
There's an adorably naive handywoman turned pie-baker heroine, Mr.Goody-two-shoes hero and their saccharine sweet love story. If you think he sounds boring, you're in for a surprise. He has a secret less-creepy-gossipgirl identity! (Umm, sorry, that was a spoiler).
There's also a charming little 'magical' town, ridiculously cute puppies and kitties, people turned into kitties, moving family reunions, a bunch of native weirdos with good magic, a Machiavellian witch who bakes cookies, hilarious contests and loads of pies. Did I mention yummy, mouth watering, goodness inducing MAGICAL PIES??
A very pleasant and satisfying read with a lot of potential for sequels. Can't wait for this series to continue!
January 8, 2019
A Slice of a Magic is, yes, a magical, sweet story that will leave you hungry for more….
Susanna hasn’t heard from her favorite aunt, Erma, in twenty years – not since her aunt suddenly disappeared from her life – but now she has received an urgent message begging Susanna to come and help Erma at her pie shop. Taking a leave from her job, out of curiosity about her aunt’s past as well as her current situation, Susanna heads out to the town of Hocus Hills only to discover that her aunt is no where to be found. She has left Susanna to run the pie shop and unravel the mystery of her aunt’s disappearance – again.
This is, at once, a wonderfully charming cozy mystery as well as the age old tale of a family in need of forgiveness and second chances. It is filled to the brim with quirky characters whom you will adore, conniving ones you will love to hate and a pooch that will steal your heart. There also is a fair amount of magical influence throughout Hocus Hills that makes the town sparkle and entice you to come back for more. While this is a cozy read, there is plenty of substance within the somewhat brief storyline to make it a satisfying read. I definitely will be back for another visit to Hocus Hills!
Thank you to #Netgalley, @HarperImpulse and @AG_Mayes for my copy of #ASLICEOFMAGIC
Susanna hasn’t heard from her favorite aunt, Erma, in twenty years – not since her aunt suddenly disappeared from her life – but now she has received an urgent message begging Susanna to come and help Erma at her pie shop. Taking a leave from her job, out of curiosity about her aunt’s past as well as her current situation, Susanna heads out to the town of Hocus Hills only to discover that her aunt is no where to be found. She has left Susanna to run the pie shop and unravel the mystery of her aunt’s disappearance – again.
This is, at once, a wonderfully charming cozy mystery as well as the age old tale of a family in need of forgiveness and second chances. It is filled to the brim with quirky characters whom you will adore, conniving ones you will love to hate and a pooch that will steal your heart. There also is a fair amount of magical influence throughout Hocus Hills that makes the town sparkle and entice you to come back for more. While this is a cozy read, there is plenty of substance within the somewhat brief storyline to make it a satisfying read. I definitely will be back for another visit to Hocus Hills!
Thank you to #Netgalley, @HarperImpulse and @AG_Mayes for my copy of #ASLICEOFMAGIC
January 14, 2018
After finishing a very good, but extremely intense novel, I knew that I needed to chose a very different book to read next--so I chose this one. And I am really glad that I did! Ridiculous and filled with absurbity the story in this novel took off right away. I adored the small very unusual town the story took place in and the characters that lived there. I really enjoyed Susanna, the main character, she was a fresh voice and FUN!
After finishing the story I was reminded of the feeling I get after reading a Dorothy Gilman book, a sort of happiness, knowing that the whole thing is ridiculous, but loving to have been cast into this world!
After finishing the story I was reminded of the feeling I get after reading a Dorothy Gilman book, a sort of happiness, knowing that the whole thing is ridiculous, but loving to have been cast into this world!
January 15, 2019
Please note that I received this ARC from NetGalley. This did not affect my rating or review.
Well I was up for some magical realism because I definitely needed the distraction. Too bad that the story itself was pretty lackluster. You can't promise me a magical pie shop and then not really show anything that magical. This book also seems to be trying for a cozy mystery theme which didn't work at all. The characters in this one were not very developed either. Also some of the reactions that the main character, Susanna had were not believable at all.
"A Slice of Magic" has handywoman extraordinaire Susanna Daniels traveling to help out her Aunt Erma at her pie shop. Susanna hasn't talked to her aunt in 20 years. She still wonders why her aunt disappeared from her life and so is eager to find out what caused the rift between her aunt and mother. However, when Susanna appears in town of Hocus Hills, her aunt is nowhere to be found and just leaves her a note telling her to keep the pie shop running until she returns. A cast of many (seriously there's a lot going on) appears and there seems to be something odd going on in Hocus Hills.
Susanna is the main character, but honestly, I didn't really get her as a reader. She's terrible at making pies and instead of her trying to call the police to help figure out where her aunt is, her aunts friends just go things will be fine and eat pie. I am not kidding. We hear that Susanna is good at fixing things, but besides a scene where she starts fixing things at the pie shop, we just get numerous references to how handy she is. And of course there's a love interest, but he was super bland. There is a huge reveal about the guy and I was once again baffled by it.
The other characters are paper thin in this. They all seem to have time to stop by the pie shop. There's a whole thing with a cookie store opening up that can ruin her aunt's pie shop and I ceased to care. And there was a fitness guru who went around shaming people for eating pie (I hated her) and a lot of other characters we barely spend time with.
The writing was so so. Mayes decides to open each chapter with a question and response form the town's agony aunt named Eloide and I am still baffled why that was even in there. There was a whole thing about Susanna figuring out who Eloide was, but you think the author would have put in pie recipes or something since the whole book was about them. It was a weird narrative choice and I started skipping over them after a while. The book jumps around too much too. We have Susanna trying to deal with the pie shop and then she will have some memories about her aunt and making pies with her, or playing with her, etc. We get tidbits here and there about Susanna's life back home, but people from her home or mentioned, and seldom heard from which once again strains common sense. If I was gone for a week, my friends would all know and be texting or calling to check in.
The flow was not good. Once Susanna gets to the pie shop and realizes her aunt isn't there the whole book just grinds along. Susanna doesn't know how to bake and why in the world she stayed and didn't call her mother was a question for the ages. There was also way too many things going on for the sake of plot and not common sense.
The town of Hocus Hills should have been charming, but I found half the characters annoying. We get very little backstory on people and Susanna gets a letter explaining everything and I just heavily sighed. The why behind everything was really dumb too. I just couldn't take it seriously. There was no world building at all in this first book which was a mistake.
The ending was a letdown. Susanna finds out something about her aunt and what led to the rift with her mother and there was zero reaction to it. I just didn't find it believable. This book was fairly short and most of the ARC was then filled with the next couple of chapters of the next book in the series. I think this book is dancing around 200 pages which would explain why the world building wasn't that good.
Well I was up for some magical realism because I definitely needed the distraction. Too bad that the story itself was pretty lackluster. You can't promise me a magical pie shop and then not really show anything that magical. This book also seems to be trying for a cozy mystery theme which didn't work at all. The characters in this one were not very developed either. Also some of the reactions that the main character, Susanna had were not believable at all.
"A Slice of Magic" has handywoman extraordinaire Susanna Daniels traveling to help out her Aunt Erma at her pie shop. Susanna hasn't talked to her aunt in 20 years. She still wonders why her aunt disappeared from her life and so is eager to find out what caused the rift between her aunt and mother. However, when Susanna appears in town of Hocus Hills, her aunt is nowhere to be found and just leaves her a note telling her to keep the pie shop running until she returns. A cast of many (seriously there's a lot going on) appears and there seems to be something odd going on in Hocus Hills.
Susanna is the main character, but honestly, I didn't really get her as a reader. She's terrible at making pies and instead of her trying to call the police to help figure out where her aunt is, her aunts friends just go things will be fine and eat pie. I am not kidding. We hear that Susanna is good at fixing things, but besides a scene where she starts fixing things at the pie shop, we just get numerous references to how handy she is. And of course there's a love interest, but he was super bland. There is a huge reveal about the guy and I was once again baffled by it.
The other characters are paper thin in this. They all seem to have time to stop by the pie shop. There's a whole thing with a cookie store opening up that can ruin her aunt's pie shop and I ceased to care. And there was a fitness guru who went around shaming people for eating pie (I hated her) and a lot of other characters we barely spend time with.
The writing was so so. Mayes decides to open each chapter with a question and response form the town's agony aunt named Eloide and I am still baffled why that was even in there. There was a whole thing about Susanna figuring out who Eloide was, but you think the author would have put in pie recipes or something since the whole book was about them. It was a weird narrative choice and I started skipping over them after a while. The book jumps around too much too. We have Susanna trying to deal with the pie shop and then she will have some memories about her aunt and making pies with her, or playing with her, etc. We get tidbits here and there about Susanna's life back home, but people from her home or mentioned, and seldom heard from which once again strains common sense. If I was gone for a week, my friends would all know and be texting or calling to check in.
The flow was not good. Once Susanna gets to the pie shop and realizes her aunt isn't there the whole book just grinds along. Susanna doesn't know how to bake and why in the world she stayed and didn't call her mother was a question for the ages. There was also way too many things going on for the sake of plot and not common sense.
The town of Hocus Hills should have been charming, but I found half the characters annoying. We get very little backstory on people and Susanna gets a letter explaining everything and I just heavily sighed. The why behind everything was really dumb too. I just couldn't take it seriously. There was no world building at all in this first book which was a mistake.
The ending was a letdown. Susanna finds out something about her aunt and what led to the rift with her mother and there was zero reaction to it. I just didn't find it believable. This book was fairly short and most of the ARC was then filled with the next couple of chapters of the next book in the series. I think this book is dancing around 200 pages which would explain why the world building wasn't that good.
March 17, 2019
This was a very cute little story. Set in a small town, a young woman travels to help her aunt out - but when she arrives, her aunt isn't there and she's left to run the small pie shop.
I couldn't even imagine being roped in to baking pies. Add to that all her missteps (she really didn't know what evaporated milk was?) and the small town gossip and you've got a recipe for disaster. She was lucky the morning pie crew were willing to roll with her every morning.
I was glad that not only did we find out what happened to her aunt, but also why everyone was acting funny and who on earth was writing the daily gossip advice part of the paper. It was a cute story and I enjoyed it!
I couldn't even imagine being roped in to baking pies. Add to that all her missteps (she really didn't know what evaporated milk was?) and the small town gossip and you've got a recipe for disaster. She was lucky the morning pie crew were willing to roll with her every morning.
I was glad that not only did we find out what happened to her aunt, but also why everyone was acting funny and who on earth was writing the daily gossip advice part of the paper. It was a cute story and I enjoyed it!
January 12, 2019
A cute fun read, was lovely and light and great to just pick up to make yourself feel better. A happy tale filled with cake, fun, friendship, family and romance.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
January 23, 2019
'A Slice of Magic' made a welcome change from the usual genres that i prefer to read. An easy going book and one that was rather enjoyable. Ideal for those who enjoy a lighthearted cosy mystery.
My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy. This is my honest review.
My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy. This is my honest review.
January 14, 2019
Sometimes it's nice to take time away from all the heavy stuff, and just read something nice and light. I like to call it "brain candy", because it gives my mind a little treat to devour while I wind down from dealing with serious book emotions. That's how I stumbled upon A Slice Of Magic! I wanted to get lost in something sweet (no pun intended) and fun. The prospect of a magical pie shop sounded like just what I needed, and I was right.
Now, this isn't the most complex plot I've ever read, true. However that's not what I went into this book for in the first place. Mayes easily nails the feel of a small town in this book. A place where everyone knows everything about everyone else, and it's pretty easy to get a reputation. A place where being a new arrival means being the center of attention, whether you want to be or not. I loved the town of Hocus Hills. I settled in easily, fell in love with the residents (especially Henry *swoon*), and was enamored with the vibes that this book gave off. Susanna may have had a rough start, but you couldn't pick a sweeter place to get your footing.
What hampered this story, I think, was how quickly it needed to move in order for everything to wrap up. While it made for an easy read, it also never allowed any time for any real plot points to be hashed out. Susanna starts to pick up on the fact that Hocus Hills might be much more than it seems and then, suddenly, everything is all wrapped up and the book is over. I wanted more time to learn about the magic around the town. I wanted more magical pies, and more sweet romance. I just wanted more. This book felt like the frame of a story, rather than the complete story. A lot of what I wanted to know the entire time I was reading was revealed at the end, in an info dump. I was a little sad about that.
Still, as I said above, I started this book to get lost in something fun. A Slice of Magic definitely provided me that. If only it had been a little more fleshed out, and I'd had more time with my newly found town of lovely people, I would have loved this book endlessly. As it stands, I'll happily reward this a three star rating. It was sweet, a little silly, and an easy read. Now I want pie, and I can't wait to see what happens in this town next.
Now, this isn't the most complex plot I've ever read, true. However that's not what I went into this book for in the first place. Mayes easily nails the feel of a small town in this book. A place where everyone knows everything about everyone else, and it's pretty easy to get a reputation. A place where being a new arrival means being the center of attention, whether you want to be or not. I loved the town of Hocus Hills. I settled in easily, fell in love with the residents (especially Henry *swoon*), and was enamored with the vibes that this book gave off. Susanna may have had a rough start, but you couldn't pick a sweeter place to get your footing.
What hampered this story, I think, was how quickly it needed to move in order for everything to wrap up. While it made for an easy read, it also never allowed any time for any real plot points to be hashed out. Susanna starts to pick up on the fact that Hocus Hills might be much more than it seems and then, suddenly, everything is all wrapped up and the book is over. I wanted more time to learn about the magic around the town. I wanted more magical pies, and more sweet romance. I just wanted more. This book felt like the frame of a story, rather than the complete story. A lot of what I wanted to know the entire time I was reading was revealed at the end, in an info dump. I was a little sad about that.
Still, as I said above, I started this book to get lost in something fun. A Slice of Magic definitely provided me that. If only it had been a little more fleshed out, and I'd had more time with my newly found town of lovely people, I would have loved this book endlessly. As it stands, I'll happily reward this a three star rating. It was sweet, a little silly, and an easy read. Now I want pie, and I can't wait to see what happens in this town next.
March 13, 2019
This one is light-hearted mystery. At times I was glad about the way this book was not serious. But, there were times when that works against this book.
It was good for a while, but since I found quite a bit of text monotonous and repetitive in concept, I skipped a lot. The characters could have had some depth as well.
A good light read nonetheless.
For more book reviews, visit Frost At Midnite.
It was good for a while, but since I found quite a bit of text monotonous and repetitive in concept, I skipped a lot. The characters could have had some depth as well.
A good light read nonetheless.
For more book reviews, visit Frost At Midnite.
January 8, 2019
Oh how I wanted to like this book but I just found it lacking in story, character development and it didn’t really hold my attention. I found myself skimming over the pages, and glad when it was finished. Sorry
January 6, 2019
Sabrina the teenage witch meets Gilmore Girls is what sums up this book quite accurately. It has that little hint of magic in everyday life that you might recognize from Sabrina. (The sweet version of Sabrina, not the Kick Ass version now on Netflix.) And the small town feeling and its quirky residents from Stars Hollow is certainly there.
Saying that you might suspect that I absolutely loved this book, but sadly I didn’t. It’s a nice, little in between book, but it’s not a feel good book that I will remember in a few months’ time. The premise however is absolutely amazing. As some of you might know I am a sucker for everything food café related in the feel good genre. And of course I love everything witchy or magical. So A Slize of Magic seemed right up my alley. All in all it is. It hits all the right boxes. There is magic, food, a quaint little village, a sweet love interest and lots and funny dogs. All the right ingredients for a lovely, heart-warming, funny story.
But the writing was what threw me of a little. It was very simple and straight forward. No character development, all very one dimensional and very fast paced. This might nog sound like negatives, but in this case it was. A Slize of Magic is a very short story, so it is logical that everything progresses really quickly. But for me it is not an excuse for absolutely no character development and no world building. This whole book is set around magic, but the actual magic only makes its appearance by the end of the book.
Apart from that I think at times the story is a bit to childish or maybe the protagonist Susanna is a little simple minded. Throughout the whole story weird things are happening and Susanna just ignores them all. A kitchen that cleans itself, a cat that gets clothes out of the closets… She acts like this is all completely normal and nothing is going on. I just can’t describe it any other way than simplistic.
I actually think I would have adored this story if it was more fleshed out and the focus would have been on the magic more. I started to enjoy the story so much more for the last 20%.
All in all a very quick read. An ideal little Schnabel for when you need a moment to turn your brain of and indulge in some sweet smelling pies with a sprinkle of magic.
Saying that you might suspect that I absolutely loved this book, but sadly I didn’t. It’s a nice, little in between book, but it’s not a feel good book that I will remember in a few months’ time. The premise however is absolutely amazing. As some of you might know I am a sucker for everything food café related in the feel good genre. And of course I love everything witchy or magical. So A Slize of Magic seemed right up my alley. All in all it is. It hits all the right boxes. There is magic, food, a quaint little village, a sweet love interest and lots and funny dogs. All the right ingredients for a lovely, heart-warming, funny story.
But the writing was what threw me of a little. It was very simple and straight forward. No character development, all very one dimensional and very fast paced. This might nog sound like negatives, but in this case it was. A Slize of Magic is a very short story, so it is logical that everything progresses really quickly. But for me it is not an excuse for absolutely no character development and no world building. This whole book is set around magic, but the actual magic only makes its appearance by the end of the book.
Apart from that I think at times the story is a bit to childish or maybe the protagonist Susanna is a little simple minded. Throughout the whole story weird things are happening and Susanna just ignores them all. A kitchen that cleans itself, a cat that gets clothes out of the closets… She acts like this is all completely normal and nothing is going on. I just can’t describe it any other way than simplistic.
I actually think I would have adored this story if it was more fleshed out and the focus would have been on the magic more. I started to enjoy the story so much more for the last 20%.
All in all a very quick read. An ideal little Schnabel for when you need a moment to turn your brain of and indulge in some sweet smelling pies with a sprinkle of magic.
January 22, 2019
When Susanna Daniels receives an urgent request from her estranged Aunt Erma, she has no choice but to comply. Dropping everything in her comfortable, established life, Susanna follows her aunt’s instructions and finds herself in Hocus Hills running her aunt’s pie shop while she is away. Susanna knows nothing about baking, small towns, or even her aunt’s life since they’ve been unacquainted for the past 20 years. Suddenly, Susanna is wrapped up in learning how to run a successful pie shop and navigating small town life where everything seems to be everyone’s business. When Aunt Erma’s absence extends longer than expected and strange, suspicious things start happening around the pie shop, Susanna finds herself the center of town gossip and wrapped up in more than just learning to bake pies. Add in a pinch of magic, a dash of mystery, and a dollop of romance and you’ve got the perfect recipe for a cozy and delightful read.
This novel is fun and heartwarming. If you’re a fan of quaint, small towns, you’ll connect with Hocus Hills right away. The setting and the townspeople are depicted so vividly that the whole town really comes to life in the mind of the reader. There is mystery sprinkled throughout the entire novel – from the opening where we’re unsure why Aunt Erma left Susanna’s life so suddenly to the end of the story where we find out where Aunt Erma has really been and the reason why. The mystery pairs nicely with the story of Susanna venturing out of her familiar life and learning how to operate in this completely new environment of Hocus Hills. The novel comes full circle when, in her quest to learn the whereabouts of Aunt Erma, Susanna learns a thing or two about her own past as well.
Fans of Debbie Macomber, Joanne Fluke, or those who enjoy a charming read will certainly enjoy A Slice of Magic.
Heartfelt thanks to NetGalley, HarperImpulse, and the author A.G. Mayes for providing me with a free, electronic ARC of A Slice of Magic.
This novel is fun and heartwarming. If you’re a fan of quaint, small towns, you’ll connect with Hocus Hills right away. The setting and the townspeople are depicted so vividly that the whole town really comes to life in the mind of the reader. There is mystery sprinkled throughout the entire novel – from the opening where we’re unsure why Aunt Erma left Susanna’s life so suddenly to the end of the story where we find out where Aunt Erma has really been and the reason why. The mystery pairs nicely with the story of Susanna venturing out of her familiar life and learning how to operate in this completely new environment of Hocus Hills. The novel comes full circle when, in her quest to learn the whereabouts of Aunt Erma, Susanna learns a thing or two about her own past as well.
Fans of Debbie Macomber, Joanne Fluke, or those who enjoy a charming read will certainly enjoy A Slice of Magic.
Heartfelt thanks to NetGalley, HarperImpulse, and the author A.G. Mayes for providing me with a free, electronic ARC of A Slice of Magic.
January 26, 2019
NOTE: I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Harper Impulse through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
What a thoroughly enjoyable little story! It wasn’t quite contemporary and it wasn’t quite fantasy, in fact I’m not sure what category I’d put it in, but either way it was the perfect thing to read between other very long, intense (and sometimes not as enjoyable) novels. It was funny, quirky, and somehow weirdly cosy. It kind of reminded me of a fluffier version of Practical Magic meets New in Town and I adore both of those movies. "Big city girl trying to adjust to small town life" is one of my favourite guilty pleasure tropes and with this one there's the added bonus of magic!
**WARNING - SPOILERS AHEAD**
The only reason I didn’t give it five stars was because it took quite a while to get into the actual meat of the story and then the ending was a tad too abrupt. While it tied up all the loose ends nicely, I would have liked to have spent less time in the build up at the start and more time hearing all about Aunt Erma and what happened to her while she was gone. I would have also liked to see a bit more magic, but that’s just my personal preference.
All in all I had a lot of fun reading this one and will definitely read the second one if it ever becomes available again of if I manage to find a copy floating around!
What a thoroughly enjoyable little story! It wasn’t quite contemporary and it wasn’t quite fantasy, in fact I’m not sure what category I’d put it in, but either way it was the perfect thing to read between other very long, intense (and sometimes not as enjoyable) novels. It was funny, quirky, and somehow weirdly cosy. It kind of reminded me of a fluffier version of Practical Magic meets New in Town and I adore both of those movies. "Big city girl trying to adjust to small town life" is one of my favourite guilty pleasure tropes and with this one there's the added bonus of magic!
**WARNING - SPOILERS AHEAD**
The only reason I didn’t give it five stars was because it took quite a while to get into the actual meat of the story and then the ending was a tad too abrupt. While it tied up all the loose ends nicely, I would have liked to have spent less time in the build up at the start and more time hearing all about Aunt Erma and what happened to her while she was gone. I would have also liked to see a bit more magic, but that’s just my personal preference.
All in all I had a lot of fun reading this one and will definitely read the second one if it ever becomes available again of if I manage to find a copy floating around!
May 23, 2019
I started this book ages ago, but it did not hook me in at the time. I felt the beginning choppy and found it hard to enjoy the quirkiness of all the characters in the book. This is not my tale of woe, if you read on ahead, things will get clearer. I gave it another successful shot yesterday.
This story begins with a cryptic call for help from Susanna Daniels' aunt. Once she gets to the town her estranged aunt lives in, things get stranger. She is to run a whole pie shop with no prior knowledge about anything to do with a pie shop. I have to warn the average reader, (as I should have been warned by clues left by the author) that this is not the usual fare for the genre. There is a suspension of belief that is required so that when the twists in the story come, it should be welcomed. I liked the quirks of the people, the dialogue delivery and the exaggerations (once I got used to the people). There were a couple of events that repeat themselves with minor changes with each iteration, which could have been skipped. Overall the town with oddball characters and over the top villains is a fun read. If you are a fan of lighter genres then, this will be an even easier read.
I received an advance copy thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, and it was published earlier this year. The review is based completely on my own reading experience.
This story begins with a cryptic call for help from Susanna Daniels' aunt. Once she gets to the town her estranged aunt lives in, things get stranger. She is to run a whole pie shop with no prior knowledge about anything to do with a pie shop. I have to warn the average reader, (as I should have been warned by clues left by the author) that this is not the usual fare for the genre. There is a suspension of belief that is required so that when the twists in the story come, it should be welcomed. I liked the quirks of the people, the dialogue delivery and the exaggerations (once I got used to the people). There were a couple of events that repeat themselves with minor changes with each iteration, which could have been skipped. Overall the town with oddball characters and over the top villains is a fun read. If you are a fan of lighter genres then, this will be an even easier read.
I received an advance copy thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, and it was published earlier this year. The review is based completely on my own reading experience.
December 26, 2018
Susanna hasn’t seen her aunt Erma in over twenty years. She still doesn’t know why her aunt cut contact. Now Susanna receives an urgent request from her aunt, she needs Susanna to come visit her.
When Susanna arrives, her aunt is nowhere to be seen. No one knows when she’ll be back. Susanna needs to bake pies at her aunt’s bakery and watch her dog while she’s away.
But Susanna can’t bake and has never had a dog before. So things would be rough to begin with. But to make matters worse, the people in town are very quick to gossip about how bad Susanna’s pies are. And a new lady moves to town, opening a cookie store right nearby.
Add in the fact that people in the town seem just a little bit odd. Strange things happen that Susanna can’t easily explain.
When she overhears people in town using words like “magic” she starts to really wonder what’s up.
I love magical realism. I loved a lot of the ideas here. But the magic portion of the book took awhile to get to. This just makes me want to pick up the next book even more. I want a whole book with the magic present in it.
I got to read an early ebook edition from NetGalley. Thanks!
When Susanna arrives, her aunt is nowhere to be seen. No one knows when she’ll be back. Susanna needs to bake pies at her aunt’s bakery and watch her dog while she’s away.
But Susanna can’t bake and has never had a dog before. So things would be rough to begin with. But to make matters worse, the people in town are very quick to gossip about how bad Susanna’s pies are. And a new lady moves to town, opening a cookie store right nearby.
Add in the fact that people in the town seem just a little bit odd. Strange things happen that Susanna can’t easily explain.
When she overhears people in town using words like “magic” she starts to really wonder what’s up.
I love magical realism. I loved a lot of the ideas here. But the magic portion of the book took awhile to get to. This just makes me want to pick up the next book even more. I want a whole book with the magic present in it.
I got to read an early ebook edition from NetGalley. Thanks!
January 12, 2019
Would you drop everything and go to a small town after a voice mail message from an aunt you haven't seen in 20 years? Would you stay and try to run her pie shop based on a note she's left you? Would you call the police to file a missing persons report? That last is the one thing I would do but Susanna did the first two and not the second. Sure the small town of Hocus Hills is filled with quirky characters and this is a chance for Susanna to try something different but.....This is a light read and there are some bright spots. The magical pie shop wasn't quite as magical as I'd committed to hoping for but it might be just right for those who are so so on the genre. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.
February 26, 2019
In the tradition of Sarah Addison Allen, Aimee Bender and Amy E. Reichert, A Slice of Magic is a lushly delectable treatise on the many forms of love.
Mayes' unique style will appeal to readers who want to sink their teeth into a softly delicious portrait of small town magic. A lovely sense of community, a relatable heroine and the pursuit of family secrets are at the heart of a book that is lovingly told.
For the romantic reader ( like myself), the soft taste of love is welcome indeed; but never overpowers the heroine's slow reconciliation with the past and exploration of new community.
Mayes' unique style will appeal to readers who want to sink their teeth into a softly delicious portrait of small town magic. A lovely sense of community, a relatable heroine and the pursuit of family secrets are at the heart of a book that is lovingly told.
For the romantic reader ( like myself), the soft taste of love is welcome indeed; but never overpowers the heroine's slow reconciliation with the past and exploration of new community.
January 14, 2019
This book was a lot of fun to read. You can’t help but fall in love with all of the quirky characters and you find yourself pulling for Susanna to make a great pie. Speaking of pies, you will be craving them throughout the whole story. I also enjoyed the feeling of something just isn’t right with everyone in town and reading as the story unfolds for Susanna. There was a good ending but it also left plenty of doors open for the next book. Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review,
February 23, 2019
Susanna has not seen her Aunt Erma for years and when she gets a phone message asking for her help she heads off to Hocus Hills looking forward to seeing her and finding out why she has been gone all these years. When she arrives though there is no sign of Erma just a note asking her to look after the Pie Shop and the dog Mitzy....... what is going on...... and Susanna is certainly no baker!
A lovely whimsical book with some great characters and am looking forward to the next one in the series
A lovely whimsical book with some great characters and am looking forward to the next one in the series
February 15, 2019
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This was certainly a scrumptious novel and was a wonderful recipe of cozy romance and mysterious adventure. The entire text was playful, and I found myself with a smile on my face as I turned page after page, relishing in the fun and colorful world that was being served. Now, if only I had a slice of pie!
January 7, 2019
Sort of a practical magic with cake premise. It's a typical cozy mystery. Fans of the genre will enjoy this one. It's a fast cute read.
March 7, 2018
I was fortunate enough to win this here on Goodreads. LOVED this story. Characters are wonderful and the story is whimsical. I will definitely buy the second slice. 😀
January 25, 2019
“A slice of magic” by A. G Mayes is a mysterious magical fiction with a dash of romance in it. Susanna receives a voice mail from her Aunt Erma who had disappeared from her life 20 years ago. She was requesting her to help her at her pie shop for a while. Susanna always thought why aunt Erma had left and this was a perfect opportunity to ask her some questions. The next day, she packs her bag and drives to the town of Hocus Hills where Erma lived. When she gets there, she finds out that Aunt Erma is not there, leaving her to take care of her pie shop and dog Misty.
The plot was okay. There was little to no character development. The magic was introduced very late the book. It took a while for the story to make sense but maybe it was because it was a different story idea. I hope it will be better by the next book in the series.
The plot was okay. There was little to no character development. The magic was introduced very late the book. It took a while for the story to make sense but maybe it was because it was a different story idea. I hope it will be better by the next book in the series.
May 11, 2019
What a lovely and enjoyable story! With such an attractive cover design who would not want to pick up this delightful little tale?
A SLICE OF MAGIC by AG Mayes made perfect reading for me between other more intense, lengthier novels. It was funny and quirky with a cute and cosy feel.
This book was a great package of fun, joy and magic and it was a perfect book to enjoy with a cup of hot chocolate and a large cupcake.
With its great story and wonderful characters, I would recommend A SLICE OF MAGIC to Romance and Women’s Fiction lovers wanting a short weekend read. I will be reading the next book in the series.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel, at my own request, from HarperImpulse via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
A SLICE OF MAGIC by AG Mayes made perfect reading for me between other more intense, lengthier novels. It was funny and quirky with a cute and cosy feel.
This book was a great package of fun, joy and magic and it was a perfect book to enjoy with a cup of hot chocolate and a large cupcake.
With its great story and wonderful characters, I would recommend A SLICE OF MAGIC to Romance and Women’s Fiction lovers wanting a short weekend read. I will be reading the next book in the series.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel, at my own request, from HarperImpulse via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
October 29, 2021
An enjoyable read with an unexpected twist. The author's jaunty writing style made this an intriguing read that I couldn't put down.
January 16, 2019
I have a thing for magic baking books, so I really wanted to like this book. I think it was going for some sort of cozy mystery with a dash of magical realism, but it never quite hit the mark.
It’s told from the first-person POV of Susanna, handyman. She has fond memories of baking with her Aunt Erma as a child before something happened between her mom and aunt, and her aunt cut contact with the family. Years later, she receives a phone call out of the blue from the aunt, asking her to come watch her shop, so Susanna, naturally, drops everything. When she arrives in the town of Hocus Hills, however, her aunt is nowhere to be found. So, she decides to settle in and manage the shop while she’s gone, helped along by her aunt’s wacky friends. As the days drag on and Susanna struggles to keep the shop open, her aunt’s continued disappearance seems more and more strange, not to mention, something’s off with the town. Can Susanna figure out what happened while keeping the pie shop running?
Let’s start out by addressing my main issue with the book. Since Susanna goes most of the book without knowing that magic exists, there’s very little magic in the book, so since I went into this expecting lots of magical baking, I was very disappointed. On top of that, though she spent lots of happy hours baking with her aunt as a child, she has absolutely no idea how to bake. She doesn’t know the difference between evaporated milk and regular milk, or how to make a pie crust, or even what ingredients you’d need to make a pie crust. I’m going to assume that if you’re picking up a book about magical baking, you’re at least somewhat good at it (or have binge watched enough Great British Bake-off to pretend you are), so Susanna’s kitchen ineptness was especially exasperating. Where’s all the delicious magical pies I was promised?
The plot was alright, if very predictable. I guessed from the second chapter what had happened to Aunt Erma and why, and there weren’t any real red herrings to distract me from that. While I don’t necessarily expect cozy mysteries to be unpredictable, it’s usually offset by a cast of wacky characters or a very likable heroine. Some of the side characters were OK – I liked the Morning Pie Crew, though I thought they still lacked depth – but Gina, the owner of a local gym who gets ridiculously frustrated that Susanna won’t offer a low-calorie pie (what even?), was about as flimsy as the toilet paper Susanna TPs her rival’s cookie shop with (yes, honestly, that’s her form of revenge). The big reveal comes not from one of her new friends, but from a letter (seriously!) she finds when she finally starts snooping around her aunt’s apartment after she’s been missing… for a few weeks. And then, the plot just quickly wraps itself up, and bam, end of the book.
My other main issue with the book was that Susanna acts in utterly inexplicable ways. Her aunt is missing, none of her good friends know where she’s gone – or even seem worried about it – and yet no one bothers to contact the police (magical or otherwise). It does turn out that there are people in town investigating something related, but rather than be worried that the nice missing baker might be a victim, they assume she’s the main suspect, and that Susanna must be her accomplice. Susanna, for her part, is completely oblivious to the weirdness going on around her, chalking it up to small town weirdness. Instead of worrying about her missing aunt, she instead has time to go pull teen vandal pranks on the businesses of two people who were mean to her, which was a particularly bizarre plot point for me. I just didn’t understand where Susanna was coming from, and it made it hard to enjoy the book.
Overall, I can’t really recommend this book. It’s certainly cozy, but with a so-so mystery and lackluster characters, it wasn’t a good fit for me.
I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
It’s told from the first-person POV of Susanna, handyman. She has fond memories of baking with her Aunt Erma as a child before something happened between her mom and aunt, and her aunt cut contact with the family. Years later, she receives a phone call out of the blue from the aunt, asking her to come watch her shop, so Susanna, naturally, drops everything. When she arrives in the town of Hocus Hills, however, her aunt is nowhere to be found. So, she decides to settle in and manage the shop while she’s gone, helped along by her aunt’s wacky friends. As the days drag on and Susanna struggles to keep the shop open, her aunt’s continued disappearance seems more and more strange, not to mention, something’s off with the town. Can Susanna figure out what happened while keeping the pie shop running?
Let’s start out by addressing my main issue with the book. Since Susanna goes most of the book without knowing that magic exists, there’s very little magic in the book, so since I went into this expecting lots of magical baking, I was very disappointed. On top of that, though she spent lots of happy hours baking with her aunt as a child, she has absolutely no idea how to bake. She doesn’t know the difference between evaporated milk and regular milk, or how to make a pie crust, or even what ingredients you’d need to make a pie crust. I’m going to assume that if you’re picking up a book about magical baking, you’re at least somewhat good at it (or have binge watched enough Great British Bake-off to pretend you are), so Susanna’s kitchen ineptness was especially exasperating. Where’s all the delicious magical pies I was promised?
The plot was alright, if very predictable. I guessed from the second chapter what had happened to Aunt Erma and why, and there weren’t any real red herrings to distract me from that. While I don’t necessarily expect cozy mysteries to be unpredictable, it’s usually offset by a cast of wacky characters or a very likable heroine. Some of the side characters were OK – I liked the Morning Pie Crew, though I thought they still lacked depth – but Gina, the owner of a local gym who gets ridiculously frustrated that Susanna won’t offer a low-calorie pie (what even?), was about as flimsy as the toilet paper Susanna TPs her rival’s cookie shop with (yes, honestly, that’s her form of revenge). The big reveal comes not from one of her new friends, but from a letter (seriously!) she finds when she finally starts snooping around her aunt’s apartment after she’s been missing… for a few weeks. And then, the plot just quickly wraps itself up, and bam, end of the book.
‘Have you heard anything from your aunt?’ Flora asked.
‘No. I’m starting to get more than a little worried.’
‘I wouldn’t worry,’ she said. ‘Sometimes a woman just has some things to take care of.’ Her voice was perfectly calm, but her brow furrowed in the middle a little when she talked.
My other main issue with the book was that Susanna acts in utterly inexplicable ways. Her aunt is missing, none of her good friends know where she’s gone – or even seem worried about it – and yet no one bothers to contact the police (magical or otherwise). It does turn out that there are people in town investigating something related, but rather than be worried that the nice missing baker might be a victim, they assume she’s the main suspect, and that Susanna must be her accomplice. Susanna, for her part, is completely oblivious to the weirdness going on around her, chalking it up to small town weirdness. Instead of worrying about her missing aunt, she instead has time to go pull teen vandal pranks on the businesses of two people who were mean to her, which was a particularly bizarre plot point for me. I just didn’t understand where Susanna was coming from, and it made it hard to enjoy the book.
Overall, I can’t really recommend this book. It’s certainly cozy, but with a so-so mystery and lackluster characters, it wasn’t a good fit for me.
I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
March 14, 2019
Review can be found originally on my blog.
When I picked this up off of NetGalley, I wasn't really sure what to expect. Typically, I wouldn't say that I read a lot from the women's fiction genre because it tends to trend a little old for me. A lot of the protagonists are at least a decade older than I am and I find it difficult to really put myself in their shoes. Still, the premise of this book sounded intriguing enough to give it a try, and I'm glad I did.
As the description shows, the basic plot is that Susanna's aunt has disappeared mysteriously and left her to run the pie shop in a small town called Hocus Hills in her absence. As the name of the town may suggest, not everything is as it seems in this strange new place and Susanna is wrapped up in the middle of a lot of strange events unfolding. Honestly, the premise wasn't working for me at first. I struggled to read the first fifty pages because I was really bored. Susanna came off as whiney and none of the secondary characters were interesting enough to make up for the protagonist being uninteresting.
What's strange, though, is that after fifty pages, a switch just flipped in my brain and I was head over heels in love with everyone and everything in this book. Susanna became tenacious in her determination to become a master baker without any major training and a lot of pressure hanging over her head. Secondary characters that were initially unlikeable became fascinating as I began to learn more about them. Most importantly, the plot picked up significantly and something actually started happening!
Something I was not expecting from this book was the amount that it kept me on my toes. When I picked it up, I was expecting something fluffy and light, which is definitely what I got here, but A.G. Mayes still had some great surprises up her sleeves. Even as someone that generally is good at guessing plot twists, at least some of the revelations in store for the characters took me by surprise and kept me guessing until the very end.
One slight word of warning to potential readers is that this book is promoted in a misleading manner. It is frequently billed as a romance on promotional materials and, while there is romance, it is minimal and not the focus of the story. This is a book that focuses on family and friendship ties. Personally, I preferred this because it made the plot feel like a breath of fresh air compared to the heavy romances that dominate the genre, but it would be best to not go in with expectations for a strong romantic subplot.
It's hard to rate this book because I almost didn't finish it due to getting off to a bad start, but the other three-quarters of the book more than made up for the beginning. If you like Sophie Kinsella or just want a light-hearted read that doesn't take itself too seriously, I would definitely give this one a try because it's a quick read, regardless of the slow start. A.G. Mayes is definitely an author I'll be reading again in the future!
Note that this is a book I received from NetGalley for free. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
When I picked this up off of NetGalley, I wasn't really sure what to expect. Typically, I wouldn't say that I read a lot from the women's fiction genre because it tends to trend a little old for me. A lot of the protagonists are at least a decade older than I am and I find it difficult to really put myself in their shoes. Still, the premise of this book sounded intriguing enough to give it a try, and I'm glad I did.
As the description shows, the basic plot is that Susanna's aunt has disappeared mysteriously and left her to run the pie shop in a small town called Hocus Hills in her absence. As the name of the town may suggest, not everything is as it seems in this strange new place and Susanna is wrapped up in the middle of a lot of strange events unfolding. Honestly, the premise wasn't working for me at first. I struggled to read the first fifty pages because I was really bored. Susanna came off as whiney and none of the secondary characters were interesting enough to make up for the protagonist being uninteresting.
What's strange, though, is that after fifty pages, a switch just flipped in my brain and I was head over heels in love with everyone and everything in this book. Susanna became tenacious in her determination to become a master baker without any major training and a lot of pressure hanging over her head. Secondary characters that were initially unlikeable became fascinating as I began to learn more about them. Most importantly, the plot picked up significantly and something actually started happening!
Something I was not expecting from this book was the amount that it kept me on my toes. When I picked it up, I was expecting something fluffy and light, which is definitely what I got here, but A.G. Mayes still had some great surprises up her sleeves. Even as someone that generally is good at guessing plot twists, at least some of the revelations in store for the characters took me by surprise and kept me guessing until the very end.
One slight word of warning to potential readers is that this book is promoted in a misleading manner. It is frequently billed as a romance on promotional materials and, while there is romance, it is minimal and not the focus of the story. This is a book that focuses on family and friendship ties. Personally, I preferred this because it made the plot feel like a breath of fresh air compared to the heavy romances that dominate the genre, but it would be best to not go in with expectations for a strong romantic subplot.
It's hard to rate this book because I almost didn't finish it due to getting off to a bad start, but the other three-quarters of the book more than made up for the beginning. If you like Sophie Kinsella or just want a light-hearted read that doesn't take itself too seriously, I would definitely give this one a try because it's a quick read, regardless of the slow start. A.G. Mayes is definitely an author I'll be reading again in the future!
Note that this is a book I received from NetGalley for free. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
January 14, 2019
thanks to netgalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this one in exchange for an honest review! :)
this is a fun book. it's cosy, if that makes sense. i grew up in a small town, so i often don't understand the supposed allure they'll have in fiction, but A.G. Mayes manages to make me believe that Hocus Hills is charming in its own way. the magical element carries the book, and i've always adored the idea that food can be a kind of magic, especially when prepared by the right person at the right time.
the side characters are somewhat simplistic, but they're a delight (especially holly, who brings some much needed lgbt rep!), and the conversations of the morning pie crew in particular are lovely to read. the romance is sweet and well done, and the 'ask elodie' columns throughout the book are both insightful and comical. this book isn't necessarily deep, although it does touch on some heavy topics near the end (loss, conflict, and family) but it's a quick, enjoyable read all the same.
i will say for anyone considering picking it up to be wary that there is a lot of talk about calories and weight loss (not by our pie-baking heroine or any of her friends thankfully), and that is something that left an unpleasant taste on my tongue. it didn't feel like it was necessary, especially when gina didn't play nearly as big of a role as the other antagonist, and it's something that could be irritating or downright triggering for anyone who's looking to enjoy what seems like a fun, positive story about food.
in the end, i'd give this one 3.5 stars. not perfect, but it's absolutely worth a shot if it the description interests you!
this is a fun book. it's cosy, if that makes sense. i grew up in a small town, so i often don't understand the supposed allure they'll have in fiction, but A.G. Mayes manages to make me believe that Hocus Hills is charming in its own way. the magical element carries the book, and i've always adored the idea that food can be a kind of magic, especially when prepared by the right person at the right time.
the side characters are somewhat simplistic, but they're a delight (especially holly, who brings some much needed lgbt rep!), and the conversations of the morning pie crew in particular are lovely to read. the romance is sweet and well done, and the 'ask elodie' columns throughout the book are both insightful and comical. this book isn't necessarily deep, although it does touch on some heavy topics near the end (loss, conflict, and family) but it's a quick, enjoyable read all the same.
i will say for anyone considering picking it up to be wary that there is a lot of talk about calories and weight loss (not by our pie-baking heroine or any of her friends thankfully), and that is something that left an unpleasant taste on my tongue. it didn't feel like it was necessary, especially when gina didn't play nearly as big of a role as the other antagonist, and it's something that could be irritating or downright triggering for anyone who's looking to enjoy what seems like a fun, positive story about food.
in the end, i'd give this one 3.5 stars. not perfect, but it's absolutely worth a shot if it the description interests you!
January 25, 2019
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book is a very light and feel-good read. No book has ever made me crave so much for pies, ice cream, and cookies until I read this one. Just the kind of book you would want to read in a cold, cozy night.
I liked the concept of the story. It has an air of mystery surrounding the disappearance of the MC's aunt and the strangeness of the town, Hocus Hills. However, as much as I really want to love this book, I was quite disappointed by it. Maybe because I was expecting this book will be so magical but I found the magic only subtly present in the story. I also found it difficult to relate with the characters and the plot was too dragging for me. The start was just too slow that I tend to put this book down a lot and to speed-read some parts hoping something interesting will happen. There were a lot of unnecessary scenes in the story which I think could have been shortened and could have been used to discuss more about the town, the backstory of major characters and how they ended up in that town, and the magical abilities of the characters which was almost not explained in the book. Thankfully, the plot picked up at the last quarter of the book.
The book would have been much better if there's better world-building and character development. I know this is just the first book of the series and I hope the next book/s will be much better.
This book is a very light and feel-good read. No book has ever made me crave so much for pies, ice cream, and cookies until I read this one. Just the kind of book you would want to read in a cold, cozy night.
I liked the concept of the story. It has an air of mystery surrounding the disappearance of the MC's aunt and the strangeness of the town, Hocus Hills. However, as much as I really want to love this book, I was quite disappointed by it. Maybe because I was expecting this book will be so magical but I found the magic only subtly present in the story. I also found it difficult to relate with the characters and the plot was too dragging for me. The start was just too slow that I tend to put this book down a lot and to speed-read some parts hoping something interesting will happen. There were a lot of unnecessary scenes in the story which I think could have been shortened and could have been used to discuss more about the town, the backstory of major characters and how they ended up in that town, and the magical abilities of the characters which was almost not explained in the book. Thankfully, the plot picked up at the last quarter of the book.
The book would have been much better if there's better world-building and character development. I know this is just the first book of the series and I hope the next book/s will be much better.
May 16, 2019
*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars.
I was excited by the description of this book and thought it would be a fun read, something similar to a cozy mystery with a little magic thrown in. While it was that I felt it could have been a little better. It's obvious immediately that there are things going on in the town that Susie doesn't understand or know about, but I felt she (and the reader) were kept in suspense a little too long. The number of times Susie came right out and asked what was going on and got evaded got a little tedious. I found myself wanting her to know the truth much sooner than she did.
That being said, once you hit 65-70% the story REALLY picked up. Susie finally started figuring things out and people started talking to her. I felt the last half of the book was super enjoyable and seeing how things played out. A number of the twists/reveals were able to be seen ahead of time, but there were still a few that surprised me.
I really would have liked a little more backstory into Susie's life. We got periodic glimpses through memories and conversations with her mother, but I felt it would have been even better with more. Still, this appears to be the first in a possible series (I think?), so I hope that is something we'll see in future installments.
Overall this was an enjoyable read that I would recommend to anyone who wants a light mystery with a touch of magic!
3.5 stars.
I was excited by the description of this book and thought it would be a fun read, something similar to a cozy mystery with a little magic thrown in. While it was that I felt it could have been a little better. It's obvious immediately that there are things going on in the town that Susie doesn't understand or know about, but I felt she (and the reader) were kept in suspense a little too long. The number of times Susie came right out and asked what was going on and got evaded got a little tedious. I found myself wanting her to know the truth much sooner than she did.
That being said, once you hit 65-70% the story REALLY picked up. Susie finally started figuring things out and people started talking to her. I felt the last half of the book was super enjoyable and seeing how things played out. A number of the twists/reveals were able to be seen ahead of time, but there were still a few that surprised me.
I really would have liked a little more backstory into Susie's life. We got periodic glimpses through memories and conversations with her mother, but I felt it would have been even better with more. Still, this appears to be the first in a possible series (I think?), so I hope that is something we'll see in future installments.
Overall this was an enjoyable read that I would recommend to anyone who wants a light mystery with a touch of magic!
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