Magic. Murder. Cupcakes. Meet Stella Storm. Stella lives an ordinary life. She runs a popular small-town bakery called Witchy Delights. She has a quirky dog and a moody cat. And she loves nothing more than a gossip with her closest friends. Oh, there's one thing you should know about Stella. Stella is a witch. When a local girl's murder rocks the town, Stella finally sees an opportunity to put her magical skills to the test, solving the case once and for all. But what should be a simple whodunnit fast turns into a mystery way more mind-bending than Stella could ever have imagined, as she tries to adapt to her rusty magical skills while trying to keep the handsome local detective off her case, too. Throw in a mysterious bad boy, an eccentric bunch of residents and a cat with attitude problems, and it soon becomes clear that Stella has a lot on her plate. And that's not including all the delicious donuts. With time running out, will Stella catch the killer before it's too late? Packed with biting wit, glorious magic, yummy sweet treats and even talking animals, Curses & Cupcakes is the fun first book in the Stella Storm Cozy Witch Mystery series from Amy Casey. So curl up with a cake and a pet by your side. Once you enter Witchy Delights, you're never going to want to leave. Just make sure you don't criticise Stella's coffee-making skills...
I could hardly finish this God awful book. Definitely won't be reading the rest of the series. Never met a character who was so full of herself. It was embarrassing honestly. Even when she was trying to figure out the murder, or save her friends, or others from dying, it still became all about her.
Meh. It had a lot of good ratings but I don't know why. No dimension to the characters, too many mistakes an editor should have found, story not that interesting.
I received this book free from one of the book sites. I do not remember which one! This is my honest review. When I have to make myself read a book, when I feel like I should just delete it, and when I am thoroughly bored, the star rating is low. This is what happened while I was attempting to read Curses & Cupcakes. The characters were so-so. The dialogue boring & too much sh@t spoken. I have always believed that a cozy mystery contained no swearing & this is the first one that has. The whole premise could have been excellent, if it had been written better. Nothing was explained about the curse, just that the events happen every 77 years. This felt like it was a story not well thought out and written by someone who has little creative talent. I do not recommend this book.
While I enjoyed this book, the story was a bit more convoluted than I thought necessary. Ms Casey writes well, and certainly has a vivid imagination. Some of her characters ; the minor ones at least, didn't have much meat to them. I hope that we will get to know the main characters better in future books. Oh, and why is it that so many of the witchy heroines seem to be romantically involved with the local cops? Just asking. Try the book. It really is pretty good.
Often when I see "cozy mystery"' I think, "borrr-ing" and won't bother reading it without the modifiers "witch" or "paranormal" and a lot of those still fall into the same old patterns. This was a delightful change of pace. The main character was interesting enough that I could imagine wanting to be her friend. There were a couple of places where an unexpected turn of phrase made me laugh out loud. I will be reading more by Amy Casey.
I found the main character in this story to be highly annoying, stupid, and not very interesting. The author's constant incorrect pronoun usage throughout the book was another issue. If you are looking for a cozy read that requires no thought, you'll enjoy this. If you prefer books with substance, this probably isn't for you.
I love witchy stories, and this one is light-hearted and fun, even if it does involve murder and mayhem. Cute and imaginative, it fits easily into one's bedtime read...and challenges those who enjoy a whodunit. Read on, McDuff!
If you like cozy mysteries, this is up your alley. Great read for relaxing on the beach or rainy day curled in your favorite chair.Easy read for getting your mystery fix quickly.
eh, book was ok. Felt myself skimming it a lot. Again we have a what, 28 year old? who seems to be acting like she is still in high school. It felt so much like a YA, that I was just confused too much. I don't think this series is for me.
Apparently my review on this one didn't go through when I read it. But from what I recall, I really didn't care much for it. But won't give a lower rating when can't better explain reasons.
I had a hard time putting this book down. I was hooked from page one. I started reading right before bed and found that I couldn't sleep because I had to finish reading and find out the ending. I can't wait to read the 2nd in this series.
A great plot and good characters but just missed that vital ingredient that would have given it 5*. It was a bit jagged in placed but hopefully that will be ironed out in future books. A bakery shop owner discovers a dead body in her neighbours garden. Did I mention that she was a witch and could talk to ghosts? Great plot that has you questioning all the characters as the body count rises until the end. Looking forward to reading the next one.
Cute little cozy mystery with a good dash of paranormal and a talking dog thrown in for laughs. I’ll be picking up the next to find out where the story goes next.