Hadley Hunter is learning about life, love … and being a witch. She has a hot and hunky boyfriend, new friends, and family she didn’t know existed until recently. Her plate is full. Life gets even busier when a Detroit grim reaper named Aisling Grimlock hits Moonstone Bay for her honeymoon. Aisling is loud, brash … and pregnant. Unfortunately, she’s not one of those women who gets happy and develops a glow at the notion of a new baby. When a body turns up on the docks, Hadley decides to help her boyfriend Galen investigate. All she knows for certain is that the murder looks ritual thanks to the tiki mask left behind … and the gaping wound in his chest. Since she’s bored and limited, Aisling latches on to Hadley and volunteers to help. That means zipping around the island and investigating the local cult that lives in the forest. Aisling has specific ideas about what should be done. Hadley has her own ideas. And Galen wants them both to steer clear of his investigation. Things are bound to collide … and they do in spectacular fashion. What happens when Detroit’s mouthiest reaper and Moonstone Bay’s newest witch collide? You’re about to find out. The stakes are high, death is in the air … and a few more secrets are about to be unveiled. Strap in, because things are about to get freaky.
When I was a kid, I was torn between whether or not I was going to grow up and be the Incredible Hulk or Wonder Woman. I flirted with being a Jedi Knight for awhile, but I wasn't up for the intense travel associated with the gig. In my teens, I settled on being a writer -- although I had no idea the effort that would entail. Not only am I a writer now, but I'm a writer in several different mediums. I'm a longtime newspaper reporter, an avid reader and a voracious science fiction fanatic.
DNF This book started out okay. I like most of the main/recurring characters (Hadley, Galen, Booker, Lilac). I enjoy the snark and sarcasm and the new case sounded interesting and intriguing. And then it all goes sideways. I was already fairly annoyed with the constant May and Wesley drama or Wesley continuously trying to kick Galen out. It was funny at first but got old really quickly. Enter Aisling, it's clear that she's the mc from one of the authors other series and accordingly steals the show. Like suddenly this is an Aisling Grimlock book rather than a Hadley Hunter story. Absolutely horrible. She's a whiney, petulant, manipulative spoiled rotten little brat with the emotional maturity of a five-year old who steamrolls everyone (including her husband, ugh, I kinda like Griffin, but what a whipped pussy). It's not funny, it's not cute, and so not worth my time or the angry energy it causes. And Hadley? She's back to being a pushover. And she was making such progress in book 2. I also didn't like the fact that her and Galen's first time felt more like a result of peer pressure and watching other couples rather than a natural progression in their relationship. So as much as I'd have liked to find out more about this story, her powers, her family's history, etc. it's too annoying and anger-inducing so I'm done.
I love this series and the way she places her other book characters into the books is amazing! I loved it and now I have another series to read too! Such a great book!
Another exciting adventure for Hadley, who learns so much more about the island. And whose relationships deepen with that greater understanding. Not to mention bringing in Aisling, Griffin, and Cormack! Love it when Ms Lee's worlds collide!
I was so disappointed with this one. With the cross-overs between author series the latest fad in the book world, I have read some very good books where combining characters has enhanced the stories - unfortunately, this isn't one of them. The author let the Aisling character (from her Grimlock series) totally dominate this book which is supposedly mainly about Hadley and her gang in Moonstone Bay. And may I add how absolutely beyond ANNOYING the Aisling characters is ?? I had to force myself to finish the book due to loyalty to the author because I usually enjoy her books (I love her Witches of the Midwest series), but this one definitely didn't do it for me - the plot got lost, Hadley got lost and my attention got lost.
I only gave this 2 stars because of the attitude of the male characters. They seem to think they can tell the female characters what they can and can't do and how they can and can't act. The females seem fine with this. It's tone suggests the females are the property of the males. It is an outdated way of thinking and demeans women. If you are a good girl, I'll buy you ice cream. Really??
Stunning read. Wonderful plot, fast paced, action packed and best of all it had both Aisling and Hadley going against the bad guys. Characters, well what can I say but that it they were fantastic. Great growth in Hadley's powers, her relationships and confidence. She and Galen are a couple (at least she hopes so) but the rows and bickering between her living grandfather and ghostly grandmother is driving her insane as well as not providing any privacy. So when Galen gets a call she goes along to. One of the construction workers has been murdered and left on the pier. However as she's waiting for him to finish she meets a young couple who have come onto the island for their honeymoon. Aisling and Griffin! As the two young women make friends they discover another body, that of a local reaper. Add in a cult that is run on the same basis as the cult Aisling and her father destroyed on the mainland, magic, battles, kidnapping, sacrifices, a leader bent on living forever and the arrival of Cormack. Watch as Hadley discovers new talents, finds out what her friends really can do when provoked and the danger of leaving Aisling loose (especially when her hormones are all mixed up due to her pregnancy). Some laughs and a lot of thrills.
Such wonderful fun. Always warm and entertaining. This author's books are like a hug in book form. You feel like you are coming back to characters who have become family when you pick up a new book. Hadley is learning more about her witch powers, through necessity unfortunately and she is aided and abetted by Aisling, from the Grimlock family. Aisling, pregnant and hot and annoyed is a sight to behold and nobody had best get in her way, especially Galen, Hadley's hot boyfriend trying to tell her what to do! We all know how that works out :-) A delight seeing Aisling from someone else's point of view and having Hadley herself learn more about herself. A fab series and addition to the Amanda M lee series with the usual cast of supporting friends and family. Lilac in particular was impressive! Can't wait to read the next.
I love these crossover books where characters from different series.appear in the same stories. In this we have Aisling Grimlock fresh from her own adventures, newly married and conditioning in Hemlock Cove with her husband Griffin. The first person she meets is Hadley, still quite new to the island herself, and her boyfriend Galen the police.chief. They have just discovered one.of.the locals.dead, murdered, with a Tiki mask covering his face. Aisling immediately befriends Hadley and decides it's her duty as a reaper to help solve the murder. Great fun.
Freaky Deaky Tiki [Kindle Edition] Moonstone Bay Cozy Fantasy Mystery. Book 3.
2022 Grade B+
I needed something light and reliably fun so I bought this. I was not disappointed. It is very character oriented, fast and easy reading, never boring, and has an outspoken and sarcastic new character. Although I did not fully care for the new character, she did liven up the story. The author is apparently starting a new separate series with that character. This time the various "witches" on the island have to fight a nasty supernatural "cult." I liked this installment better than book 2.
I really used to love Lee’s books but now I just hate them. I don’t know if I hate them because I’ve become a mature adult or just sick of the same characters doing the same things. But that’s where I’m at with basically all of her books. She’s a book factory with little variety, her heroines are either spoiled brats who manipulate everyone in their life or they have magical powers that eventually turn them into manipulative brats. There’s usually one gay BFF who lacks all personal boundaries. The hero is an alpha male with the patience of a saint (the only reason I can get through these books) and there is at least one massively insane, rude and even more manipulative family member that does whatever they want (Aunt Tilly, I’m looking at you bitch.)
So like I said above, I used to inhale these books but at some point I got tired of the same stuff being packaged up in different wrappers and no character growth. Oh well.
Character development is awesome. I love all her books and how she gradually helps the characters and their powers grow. When writing a series , I think her character development is what keeps you coming back book after book. It is what helps it basically be a new story each time. I also love her endings. They are detailed but not drawn out. You won't find yourself getting bored or skipping a page. I haven't read the Grim series yet, after reading the crossover I have to make time to read that series ,and the spin off now. Aisiling is almost as funny as Aunt Tilly. If you haven't read The Winchester witch series please add to your list. That and Moonstone Bay are my all time favorites. I usually listen to audio books while I work. I will say I couldn't wait for the audio. I stayed in bed until I got this one read.
This is book is just...meh. I like this book...except for Aisling. Don't get me wrong, I love Aisling when I was reading her series but I'm tired of her while reading this book. This is Hadley's series but mostly it's Aisling dominating the story. If it's not Aisling talking then they're talking about Aisling's past adventures which I don't really need and irritated the hell out of me. I'll continue reading future books from this author if there's no Aisling because at this point I'm done with Aisling.
Book 3 A Moonstone Bay series crossover with Aisling Grimlock series
I enjoyed the first two books in the A Moonstone Bay series. Freaky Deaky Tiki was good but the addition of the Grimlocks from the Aisling Grimlock series changed the tone of this book. If you have an aversion to sex innuendos and couples sleeping together, you might want to skip this series. It isn't a lot of detail. If you are ok with it and like funny paranormal cozy mysteries this series is good. Hadley Hunter recently learned she is a witch once she moved to Moonstone Bay. Her boyfriend is Sheriff Galen Blackwood. Hadley and Galen are finding it difficult to have any private time because Hadley's ghost grandmother May and her grandfather Wesley are constantly fighting at the lighthouse. May left the lighthouse to Hadley in her will but she still appears there. Now Wesley is there a lot. Galen gets a call about a body on the dock so Hadley goes with him. While Galen is working, Hadley meets Aisling and Griffin who are visiting and are on their honeymoon. Aisling just found out she is pregnant and is worried and uses it every opportunity she gets which gets annoying. Aisling is fun but tends to get into trouble and Hadley is along for the ride. Sometimes it is funny, often it gets annoying. She is definitely in the spotlight in this book. If you have read the other series, apparently this book is more enjoyable than for people like me who haven't. On the positive side, we see more of Galen, and their friends Booker and Lilac. There is a cult on the island who are causing problems. I really enjoy the regular characters. Hadley's witch skills are improving. I plan to read the next book. #FreakyDeakyTiki
When a body turns up at the docks wearing a Tiki mask Hadley joins Galen to investigate. Hadley realises that one of the freshly arrived holidaymakers can also see the victims soul wandering the docks. Interested in what type of paranormal she could be Hadley meets Aisling Grimlock-Taylor and her husband Detective Griffin Taylor who are on their honeymoon.
Aisling is a reaper and can't help wandering why the local reaper hasn't done his job and collected the soul so while Galen and Griffin are otherwise occupied she persuades Hadley to go with her to look for him.
Having picked the lock of the reapers house they discover his body, also wearing a Tiki mask, and get themselves into a pile of trouble with Galen and Griffin.
The Tiki masks lead to a cult that has been left to itself on the island until recently when it was moved from the land it was squatting on to make way for a new hotel. Barry, or Taurus as he prefers to be called, is running a dodgy fertility scam and trying to make himself immortal.. it will take everyone working together to make sense of what is going on and put a stop to Barry's plans.. which Aisling finishes in her own special way!
Another cross-series novel that melds Lee's paranormal world's together seamlessly. Perfect!
Dear readers, just for your clarification, I'm definitely an enthusiastic reader of all books written by Amanda M. Lee. That being said it is rare that a crossover book affects me quite so strongly, as this one did. When Grim Reapers and Moonstone Bay residents get together the action starts to read like, well like an action comic book just turned into a cozy mystery. Inside my head the voices were doing the full complement of Shazam, thwack, Yeow when the fireballs hit. I want so badly to give you no less than three spoilers, that I personally would have killed to have known beforehand, alas, that is not in my nature to do so. Let me just say that any of you that like myself, were wondering specifics about certain people... well the answers are here. Now, as you can imagine, mixing Hadley with Aisling is a recipe for extreme trouble. Galen and Booker have both surged in their growth as characters that protect with their whole hearts as they battle against a dark force in the form of a cult of fertility and sacrifice. This is a wonderful family friendly addition to any personal library.
This book is a crossover with Aisling and Hadley. It takes place during Aisling and Griffin honeymoon. Galen and Hadley get called to a murder near the docks. Aisling and Griffin arrive just at that moment. Hadley realises something different about Aisling and is intrigued by her. When it is discovered that the local reaper has also been murdered, Aisling decides to work together to solve the mystery. Aisling is featured very heavily in this story. I have missed her since the grimlocks series ended. We get to see Aisling.coming to.terms with the news of her pregnancy. We also see Cormac as he is the head of the reapers. We see the other members of the grimlock family through calls that Aisling makes for help. I laughed through the whole book which is normal for me when reading a book with the grimlocks in. I would love to see Aisling interact with the Winchester witches, Harper, Maddie and Rowan too. I was sad to see the book end. Thank you for a wonderful story.
Ok. First, if you haven't yet read about the Grimlock clan, step away from this ebook and catch yourself up. One must start at the beginning to get the full Ainsley experience. Done? Good. Let us begin.
While we are still getting to know Hadley and her Moonstone Bay buddies, throwing some old friends into the mix quickly aids in the character development of these newer "special" islanders. This story could have been a plot device to bring these charmers together (think Scooby Doo mysteries when the Globe Trotters, Sonny & Cher, or the Winchester boys stop by.) But, nope. 100% a solid, sarcastic, stupendous blast. Also, presents us with a ton of mysterious threads hopefully (soon) to be unraveled in future Moonstone Bay stories.
Amanda M. Lee books always put me in a terrific mood and as you are probably already inferring, Freaky Deaky Tiki (love the name) is no exception. This story is better than an ice cream and omelet bar combined. Now, dig in. You'd be surprised at how well they meld.
Book 3 is a well written 5 STARS read with a provided BLURB. This is one of the top vacations that needs to be on the top of your list this exciting fast paced action packed Series: A Moonstone Bay Cozy Mystery. A great paranormal experience.
Hadley had recently inherited a lighthouse that she could actually live in on an island hot spot that turns out to be one of the top vacation destinations for the paranormal beings. She found out she was an actual born witch, was dating a werewolf, friends with a Cupid & a half demon. WoW, then if that doesn't seem exillirating to you she befriends a couple visiting the island on their honeymoon from Detroit. A police detective and his wife a grim reaper. Along with some mermaids this group gets into a huge match up with a local crazy cult.
It seems every culture has them! Grab a glass of something to wet the throat & settle in for some laughs with these magical women who still get rattled on hormones.
I HATE AINSLING GRIMLOCK. I truly hope there is never another crossover with her again because she is one of the WORST characters I've ever read in a book. She is petulant, entitled, spoiled, demanding, rude, selfish, and absolutely unpleasant in every possible way. Her finding anyone to love her is COMPLETELY unbelievable. I will never read any of her series because she is horrible.
She almost got this book 2 stars. Her character detracted from the story and the other characters. She's a horrid creature.
The plot of the mystery was great and would have been so much better had Ainsling been a less horrible character. Hadley needs a friend who investigates too. Just not this one.
Also - Hadley still seems to be having some issues with her communication, but it seems to be getting better. We see her growth with those in her life and we're seeing her find more of her footing in her life on the island.
And extraordinarily entertaining urban fantasy/cozy mystery series. Great cast of characters a supernatural tourist tropical island. And island or supernaturals go on vacation. All the locals are paranormal in someway or another. Hadley are young woman who recently found out she inherited her grandmother’s lighthouse and she is a witch. Raised in the normal world annoying that she was a witch. She moves to the island and begins learning her history. Follow along as her and her sheriff shifter boyfriend and the rest of the characters solve mysteries. In this particular book we have a crossover from the grim lock series. Griffin and Aisling go to the island on their honeymoon and as always stumble into trouble and need the help of Hadley and the rest of the going to get out of trouble. Fun snarky and entertaining check it out
I’m glad the reaper left the island, because she was bound to get into a ton of trouble on a daily basis and I’m sure that would mean Hadley would be included in the misadventures.
It’s also cool that we finally found out what Lilac’s special power was. What she did isn’t as cool as it could have been because there was already an active firestarter (Hadley). I wonder if she can do anything else though. Hopefully we find out.
I’d also like to see Wesley use his wizardly powers in future books. And I want Booker to fall in love for real and not by someone thinking he smells like tomatoes. Lol.
Another thing is I hope that someone - hopefully Hadley - breaks the spell over the cemetery and that she gets to say goodbye to her mom. Her actual mother and not the zombie mom.
Next book is To Spell With air (A Moonstone Bay Cozy Mystery Book 4)
Omg this was just seriously funny Hadley just wasn't truly prepared to meet Aisling Grimlock/Taylor but at least she was never bored during Aisling island honeymoon.
Galen is growing on me, his incessant need to protect Hadley is annoying but I really loved how Aisling drove him nuts that was seriously funny.
The cult was an interesting spin especially adding the fertility rites and the link to Genevieve Toth then back to Lily Grimlock I really loved all the links throughout the story.
Barry was the most hilarious lunatic ever I laughed so hard every time he interacted in the book what an idiot and omg the ending for him was priceless.
“Freaky Deaky Tiki” is another fantastic cozy mystery from the amazing Moonstone Bay series with magic & mystery & so much more! Definitely not a cookie cutter mystery & love the heroine & hero's chemistry and clever dialogue as well as the quirky & snarky secondary characters! I highly recommend this to all fans of fiction & can't wait to read the next one in this series! Even tho I borrowed this through my Amazon Kindle Unlimited free trial, I can honestly recommend this to all fans of fiction, even YA and I can't wait to read more from Ms. Amanda M. Lee, so I already have book #4 downloaded ready to go :)
While not a part of the Grimlock series, Aisling and Griffin’s honeymoon to Moonstone Bay does uncover links to the past. Hadley gets swept up in the chaos that follows Aisling around like a puppy, much to Galen’s dismay. And unlike 99% of everyone who meets her, Galen isn’t swayed by Aisling’s mouth, or her purple eyes, and that kinda bugs her. Griffin is still a sweetie, and most of the Grimlocks make a cameo. Really enjoyed this (more for the Grimlock connection than not).
Grimly reaper Ainsley meets Hadley and the murders and mayhem begin. Ainsley and Griffin on a honeymoon? Don't count on it being normal. Before long breaking, entering, guns, fire , and trouble is in the air. They make make a good twosome for finding and causing "grief" and "anger" along with laughter. They are the keystone cops in drag. Enjoy them and hopefully we'll see more of these two.
The combination of characters from the Grimlock series with Hadley and Galen is pure delight. Somehow the weaving of the two groups together made for a marvelous romp. When I completed the book I found it felt like a visit with good friends. Ms Lee is quickly becoming my favorite author. I have read almost all her series of books on Amazon and follow her on Facebook to make sure I don't miss any new releases.