Brewing Love

Tree's Hollow Witches #1

by Sara Bourgeois

Witch way to Tree’s Hollow?
When Lenora “Lenny” Brewer finds herself fed up with her life in the city, she flees to her Aunt’s bed and breakfast in the small town of Tree’s Hollow. When a local handyman turns up dead, Lenny gets herself mixed up in a murder mystery.

Add in a hunky forest ranger, her dream job as an investigative journalist for the local paper, and a cat with so much sass it’s practically criminal, and you’ve got a recipe for a magically good time. Oh and one more thing, Lenny didn’t even know she was a witch until she arrived at her new home in Tree’s Hollow.

Will she learn to harness the craft brewing inside of her, or will trouble boil over and destroy everything she comes to love?

Brewing Love is suitable for readers of all ages who enjoy lighthearted paranormal cozies.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery

125 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 28, 2016

About the author

Sara Bourgeois is a Midwesterner through and through. She spends her time writing, reading, herding cats, and standing in her driveway during tornado warnings. (You can't see them from the basement.)

Reviews

[Mlpmom (Book Reviewer) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this but I think the way it was narrated and the fact that it felt it needed to explain every little detail about what she was doing and why, was just a little too much for me. Even though this wasn't a long read it could have been cut down drastically without all the mundane details that most readers just don't need in their stories to still make it a good one.

It was a fun story but just one I found hard to get into but, I would imagine that would improve over the course of the series, but I could be wrong. Not a bad read though just maybe not quite for me.

[Emily Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lenny Brewer’s long-time boyfriend took her to a fancy restaurant for dinner, where she hoped he would ask her the “big” question! He was late and totally ignored her little black dress she wore just for him. At last the big announcement came – he had taken her debit card, got the password out of her desk drawer, and stripped her savings account to give the money to his sleazy cousin! Lenny exploded and started to dial the police while her boyfriend took off and left her stuck with the dinner check! Not the evening she had expected!

Lenny went to the police station to file her report on her ex. When she left, a limo drove up and Starla Lex, a celebrity she was fond of, was kicked onto the curb by her boyfriend, Boyd. Being a gossip writer, this was a scoop for Lenny. But she liked Starla and didn’t want to trash her in her article. Her boss was furious and insisted she write a scathing article; after then insulting and threatening Lenny, Lenny had had enough and quit. Things still were not going very well! So she decided to make a drastic change in her life.

That same evening, Lenny packed up her apartment and headed to Tree’s Hollow, moving into her Aunt Kara’s bed and breakfast. Very strange that it sounded like “No” when she asked Jezebel, her cat, to get into the cat carrier???

There are so many more adventures waiting for Lenny. She fits right in at Tree’s Hollow, but all is not well. Trouble is coming her way again. Will she be ready to deal with it?

This is a very cute story. Lenny is a very likeable character who isn’t aware at first that her witch powers are awakening. There are a few clues to the reader, so it’s fun to be able to watch as she encounters some puzzling surprises. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. I hope many more will follow!

[Marsha Keeper Bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed at Haunted Bookshelf

Lenny’s had one heck of a week, and it’s not even half over yet. Her long time boyfriend turned out to be a jerk of the first class, her boss is in a clear race for the position of most obnoxious boss ever and she’s just simply had enough. On a spontaneous whim she packs up everything in one day, convinces her cat Jezebel to walk into her carrier and heads for the small town of Tree’s Hollow to stay with her favorite aunt for a while. She has no idea that she’s in for some pretty amazing surprises real soon.

Lenny’s adventure really begins with a talking cat. And like most cats Jezebel only speaks when she has something to say… or ask for more cream please. Tree’s Hollow is more than a small town, it’s also quite magical in more than beautiful scenery. It’s here that Lenny discovers that she has witchy powers, a talking cat and an aunt who knew all of this long ago. Seems coming home to Tree’s Hollow has changed her life in more than one way.

It also seems like murder in a small town is part of her future as well.

Brewing Love is funny, a bit spooky and full of interesting characters. I had an enjoyable time with this one and I’m definitely going to continue with the rest of the series. Lenny is funny, Jezebel is an absolute howl and Lenny’s new love interest is a man I most definitely want to know more about. Get started on a fun cozy paranormal mystery series and discover their antics and mysteries for yourself.

If you love cozy mysteries of the paranormal kind, then Tree’s Hollow Witches is sure to be a hit for you.

I read this title through my Kindle Unlimited subscription.

[Linda (ellsky) Jackson · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I enjoyed the setting and the little bit of character introductions that we got, I found myself completely distracted by the many grammatical errors and inconsistencies throughout the book. Tense kept changing between present and past, sometimes in the same paragraph, many times in the same scene. Story inconsistencies appeared with the names Constance Piper and David Fox. Are they real people? Pen names for the newspaper? Both? Clearly not explained. The events also seemed to be surface level, and didn't make sense a lot of the time. For example, a moving truck cannot fit into an apartment underground parkade, a person would not be discharged from a hospital within 30 minutes of waking up from being unconscious for hours (long enough for more than 1 IV bag to be emptied), and there is no way a sheriff could recognize a knife from a particular set and subsequently arrest someone who was allegedly the only one with access to that knife in a cursory 5 minute glance at the knife.

Overall, I do see the author has many more cozies that I would like to try out, and the premise of this one is ok, but as the first foray into the author's works I am very disappointed.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lenora Brewer, (Lenny) works as a journalist for a gossip rag. When she witnesses a celebrities embarrassing moment and refuses to write what she sees. She quits her job, packs up her apartment, moves across state to Trees Hollow to live with her aunt. During the trip discovers her cat can talk. Not only can he talk, the cat tells the thirty-three-year-old Lenny that she's a witch.
She gets an investigative reporters job at the local paper, just in time for a murder to occur at her aunt's hotel. When her aunt is arrested for the murder, Lenora seeks to clear her name. Putting both her aunt and herself in danger.

Sara wrote a cute short story that was fun to read and had characters that should be better developed as the series goes on. My only complaint about the story was the number of times Lenny thought something was "like magic," or was "magical" before discovering she was a dormant witch.

[Dharia Scarab · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really liking the book, until I actually stopped and thought about it a little more.

As a mystery book it is a fun quick story with lovable though eccentric characters. The cat was worked in seamlessly as an interesting character with out any assistance from other characters. Being new at something makes everything harder, especially being the new girl in town. Lenny has the odds stacked against her as the new girl in town. Nathan is the sweet and protective guy in this story, however, I feel like  he might want to put his foot down a little more about the situations that Lenny gets herself in.

Now for the part that threw me for a loop. How  is it that Lenny just accepts the fact that she has a talking cat and is suddenly a witch? I had to go back and make sure that I didn't miss anything. It's a really good thing that I'm a speed reader when I have to be. Needless to say that I really didn't like that aspect of the book. I'm still going to read the other 2 books because I like the characters so much.

[dawn morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Young adult story??

I must have missed the tag for it being a young adult story because it can't be intended for a mature audience. I'm sorry to say it is a waste of time reading this book. The story line is weak and poorly developed. There is not any development of the characters so no investment whether they live or die. I would consider it a "bubble gum" kind of story which is suitable for children. I half expected smurfs to show up and break into song during what should have been horrible situations.

[Eating Between · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this read though short filled with hijinks, magic and plenty of twist and turns! My favorite character would be Jezebel- Lenny's cat, who by the way decides to start talking just as soon as Lenny lands in Tree's Hollow! She is the purrfect ingredient to the story and adds quite a bit of humor and sass and if you ask me a cozy is nothing with out some humor and of course sass!

Catch the rest of my review here- http://wp.me/p6xCpp-Hh

[Diana Blick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rushed

This one took off pretty well but then suddenly it's as if the writer got tired of it and decided to end it. Somewhere that should have been about two thirds through, she says and this happened and that happened, the end. A good rewrite on that last bit is in order. The villain just sort of showing up when the investigator hasn't a clue is just too easy. And we never did find out why her boss didn't want a story.

[Lisa Kimbrell · Rating 2 out of 5]

I do love ready books by Sara but sometimes it just get redundant. This series is a good read but it does get a bit chaotic. The story kind of goes all over the place. I feel like these books could be long and more engaging if there was more information within the story. And the characters always just act so blasé about things. Like Lenny just being totally fine with a talking cat and being a witch. No one guides her oh her journey it’s like was something she always had. For a quick read it gets the job done but I feel like it could be so much better.

[Robbie White · Rating 4 out of 5]

a quick and clean book that tells the story of a new witch, a guy, and a small town. i started and finished the 1st 3 books in this series on a Sunday. not a dark story there is a small mystery to solve.

[Patricia Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brewing love by Sara Bourgeois

I chose a four star rating as I really enjoyed this book, it was fun, funny and had a good story plot, would recommend you read it, light heard, fun, good story, what more could you ask for.

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lenny thinks her boyfriend is going to propose instead he says he took all her money and gave it to his sleazy cousin. She refuses to do a trash story on Starla and quits her job and moves back home. She finds out her cat can talk and she already has a job interview.

[Jana Gundy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good short read

This had all of the elements for an entertaining cozy mystery. Now, it is short and there is an insta like/ relationship but it’s not over the top and I like the characters enough that it’s not a deterrent. Good mystery and well written.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice cozy paranormal

I read another series by this author decided liked it so well that I decided to give this one a try. I like the characters and the small town feel. Looking forward to reading the next book.

[Barbara Boykin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this story

I really did enjoy this story. I liked the characters and how the storyline was followed. I am interested in how it continues.

[Tinna · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a very quick read, and if you don´t want a light read then go for it. It is not perfectly written but i liked it and will probably read more in this series

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

I couldn't put this book down. Page after page kept you wanting more. I love this book can't wait to start book 2.

[Alice4170 🌙 · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a cute quick read.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read, cozy mystery.

[Lyssa F · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book

Like the characters especially the cat with her dry sense of humor. Quick fun story with 2 murders , some magic and a bed and breakfast with cinnamon rolls.

[Bee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute, fast read but I enjoyed Ms. Bourgeois's other series "Wicked Witches of Coventry" much more. Can't wait for the last two books to be released!

[Roslyn Donohoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading it.

So very well worth the read. A good story from this great storyteller. Very well worth the read. You won't be disappointed.

[stephanie huntington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun quick read

[shayla kemmerer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really Cute

Quaint, fast paced and has me giggling through most of it. Nice introduction to a new series. Fun, quick read.

[Gerald Furney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very entertaining Kept my interest

Not boring very entertaining I love the author and surprises magic and witches.
Talking cat’s and twists and turns of adventure.

[Victorea Meadow · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad read, but I wish the book had been longer and the pace a bit slower.

[Elizabeth F. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful book good story and I loved the cat!

[Cassidy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually a really good short story! I usually don’t like witch book but this was very calm and you could understand what was going on!