She knows nothing about sleuthing, but her nan assigned her the job, and what Bessie Gawama wants, she gets.
Marla does her best to carry out her new detective doo-ties. She even dons her comfortable running shoes and sets out to get ’er done.
But when some bumbling bumpkins show up in town, and Haveners start losing their marbles left and right, it becomes clear she’s not cut out for the job.
That never stopped a Gawama witch before.
And she isn’t going to let it stop her now.
One thing the Gawamas know how to do is ride with the crazy.
Lucía Ashta believes in magic, laughter, and happily-ever-afters. She loves writing fierce heroines who wield witty comebacks as adeptly as their swords, and the warriors who slay their enemies alongside them. The camaraderie of found family, kooky magical creatures, and dragons—lots of dragons—also enrich Lucía’s many stories. She lives with her family in the forest nestled in the mountains, where she dreams up fantastical worlds and hopes to someday journey to them.
I have been on quarantine battling with coronavirus and this series has been the perfect remedy and just what the doctor ordered to keep my spirits up! I love it and can't wait for what it comes next.✨💥🌺💯
Third in the Witches of Gales Haven humorous paranormal women's fiction series and revolving around Marla Gawama and her family.
My Take It's a story about how you treat people. And it's a "trick" that Brosnan, Mindy, and Marla need to learn.
Only magical beings can exist in Gales Haven, and it sure leads to lots of comic events, drama, and action. Hmm, I guess you could say that their characters make this a character-driven story. Lord knows there is plenty of crazy action.
Hmm, seems there is more to Danny than Marla thought. . . . and I could use a good handyman.
Ashta uses first person protagonist point-of-view from Marla's perspective so we see, feel, and hear everything that Marla experiences.
Hmm, I like the idea of a governing spell that ensures both parties comply with the terms of a bargain.
That leprechaun sure is a hypocrite and a good representation of too many people. He blames everyone else for not accepting him, but he's constantly causing trouble.
Yep, I reckon Mo Ellen sums up the town of Gales Haven well: "Our thoughts, words, and energy shape our reality". A point we should all keep in mind (from Mo Ellen again) is that "we have to believe in ourselves before anyone else".
The Story Whoops, people, creatures, and Boomkins in Gales Haven are losing their marbles. It's a nasty affliction, and Gales Haven's first detective ever, Marla Gawama, has to solve it.
The Characters The recently divorced Detective Marla Gawama has recently returned to Gales Haven. Clyde and Macy are her kids.
Quade Contonn is Marla's boyfriend, her first love, her first kiss. Harlow is Quade's daughter. His parents, the beastly Delise and the meek Maguire Contonn, have been banished.
The Gawama Mama House Nan, Bessie Gawama, is not only Marla's grandmother, but the head of the council of Gales Haven. Neorah, Marla's runaway mother, who is an amazing healer; the grumpy Aunt Joelle, who is an amazing cook; and, Aunt Luanne and Aunt Shawna, who get their kicks all over town, are Bessie's children. Grandpa Oscar had been Bessie's husband.
Hattie owns and runs Hair for Hotties and Hatties. Mo Ellen Ridgeway's specialty is custom spells. Bambi Casters, Mo Ellen's grandmother, is whacko nutso . . . and an absolute crackup. Danny is the town handyman . . . and gigolo. Hubba, hubba!Jadine Lolly's Spanx is still in the leprechaun's possession; Jadine is off getting busy with Jelly Frumpers. Wanda and Leonie run Wanda's café; where there's a back sex spell room. Sven and Goober are healing wizards dating Aunt Shawna. Dodie's Dancing Diner is another restaurant. Jethro can fix anything. Randall Rooter used to be able to fix anything, then he retired. Willow is excellent at cleaning anything. Monty is a gangly wizard. Gigi owns Gifts, Gags, and Gaggles, another of the shops. Everleigh and Kama are the best spell weavers in town. Linda Dooley blew up the science lab, which is taught by Mr Malone. Boogie Jones is in the same class. Ty is a classmate to whom Macy is attracted. Darnell Adams and Tessa Smates are council members. Bradley and Dillon are a couple of the men whom Aunt Luanne dates. Minnie and Winnie Aderton are twin sisters. Beebee brews some potent drink, including Red Roses.
Creature Haven is . . . . . . home base for the magical creatures who are ruled by the very rude Mindy, an assertive, forthright hedgehog who doesn't think much of Marla. George is her slow-minded mate, and they have a lot of kids, including Jilly, Tilly, and Billy. Frankie is a fox. Rudy is the good-humored raccoon. Bob is a gentle elk. Penny is a porcupine. Humphrey is quite the cheeky mouse.
The naughty leprechaun, Brosnan, is still on the loose (Magical Mayhem, 2).
The recently arrived Mister Whisker (Marky Mark, Warky Wark, Dolly Girl, and Pancake are some of his siblings; Pa and Ma Bumpkin are their parents) and Wippity Bippity are some of the Boomkins, who have an oddly rhyming language. Granny Bumpkin is losing her marbles.
Hell's Valley is . . . . . . the next town over.
Outside of Gales Haven Sir Lancelot is a pygmy owl and the headmaster of the Magical Creatures Academy.
The Cover and Title The cover has an explosion of fuchsia in the center with a deep purple background. In the center of the fuchsia is a white teapot pouring a deep pinkish red liquid into a white teacup on a saucer with plenty of white and turquoise sparkles surrounding both. At the top is the series info in white and the much smaller title below that in turquoise. At the bottom, under the teacup, is the author's name in white.
The title is the case Marla must investigate, for it's a Charmed Caper.
I absolutely love this series and I love the Witches of Gales Haven! This latest instalment is absolutely hilarious and had me laughing so hard I was crying and fighting to breathe! Throw in some mystery and intrigue, some hilarity, some snark and sass and you will find Marla Gawama the new detective of Gales Haven whose on the case of the missing marbles! Say what?? A fun read that I cannot recommend enough!
I've enjoyed this series up until this point. But this time it was out of control silliness. I love a good laugh and enjoy lightheartedness but this was just silliness.
✳️✳️ONE SCRUMPTIOUS TREAT✳️✳️ Outstanding! Lucia just tilted my world on it axis with this fun-filled, slap-yo-mama, laugh-out-loud thrilling wonder, laying out the strategy and lining up the marbles, banking hilarious stunts and watching 'em roll, melding this jewel together flawlessly. Limitations are heightened and stretched, exposing the frenzied facts, dodged deals and freaky fiascos, igniting a fierce determination with such exuberance and vigor, keeping you riveted and frozen to your seat, catapulting this baby to life spectacularly. Tripping through the taxing trials and arduous tribulations, stumbling through the crazy twists and wicked turns, drawing our characters closer than they could have ever envisioned. Entwined, combined and tightly woven, exposing the wacky quirks and defying bents, putting our characters through their paces, testing them in ways they could have never imagined, wrapping this jewel up sleek, shiny and tight. The characters, interactions and charged atmosphere along with relatable qualities and individual traits, adding depth and diversity, transforming into genuine charismatic personalities. The scenes are strikingly sharp with abundant details and vivid descriptions creating an elaborate backdrop that makes the storyline explode. Remarkable job Lucia, thanks for sharing this bad boy with us.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Marla is the appointed detective of a magical town with few crimes so she ends up with some rather interesting cases. I love how uniquely magical the town is. If I could live in a place where everyone had a job they like and no one seems to live in poverty then Gales Haven would it. They don't even have a police department. It's magic so why not take away all the things that make society bad. There's very little crime so Marla ends up with some interesting cases. The magical creatures also make everything that happens more entertaining. The animals even live in harmony. Ashta has built the perfect magical world with an amazing cast of characters. I'm not sure why other authors don't built a utopia since it is magic so why not? I absolutely love this series.
There are not enough words to explain how awesome this book is... 💖 I laugh so hard I cried... 😜😂 I love the Gawama family so f'ing much, those woman are the best ever!!!! 🤗💕 I love Marla and Mindy together, their shenanigans are priceless 😝🙃🤣 I love Quade, he is just perfect... 😍🔥😍 The adventure our new detective in town faced in this installment is so f'ing crazy, frustrating and hilarious... Nobody could have manage it like Marla did... And Mindy, of course 🦔🤭 You will laugh so much, your tummy will hurt... You won't be able to stop reading... You will wish you could live in Gales Haven and and be part of this magical and crazy place, you will never be bored!!! 😉🙃🧙♂️🧙♀️ Can't wait for the next book, this series is phenomenal!!! ❤️
I love everything about this series! I love the snarky humor, the intriguing mysteries that never turn out the way I expect and the sweetness of the relationships and long lived friendships.
Quade is just the sweetest guy and the redevelopment of Marla's relationship with him is so incredibly sweet. The aunts are fantastic and so very open in their affection. Nan is the epitome of love and wisdom. And the residents of Gales Haven are... the riotous lunacy is everything you need that is good for the soul.
These stories are every bit as vibrant and inviting as their covers and are worth taking the time to enjoy!
The residents (and critters) of Gales Haven are at it again. In this latest installment of The Witches of Gales Haven, Marla has been appointed “town sleuth” (and not by choice). She is in no way qualified for the job (just ask her), but does that stop her?? Absolutely not. People in the town are losing their marbles and she’s going to find out why!
Once again, Mrs Ashta reminds us why we love the Gawama gals and the magical little slice of “Haven” they call home. The shenanigans are at an all time high in book 3. I laughed my way through the entire story.. This is such a fun, light hearted read. I can’t wait to see what happens next!
Literally – a turn for the craaaaazy! That’s the only word that comes to mind when describing this book. Though the pieces start falling together as the book goes on, it does take a while to get there. Mindy and Marla go head to head; almost unnecessarily so, but finally come to terms with one another. It was refreshing for me to see them make up, realize their differences, and set them aside to begin building a solid friendship. Especially when they have to work closely together since Marla is the only one who can understand the magical creatures. The book has numerous funny (and again crazy) situations making it a quick, lighthearted read.
Another strange case that could only happen in Gales Haven.
Wow, so suddenly everyone in town is losing their marbles, so to speak. As usual it's up to Marla to figure out why. As much as she would like to get out of being the town detective there is no changing nan's mind. So she goes about her crazy days consisting of dealing with a fiesty hedge job and other creatures that only she can hear. The leprechaun is still in town causing mild chaos, as part for the course. The new creatures that slip into town unnoticed are who this story is all about and if you thought the leprechaun annoyed Marla wait till you meet them!
"We have to believe in ourselves before anyone else.”
This was so much fun to read. A strange case for new Gales Haven detective Marla Gawama comes floating into view as people and some magical creatures start "losing their marbles" and acting weirder that"normal weird" for Haveners.
Is it Delise Cottonn's revenge? And if not, can Marla figure out what's happening so she and Quade can reconstitute their relations?
Someday I'd love to meet Lucia Asta. She must be cool to have such an imagination. Highly Recommended 5/5
Town detective? Really? Marla definitely believes Nan got it all wrong. Someone is stealing people's marbles and Marla must find out who, how and why and fix it all. Not as easy as one might think but, with a little help from others she just might make it happen. Good book, funny, engaging and entertaining. I recommend it and will read the next in series.
Bumbling Bumpkins and a stealing leprechaun are just the tip of the ice berg. When towns people seem to be losing their marbles, Marla is asked to use her position as detective of Gales Haven to find out why and to stop it. I can't help but love the hedgehog family. They are hilarious. Marla is actually pretty good at asking for help when needed and solving crimes. The family support she has gained through her aunts and grandmother helps her grow in her strength and love.
If you enjoy strange, yet funny, things that make you stay up all night to finish a book (because it is literary crack) you should read this! If you have no sense of fun, humour or whimsy you may want to read anyways. The town of Gales Haven is full of odd, charming and hilarious creatures and people that keep the town detective so busy that she may be losing her marbles if it keeps up!
The Gawama women never do anything by halves. And they never let their own down. The trust and love and support, is absolutely amazing. The krazy things that happen in Gales Haven can only be believed when read =D And hopefully you'll be as surprised as I was by the new town addition!
A much needed comedic relief during serious times! I love Ms Ashta’s characters! They are all hilarious and will give you a case of the giggles. Just what we all need during these tumultuous times. Her descriptions of their speech, their cloths, their movements, all clearly envisioned brought an instant smile on my face if not an out loud giggle. Just what we all need!
Remember to go to the bathroom before reading, if not you will end up peeing yourself while laughing :P
I love the crazy Gawama family, the dynamic and their personalities. It's wonderful to read about Marla and Quade discovering each other again, and I so much enjoy the magical community of this town. And of course Mindy. We all love Mindy!
I voluntarily review an ARC. This is the third part of the Witches of Gales Haven series, the books should be read in order. This book is so fokking crasie daisie, I love it. If you don't understand what I want to say just read this book and you will. There's no way anyone will not like this magical weird charming flirtatious snarky series. What are you waiting for?
A crazy cast of humans, animals and other creatures in this series. Had quite a few laughs. It was another interesting case. Marla and Quade’s relationship finally takes that next step. They make a good couple. Wish they could have a child together but I guess they are a bit old (?), but you never know in a magic world. I like how the house is alive and how it is reacting to Marla. Would like to know more about the house. The towns people are very sex crazed and it appears more so in the next book. I wish Marla’s mum would join them again and it appears the town is going to have a change of leadership soon with the way her grandmother is acting, maybe…
I highly recommend this magical book to readers of paranormal women's fiction, especially if you like quirky characters of both the human and creature varieties. Home comings should always be so loving and encouraging, and families so close. Thoroughly entertaining. Enjoy!
This was a very active paranormal mystery. I don't know if I liked it or hated it, in theory. Due to our main character being given the job of town Detective. She encounters a strange pattern of unusual behaviors in the town, and deals with different kinds of paranormals. The book is a very strange combination of baby talk and Millennium slang.
This was another funny caper for Marla, the reluctant town detective, to solve. It was fun getting to know more of the inhabitants of the magical town of Gales Haven, but Marla’s kids are in school and she doesn’t get to spend much time with her love interest Quade or her best friend Wanda. I’d like to see her interpersonal relationships developed a little more.
Totally the best read yet loads of lol moments I was literally crying with laughter at some points in this book who knes a little headoge had so much sassy and a tiny leprechaun could cause so much mischief loved it this is definitely by far the best in the series so far 💗
This book is fantastic, it had me on the edge of my seat, wondering what was going to happen next, The Author does a fantastic job at World building and Bringing the Characters to life. This is a fantastic series. I definitely recommend. Shauna Joesten
I laughed my butt off at the Bumpkins! Crazy and strange little things that they are. Weirder than usual things going on in town and Marla has to figure out what's causing it and fix it. The ending is Awesome!
A great fun series for young to adult. This is book 3 in the series and I've enjoyed every one of them. It has it all, magic, being able to speak with animals. An all out fun to read Highly recommended
Not as good as the other two. Still fun and still love the characters. I just didn't connect with this story. I am sure everyone else will enjoy it. If you have read the other two you are still going to want to read this one to get the next part of the story.
Not my favorite of the series, but it was fun. I guess a little too cutsie for me. No real bad guys in this story. Marla is growing into her gifts, with the subtle guidance from her Nan.