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Singing Falls Witches #1
Hex After Forty
Torie Bliss thought that being over 40 and having your husband dump you over your favorite meal would be rock bottom. Then she learned that the perfect life he had created for them was built on a foundation of lies.
A very public fall from grace leaves her penniless and homeless. Thinking she had nothing else to lose, she decides to move in with her estranged mother in a picturesque town in the mountains of North Carolina. Only to discover that her mother is quite the witch. Literally.
And so is Torie. They are from a line of witches who develop their magic after the age of 40. As if hot flashes and night sweats weren't enough, she now has to contend with wild magic that she has no idea how to control.
But she must learn to tap into her strange new powers to help her new friends solve a terrifying mystery.
Someone is killing off shifters in the sleepy town of Singing Falls, and if Torie can't get her act together, she just may be next on the supernatural serial killer's list.
Can Torie let go of her past in order to embrace her new future?
A very public fall from grace leaves her penniless and homeless. Thinking she had nothing else to lose, she decides to move in with her estranged mother in a picturesque town in the mountains of North Carolina. Only to discover that her mother is quite the witch. Literally.
And so is Torie. They are from a line of witches who develop their magic after the age of 40. As if hot flashes and night sweats weren't enough, she now has to contend with wild magic that she has no idea how to control.
But she must learn to tap into her strange new powers to help her new friends solve a terrifying mystery.
Someone is killing off shifters in the sleepy town of Singing Falls, and if Torie can't get her act together, she just may be next on the supernatural serial killer's list.
Can Torie let go of her past in order to embrace her new future?
173 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 5, 2020
1048 people are currently reading
566 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 124 reviews
November 5, 2020
Shallow story, mystery with no depth
not sure I will read another M.J. Can book. This book, Hex I've 40, had such promise based on the content in the teaser. Unfortunately, it did not deliver. Characters are all flat. No no omg. The author has not got the ability to build a character up with anything worth caring about and leaves every scene lackluster and weak. The premise of a recently.jilted 40 so!e thing housewife who is thrust onto changes in her social and private life to also find out she has powers as a witch. Good!! But this never got explored.
The prose and story telling is remedial, like a very enthusiastic teenage author was filling the blanks in of a rough draft. No meat, no development, no crescendo.
Quite boring. Poorly written.
3 stars only because no typos \editing errors.
not sure I will read another M.J. Can book. This book, Hex I've 40, had such promise based on the content in the teaser. Unfortunately, it did not deliver. Characters are all flat. No no omg. The author has not got the ability to build a character up with anything worth caring about and leaves every scene lackluster and weak. The premise of a recently.jilted 40 so!e thing housewife who is thrust onto changes in her social and private life to also find out she has powers as a witch. Good!! But this never got explored.
The prose and story telling is remedial, like a very enthusiastic teenage author was filling the blanks in of a rough draft. No meat, no development, no crescendo.
Quite boring. Poorly written.
3 stars only because no typos \editing errors.
September 26, 2022
1.5 stars that are in serious need of an editor. The only good things about this book are that it was free via Kindle Unlimited and it was short in length. This’ll teach me to not get excited about books that have a 40+ year old cast of characters because it’ll feel like it was written by a junior higher.
November 12, 2020
Loved it
A great cast of characters and a well written story
Torie doesn't see what is going to hit her...her husband is leaving her
After that all hell breaks loose and she contacts her estranged mother and Torie drives to North Carolina
But what Torie discovers in Singing Falls really confuses her but she does come to terms with it and then someone is murdering the shifters in the community
A fast paced story which held my attention
Great cozy mystery
A great cast of characters and a well written story
Torie doesn't see what is going to hit her...her husband is leaving her
After that all hell breaks loose and she contacts her estranged mother and Torie drives to North Carolina
But what Torie discovers in Singing Falls really confuses her but she does come to terms with it and then someone is murdering the shifters in the community
A fast paced story which held my attention
Great cozy mystery
August 7, 2022
Not Good
This is a supernatural murder-mystery set in a town filled with mythical beings that focuses on a cast in their 40's. The heroine, 45-year-old Torrie Spitz nee Bliss, runs to her estranged mother in a small North Carolina town after her life implodes in New York, only to find herself in the middle of a supernatural serial killer case. On top of that it seems she is a witch and is just starting to come into her powers. She, and her new friends (including one potential love interest) look for the killer.
I had trouble classifying this book because the book itself seemed to be having an identity crisis. At the start it seemed like a 40's woman rediscovers life after divorce book, then it took a hard turn to grief, then some rather stupid sleuthing (details below on why stupid). I found it under 'cozy' mysteries. To me that usually means light and fun which the synopsis seemed to support, but neither of those words apply to this book. With the life implosion & killings there is a heck of a lot of grief throughout the book and some grisly bloody after-death scenes. The story is told from multiple POV and I found the POV changes jarring instead of illuminating. I also found that in different parts of the book the characters were too different to be believable - not a character arc a leap or two. Also of note, this book ends with only part of the mystery solved - a HFN not a HEA. While I liked parts of the book, as a whole it felt scattered and unbelievable.
*****Spoiler Alert*****
This Book Includes
Violence. Husband implied threat to murder wife, cat shifter found after attacked, at multiple scenes after murders - some bloody, fight for life with vampire, wolf shifter, witch, & hedge witch using physical and magical means.
Sex. None
Things That Bothered Me
Evil Ex-Husband
At first this guy dumps his wife for another woman - ok he's an ass. Then he was running a Ponzi scheme - ok a rich amoral ass. Then we make the jump to he implied he would kill his wife if his mother-in-law caused problems between them??? When did he take the jump to abusive controlling husband? Because I'm not buying a threat like that from someone who is just unethical about money. A threat to kill a spouse is usually preceded by abuse in reality and fiction.
Police
There's been what 3 murders before the heroine arrives in town and the police have done ... nothing? There's no trying to figure out what the police know - they are almost a nonentity. Which is another ping on my unbelievability radar.
Trap
A trap implies you have a way to catch someone. Setting a trap to catch someone who has already taken out your physically strongest ally, with no idea of how you might catch them just seems stupid. Similarly, sending a witch with no training to a 'dark' town to find answers seems unwise at best.
Vampire Bad Guy
Um - I thought we already ruled out the vampire as the potential bad guy because the deaths of her mother and Ellie occurred in daylight??
This is a supernatural murder-mystery set in a town filled with mythical beings that focuses on a cast in their 40's. The heroine, 45-year-old Torrie Spitz nee Bliss, runs to her estranged mother in a small North Carolina town after her life implodes in New York, only to find herself in the middle of a supernatural serial killer case. On top of that it seems she is a witch and is just starting to come into her powers. She, and her new friends (including one potential love interest) look for the killer.
I had trouble classifying this book because the book itself seemed to be having an identity crisis. At the start it seemed like a 40's woman rediscovers life after divorce book, then it took a hard turn to grief, then some rather stupid sleuthing (details below on why stupid). I found it under 'cozy' mysteries. To me that usually means light and fun which the synopsis seemed to support, but neither of those words apply to this book. With the life implosion & killings there is a heck of a lot of grief throughout the book and some grisly bloody after-death scenes. The story is told from multiple POV and I found the POV changes jarring instead of illuminating. I also found that in different parts of the book the characters were too different to be believable - not a character arc a leap or two. Also of note, this book ends with only part of the mystery solved - a HFN not a HEA. While I liked parts of the book, as a whole it felt scattered and unbelievable.
*****Spoiler Alert*****
This Book Includes
Violence. Husband implied threat to murder wife, cat shifter found after attacked, at multiple scenes after murders - some bloody, fight for life with vampire, wolf shifter, witch, & hedge witch using physical and magical means.
Sex. None
Things That Bothered Me
Evil Ex-Husband
At first this guy dumps his wife for another woman - ok he's an ass. Then he was running a Ponzi scheme - ok a rich amoral ass. Then we make the jump to he implied he would kill his wife if his mother-in-law caused problems between them??? When did he take the jump to abusive controlling husband? Because I'm not buying a threat like that from someone who is just unethical about money. A threat to kill a spouse is usually preceded by abuse in reality and fiction.
Police
There's been what 3 murders before the heroine arrives in town and the police have done ... nothing? There's no trying to figure out what the police know - they are almost a nonentity. Which is another ping on my unbelievability radar.
Trap
A trap implies you have a way to catch someone. Setting a trap to catch someone who has already taken out your physically strongest ally, with no idea of how you might catch them just seems stupid. Similarly, sending a witch with no training to a 'dark' town to find answers seems unwise at best.
Vampire Bad Guy
Um - I thought we already ruled out the vampire as the potential bad guy because the deaths of her mother and Ellie occurred in daylight??
August 31, 2020
There's a new (new to me) genre of paranormal stories out there, and this is one of them: Women over 40, coming into their own and kicking ass on the way. Some of them run quite cheesy, some of them don't connect in a real way, and some are just great stories all on their own that happen to fall into a niche. This is one of those. I appreciate the realness/rawness of the emotional hook in the beginning of this adventure, as well as the subtle humor that doesn't feel like it's trying too hard. And like the best of the best, there's a conclusion that isn't quite HEA, but does feel like the end and yet not the end of the story, without being an annoying cliffhanger. It's just that right note in the middle that will let you pull away if you need to, but prompting you to want to know more about this world being created and wanting to follow our main character on her journey into this exciting new life.
July 27, 2025
Torie is not having a good time. She just turned forty-five, starting to feel symptoms of pre-menopause, and to make things worse her husband announces that he is leaving her for his secretary. And if you thought things couldn't get worse, the very next day she gets a call from the lawyer saying that they can't find her husband... because he's in hiding after losing all their money and their investor's money in a Ponzi scheme. Down on her luck and with nowhere to go, Torie heads to her mother's house in Singing Falls, North Carolina. What she doesn't expect is to get caught up in a mystery, one where shifters are all being targeted. Mostly because Torie didn't expect to find her mom living in a neighborhood full of Supernaturals. And, oh yeah, she's a witch just like her mom. As more and more people are being targeted, Torie finds herself in the very center of the investigation, and if she doesn't act soon then more people including, her new friends, will die.
This is super short and super interesting. I like the mystery aspect and the fact that we get middle-aged and older women using magic and trying to solve a mystery. I like the community and all the different creatures that are there, I like the hint at a possible relationship in the future, I appreciate that the storyline ended however the next book is definitely going to be messed up considering who shows up at the end. There's something appealing to me about this magic system where witches don't even discover their magic until they're in their 40s. But overall, I really like this and I like the direction it's going in. I'll be interested to see how things go from here, especially seeing Torie become an actual member of the community.
This is super short and super interesting. I like the mystery aspect and the fact that we get middle-aged and older women using magic and trying to solve a mystery. I like the community and all the different creatures that are there, I like the hint at a possible relationship in the future, I appreciate that the storyline ended however the next book is definitely going to be messed up considering who shows up at the end. There's something appealing to me about this magic system where witches don't even discover their magic until they're in their 40s. But overall, I really like this and I like the direction it's going in. I'll be interested to see how things go from here, especially seeing Torie become an actual member of the community.
August 30, 2020
Women Who Get Their Magical Powers after 40 Are Awesome
Torrie is a rich, stay at home mom in a toney NY setting when her conniving hubbie pulls a Ponzie scheme a la Bernie Madoff leaving her (and her college attending son) homeless and nearly penniless. He disappears with all the money and his female business partner so Torrie, with nowhere to go, heads to her estranged mom’s house in Singing Falls. Little does she know it is a haven for the paranormal and women who inherit their witch abilities after they turn 40. Torrie recently turned 40 so she is in for another big surprise.
The story unfolds with multiple murders occurring just as Torrie is making new friends and getting to reconnect with her mom. Lots of plot twists and an entertaining read. I enjoyed Torrie’s naïveté to her mom’s strange, magical world and her own emerging powers. Once she accepts that magic is real she immerses herself in the atmosphere as though it is the most natural thing to experience. I really appreciated her empathy and compassion and the way she expresses herself and helps others. She has risen above her situation and despair to embrace her new/older self and inner power. I look forward to reading what happens next in the following book. (This was a good suggestion from my Kindle Unlimited list)
Torrie is a rich, stay at home mom in a toney NY setting when her conniving hubbie pulls a Ponzie scheme a la Bernie Madoff leaving her (and her college attending son) homeless and nearly penniless. He disappears with all the money and his female business partner so Torrie, with nowhere to go, heads to her estranged mom’s house in Singing Falls. Little does she know it is a haven for the paranormal and women who inherit their witch abilities after they turn 40. Torrie recently turned 40 so she is in for another big surprise.
The story unfolds with multiple murders occurring just as Torrie is making new friends and getting to reconnect with her mom. Lots of plot twists and an entertaining read. I enjoyed Torrie’s naïveté to her mom’s strange, magical world and her own emerging powers. Once she accepts that magic is real she immerses herself in the atmosphere as though it is the most natural thing to experience. I really appreciated her empathy and compassion and the way she expresses herself and helps others. She has risen above her situation and despair to embrace her new/older self and inner power. I look forward to reading what happens next in the following book. (This was a good suggestion from my Kindle Unlimited list)
April 10, 2023
Three and a half stars with potential
The characters are likeable enough based on the superficial introductions the reader is given, but they tend to lack any real substance. Fated mates are a favorite trope for me, but Torie's new reality is a study in "insta" perfection: instant besties, instant unimaginable wealth, instant acceptance into a new community, instant mastery of previously unknown abilities, and, of course, instant romance, all of which combine to present the main character as unrelatable.
The world-building includes a few variants that can add interest in later installments of this series, and the murder mystery is a facet of an overriding story arc that also has much potential for the future.
I thoroughly enjoy paranormal women's fiction as a genre; the childish "problems", the lack of confidence and consistent sound decision making, and the willingness to tolerate less than her due have been whittled away by time to present a strong lead character that engages the reader in rooting for her well-earned HEA. Remove all references to Torie's age and to her child and what's left is an unremarkable YA read with potential. There are also a couple of continuity issues that could have used more careful editing. Hex After Forty may be a bit disappointing to PWF readers; however, this story could easily appeal to a YA audience.
The characters are likeable enough based on the superficial introductions the reader is given, but they tend to lack any real substance. Fated mates are a favorite trope for me, but Torie's new reality is a study in "insta" perfection: instant besties, instant unimaginable wealth, instant acceptance into a new community, instant mastery of previously unknown abilities, and, of course, instant romance, all of which combine to present the main character as unrelatable.
The world-building includes a few variants that can add interest in later installments of this series, and the murder mystery is a facet of an overriding story arc that also has much potential for the future.
I thoroughly enjoy paranormal women's fiction as a genre; the childish "problems", the lack of confidence and consistent sound decision making, and the willingness to tolerate less than her due have been whittled away by time to present a strong lead character that engages the reader in rooting for her well-earned HEA. Remove all references to Torie's age and to her child and what's left is an unremarkable YA read with potential. There are also a couple of continuity issues that could have used more careful editing. Hex After Forty may be a bit disappointing to PWF readers; however, this story could easily appeal to a YA audience.
November 24, 2024
Not entirely sure why I bothered finishing this….
When Torie’s marriage to a wealthy jerk blows apart, she decides to retreat and spend time with her mom in quiet Singing Springs, a small town deep in the backwoods. Her reunion with her mom is filled with surprises, but also with horror….when her mom is among several murdered locals. Torie, along with her new-found friends, is determined to discover the identity of the killer. Could it be one of the werewolves she finds curiously attractive???
It’s just a bland, lukewarm, white-bread sandwich of a murder mystery. I never really cared about any of the characters, which should really be the author’s primary goal: giving your reader someone to engage with and cheer for.
Then there’s the fantasy/magical elements that just make it worse (if that’s even possible). There’s an entire spectrum of supernatural beings, and their talents/abilities, and none of it makes any sense. It’s as if the author thought if you mix enough shifters, vampires, witches, and werewolves together…it would somehow make the story better. It doesn’t.
So..I’m done.
When Torie’s marriage to a wealthy jerk blows apart, she decides to retreat and spend time with her mom in quiet Singing Springs, a small town deep in the backwoods. Her reunion with her mom is filled with surprises, but also with horror….when her mom is among several murdered locals. Torie, along with her new-found friends, is determined to discover the identity of the killer. Could it be one of the werewolves she finds curiously attractive???
It’s just a bland, lukewarm, white-bread sandwich of a murder mystery. I never really cared about any of the characters, which should really be the author’s primary goal: giving your reader someone to engage with and cheer for.
Then there’s the fantasy/magical elements that just make it worse (if that’s even possible). There’s an entire spectrum of supernatural beings, and their talents/abilities, and none of it makes any sense. It’s as if the author thought if you mix enough shifters, vampires, witches, and werewolves together…it would somehow make the story better. It doesn’t.
So..I’m done.
November 11, 2021
2.5, round up
I wouldn’t call this all out bad, just shallow and scattered. I liked Torie and all the friends she made in her new town. But I could barely tell all the ladies apart. Plus, the plot and mystery doesn’t really develop so much as just kind of stutter along until the villain decides to reveal themselves.
The writing is perfectly readable, though the editing has a few (though not an overwhelming number) hiccups. I raised a particular eyebrow at this one, “They knew her mother in this life, new her in a way that Torie did not.” <.<
But I do have to make a half-joking objection to calling a book Hex After Forty, which is obviously a play on Sex After Forty, which Torie even says at one point, and then not having any sex in the book, barely even the beginning of a maybe future romance. That’s just mean.
All in all, I wouldn’t warn anyone off the book but I’m not in any hurry to continue the series either.
I wouldn’t call this all out bad, just shallow and scattered. I liked Torie and all the friends she made in her new town. But I could barely tell all the ladies apart. Plus, the plot and mystery doesn’t really develop so much as just kind of stutter along until the villain decides to reveal themselves.
The writing is perfectly readable, though the editing has a few (though not an overwhelming number) hiccups. I raised a particular eyebrow at this one, “They knew her mother in this life, new her in a way that Torie did not.” <.<
But I do have to make a half-joking objection to calling a book Hex After Forty, which is obviously a play on Sex After Forty, which Torie even says at one point, and then not having any sex in the book, barely even the beginning of a maybe future romance. That’s just mean.
All in all, I wouldn’t warn anyone off the book but I’m not in any hurry to continue the series either.
June 15, 2023
Almost cozy, too cozy
There are spoilers.
Our main character certainly rolls well with the punches! Let's get this straight, her husband springs divorce in her, leaving her for his business partner, oh he's also been running a Ponzi Scheme and is wanted for 9 figures, she runs to her mother whom she's been estranged from for 15 years, and then finds said mother murdered in her 2nd day there. Yep, that is a 4-day period of events. Somehow in this same period she makes like 3 new best friends, finds a man she's 'baby crawling' into feelings with and manages to solve the murders. Somehow in spite of this rather unlikely time frame, I found this to be a rather cozy read. I never truly felt overly concerned for the main players of their well-being, the bad guy was slightly obvious so no stress there, it was just an easy read with a nice wrapped up mystery. I may continue, of more likely use it next time i need to read something light and easy.
There are spoilers.
Our main character certainly rolls well with the punches! Let's get this straight, her husband springs divorce in her, leaving her for his business partner, oh he's also been running a Ponzi Scheme and is wanted for 9 figures, she runs to her mother whom she's been estranged from for 15 years, and then finds said mother murdered in her 2nd day there. Yep, that is a 4-day period of events. Somehow in this same period she makes like 3 new best friends, finds a man she's 'baby crawling' into feelings with and manages to solve the murders. Somehow in spite of this rather unlikely time frame, I found this to be a rather cozy read. I never truly felt overly concerned for the main players of their well-being, the bad guy was slightly obvious so no stress there, it was just an easy read with a nice wrapped up mystery. I may continue, of more likely use it next time i need to read something light and easy.
June 17, 2021
A cute story of a rich, suburban housewife whose husband dumps her for his office partner, and then she finds out he's disappeared, along with the bank account, for his part in a Ponzi scheme. She takes what few things that aren't confiscated by the feds and goes to Singing Falls, NC, where her mother lives. There she finds the town is a safe haven for shape shifters, an occasional ghost, a few vampires, witches, and even humans. She falls in love with the town, but is definitley surprised to learn she is a witch. In her family, the females discover this sometime in their forties.
But there is an undercurrent, a fear, in buccolic Singing Falls; someone is killing the shape shifters. It's happened often enough they suspect a serial killer. But when her witch mother is killed as well as the local vet, who is human, the others join forces to look for the killer.
But there is an undercurrent, a fear, in buccolic Singing Falls; someone is killing the shape shifters. It's happened often enough they suspect a serial killer. But when her witch mother is killed as well as the local vet, who is human, the others join forces to look for the killer.
December 31, 2020
Could have been great
The idea behind the book was great. The storyline itself was captivating. This would have made a great series if I could read more by this author.
I would love to know who, if anyone, read and suggested edits or made grammatical corrections. There we so many errors that even a middle school student would catch. Possessive phrases like Mom's pie would read 'moms pie'. There was something they new, not knew. There was one part of the book that referred to three different rooms or settings as being 'well appointed'.
This is a book about a 40 year old woman but sounds like someone trying to fit in with a younger generation. It gives a teen or young adult vibe. I am not a teen or young adult, so it definitely missed its mark with me.
The idea behind the book was great. The storyline itself was captivating. This would have made a great series if I could read more by this author.
I would love to know who, if anyone, read and suggested edits or made grammatical corrections. There we so many errors that even a middle school student would catch. Possessive phrases like Mom's pie would read 'moms pie'. There was something they new, not knew. There was one part of the book that referred to three different rooms or settings as being 'well appointed'.
This is a book about a 40 year old woman but sounds like someone trying to fit in with a younger generation. It gives a teen or young adult vibe. I am not a teen or young adult, so it definitely missed its mark with me.
March 25, 2021
Good
After being deserted by her husband, then finding he had left her with a bit of a situation, Torie heads home to her mother in Singing Falls, NC.
When she gets there, she learns she is a witch, and that someone has been killing shifters in town, a case with tragic consequences for Torie and her new friends.
This was a well paced paranormal mystery... that has a slightly open ended ending. While the main story is solved, there is an underlying story or two that are left unfinished, for subsequent books.
It’s not a bad thing though, the book was an entertaining one, introducing a rather fascinating paranormal world, and one or two beings that are very different!
An enjoyable read for paranormal mystery lovers.
After being deserted by her husband, then finding he had left her with a bit of a situation, Torie heads home to her mother in Singing Falls, NC.
When she gets there, she learns she is a witch, and that someone has been killing shifters in town, a case with tragic consequences for Torie and her new friends.
This was a well paced paranormal mystery... that has a slightly open ended ending. While the main story is solved, there is an underlying story or two that are left unfinished, for subsequent books.
It’s not a bad thing though, the book was an entertaining one, introducing a rather fascinating paranormal world, and one or two beings that are very different!
An enjoyable read for paranormal mystery lovers.
August 6, 2024
Started out well, the husbands devasting news, the resulting impact on our h. BUT then she heads to singing falls. And the wheels started to get wobbly. h discovers she’s a witch, as is her mum and the whole town is paranormal. Basically she just shrugs. Meets a whole lot of female characters, none of whom I could tell apart, and suddenly they are all besties.
The murders start… and the story plods on. There was a disconnect here between the stakes and any real fear for Anyone… and there was only one obvious person who could be doing it all. more murders, more yawning from me, my care factor plummeted and I skim read the final 55%… Bored. Stupid h. Paper thin world building. Scattered story & delivery.
Thankfully free, which is the most positive thing I can say about this offering.
The murders start… and the story plods on. There was a disconnect here between the stakes and any real fear for Anyone… and there was only one obvious person who could be doing it all. more murders, more yawning from me, my care factor plummeted and I skim read the final 55%… Bored. Stupid h. Paper thin world building. Scattered story & delivery.
Thankfully free, which is the most positive thing I can say about this offering.
November 18, 2024
Promising start to a great magical mystery series! I love that the MC Torie is a middle-aged lady, just discovering her magical heritage and powers. While her mother was going to be around to help her learn, that didn't work out exactly as planned. Instead, she's for a new community of paranormal creatures that welcome her, especially after she was instrumental in solving a string of paranormal creature deaths. There are lots of fun unique magical rules about how this particular world is set up, like the pooled generational supernatural bank account - how clever! There is also lots of snark and fun one-liners. A twist at the end ensures that you'll want to have the second book ready to go!
Favorite Line ~ "I may be old but I'm not elderly."
Favorite Line ~ "I may be old but I'm not elderly."
February 7, 2021
This town of Singing Falls is in essence a commune. They pool their wealth, they dont have to worry about taxes or pesky things like jobs. Suddenly Torie has access to communal wealth and generational wealth and I have so many questions about how it all works.
There were a lot of characters and not enough time spent on the characters to the point where the blah attitude of the characters towards the death of one of their own made no sense to me. They barely stopped to be stunned or mourn her death. This book was fast paced but I spent much of bewildered, I am not sure I will be continuing this series.
There were a lot of characters and not enough time spent on the characters to the point where the blah attitude of the characters towards the death of one of their own made no sense to me. They barely stopped to be stunned or mourn her death. This book was fast paced but I spent much of bewildered, I am not sure I will be continuing this series.
April 1, 2021
Interesting things are afoot.
Torie's soon to be ex-husband was a real jerk and so was the woman he left Torie for but, that was only just the beginning. Things get seriously messed up a few days later and Torie's decides to escape to her estranged mother's house in Singing Falls. When she arrives she learns there are all kinds of mysteries all around her. Then, her mother is suddenly gone and everything gets real for her.
This is an interesting book but, the storyline seems a little disjointed and sometimes too predictable. I can recommend it and I will read the next one to see if maybe it was just this book.
Torie's soon to be ex-husband was a real jerk and so was the woman he left Torie for but, that was only just the beginning. Things get seriously messed up a few days later and Torie's decides to escape to her estranged mother's house in Singing Falls. When she arrives she learns there are all kinds of mysteries all around her. Then, her mother is suddenly gone and everything gets real for her.
This is an interesting book but, the storyline seems a little disjointed and sometimes too predictable. I can recommend it and I will read the next one to see if maybe it was just this book.
May 10, 2022
this is an excellent beginning to a new series. I am really enjoying it because it is not all about a woman who is getting divorced or has emptiness syndrome. It is really about a woman who is rediscovering a lot of things about herself and other people, but it is also very interesting and well written. I Did not get several twists which I enjoyed a lot. The narrator on Audible (Traci Odom) is consistently excellent. I have heard a number of books from the narrator and there are times lately that I will Listen to a book if she is the narrator. Some narrators have screechy or excessively sweet tones. It ruins the book. She adds to the book.
October 21, 2020
Really Good
Ok, so it starts off as many of these PWF books do, with an over 40 wife given the boot by a nasty cheating husband. Then the wife moves home to a small town where her mother lives. And wham! The action starts even before she teaches her Mom's house, and does not stop. It was a really good murder mystery with a reasonable end but one open plot point, I assume to be taken up in some future book. We also get a hint into the plot of the next book. I am looking forward to that one. Great read.
Ok, so it starts off as many of these PWF books do, with an over 40 wife given the boot by a nasty cheating husband. Then the wife moves home to a small town where her mother lives. And wham! The action starts even before she teaches her Mom's house, and does not stop. It was a really good murder mystery with a reasonable end but one open plot point, I assume to be taken up in some future book. We also get a hint into the plot of the next book. I am looking forward to that one. Great read.
November 4, 2020
Great start to a new PWF series. Totally loving this emerging genre.
Likable characters, charming setting.
Quite a few surprises, some of which I saw coming a mile away, others only from around the corner and some that were actually surprising. :)
Curious to see how this will unfold further and from the looks of things loop back around to some degree at least. Curiouser and curiouser.
No obvious editorial issues, only one typo that I can remember, though timekeeping / keeping track of time was a bit spotty
Likable characters, charming setting.
Quite a few surprises, some of which I saw coming a mile away, others only from around the corner and some that were actually surprising. :)
Curious to see how this will unfold further and from the looks of things loop back around to some degree at least. Curiouser and curiouser.
No obvious editorial issues, only one typo that I can remember, though timekeeping / keeping track of time was a bit spotty
April 5, 2022
I honestly picked this book up for a reading challenge. I usually read about much younger characters. That being said, "Hex After Forty" is quite an enjoyable read. It has everything I enjoy in a good fantasy novel. It was full of likable characters that I found myself rooting for. The magic system is believable and there was so many species of supernaturals included in this story. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens to the characters of this little town next, now that they've solved the murders.
November 5, 2024
I have submitted this review after listening to the audiobook of this title within the series set box. (Audible Membership)
To be told that her husband wanted a divorce, one night as they were eating dinner, was just the start of Torie's misadventures.
What happens next is your world's worst nightmares. So, going home to her mother at forty isn't everyone's dream.
She does get to have one night with her mother when disaster strikes. What happens from then on is the crux of this tale.
Looking forward to what happens next!
To be told that her husband wanted a divorce, one night as they were eating dinner, was just the start of Torie's misadventures.
What happens next is your world's worst nightmares. So, going home to her mother at forty isn't everyone's dream.
She does get to have one night with her mother when disaster strikes. What happens from then on is the crux of this tale.
Looking forward to what happens next!
August 15, 2020
Torrie was a forty something woman in need of a reboot
Torie was blindsided by her husband at a restaurant non the less. Her husband wanted out and was moving on. All her assets were frozen by the government. She needed to go home to see her mom. What she finds will forever change her life. She discovers she's a witch, her while mom's side of females to be exact. She's thrust into a new and scary world.
Torie was blindsided by her husband at a restaurant non the less. Her husband wanted out and was moving on. All her assets were frozen by the government. She needed to go home to see her mom. What she finds will forever change her life. She discovers she's a witch, her while mom's side of females to be exact. She's thrust into a new and scary world.
August 17, 2020
These tales with midlife heroines are truly a breath of fresh air. The struggles are real but are presented with humor and grace and some magical glue holding a readers firm to the pages! It doesn’t hurt when their love interests are mature hunks as well. This story is intertwined with both sorrow and joy allowing us to engage with the emotions of the characters. A great book one. All my reviews are always voluntarily written.
September 3, 2020
Good first book in a series.
This is the first in a series and the first I have read by this author. The characters started to take shape but never seemed to be fully formed. It had a great story line though so that is what kept me going. A good cozy ish paranormal mystery that sort if felt like an episode of Scooby do. The next one will hopefully go more in depth. Over all a good short book.
This is the first in a series and the first I have read by this author. The characters started to take shape but never seemed to be fully formed. It had a great story line though so that is what kept me going. A good cozy ish paranormal mystery that sort if felt like an episode of Scooby do. The next one will hopefully go more in depth. Over all a good short book.
September 3, 2020
My first from this author & I loved it!
Can't wait to read all the Authors other books. I loved the snark of some characters. The main character is a very caring person who at times is braver than she should be, for not knowing magic. Loved the scene where she woke up next to a man on a work table & her son walk in to find a half naked shifter as well. Trust me you will laugh your head off! So hilarious.
Can't wait to read all the Authors other books. I loved the snark of some characters. The main character is a very caring person who at times is braver than she should be, for not knowing magic. Loved the scene where she woke up next to a man on a work table & her son walk in to find a half naked shifter as well. Trust me you will laugh your head off! So hilarious.
September 14, 2020
Not necessarily a bad read
Rather superficial, simplistic dialogue, shallow characters, little detail. Has amazing potential given the setting and story. Just not a lot to interest a reader compared to so many books now about 40+ yr old women coming into their own. There's a lot off books out there that are much more compelling and colorful in terms of characters and their lives and environments
Rather superficial, simplistic dialogue, shallow characters, little detail. Has amazing potential given the setting and story. Just not a lot to interest a reader compared to so many books now about 40+ yr old women coming into their own. There's a lot off books out there that are much more compelling and colorful in terms of characters and their lives and environments
October 7, 2020
Didnt hold me
The world building didnt pull me in. I was lost at the wolves having poison in their claws. Have you seen the size of wolfs? No poison needed. That part is purely personal though but it was the part where i started skipping. Jumped to the end of the book. It just didnt hold me. I love the idea of the genere but this secondary batch just doesn't seem to have the same quality.
The world building didnt pull me in. I was lost at the wolves having poison in their claws. Have you seen the size of wolfs? No poison needed. That part is purely personal though but it was the part where i started skipping. Jumped to the end of the book. It just didnt hold me. I love the idea of the genere but this secondary batch just doesn't seem to have the same quality.
November 19, 2020
This is a great paranormal women's fiction novel. Torie doesn't find out she is a witch until she goes to move in with her mother after her criminal husband disappears. She lost everything - the Feds take it all. All she has are the clothes she took and her son. She is just learning about her powers when her mother is murdered. Torie and her new friends vow to solve her mother's murder and the other supernaturals who have been murdered in Singing Falls. This is where the action begins.
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