Hexes and Holly

by Tegan Maher (Contributor), Amorette Anderson (Contributor), Misty Bane (Contributor)

Tis the season for tinsel, turkey, and… toe of frog? It’s time for another holiday anthology from fourteen of your favorite paranormal mystery authors. These never-before-published snow-filled short stories and novellas are sure to send your spine tingling this holiday season! Grab your copy of Hexes and Holly, and get in the mood for some magical mysteries in time for Yule and Christmas this year!

Yule Tide Murder – Jenna St. James
Hidden in Plain Sight (Hillcrest Witch) – Amorette Anderson
Bespelled (Beatrice Montoya) – Ava Mallory
Things that Go Bump and the Knight (Avalon Café) – Hermione Moon
Lost Souls Paraagency and The Christmas Siren (Lost Souls ParaAgency) – K.M. Waller
Angels, Eggnog, and Murder (Crossover: Keyhole Lake Mysteries, Southern Soul Hunter, Celestial Academy) – Tegan Maher
Mystic Greetings (Mystic’s End ) – Leanne Leeds
Merry Misdeeds (Witches of Shadow Lane) – Misty Bane
Mintwood Christmas Paws (Witch of Mintwood )– Addison Creek
But Wait, There’s Myrrh (prequel to the MenoPaws Mysteries) – Morgana Best
Wicked Gift of the Witch (Mag and Clara Balefire Mysteries) – ReGina Welling & Erin Lynn
All I Witch for Christmas is You (Fairy Falls Mysteries) -- Samantha Silver
Mistletoe Murder (Cornish Witch Mystery) – Stella Berry
Sugarplum Spooks (Spirited Sweets) – Stephanie Damore

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Anthologies, Fantasy, Paranormal, Paranormal Mystery

598 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2020

About the author

I was born and raised in the South and even hung my motorcycle helmet in Colorado for a few months. I've always had a touch of wanderlust and have never feared just packing up and going on new adventures, whether in real life or via the pages of a great book.

When I was a little girl, I didn't want to grow up to be a writer—I wanted to raise unicorns and be a superhero. When those gigs fell through, I chose the next best thing: creating my own magical lands filled with adventure, magic, humor, and romance.

I live in Florida with my two dogs and when I'm not writing or reading, I'm racing motorcycles with my taller, more handsome half, hanging out at the beach, or binge-watching anything magical on Netflix.

I'm eternally grateful for all the people who help make my life what is today - friends, readers, family. No woman is an island.

To become a part of my readers group and learn about my new releases, giveaways, and other exciting news, check out my website at www.teganmaher.com.

Reviews

[Miss W Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hexes and Holly is a wonderful Christmas Anthology featuring some of the best cozy mystery authors there is!

Morgana Best's "But Wait... There's Myrrh" is a fantastic funny novella. Jennifer is the protagonist and she is hitting menopause and something else is also going on, something magical! This story was SO hilarious and well written. There's murder, menopause, and mayhem. This prequel novella to a new cozy paranormal women's fiction leaves me wanting more and I cannot wait for this new series.

Yule Tide Murder by Jenna St. James is so fun. Fights going back hundreds of years and multiple suspects for murder and robbery. This is such a great book with Serena and Grant.

Hidden in Plain Sight by Amorette Anderson
If you read the Hillcrest series you will love this! Marley and Penny have a mystery on their hands finding the stolen christmas decorations. Gargoyles and witches make for such a fun story.

Bespelled by Ava Mallory
This was such a fun short story . A Beatrice Montoya short. I really loved it!

Things that Go Bump and the Knight by Hermoine Moon.
I haven't read this series yet, but I loved this story and reading about the Avalon Cafe.
I will definitely be picking up other books in the series.

Lost Souls ParaAgency and The Christmas Siren by K.M. Waller
I love the Lost Souls ParaAgency so much and this was a great addition.
Such a fun story.

Angels, Eggnog, and Murder by Tegan Maher
This story was so AMAZING! I think it takes a very talented author to be able to do a crossover and seamlessly incorporate 3 different series. Kira from Southern Soul Hunter series goes home with Shelby to Keyhole Lake and their is a murder to solve. I loved the story from Kira's voice it was so neat to see Keyhole Lake from her perspective as an outsider.

Mystic Greetings by Leanne Leeds
I hadn't read this author before and this was an interesting story. It was short and I think I need to go look at her other books to understand the characters a bit more.

Merry Misdeeds by Misty Bane
A fun story . There is a Christmas festival and a woman that has way too many enemies is killed.
The setting is all paranormals which I really enjoyed. I will look for more from this author.

Mintwood Christmas Paws by Addison Creek
This was a fun story, and I really enjoyed Paws. I will definitely check out more of this authors work.


Wicked Gift of the Witch by ReGina Welling & Erin Lynn
I REALLY loved this one! Hagatha Crow oh my goodness! She tries to spoil Christmas, but it doesn't worked as planned. I LOVE this series and I was so pleased to read this fun short story. If you haven't read the series yet, I highly recommend it!

All I Witch for Christmas is You by Samantha Silver
This short story is from the new Fairy Falls series which I LOVE!
Mina and Pawdrey are auditioning for a film role for Pawdrey when a rare gem is stolen.
This was a great mystery that I really loved. If you have not read this author yet, go run and check her out. The next book in this series comes out November 15th and I am really excited!

Mistletoe Murder by Stella Berry
This was a different type of mystery and a bit sad. The main characters is very likeable.

Sugarplum Spooks by Stephanie Damore
I love this series with Claire and Nick. I always get so excited to read books from this series.
The mystery was well written and I love the characters in this story. Definitely check out the rest of the series.

[Caryn - iam.caryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Averaged out, this book is a 2.8 star read. I bumped it up to 3. Some of these stories were very enjoyable, but most of them were disappointing.

Yule Tide Murder by Jenna St. James
★★★★☆
I read the Halloween story with these characters in Pumpkin and Potions. I liked this one even more! I hope this story is continuing in a series or in other holiday short.

Hidden in Plain Sight by Amorette Anderson
★★★☆☆
Enjoyable and quite funny. Liked this one even more than the Halloween story.

Bespelled by Ava Mallory
*no rating*
Decided to skip this one because the previous short story I read by this author had a writing style that didn’t I like.

Things that Go Bump and the Knight by Hermione Moon
★★★★★
My goodness this was so cute! It definitely made me want to read the series.

Lost Souls Paraagency and The Christmas Siren by K.M. Waller
★★★☆☆
A fun story, if a bit simple. This easily could be made into a really good full length novel.

Angels, Eggnog, and Murder by Tegan Maher
★★★☆☆
Well written and magical.

Mystic Greetings by Leanne Leeds
★★☆☆☆
Um. I’m not sure what happened here? I don’t fully understand what was happening. But it was written well enough. It was very open ended. Felt like it was the first six chapters of book 2 in a series and that’s all were getting. Maybe it will continue in a series? I’ll have to look into that.

Merry Misdeeds by Misty Bane
★★☆☆☆
It was written ok, and I didn’t see the twist coming. But all in all, it was bland.

Mintwood Christmas Paws by Addison Creek
★☆☆☆☆
I’m kind of sad how many of these stories have been disappointing. Can’t say I liked this one at all.

But Wait, There’s Myrrh by Morgana Best
★★☆☆☆
It’s started strong but it went downhill fast.

Wicked Gift of the Witch by ReGina Welling & Erin Lynn
★★★★☆
Honestly this was just fun.

All I Witch for Christmas is You by Samantha Silver
★★★☆☆
Enjoyed the fun witchy renaming of places (Hollywitch, Spellcatraz). Would like to continue this series.

Mistletoe Murder by Stella Berry
★★★☆☆
A bit different because there were no chapters. But the story was written well enough.

Sugarplum Spooks by Stephanie Damore
★★★★☆
Another fun story by Damore. I’ve read a couple of other books written by this author and I’ve enjoyed each one.

[Cathy Geha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hexes and Holly
A Paranormal Christmas Mystery Anthology

In this collection of paranormal cozy short stories and novellas you will find holiday fun for everyone. I have read the one book by an author I follow but look forward to reading each and every story in this collection…and might do so as we get closer to the holidays.

Hermione Moon’s holiday mystery, THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE KNIGHT takes us back to the Avalon Café where a year ago something unusual took place. A story requested by her friends sees recently married Gwen Young telling her husband Arthur and two others all about food that went missing spookily from her café and how the mystery of where it was going was solved. This was a quick read reminded me of the books that came before and just how much this cozy mystery that includes King Arthur, Guinevere, ghosts, murder, romance and more has been so much fun to read.

I highly recommend this collection as a fun and interesting way to sample new-to-you authors while getting into the holiday spirit.

Thank you to the authors for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

[Wulfwyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am reviewing But Wait... There’s Myrrh by Morgana Best. I enjoy Morgana Best books. She has a great sense of humor that I always look forward to in her books. This story was right on target. Jennifer is a new character for me. Being close in age I could relate to her a bit. I don’t want to give a way the mystery so I will just say it was interesting. I liked the ending which I found to be intriguing. It would be fun to read more of Jennifer.
I was given an advanced copy of this story for review consideration.
I have read and greatly enjoyed books by the following authors, who also have stories in this collection, Jenna St James, Mona Marple, K.M. Waller, Tegan Maher, Stephanie Damore, Regina Welling, Misty Bane, and Amorette Anderson. With this line up, I can say reading this book will be a definite good time. I have pre-ordered it.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I give this book a 4.2 Star rating. It was an interesting, entertaining mix of stories.

Yule Tide Murder by Jenna St. James---5 Stars
A cute little cozy mystery. With feuds going back 370 years, there are several suspects and plenty of motive for the murder and robbery. Serena and Grant must work together to solve the crime. I will be checking out more books in this series and by this author.


Hidden in Plain Sight: A Hillcrest Witch Christmas Special by Amorette Anderson---4 Stars
An enjoyable short story. Marley and Penny have to find the Christmas decorations stolen from the bank so their friend doesn't lose her job. Do two gargoyles hold the key? I have already downloaded the first book in this series and plan to read it soon.


Bespelled: A Beatrice Montoya Mini Mystery by Ava Mallory---2 Stars
This was a weird little vignette. It didn't really make much sense. I felt like it was a piece of a story. I can't believe someone can't tell the difference between a real human foot and a phony one. There was no crime to solve.


Things that Go Bump and the Knight: The Avalon Café Book 4.5 by Hermione Moon---5 Stars
A sweet story. I love this series and this story just adds to it so well. Gwen tells a story about what happened last Christmas at the Avalon Café. I'm anxiously waiting for the next book in the series.


Lost Souls ParaAgency and The Christmas Siren by K.M. Waller---5 Stars
An interesting story. I never thought of a siren as being male but why not. Young love run amok. I will be reading more of The Lost Souls ParaAgency series.


Angels, Eggnog, and Murder: A Keyhole Lake/ Southern Soul Hunter Christmas Crossover by Tegan Maher---5 Stars
An interesting mix of angels, witches, and ghosts. When Kira goes home for Christmas with Shelby a murder occurs and they are in the middle of figuring out what happened. I look forward to reading more books by this author.


Mystic Greetings by Leanne Leeds---2 Stars
This was a piece of a story. It just cut off midway through. It felt like a prologue. I really feel like you needed to have read previously about Fortuna and Gunther to fully understand what they are talking about most of the time. I didn't appreciate Arkansans being portrayed as backwoods hicks. I won't be reading anything else by this author.


Merry Misdeeds by Misty Bane---5 Stars
An enjoyable story. A woman with many enemies is killed at the Christmas festival on an island of magicals. I plan on reading more books by this author.


Mintwood Christmas Paws by Addison Creek---5 Stars
A cute story. Lemmi, Charlie, and Greer have to figure out why Paws is so miserable and threatening to leave. I'm looking forward to reading more books in this series.


But Wait, There’s Myrrh by Morgana Best---2 Stars
This was just weird. You don't just fall over dead from anaphylactic shock. Your throat begins closing and you can't breathe. Jennifer was abused by her husband and her children but she still loves them--just doesn't like them. Give me a break. At menopause women come into their powers? Absurd. Why does she do all the weird things some cats do when she should still think like a human? Why doesn't she wish herself back to human form?


Wicked Gift of the Witch by ReGina Welling & Erin Lynn---5 Stars
An enjoyable story of a bad witch, Hagatha Crow, whose plans to ruin someone's Christmas backfires in spectacular fashion. I've read other stories in the Mag and Clara Balefire Mysteries series and enjoyed them as well.


All I Witch for Christmas is You by Samantha Silver---5 Stars
An entertaining short story. Mina and Pawdrey are present when a crime occurs but they don't see what happens. Mina still solves the crime and learns the true meaning of Christmas.


Mistletoe Murder by Stella Berry---4 Stars
An intriguing mystery. It was sad, too. Morgana is intelligent and likable. I will be reading more books by this author.


Sugarplum Spooks by Stephanie Damore---5 Stars
An interesting ghost story. I like Claire, Nick, and Ellen. I look forward to reading more of this series.

[Lesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The average length of most of these books is 3-6 chapters, though a few are a bit longer. Some involve a murder but all involve a mystery that needs solving.

Yule Tide Murder 5* by Jenna St. James. A murder and theft appear to involve a centuries old feud. Serena Spellburn and Detective Grant Wolfe set out to uncover the truth. A great little story.

Hidden in Plain Sight 5* by Amorette Anderson. Amateur witches Marley and Penny have only hours to find a special box of decorations that disappeared in thin air before they could be used to decorate the bank for Christmas. If not found before the town judging, their friend Monique could lose her job.

Bespelled 4* by Ava Mallory. A story that starts gruesome, then morphs into comedy, then finally understanding. Very cleverly done in such a short story.

Things That Go Bump and the Knight 5* by Hermione Moon. A super cute story about giving to those less fortunate at Christmas.

Lost Souls ParaAgency and the Christmas Siren 5* by K M Waller. A town is taken over by the Christmas spirit to the detriment of their health and Jordie has to solve the problem of a love-lorn siren.

Angels, Eggnog and Murder 4* by Tegan Maher. Christmas with a difference, Kira a demoted angel and her witch friend Shelby, along with Shelby’s family need to find out who killed a bitter old man so that they can enjoy the Christmas season in peace.

Mystic Greetings 2* by Leanne Leeds. A strange and unfinished story. I think too for this novella it would be useful to have some background knowledge of previous books.

Merry Misdeeds 4* by Misty Bane. Surprising twist to this murder/mystery which I didn’t see coming.

Mintwood Christmas Paws 3* by Addison Creek. Lemmi needs to solve the mystery of why the cat ghost Paws is grumpier than usual and threatening to leave their family unit.

But Wait, There’s Myrrh 4* by Morgan’s Best. After a lifetime of being bullied, Jennifer hits the menopause, her husband is murdered and she transfers into a cat! A unique story that will make you laugh out loud.

Wicked Gift of the Witch 4* by ReGina Welling & Erin Lynn. A wicked witch’s mischief making spells, don’t quite have the effect she planned. This story raised a smile.

All I Witch for Christmas is You 5* by Samantha Silver. A famous and valuable ruby is stolen and to save the town’s reputation and to allow a movie to go ahead, Mina needs to recover the jewel. A fab little story.

Mistletoe Murder 5* by Stella Berry. In a small Cornish village Morgana helps the local police with murder cases. Unfortunately in the case of the woman poisoned by mistletoe, all she has to go on is the flash of intense rage that she felt from a nearby person and a feeling of responsibility because she was the only person at the Christmas Fayre selling mistletoe. A clever little whodunnit.

Sugarplum Spooks 5* by Stephanie Damore. A fun murder mystery featuring friendly, and not so friendly ghosts. Very enjoyable short story.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from one of the authors. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Angela Griffin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A smart collection

This is a great collection and perfect for creating fans of unfamiliar series. YULETIDE MURDER is a well- written, five-star read with charming characters; I can't wait to begin this series and be there for Grant's reveal! HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT is from a series I'm already familiar with; it's much better with Marley as the main and Penny as the sidekick. The very imaginative mystery and solution earned 4 stars. BESPELLED has Beatrice and Daisy offering Lucy/Ethel-level inanity, and the mystery is both scattered and rushed; however, there are intriguing possibilities for Bea and Jonah which have me willing to give the series for this 3-star read a try. THINGS THAT GO BUMP AND THE KNIGHT is worth every bit of 5 stars for the clever, well-imagined world-building, engaging characters, and very unusual mystery & resolution; I raced to get the recipe and the first in the series! I did not enjoy LOST SOULS PARAAGENCY AND THE CHRISTMAS SIREN. The 5-star crossover, ANGELS, EGGNOG, AND MURDER, has spurred my interest in two new-to-me series with younger characters than I generally prefer; Kira's backstory is of particular interest. I really enjoyed the quirky characters and surprising twist to the mystery. MYSTIC GREETINGS, 5 stars: The world-building for this series is spectacularly unusual, and the paranormal chaos in this specific tale is complex and beguiling me to read more! The 4-star MERRY MISDEEDS had me guiltily thinking that murder found a most deserving victim! I enjoy "The Witches of Shadow Lane" so this holiday short is a treat with its quirky cast and engaging murder mystery with a twist. However, the ending is unsatisfyingly abrupt and there are too many proofing issues. MINTWOOD CHRISTMAS PAWS was a 3-star story for me; it felt disjointed and far too centered on the mystery of the obnoxious dead cat. The premise is strong but the lead is weak in BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE. WICKED GIFT OF THE WITCH is a surprising and fun 4-star holiday tale. ALL I WITCH FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU: I expect to enjoy furthering my acquaintance with newbie Mina and her familiar, Pawdrey Hepburn (love that name!), but the mystery and solution are almost immediately obvious. 5-star MISTLETOE MURDER is well-written with a bittersweet ending. I like that Morgana has an unusual power that is so overwhelming she shut it down in her teens; however, she now uses it sparingly to assist law enforcement. This holiday collection ends on a high note with the 5-star offering, SUGAR PLUM SPOOKS. This author appears to excel in the bittersweet; the manner of death, as well as the death itself,harbors elements both sad and sweet. The entire series is founded on a bittersweet circumstance between a husband and wife, but the writing is so fine, and this ending is so sweet.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hexes and Holly (Mystic's End) is a fourteen author holiday anthology. The short novellas are by Tegan Maher, Jenna St. James, Amorette Anderson, Misty Bane, Stella Berry, Morgana Best, Stephanie Damore, Leanne Leeds, Hermione Moon, K.M. Waller, Regina Welling, Erin Lynn, Addison Creek, Ava Mallory, and Samantha Silver. Some of these fantasy or paranormal authors I am familiar with while others are new to read. Which is the biggest selling point for me with this kind of book. This way I can try out new authors yet still enjoy some short pieces by favorite ones. Also this time of year where much is going on with the holidays so it is difficult to start and stop a long novel when time is in shortage. An hour or two tops will finish any of these selections.

My favorite of these is Things that Go Bump and the Knight by Hermione Moon. I have read all in The Avalon Café Series, the author’s only series so far. I couldn’t imagine how this would work since the last book in the series has revelations that take place after this novella. Never fear, this master writer gives the reader the main character Gwen telling a story about the past. So even if you are new to this cozy paranormal mystery series you will not be lost or confused. Everything fits in place. Wonderful loved it.

Some will say the novellas are too short but for me I am hesitant to put a large investment in a book that I may not like at all. I like trying out new ones in a format such as this where there is bound to be some I like perhaps even love. This makes it easy to get to know a new author, introduce yourself to a new series or catch up with a favorite one with these novellas. A total win.

The publisher/author gave me a complimentary ARC of the book which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Irene S · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want an anthology with a mixture of mystery and the paranormal set at Christmas time, this will satisfy your wish. I have read a few of the stories and will continue you reading a few at a time during this Christmas season. Here is a brief description of the first few stories:

Yule Tide Murder by Jenna St. James - Serena Spellburn helps Detective Wolfe solve a mystery involving a murder, a theft of a yule log, and a feud.

Hidden in Plain Sight by Amorette Anderson - Witch Marley and her friend Penny looking for the stolen Christmas decoration, Polly the Penguin, to help their friend Monique.

Bespelled by Ava Mallory - Bea is roped into go through boxes of Christmas decorations for the Christmas festival. They are surprised to find a human foot.

My favorite story so far is Things that Bump and the Knight by Hermione Moon - Kitchen witch Gwen is baking Yule Wishes cake that gives each customer a Christmas wish. Gwen is concerned to learn that cakes and pies are disappearing after the bakery is closed at night. Something magical might be happening.

I received a free copy of this ebook anthology from an author. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. I love anthologies because I can read short stories from a variety of authors. I am enjoying reading this light collection.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great fun set of stories to read between Halloween and Christmas! Each story revolves around Christmas events, food, romance and even murder and mystery but they all have magic in them. After all, witches don't take Christmas off and they can make the festivities all the more fun and interesting. From an island filled with witches, elves and other creatures to a Christmas town with a resident witch to make things more interesting, to an enchanting tale of a kitchen witch who learns to true meaning of Christmas giving; all the tales are sweet, magic and romantic. I especially loved Things That Go Bump in the Night. Although this story can be read alone, it is so much more compelling if you read the other books in the Knight series to learn about the spirit of King (well a warrior he claims) Arthur coming back to life after 1500 years when he finds the spirit of his beloved Gwen as a kitchen witch who cooks good spells into her food to help her village. They are such a sweet couple and this story is full of Christmas magic, love, and a little intrigue to boot. I volunteered to read and review an early copy of the anthology and I am so glad that I did. Enjoy!

[Eileen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only novella I read in the Hexes and Holly Paranormal Cozy Mystery Holiday Anthology was Things that Go Bump and the Knight by Hermione Moon. This was a delightful and intriguing story. Kitchen witch Gwen Young has been grieving the death of her mother, yet she knows something strange is going on in her café. Each morning, as they near Christmas, she and her staff have discovered that the extra and leftover baked goods are missing. Yet, no one is entering the café during the night when the place is closed. It isn’t until someone reminds her that her mother always contributed those extra and leftover baked goods to those in need, that Gwen figured out what is happening. Ms. Moon created a story that is full of enchantment, legends, along with the perfect mix of suspense, and magic. I was so caught up in the story that I kept reading, finishing this book in one sitting. I highly recommend Things that Go Bump and the Knight and the rest of the anthology to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

[Diana in SC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hermione Moon's story is heartwarming

This is a lovely collection of Christmas-themed paranormal cozy mystery stories from a lot of popular authors. So far, I have only read Hermione Moon's short story, and I am basing my review on that one only.

I really liked Hermione Moon's lovely little story. It is a nice Christmasy addition to my favorite paranormal cozy mystery series, the Avalon Cafe. It is book 4.5, but it can be read as a standalone or out of order. Our heroine, the good witch Gwen, tells her friends about what happened to her the previous Christmas (before King Arthur became re-embodied). Gwen had a puzzling little mystery: just before Christmas, cakes disappeared from her cafe overnight. It is a cozy little story that spreads some Christmas spirit.

I received a free advanced reading copy from one of the authors, and I voluntarily wrote this honest review.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jennifer, is married to the James .
James is Definitely Number 1 Cheater in
This Marriage. Jennifer is coming into Menopausal
The Change.... well its Definitely a different. Kinda Change..

James is definitely not what you would call a nice guy.
James has many lovers...
Lovers that could cost you more than your marriage.

Jennifer Best Friend Agatha has more going on in this story.
Agatha will make you. Use that power to change.
It's the safest thing at this point.

This was a Short story.
Was Short But Sweet. Thank you Morgana Best.

Merged review:

Jennifer, is married to James .
James is Definitely Number 1 Cheater in
This Marriage. Jennifer is coming into Menopausal
The Change.... well its Definitely a different. Kinda Change..

James is definitely not what you would call a nice guy.
James has many lovers...
Lovers that could cost you more than your marriage.

Jennifer Best Friend Agatha has more going on in this story.
Agatha will make you. Use that power to change.
It's the safest thing at this point.

This was a Short story.
Was Short But Sweet. Thank you Morgana Best.

[JigsawGirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a review for Things That Go Bump and the Knight (The Avalon Cafe #4.5) by Hermione Moon:

A short story of a tale Gwen tells about a mystery occurring in the Avalon Cafe. The thing is that I would never have figured out who was responsible.

That is one of the many things I love about this series. There is almost nothing in it that is blatantly obvious. The writing often whisks you away to not only another place, but often another time. This particular story is like a tantalizing tidbit that gives you just enough of a tale to tempt you into reading a longer book.

I am looking forward to the next book in the series. I will also finish reading the other books in this anthology.

I voluntarily read and reviewed the Advanced Reader Copy of this book.

[Monina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Morgana's story "But Wait... There's Myrrh" in Hexes and Holly Anthology

Since I started reading the first chapter I saw this was going to be a hilarious short story. And I was right. Ms Best has us accustomed to wonderful funny cozy mysteries and this is one short peek of what all her books are: GREAT!

This story is told by a cat and as an owner of a wonderful dog, I feel I've been loosing some "experiences" that you get with cats.
Loved the book, loved the twists and turns in the story, Loved it all!

Merged review:

Morgana's story "But Wait... There's Myrrh" in Hexes and Holly Anthology

Since I started reading the first chapter I saw this was going to be a hilarious short story. And I was right. Ms Best has us accustomed to wonderful funny cozy mysteries and this is one short peek of what all her books are: GREAT!

This story is told by a cat and as an owner of a wonderful dog, I feel I've been loosing some "experiences" that you get with cats.
Loved the book, loved the twists and turns in the story, Loved it all!

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a review for But Wait... There's Myrrh from Morgana best.
One of the short stories is this set.
Jennifer has lived a life of servitude to her domineering and unfaithful husband, as well as her selfish and ungrateful children who grew to despise her as much as her husband did.
Now she is of the age to hit Menopause, she is developing paranormal powers.

When her husband suddenly drops dead in front of her, she is questioned for his murder.

When she accidentally discovers the true murderer, her paranormal powers allow her to make one more change in which she will finally happy with her situation.

[Rhonda Brant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hexes and Holly is a collection of Christmas paranormal short stories from various authors. One of my favorite authors is Hermione Moon and her short story Things That Go Bump and The Knight is included in this book. Loved that the story picks up with Gwen, Author, Imogen and Christian sitting around the fireplace telling stories. This is a perfect story about giving during the holiday season and Gwen’s special gift of magic and spells. Although you don’t need to read the other books in the series, it helps to give you some great history with these four people. Loved the story and book.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC copy of this book.

[Lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I mainly downloaded this book for the novella ‘Things that go Bump and the Knight’ by Hermione Moon. I’ve read the rest of her Avalon Cafe series and this short story falls in between books 4 and 5. I love the rest of the series and this little gem doesn’t disappoint. Although it can be read as a stand alone story, I’d recommend reading - or rereading - it in conjunction with the other stories to get the most depth out of it.
I really enjoyed the other stories in this anthology as well and have found some new authors that I’ll be reading more of as well.
I received an ARC of this book in return for my honest review.

[Vivian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read two stories from this anthology so far - I am a fan of both authors, so of course I read their stories first, but I do see several other names that are familiar and I will be getting to those shortly. Tegan Maher's contribution was a crossover with characters from two of her series, set against the small town backdrop of Keyhole Lake at Christmas time - very enjoyable. Hermione Moon's novella was much more than I expected - a social lesson in what the season truly means - the spirit of caring and giving - bravo to the author on this one. Looking forward to the rest of the stories!

[Bubby D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hermione Moon does it again
A light clean fun read

A flashback within her ongoing series
But can be read as a standalone

Gwen is retelling an incident that happened a year ago
While at a pub enjoying the holiday season and Arthur's birthday with friends...
Her cafe would close at night with enough pastries left to start off the next morning
When she opened again the shelves were bare
She installed alarms
As a kitchen witch there were wards protecting her shop

The camera showed only a fuzzy image

Discovery and problem solved with a little kindness

Very enjoyable read

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Things That Go Bump in the Knight by Hermione Moon is the only story from this anthology by a fantastic lineup of authors I’ve read so far. But I’ll be making my way through them all.
This is a very good short story in her wonderful series about Gwen the kitchen witch who is married to King Arthur. I love the series and this addition was great. It adds to the series while giving nothing away if you haven’t read the series yet (You’ll want to!) I received an ARC and this is my honest review (so far). ;)

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fifteen paranormal stories by various artists, with the theme of Christmas swirling around the stories. Playful or serious, mysteries or tales of joy, fun activities with ghosts and witches and more. One of my favorite authors, Hermione Moon, contributed the story Things That Go Bump and The Knight, a gentle prequel to her Avalon Cafe series (5 stars for this story alone).

I received a free copy of this book via BookFunnel and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Nadine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful cozy stories!

So far, I’ve only read 4 of the stories:

Amorette Anderson - a Marley the Witch short story. Awesome story!

K.M. Waller - an LSP short story, Jordie’s POV. Wonderful! Recommend!

Morgana Best - This is the story of how I became a cat! FUN!!!

ReGina Welling and Erin Lynn - No mystery, but an enjoyable witchy story!

All of these 4 were 5 star-stories, IMO. I’ll edit my review once I’ve read more, but I’m very much looking forward to it!

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't finished it ask yet and I read it because my favourite author Hermione Moon is part of the compilation. It's only a little story and doesn't reflect just how brilliant the series of books about Gwen and Arthur are. So if you like this little tale try the main series. I have read quite a few of the other stories now too and I have to say I have enjoyed them all so far. What is nice is a little escapism from the woes of lock down looming so it's worked for me!

[Cassey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall I'd say this collection is like one of those bags of mixed chocolate treats - some are amazing and your favs, others are good...while some just bring the whole lot down. But that's the thing with collections, there's going to be reads you love and some that just aren't for you. Either way this collection was mostly some good, easy, light & fluffy reading.

*I'm a lucky fish, who received an ARC of the read*

[Sheryn Sauve · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful anthology of Christmas magic stories.

My focus is on Hermione Moon's short story, Things That Go Bump in the Knight. Warm-hearted baker and witch Gwen tells us a touching mystery story from her past, sharing the magic of Christmas giving. Hints of the other stories in Hermione's Avalon Cafe series of history, magic and love are laid out.

I’m voluntarily reading this ARC book.

[TrishAM · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a charming collection of mystery and magic. The books are mainly short stories and the only author that I have come across before is Hermione Moon whose books I love. However the stories are all different and entertaining in their own right, for anyone wishing for a few hours of pure escapism this could be the set of stories for you .
I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily reviewed it.

[Kim Loomer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful Christmas book full of short mysteries by some of your favorite authors. I loved the book and it has taken me a while to read it as it would read one or two stories then read another book and so on until I finished it last night. It really did leave me with that Christmasy feeling and I loved to be able to read a whole story before going to sleep for the night. So if you are looking for a good read and mysteries that don't take a long time to solve, this is the book for you.

[Darla · Rating 5 out of 5]

If the ARCs I've read that are from this anthology are any indication of the quality of the writing in it then I am very glad to have preordered it. They are light-lighted and have a wonderful ending. Each are little snippets into the lives of my favorite characters and some new ones. I am looking forward to reading the others.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hermione Moon’s contribution to Hexes and Holly is a sweet story about the true spirit of Christmas...the giving...not the receiving. Gwen has a mystery to solve as food left in her cafe overnight begins to disappear. The how and why reveal the lesson. I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book and most highly recommend this series to all.