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Spellford Cove #1
The Witching Flour
Welcome to Spellford Cove, where the baking is sweet and the witches are wild.
Robin Carter's life is less than stellar. All she has going for her are a minimum-wage job she hates, an uncanny ability to attract the biggest losers on her dating app, and a raccoon sitting in her kitchen sink eating her chips. So, when she finds out she's inherited a bakery in a small Washington town, Robin thinks this might just be the fresh start she desperately needs. Upon her arrival, however, Robin finds out she's inherited more than just a small business: she's also got her mother's magical powers.
However, things start going south for Robin when a man dies at the local diner just after her arrival in town and she's fingered as the prime suspect. With half the town thinking she's a killer, Robin decides to take matters into her own hands. But between a ghost who desperately needs therapy, a snarky familiar who loves to quote literature, and a grandmother who walks to the beat of her own drum, Robin really has her hands full.
Will she be able to navigate this new reality and find the killer, or will she crumble like an overcooked brownie?
This is the first book in the Spellford Cove paranormal cozy mystery series.
Robin Carter's life is less than stellar. All she has going for her are a minimum-wage job she hates, an uncanny ability to attract the biggest losers on her dating app, and a raccoon sitting in her kitchen sink eating her chips. So, when she finds out she's inherited a bakery in a small Washington town, Robin thinks this might just be the fresh start she desperately needs. Upon her arrival, however, Robin finds out she's inherited more than just a small business: she's also got her mother's magical powers.
However, things start going south for Robin when a man dies at the local diner just after her arrival in town and she's fingered as the prime suspect. With half the town thinking she's a killer, Robin decides to take matters into her own hands. But between a ghost who desperately needs therapy, a snarky familiar who loves to quote literature, and a grandmother who walks to the beat of her own drum, Robin really has her hands full.
Will she be able to navigate this new reality and find the killer, or will she crumble like an overcooked brownie?
This is the first book in the Spellford Cove paranormal cozy mystery series.
207 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 10, 2021
1101 people are currently reading
787 people want to read
About the author
Samantha Silver
109 books305 followersSamantha Silver lives in British Columbia, Canada, along with her husband and seventeen-year-old dog named Terra.
When she's not writing cozy mysteries, Samantha loves travelling (she's most recently been to Egypt, Jordan and Florida) skiing, eating Dairy Queen, and complaining about how hard running is.
To be notified about new releases, giveaways, sneak previews and more, sign up for Samantha's newsletter by visiting http://www.samanthasilverwrites.com/n...
When she's not writing cozy mysteries, Samantha loves travelling (she's most recently been to Egypt, Jordan and Florida) skiing, eating Dairy Queen, and complaining about how hard running is.
To be notified about new releases, giveaways, sneak previews and more, sign up for Samantha's newsletter by visiting http://www.samanthasilverwrites.com/n...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 145 reviews
February 5, 2021
An enjoyable first visit to Spellford Cove
This is fun, well-conceived, and loaded with potential for future mayhem! Robin has discovered a new family and family secret, an inheritance, and a kitten. Downside: the family thinks they're witches (and may have drugged Robin), the inheritance is in jeopardy due to a murder, and the drugs are making the kitten talk...WHAT?! The characters are engaging, the mystery provides ample suspects and motives, and there are sufficient questions for an overriding story arc to lure the reader into this series. Why did Diane go to such lengths to keep her secret, and what actually happened to her? Who is the purple woman? Does Hunter set off any alarms with anyone besides me? These are just a few of the questions that makes this reader eager for Book Two!
This is fun, well-conceived, and loaded with potential for future mayhem! Robin has discovered a new family and family secret, an inheritance, and a kitten. Downside: the family thinks they're witches (and may have drugged Robin), the inheritance is in jeopardy due to a murder, and the drugs are making the kitten talk...WHAT?! The characters are engaging, the mystery provides ample suspects and motives, and there are sufficient questions for an overriding story arc to lure the reader into this series. Why did Diane go to such lengths to keep her secret, and what actually happened to her? Who is the purple woman? Does Hunter set off any alarms with anyone besides me? These are just a few of the questions that makes this reader eager for Book Two!
May 12, 2022
Unhappy at a mediocre job she hates, a bad picker when it comes to men, and a raccoon sitting in her kitchen sink eating her chips cause Robin Carter to rethink her life. She inherits a bakery in a small town in Washington state, and sees it as the fresh start she needs. Can she bake? No she cannot. On arrival in Spellford Bay, she finds a family she didn’t know she had, and the ability to see dead people. She’s eating at the local diner when the man next to her faceplants in his meal, and of course she’s suspect number one because the outsider is always the easy choice. She’s determined to make a go of the bakery and clear her name.
I’d give this 3.5 stars – it’s been done before, many times, but the writing is witty, the characters likeable, and the settings well described. There are interesting tidbits about running a bakery. And Robin’s talking, book reading, snarky cat familiar, Shakes, is a hoot.
This was a light, easy, quick read, perfect for the treadmill or recumbent bike. Held my interest, made me laugh in spots, and the ending was a surprise. Would I got out of my way to find this? No. But it was fun enough that I will read the next in the series. I’m curious about how things go for Robin.
I’d give this 3.5 stars – it’s been done before, many times, but the writing is witty, the characters likeable, and the settings well described. There are interesting tidbits about running a bakery. And Robin’s talking, book reading, snarky cat familiar, Shakes, is a hoot.
This was a light, easy, quick read, perfect for the treadmill or recumbent bike. Held my interest, made me laugh in spots, and the ending was a surprise. Would I got out of my way to find this? No. But it was fun enough that I will read the next in the series. I’m curious about how things go for Robin.
September 6, 2021
I prefer the Wonky Witch series--the writing style is cleverer, I think. This felt like it needed more of something, maybe more depth--but maybe that means I need to step away from cozy mysteries.
If nothing else, it needed to be a more polished draft. Maybe the author was rushing through on a deadline.
I guessed who the murderer was well before the protagonist figured it out.
The book needed more cat-like behavior on the kitten's part (though I like that the kitten familiar talks and reads books), and there are no descriptions of the protagonist petting the kitten.
I also noticed a character says the same thing the protagonist thought before meeting up. Characters could have spoken differently from each other--for instance, one character could have a quirky expression nobody else uses. Even the grandmother doesn't strike me as that eccentric, compared to how everyone perceived her... but that might be a case of her not being my kind of eccentric, like anachronistic clothing.
One thing I especially enjoyed was the protagonist telling off assholes, especially the creep who... kicks the bucket. I love the feminist and assertive protagonist.
If nothing else, it needed to be a more polished draft. Maybe the author was rushing through on a deadline.
I guessed who the murderer was well before the protagonist figured it out.
The book needed more cat-like behavior on the kitten's part (though I like that the kitten familiar talks and reads books), and there are no descriptions of the protagonist petting the kitten.
I also noticed a character says the same thing the protagonist thought before meeting up. Characters could have spoken differently from each other--for instance, one character could have a quirky expression nobody else uses. Even the grandmother doesn't strike me as that eccentric, compared to how everyone perceived her... but that might be a case of her not being my kind of eccentric, like anachronistic clothing.
One thing I especially enjoyed was the protagonist telling off assholes, especially the creep who... kicks the bucket. I love the feminist and assertive protagonist.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 4, 2023
3.5 stars
A very nice cosy mystery and good start to a series.
I found myself wondering if Samantha Silver and Amanda M. Lee has attended the same writing boot-camp or shared the same outline-notes on witches that don't know anything about their witchy heritage and then turn out to be really, really powerful - while also living in a small town, working with food, having a talking kitten with a Kindle, a (sort of) crazy grandma figure with a very unusual fashion sense, AND, not to be forgotten, meeting the town hottie called Hunter.
The fact that the very-pleasant-to-listen-to Jill Smith narrates both Spellford Cove Mysteries and Two Broomsticks Gas & Grill Witch Series by Amanda M. Lee made the similarities stand out even more.
When finding out that Samantha Silver has another series with a witch called "Storm" instead of Amanda M. Lee's "Stormy" I might just have started to suspect these two authors are one and the same person, just under different pen names.
However, I ended up thinking that this series is actually better written and, in many cases, a lot better than the Two Broomsticks Gas & Grill Witch Series.
I ended up liking Spellford Cove more and more. The characters are better, their motivations are more solid, and people in general can keep intelligent conversations between each others. (Bacon wasn't even mentioned once, I think.)
So... Yeah.
This is in many ways a classic first instalment in a cosy mystery series about a witch finding her powers, a family, and love.
There's a murder in there, of course, and I'm not really sure where Robin's sudden insight about who did it came from, it was all very sudden, but I didn't really mind. I still liked it quite a lot.
A very nice cosy mystery and good start to a series.
I found myself wondering if Samantha Silver and Amanda M. Lee has attended the same writing boot-camp or shared the same outline-notes on witches that don't know anything about their witchy heritage and then turn out to be really, really powerful - while also living in a small town, working with food, having a talking kitten with a Kindle, a (sort of) crazy grandma figure with a very unusual fashion sense, AND, not to be forgotten, meeting the town hottie called Hunter.
The fact that the very-pleasant-to-listen-to Jill Smith narrates both Spellford Cove Mysteries and Two Broomsticks Gas & Grill Witch Series by Amanda M. Lee made the similarities stand out even more.
When finding out that Samantha Silver has another series with a witch called "Storm" instead of Amanda M. Lee's "Stormy" I might just have started to suspect these two authors are one and the same person, just under different pen names.
However, I ended up thinking that this series is actually better written and, in many cases, a lot better than the Two Broomsticks Gas & Grill Witch Series.
I ended up liking Spellford Cove more and more. The characters are better, their motivations are more solid, and people in general can keep intelligent conversations between each others. (Bacon wasn't even mentioned once, I think.)
So... Yeah.
This is in many ways a classic first instalment in a cosy mystery series about a witch finding her powers, a family, and love.
There's a murder in there, of course, and I'm not really sure where Robin's sudden insight about who did it came from, it was all very sudden, but I didn't really mind. I still liked it quite a lot.
March 29, 2023
all reviews in one place:
night mode reading ;
skaitom nakties rezimu
About the Book: Robin’s life was quite good up until her adoptive family has died. Alone and lonely she did what she could to stay afloat, survive, keep a job, despite hating it, and so on. So, upon finding a letter on her kitchen cabinet, she didn’t even take a whole minute to decide. And only there, in a small town far, far away, gazing upon a bakery her biological mother left her, did she wonder. For one, how did that letter end up on her kitchen cabinet?… And for two, not even 24 hours later, how to clear her good name after a man she just argued in the diner – died, poisoned?…
My Opinion: Talking familiar cat named William Shakespaw, bakery in a small town, start of brand new life, big, loving, and interesting family, and did I mention the bakery? Book is so light, cozy, and simple, that even from detective/mystery perspective it served, I’m just not sure whether that’s due to good writing, or was my brain simply too relaxed for a change. If you’re into cozy mysteries, give this one a shot.
night mode reading ;
skaitom nakties rezimu
About the Book: Robin’s life was quite good up until her adoptive family has died. Alone and lonely she did what she could to stay afloat, survive, keep a job, despite hating it, and so on. So, upon finding a letter on her kitchen cabinet, she didn’t even take a whole minute to decide. And only there, in a small town far, far away, gazing upon a bakery her biological mother left her, did she wonder. For one, how did that letter end up on her kitchen cabinet?… And for two, not even 24 hours later, how to clear her good name after a man she just argued in the diner – died, poisoned?…
My Opinion: Talking familiar cat named William Shakespaw, bakery in a small town, start of brand new life, big, loving, and interesting family, and did I mention the bakery? Book is so light, cozy, and simple, that even from detective/mystery perspective it served, I’m just not sure whether that’s due to good writing, or was my brain simply too relaxed for a change. If you’re into cozy mysteries, give this one a shot.
May 22, 2022
Robin Carter is shocked when she receives a letter from someone claiming to be her biological aunt, telling her that she has been bequeathed the bakery run be her mother. It’s in a small town called Spellford Cove.
With nothing to lose, Robin decides to visit. On her first day in the local diner she is hit on by a man who won’t take no for an answer. Moments later he is dead. In such a small town, people talk…so Robin is not surprised that everyone knows her business.
What does surprise her is the revelation that she is part of a family of witches. Witches honestly exist. Magic is real. And, boy, does it come in handy.
A cosy mystery set against the backdrop of Robin learning about her new family and their talents. A mysterious stranger pops up to tell her she could be a most powerful witch and there’s a potential love interest. Almost worth reading just for Shakes, the talking cat who likes nothing more than to curl up with a good book.
With nothing to lose, Robin decides to visit. On her first day in the local diner she is hit on by a man who won’t take no for an answer. Moments later he is dead. In such a small town, people talk…so Robin is not surprised that everyone knows her business.
What does surprise her is the revelation that she is part of a family of witches. Witches honestly exist. Magic is real. And, boy, does it come in handy.
A cosy mystery set against the backdrop of Robin learning about her new family and their talents. A mysterious stranger pops up to tell her she could be a most powerful witch and there’s a potential love interest. Almost worth reading just for Shakes, the talking cat who likes nothing more than to curl up with a good book.
November 4, 2021
Robin knew she was adopted, but receiving a letter inviting her to meet her birth family in Washington was a shock. Since her adoptive parents have died, she heads out and learns from her new family that she has inherited a bakery, and that she's a witch with a talking cat familiar who can read. On her first day in town, an obnoxious man comes into the diner where she's eating and starts hassling her. A few minutes later, he's dead, and she's a suspect. She and her new found cousin Elsa decide to investigate since the chief of police in this small town is incompetent, but can magic keep her from getting into too much trouble?
June 30, 2021
A great read
I was just amazed by how fast I got finished with this book. I got started and could not put it down. Thank you.
I was just amazed by how fast I got finished with this book. I got started and could not put it down. Thank you.
April 8, 2021
4.5 stars
This is the first book in the Spellford Cove series by Samantha Silver.
This book grabs you right from the beginning. I was hooked from the second she found the raccoon eating chips in her kitchen after her witchy aunt, whom she didn’t know about, left a letter on her kitchen table.
This is a coming of age story in a way. Robin is learning about not only the fact that she is a witch but that she has cooking powers and her biological mother had left her a bakery if she wanted it. Since Robin had lost her adopted parents three years earlier, family of any kind was something she wanted to check out.
Then when she finally got to Spellford Cove, a man dies right in front of her. Supposedly she is suspect number one even though she didn’t know the man from Adam and had just arrived in town that morning. Oh, and she must have swung by the local Wal-mart to pick up the cyanide which is what poisoned him into oblivion. Right… not!
The building of this universe fascinated me and had me plowing through the book in one evening sitting. Can’t wait to try out book two and see what else unfolds.
This is definitely a series I will continue to follow.
If you love a good supernatural cozy culinary mystery, definitely check this one out.
This is the first book in the Spellford Cove series by Samantha Silver.
This book grabs you right from the beginning. I was hooked from the second she found the raccoon eating chips in her kitchen after her witchy aunt, whom she didn’t know about, left a letter on her kitchen table.
This is a coming of age story in a way. Robin is learning about not only the fact that she is a witch but that she has cooking powers and her biological mother had left her a bakery if she wanted it. Since Robin had lost her adopted parents three years earlier, family of any kind was something she wanted to check out.
Then when she finally got to Spellford Cove, a man dies right in front of her. Supposedly she is suspect number one even though she didn’t know the man from Adam and had just arrived in town that morning. Oh, and she must have swung by the local Wal-mart to pick up the cyanide which is what poisoned him into oblivion. Right… not!
The building of this universe fascinated me and had me plowing through the book in one evening sitting. Can’t wait to try out book two and see what else unfolds.
This is definitely a series I will continue to follow.
If you love a good supernatural cozy culinary mystery, definitely check this one out.
March 12, 2023
"Robin Carter's life is less than stellar. All she has going for her are a minimum-wage job she hates, an uncanny ability to attract the biggest losers on her dating app, and a raccoon sitting in her kitchen sink eating her chips. So, when she finds out she's inherited a bakery in a small Washington town, Robin thinks this might just be the fresh start she desperately needs. Upon her arrival, however, Robin finds out she's inherited more than just a small business: she's also got her mother's magical powers."
This is a good mystery. Full of magic and treachery.
I borrowed this book from Kindle Unlimited. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.
This is a good mystery. Full of magic and treachery.
I borrowed this book from Kindle Unlimited. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.
December 28, 2021
This was the first book I've read by Ms. Silver, but it won't be my last! ... I was thrilled to have found this unique, magical Cozy mystery thru my KU membership! “The Witching Flour” is the 1st book in the Spellford Cove Mystery series! An awesome, quirky, yet relatable characters & clever dialogue grabbed me from the start & kept me turning pages! I can honestly recommend this to all fans of fiction, and I can't wait to read more!
June 13, 2021
A pleasant surprise from a series on Kindle Unlimited. Robin moves to Spellford Cove, meets her biological family, and finds out that she’s really a witch. That plot has been done over and over again, but it was entertaining, which is all I’m looking for in a book. I’ll definitely read more of these.
November 30, 2022
This book isn't great - it's not even good, tbh. The writing feels rushed and unfinished. My 10-year-old self would have probably loved this book, my 32-year-old self mostly wanted to take a shot every time a cliché was repeated ("you can see ghosts? That's rare!") so at least I'd have been wasted halfway through the book.
Luckily, it was a quick read and it adds up to my goal.
Also, I thought the cover of the book was chosen in an ironic way, but it actually perfectly represents the story. ...that's no compliment, unfortunately.
I think this would be a fun book for young teens though!
Luckily, it was a quick read and it adds up to my goal.
Also, I thought the cover of the book was chosen in an ironic way, but it actually perfectly represents the story. ...that's no compliment, unfortunately.
I think this would be a fun book for young teens though!
September 10, 2025
This is a good start to a new cozy, mystery series. When Robin finds out she inherited a bakery in a small town in Washington she is excited for a new start. What she didn’t plan on was getting caught up in a murder investigation and finding out that she comes from a family of witches.
January 13, 2021
Loved this Book!
Thus book is a great start to a new series! The characters are wonderful, and the storyline is unique. I'm looking forward to the next book in this series.
Thus book is a great start to a new series! The characters are wonderful, and the storyline is unique. I'm looking forward to the next book in this series.
April 5, 2021
Good intro to an enjoyable series. Liked how the characters were introduced and really liked the familiar Shakes. Looking forward to seeing where the story goes in the next book.
March 10, 2021
Pleasant, young reader type
Well, this is a cute, easy reading type story that’s isn’t complex enough for my taste but quite suitable for the young reader. One of the pros is the straightforwardness of the main character the con is the simplistic plots.
Well, this is a cute, easy reading type story that’s isn’t complex enough for my taste but quite suitable for the young reader. One of the pros is the straightforwardness of the main character the con is the simplistic plots.
September 3, 2021
FOR MY FIRST COZY-MYSTERY EVER...I'M IN LOVE (AND SLIGHTLY ADDICTED!)
So believe it or not I'd never heard of this sub genre 'cozy mystery' before. But once I found out about it I became intrigued. What was this new genre I'd never read? I thought I'd experienced all of them!
I was watching a friend do a video on booktube and this book popped up. Let's just say Kitty-Mow-Mow caught my eye and said "Buy me! Won't I look ever so cute on your bookshelf?"
"Yes!" I resoundingly replied. "Yes, you would!!"
And without even thinking about it I placed my order. Then when it arrived it read it - and let me tell you - I have not known 'cozy' till I read this book. The sheer prefix defines this subgenre like nothing else ever could.
It was so easy to picture myself rugged up with a hot chocolate reading this book by the fire. Even though I wasn't, I almost felt transported there!
Ok so 1 gripe - but only 1 - I didn't care for the mystery reveal. It just didn't work for me.
Other than that, this book was sublime! Su-poib! And other outstanding S's (that I can't think of right now) too!
If this is an accurate reflection of cozy-mysteries then I just have 3 hyponated words: "Gimme-Gimme-Gimme!"
So much fun!
4.5 Stars!!!!! xoxo.
So believe it or not I'd never heard of this sub genre 'cozy mystery' before. But once I found out about it I became intrigued. What was this new genre I'd never read? I thought I'd experienced all of them!
I was watching a friend do a video on booktube and this book popped up. Let's just say Kitty-Mow-Mow caught my eye and said "Buy me! Won't I look ever so cute on your bookshelf?"
"Yes!" I resoundingly replied. "Yes, you would!!"
And without even thinking about it I placed my order. Then when it arrived it read it - and let me tell you - I have not known 'cozy' till I read this book. The sheer prefix defines this subgenre like nothing else ever could.
It was so easy to picture myself rugged up with a hot chocolate reading this book by the fire. Even though I wasn't, I almost felt transported there!
Ok so 1 gripe - but only 1 - I didn't care for the mystery reveal. It just didn't work for me.
Other than that, this book was sublime! Su-poib! And other outstanding S's (that I can't think of right now) too!
If this is an accurate reflection of cozy-mysteries then I just have 3 hyponated words: "Gimme-Gimme-Gimme!"
So much fun!
4.5 Stars!!!!! xoxo.
July 14, 2022
Lackluster and Rambling
The characters have no depth, there are continuity problems (why is she making dough to bake "tomorrow" when the bakery is closed for the next two days?), much of the dialogue was repetitive almost like there was a word quota the author was trying to hit, the syntax in many places was so clunky I had to edit it in my head to make sense, and the mystery was an afterthought tied up quickly in the last chapter or so. There was no explanation for how Robin figured it out, she just had an aha moment and decided to confront the culprit (someone who was barely mentioned and only appeared once with no fleshing out) without a plan or any common sense. While this is the 1st book in a series many things are never explained, nor questioned, such as what the purpose of a familiar is besides being a talking pet.
The characters have no depth, there are continuity problems (why is she making dough to bake "tomorrow" when the bakery is closed for the next two days?), much of the dialogue was repetitive almost like there was a word quota the author was trying to hit, the syntax in many places was so clunky I had to edit it in my head to make sense, and the mystery was an afterthought tied up quickly in the last chapter or so. There was no explanation for how Robin figured it out, she just had an aha moment and decided to confront the culprit (someone who was barely mentioned and only appeared once with no fleshing out) without a plan or any common sense. While this is the 1st book in a series many things are never explained, nor questioned, such as what the purpose of a familiar is besides being a talking pet.
January 20, 2021
I struggled to rate this because there were several bits of dialogue that were really clever, more so than I usually find the in the genre...but ultimately that's not enough to elevate a by-the-numbers setup and plot. And my suspension of disbelief was shattered very early on by how very badly the "witch heritage" reveal was handled by everyone involved, not to mention just...jumping in and running a business you know nothing about? Successfully? Plus I had the murderer and associated motive (correctly) picked out very early on, largely because it just never rose above the tropes and clichés of the genre. (Jackie was a delight, though. There was not enough Jackie.)
September 3, 2021
At best, 2.5
There is something off about this series. Like, you're reading a rough draft. Or there's too much going on yet trying to keep it under a certain page count. The mystery part is lacking. Well, a great deal is lacking. Yet, there is something there because I've read up to #4. I couldn't tell you what exactly though. I honestly thought this was a first book by the author. Nope. Which makes it a bit more baffling, along with the 5 star reviews.
Even though I *just* read all 4.. I can't recall specifically what happened in this one. Quick reads, quickly forgotten.
Would I read again? No.
There is something off about this series. Like, you're reading a rough draft. Or there's too much going on yet trying to keep it under a certain page count. The mystery part is lacking. Well, a great deal is lacking. Yet, there is something there because I've read up to #4. I couldn't tell you what exactly though. I honestly thought this was a first book by the author. Nope. Which makes it a bit more baffling, along with the 5 star reviews.
Even though I *just* read all 4.. I can't recall specifically what happened in this one. Quick reads, quickly forgotten.
Would I read again? No.
January 24, 2025
The Witching Flour by Samantha Silver is the first book in the Spellford Cove Mystery series. Robin Carter moves to Spellford Cove when her biological mother dies and she finds that she has inherited a bakery, and meeting her family finds that she has also inherited magical powers. Unfortunately when an obnoxious man dies from cyanide poisoning while sitting mear her in the diner, she becomes prime suspect. I loved this start to a new series. I enjoyed finding out about the magical world with Robyn and I liked her family and friends. A very enjoyable, light and charming mystery.
December 11, 2021
I have mixed feelings about this book. At first I thought it fairly derivative - too many similarities to Trixie Silvertale’s Mitzy Moon series. Both protagonists started out with fairly drab lives which changed for the better with the death of an unknown relative and the inheritance of a business in a small town far from where they were initially living. Both have a ghost, a cat, an immediate murder, and a cast of unusual small-town characters. But that is where similarities end.
I should state that I have all of the Mitzy Moon books and I’m waiting with baited breath for the next one coming out in a month. What I hoped for in this new series (new to me...) was a series I could enjoy in the “gaps” between Mitzy Moon releases. And I did enjoy it, but I didn’t fall in love with “The Witching Flour”. The characters and town just felt too one dimensional - somewhat flat. The conversational dialog was mostly a lot of back and forth with little or no emotion or emphasis. I didn’t “feel” what I would expect they were experiencing, making it a somewhat “flat” experience for me. I just didn’t care much about the characters and they didn’t seem to care much about what was happening to them. Ironically I recently finished a book by a different author that I disliked because the main character was constantly screaming, yelling, and was completely over the top all of the time. I think one of the reasons I love the Mitzy Moon series is I’m invested in the characters. I’m not particularly invested in “The Witching Flour” characters - including the cat which is odd since I’m a huge cat person - but maybe that disinterest will change with another book in the series.
I read “The Witching Flour” on Prime Reading. If subsequent volumes are available for me to read for free I will try another and see if my indifference to the characters changes.
I should state that I have all of the Mitzy Moon books and I’m waiting with baited breath for the next one coming out in a month. What I hoped for in this new series (new to me...) was a series I could enjoy in the “gaps” between Mitzy Moon releases. And I did enjoy it, but I didn’t fall in love with “The Witching Flour”. The characters and town just felt too one dimensional - somewhat flat. The conversational dialog was mostly a lot of back and forth with little or no emotion or emphasis. I didn’t “feel” what I would expect they were experiencing, making it a somewhat “flat” experience for me. I just didn’t care much about the characters and they didn’t seem to care much about what was happening to them. Ironically I recently finished a book by a different author that I disliked because the main character was constantly screaming, yelling, and was completely over the top all of the time. I think one of the reasons I love the Mitzy Moon series is I’m invested in the characters. I’m not particularly invested in “The Witching Flour” characters - including the cat which is odd since I’m a huge cat person - but maybe that disinterest will change with another book in the series.
I read “The Witching Flour” on Prime Reading. If subsequent volumes are available for me to read for free I will try another and see if my indifference to the characters changes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 14, 2022
I gave 5 stars because the story has potential. BUT...
Robin says she never met her grandparents because her mom's parents died when her mom was young and her father didn't have contact with his family, which were believed to live in the NY area... Next chapter her grandparents died when SHE was a teenager, even though she doesn't say which set. But mentions that she misses them. In the chapter after that, her grandparents took her to some town fairs. It's not specified which one of the two sides, the dead ones or the ones who weren't talking to her father and she never met... There were other things similar to that. Like Elsa calling Heather , mom and then calling her aunt Heather. At some point in the 3 pages of her speech about Robin's biological mother, I was completely lost. Were Elsa and Emma Heather's daughters? Or there was more than one aunt? 😕
That being said, I persevered in reading, since I already started and I must say it did get better. The story is interesting and the characters are well described, at least in behaviour and personality. What I absolutely loved is Shakes. Awesome name and even more awesome personality. And he reads! 😍 Wish I could exchange him with my youngest son which wouldn't touch a book unless forced to 😒 (takes 100% after the other half of the equation 😜)
I will continue to read the series because it's funny and these days it's hard to find anything fun 😢
That being said, if you want a light read with lots of fun and are not bothered by small details (like me 🙈) give this book a try.
Robin says she never met her grandparents because her mom's parents died when her mom was young and her father didn't have contact with his family, which were believed to live in the NY area... Next chapter her grandparents died when SHE was a teenager, even though she doesn't say which set. But mentions that she misses them. In the chapter after that, her grandparents took her to some town fairs. It's not specified which one of the two sides, the dead ones or the ones who weren't talking to her father and she never met... There were other things similar to that. Like Elsa calling Heather , mom and then calling her aunt Heather. At some point in the 3 pages of her speech about Robin's biological mother, I was completely lost. Were Elsa and Emma Heather's daughters? Or there was more than one aunt? 😕
That being said, I persevered in reading, since I already started and I must say it did get better. The story is interesting and the characters are well described, at least in behaviour and personality. What I absolutely loved is Shakes. Awesome name and even more awesome personality. And he reads! 😍 Wish I could exchange him with my youngest son which wouldn't touch a book unless forced to 😒 (takes 100% after the other half of the equation 😜)
I will continue to read the series because it's funny and these days it's hard to find anything fun 😢
That being said, if you want a light read with lots of fun and are not bothered by small details (like me 🙈) give this book a try.
April 15, 2021
Another orphaned adoptee who has no idea..
Clichéd start with little real investigative work to reach the end result.
Robin Carter is just scraping by when she receives a letter from her birth family.. her birth mother has died and the rest of the family have just discovered of her existence. Returning to her apartment after work she finds a letter from Aunt Heather and decides to load up her old and dilapidated car to drive across the country and see what opportunities await in Spellford Cove.
More cliché when she discovers that she's a witch and had been protected from the knowledge by a spell that broke with her mother's death. Freaked out she heads away from her family and goes instead to the diner where the annoying guy sat next to her at the counter will insist on hitting on her despite her making it very clear she's not interested.
That all stops however when he drops dead dramatically. As the stranger in town fingers point her way and tongues wag, some people refuse to come into the bakery she's reopened after accepting her inheritance.
Time to accept her family, and with her cousins, Elsa and Emma, help find the killer and clear her name.
So nothing new in the story but there's no real harassment by the police, no reason to believe that she'd done it, in fact, so it doesn't exactly gel together.
Clichéd start with little real investigative work to reach the end result.
Robin Carter is just scraping by when she receives a letter from her birth family.. her birth mother has died and the rest of the family have just discovered of her existence. Returning to her apartment after work she finds a letter from Aunt Heather and decides to load up her old and dilapidated car to drive across the country and see what opportunities await in Spellford Cove.
More cliché when she discovers that she's a witch and had been protected from the knowledge by a spell that broke with her mother's death. Freaked out she heads away from her family and goes instead to the diner where the annoying guy sat next to her at the counter will insist on hitting on her despite her making it very clear she's not interested.
That all stops however when he drops dead dramatically. As the stranger in town fingers point her way and tongues wag, some people refuse to come into the bakery she's reopened after accepting her inheritance.
Time to accept her family, and with her cousins, Elsa and Emma, help find the killer and clear her name.
So nothing new in the story but there's no real harassment by the police, no reason to believe that she'd done it, in fact, so it doesn't exactly gel together.
November 28, 2022
So much potential wasted
I wanted to like this, truly I did. Perhaps I’m being super tough on an initial book in a full fledged series where there’s still so much world building that needs to be done? Maybe so, but I just felt like this was a waste of words.
Barely anything happened! Why bother introducing the ghost and letting the reader know that she has unfinished business that you have no real desire to carry out? Robin could’ve easily asked Vanessa to spy for her or gleam insight about other potential ghosts in town or found a way to prove her death was an actual murder.
Another gripe was that Robin made a whole big thing about not wanting to be a murder suspect but we never really saw her encounter any prejudice or any other run ins with members of law enforcement that made her believe she was truly a suspect. Seriously, did anyone ever make her really feel unwelcome that she needed to put on a PI hat?
She gained a new family and learned of a whole magical identity but didn’t bother to ask about coven meetings or try to ask about other family members? What about asking her grandmother for tea or to look at pics of her bio mom?
This overall wasn’t appealing to me and it’s not a series I will continue on with.
I wanted to like this, truly I did. Perhaps I’m being super tough on an initial book in a full fledged series where there’s still so much world building that needs to be done? Maybe so, but I just felt like this was a waste of words.
Barely anything happened! Why bother introducing the ghost and letting the reader know that she has unfinished business that you have no real desire to carry out? Robin could’ve easily asked Vanessa to spy for her or gleam insight about other potential ghosts in town or found a way to prove her death was an actual murder.
Another gripe was that Robin made a whole big thing about not wanting to be a murder suspect but we never really saw her encounter any prejudice or any other run ins with members of law enforcement that made her believe she was truly a suspect. Seriously, did anyone ever make her really feel unwelcome that she needed to put on a PI hat?
She gained a new family and learned of a whole magical identity but didn’t bother to ask about coven meetings or try to ask about other family members? What about asking her grandmother for tea or to look at pics of her bio mom?
This overall wasn’t appealing to me and it’s not a series I will continue on with.
October 13, 2021
I have read other books by this author. Most of them I have liked and a few not as much. This one was great!
Amazon synopsis:
Robin Carter's life is less than stellar. All she has going for her are a minimum-wage job she hates, an uncanny ability to attract the biggest losers on her dating app, and a raccoon sitting in her kitchen sink eating her chips. So, when she finds out she's inherited a bakery in a small Washington town, Robin thinks this might just be the fresh start she desperately needs. Upon her arrival, however, Robin finds out she's inherited more than just a small business: she's also got her mother's magical powers.
However, things start going south for Robin when a man dies at the local diner just after her arrival in town and she's fingered as the prime suspect. With half the town thinking she's a killer, Robin decides to take matters into her own hands. But between a ghost who desperately needs therapy, a snarky familiar who loves to quote literature, and a grandmother who walks to the beat of her own drum, Robin really has her hands full.
Will she be able to navigate this new reality and find the killer, or will she crumble like an overcooked brownie?
Amazon synopsis:
Robin Carter's life is less than stellar. All she has going for her are a minimum-wage job she hates, an uncanny ability to attract the biggest losers on her dating app, and a raccoon sitting in her kitchen sink eating her chips. So, when she finds out she's inherited a bakery in a small Washington town, Robin thinks this might just be the fresh start she desperately needs. Upon her arrival, however, Robin finds out she's inherited more than just a small business: she's also got her mother's magical powers.
However, things start going south for Robin when a man dies at the local diner just after her arrival in town and she's fingered as the prime suspect. With half the town thinking she's a killer, Robin decides to take matters into her own hands. But between a ghost who desperately needs therapy, a snarky familiar who loves to quote literature, and a grandmother who walks to the beat of her own drum, Robin really has her hands full.
Will she be able to navigate this new reality and find the killer, or will she crumble like an overcooked brownie?
April 28, 2021
Really cute book. Absolutely love the covers of this series. Robin is a take charge, strong willed, smart, sassy girl who has had the worlds worst luck, it seems. And apparently she has a mean right hook lol. Her cousins, Elsa and Emma are loyal and sweet and bicker like sisters do. Aunt Heather is also a kind, helpful, sentimental woman, while grandma Jackie has a spine of steel and no f*cks left to give of anyone's opinions of her (I laughed really hard at the supermarket story) or what she wears. She's amusing, to say the least. There is a mystery within a mystery here as Robin finds herself in the middle of a murder case and meets a strange woman who tells her she needs to come along with her and be trained or be sorry. While the murder gets solved, the mystery woman is left unidentified for now, leaving us with that slight bit of... welp, guess I gotta read the next one! Which I am very happy to do as this was very well put together, flows well and I (so far) love the characters I've met.
March 2, 2022
This is a cute, clean, zany cozy which I will be getting the rest in the series asap. The ending ends up leaving you hanging!!
Robin was adopted and never wanted to know her birth parents--her adoptive parents were that good! After they died she was at odds--a job she hated--internet dating was not working for her. Then she thought somrone had broken in to her small apartment. Turns out it was a raccoon--but there was also a letter on her table. It seems her birth mother had died and left a bakery to her. With nothing to lose--off she went to meet this family she never knew she had and to attempt to operate a bakery.
She now has a cat who talks and reads--2 wonderful cousins, an Aunt who is wonderful--a grandmother who is a bit unusual and powers she never knew she had--but she is learning!
A miserable man tried to pick her up in the diner where she was eating--and he suddenly dropped dead. Half the people in the town thought she did it--she had to try to exonerate herself and find the killer with her cousins help of course so her bakery would be a success.
Robin was adopted and never wanted to know her birth parents--her adoptive parents were that good! After they died she was at odds--a job she hated--internet dating was not working for her. Then she thought somrone had broken in to her small apartment. Turns out it was a raccoon--but there was also a letter on her table. It seems her birth mother had died and left a bakery to her. With nothing to lose--off she went to meet this family she never knew she had and to attempt to operate a bakery.
She now has a cat who talks and reads--2 wonderful cousins, an Aunt who is wonderful--a grandmother who is a bit unusual and powers she never knew she had--but she is learning!
A miserable man tried to pick her up in the diner where she was eating--and he suddenly dropped dead. Half the people in the town thought she did it--she had to try to exonerate herself and find the killer with her cousins help of course so her bakery would be a success.
August 1, 2021
Robin isn't working in a dream job. She goes home to her apartment one day and finds out a raccoon has broken in and is eating chips. She's adopted and ends up inheriting a bakery. (Matching the theme in many books of this nature where a young woman inherits a bakery/herb shop/library/etc.).
Then she finds out she's a witch. There's a talking cat (Shakes) and she's able to see a ghost that other's can't. Then there's a murder and she's a suspect. Not an entirely good way to start a life in a new town.
There's also a vampire doctor, shifters, demons and a drug dealer. There's a break-in of a house (again something that often happens in books of this nature) so all she has to do is prove she didn't kill anyone, run a bakery, stop a thief and deal with being a witch who has a familiar.
Even thought the book uses some standard tricks it's still a good read. The bakery seems like it makes some really yummy things, by the way.
Then she finds out she's a witch. There's a talking cat (Shakes) and she's able to see a ghost that other's can't. Then there's a murder and she's a suspect. Not an entirely good way to start a life in a new town.
There's also a vampire doctor, shifters, demons and a drug dealer. There's a break-in of a house (again something that often happens in books of this nature) so all she has to do is prove she didn't kill anyone, run a bakery, stop a thief and deal with being a witch who has a familiar.
Even thought the book uses some standard tricks it's still a good read. The bakery seems like it makes some really yummy things, by the way.
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