On the eve of the winter solstice, reckless witches invite demons into the enchanted town of Silverpool. Can Alma find a human murderer amid the magical mayhem?
Alma is a witch with an Incurable Inability to kill. That can be inconvenient in a world of demons, Shadow magic, and murder. Luckily Alma has discovered she has unusual, remarkable talents of her own. And they’re getting stronger.
When her quiet town is inundated with witch tourists looking for demon thrills on the winter solstice, Alma is compelled to act. Using her gifts of fairy sight and shape-shifting, she helps Raynor, the new Protector, hunt down magical trouble.
But then a witch turns up dead—not at the hand of a demon, but a human being.
Soon after, there’s another body.
Can Alma find the murderer in the mayhem—or will she be the next victim?
Charmed to Death is the 4th installment in the Sonoma Witches series. Although all books can be read as stanalones, it's best if you read them in order. I accidentally read book 5 without realizing that I skipped book 4 😱 and I walked right into a ginormous spoiler. That being said, I was looking forward to reading Charmed to Death just to see how that (no, I'm not going to tell you what "that" is because that would be a spoiler 🤭) came to be. To be honest, it was a bit anticlimactic. I suppose I was expecting more, hence why I initially rated it 4-stars. In hindsight, Charmed to Death is just as good as the previous books in this series and if I hadn't read the spoiler, I wouldn't have hesitated to rate it 5 stars. So, my bad! Therefore, I gave it 5 stars.
Just like the other books in this series, Charmed to Death deals with a mysterious "death" and you'll have to read the book to understand why I used quotation marks.
Alma has a new mystery on her hands, and there are recurring characters willing to help her solve it, but everything comes at a cost. Will it be worth it?
I loved seeing Alma in her cat form and deal with her allergy. Poor girl. Another engrossing story in the Sonoma Witches series.
Every so often you find a book that you cannot put down till you’ve reached the end. And I’ve found myself at the end of such books thinking woah. There is some sadness because you’ve finished it, the aha because you know the entire story, and then the overall wow factor because that story hit all the things you look for in a book that you may not even realize you love.
This story gave me all those feels. I’m at an advantage because I’ve read the other stories in the series. And that always helps build history. Many of the characters in Charmed to Death are in the other books. But I can see someone reading this and then going back to catch up on the history.
If you are a fan of magic reads that are entertaining and enjoyable, I’d recommend checking out this book and the others in the series.
Thank you to the author for the opportunity to read and review. The only disappointed humans in my house are the teens that had to make themselves dinner cause mom was lost in a book.
Wow. Just wow. Every time I read a book in this series, I’m sucked into their world and I hate having to come back out at the end. This time was no different. Between conflicting interpersonal relationships, challenging career objectives, and new magical knowledge she has no idea what to do with, Alma’s got her work cut out for her. I loved this book! Everything else in my life was put on hold just so that I could finish reading it. Unfortunately, now that I have, I’m dying to be able to get my hands on the next in the series. I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book from the author.
I am utterly charmed, Gretchen the talented witch hexed me and now I have a crush on her books!
I love the Sonoma Witches series so much because of the characters, they each have a strong personality, a redeeming quality and a distinct story, seamlessly blending with the others in the destiny of Silverpool.
Alma is still my favorite, her generous soul, clever mind and quiet bravery have no equal. I'm so happy she finally accepted her feelings and listened to her heart, and she chose well.
No no no, I'm not spoiling it for you, you have to read it to find out what happens, you'll have one hell of a ride! I hope there's a sequel soon...
This is a phenomenal series that I am thankful to have found. The world built here is incredible. The types of magic, how it’s described and used, is unique and very thoughtfully explained. Personally I will never look at a wood bead the same ever again, and that’s a good thing.
The characters are all multidimensional and feel so real that I miss them and wonder about them when I am done with any of the books in this series. I really love Alma and have enjoyed watching her grow as she discovers more powers and learning more about her past.
Be prepared to block out time for this delightful book because you will not want to put it down.
How is it possible to wield great power and yet resist the temptation to acquire evermore power and to not destroy anyone who would stand in the way? Alma, our FMC, continues to stand in harm’s way to protect others and she seeks justice for those who have been harmed. Alma also is exploring closer relationships while still nurturing her need for solitude. Sometimes, social interactions are rewarding and sometimes they are exhausting and sometimes they are both at the same time. She is such a fascinating and a quirky and a life-affirming character. And, she’s tenacious in solving mysteries. Highly recommended.
I always feel like I've come home when I read a book in this series. The characters are so good - getting to know them better each time is so rewarding. The world building is some of the best I've read - it is so plausible; so real. The writing is excellent, the story arc is fascinating. Who could ask for anything more ??
Gretchen Galway stole a whole day day of my life as I became enchanted and delighted with her novel. Characters grew and changed in this exciting constantly moving forward story. Ms galways magic realm was well crafted and followed the rules she set up for them and their town. Loved it.
A charming story with likeable characters and an intriguing storyline. I can't wait for more of the Sonoma Witches! Appropriate for most anyone as there's no graphic language or behavior.
Super fun as always. I should defenetly ration these books because I'll be sad when i won't have any more to read. But for some reason this is the only thing my mind can focus on somehow, anything else I try to read seems boring compared to it. Can reccomend to anyone 👍
A series that is a unique contribution to the UF genre, as rare as polished turd nowadays. Well written, the world building established from book 1 is brilliant, strong characters and a decent enough plot to keep me engaged.
Love reading these books, Alma is such a quirky loving character. It gives joy to see someone who isn't into gaining power, in today's world the greed and selfishness that predominates the landscape makes it hard to bear at times. The Trumps, Yeltsins, Johnsons and Morrisons of our world are so virulently active and invasive, it makes it a pleasure when someone just defeats the power players at their own game and doesn't try to take over in their stead. Gives one hope. Looking forward to the next story. 😇