Rustic and Roasted: A Sandwich Shop Series novella

by Stephanie Ayers

Hester Razzlebaum has had enough. With a broken engagement, her best friend happily married, her diner a success, and no ghosts to chase, she takes a much needed vacation at her cousin’s pumpkin farm in the gorgeous Pennsylvania Dutch countryside. Little does she know, there’s more in the cards for her than taste testing and relaxation. Through an uncanny encounter with Collin Fletcher, the new owner of the Rustic & Roasted Comedy Club, Hester discovers that whatever haunts the club is determined to shut it down.

In an atmosphere where everything from pumpkins to comedians gets roasted, Hester will need all the tools in her witchy arsenal to save the club from an ominous presence. Can she figure it out before it’s too late, or will Collin’s secrets jeopardize them all?

215 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 21, 2022

About the author

A creative ninja with a dark mind and a quirky nature, Stephanie Ayers writes all the words and spins twisted tales filled with horror, fantasy, suspense, and anything in between. With a trunk full of tricks thanks to a checkered past, she haunts Irish castles and snowy mountaintops in her dreams while living the unicorn life in Ohio disguised as a human. When she isn’t listening to the voices in her head, she spends her days as a mom, Gigi, cat lover, and Netflix binger, while avoiding housework at all costs.

Her debut novella, Til Death Do Us Part, was published in 2013, and her work appears in several anthologies and collections. Along with many solo works, she currently has two serials to her name, the stand-alone horror volumes of The 13 series, and her epic 5 book fantasy series, Destiny Defined.

To find out more about Stephanie's daily living and all about her books and writing, subscribe to her newsletter: https://www.subscribepage.com/o6e0l9

Her favorite quote is: "The blank page is a canvas on which the writer paints a story."-Stephanie Ayers

Reviews

[K.M. Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carmen got the last book by herself. It is only fair Hester gets her own. Yes, Carmen is not in this book, or is she? Because Hester is going on a food adventure that takes her to her cousin’s neck of the woods. Along the way, she meets a man that could become romantically involved if it wasn’t for the secrets he keeps. Hester finds he has a problem at his comedy club that doubles as a sandwich shop. He just doesn’t believe that a ghost is involved. Hester has to hide her gifts and solve the problem until a little help from Carmen comes her way.

Stephanie does a fantastic job building suspense in this book. While Hester works to solve a problem while keeping her secret of being a witch from everyone. She is in enemy territory with budding feelings. She is fighting for a man she doesn’t really know. The struggle unfolds on the pages and evokes a heartfelt response as you watch it. The ending will leave you sad but feeling happy for the cousins.

I would say each book keeps this series going strong and they never disappoint. Highly recommend this one to those that love food. A food festival is at the heart of this story and Stephanie really shows Hester’s chef's side. If I had to give this book rating out of five stars, it would be 5/5.