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The Bearsden Witch #1
Secrets of a Midlife Witch
A creepy, witchy Paranormal Women’s Fiction novel from author J.C. Yeamans! Who knew one’s life was so full of secrets—a husband’s lies, a family history of witchcraft, a hidden coven, and supernatural beings, wreaking havoc in her town.
Middle-aged Gwynedd Crowther is taking her first graduate class after thirty years in the small college town of Bearsden, Delaware while working a monotonous, part-time insurance job. Recovering from her husband’s death, she’s sleep-deprived and dealing with menopause. She feels lucky to get out of bed in the morning and put on matching shoes.
She meets Scottish professor Dr. Archibald Cockburn and her already jumpy demeanor is tested to the max. He’s younger, easy on the eyes, and amiable. Soon after, she begins to experience unusual phenomena and the weirdest hot flashes ever.
Her best friend convinces her to join the local pagan group of community members and Zillennial graduate students to expand her social circle. When the murder of a local homeless man occurs, her strange experiences go into overdrive, making her question her reality. Are these experiences real? What is this pagan group hiding? Is the murderer a serial killer? Or something more sinister and supernatural?
Secrets of a Midlife Witch is a paranormal women’s fiction/urban fantasy and Book One in The Bearsden Witch Series.
Middle-aged Gwynedd Crowther is taking her first graduate class after thirty years in the small college town of Bearsden, Delaware while working a monotonous, part-time insurance job. Recovering from her husband’s death, she’s sleep-deprived and dealing with menopause. She feels lucky to get out of bed in the morning and put on matching shoes.
She meets Scottish professor Dr. Archibald Cockburn and her already jumpy demeanor is tested to the max. He’s younger, easy on the eyes, and amiable. Soon after, she begins to experience unusual phenomena and the weirdest hot flashes ever.
Her best friend convinces her to join the local pagan group of community members and Zillennial graduate students to expand her social circle. When the murder of a local homeless man occurs, her strange experiences go into overdrive, making her question her reality. Are these experiences real? What is this pagan group hiding? Is the murderer a serial killer? Or something more sinister and supernatural?
Secrets of a Midlife Witch is a paranormal women’s fiction/urban fantasy and Book One in The Bearsden Witch Series.
316 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 27, 2022
726 people are currently reading
820 people want to read
About the author
J.C. Yeamans
7 books65 followersSign up for my newsletter at https://jcyeamans.com/ to stay informed on new releases, and join my reader group Books Around the Cauldron at https://www.facebook.com/groups/jcyea....
J.C. YEAMANS is an author of PWF Urban Fantasy and other paranormal fiction. A former public school teacher based in Delaware, she writes about all things witchy to find the inherent magic in life’s journey of discovery and love—all while making blunders along the way. Her prior career revolved around the performing arts.
When she’s not putting pen to paper (or more aptly, fingertips to keys), she spends time biking, hiking, and weightlifting.
J.C. YEAMANS is an author of PWF Urban Fantasy and other paranormal fiction. A former public school teacher based in Delaware, she writes about all things witchy to find the inherent magic in life’s journey of discovery and love—all while making blunders along the way. Her prior career revolved around the performing arts.
When she’s not putting pen to paper (or more aptly, fingertips to keys), she spends time biking, hiking, and weightlifting.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
June 11, 2022
I heard that this book was in the works (Delaware is a small state). I signed up for an ARC copy and read it on the trip back from the beach last weekend. It was a quick read. The author has created a "new world" in the State of Delaware that feels "familiar" to those that live in the state. The book starts off with a "bang" and took me on a roller-coaster ride following the main character. I'm one of those guys that loves "Knotting Hill," "Love Actually," and dig the romance in a story. I also love the humor, and I love that feeling of sitting on the edge of my seat to find-out what happens next. Some of those moments "on the edge of my seat" were some creepy and scary scenes. Some were nicely written "tension in the room" moments. I liked the younger characters in the book. They "sell" the journey the "midlife witch" is making. The sex scenes were great and relevant to the story.
August 24, 2022
I very much enjoyed this book. The uniqueness of the Celtic themes was a pleasure and far cry from the bog standard romance books I have read. The book kept true to the genre, and having a mid aged woman as lead was super refreshing. Well done indeed, its a very easy read and can be a welcomed addition to a lazy afternoon in the sun. Highly recommend.
July 10, 2022
If you like books about witches, magic, fae, etc… this book is for you. I enjoyed every single second of it. There is some steamy scenes, as well as it is a quick read. So if you enjoy any of those, I recommend this!
April 13, 2024
This is delicious paranormal women's fiction! Gwen is starting over and taking a graduate course at a local university. She's slowly reclaiming her life after a difficult marriage that ended in her husband's sudden death.
There's something afoot magically. It involves the Fae. Watching it reveal itself is great fun. The chemistry between Gwen and Archie kept me turning pages. Her crew of friends are delightful to hang out with.
They mysterious deaths in town are intriguing and you'll enjoy uncovering the source.
I'm so glad this is a series!
There's something afoot magically. It involves the Fae. Watching it reveal itself is great fun. The chemistry between Gwen and Archie kept me turning pages. Her crew of friends are delightful to hang out with.
They mysterious deaths in town are intriguing and you'll enjoy uncovering the source.
I'm so glad this is a series!
May 17, 2023
This is a debut novel and it shows.
The writing is sloppy and amateurish and really needs a better copyedit.
Here are some examples:
My eyebrows sag into my droopy eyes.
I bat my kittenish eyes.
My mouth falls, so low a train could easily tunnel right through it.
He grimaces with bug eyes.
Her eyes hang with the heavy burden.
I clutch my abdomen, chuckling at my joke.
I grind my teeth with weepy eyes.
The story is not great either.
I really wanted to like this book but I don't. The author needs to learn how to write. I hope she develops her craft in her subsequent books . I won't be reading them.
The writing is sloppy and amateurish and really needs a better copyedit.
Here are some examples:
My eyebrows sag into my droopy eyes.
I bat my kittenish eyes.
My mouth falls, so low a train could easily tunnel right through it.
He grimaces with bug eyes.
Her eyes hang with the heavy burden.
I clutch my abdomen, chuckling at my joke.
I grind my teeth with weepy eyes.
The story is not great either.
I really wanted to like this book but I don't. The author needs to learn how to write. I hope she develops her craft in her subsequent books . I won't be reading them.
June 23, 2022
This is the story of Gwynedd Crowler who is recently widowed and trying to rebuild her life by working a part-time job and go to her first graduate class after 30 years. While she is taking her class she discovers that she is a descendent of a great witch from Wales.
This is a story of how she grows as a witch and moves on in her life. I love the characters and felt very much a part of the story. I can hardly wait for book 2 to come out.
This is a story of how she grows as a witch and moves on in her life. I love the characters and felt very much a part of the story. I can hardly wait for book 2 to come out.
June 24, 2022
This was a great read really enjoyed the coming into witchy powers later in life. Would recommend.
March 20, 2024
Weird
The story was okay, nothing overly interesting. I did have issues with the dialogue. It felt AI generated, stunted and awkward. Here's a sample:
“Skye and Spence were certain you had a romantic interest, despite any of my explanations. Even Ronnie was egging it on. People only see what they want to see. Isn’t that funny?”
“It would be funny if they were wrong.”
“I’m confused. You must think I’m dense.” Short puffs of air replace my breathing, and heat builds in my torso, creeping up.
“Hmph, maybe a wee bit.”
Blinking several times, I find myself short of breath. “I never imagined you’d be attracted to a woman my age. I mean, look at me.”
“I am looking at you. You have a bonny face.” He shrugs and strokes a finger across my cheek. “Lots of women do, but they don’t have your smile. Or your candor. Or your brazen opinions and obstinance.” He presses his lips together. “To be honest, I don’t know whether to growl…or kiss you.”
Archie’s icy-blue gaze never falters while embers ignite in my stomach. I bite my upper lip, blushing like a naïve schoolgirl
Tell me that something doesn't feel off about this? The whole book is like that. Awkward conversation, with awkward responses. Literally a page before this he was getting irritated with her prying questions about his funds and relationships.
Also how old is this lady? The professor is in his mid to late 30s but everyone (including herself) acts like she's 80. I don't mind an age gap but is prefer it to be a 25 yr old and 500 year old vamp/ god/ whatever. We know from quotes that she has menopause, goes to bed before 9 pm, Doesn't possess the perky body of a grad student. Has lumps and wrinkles and they aren't always in the right places.
The unknown age and way everyone treats her like a granny is grossing me out. It makes the romance feel nasty.
Overall it was just too weird to actually enjoy and I never really felt like I connected with any of the characters.
The story was okay, nothing overly interesting. I did have issues with the dialogue. It felt AI generated, stunted and awkward. Here's a sample:
“Skye and Spence were certain you had a romantic interest, despite any of my explanations. Even Ronnie was egging it on. People only see what they want to see. Isn’t that funny?”
“It would be funny if they were wrong.”
“I’m confused. You must think I’m dense.” Short puffs of air replace my breathing, and heat builds in my torso, creeping up.
“Hmph, maybe a wee bit.”
Blinking several times, I find myself short of breath. “I never imagined you’d be attracted to a woman my age. I mean, look at me.”
“I am looking at you. You have a bonny face.” He shrugs and strokes a finger across my cheek. “Lots of women do, but they don’t have your smile. Or your candor. Or your brazen opinions and obstinance.” He presses his lips together. “To be honest, I don’t know whether to growl…or kiss you.”
Archie’s icy-blue gaze never falters while embers ignite in my stomach. I bite my upper lip, blushing like a naïve schoolgirl
Tell me that something doesn't feel off about this? The whole book is like that. Awkward conversation, with awkward responses. Literally a page before this he was getting irritated with her prying questions about his funds and relationships.
Also how old is this lady? The professor is in his mid to late 30s but everyone (including herself) acts like she's 80. I don't mind an age gap but is prefer it to be a 25 yr old and 500 year old vamp/ god/ whatever. We know from quotes that she has menopause, goes to bed before 9 pm, Doesn't possess the perky body of a grad student. Has lumps and wrinkles and they aren't always in the right places.
The unknown age and way everyone treats her like a granny is grossing me out. It makes the romance feel nasty.
Overall it was just too weird to actually enjoy and I never really felt like I connected with any of the characters.
June 22, 2022
Secrets of a Midlife Witch is a fun beach read. I would recommend that you read other books about witches, magic, or Fae so some of the terminology and lore is familiar to you since this book does not go into any background information about those subjects, and you may feel lost if you've never encountered it before. Though the wording and subject matter is for the "midlife" aged folk, the pacing reads like a juvenile chapter book, speedy and not too deep. I felt like the characters were not really fleshed out too well, and the speed at which they ping-ponged between emotions and decisions made my head spin. The human "villain" of the story was obvious, and then at the very end we are left with a lot of questions and no answers, with information thrown at us from left field with no build up at all. I can see it is a set up for another book to follow, but I feel like more of it all should have been foreshadowed or mentioned somewhere else besides the very end.
Overall, if you're looking for a quick read with some barely steamy scenes, then I would recommend this book to you.
Overall, if you're looking for a quick read with some barely steamy scenes, then I would recommend this book to you.
June 21, 2022
This debut by J.C. Yeamans was a really enjoyable read! Imagine a standard magical coming-of-age story, but instead of a teen MC, it's a middle aged widow with lots of baggage, and the love interest is a younger (mid-40's) Scottish professor. The characters were diverse and mostly lovable, but I did tend to get them mixed up sometimes. The story starts out quite slow, and I found myself wondering if certain details were necessary. But when it picked up, boy did it pick up! This is the debut in a series, and I have a feeling the sequel will be even better. The book sets up the world nicely, and makes room for a sequel that will answer even more mysteries!
September 12, 2022
Loved! Stong female character, magic, romance (Scotsman - need I say more), mystery with a great story arc. The build up of the main character gives you a basis of who she is without boring you. The secondary characters are intriguing and add to the story line. Gwenedd is relatable with her snarky but caring attitude, her reactions to situations and her relationships feel honest (no over the top drama). This books contains a variety of supernatural and magic, without the tedious explanation for all things magical if you have ever read a witch book then you already know. Would highly recommend reading and awaiting the next in the series.
March 11, 2023
Witchy Revelations While Finding Herself
I was excited to discover this book set in a fictional town Bearsden of my home state, Delaware. Newly widowed Gwyn embarks on building a new life starting grad school and trying new things. It’s exciting to see this middle aged heroine blossom as she find herself, what brings her joy, her love of learning and zest for life. Initially not sure if it’s menopause, grief or sleep deprivation, she starts to notice some odd things she can’t explain. It seems like greater forces are at work, to connect her with the local coven, the hunky Scottish leader, and her powers as a witch. I liked that Gwyn is a bit reluctant to embrace being a witch, while she continues to build confidence and skills. It felt more realistic than boom, she has powers and is unstoppable. There’s a great cast of supportive and quirky characters in the Coven who become like family. I appreciated her sexy Scots love interest, but yearned for more anticipation and build up to the sizzle. Definitely a good PWF read, and looking forward to reading the next.
I was excited to discover this book set in a fictional town Bearsden of my home state, Delaware. Newly widowed Gwyn embarks on building a new life starting grad school and trying new things. It’s exciting to see this middle aged heroine blossom as she find herself, what brings her joy, her love of learning and zest for life. Initially not sure if it’s menopause, grief or sleep deprivation, she starts to notice some odd things she can’t explain. It seems like greater forces are at work, to connect her with the local coven, the hunky Scottish leader, and her powers as a witch. I liked that Gwyn is a bit reluctant to embrace being a witch, while she continues to build confidence and skills. It felt more realistic than boom, she has powers and is unstoppable. There’s a great cast of supportive and quirky characters in the Coven who become like family. I appreciated her sexy Scots love interest, but yearned for more anticipation and build up to the sizzle. Definitely a good PWF read, and looking forward to reading the next.
July 21, 2022
Gwynedd Crowther's life is changing. Her husband dies and his secrets are revealed. Her son Tyler is living in his own place, so she decides to go back to the local university and take a class. She meets some new people and is introduced to the Fellowship which turns out to be a coven of witches. Her best friend, Ronnie, is also in the Fellowship, so she already has a built in friend when she joins. She also finds out her parents had been members of the group and is now wondering what happened to make them withdraw from the group and keep it secret from her. As the mysteries unfold, Gwyn begins to think that maybe she should follow in her parents footsteps.
This is a great story. There is action and romance. It is also a different kind of Midlife witch story that came with a coven of mixed age and sex witches that is unlike anything I've read before. Looking forward to reading the next book.
This is a great story. There is action and romance. It is also a different kind of Midlife witch story that came with a coven of mixed age and sex witches that is unlike anything I've read before. Looking forward to reading the next book.
June 26, 2022
This was an unusual story. We have a woman, Gwynedd Crowther, recently widowed, who didn't know exactly what she was. A witch's coven masquerading as a Pagan group, the strange nasty creatures that go bump in the night, heartache, unusual relationships, love and secrets. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what had me so enthralled with this story, but I hated to put it down once I started it. The circumstances of Gwynedd's husband's death, the surprising friendships she has with her classmates, the odd things that happen which tease of her powers - all these things just wove together and drew me in. The book is very well edited and some of the odd (to me) spelling and pronunciations are explained, so no problems there. All in all, a wonderful start to what I hope is a series and more books by this imaginative author!
April 20, 2023
SECRETS OF A MIDLIFE WITCH - Book One in The Bearsden Witch Series By JC Yeamans Is A Tale Of One Middle-Aged Gwynedd Crowther…A Widow …Who Lives In Bearsden, Delaware….Gwyn Is Starting Her Life Over With The Encouragement Of Her Son Tyler ..& Her BBF Ronnie…Who Recommends Gwyn Take A Post Graduate Class In Celtic Pagan Studies At Old Her Alma Mater DUB…& Also To Join A Pagan Fellowship Group Ronnie Is A Member Of….Gwyn Does & Meets A Handsome Younger Man…One
Dr. Archibald Cockburn
(Archie) …& From There The Fun Begins…As Gwyn …& Her Zany New Zillennial Classmates Have A Enlightening Autumn & Holiday Season Filled With Magic…Supernatural Beings….Mysteries & …….Murders ….& Sizzling Romance….Read and See. Much Enjoyed and Highly Recommended. I Voluntarily Reviewed An Advanced Copy Of This Book.
Dr. Archibald Cockburn
(Archie) …& From There The Fun Begins…As Gwyn …& Her Zany New Zillennial Classmates Have A Enlightening Autumn & Holiday Season Filled With Magic…Supernatural Beings….Mysteries & …….Murders ….& Sizzling Romance….Read and See. Much Enjoyed and Highly Recommended. I Voluntarily Reviewed An Advanced Copy Of This Book.
May 1, 2023
When Gwynedd's life falls apart she decides to return to university and take a class that will help her explore her Celtic roots. What she finds is so much more. What a wonderful read this was. Full of mystery, magic and second chances. There is also a "something wicked this way comes" malevolent air about town that seems hell bent on destruction. What a wonderful read this was. Interesting compelling characters that peaked my interest and held my attention. This is book one of what promises to be a marvellous series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book and this is my honest and unbiased opinion of the tale.
I received a complimentary copy of this book and this is my honest and unbiased opinion of the tale.
November 10, 2023
ahhh so good!!
Ok I love MFC that are more experienced in life and Gwen is! She has an adult son! She finds new friends, a new lover, and that she’s an ancestral witch when she starts classes at a local college after losing her husband (who was a pr*ck anyway). But magic sometimes isn’t all you think and she has hard decisions to make. This was so exciting, fun, and well written. And a few nice steamy bits! I will say that ending left me wanting more and made my heart hurt a little! I know what I want to happen but I’ll have to keep reading the series to find out! So good and a perfect fall read!
Ok I love MFC that are more experienced in life and Gwen is! She has an adult son! She finds new friends, a new lover, and that she’s an ancestral witch when she starts classes at a local college after losing her husband (who was a pr*ck anyway). But magic sometimes isn’t all you think and she has hard decisions to make. This was so exciting, fun, and well written. And a few nice steamy bits! I will say that ending left me wanting more and made my heart hurt a little! I know what I want to happen but I’ll have to keep reading the series to find out! So good and a perfect fall read!
November 11, 2022
Fantastic
Secrets of a midlife witch is the first book in this magical series. It was an amazing read. Ms. Yeaman's has brought her world to life and I love it. There is friendship, magic, monsters, and so much more. Gwynedd is thrown into a world she never knew could be possible. Everything she thought she knew was a lie...how will she deal with, what will she do to gain control over her life??? I can't tell you, you just need go read this book and find out. I promise you won't be disappointed.
Secrets of a midlife witch is the first book in this magical series. It was an amazing read. Ms. Yeaman's has brought her world to life and I love it. There is friendship, magic, monsters, and so much more. Gwynedd is thrown into a world she never knew could be possible. Everything she thought she knew was a lie...how will she deal with, what will she do to gain control over her life??? I can't tell you, you just need go read this book and find out. I promise you won't be disappointed.
July 11, 2024
Beautifully written and definitely leaves you longing for more! Characters easy to get to know and love! Magic is all around us in this book! One of my new favorite authors! Couldn’t put it down!
This entire series leaves you wanting the next book as soon as you close the last page! Characters that you will remember long after you’ve finished reading each book! Well written and sweet magic! Mystery keeps the pages turning! Descriptions so clear that you can visualize everything in your mind! If you love books that you cannot put down, this author writes them!
This entire series leaves you wanting the next book as soon as you close the last page! Characters that you will remember long after you’ve finished reading each book! Well written and sweet magic! Mystery keeps the pages turning! Descriptions so clear that you can visualize everything in your mind! If you love books that you cannot put down, this author writes them!
July 18, 2022
Enjoy!
Having your world change so much so fast is hard to take on and accept. The power of friendships and family come shining through! Great characters meet powerful challenges together.
Having your world change so much so fast is hard to take on and accept. The power of friendships and family come shining through! Great characters meet powerful challenges together.
December 14, 2022
1 of series…
I found this little gem while looking for something fun and not about young characters and crazy sex. Instead I got older characters and crazy sex! A fast fun read! Can’t wait for the second in the series!
I found this little gem while looking for something fun and not about young characters and crazy sex. Instead I got older characters and crazy sex! A fast fun read! Can’t wait for the second in the series!
January 27, 2023
Totally Enjoyable
Was looking for something to read, and this popped up on my Kindle cover and thought sure, let's try. Great suggestion, Kindle. If you want to read an enjoyable book, give this one a shot. You won't be disappointed.
Was looking for something to read, and this popped up on my Kindle cover and thought sure, let's try. Great suggestion, Kindle. If you want to read an enjoyable book, give this one a shot. You won't be disappointed.
February 7, 2023
As a middle-aged woman this book was so amazing. To see an MC who is like me if great and the character development represents what women over 4 really go through and how we change. I LOVED this book.
April 24, 2023
A Good story
This story went in a direction I wasn't expecting. I enjoyed reading it, and it really hit home. Except for the Magic, it is my life. I can't wait to read the next story.
This story went in a direction I wasn't expecting. I enjoyed reading it, and it really hit home. Except for the Magic, it is my life. I can't wait to read the next story.
May 24, 2023
AWESOME
An amazing story. So many elements woven together to form a tapestry of magic. The people are awesome, the evil terrifying. I have high hopes for the main character and have to read on ! Highly recommend.
An amazing story. So many elements woven together to form a tapestry of magic. The people are awesome, the evil terrifying. I have high hopes for the main character and have to read on ! Highly recommend.
November 13, 2023
Okay I'm hooked
After reading A Trinity of Witches and Secrets I'm in for the long haul. Unique and interesting Characters, great storyline, and excellent writing. All great combinations of a good series. A job well done.😁
After reading A Trinity of Witches and Secrets I'm in for the long haul. Unique and interesting Characters, great storyline, and excellent writing. All great combinations of a good series. A job well done.😁
December 27, 2023
I can't wait to start the next in this series. I love the setting and the way the supernatural experiences are handled along with how Gwynedd finds her strength, both as a witch and a woman. I could not put it down easily, I kept wanting to know what happened next.
April 15, 2023
Mystic and Magic filled with many emotions that beg for more.
Love this and had a hard time putting it down. I'd love to chat but I'm off to dive into the sequel.
Love this and had a hard time putting it down. I'd love to chat but I'm off to dive into the sequel.
July 10, 2023
I loved this story! The action and mystery kept me reading. Gwyn was a breath of fresh air who was both mature and fallible. All the characters were wonderfully flawed. Looking forward to book 2!
August 13, 2023
Witches are Midlife and love
A midlife woman gets to start again. Her husband is dead and she fines out he was unfaithful. She is taking a Celtic class at the college
A midlife woman gets to start again. Her husband is dead and she fines out he was unfaithful. She is taking a Celtic class at the college
Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews