Bread, Coffee, Magic

Baking Up a Magical Midlife #2

by Jessica Rosenberg

Living your dream shouldn’t be this challenging.

She owns a magical bakery and has the greatest friends, so why isn’t Cassie enjoying life as much as she thought she would?

It could be because her daughter is miserable and plotting ways to go back to Georgia to live with her dad. Or it could be because she’s working so hard she can’t enjoy the fruits of her labor let alone find time to connect with her kid.

There’s also the magic. Between the pre-teen drama and the bakery, she’s barely had time to come to grips with being a witch, forget about mastering her growing magical powers.

If she weren’t so tired, she could probably find a way to get this dream life back on track
If she weren’t so tired, she might have noticed the dream is about to turn into a nightmare.

Will quick thinking, friends, and magic be enough for Cassie to hold tight to what matters most? Or will it take something she hasn’t even considered?

Join Cassie as she grapples with everything her new life throws at her in Bread Coffee Magic, book 2 of the Baking Up a Magical Midlife paranormal women's series.

Genres: Fantasy, Magic, Paranormal, Audiobook, Fiction, Cozy, Mystery

319 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 6, 2022

About the author

Jessica Rosenberg is the queen of cozy witchy #FriendshipCore fiction that makes readers feel like they're having coffee with their best friends. She lives on the foggy Central Coast of California with her two wonderful teens, two playful dogs, and a mischievous orange cat named Persimmon for obvious reasons.

When she's not weaving magical tales or getting lost in a good book, Jessica can probably be found strolling along the beach, searching for sea glass treasures even though she should probably be tidying her office.

Sign up for email updates at blueoctopuspress.com. (free treat for anyone who signs up!)

Reviews

[Violet · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://deluwrites.blogspot.com/2022/...

Rating 4/5

Writing 4/5
Plot 4/5
Characters 5/5
Enjoyment 4/5

'Bread Coffee Magic' is a Paranormal women fiction by Jessica Rosenberg. It's the second book in the 'Baking Up A Magical Midlife' series but this can be read as a standalone. ( I didn't read the first book in this series )

Cassie is a witch living with her daughter Aurie in Portney. She's got divorced from her husband Max recently and running a magical bakery in the estate she inherited from her great-aunt Bea Blackwell.

For Cassie running a magical bakery isn't as easy as it sounds. She's got her own problems to face, Working too hard on the bakery, Not spending enough time with her daughter are few of her complients.

Her daughter is plotting ways to go back to Georgia to live with her dad and make things worse her Ex is here in Portney to make Cassie's life miserable.

This's really an amazing story, fast pased couldn't put downable book. I loved Cassie, her stress about running the bakery well, insecurities about being a good parent, every thing seems so real.

This book is merely about the struggles of the motherhood and work life balance. Managing the emotions of a hormonal teenager and baking 'Have a great day, muffins', 'You're a rock star, scones' and 'Say what you mean, coffee cake' isn't easy.

This book is really written well and hooked me from the beginning. You should definitely give it a try if you love women's fiction!

Thank you to the author for providing an E- Advance review copy. Note this is my HONEST review of the book.

[Brittney Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cute read! Love this series!

[April ♥"LOS" ♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun series!
As Cassie finally starts to get the hang of being a kitchen witch life throws her another curveball in the form of her ex-husband. But Cassie has her friends to back her up…along with a touch of magic.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars.

Blew through this audiobook in two days! I'm really loving this cute series and wish I could live in a town like Portney. Love the friendship between the women who truly do have each others' backs.....so rare in the real world today...... didn't see the plot twist coming either. The author is great at plot development and seamlessly adding in new characters and their backstories. Can't wait to read the next one!

[Claire applegate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Literary comfort food. It’s Gilmore girls with a touch of magic. I immediately went on the the sequel. It’s not the great American novel but it is a thoroughly enjoyable read

[Lady Galaxy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't like the second book quite as much as I did the first one. It was hard to sympathize with the main character. Her own behavior was largely responsible for the father being able to drive a wedge between her and the daughter. I hope she learned her lesson!

[Brittney Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series so far is absolutely adorable. I feel so cozy reading this and feel as though I'm with friends through the characters. Such a fun read!

[Marita · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think some books come to you when you're ready for them, as in the right place and time. Any other time of my life and I might not be enjoying this series as much as I am. But here we are.

This is the second in the series that follows our protagonist, Cassie, as she and her tween daughter, Aurie, navigate their first summer in their new small town in Massachusetts. They're also learning about their heritage as witches. Cassie's magic manifests through her baking, but she's also coming to terms with new powers. These new powers appear when her creep ex-husband shows up suddenly interested in the daughter he never showed any interest in. A lot happens in the book, and some of it was pretty out there. But this is a book about magic women so it was bound to be "out there." What I am continuing to enjoy is that this series celebrates women friendships. They are the central relationships and none of these women are putting men at the center of their universes. Yes, I've read much better books about strong women, but...the right time and place.

Rosenberg is a good writer and she keeps the action moving forward. If I have one quibble it's that Cassie is too often thinking and talking smack at times when she or Aurie is in danger, and that doesn't ring true. It makes her less believable when I've already suspended disbelief to cover the magic. It's a small quibble and I am enjoying this journey.

[Linda Hutchinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Bread, Coffee, Magic: A Cozy Paranormal Women’s Fiction Series (Book 2)
Author: Jessica Rosenberg
Source: Amazon Kindle
Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2022

This is the second book in a series, and when they say cozy paranormal, you will get good vibes. Ms. Rosenberg writes a story about a divorced mom, Cassie, who inherits her Aunt’s “magical” bakery and moves to a town full of witches. Surprise, she’s a witch too, but with a learning curve needed to use her magical powers. Cassie also has a witchy teen daughter, Aurie, who is unhappy that they have moved from Georgia and a long way from her father. But as we learn, Dad is not a nice guy, and he works diligently to come between Mom and Daughter. If you like lighthearted romps about witches (in training), then this is an excellent book for you. I enjoyed it and will continue to Book 3. #witches #bakery #magic #gifts #parenting #teentrouble #divorced #future #friends #family #kindness #BreadCoffee#Magic #jessicarosenberg #BlueOctupusPress @kikarose
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#book #books #bookAddict #BooksOfInstagram #bookstagram #bookstagramer #bookshelf #reader #booklove #bookreader #reader #reviewer

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great second book in this magical series. Read it in 5 hours. Next!

[Alex Valencia · Rating 3 out of 5]

uhhhhh kidnapping is not a very feasible plot device! but sure, camp.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.75⭐️ I’m sorry to rate this so low because I loved the first book in the series. However the majority of this book was spent in a conflict that was too real and too stressful. I went into this book expecting a cozy fantasy experience, and it was not cozy, it was stressful. Because I loved the first one so much, I might still give the third one a try.

[Vickie Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great story.

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cassie and Aurie (Aurora) are the perfect team to take on the world or in this case spiteful ex husband and ex mother in law. With Auriekidnapped by her dad Cassie has to find a way to get her back permanently. Leave it to Crystal, Christina, Juliette and gang to come to the rescue and help make things right.

In this book Cassie comes more into her magic and learns what it's like to really embrace who you are. She wants to be happy, but also wants Aurie to be happy and love the place where they are putting down roots. But it's hard to have someone else love what you can't just love the most yourself.

Cassie gets a new sous chef, Christine, and she brings so much to the table. She is a time witch and can bake the heck out of some bread! I'm so glad that there is a third in the bakery, because that really helps. But I can't wait to get to know more about Christine and Raphael.

I couldn't help but feel for Aurie because she just wants to be loved and wanted. And she gets thrown around like a ragdoll by her dad and grandmother. Not that they want her, they just like the idea of her not shaming them for who she will become.

Girl power will always be the answer when you need some friends who have quickly become family because you no longer have any. I absolutely loved the dynamic between the ladies in this book and how much they care for each other. Cassie is such a great mom within the whole series, and Aurie struggles with everything going on. But within the circumstances they have a really great relationship that so many people wish they could have with a parent.

I always love getting back into this series because it's definitely a comfort read. Magic. Bakery. Family. It's all a girl could ever need.

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bread, Coffee, Magic - Book Two
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Living your dream shouldn't be this challenging!

Another cosy enjoyable read with book two of the Baking Up A Magic Midlife series by Jessica Rosenberg.

In this book we continue to follow Cassie while she deals with the struggles of her recent divorce and dealing with her ex husband who is definitely out to get her, he stops at nothing to hurt her.

Aurie, Cassies daughter is feeling left out, hurt and lonely therefore reaches out to her dad, thinking he wants her in his life when actually all he wants to do is hurt Cassie anyway possible. Kidnapping Aurie and taking her back to Georgia for a new life hits Cassie really hard - however being a witch with very special witchy friends has its advantages.... operation get Aurie back is then launched, now with Aurie home and settled Cassie is meet with another annoying dilemma in the means of her ex mother in law who stops at nothing to win Aurie back.... is Cassies magic more powerful than her ex mother in law?

These books are lovely to read, cosy and warm and you feel truly part of the story and characters.

Bring on book three! 🥰

[Terri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the concept of the storyline but some of what happens in the story distracts me. No witch with a brain would let a non witch, especially a hateful non witch know of her powers. The evil in the world is too dangerous. So a mind swipe would be in order. Second - how could Crystal not have seen the main character dragged off. Also how violent can that abduction be - syringe that is totally illegal and over the top? Yikes - retaliation of some sort needs to happen to protect from future occurrences. Man! Finally there’s too much whining, and in the kid’s case whining and defiance is nerve shattering- seems like the kid has a lot of her grandmother in her and this needs to be nipped in the bud. No gentle understanding will cure that. The child is like no tween I have ever been around. So it’s totally unrealistic. Her running away with her dad showed a level of contempt and lack of empathy for the mom. Finally there’s too much hate and contempt and illegal action - dad needs a vasectomy as he should never father another child. Anyway - this is driving me nuts as this can be so much better.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bread, Coffee, Magic continue to follow Cassie as she settles into a new life as a witch and a bakery owner. She works hard to ensure that the bakery operates smoothly, but is having to learn hard lessons in creating a work and life balance. When her preteen daughter reaches out to an unwelcome source for connection, Cassie realizes the mistake she made a little too late. Trying to juggle this new situation as well as the appearance of a too-good-to-be-true helper at the bakery, Cassie finds herself having to lean on the people she's just met.

I loved it from start to finish! It's such a joy to watch Cassie's character grow from the first book and continue to transform into the strong woman that's always been on the inside. Bread, Coffee, Magic was another cozy read from this series that continued to show the love and support that comes from a found family.

[Ocean Maisey · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ page 106.
In this one there's hardly any magic and I was under the impression it's supposed to be a romance, but no man (other than the douche-y ex husband) has made an appearance. And its focusing more so on the mother-daughter relationship. Which is great for people who care about that. But I was in it for a magical bakery and a woman discovering her witchy powers. 
Overall I am getting bored and it's giving me no reason to continue.

[Melody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cassie is doing well in the bakery business, so we’ll she is working herself into a stupor and her daughter is feeling neglected and that the bakery is more important then she is. When the ex husband shows up for a visit he starts to insist that aurora be sent back to Georgia so she can attend schools appropriate to her station in life. When Cassie says no, he manipulates the child into going with him with promises of a pony. Of course he takes her immediately to a posh boarding school. This is a preteen who has never been away from her mother or home and is an introvert, not to mention exhibiting alarming supernatural abilities. So Cassie and her friends go to Georgia and discover where the child is and find out her signature has been forged on the application. With threats of law suits the school releases Aurora to her mother and then she takes ex hubby to arbitration with an option of criminal charges for kidnapping if he doesn’t give her sole custody. And Cassie gets a fabulous assistant as well. Apparently this series is only 4 books, so I’ll be hunting up the next two.

[Amy Shulman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just like the first book in this series, Butter, Sugar, Magic, I thoroughly enjoyed Bread, Coffee, Magic. The author totally NAILED conversations I've had with my daughter on multiple occasions. And the thoughts going through Cassie's mind when she was with her ex were spot on!

A delightful read, my only complaint about the book is that it is too short. I'm looking forward to reading more from Jessica Rosenberg!

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the first book in this series and this one as even better!


Amazon synopsis:
She owns a magical bakery and has the greatest friends, so why isn’t Cassie enjoying life as much as she thought she would?

It could be because her daughter is miserable and plotting ways to go back to Georgia to live with her dad. Or it could be because she’s working so hard she can’t enjoy the fruits of her labor let alone find time to connect with her kid.

There’s also the magic. Between the pre-teen drama and the bakery, she’s barely had time to come to grips with being a witch, forget about mastering her growing magical powers.

If she weren’t so tired, she could probably find a way to get this dream life back on track
If she weren’t so tired, she might have noticed the dream is about to turn into a nightmare.

Will quick thinking, friends, and magic be enough for Cassie to hold tight to what matters most? Or will it take something she hasn’t even considered?

[Shari Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Bread, Coffee, Magic” is a feel-good story where struggles end in triumph.

Cassie, recently divorced, is now running a bakery and raising her twelve-year-old daughter, Aurie, and a puppy on her own. Magic has become a new part of Cassie and Aurie’s life. Cassie’s ex-husband re-enters their life and throws everything out of balance.

The theme of family and relationships is strong in “Bread, Coffee, Magic.” Cassie’s life and struggles show that family can be blood relatives, but family can be friends and community too. There is no murder, no theft—abduction—and no romance. This is a story of a fictional woman’s life. Cassie is a likeable character who experiences real-life struggles and magical ones, too. The prose is clean and easy to read, which makes entering Cassie’s life believable. The magic is presented as a learning device for Cassie and Aurie, both funny and painful growth.

“Bread, Coffee, Magic” is an enjoyable read.

[G. Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished this book and like the first one I really enjoyed it. Jessica has a way of telling a story. This book has anger, frustration and laughter, and magic. Cassie has a nack for baking and her food is unbelievable. Her Bakery is doing a great business but she is worried about her daughter Aurie and her cousin. When Cassie was given the bakery from her Aunt Bea she was overjoyed and she was told she was the soul recipient.
Then she found out that she was not the only living relative left when she was shown papers from a relative that her son had a child but he died in the war. The child mentioned was the Bookshop owner, Cassie felt she had to check it out to make sure things were done right. Then other complications arose again without her knowkedge, her daughter Aurie was worried about going to a new school and so she decided to contact her father and that is when things started to get complicated. Check out this book and see what happens. Happy reading.

[Emilye · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s All About The Bass

BakingMagical2

Wending through the wreckage of a divorce is hard on a child, so I guess we shouldn’t be surprised that Aurora Browne is casting longing glances back at her old life. It doesn’t help that her father is a selfish and manipulative person, who focuses on status more than substance.

But, Cassandra is not prepared for the lengths her ex has gone to in order to spike her new life without him. And, Max is spiteful, enough to use his child to thwart his ex-wife. That’s how Aurie finds herself kidnapped and enrolled at a boarding school back in Georgia, with no way to contact her mother.

Things are different now, though, because Cassie has family now. And the witches closest to her in Portney make a plan to get Aurie back.

And, it’s hilarious.

[Eden · Rating 5 out of 5]

2022 bk 326. The sequel is as well done as the first. Still enchanted by her new home, Cassie is slow to realize that her teen isn't quite as enchanted - and that said teen and her father have been texting each other (come on -what kind of sleezeball dad doesn't want to hear his daughter's voice?). The sleeze gets worse. Cassie realizes that she has been too focused on the bakery and not the daughter when fortune places additional part time help in her way, a woman who seems to make problems disappear. When Daddy dearest shows up and kidnaps Aurie - well Cassie and the witches fly (not by broomstick, they take the plane like any modern witch should) to the rescue. I'm looking forward to book three.

[Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am surprised that I started this second book. I did enjoy the first one but not enough to continue the series. However, this book gets an extra star because the badassery the main character finally exhibits, with the help of her friends.

I don’t remember too much from the story, but I enjoyed the new characters and breaking down some of the history of the witches. There’s a whole other depth to the story with her ex-husband actually being a part of the storyline and creating problems. The madness that ensues with this leads to an enjoyable end. There’s some growth in the characters, but I can’t remember them being too significant. I’m sure more happens as the series continues on. It’s a slower cozy storyline, but if you can enjoy the pace, you’ll enjoy the adventure.

[Linda S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this book through the Hoopla app after listening to the first book in this series, Butter, Sugar, Magic. This book is a continuation of Cassie's story - she's a divorced mom of a pre-teen, Aurie, who inherits a bakery and apartment from her great aunt in a magical town outside of Boston at the same time that she learns that she and Aurie have magical powers. Max, Cassie's ex, shows up and kidnaps Aurie - can Cassie and her witchy friends get Aurie back? As in the first novel, were many moments that I wanted to reach into the book and just slap Cassie for her reactions and mostly for her forgetting that she is a witch and can hold her own in the awful situations she encounters. I enjoyed this book and I've already downloaded the third book in this series.

[The Poisoned Pen · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is so bad. The series is bad enough with "Aurue" in it, but this book was absolutely embarrassing. The author has clearly never met a child because the portrayal of Aurie is ridiculous and absurd. No good parent would like a child behave that way or speak to them that way.

Why would anyone want to put that in 4 books?? Every time that child opens her mouth I cringe.

Her behavior is so bad, I was rooting for her to go away with the father and never be seen again.... She one of the MOST unlikable characters I've ever read, and I read 200+ books every year.

If the Aurie character was completely removed, this series would have been 4+ stars.

I'm unlikely to pick up anything else by this author because this one character has ruined the entire series.

[Mandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're looking for a quick, magical read pick up this series. Cassie is a magician who means well but sometimes ends up putting spells into the foods she bakes, manipulating people's emotions.

The book is set in a small town outside of Boston. I'm not sure if it's a made-up place or real, but the setting is perfect. Her bakery is a building that changes depending on her needs. I need this in my life!

My only complaint about the books is that her daughter Aurie wants to spend more time with Cassie, but Cassie is always busy working, and yet, she always has time for her friends.

I'm planning to dive into book 3 today!

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like I have to review all 4 books together.
Overall, a delightful and fun read.

Having said that - spoilers - in this book I found Max and his mother to be too cartoonishly evil. Max was sort of a caricature of a bad ex in the first book, but that makes sense since we only ever see him from the perspective of Cassie's memories, and of course we all try to demonize our past relationships. However, the more you learn about him and his mother in this book - coupled with the things they ACTUALLY do - makes them feel so over the top evil that it's not remotely realistic. And it makes you wonder why Cassie married him in the first place.