Hoodoo Heaven

Boudin, Barbecue, and Hoodoo #0.5

by Reggi Dupree

Welcome to Hoodoo, Texas—Mayberry with magic, midlife, and a dash of murder.

I expected my forties to be filled with imbalanced hormones and an ex-husband or two. Instead, I died for the second time, was gifted a Thor hand, then sent a summons to my hometown of Hoodoo, Texas.

The one place I swore never to return after being accused of murder.

Now the plan is to get in, accept the mysterious inheritance, then get the heck out of Dodge. The good part is that the windfall comes with a lot of zeros. Unfortunately, it is also accompanied by a dilapidated haunted mansion and one heck of a stipulation.

If I refuse the money or Azure House, the fortune will go to a stranger.

Now I'm stuck wrangling unruly relatives, ghostly servants, grumpy vampires, and a vindictive ex who is a werewolf as well as the sheriff. Add a sexy and perhaps not quite human mogul, and I have a recipe for disaster.

And if that's not bad enough, witches are dropping dead in Hoodoo.

Guess who's at the top of the suspect list?

Return to Hoodoo is a paranormal women's fiction novel set in a world best described as True Blood meets Queen Sugar.

Genres: Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance, Urban Fantasy, Cozy Mystery, Supernatural, Ebooks

124 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 14, 2022

Reviews

[Madison Warner Fairbanks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hoodoo Heaven by Reggi Dupree
Boudin, Barbecue, and Hoodoo series #0.5. Paranormal women’s fiction. 1st person.
Gwendolyn Carter may be cursed, in her forties, bisexual and with an extra 20 pounds she’d love to get rid of, but she’s not sitting still to accept the inevitable. She running out of the gate punching, kicking and shooting.
Her last four lovers are dead. It’s a curse. So she’s going to be single for now and see what happens on her 45th birthday. She’s got all kinds of crazy monsters following her. She takes a chance on the mysterious Alex who says he wants a tattoo. Who knows if that’s all he wants. He certainly is hot enough to start some fantasies. If she can live long enough.

A novella length story that introduces Gwen and who or what, she is.
There is some back story but lots more unanswered questions. The attitude and confidence of this woman is absolutely incredible. Sassy, sarcastic, and “this is me”.
I can’t wait to read more.

[LaTosha Webber · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨ARC Review ✨ This was everything I knew and didn’t know I needed in a paranormal fiction book. I love a magic and mayhem combination, then you sprinkle in Black woman, middle age, sarcasm, and humor and you have my whole heart. This is a prequel by author Reggi Dupree and I can’t wait for Return to Hoodoo. If you’ve ever read the Charlie Davidson or Bewitched series by Darynda Jones and though and thought THIS but with Black girl magic?!?! Then this book is for US/YOU!! Now it’s only a little over a 100 pages so it’s definitely going to leave you wanting MORE, cause that cliffy is a doozy but luckily for us the next book comes out Oct. 13th!!! So go get this now!!

[Roxie McClaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Greatly enjoyed the audiobook version of this book- LOVED the main female character Gwen and her personality. The male love interest was hella sexy too. Greatly looking forward to the next book!

[Marion Over · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun read!!!

This book's MC is packed with personality, maybe magic and an attitude. It was hilarious.
When they say everyone is out to get you, they could be talking about Gwen. Something or someone wants her dead before she's 45. But she's doing her best to live a little longer.

[Yamini · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Welcome to Hoodoo, Texas—Mayberry with magic, midlife, and a dash of murder."

A short book about a woman who thought she will never go back to her hometown because she was accused of murder there, but look how the tables turned. She has a mysterious inheritance that needs to be claimed and for that, she needs to stay 1 day at the huge mansion filled with vampires, werewolves and whatnot.

The writing in the book is so energetic, you will be continually be turning pages. The plot setting is also magical+mundane which reminds me of HP settings. The ending, however, I don't know why ... that happened. I tried going back and forth but was still not satisfied with the turn of events in the last 20% of the book. But the tropes in the book were bang-on adorable. The female main protagonist - No colour restrictions, no age restrictions, no weight loss propaganda.! Worked out pretty well for me.

Genre: #paranormal #womensfiction #magic
Rating: 3/5 ⭐️

Thankyou #storyorigin @reggidupree for the ARC on @audible

[Chrys Minter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating Read

Very interesting and thought provoking. This is my first read from this author. Great story and I hope to see more from this author now that I'm following her.

[Tamye Whitener · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book’s a bit of a tease and an introduction to Gwen Carter, her life, her curse, and her personality. The tease is that by the end of the book we still don’t know what Ash is and what he did to Gwen or why.

The story itself is bursting with action, potential killers, and tidbits about Gwen. Basically it gives more questions than answers building a need to know more. I love Gwen’s live life to the fullest attitude.

Warning: This story does not take place in the USA. Never does she go to Hoodoo, TX. That takes place in book one, “Return to Hoodoo”. Which I already have pulled up on my Kindle. I have questions that need answers.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

The synopsis of the book is way off. First off the book starts in Dublin, Ireland and then ends in Morocco. The MC does not go to Hoodoo, Texas at all. She receives a phone call from her aunt that is from Hoodoo, but that's as close as she gets. She is supposed to die on her birthday and that's how she ends up in Morocco. There is nothing yet about an inheritance or unruly relatives, ghostly servants, grumpy vampires, and a vindictive ex who is a werewolf as well as the sheriff.

I'm a bit confused about exactly what is going on. I kept checking to see if I'm on the first one for this series and it seems I am if I go by the dates these were published, however the writing is very scattered and the world building is a bit non existent. The Mc's choices don't make a hell of a lot of sense and the background is very limited. The cover is very pretty and it was short. That's about all it had going for it. I'm hoping book 2 will have a bit more information, cause I'm still curious.

[Annalise Richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a breath of fresh air and absolutely hilarious. I love the fact that the characters were not so young, not so perfect, and had a sense of humor. I think my favorite line in the book was

"As far as I was concerned, demons should stay where they belonged -- in hell and Washington DC."

This book has a collection of vampires, otherworldly creatures, and one really hot man. All Gwen has to do is stay alive until her 45th birthday. Sounds easy, right?

Midlife isn’t supposed to be this dangerous.

Read this prequel novella and you will be hooked and waiting (not so) patiently for the next book. Reggie writes amazing stuff in this series set in a magical place called Hoodoo, Texas -- full of boudin, barbecue, and of course...Hoodoo.

You won't regret reading this book!

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute novella, I enjoyed Gwen Carter and her sassy attitude. I like Ash as well, but his obsession with Gwen is a little weird with the lack of backstory available. Though the writing in this is fun, nothing really much happens in the pages and when something finally happens the story fades to black and ends. I felt like the ending to this novella was very abrupt especially for all the things the author packed into the last couple of pages. I would have traded some of the unnecessary and repeated sassiness for some more details around the plot. But overall, an enjoyable read.

[Ruthie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how well this main character handles herself. She isn't above asking for help, and the author wrote her internal monologue so well; she's hilarious. I'm so curious about what happens next. This novella definitely whetted my appetite. I'm so glad the first full book comes out soon!

[Sienna Cornwall-Brady · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was hooked in the beginning of this book, but did not like the ending. I’m a fan of Happily Ever Afters and this seemed not that. I enjoyed the story but did not enjoy the ending of the first book, maybe I need to read the rest of the series to change my mind about the rating but I thought it was almost too easy of an ending. She died, when all throughout the story she was avoiding death. I didn’t enjoy reading it as much as I thought I would.

[Ashley Yungbluth · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Hoodoo Heaven" by Reggi Dupree is the start of the "Boudin, Barbecue, and Hoodoo" series. It's a short story introducing us to Gwendolyn. Gwendolyn is from Hoodoo, Texas, and has been out of the country in Dublin. Her family has had bad luck, and she is being accused of murder back in Texas. She comes across Ash, who wants Gwendolyn to do a tattoo for him and is willing to pay and do whatever it takes for it. Gwendolyn has been running and watching her back for a while now and doesn't trust Ash one bit, but he gives her an opportunity that she can't refuse. I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked this book up, but I definitely can't wait to read on. Reggi keeps you wanting more and guessing what could happen next.

[Alexandria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is a good introduction to the series. It does end with a cliffhanger. Gwendolyn is trying to stay alive and get back to Hoodoo. I really liked Gwen's confidence. Although she never expects to make it to her birthday, she doesn't give up. I definitely want to know know more about Gwen and Ash.

[Rikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book and series! I listened to this on Audible, and it was great. I'm now a Reggi Duree fan.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short. And kinda sexy

I live for paranormal and supernatural stuff! This story was so good! I love the Black female main character’s sassy nature. I need more! More of Gwen. More of Ash. More of that sexy man she left in Dublin! I need more! Read it! You won’t be disappointed!

[Frida Mans · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5

Its a fun and good book, is it life changing no but it’s really funny and has a lot of humor. I love the main character she is funny and sassy. The story does have the best structure but it’s still a fun read:)

[Mettesknit · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dnf 4%

You know those rare moments you open a book, and you know right away that this isn't your jam?
This was that kind of book for me.

English is not my mother tongue, so that might be part of why I recoiled from the writing style.

Even if it's not for me, you might like it.

[Alexa Esperanza · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was short and sweet! I love that it’s protagonist is a quirky 45 year old Black Woman. That’s definitely a demographic we don’t see represented enough in Fantasy/Sci-Fi or romance. It’s a prequel, which is why I’m okay with it ending on a cliff hanger.

[Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS BOOK!!! Gwen was a 40 something year old curvy tattoo artist and has a badass energy. Gwen knew about her having magic and the curse that she had that was from a vampire.

I ABSOLUTELY LOVED RUTHIE AS THE NARRATOR!! She did amazing!!!

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

New to me author. Paranormal women's fiction. Prequel to Return to Hoodoo.
Introduced readers to Gwen a mature mouthy and sarcastic main character. Very interesting and hilarious read. Had me wondering what was going to happen next.

[Wendy Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short story was so different, and I totally enjoyed it. Wish there was more.

[Lois · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was delightful!

[Denieal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hoodoo Heaven (A Boudin, Bourbon, and Barbecue prequel novella) is a welcome departure from a lot of the books in the paranormal women’s fiction genre. For one thing the protagonist isn’t emerging from a messy divorce with fragmented self-esteem. She doesn’t learn in her 40’s she is magical. She isn’t frumpy or unhip. And her story doesn’t start after inheriting a magical house from a previously unknown relative. Instead, Gwen is a curvy black tattoo artist who is successful, stylish, and confident in who she is. She just has one teeny tiny problem; someone wants to kill her.
The novella is set in Dublin where Gwen has been doing a tattoo residency and trying to avoid a family curse that dooms all the women in her family to die on their 45th birthday. Unfortunately for Gwen, she doesn’t know why her family is cursed or even where the threat is coming from. We follow Gwen from Dublin to Morocco as she tries to evade her would be murderers while also trying to figure out the intentions of the handsome stranger who’s intent on bulldozing his way into her life and potentially her heart.
This novella is a fast-paced teaser which leaves readers with more questions than answers. While we do learn that Gwen comes from a small town in Texas filled with magical creatures, and that she was raised by vampires, her history is kind of glossed over. It is not completely clear what her magical talents are or even how magic works in her world. There are a lot of things alluded to but never explained, including a series of suspicious deaths that surround Gwen.
Where the story struggled for me was in the inconsistencies in Gwen’s character. At times some of her reactions to things seem unnatural, abrupt and a bit overly dramatic. She prides herself in her decorum as someone raised by vampires, but I didn’t really see evidence of that. In a lot of ways her character lacks nuance. Instead of having the kill ‘em with kindness charm that you might expect of a southern woman, she is at times jarringly hostile. I think Gwen’s character is meant to be funny and sassy and I can see where that is attempted but it doesn’t quite land. Likely due to the brevity of this novella, we only get a very surface impression of the characters. I am invested in the story, but I don’t find myself deeply invested in most of the characters.
It is also unclear why Gwen decides to celebrate her birthday in a foreign city, rather than in her hometown presumably where she can be protected by friends and family.
Outside of the story itself I do feel like the narrator for the audiobook did the book a bit of a disservice. For one thing her accents are terrible. It’s bearable, but I found myself grateful when the story moved on from accented characters. Overall though I do think this is an interesting and unique story and I am curious to learn what happens next.
Please note I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Blake · Rating 1 out of 5]

(FYI I tend to only review one book per series, unless I want to change my scoring by 0.50 or more of a star. -- I tend not to read reviews until after I read a book, so I go in with an open mind.)

I really wanted to like this book, I liked MC up until she went back on listening to her instincts re the stranger. As soon as she decided to ignore her sensible gut, the book went downhill for me.

She didn't even think it odd that after she turns down 100 grand to tattoo the guy she has a bad feeling about that she's oh so conveniently chased by baddies. So of course instead of doing as planned and hoping on a plane home to the USA, she calls up creepy guy and agrees to fly out of the country with him to Morocco on his private plane.
She also doesn't leave after she is shown a wardrobe of clothes etc. ready for her and his telling her he'd been planning her being there for a year. Earlier in the book he already told her he had chased her over a few continents, because she's the only one who can tattoo him... He finally met her in Ireland.
He keeps doing stuff that is creepy or that she doesn't like but she just ignores it all!
So the ending was no surprise, that the idiot ends up under his power... who says yes without knowing what they are agreeing to!

If the MC had stuck to following her gut re the creepy guy and headed home and he followed her and the ending happened, then I'd be willing to try the next book.

I don't like MC's who are TSTL.


First time read the author's work?: Yes

Will you be reading more?: No

Would you recommend?: No


------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)

All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked

Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)

[Sarah Ashwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was freaking hilarious. I laughed out loud several times while listening. The FMC had the best way of expressing things. She was awesome! She was tough and smart, with equal amounts of practicality and acknowledging her fears and weaknesses. Maybe it helped that she was an "older" FMC--and by that I mean she was well out of her 20's. As someone who is pushing 40, I appreciated having a FMC with a little more age on her.

The settings were on Earth, but managed to feel exotic, nonetheless. The balance between downhome Texas and a world teeming with ghosts, vampires, magical creatures, etc. was particularly engaging to me. The MMC was sexy and mysterious--like, it's the end of the story and I'm still not sure what he is or what he does. I've a feeling that will be explained further in the next book. He was super intriguing, though, and I'm very interested to see more of him.

Be warned, this story ends on a massive cliffhanger, which is great if you're like me and enjoy cliffhangers!

Extremely well-done audiobook. Ruthie Bowles' narrating is superior to none. She truly shines and brings this book to LIFE.

*I received a review code for this audiobook and this is my honest opinion.*

[The Paper Fan · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Hoodoo Heaven” by Reggi Dupree is a novel that had its moments but left me with mixed feelings. The story had potential, but there were a couple of aspects that didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

One thing that stood out was the reference to Alex Trebek and “Jeopardy!” in the story. While it’s not uncommon for authors to include pop culture references, in this case, it felt somewhat forced and out of place. It didn’t quite fit into the narrative and took away from the immersion in the story.

Additionally, I couldn’t help but feel that some of the key moments in the book could have been more impactful. The stage was set for intense and emotionally charged scenes, but they didn’t quite deliver the depth of emotion or resonance I was hoping for.

Despite these issues, “Hoodoo Heaven” had its merits. The writing style was engaging, and the premise of the story was intriguing. The author’s talent shines through in certain aspects of the book. While it may not have been a perfect read for me, others might find it enjoyable, especially if they appreciate the author’s writing style and the book’s unique premise.

[Texas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hoodoo Heaven - I laughed myself silly reading this story filled with old references, Texas colloquialisms, Attitude, and good story lines. I thought the story would be set in TX, but Ireland and Morocco are where the story begins.

The main characters are a trip; Gwen rules. A relaxing read filled with humor, paranormals, and intrigue. The last chapter is pretty cool and could be construed a cliffhanger, but it is s setting up the next book. I enjoyed and agreed with the author's personal note after the book. Source: The author. 5*

Mystical Midlife Mate, #2 - My heart is broken, I lost my copy of Return to Hoodoo through the means of another. BUT, I enjoyed Mystical immensely, even not knowing what happened before when a snippet from Return would rear its head. I could not put this book down. I love Ms. Dupree and her world.

The action, the surprises, the wacky characters, the Texan dialog and colloquialism, and the suspense of when are they gonna do that thang. Mainly, I love that Gwen embraces her fate and does not whine, but pulls her boots up and her big girl panties on and finishes that open can of whoop@. Source: StoryOrigin. 15 Stars.

[Cathy Myers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being cursed to die before her 45th birthday, the main character Gwen, is doing everything in her power to stay alive. With supernatural creatures closing in on her location, she decides to take a job with the gorgeous and mysterious, Ash. Gwen can tell there is more to Ash than meets the eye, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Ash whisks Gwen off to another country, and in doing so saves her life. Surrounded by beautiful scenery and a sensual companion, will Gwen be so distracted that the death curse sneaks up on her?

This novella is a teaser before the first book in the series, “Return to Hoodoo”. It has a lovely pace and is an easy read, but I must say that it leaves a lot of questions unanswered. I liked that Hoodoo has a double meaning in this story: Gwen’s hometown in Texas and also Hoodoo magic. Gwen’s character was nicely written. I love to see spunky, strong middle-aged heroines! Note that this book ends on a cliffhanger, which I am not a big fan of, but many will like because it does make you want to run out and start the next book.

[Rhonda Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Enjoyable Book

First, this prequel was a full story, not a short novella. It was not a real long story, but a good enough size to do great character development. Gwen is the main female character. She left her small town of Hoodoo, TX when her best friend, a man, died, and everyone accused her of the crime. While she was found innocent, it was not a public trial and nobody believed the verdict. But there was another reason she left. The females in her family were cursed to die before the age of 45. I have read all 3 books in this series and I am still unclear who cursed them or why. Otherwise, everything is nice and tidy by book 3, although there may still be one door left ajar. Anyways, after several attempts on When's life, she seeks the help of an acquaintance, Ash. He is very mysterious and almost too perfect. Lots happen, which I will not spoil for you, then Gwen is called back home to receive an inheritance. I enjoyed this prequel so I bought the next two books. The plot about Gwen and the curse and all the tragedy she experiences in her life were riveting, but it was her character that kept me intrigued enough to want to read more. She did not act helpless. She did not beg for help. She did whatever she could do to prepare for the inevitable. And she guarded her heart knowing relationships for her were doomed to fail. Plus she took no crap from anyone. They respected her or they could hit the road. I really liked that.