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Lattes and Levitation #3
Pastries and Prophecies
When the past blows into town, a witch goes along for the ride.
Surprises aren’t Skye O’Malley’s favorite thing, but this gloomy February is full of them. Fix My Town, a reality renovation show, has set its sights on Skye’s little coffee shop — and won’t take her emphatic “no” for an answer. Worse, the producers are staying in the same rental that was the scene of a murder just a few months earlier.
A harbinger of things to come? Skye begins to wonder…especially when an apparition from the past blows into town. Alicia Petrucci, who abandoned Skye as a baby, is back to teach Skye the ways of Petrucci family magic.
Skye would like to throw her newly resurfaced mother out on her ear, but the temptation to strengthen her magic is hard to resist. With Alicia’s guidance, Skye’s true powers begin to emerge — along with the hope that she can build a relationship with the mother she never knew.
But when one of the show’s producers is murdered and Alicia is accused of the crime, Skye will need more than tea leaves and dreams to prove her innocence. She’ll need to move mountains...and outrun the real killer before she becomes the next victim.
Surprises aren’t Skye O’Malley’s favorite thing, but this gloomy February is full of them. Fix My Town, a reality renovation show, has set its sights on Skye’s little coffee shop — and won’t take her emphatic “no” for an answer. Worse, the producers are staying in the same rental that was the scene of a murder just a few months earlier.
A harbinger of things to come? Skye begins to wonder…especially when an apparition from the past blows into town. Alicia Petrucci, who abandoned Skye as a baby, is back to teach Skye the ways of Petrucci family magic.
Skye would like to throw her newly resurfaced mother out on her ear, but the temptation to strengthen her magic is hard to resist. With Alicia’s guidance, Skye’s true powers begin to emerge — along with the hope that she can build a relationship with the mother she never knew.
But when one of the show’s producers is murdered and Alicia is accused of the crime, Skye will need more than tea leaves and dreams to prove her innocence. She’ll need to move mountains...and outrun the real killer before she becomes the next victim.
316 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2023
15 people are currently reading
35 people want to read
About the author
Christine Pope
217 books1,096 followersA native of Southern California, Christine Pope has been writing stories ever since she commandeered her family’s Smith-Corona typewriter back in the sixth grade. Many reams of dead trees later, she’s happy to announce that her debut novel, Fringe Benefits,was published by Pink Petal Books on April 8, 2010. Her short fiction has appeared in Astonishing Adventures, Luna Station Quarterly, and the new journal of dark fiction, Dark Valentine. Her paranormal novella, Playing With Fire, was released on August 5, 2010.
While Fringe Benefits is a straight contemporary romance, she writes in a variety of genres, including paranormal romance, fantasy, horror, science fiction, and historical romance. She blames this on being easily distracted by bright, shiny objects, which could also account for the size of her shoe collection.
After spending many years in the magazine publishing industry, she now works as a freelance editor in addition to writing fiction. She lives with her husband and an explosively fluffy Pomeranian mix. Her house is pink, but don’t hold that against her.
While Fringe Benefits is a straight contemporary romance, she writes in a variety of genres, including paranormal romance, fantasy, horror, science fiction, and historical romance. She blames this on being easily distracted by bright, shiny objects, which could also account for the size of her shoe collection.
After spending many years in the magazine publishing industry, she now works as a freelance editor in addition to writing fiction. She lives with her husband and an explosively fluffy Pomeranian mix. Her house is pink, but don’t hold that against her.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
March 1, 2023
This review is of Pastries and Prophecies, book 3 in the Lattes and Levitation series by Christine Pope. I received an ARC copy and this review is my honest opinion.
Las Vegas, New Mexico is one of those towns where just about everyone knows everyone. Their local hero Max Sullivan has bought a huge ranch where he can live between movie shoots. Skye O’Malley is the local girl who has the cool coffee shop that everyone loves, who grew up next door to Max, and who reads tea leaves. Okay, not everyone knows Skye reads tea leaves and has psychic dreams. Maybe Las Vegas isn’t an average town after all.
Then someone dies. This is, after all a murder mystery. And there are people who think Skye to use her abilities to find this killer. And once Max returns home, he expects Skye to find the killer with a little help from him. So this is a nice cozy mystery and everything turns out right in the end. That is the way these books work after all.
But to assume that’s what Pastries and Prophecies is all about is to miss out on the much bigger story that this book is telling. The heart of this book is believing in yourself and your friends. And realizing family isn’t always biological. It’s about knowing who you can trust no matter what. And you don’t help people because you are going to get fame and money; you do it because it’s the right thing to do.
I stopped revealing too much about a book many reviews ago because I wanted to write something that would make someone want to read the book. Not because they knew everything that was going to happen, but because they had the same values as the characters and wanted to find the extra story that was being told. That they wanted more than just a solved case.
I hope you enjoy this book and it’s many layers as much as I did.
Las Vegas, New Mexico is one of those towns where just about everyone knows everyone. Their local hero Max Sullivan has bought a huge ranch where he can live between movie shoots. Skye O’Malley is the local girl who has the cool coffee shop that everyone loves, who grew up next door to Max, and who reads tea leaves. Okay, not everyone knows Skye reads tea leaves and has psychic dreams. Maybe Las Vegas isn’t an average town after all.
Then someone dies. This is, after all a murder mystery. And there are people who think Skye to use her abilities to find this killer. And once Max returns home, he expects Skye to find the killer with a little help from him. So this is a nice cozy mystery and everything turns out right in the end. That is the way these books work after all.
But to assume that’s what Pastries and Prophecies is all about is to miss out on the much bigger story that this book is telling. The heart of this book is believing in yourself and your friends. And realizing family isn’t always biological. It’s about knowing who you can trust no matter what. And you don’t help people because you are going to get fame and money; you do it because it’s the right thing to do.
I stopped revealing too much about a book many reviews ago because I wanted to write something that would make someone want to read the book. Not because they knew everything that was going to happen, but because they had the same values as the characters and wanted to find the extra story that was being told. That they wanted more than just a solved case.
I hope you enjoy this book and it’s many layers as much as I did.
January 26, 2026
Skye and her Levitate Latte shop in Las Vegas New Mexico have a happy home. Her friendship with gal pal Deanne is solid and her secret crush on her oldest friend Max is still unrequited and hidden.
Alright…WHEN do Skye and Max get together? Do they ever get together?? The suspense! The question! The intrigue! Sorry, I digress…
Two strange occurrences happen that alter Skye’s reality - Alicia, her birth mom shows up after no contact for 30 years and wants to teach her about her birthright magic before her 30th birthday in 6 months due to a prophecy. Another mindblower!
Then, a local contact has a home improvement show come to town to fix the town, major surprises are in store, particularly when they want to do Skye’s shop - and Skye says NO. A big fat noooo. She adores the shop, and it’s charming, eclectic and unique. She created that and stands her ground, she loves it as it is.
The “no” sets off a chain of events with producer Jessica (including a hissy fit from said producer) and a murder. Skye is involved with both in unexpected ways and both have consequences.
Skye thankfully has her family of choice there for her as support. As Alicia’s visit unfold, more details are revealed and Skye learns about her birthright magic birth mother. The murder disturbs Skye as well, since Alicia was arrested as a suspect, but released.
When Skye eventually works through obscure clues, piecing together the puzzle as the last piece clicks in place, and unmasks the true killer, it is quite shocking and makes for a satisfying ending, and an absolutely worthwhile read
Alright…WHEN do Skye and Max get together? Do they ever get together?? The suspense! The question! The intrigue! Sorry, I digress…
Two strange occurrences happen that alter Skye’s reality - Alicia, her birth mom shows up after no contact for 30 years and wants to teach her about her birthright magic before her 30th birthday in 6 months due to a prophecy. Another mindblower!
Then, a local contact has a home improvement show come to town to fix the town, major surprises are in store, particularly when they want to do Skye’s shop - and Skye says NO. A big fat noooo. She adores the shop, and it’s charming, eclectic and unique. She created that and stands her ground, she loves it as it is.
The “no” sets off a chain of events with producer Jessica (including a hissy fit from said producer) and a murder. Skye is involved with both in unexpected ways and both have consequences.
Skye thankfully has her family of choice there for her as support. As Alicia’s visit unfold, more details are revealed and Skye learns about her birthright magic birth mother. The murder disturbs Skye as well, since Alicia was arrested as a suspect, but released.
When Skye eventually works through obscure clues, piecing together the puzzle as the last piece clicks in place, and unmasks the true killer, it is quite shocking and makes for a satisfying ending, and an absolutely worthwhile read
April 7, 2023
Book 3 takes place a few months after the last book. This was another easy mystery to figure out. Skye’s absentee mother Alicia comes to town to teach her magic after being gone fore almost 30 years. Skye learns pretty fast. (This seems to be setting up for future issues with her mom’s family, which is a powerful and overbearing East Coast witch family, especially since Alicia has kept Skye’s existence a secret from them.) There’s another murder in town, and Alicia is the first suspect, so Skye uses her talents to try to solve the murder. Skye’s childhood friend turned crush Max is not featured in this book that much. She’s clearly in the friend zone; this wouldn’t even qualify as a slow burn romance. There’s no burn - at all. It makes Skye seem a little pathetic. I would like to see a more viable love interest introduced in subsequent books. Skye needs things shaken up a little bit, because the books are becoming a little formulaic. I’m hoping for something exciting in Book 4.
February 25, 2023
Skye and co are back with more magical murders to solve!
Skye's put in the frame to solve another murder when a Fix it show rolls into town. She had a dust up with the arrogant producer. The same one then shows up dead. Thankfully Skye isn't the main suspect this time. But the suspect is close to home!
The cut-throat world of TV has invaded Las Vegas, NM and it's up to Skye, Deanne and the gang to find out who the culprit is. I loved meeting the gang again. The so-slow-boil-potential-romance with Max, a date with a charming TV producer, dealing with learning more about her magic (and her family) is already a lot for one person to deal with.
There were plenty of twists to keep you interested and I really wanted to slap Alicia if I'm honest! I do hope Max and Skye get themselves together soon - Max is moving at a glacial pace for a Hollywood Star (even though he seems to be getting a helping hand from Al!)
Skye's put in the frame to solve another murder when a Fix it show rolls into town. She had a dust up with the arrogant producer. The same one then shows up dead. Thankfully Skye isn't the main suspect this time. But the suspect is close to home!
The cut-throat world of TV has invaded Las Vegas, NM and it's up to Skye, Deanne and the gang to find out who the culprit is. I loved meeting the gang again. The so-slow-boil-potential-romance with Max, a date with a charming TV producer, dealing with learning more about her magic (and her family) is already a lot for one person to deal with.
There were plenty of twists to keep you interested and I really wanted to slap Alicia if I'm honest! I do hope Max and Skye get themselves together soon - Max is moving at a glacial pace for a Hollywood Star (even though he seems to be getting a helping hand from Al!)
May 30, 2023
Patries and Prophecies is the third book in the Lattes and Levitation series. Of course, it’s best to read the books in order as some of the background is contained in books #1 and #2. Cut-throat TV has arrived in the small town of Las Vegas with the idea of refashioning the town and bringing it up to date with modern times. One of the projects would involve Skye’s café, however, Skye is perfectly happy with her little business and will have none of the nonsense to redo it after she is told angrily that a lot of money has been invested in obtaining the required materials. Some twists prove quite interesting in this segment. Skye finally meets her mother! Alicia Petrucci shows up and announces that she is her mother and will be teaching her the finer points of witchcraft. To add to the suspense, a murder occurs in Las Vegas that needs to be solved. I would highly suggest reading the book, it is another one that is hard to put down.
February 19, 2023
Skye O’Malley is having several situations to fill in the dreary February New Mexico’s temperatures. Even though the woman who abandoned her as a baby 30 years earlier shows up at her coffee shop it did not deter Skye. She follows her instincts to accept this woman and learns how to further her magic. Of course, while her small town of Las Vegas is dealing with a reality show about fixing up small towns one of the producers is found murdered. It did not take Skye long to finally realize who “dun it” and solves this mystery. The storyline is filled with twists and turns to keep the reader on their toes. Highly recommend this book along with the entire series.
March 2, 2023
Skye hears a phrase she never expected to hear, "Hello, I’m your mother, Alicia Petrucci.” and the adventures in this book are started. She announced that Skye's magic is on the verge of getting a significant power-up. Skye finds she can levitate and fly, and reversed the spell on Tilly, the talking cat. Then Jessica, ‘The Fix My Town’ producer, is strangled. Alicia becomes a Person of Interest and Skye is determined to clear her name and find the real killer. That puts Skye in danger from the murderer. Skye finds out why her mother deserted her and her father 29 years ago.
March 2, 2023
It’s a dreary February and Skye has another murder to solve as well as a whole host of other issues! On top of it all, her mother who abandoned her as a baby turns up to train her in her magic and despite her feelings and wariness, Skye really wants to learn more. It’s an exciting and thrilling read filled with mystery, suspense and twists and turns to have you on the edge of your seat and is a superb addition to this series!
March 7, 2023
Smell the muffins
I love Skye and enjoy watching her figure out her magic but I wish she would just out some emotions. Its like you can tell that meeting her mother and all the things she did to her has really hurt her but she's holding everything inside . And really, when is Max gonna wake up and see what's right in front of him?!! Slowly sipping on a mocha for the next adventure.
I love Skye and enjoy watching her figure out her magic but I wish she would just out some emotions. Its like you can tell that meeting her mother and all the things she did to her has really hurt her but she's holding everything inside . And really, when is Max gonna wake up and see what's right in front of him?!! Slowly sipping on a mocha for the next adventure.
May 16, 2023
past and future
This was one for the books for sure. Skye has a visit from her mother which delves into what happened in the past. I have a feeling though this opens up a new can of worms. Max seems to be making a home which is really cool because of Skye and her crush. The mystery is still unfolding about her magic and what it means for her future. I can’t wait to see what happens next.
This was one for the books for sure. Skye has a visit from her mother which delves into what happened in the past. I have a feeling though this opens up a new can of worms. Max seems to be making a home which is really cool because of Skye and her crush. The mystery is still unfolding about her magic and what it means for her future. I can’t wait to see what happens next.
January 19, 2024
Cozy read. Plot does differ a little bit more from the first two, which were very similar.
Easy, quick, light read.
More magic, which was fun! Interesting to see her learn more about her magic and her ancestry.
Do not go into reading this expecting a super intricate plot and you'll enjoy it.
Easy, quick, light read.
More magic, which was fun! Interesting to see her learn more about her magic and her ancestry.
Do not go into reading this expecting a super intricate plot and you'll enjoy it.
May 16, 2024
A surprise visit!
Skye's life is plodding along.
Max is away filming.
February is cold and gloomy, not much happening.
That is until Deanne tells her the town's getting, Fix My Town show, to fix up several places, that DO need fixing.
As they roll into town so does a woman who resembles Skye??
Really enjoying these books.
Skye's life is plodding along.
Max is away filming.
February is cold and gloomy, not much happening.
That is until Deanne tells her the town's getting, Fix My Town show, to fix up several places, that DO need fixing.
As they roll into town so does a woman who resembles Skye??
Really enjoying these books.
March 1, 2023
Brilliant Series
Pastries and Prophecies (Lattes and Levitation Book 5) by Christine Pope. Sky’s mother turns up after leaving 29 years ago. A producer for tv program filming in the town is murdered and Max is back.
Pastries and Prophecies (Lattes and Levitation Book 5) by Christine Pope. Sky’s mother turns up after leaving 29 years ago. A producer for tv program filming in the town is murdered and Max is back.
October 21, 2024
Good Read
Pastries and Prophecies, book three in the Lattes and Levitation series, is another good cozy mystery book by Christine Pope. Skye has another murder to solve while dealing with her absentee mother's visit and while learning more about her magical abilities.
Pastries and Prophecies, book three in the Lattes and Levitation series, is another good cozy mystery book by Christine Pope. Skye has another murder to solve while dealing with her absentee mother's visit and while learning more about her magical abilities.
Read
April 6, 2023Really great story
I really really love this great fantastic book. I really appreciate the way that Christine has written this new series. She is a very talented writer.
I really really love this great fantastic book. I really appreciate the way that Christine has written this new series. She is a very talented writer.
February 19, 2024
Fun little read. I'm about to give up on Max though......
June 18, 2024
Magic and murder
This book revealed more magic and there was a murder to solve. These characters and small town life and fun and cozy. The adventure continues.
This book revealed more magic and there was a murder to solve. These characters and small town life and fun and cozy. The adventure continues.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews