Month: November 2023

Review of Owl Melt With You by Leanne Leeds

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Synopsis:
When witch Astra Arden agrees to a Valentine’s Day date with Jason Bishop, she expects a romantic evening filled with chocolates and champagne—not bread and water in a jail cell.

Astra is excited to spend Valentine’s Day with handsome local middle school teacher Jason Bishop—but things take a turn for the unexpected when a retired local teacher Unity Priestpoint turns up dead, shot and stuffed in a trunk covered in magical symbols.

As if the murder of a retired local teacher wasn’t enough, Astra’s date Jason becomes the prime suspect.

In order to clear his name and have any hope of going on their first date, Astra must dive headfirst into the investigation even as her best friend, Detective Emma Sullivan, moves to arrest Jason for murder. Will Astra be able to uncover the truth in time and save their budding relationship before it’s too late?

Or will she be left dateless for the next twenty-five to life?

No gore, intimate scenes, or swearing – only a captivating story suitable for adults.

Review:
This book had a whole slew of twists and turns, though I did think that the ending of this particular mystery had been a bit easy to figure out. There was a slight shift in language at a few points in this book that took me out of reading because they seemed so out of place. I agree with Althea that I would want to be in a coven of chocolate witches. I quite loved the mention of how easy Archie is to bribe now that he knows about Costco’s Extra Thick Steak Strips. (Chapter 6, page 92) I was intrigued and pleased to learn more about what’s going on with Ayla, though it was sad that all happened at Jason’s expense. Astra remains infuriating about the whole “dating and being close” to people thing and I hope that’s addressed in the next book. I will continue on and look forward to seeing what other mysteries wait Emma and Astra.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯

Review of Owl About Yule by Leanne Leeds

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Synopsis:
Do you remember the Christmas story about the chain-rattling ghosts who taught life lessons? Well, how about a Yule tale involving a beachfront mansion, multiple Greek gods, an Orphic priest, and a kidnapped divine panther?

Witch Astra Arden expects a quiet holiday with her family and persnickety owl, Archie. She does not expect a Dionysian priest on the Ardens’ doorstep bringing news that the Greek god’s beloved panther has gone missing. Even worse? Dionysus is accusing his sister—the goddess Athena—of the prank, causing a divine argument that threatens to ruin Astra’s holiday.

Astra struggles to navigate the drama between the bickering gods while being drawn deeper into a dangerous mystery that threatens the holiday festivities and the life of the Orphic priest—all because her partner Emma can’t contain her excitement over a real paranormal case.

But as they try to restore peace between the gods, Astra realizes that this may be a mystery far more complicated than she ever could have imagined.

Filled with eccentric gods, a kidnapped divine panther, and a touch of holiday magic, this fantasy cozy mystery will keep you laughing and guessing until the very end.

No gore, intimate scenes, or swearing – only a captivating story suitable for adults.

Review:
This was an interesting take on A Christmas Carol. There are times when Astra’s defiance and disregard for all that has happened around her becomes incredibly frustrating for the reader, so it was nice to see that some higher powers might think it frustrating as well. I did like that we got to meet/learn more about the deities, however, this book was very much disjointed and different from the others. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it almost read like a dream sequence, which, granted the nature of its inspirational source. The gods relationships with Archie is amazing, and I quite enjoyed seeing Archie change and learning more about his place in the world.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯

Review of Heavy Meddle Magic by Leanne Leeds

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Synopsis:
When witch Astra Arden and her best friend Detective Emma Sullivan are sent to investigate a string of arson cases in the psychic medium capital of the world, they get more than they bargained for.

Investigating a spate of mysterious arson cases in Cassandra, Florida–the self-proclaimed psychic medium capital of the world—Astra and Emma juggle accusations from the town’s eccentric inhabitants as well as the mayor’s questionable relationship with their boss.

With Halloween tourists flooding the place, ghostly inhabitants of the famous haunted town vanishing, and homes along Main Street going up in smoke, the stakes have never been higher.

Is there a conspiracy wafting through the homes of Cassandra like a poisonous incense? Or is it just filled with super weird people that need to take their heads out of their sage smoke?

No gore, intimate scenes, or swearing – only a captivating story suitable for adults.

Review:
I absolutely loved how many different parts of the area and Astra’s relationships we got to see more in depth and growth in. This was the first of the “holiday” themed books in the series, starting off strong with Halloween. It’s interesting to see how Astra and her sisters had been truly sheltered/kept from the world in some ways regarding a nearby town and not being able to celebrate a holiday that, while perhaps not Athena’s, is universally known as a witchy one. Ayla, Astra’s 13 year old sister, plays a giant role in this book, but honestly, parts with her were somewhat frustrating to read because of how well the author portrayed a girl who feels uncertain of her place in life and as if no one listens to her or includes her in anything. Seeing more of Jason and the revelations about his life and how he grew up were awesome; now we just need Astra to DO SOMETHING. The proverbs used were spot on, specifically, catching more flies with honey than vinegar. The information about different culture’s use of things such tobacco, and their believe in things such as skinwalkers “a type of witch who can turn into, possess, or disguise themselves as animals” (chapter 13, page 221) was well done/used. The mention of how Athena gets the warriors who died trying to resolve conflict and crazy berserkers hang out with Ares seems on brand for both of them. The snark between Emma, Astra, Archie and the gang is always hilarious. “The library of Alexandria held only a fraction of the knowledge contained within my adorable featherhead.” (Chapter 18, page 302) The best quip came from Ayla in this one, though, “…when you’re completely trapped and there’s no way out, when you don’t know what to do? Truth pops up, and today it popped out of your mouth.” (Chapter 19, page 322)

All in all, quite enjoying this series and looking forward to continuing on! I’m already most of the way through the next book, which is the Yule/Christmas one.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯