Elle Hartford
I picked this up because I have found memories of discovering the romance genre via Nora Roberts–but my casual acquaintance with her books definitely doesn't hold a candle to the main characters' passion for them! It was a cute bond the sisters shared. I really appreciated the strong relationships throughout the book. It definitely has “thriller” aspects–the death kind of shocked me, but then, I am mostly a cozy reader these days. Overall it was a very earnest tribute to enduring romance!
Like most of my historical/contemporary fic reads lately, I picked this up at a secondhand store because I liked the topic. ;) It reads very much like a memoir, which isn't usually my cup of tea, but the story moves along fairly quickly. Any beasts involved are more metaphorical than otherwise, but that's to be expected. There definitely were a lot of exotic locales involved, and it makes for interesting vacation reading!
I actually never read this as a child/teen, though I was aware of it as a classic. Having read it now, I'd say it's a unique and poignant reflection on what makes life worthwhile–and it deserves its status. In the beginning I was a little confused at times, but the narrative begins to feel like a familiar “journey” story. (It gave me Phantom Tollbooth vibes, even though the two have very different contexts.) Some of the revelations at the end are familiar, too, but phrased in a very sincere and thoughtful way. It left me feeling a little nostalgic but also warm & fuzzy–because, to some extent, the ending is what you choose make of it.
I picked this up because I adore the cover and the classic literature it references. However, in the end, I think it just wasn't really my genre (more contemporary fiction, whereas I prefer mystery these days). As a writer I can appreciate the voice of the narrative, but as a reader it felt a little pretentiously opaque rather than nostalgic . . . maybe I'm too removed from the author's world. The prose was lovely, certainly, but not something that made me personally love the characters or feel welcomed into the story: it was more something to be admired. There's certainly nothing wrong with that, particularly if you love contemporary lit and have a long afternoon ahead of you!
To be totally honest, I picked this up it realizing at first that it was YA! But still, it was a fun break with some interesting characters. I adored the love interest, especially for being so perceptive. ;) There were some interesting things happening with the narrator that kept me guessing. An absorbing magical tale!
This was more a 3.5 for me personally–I think it was well done, and very creative, but I think part of my problem might just be that Sleeping Beauty isn't my favorite story, haha. This is the second retelling I've read which really focused on the dream aspect of the magic sleep–and, to be honest, I found it confusing. I didn't really get what was going on in the story until about page 145-150. I knew something was up, of course, but I couldn't tell what was real! Now, I'm sure that that was at least partly the author's intention, since the main character is confused too. However, it left me kind of on the back foot and uncertain for the rest of the story, too, and I found it hard to engage with Aurora. Again, though, Aurora is far from my favorite Disney heroine or fairy tale character, so perhaps she was starting at a disadvantage! ;)
Just finished my advance copy–I'm running behind in my reading schedule, but once I started this lovely adventure, I couldn't put it down!
The fall/Halloween vibes are strong in this story, and I am totally here for it. ;) Hazel's investigation quickly leads her to clues regarding a buried treasure on a historic estate. It's a sort of Nancy Drew meets Indiana Jones mystery, which I absolutely adored (and which is perfect given some Halloween costumes that come up at the end!). There were plenty of intriguing suspects and I was guessing until right up at the end. But everything fell into place after that!
As always with this series, my favorite part of the book was simply hanging out with Hazel and her friends in their delightful town. And her pets!! Too cute for words!! (I actually have a three-legged kitty with the same dietary restrictions as a certain pup, so reading about Hazel's new adoptees felt like a warm hug!) Plus, of course, there's all the wonderful candle scents (seasonally appropriate, naturally) that make reading about Hazel's business a real pleasure.
Overall, I loved this book, and I was thrilled to discover that the next installment in the series is already in the works. I would wholeheartedly recommend this to fans of witchy/paranormal mysteries, cozies with a modern and inclusive feel, anyone who loves Nancy Drew's hijinks or historical treasures–the list goes on and on!
If you're looking for more representation in cozies, as well as detailed and thoughtful world-building, this is the book for you!
I very much enjoyed this paranormal mystery. Even just being with Josie in her day-to-day life running a pet boutique was lots of fun, and I loved discovering more about Arteria Falls and the wonderful world the author has built up. Plus, Josie's humor is sly and amusing, and her friends are supportive and fun.
The mystery itself had some great twists and [slight spoiler] a very ingenious method to it! The final confrontation was pretty intense there for a moment, but I loved the way everything wrapped up. :)
All in all, this was an excellent peek into a new world, and I can't wait to read more!
*I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review, and I'm very happy I did!
Okay, so, I adore this series. I love the setting and the narration is quite charming.
However . . . even though I do love the book . . . I have to say that this installment had the same problem as the first book in the series, which is that the culprit was pretty apparent, pretty early in the story. Maybe I am naturally suspicious at this point, but it would have been good to have some other truly possible suspects to mull over.
Aside from that, this was another quaint and whimsical afternoon escape!
This is going to be a rambling review! Spoilers ahead!!
In one line: If you like a more city-life, grungy mystery and you don't mind tougher language and backstories, you might enjoy this; if you are softhearted like me, I'd say pass, unless you're really into the TV/Salem setting.
To expand: This is a fairly well-written book, and I feel bad not giving it more stars. However, because I am softhearted (see above, haha), I struggled with this. I did not particularly care for most of the characters (although the actual love interest was pretty cute!). There's also much harsher language than I would expect from a cozy–and it's specifically cruel about women. And despite the main character having real psychic abilities, almost all the characters make a point of going out of their way to deride tarot, crystals, mindfulness, “Gypsy” culture, or anything remotely witchy. Unless this is setting up tension for the rest of the series, it felt unnecessary and demeaning. It was as though the characters were all trying to tell me, the reader, that “hey, I know, I'm just like you! I don't buy into this!” but . . . I, as a reader, am not like that. Certainly not in such a vocal, dismissive way.
And the really big problem I had is also a MAJOR SPOILER. One of the characters is trans, and their origin story is extremely abusive. It felt like the tropey “there is one LGBTQ+ character in this story, and they will never have a good day” narrative. That made it very difficult to read . . . but not for the reasons that the author intended. Now, the author may be entirely correct about the particular issues this character was dealing with and how they manifest, but still–the treatment of the character was increasingly degrading and infantilizing, I thought.
It was also pretty darn obvious from about 60% through the story who the culprit was, and what was going on. Perhaps that's me with my modern understanding talking–the book is a little dated, after all. (Another BIG SPOILER: I still would have preferred that Scott was Willie! That would have avoided the twist that felt like it was played out just for shock value.)
Overall, I came away feeling vaguely upset and disappointed, but again–my idea of “cozy” is a just little more light and inclusive. Take my opinions with a grain of salt!
Love the change in setting and the adventure! It is, of course, a book of its time, so the treatment of some characters and some of the language is not what we would want to see today–good fodder for discussion, though, if you're reading this with someone younger.
Aside from that, my only complaint was [slightly spoilery] it was that the mystery itself was pretty linear (unlike the previous books which had pretty substantial twists). The more rewarding mystery was the secondary plot regarding some historical treasure. I am a sucker for a hidden treasure, though, so that's not really much of a complaint! ;)
