Barbara Bretton

"Sticks and Strings" is awash with quaint New England charm, with all the necessary components for some kick ace chick lit. A headstrong, albeit bumbling heroine in search of love, a poignant love triangle and plenty of colorful characters to bring the star-crossed lovers together. But, quite like Sugar Maple, your expectations will barely scratch the surface of this quirky paranormal comedy. Rife with nostalgia, 21st Century American cynicism and hilarity, "Sticks and Strings" keeps you on show more your toes. Chloe Hobbs is the reluctant heroine with a veiled past and a killer penchant for knitting needles. Bretton spins her web brilliantly as she introduces you to the last earthly haven for magical outcasts. There is plenty of intrigue, romance and magic to keep you believing in the bonds of friendship and the power of true love. A must-read for the avid knitter, cat person and reader. show less

This cosy fantasy mystery was an easy read. I often find first person narrators too snarky or neurotic for my liking, but I liked this one's voice. The characters were distinctive and fun, the worldbuilding enjoyable, and the story flowed very well. I didn't even mind the romance! (If you've read my other reviews, you'll know I'm really not into romance...)

Although the actual mystery wasn't too difficult to work out, the clues were neatly placed. For my tastes, the climax was a tiny bit show more bogged down in explanation/reflection, but that's a very minor criticism.

Technically, the writing was fine. I noticed just one typo, and a few line breaks in odd places.

A well presented cosy mystery with a strong fantasy element. show less

A cute, light, magical romantic comedy. Kind of intense action at the end. Some of the magic was a bit corny and out there. But its a book about a magical town full of magical creatures, so it really goes there. A good start to what I hope is an interesting series.

LACED WITH MAGIC by Barbara Bretton was a beautifully light tale of magic and romance. I’m not sure what I was expecting when I picked up LACED WITH MAGIC, but this book exceeded that. The story was fantastic, the suspense full and captivating, and to top it all off the romance was completely delicious. If you’re looking for a good Romance with a nice touch of magic, LACED WITH MAGIC is it.Readers were first introduced to Chloe, part sorceress and knit shop owner, in Bretton’s first show more book, Casting Spells. Now, in LACED WITH MAGIC we find Chloe still managing her knit shop and her romantic relationship with the hunky Officer Luke. If only he weren’t a human, life would be so much easier! Finally accustomed to Chloe’s fits of magic, Luke has managed to find a place for himself in the magical town of Sugar Maple. Many accept him, some tolerate him. Regardless of their feelings about Luke, all want him to hurry up and get Chloe pregnant already. Chloe’s ancestors are the key to upholding the spell that protect Sugar Maple and if Chloe leaves the realm without providing a female heir to carry on the protection, Sugar Maple will be lost.With pressure growing to protect the town, Chloe has a lot on her plate and really doesn’t need any more. Of course, right at that point we meet Karen, Luke’s ex-wife. Spouting stories of hearing her dead daughter’s voice on her cell phone and seeing her in the playground, Karen hunts Luke down and pleads for his help. Anyone that has experienced a new relationship will know that having the focus of the old relationship in close proximity usually leads to some form of drama. Chloe and Karen certainly don’t disappoint. While the three try to figure out the relationships among them, a darker force is gaining power in Sugar Maple. If Chloe can’t gain control of her powers and banish this force forever, Sugar Maple will surely fall.Bretton wrote a really fantastic story. This isn’t necessarily an epic story or a dark thriller. I wouldn’t place it with Lord of the Rings although the magic and romance do come close at some points. LACED WITH MAGIC is different in that it isn’t very dark. The book has a very light, ethereal quality to it. Perhaps it’s the way Bretton instilled humor in the form of Chloe and her magical mishaps, or Karen and her fairly bratty attitude. Maybe it’s the way she gives all of her characters some sort of realistic quality. Midge the vampire is short and chubby with a perm that might make you cringe. Bretton creates a world where although it is highly magical and supernatural, we could actually visualize driving through on a quiet Sunday morning and being none the wiser. The characters in LACED WITH MAGIC were just wonderful and really helped to make the book something special. LACED WITH MAGIC is riddled with suspense and tension and could easily have become dark and bogged down. Instead, the characters kept the feel of the book fairly upbeat and added life to the story. These are characters that I would love to know. Normally, a story is a story and although I may get a ton of enjoyment out of it, it’s still just a great story written by a talented author. In this case, I fell in love with Bretton’s characters. It’s obvious that Bretton puts a lot of love into her writing and developing her characters. From just having read LACED WITH MAGIC and experiencing Bretton’s storytelling, I would immediately and without question pick up any of Bretton’s other past or future works.Finally, I love how Bretton instilled the book with knitting tidbits. Chloe owns the knit shop and is a voracious knitter so Bretton does throw quite a few knitting terms out there. Although I have only dabbled at knitting and crocheting myself, it’s obvious that Bretton knows her stuff. I would warn readers however, I had to look up some of the knitting terms that Bretton uses. If you don’t know what she’s talking about, it’s not really going to affect the story much so I wouldn’t let it detract you from giving the book a try.Fair warning time: There are a few adult themes and adult scenes. Bretton doesn’t really describe too many body parts so I would give this a sensuality rating of 3.5.LACED WITH MAGIC has to earn top marks. The story was wonderfully constructed and the characters made the whole thing lift up off the page. I think the best way for me to describe LACED WITH MAGIC would be to say that it is a stroke of sparkly, brilliantly colored paint on a black background. The story stands out and in a world of intense Paranormal Romances it brightens the field with its lighter nature. show less