Tegan Maher

What I immediately liked about this one is that the MC for once isn't an outsider in her community but the opposite, full-on gossiping with the other ladies at the hair salon and totally owning it.
I've never been a fan of this small town gossip culture, neither in books nor in reality, but the way it is portrayed here is just fine with me and I even find it entertaining. On top of that, it is really refreshing as I am kind of tired of the whole "nobody likes me, me against all the odds show more spiel" especially in books that have "cozy" in their genre description.

I have two main problems with this book.
First, the love interest is a dense douche which is being acknowledged and even point out to his face but there never is any kind of redemption or even an apology or anything on his part.
All his jerk behaviour is just forgiven after the bad guys have been found out despite him not only not helping but actively preventing progress with his ignorance, boneheadedness and pure stupidity even tho he is supposed to be the one in charge of the investigation.
Her attraction to him really reminds me of this:


My second problem is the convenient uselessness of all that supposed magic.
We are told there is such a thing as "pulling in defensive magic" but it never amounts to anything. Not even a spark regardless of the seriousness of the situation. We know there is such a thing as "Wards" but they are conveniently absent everywhere they might prevent anything bad from happening and it's all like that. The magic really only exists as a plot device and nothing else. The book doesn't in the slightest considers the consequences and implications of all the things this magic is supposed to be able to do not to mention what implications ghosts that are able to show themselves to normal people at will would be.

In essence, an interesting and refreshing premise but a lazy execution.
I think my 3-star rating is generous. show less

Sweet Murder: Witches of Keyhole Lake Book 1 (Witches of Keyhole Lake Southern Mysteries) by Tegan Maher

Noelle is a witch with a mini donkey and a great personality. When a man ends up dead she is on the scene to find the killer. Soon she is the target of the murderer and she must do what it takes to stop this from happening.

A fast paced story, with an original plot. The characters are very likable and well rounded. I liked the magical touch to this cozy murder mystery and feel other will as show more well. Overall an enjoyable read. show less

Read The Book

Books have always been a major part of my life. Some books, though, touch me in a strong way. They can change me. Shape me. Take me away. Or do something else to charm me. The one thing they have in common is a certain feeling I get from these special ones. I can totally love a book or even series and yet it won't give me that one feeling. Marked By Fate gave me that feeling. I didn't expect that. I'm older than Shelby Flynn. I was expecting a YA feel. I was expecting an show more enjoyable reading experience. I was correct in all that. I was surprised to get the special feels. This is book one in the series. I want to read more and not just because there is a bit of continuation to the ending. I want the feeling to continue. I'm hoping it does. The story follows Shelby and her friend Emma as they are off to college. They both have magical talent. Shelby has a big decision to make..eventually. In this book we see the start of her struggle. We also meet those who will help her, some who will add pressure to the decision and some who hope to hinder her. I am purposely being vague. If I tell you all, how will you enjoy the book?
The book is more than witches with introductions to familiars, the fae, werewolves, and hellhounds. I expect others will come. I love Stu. I have a snarky sense of humor. He plays to it. I also love the interaction between Shelby and Spot.
I am wondering if this is connected to other series by the author. There was hints of things that happened. I will be reading the series with the same location named.
There is some mild cursing. It was rare in my opinion. But that and a couple other things influence me enough to say this one is suited more for older teens than younger ones. Adults of all ages with a love for fantasy can enjoy this book. My recommendation is to read it, try the sample if you aren't convinced, and decide if it is for you. show less

I loved reading this anthology! It certainly put me in the mood for Halloween. The stories in this were all excellent! I’m not going to lie. I did read favorite authors first. I knew I was guaranteed to enjoy their stories and I did! I fell asleep several times with the idea of just going to read this one story. I had the plan that I would read one a day as a treat in anticipation of Halloween. That plan quickly went sideways. I was having too much fun! I thought after I finished reading show more those authors, (they know who they are), I would slow down and do the one a day. I was trying hard to make this book last a long time. That did not happen. I was having just as much fun with the rest of the stories. This anthology is one you definitely want to have in your collection. They are cozy mysteries so you might expect dead bodies and scares. What I loved most about this anthology was that each story captured the fun and anticipation of Halloween perfectly! I was not let down in a single story. That can be difficult to achieve with so many different authors. Do I recommend this book for Halloween anytime of the year reading? You bet I do!
*This anthology started out with a hiccup. One of the stories was accidentally left out. That has been corrected. I actually waited a few days to read the book so I could start with that story. As you can tell, it was worth the wait. The collection is complete at the time of this review.* show less