Bailey Cates

I thoroughly enjoyed this debut to a delightful new series. I always love it when I can't guess right off the bat who-dunit. The pacing for this story was just right, not too fast and not too slow. I want to know more about all of the characters so I'm hoping the author fleshes them out a bit more in the next book. What I liked best was the author's treatment of witchcraft. It feels like she did her homework on the subject while adding her own personal touches involving her own philosophies show more ~ bravo! I can't wait to see what the future holds for Katie and her wonderful new bakery!
FTC Advisory: I won a copy of this book through the GoodReads First Reads program. show less

I'm generally a fan of Bailey Cates writing but this one left me feeling ambivalent. The characters remain charming, and I love the Savannah setting, but... meh.

It didn't help that the murderer was achingly transparent from the first (although part of it was a surprise, at the very end). Really there wasn't much mystery at all.

Cates did have me smiling though when she takes a moment in the book to explain the difference between a macaroon and a macaron; both luscious desserts but utterly show more different from one another despite the confusing similarity of their spellings. It was a source of confusion when I first moved Down Under, (macaroons, which are the ones made of coconut, are not generally known here at all, though macarons - think oreos made with meringue - are hugely popular), so the aside felt very relevant.

I have the next one in the series, but unless it's a markedly more exciting plot, I might let this series go with no hard feelings. show less

BEWITCHED, BOTHERED, AND BISCOTTI is the second book in the Magical Bakery Mystery series, and I enjoyed it even more than the first.

Katie Lightfoot is settling in as co-owner of Honeybee Bakery in Savannah, and getting used to her new found magical powers. While having a lovely breakfast picnic in the park, Katie and Declan (one of her two love interests) find a dead body.

The deceased man's mysterious tattoo fascinates Katie, and with help from her other love interest, Steve, she finds out show more he belonged to a super secret group of powerful (and misogynistic) druids. She also learns that the man's killer may be planning something darker and more dangerous when some important books from his library go missing.

Katie and the witchy ladies from the Spellbook Club reluctantly join forces with the devious druids to catch the killer.

The mystery in this book was a bit darker and more complex than the first book, and it really drew me in. Magic in this story was explored on a deeper level as well, though Katie used her smarts, not magic, to figure out the culprit.

The Declan-Katie-Steve love triangle continues, and Katie doesn't seem any closer to deciding who she wants most, though readers get to learn much more about Steve in this book. (I'm really liking Steve.)

BEWITCHED, BOTHERED, AND BISCOTTI is a must read for fans of paranormal cozy mysteries. I can't wait for the next in the series!

Review copy courtesy of the publisher. show less

Tired of her unfulfilling job in Ohio, Katie Lightfoot packs up her possessions and heads south to Savannah. The opportunity to work with her aunt and uncle in their new bakery is too good to pass up. Just days before their grand opening, a woman is murdered just outside the bakery – a woman that Katie’s dear Uncle Ben had just argued with. When a witness says a man fitting Ben’s description was at the scene of the crime, the police make him the prime suspect.

Knowing that her show more kindhearted uncle could never harm anyone, Katie starts her own investigation of the murder. With the help of Aunt Lucy and the members of her unusual book club, as well as a sexy newspaper reporter named Steve and a hunky fireman named Declan, Katie uncovers several possible suspects that all wanted the deceased out of the way. But the most shocking thing Katie learns is that Aunt Lucy is a witch, and magical abilities run in the family.

BROWNIES AND BROOMSTICKS is an enchanting start to a new cozy mystery series. There was much I liked about this story: unique characters, a bakery full of tempting treats, an intriguing mystery, and the perfect location for all of this – Savannah, Georgia. There’s even the start of a complicated love triangle! Steve and Declan have bad blood between them, but they both take a strong liking to new-girl-in-town Katie. I enjoyed the magical aspects of the story, including information on the craft and spell casting. This is a light and fun paranormal cozy, and I will definitely go forward with the series.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. show less