I am behind the times! I never read the Ellery Adams Charmed Pie Shoppe series! I finished the first in the series last night.
Pies and Prejudice follows Ella Mae LeFaye and her return to her hometown of Havenwood, Georgia. Ella Mae left Havenwood to marry Sloan and live in New York. She is a very gifted baker and was being trained in NYC when she discovered her husband of 7 years in a compromising position in the elevator with not one, but both of the reheaded twins from down the hall. When she lands back home to the welcoming arms of her aunts, mother and Reba (her mom's maid and Ella Mae's caretaker from youth), her family surrounds her and supports her as she strikes out on a path to open a pie shop.
These efforts are quickly met with outright hostility by Loralyn Gaynor, Ella Mae's nemesis from as far back as she can remember. Loralyn and her family have made a name for themselves in the equine world of the south. Loralyn has used these connections to marry well...multiple times. She owns several nail salons in Havenwood and sets her sights on the shop Ella Mae wants to purchase. Ella Mae flies off the handle in a public place (due to baiting by Loralyn) and appears to threaten Dr. Knox, who is Loralyn's much older fiance and a very well known equine doctor. Dr. Knox ends up dead in one of Loralyn's shops...smacked over the head with a rolling pin with Ella Mae's fingerprints on it! Ella Mae must figure out the crime to keep herself out of jail and to keep her fledgling pie shop going strong.
I enjoyed the first book in the series. Ellery Adams is a very descriptive writer and I think that lends itself well to the story. As we discover throughout the course of this book, there is more to the "Charmed Pie Shoppe" than just the name. It seems the Ella Mae and her aunts have special gifts...Ella Mae's is transferring her feelings into what she bakes. This is reminiscent of the movie with Sarah Michelle Gellar "Simply Irresistible"...minus the magical crab...and better written with greater backstory. Ellery Adams brings these gifts, and the senses related to them, to life on the page.
The mystery in the first book is well-written and though the unveiling of the murderer was not overly surprising, it was engaging. I think the point is that the first in the series is an enjoyable introduction to the characters and world of Havenwood. I have started the second book, Peach Pies and Alibis, and can tell you that there is an overarching story line that will continue as Ella Mae learns more about herself and her family.
One and a half books in, and I do recommend giving this one a go.
(Also...recipes! I haven't tried them yet, but I plan on giving a few of them a try!)
Saturday, August 26, 2017
Thursday, August 24, 2017
Wiccan Wheel
I just finished a two book series (with book 3 slated to be released next month) by Jennifer David Hesse. The series concept is based upon the Wiccan religion and references Wiccan Sabbats. The first in the series is "Midsummer Night's Mischief", the second is "Bell, Book & Candlemas" and the third, yet to be released, is "Yuletide Homicide".
I will say that I enjoyed the first two books in the series very much. The main character is Keli Milanni and she is an attorney and a closeted, solitary practitioner of Wicca. I really enjoyed the closer to realistic depiction of witchcraft in this story. A lot of the witch-related cozies are more, um, supernatural than this depiction. What do I mean by this? There is more religion than magick in this book. She talks about spellcasting, her altar, the connection to nature...but her workings are no more supernatural or paranormal than prayer. She does cast a love spell at the beginning of the book and it seems to have a lot of general impact with random people in her life. Kind of funny how it manifests and it was acknowledged in the book that love spells can be tricky business.
The story itself is a good one concerning Shakespeare's first folio which has gone missing after the elderly owner has died. Keli was the attorney who drafted her will and who was blamed by the family for not having had the folio insured, which makes the daughter of the deceased owner very angry...and puts Keli on leave of absence at her law firm until things are settled. In order to save her job, Keli must solve the mystery of the stolen folio. There's no lack of suspects and one of them is a new romantic interest.
I liked the story. I liked the Wiccan elements. The characters were interesting. Keli is vegan but doesn't seem to be one who lords it over others, although she does catch some flack from a coworker. I can see interesting story lines coming up in the future, especially with her Aunt Jo, who was the black sheep of the family and who she has never met but who writes every 10 years on her birthday. Aunt Jo was part of a now-defunct commune in the area where Keli has settled down. What I didn't like in the first book was the depiction of Keli as a lawyer. She's seemed a bit wishy-washy to be an attorney. I had a hard time visualizing her in court arguing a case. I thought perhaps she's patent attorney or contracts...but it appears she's family law. Maybe she flips into attorney-mode when needed but is more of mess personally? I know attorneys like that but it seems odd to create a character without amplifying the disparity because in the books there's not a clear distinction between what might be two very different sides of the same coin. The only part that is distinct is her Wiccan beliefs...and there are a lot of people who walk the line on keeping their religion and work separate.
The second book in the series "Bell, Book & Candlemas" was also enjoyable. A little more revealing of the Wiccan faith to her best friend and boyfriend; still not out to the masses, though! She seems to have a bit more backbone and is more forthright as work-Keli, in the book. The mystery in this book is a little more difficult to discuss without giving away major plot-points. There are break-ins happening in the business district. One of those impacts the shop of Keli's friend, Mila. Moonstone Treasures is a gift shop and is also a shop that Keli visits regularly as it carries items that she might need for spellwork. Keli vows to help her friend and fellow Wiccan, but feels she must do so without outing herself as a witch. When a dead body turns up in the shop, the urgency for resolution increases as Mila is now a prime suspect.
The budding romance between Keli and Wes is fun to watch, but doesn't overtake the storyline. The reveal of Keli's religious beliefs to Farrah is not earth shattering, but I do wonder if there will be an impact in their relationship that shows in book 3? Wes is agnostic and there is a good conversation between the two characters about that. A few more tidbits regarding Aunt Jo. I can't wait to read the next in the series!
I will say that I enjoyed the first two books in the series very much. The main character is Keli Milanni and she is an attorney and a closeted, solitary practitioner of Wicca. I really enjoyed the closer to realistic depiction of witchcraft in this story. A lot of the witch-related cozies are more, um, supernatural than this depiction. What do I mean by this? There is more religion than magick in this book. She talks about spellcasting, her altar, the connection to nature...but her workings are no more supernatural or paranormal than prayer. She does cast a love spell at the beginning of the book and it seems to have a lot of general impact with random people in her life. Kind of funny how it manifests and it was acknowledged in the book that love spells can be tricky business.
The story itself is a good one concerning Shakespeare's first folio which has gone missing after the elderly owner has died. Keli was the attorney who drafted her will and who was blamed by the family for not having had the folio insured, which makes the daughter of the deceased owner very angry...and puts Keli on leave of absence at her law firm until things are settled. In order to save her job, Keli must solve the mystery of the stolen folio. There's no lack of suspects and one of them is a new romantic interest.
I liked the story. I liked the Wiccan elements. The characters were interesting. Keli is vegan but doesn't seem to be one who lords it over others, although she does catch some flack from a coworker. I can see interesting story lines coming up in the future, especially with her Aunt Jo, who was the black sheep of the family and who she has never met but who writes every 10 years on her birthday. Aunt Jo was part of a now-defunct commune in the area where Keli has settled down. What I didn't like in the first book was the depiction of Keli as a lawyer. She's seemed a bit wishy-washy to be an attorney. I had a hard time visualizing her in court arguing a case. I thought perhaps she's patent attorney or contracts...but it appears she's family law. Maybe she flips into attorney-mode when needed but is more of mess personally? I know attorneys like that but it seems odd to create a character without amplifying the disparity because in the books there's not a clear distinction between what might be two very different sides of the same coin. The only part that is distinct is her Wiccan beliefs...and there are a lot of people who walk the line on keeping their religion and work separate.
The second book in the series "Bell, Book & Candlemas" was also enjoyable. A little more revealing of the Wiccan faith to her best friend and boyfriend; still not out to the masses, though! She seems to have a bit more backbone and is more forthright as work-Keli, in the book. The mystery in this book is a little more difficult to discuss without giving away major plot-points. There are break-ins happening in the business district. One of those impacts the shop of Keli's friend, Mila. Moonstone Treasures is a gift shop and is also a shop that Keli visits regularly as it carries items that she might need for spellwork. Keli vows to help her friend and fellow Wiccan, but feels she must do so without outing herself as a witch. When a dead body turns up in the shop, the urgency for resolution increases as Mila is now a prime suspect.
The budding romance between Keli and Wes is fun to watch, but doesn't overtake the storyline. The reveal of Keli's religious beliefs to Farrah is not earth shattering, but I do wonder if there will be an impact in their relationship that shows in book 3? Wes is agnostic and there is a good conversation between the two characters about that. A few more tidbits regarding Aunt Jo. I can't wait to read the next in the series!
Thursday, August 17, 2017
A quirk, if you will
I have a bit of a reading quirk. I like series. I like them a lot. If I start a series and I like it and I know it's a series then I will want all of the books available immediately. I am not patient when it comes to waiting for writers to write! BUT I never know if a series is going to be a keeper or not.
I have started reading several series of books that, while the first few books were okay, I never fell deeply in love with the characters or the stories and so I struggled. One or two I pushed myself through. Of those, there's one series that I will probably continue to follow. The others, no.
I started Casey Daniels Pepper Martin Series quite a while ago. I checked all of them out from the library...ready to go! I read the first one and was intrigued by the idea and some of the characters. I never fully connected with Pepper, though, and by the 4th book I was just frustrated. I made it through part of the 4th book and put it down. It stayed on my nightstand or in my purse for *weeks*. I made excuses *not* to read. (Totally unlike me, by the way.) And then I realized I just really didn't care how it ended or where the next books in the series would lead...but I had some sort of quirky obligation to finish the series, just because I started it! I gave myself permission to let it go! I returned all of the books yesterday and felt a tremendous sense of relief! For whatever reason, those books were not for me.
That said, if you like mystery novels with communication beyond the grave, the Pepper Martin series might be for you. There are things about it that liked. Her job as a cemetery tour-guide is intriguing and helps to keep the plausibility for her continued discovery of mysterious deaths as she acts as a bridge between the past and present. The research author, Casey Daniels, does is top notch. The writing and editing is decent and the books are a quick read. When reading books in a series back to back to back you have to allow for a certain amount of repetitiveness that may not be as apparent when reading them as released. Pepper's bust-size is a little too front and center for me, if you will. I just didn't make a connection with Pepper and I don't know if I would have in later books or not. I found her backstory interesting with her father's fall from grace and her dealing with the aftermath of the drop in status. But I also found her to be really self-centered, not too bright (and she seems perfectly okay with that), a bit manipulative, and not someone I would want to hang with as a person at all. Ultimately, that's probably why I dropped the series. Give it a try and see if you agree with with me or if the Pepper Martin series is your new favorite. Leave a comment and let me know!
Don of the Dead by Casey Daniels Pepper Martin Mystery #1
I have started reading several series of books that, while the first few books were okay, I never fell deeply in love with the characters or the stories and so I struggled. One or two I pushed myself through. Of those, there's one series that I will probably continue to follow. The others, no.
I started Casey Daniels Pepper Martin Series quite a while ago. I checked all of them out from the library...ready to go! I read the first one and was intrigued by the idea and some of the characters. I never fully connected with Pepper, though, and by the 4th book I was just frustrated. I made it through part of the 4th book and put it down. It stayed on my nightstand or in my purse for *weeks*. I made excuses *not* to read. (Totally unlike me, by the way.) And then I realized I just really didn't care how it ended or where the next books in the series would lead...but I had some sort of quirky obligation to finish the series, just because I started it! I gave myself permission to let it go! I returned all of the books yesterday and felt a tremendous sense of relief! For whatever reason, those books were not for me.
That said, if you like mystery novels with communication beyond the grave, the Pepper Martin series might be for you. There are things about it that liked. Her job as a cemetery tour-guide is intriguing and helps to keep the plausibility for her continued discovery of mysterious deaths as she acts as a bridge between the past and present. The research author, Casey Daniels, does is top notch. The writing and editing is decent and the books are a quick read. When reading books in a series back to back to back you have to allow for a certain amount of repetitiveness that may not be as apparent when reading them as released. Pepper's bust-size is a little too front and center for me, if you will. I just didn't make a connection with Pepper and I don't know if I would have in later books or not. I found her backstory interesting with her father's fall from grace and her dealing with the aftermath of the drop in status. But I also found her to be really self-centered, not too bright (and she seems perfectly okay with that), a bit manipulative, and not someone I would want to hang with as a person at all. Ultimately, that's probably why I dropped the series. Give it a try and see if you agree with with me or if the Pepper Martin series is your new favorite. Leave a comment and let me know!
Don of the Dead by Casey Daniels Pepper Martin Mystery #1
Welcome To My Book Blog!
I like to read. I like to read a lot. I particularly like to read mystery novels. I don't know that I am a connoisseur of mysteries, exactly, but I read a fair amount and enjoy sharing my findings with others. Beyond mystery, you will find that I enjoy those with a paranormal twist, or not, and those with a touch or romance, or not, and those with recipes, or not, and those with...well, you get the idea. If it's a cozy-type mystery, chances are I will give it a try. I even like police procedurals. So there's a lot up for discussion!
So, make yourself a cup of coffee or tea and pull up a nice chair and get comfy. We have a lot to talk about, you and I!
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