ACCIDENTAL MAGIC

The Book

Accidental Magic by Iris Beaglehole
Book 1 in the Myrtlewood Mysteries series
Genre: urban fantasy
Format: ebook

About Accidental Magic:

Welcome to Myrtlewood, a quirky town, steeped in magic, tea and mystery…

Life’s a struggle for Rosemary Thorn and her teen daughter, Athena. But their regular troubles are turned upside down after Granny Thorn’s mysterious death.

Despite her cousin's sinister manoeuvrings, Rosemary returns to Myrtlewood and the sprawling, dilapidated Thorn Manor. But there's more to the old house than meets the eye, as Rosemary and Athena soon find out — in a whirlwind of magic, adventure, mystical creatures and endless cups of tea.

Life in Myrtlewood would be bliss if Rosemary could only clear her name in a certain murder investigation, solve the mystery and stay out of mortal peril — for at least a little while!

A small town with endless secrets, strange activities and a house with a mind of its own.

Source: Info in the "About Accidental Magic" was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60471457-accidental-magic on 09/09/2022.

Buy Link(s):

My Thoughts:

I like the premise and the cover art of this book and that is why it got bought. However, I had a little bit of a hard time getting into this book. It most probably me that was at fault at that time. I was coping with a lot of life's drama then.

I totally like the mother-daughter dynamics. That is not how my relationship with my mother goes, but it is totally believable that such a thing could happen.

Quantitative Evaluation:

Story telling quality = 4
Character development = 4
Story itself = 4
Writing Style = 4
Ending = 4
World building = 4.5
Cover art = 4.5
Pace = 2.5
Plot = 4

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 cherries

Books In The Myrtlewood Mysteries Series:

 

Meet The Author

About Iris Beaglehole:

Iris Beaglehole is many peculiar things, a writer, researcher, analyst, druid, witch, parent, and would-be astrologer. She loves tea, cats, herbs, and writing quirky characters.

twitter | facebook | instagram | amazon | goodreads

FTC Disclosure:
This book was bought with private funds.
No money received for this review.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

SIMON SAYS... HIDE

The Book

Simon Says... Hide by Dale Mayer
Book 1 in the Kate Morgan series
Narrated by Kristi Alsip
Genre: psychic thriller
Format: ebook & audiobook

About Simon Says... Hide:

Newly promoted detective Kate Morgan stands up for the victims in the world, never backing down or giving up. From a family of victims, Kate will not tolerate those who take advantage of others. The worst ones prey on the hopes of desperate people to line their own pockets.

And when Kate finds a connection between more than a half-dozen cold cases to a recent case — where a child's life is in jeopardy — she'll make a deal with the devil himself to protect the child.

Having the gift of Sight, Simon St. Laurant knows that once he uses it, he can never walk away. But when nightmares of his own past are triggered, Simon can’t stand back and watch child after child being abused. Determined to help, Simon vows to save these children — even if it means dealing with the cranky and critical Detective Kate Morgan.

Source: Info in the "About Simon Says... Hide" was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56546246-simon-says-hide on 20/08/2022.

Buy Link(s):

 

My Thoughts:

Wonderful start to a new-to-me series!

This is my first Dale Mayer read and I am glad that I stumbled into her! Slow start but picks up about three-quarters through. It is interesting to follow the journey of a psychic who didn't want to be one...

What's even better?!? There are a few more books in the series!!

Being book 1, the book is about introducing the readers into this world. It's not that the author did not spin a good tale, because she did. But the coming-of-age theme is salient in this book.

This is also my first Kristi Alsip listen and I like the way she reads. Fast becoming a fan! However, I have a whinge with the audiobook format... Chapter 2 comes after chapter 3... WTF! And the kindle ebook and audible audiobook is not whispersync! Darn it!! So, no! I am not happy with the audiobook!

Quantitative Evaluation:

Story telling quality = 4.5
Character development = 4.5
Story itself = 4.5
Writing Style = 4
Ending = 4
World building = 4
Cover art = 4
Pace = (10 hrs and 25 mins listening time)
Plot = 4.5
Narration = 4

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 cherries

Books In The Kate Morgan Series:

 

Meet The Author

About Dale Mayer:

Dale Mayer is a USA Today bestselling author best known for her Psychic Visions and Family Blood Ties series. Her contemporary romances are raw and full of passion and emotion (Second Chances, SKIN), her thrillers will keep you guessing (By Death series), and her romantic comedies will keep you giggling (It's a Dog's Life and Charmin Marvin Romantic Comedy series).

She honors the stories that come to her — and some of them are crazy and break all the rules and cross multiple genres!

To go with her fiction, she also writes nonfiction in many different fields with books available on resume writing, companion gardening and the US mortgage system. She has recently published her Career Essentials Series. All her books are available in print and ebook format.

dalemayer.com | twitter | facebook | facebook author page | tiktok | bookbub | instagram | pinterest | youtube | amazon | goodreads

The Narrator

About Kristi Alsip:

From: Chicago, IL, USA

SAG-AFTRA
Voiced radio and TV spots, nationally and regionally
Narrated several audiobooks of various genres
20 years of acting experience in Chicago theatre
Lead vocalist in rock band Crawford's Daughter
Represented by Lori Lins Ltd, Chicago

www.kristialsip.com | twitter | facebook | instagram | goodreads

FTC Disclosure:
The ebook and audiobook were bought with private funds.
No money received for this review.

WATER'S EDGE

Water's Edge by G R Jordan
Book 1 in the Highlands & Islands Detective series
Narrated by John McNab
Genre: crime fiction
Format: ebook & audiobook

About Water's Edge:

A body discovered by the rocks. A broken detective returns to a scene of past tragedy. Will the pain of the past prevent him from seeing the present?

Detective Inspector Macleod returns to his island home twenty years after the painful loss of his wife. With a disposition forged in strong religious conservatism, he must bond with his new partner, the free spirited and upcoming female star of the force, to seek the killer of a young woman and shine a light on the evil beneath the surface. To do so, he must once again stand in the place where he lost everything. Only at the water’s edge, will everything be made new.

The rising tide brings all things to the surface.

Source: Info in the "About Water's Edge" was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48927111-water-s-edge on 31/10/2023.

Buy Link(s):

 

My Thoughts:

This is my first G R Jordan read and I would probably continue reading this author... Probably. I want to know how Macleod and McGrath's relationship would develop, but I am not sure I have the patience to read through any more books in this series. We'll see...

I presume that DI Macleod is near retiring because his views is hopelessly outdated. I first imagined him as a tall, well sculptured bloke only to read later on that he is shorter than Hope. Well, that was a bit of a downer!

I chapter 21, Hope was having difficulty coping with McKinney letting go of the life preserver ring and essentially committing suicide by drowning and that she saw him smiling before he let go. Then Macleod confessing, back at the station, that his wife "smiled too". Well, I understood them smiling...

This is my first John McNab audiobook and I would listen to him again.

Quantitative Evaluation:

Story telling quality = 3.5
Character development = 4
Story itself = 4
Writing Style = 4
Ending = 4
World building = 4
Cover art = 3.5
Pace = (6 hrs and 12 mins listening time)
Plot = 4
Narration = 4.5

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 cherries

Books In The Highlands & Islands Detective Series:

 

Meet The Author

About G R Jordan:

GR Jordan is a self-published author who finally decided at forty that in order to have an enjoyable lifestyle, his creative beast within would have to be unleashed. His books mirror that conflict in life where acts of decency contend with self-promotion, goodness stares in horror at evil and kindness blind-sides us when we are at our worst. Corrupting our world with his parade of wondrous and horrific characters, he highlights everyday tensions with fresh eyes whilst taking his methodical, intelligent mainstays on a roller-coaster ride of dilemmas, all the while suffering the banter of their provocative sidekicks.

A graduate of Loughborough University where he masqueraded as a chemical engineer but ultimately played American football, GR Jordan worked at changing the shape of cereal flakes and pulled a pallet truck for a living. Watching vegetables freeze at -40'C was another career highlight and he was also one of the Scottish Highlands' "blind" air traffic controllers. Having flirted with most places in the UK, he is now based in the Isle of Lewis in Scotland where his free time is spent between raising a young family with his wife, writing, figuring out how to work a loom and caring for a small flock of chickens. Luckily his writing is influenced by his varied work and life experience as the chickens have not been the poetical inspiration he had hoped for!

grjordan.com | facebook | instagram | amazon | goodreads

The Narrator

About John McNab:

Audiobook narrator / voice-over artist

goodreads

FTC Disclosure:
The ebook and audiobook were bought with private funds.
No money received for this review.