Book Review: Winging It (Wayfair Witches #4) by A.A. Albright

March 19, 2021September 27, 2020 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Paranormal Cozy Mystery
Length: 298 pages
Author: A.A. Albright
Publisher: Self-published
Release Date: December 1st, 2017
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A witch, a weredog and a wizard walk into a bar …

When three unlikely friends kill themselves in a popular weredog bar, Wanda Wayfair is convinced that there’s more to the story. With the coven’s work now in the hands of the Minister’s Peacemakers, an investigation would be ill-advised.

But since when do witches listen to advice?

All of the deaths have something in common – every one of the deceased worked in Plimpton’s Brooms. With the Everest Climb – the biggest broom race in the witching world – about to take place, Wanda hopes to find the answers there. Especially since Everest is also the place where an annoying young witch was last seen in public.

Wanda needs to solve the murders, track down Candace Plimpton and return her to her cute-as-a-button kitten …

And while she’s at it, she might finally find out what her broom has to do with it all.

CAN’T STOP. WON’T STOP.

But really. I can’t stop reading this series.

Not a problem at all.

There’s something compelling about the simplicity of a cozy mystery that has really drawn me in. I love following Wanda on her adventures. Her tenacity to solve the murder mystery, while also supporting those around her just works together beautifully.

I don’t know how I’m supposed to ship Wanda with though! I have somehow caught myself up in a love triangle, that when reading, doesn’t even read as one. BUT I KNOW IT IS. I’ve convinced myself it is at least, because I know where I’m still leaning. It’s at least not annoying me, so yay for a love triangle [maybe] that’s working for me.

I appreciate that this mystery did actually shake up location and story line. Got to take care of a few malicious witches, solve some family troubles, and a whole lot more. There’s plenty packed in to a small amount of pages and I love it. On to the next!

Overall audience notes:

Paranormal cozy mystery
Language: none
Romance: kisses
Violence: murder (believed to be a suicide, but is found out to be a murder)

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Book Review: The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas

March 14, 2021March 13, 2021 GoodeyReads2 Comments

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 487 pages
Author: Elena Armas
Publisher: Self-published
Release Date: February 23rd, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A wedding. A trip to Spain. The most infuriating man. And three days of pretending. Or in other words, a plan that will never work.

Catalina Martín, finally, not single. Her family is happy to announce that she will bring her American boyfriend to her sister’s wedding. Everyone is invited to come and witness the most magical event of the year.

That would certainly be tomorrow’s headline in the local newspaper of the small Spanish town I came from. Or the epitaph on my tombstone, seeing the turn my life had taken in the span of a phone call.

Four weeks wasn’t a lot of time to find someone willing to cross the Atlantic–from NYC and all the way to Spain–for a wedding. Let alone, someone eager to play along my charade. But that didn’t mean I was desperate enough to bring the 6’4 blue eyed pain in my ass standing before me.

Aaron Blackford. The man whose main occupation was making my blood boil had just offered himself to be my date. Right after inserting his nose in my business, calling me delusional, and calling himself my best option. See? Outrageous. Aggravating. Blood boiling. And much to my total despair, also right. Which left me with a surly and extra large dilemma in my hands. Was it worth the suffering to bring my colleague and bane of my existence as my fake boyfriend to my sister’s wedding? Or was I better off coming clean and facing the consequences of my panic induced lie?

Like my abuela would say, que dios nos pille confesados.

The Spanish Love Deception is an enemies-to-lovers, fake-dating romantic comedy. Perfect for those looking for a steamy slow-burn romance with the sweetest Happily Ever After.

AN ABSOLUTE NEW FAVORITE.

This is one of those reviews I want to WRITE IN ALL CAPS BECAUSE I LOVED IT SO MUCH.

I didn’t even notice it was 500 pages (which is usually on the longer side for a contemporary romance) because it didn’t matter. This book was amazing. I am completely smitten with AARON BLACKFORD. Oh gosh. Swoon-worthy, romantic, stoic, loyal, an absolute cinnamon roll.

“Because when I finally take those lips in mine, it will be the furthest thing from pretending. I will not be showing you what it would be like if you were mine. I’ll show you what it is.”

Add together some of my FAVORITE tropes: enemies to lovers, workplace, only one bed, fake dating. Oh my gosh, how can you go wrong?!

Answer: YOU CAN’T.

I knew from 50 pages in I was going to love it. That’s how well this hooked me. Sunk its teeth into my soul and took me a long for some a perfect ride. Going to Spain, meeting the family, little confessions of love, ahhhh. I’m writing this review right after finishing so I am sporadic because I HAVE NO CHILL.

Watching walls crash down, and the most beautiful slowwww burn occur over this trip left me breathless. They discuss important topics with care and handled them so wel. My heart would flip every time Lina and Aaron got close. I couldn’t get enough.

“You feel complete in my arms. You feel like my home.”

Another great thing I loved was that the conflict was placed in the exact spot it needed to be. AAAAND it wasn’t overdone. No drag out, unnecessary issues. Pure, raw, revealing truths that made both characters shine brighter. Hot dang, I love Aaron and Lina so much.

A fantastic book. Had everything I want when I read a romance.

TL;DR: READ THIS BOOK.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary romance
Language: strong
Romance: kisses to a few open door scenes
Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of a parent, sexism in the workplace, grief, unsafe dieting (restriction of food)

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Book Review: A Trick for a Treat (Wayfair Witches #3) by A.A. Albright

March 10, 2021September 21, 2020 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Paranormal Cozy Mystery
Length: 238 pages
Author: A.A. Albright
Publisher: Self-published
Release Date: October 22nd, 2017
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

It’s Wanda’s first Halloween at home for years, but that doesn’t mean she gets to enjoy the holiday. A famous werewolf has disappeared, and his girlfriends are getting knocked off one by one. Murder and mayhem might be all in a day’s work for the Wayfair coven, but this time the stakes are higher than ever. This time, Wanda’s own friends are under suspicion.

Wanda needs to discover the real culprit, and she needs to do it fast – otherwise the people she cares about could spend their lives behind bars. Oh, and while she’s at it, she also needs to pass another few of the Minister’s tests. But who ever said that being a witch was easy?

SMITTEN BY THIS SERIES.

I am now three books in and still wanting to read more. There is clearly something enigmatic and easy to love about these books and my favorite witch, Wanda.

These mysteries have been uniquely different and I honestly don’t easily catch who the culprit is. It only makes me want to read more so I can figure out what paranormal fiend has become the villain now.

Not to mention, the subtle romance that I know will keep building. I am caught up in a small love triangle and…I don’t hate it? I KNOW. I’m just as surprised as you are.

It’s hard to write a long review because these are shorter books. I just like the feeling these books give me. They’re on the lighter-hearted side. The comedy makes me smile and feel like I’m right there with this coven. For someone who isn’t a general paranormal fan, these have captured my reading heart. Can’t wait for the next one and see what Wanda is up to next!

Overall audience notes:

Paranormal cozy mystery
Language: none
Romance: an almost kiss
Violence: murder (nothing bloody/gory)

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Book Review: Bottling It (Wayfair Witches #1) by A.A. Albright

February 15, 2021September 13, 2020 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Paranormal Cozy Mystery
Length: 215 pages
Author: A.A. Albright
Publisher: Self-published
Release Date: October 9th, 2017
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Wanda Wayfair is a bit of a late starter.

At almost twenty-one she still hasn’t received her magical powers, and she’s running out of time. But that doesn’t bother Wanda. Much. Not when she can spend all of her time in the human world and pretend that her coven doesn’t exist. But when Wanda takes a job at Berrys’ Bottlers, working with the handsome Will Berry and his unpleasant Aunt Alice, she soon realises that she’s a lot closer to the magical world than she thought.

All over Dublin, humans are murdering witches. When asked why, all they’ll say is, ‘I dunno why I done it.’ But Wanda thinks she does know why they’ve done it – and hopefully she’ll receive her power in time to help her coven discover the truth.

DIVING INTO COZY MYSTERIES.

I’m not sure if anything I’ve ever read has qualified as a cozy mystery. This I believe does! And I found it to be something I’d love to read more of.

This was funny, short, and so very quirky. I liked Wanda as the main character and found her likable and someone I wanted to be friends with. I snickered and found myself smiling multiple times over the ridiculousness of the story, but also realizing how much I was enjoying it.

A very fast read (200ish) pages and plenty was packed in! There’s quite a few books so I’m definitely interested in seeing how these continue. I spied the beginnings of a budding romance, and many more mysteries to solve. I love how quick this opener was and how easy it made me want to know more about the Wayfair Witches.

Overall audience notes: