Grimoires and Gingerbread

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.Sprinkles and Sea Serpents by Danielle Garrett is the first book in the Sugar Shack Witch Mysteries. Earlier in the year I listened to Grimoires and Gingerbread, book 1.5 in the series, which I enjoyed.   Based on that I expected an enjoyable read. The story followed Rosella Midnight, aka Ella.  An accusation of plagiarism and the loss of her job as a result forced her return to her hometown of Winterspell.Treated like a pariah because of her unique powers she left home to reside in the non magical world.  I didn’t blame for leaving, but I had issues with her cutting off her family. Her powers were considered a curse and persons feared her, but their fears were borne out of ignorance. I thought her powers were cool, especially when used to solve the mystery of three female joggers who disappeared under mysterious circumstances.I found the mystery underwhelming. It is not the type that will have you biting your nails. The best part of it all was the confrontation with the villain.I liked Rosella when I interacted with her in Grimoires and Gingerbread. However, in this installment I saw a different side to her. A side which I disliked. She manipulated strangers to get what she wanted. However, she redeemed herself. What I admired about her was her love for animals and her tenacity and determination.I enjoyed spending time with the secondary characters. It made me happy to see Rosella reunite with her family and friends. Her grandmother added a slice of humour to the story.Orion, the monster hunter, who was brought in to assist with the case of the disappearing women, intrigued me. He had an air of mystery about him, and I was eager to learn more about him. I sensed a growing chemistry between him and Rosella.I have to admit I did not enjoy Sprinkles and Sea Serpents as much as I did Grimoires and Gingerbread. Although it did not wow me, I thought it was a solid start to the series.Amanda Ronconi did a wonderful job of giving life to the story. She enhanced my enjoyment of the story with her tone. She captured the mood of the characters perfectly and her voice for each was on point. One could always tell which character was speaking.To conclude, Sprinkles and Sea Serpent provided a good escape. I enjoyed the world, and I am looking forward to my next visit to the town of Winterspell.This review was originally posted on Totally Addicted to Reading

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.Grimoires and Gingerbread by Danielle Garrett hit all the right spots. I was looking for a short and fun story and it delivered.This was my first experience with the author, and I plan to repeat it. When I picked this one up, I assumed it was the first book in the Sugar Shack Witch Mystery series. However, as I delved deeper into the story, I discovered it was the second book. -+ Fortunately, the details provided made it easy to follow the story.I enjoyed meeting the characters. Rosella aka Ella proved a force to reckon with. Smart, independent, strong and brave.Orion sounds like a player, but I could be wrong. Despite this, I liked the role he played in the story. He seems genuinely interested in Ella. One will have to watch and see what will come of their association. He and Ella worked well together in saving Christmas and protecting Santa’s secrets.This story rekindled memories of the Christmas movies, featuring Santa and his elves, I would binge watch on Lifetime and Hallmark.NarrationAmanda Ronconi narrated. It was my first time listening to her and what a delightful experience. Her tone pulled me into the story and had me visualising every scene. She brought the characters and the story to life and made it easy to distinguish between each of their voices.I had a wonderful time with this story and would definitely recommend to fans of paranormal cozy mysteries. This review was originally posted on Totally Addicted to Reading