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amlacy14's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
booksarefriends_notfood's review
I like a cheesy romance here and there, but this one was just a little too cheesy for me and the fantasy elements weren’t explained well. It was like trying to cram a normal 300-350 page witchy romance into less pages.
mrsjozy's review
The writing was so difficult to follow. There was no flow, it was just a humble of weird on a page.
katiya's review
3.0
Ebrel's relocation to Wales was prompted by her desire to invest in her aunt's cafe with the thought of bringing espresso to the British Isles. She never realized that there would be so much more to her move.
This reading felt almost interminable. It was challenging to connect with the main character as her thoughts and actions didn't match up with a 36-year-old woman. Ebrel, we are told, uses magic to aid her in rock climbing and has done so for some time. She also is accustomed to seeing her ex-boyfriend even though he's a ghost. Yet, when confronted with the magical creatures of Misty Valley, she adopts a wide-eyed "golly, gee whiz" stance as though she is being asked to accept strange new concepts. I would have expected more of an easy adoption of the unusual circumstances. Her ex-boyfriend's maturity level seemed to be that of a late teen. Since he's only been a ghost for three years, Ebrel had to have either robbed the cradle or dated a man-child. Finally, Ebrel's relationship with her father was just strange. It didn't feel natural.
There was so much expository writing (partly, in fairness, due to this being the first in a series) that occasionally the storyline almost disappeared. It got a bit much. If the author needed to go to the lengths she did to make the story accessible to non-Welsh readers, perhaps a different setting would have been more appropriate. Yes, Wales is a beautiful and mysterious country and makes for a lovely backdrop, but the constant and necessary explanations made the going very slow. The pacing made me want to howl.
Finally, there was a good deal of typecasting woven into the plot. The British people I know aren't married to instant coffee. The concept of teaching "them" to drink good coffee felt condescending. As an English ex-pat, it rankled.
For the above reasons (and a few others), I won't be continuing with this series.
This reading felt almost interminable. It was challenging to connect with the main character as her thoughts and actions didn't match up with a 36-year-old woman. Ebrel, we are told, uses magic to aid her in rock climbing and has done so for some time. She also is accustomed to seeing her ex-boyfriend even though he's a ghost. Yet, when confronted with the magical creatures of Misty Valley, she adopts a wide-eyed "golly, gee whiz" stance as though she is being asked to accept strange new concepts. I would have expected more of an easy adoption of the unusual circumstances. Her ex-boyfriend's maturity level seemed to be that of a late teen. Since he's only been a ghost for three years, Ebrel had to have either robbed the cradle or dated a man-child. Finally, Ebrel's relationship with her father was just strange. It didn't feel natural.
There was so much expository writing (partly, in fairness, due to this being the first in a series) that occasionally the storyline almost disappeared. It got a bit much. If the author needed to go to the lengths she did to make the story accessible to non-Welsh readers, perhaps a different setting would have been more appropriate. Yes, Wales is a beautiful and mysterious country and makes for a lovely backdrop, but the constant and necessary explanations made the going very slow. The pacing made me want to howl.
Spoiler
Indeed, there was a tense scene close to the end of the book when the main character took time out to have a brief argument with her ex-boyfriend. What could have been an exciting event turned into a treacle of movement.Finally, there was a good deal of typecasting woven into the plot. The British people I know aren't married to instant coffee. The concept of teaching "them" to drink good coffee felt condescending. As an English ex-pat, it rankled.
For the above reasons (and a few others), I won't be continuing with this series.
purplesky25276's review
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This book was well written! Although, sometimes to understand, it was still really wonderful! The characters are funny, relatable, and caring. I really enjoyed getting to know them. This book was what I want in a cozy mystery. A talking cat, Coffee and magic!!! Can't wait for the next!
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