Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
Something old, something new, something borrowed…something blacker than the darkest night.
Cosmo Saville adores his new husband, but his little white lies—and some very black magic—are about to bring his fairytale romance to an end. Someone is killing San Francisco’s spellcasters—and the only person Cosmo can turn to—the man who so recently swore to love and cherish him—isn’t taking his phone calls.
The only magic Police Commissioner John Joseph Galbraith believes in is true love. Discovering he’s married to a witch—a witch with something alarmingly like magical powers—is nearly as bad as discovering the man he loved tricked and deceived him. John shoulders the pain of betrayal and packs his bags. But when he learns Cosmo is in the crosshairs of a mysterious and murderous plot, he knows he must do everything in in his mortal power to protect him.
Till Death do them Part. With their relationship on the rocks, Cosmo and Commissioner Galbraith join forces to uncover the shadowy figure behind the deadly conspiracy…
Can the star-crossed couple bring down a killer before the dark threat extinguishes true love’s flame?
I Buried a Witch is the second book in the smart and sexy Bedknobs and Broomsticks romantic gay mystery trilogy. If you like endearing characters, spell-binding conflict, and spooky, good fun, then you’ll love Josh Lanyon’s tale of a blue knight and his slightly wicked witch.
I just finished I Buried a Witch (Bedknobs and Broomsticks #2) by Josh Lanyon and came away with mixed feelings, far different than when I finished the first story in the series. I Buried A Witch is crammed full of more plot elements, a chest’s worth or more of clues and nods towards what the series arc is trending towards, as well as the addition of more characters and twist to the romance of the main couple.
Whew.
And it took awhile for me to eventually sort out what worked for me emotionally as a reader, and what worked as someone who loves Lanyon’s works as a mystery writer. I appreciate both perspectives, and understand what she was trying to accomplish. But in the end, only one part ending up moving me, and that was the ruptured relationship between Cos and John. John is something of an enigma, as a personality and in his handling of his romance with Cos. It does tend to make him less connectable as a character. Luckily, Cosmos makes up for John’s lack of charisma. You feel every inch of Cos’ pain here.
Which is, oddly enough good, because a good deal of the story, I feel a Cher moment coming on. One straight out of Moonstruck, the movie. One where she smacks her would be suitor to bring him back into reality with a “Snap Out of it” remark. I wanted more than one of those for Cosmos in scene after scene where he is blithely ignoring giant warning signs or displaying the self awareness of a toddler. He later explains his lack of criminal knowledge because he doesn’t watch crime shows on tv. Uh, no. That lack of logic in an intelligent person given the information he has doesn’t fly except because the story needs it to. Sigh. And I like this character but he swings from idiotic decisions to smart ones and back again. So frustrating.
John’s character is displaying some wavering as far as his personality too but I am writing that off as Lanyon’s plot, an element of which I think I think is coming based on things that happen here in this story.
Trying to balance the need to implant all the necessary “data” and ideas into a novel for the overall series arc while still working on the story and romance at hand is a difficult job. The second book is a tricky one, moving the story and characters forward, maintaining momentum and the mystery and yet not really solving anything. Tough stuff. I can see the ideas that Lanyon is trying to establish here, percolating away. Really interesting elements and I can’t wait to see the author bring them to fruition. And to see if I’m right! lol
The romance? That too will have some might neat twists ahead for John and Cosmo if I read this correctly. In this story, it was the best and most heart wrenching part of I Buried a Witch (Bedknobs and Broomsticks #2) by Josh Lanyon. Now I really need to see what happens next in book 3, Bell, Book and Scandal coming out in 2020.
If you love Josh Lanyon and love a romance with a dash of mystery and magic, the complex Bedknobs and Broomsticks series just might be the thing for you. But make sure you read them in the order they are written. They definitely aren’t standalone and the intricate storyline and character development makes it absolutely necessary that you do so. I am definitely recommending them.
Cover art is wonderful and perfect for the story as well as branding the series.
Sales Links: Amazon
Book Details:
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 