Review: Tides of Betrayal (Witches of Willow Cove Book 2) by Sara Bourgeois

Rating: 4⭐️

Tides of Betrayal, the second book in the Witches of Willow Cove, is another excellent read. It has a great magical mystery that involves the community, increasing nightmares and possible curses.

Rowan Page, her familiar, Moss and all the other Willow Cove inhabitants who are starting to become involved with Rowan in her inherited bookstore, Quill & Tide, are really developing their own roles and engaging personalities. With their unique backgrounds and their involvement in the community as each new disaster unfolds.

I enjoyed this mystery and most of the magical aspects surrounding it. There was a few twists and the villain, while being blatant, was truly cold about the ramifications of their actions, not a morally grey character. Unusual for this kind of story.

My slight issues are with the Cal, the Sheriff who, had a history with Rowan’s aunt. Now he still figures only minutely into cases that have a high impact on the community. Cal has a strong sense of something extraordinary going on but leaves it alone.

Then there’s the librarian, Jude, whose personality is as problematic as his name. I find Jude unlikable. He’s that person that makes you think, hmmm, he’s was voted the last person picked for just about everything. Justifiably so.

I thought leaving the story with an even bigger mystery was a great idea. Loved it and can’t wait for the next book to come.

Witches of Willow Cove (2 book series)

A Novel Death #1

Tides of Betrayal #2

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Tides of Betrayal (Witches of Willow Cove Book 2)

Blurb

Rowan Page would like to believe things at Quill & Tide are finally settling down, but the books have other plans. When a prominent local collector dies in what looks like a tragic sleepwalking accident, Rowan notices something the police can’t explain.

People all over town are having nightmares.

Moss wants nothing to do with the cursed books turning up across Willow Cove, Aunt Oona’s ghost is more cryptic than helpful, and the closer Rowan gets to the truth, the clearer it becomes that some old betrayals were never buried.

They were shelved.

July 20, 2026

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‎English

File size

648 KB

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Supported

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Print length

261 pages

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Book 2 of 2

Witches of Willow Cove

Review: Morel Dilemma (Tales from the Dragon Diner Book 3) by Lindsey Buroker

Rating: 4.5 ⭐️

Things are getting complicated in the small town of Tranquility. The Dragon Diner is extremely busy, trying to expand with its roof elf designed garden dining area and new magic mushroom recipes.

But first, the Elf Queen is coming to town, Rylana’s best friend, the elven assassin Sylin is being hunted down by elves, Rylana and dragon chef Jildarin have just been informed that they are going to be evicted from the place where the diner is by their landlord and magical mushrooms need to be found.

All in a day’s work for this group.

It’s a story full of tangled feelings, a few mysteries (mostly about family), mushrooms and things that glow, and a slow burn romance that might finally get a tiny bit more heat. But not much.

And it’s a cozy fantasy so everyone knows that it works out well.

Adorable and still very interesting. Love the characters.

Tales from the Dragon Diner (5 book series to date)

Calculated Whisk #1

Knead for Speed #2

Morel Dilemma #3

Ale Storm #4 – Oct 14,2026

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Morel Dilemma (Tales from the Dragon Diner Book 3)

Blurb

Retired mercenary Rylana and the dragon chef Jildarin are on the hunt for enchanted morels in the hope of enticing the visiting elf queen to their diner. But more than a desire for mushrooms has brought the queen to the city of Tranquility.

For some reason, she has her people searching for Rylana’s best friend, the elven assassin Sylin.

Even as Rylana worries about her comrade, a new problem thrusts its way into her path. Despite the Dragon Diner’s newfound success, their landlord has decided to evict them. After all that Rylana and Jildarin have built together, will they be forced to close the business?

Review: A Novel Death (Witches of Willow Cove Book 1) by Sara Bourgeois

Rating: 4.5⭐️

I love Sara Bourgeois’s many different paranormal murder mystery series, whether it’s situated in the Arizona desert mountains or in a small NW Pacific coastal town. Whether a woman has inherited a ghost filled desert ranch or a seaside bookstore or witchy herb shop that’s accompanied by a cat familiar, whatever the location or inheritance, the characters and community are intriguing, plot and character development well written, and the series one that expands into a ever deeper layered narrative and leads to wonderful relationships and even more mysteries.

This is our introduction to Rowan Page, her inherited bookstore, Quill & Tide, the familiar, cat Moss, and the very interesting seaside town of Willow Cove, where things are brewing. Murder and plenty of mystery to go around with the charm and quirky community.

Her aunt’s presence is still there, and magic is winding its way into Rowan’s life.

Bourgeois has, through her other series, kept her characters layered, even the murder mysteries, from victims to villains, have dimensions that have a reader feeling about them from multiple perspectives. There’s a sense of realness in their behaviors that makes us able to understand them, if not condone their actions.

Even for a urban fantasy or paranormal murder mystery novel, having the author write characters that a reader would find engaging and relatable, even while we laugh at the “nosiness” make this a series I can’t wait to continue.

Plus I want to visit any bookstore with the name Quill & Tide. I’m sold.

Another winner I’m happy to share.

Witches of Willow Cove (2 book series)

A Novel Death #1

Tides of Betrayal #2

Buy link

Book 1 of 2: Witches of Willow Cove

Blurb

Rowan Page has a plan.

It is not a good plan, but it is technically a plan. She’ll come to Willow Cove, sort out the seaside bookshop her late aunt left behind, sell the property before the money runs out, and move on with her life.

Quill & Tide has other ideas.

The shelves are beautiful but impossible to navigate. The bathroom mirror keeps leaving messages in her dead aunt’s handwriting. And Moss, the sea-glass gray cat who came with the building, keeps glowing every time someone lies.

Rowan would love to pretend all of that is normal.

Unfortunately, denial gets harder when a bestselling thriller author drops dead at the town’s Masques & Manuscripts festival, right in front of half the waterfront.

The police have a suspect. The town has gossip. Moss has strong feelings about everyone involved, most of them unflattering. And Rowan has questions she really should stop asking, especially once they lead to a stolen grimoire and secrets Aunt Oona apparently took to the grave.

Willow Cove is charming, magical, and very bad at minding its own business.

Rowan was supposed to sell the bookshop and leave.

Instead, she may have inherited a murder mystery and one extremely judgmental cat.

Publication date

June 15, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

213 pages

Book 1 of 2

Witches of Willow Cove

Review: Miss Gentle and the Case of the Very Flat Monk (Magic & Mystery story) by Travis Baldree

Rating: 4.5⭐️

I’m just on my second short story in this amazing collection and already I’m sold. Every author is a new discovery and so far each tale is engaging, well written, and full of twists and surprising characters.

Miss Gentle and the Case of the Very Flat Monk by Travis Baldree, the first book of the Magic & Mystery collection, starts off with the murder of the unlikable Brother Gorm at the Order of Venerous the Petulant.

Yes, Baldree had me right there.

Then the desperate bishop has a friend call in a detective to help solve the mystery. And Miss Gentle arrives!

I will not spoil her unsettling and perfectly incredible appearance she makes at the monastery. She’s a mysterious figure herself and adds to the mystical aspect of the story.

It’s funny, sharply crafted. And has one last punch waiting for the reader at the end.

Perfect.

Highly recommended.

Cover illustration by Danny Schlitz

Magic & Mystery collection – 7 books (ebook & audio):

Miss Gentle and the Case of the Very Flat Monk by Travis Baldree

The Wednesday Witches Book Club by Sarah Beth Durst

The Lion’s Tusk by Robert Jackson Bennett

A Labyrinth of Honeybees by Heather Fawcett

The Wizard Who Kept Himself Suspicious by Scott Lynch

Battle of the Round House by Tananarive Due

The Cairndale Orphan by J. M. Miro

Buy link

Book 1 of 7: Magic & Mystery

Blurb

A peculiar detective takes on a monastic murder mystery in a darkly funny fantasy short story by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Legends & Lattes series.

Nobody really liked Brother Gorm, but his untimely and abrupt descent from the abbey’s bell tower has the Order of Venerous the Petulant on edge. Desperate to settle the case before the bishop returns, the abbot enlists the highly unorthodox investigator Miss Gentle. As she clanks through the abbey in a full suit of armor, the cantankerous detective has no problem asking awkward questions—but will she get any answers?

Travis Baldree’s Miss Gentle and the Case of the Very Flat Monk is part of the Magic & Mystery collection, puzzle-box mysteries from top fantasy authors. They can be read or listened to in one enchanting sitting

Amazon Original Stories

Publication date

July 28, 2026

Language

‎English

Print lengths

33 pages

Book 1 of 7

Magic & Mystery

Review: The Bone Charm (The Haunted Ranch Mysteries #8) by Sara Bourgeois

Rating: 4.75⭐️

The Bone Charm brings the beautifully written paranormal mystery series , The Haunted Ranch Mysteries by Sara Bourgeois to a heartwarming, richly satisfying conclusion.

Through 8 books, nine of you count the prequel, Claire’s development starting from a woman who has fled failures in her life back in Chicago, fired from her job and dumped by her fiancé to arrive in a small town in Arizona and a ranch left to her by a aunt.

Slowly she’s accepted that the dusty, weird town of Perdido Springs and her desert life out on Whispering Saguaro Ranch is where she belongs. The ranch becomes an animal sanctuary in odd scenarios, each a memorable character themselves and, the ranch is inhabited by ghosts, fully realized and completely a part of Claire’s life and the series.

Each book has a murder mystery, the casualty one that leaves a wound upon the community in multiple ways. Physically and emotionally and metaphysically damaging the magic that surrounds the desert and town.

That happens here.

The townspeople, like Buddy Kern feel incredibly real, as part of the landscape that the author describes so realistically and with such great detail. They’re believable in their crustiness and weariness from the everyday realities of ranch life in the heat of the desert.

And don’t get me started on how much I love Oso the livestock guardian dog lost in his grief while still watching his flock.

The thoughtful investigation, the way the case was resolved, both of them, because there was several aspects to this particular murder mystery that needed to be finalized.

And Sara Bourgeois brought Clair’s journey to a close with her role being tied to her land and town in a way that makes sense. She’s grown and become grounded, by her ranch, the animals, the land itself. And her magic has evolved as she has.

The end acknowledges her journey, her growth, and her future there. It’s all tied up together beautifully. And I’ve feel so thrilled and happy for this series to end like this.

One of my favorites. Highly recommended. As is the author.

The Haunted Ranch Mysteries (8 book series)

Last Call in Chicago #0.5 prequel

Death Rides The Desert #1

Bones and Cactus Blooms #2

Spirits of the Saguaro #3

Tombstones with a View #4

Body Beneath the Wither #5

Death Waits at Dead Rock #6

Skulls and Sunlit Secrets #7

The Bone Charm #8

Buy link

Book 8 of 8: The Haunted Ranch Mysteries

Blurb

Claire Caldwell’s life at Whispering Saguaro Ranch is never quiet. Between escape-artist goats, a rooster with a personal grudge against her wedding ring, and a spirit fox who disappears every night on business of his own, she’s learned to expect trouble in feathers, fur, or both.

Then Socorro Vega, the elderly herb seller from the farmers market, is found dead on a desert trail.

The county blames the heat. Claire might have believed them if she hadn’t gone to rescue Socorro’s goats and her grieving Great Pyrenees, Oso. One touch of a carved bone charm in Socorro’s kitchen shows Claire what really happened. A dark room. Hands pressed over an old woman’s face. A desperate voice begging her to sign a piece of paper.

Plenty of people wanted what Socorro owned. Her forty acres include one of the last live springs in a drying valley. Her handmade charms are worth a fortune to the right collector. Even her closest relative has debts he can’t outrun. Unfortunately, the sheriff has already closed the case, and visions from a dead woman’s necklace aren’t evidence.

While Claire and her friends search for something they can prove, Perdido Springs begins coming apart in ways no one can explain. Animals panic without cause. Lights wander through the cemetery. Ghostly cowboys flee into the desert. Socorro wasn’t simply gathering herbs all those years. She was tending a hidden boundary around the town, and her murder left part of it wide open.

Finding Socorro’s killer is only the beginning. If Claire can’t finish the work Socorro died protecting, whatever is pressing against that broken boundary may soon find its way through.

July 28, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

154 pages

Book 8 of 8

The Haunted Ranch Mysteries

Review: Drop of a Hat (Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow Book 6) by Sara Bourgeois

Rating: 4.5⭐️

I love this so much. Where to start.

Drop of a Hat sort of epitomizes why I love this author’s writing style so highly. In 213 pages, Sara Bourgeois concisely delivers a story that is intriguing, quietly compelling, with elements that manage to be puzzling,horrifying, poignant, occasionally funny and sometimes exceedingly terrifying. And end up with a solid warm hearted note.

All while leaving the characters where they belong , for now, and the reader satisfied but needing the next book.

That’s when there’s multiple mysteries, only one of which is resolved, the villain’s story and resolution will likely keep you thinking, and the latest addition to the family, a zombie raccoon, is absolutely one of the most heartwarming aspects of the story!

Not all but one! Then there’s Moira back from the dead.

Such an incredible story. Ok off to reread it now.

If this prolific writer isn’t on your radar, she should be. I’m reading two of her series now. Read the books in the order they are written.

I’m highly impressed by this one and recommending it.

Love the author and series. Can’t wait to read the next book.

Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow (4 book series)

If the Hat Fits #1

Under The Hat #2

Hat Out of Spell #3

Hat Trick #4

Bear Many Hats #5

Drop of a Hat #6

Veil of Doom #7 – September 29,2026

Buy link

Drop of a Hat (Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow Book 6)

Blurb

Sometimes the dead don’t stay buried

Blythe Fairfield finally has her life together. A tea shop with her name on it. A talking cat who runs the place from the windowsill. A sheriff who just told her exactly what she means to him… right before her dead great-aunt knocked on the door.

But the real trouble starts when one of Cauldron Hollow’s oldest witches is found dead. The poison? Brewed from a recipe out of the Tallowmere family collection. The suspects? Start with the witch who just walked out of her own grave, and work your way down to the niece who took her in.

Blythe has solved murders before. This one is different. The victim had secrets. The suspects have more. Every clue she follows leads somewhere she doesn’t want to go. Every alibi has a hole in it, and one person who might be innocent refuses to account for herself.

Meanwhile, the witches of Cauldron Hollow are muttering about the old ways, the mundane authorities are circling a case they can’t be allowed to understand, and Blythe’s own familiar is taking sides… against her.

The clock is ticking. The town is watching. And the killer is closer than anyone thinks.

Turns out some hats never go out of style. They just come back.

July 13, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

213 pages

Review: Bear Many Hats (Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow Book 5) by Sara Bourgeois

Rating: 4⭐️

The author sets many different plots in motion with Bear Many Hats, the fifth book in the fantastic Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow series.

One storyline, the main plot that centers around the wandering bear in the town, is the one that carries the most interesting elements while also being the most easily solved mysteries of the story. It’s a carryover from the previous book and you could pretty much see it even then.

What keeps the reader engaged is the new characters, the dry, layered dialogue between Blythe Fairfield and her familiar, Pippin, either when commenting on customers in her shop or events in their community. It’s warm, well written, and even the smallest interaction is beautifully executed.

The mystery, who shot the sheriff, is more emotional than much of a mystery. The author introduces a ex-girlfriend who I expect to add further drama and the ending is a bit of a shock for all. A definite cliffhanger of sorts. That’s extremely well done.

Love the author and series. Can’t wait to read the next book.

Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow (4 book series)

If the Hat Fits #1

Under The Hat #2

Hat Out of Spell #3

Hat Trick #4

Bear Many Hats #5

Drop of a Hat #6 – Sept 22,2026

Buy link

Bear Many Hats (Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow Book 5)

Blurb

Blythe Fairfield was just starting to settle in.

She has a tea shop on Main Street. A talking cat who critiques her blends. A boyfriend who runs a fever nobody can explain but kisses her like he means it. And a town that’s almost stopped whispering about her.

Then someone shoots the sheriff.

Paine is found on the side of a country road with a bullet wound and no explanation for how he got there. The town is terrified. Deputy Dewey is in over his head. And Blythe is not going to sit in a hospital waiting room while whoever did this walks free.

Between an ex-girlfriend who keeps calling the hospital, a parolee who won’t explain where he was that night, and an elderly woman loudly telling everyone at the post office that the sheriff had it coming, Blythe has too many suspects and not enough answers.

But something about the case doesn’t fit. The evidence points in too many directions. And Paine, when he’s awake long enough to talk, keeps mentioning dreams he’s been having. Vivid ones. The kind that feel real.

Pippin says the dreams mean something. Pippin says a lot of things. And Baba Grimm has started showing up with gifts that aren’t entirely safe and advice that isn’t entirely free.

Some mysteries are about who did it. Some are about what’s been hiding in plain sight. And some answers change everything, including the person you thought you knew best.

date

June 7, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

216 pages

Book 5 of 6

Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow

Review: Night Owl Bridge (A Story in the World of the Sea Wicche #2) by Seanna Kelly

Rating: 4⭐️

Another urban fantasy short story that fits in the Sea Wicche universe, it’s a sequel to Night Owl Books, a introduction to Orla, a Eurasian Eagle Owl shifter who owns Night Owl Books, a late night bookstore she runs out of her house on the outskirts of Monterey.

Less bookstore, more Orla’s personal enormous library where she occasionally sells a book or two, but mostly reads according to her owl’s nature, from 6 pm to 8 am every night.

A mystery and a woman in need of help intruded into her territory and brought a shifter sheriff and his group of paranormal investigators to her bookstore.

Now another mystery and missing dog brings the sheriff and the paranormal investigation team back into Orla’s life. The missing dog belongs to an elderly longtime customer she’s grown fond of and the hunt leads her to a greater sense of danger.

This is another very short story but beautifully written and each scene and character is so well defined and crafted.

I haven’t had any time yet to seek out the Sea Wicche series this miniseries fits into but it’s absolutely on my radar and TBR list.

A definite winner.

Love the covers.

Interconnected series:

Beginning with:

Sea Wicche (5 book series)

A Story in the World of the Sea Wicche (2 book series)

Night Owl Books #1

Night Owl Bridge #2

Buy link

Night Owl Bridge (A Story in the World of the Sea Wicche Book 2)

Blurb

Owl shifter Orla’s quiet life of reading is once again disturbed. This time, Nick—bear-shifter, cop, and possible boyfriend—asks her to help him investigate an odd disappearance at a local bridge. Orla can’t see anything amiss, but she definitely feels something off. The bones she spies under the bridge lead her to believe they’re dealing with a bigger problem than Nick suspects. Orla must once again put down her book and help save her little corner of the world.

NYLA

Publication date

February 27, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

61 pages

Book 2 of 2

A Story in the World of the Sea Wicche

Review: Bargain With Fate (Blind Fury Book 2) by Annabel Chase

Rating: 2.5⭐️

Blind Fury series has so many interesting aspects to it. A upscale hidden retirement island for paranormal beings, many of them ancient, off the coast of Georgia.

The retirees, a fabulous, entertaining and mythically rich group of beings keep themselves busy with nude pickle ball, gossip and a wealth of activities that often include murder and mystery.

They are, even as supporting characters, the very best thing about this series.

Unfortunately, it’s the main character (and her MMC) and the author’s treatment of a potential relationship that just doesn’t work for me.

Bargain With Fate is book 2 and the main character of Maya August hasn’t shown much in the way of growth or progress in her development since her boss died and left her in charge of Security for the Island and its inhabitants. It’s a responsibility she avoided as much as possible when she was hired as his assistant. And now she’s Acting Director of Security, she’s not changing anything in regard to her role or actions. Unless absolutely necessary or pushed by her boss, she avoids any sort of accountability.

She’s whiny, borderline rude, and honestly, taking advantage of her job. Given her constant internal refrain/insistence on her being in isolation for her “unknown dangerous past” and that only the island is safe for her. Not being an adult about her role and job (she complains about her hours, being needed etc by her elderly residents) in return for safe haven? Makes her singularly unlikable. Don’t get me started on the cat.

Then there’s the potential romantic relationship with a paranormal boss who doesn’t seem to take no for an answer. She repeatedly tells Vale, a Demi god and supernatural boss of the area, that she’s not going to have a relationship with him, and that she’s got extremely good reasons not to reveal her past to him. Discussion after discussion.

He agrees, then he starts pressing her for more information and yes, a date. Against everything they had just discussed. Because obviously no means yes. To him and his men, one an elf she’s fond of, who talk to her about why she’s rejecting such a great guy.

All of this is supposed to be straightforward storytelling, no manipulation, which is even more toxic. Because she starts to waver even though she doesn’t want to. She continues to say no .

And so, even with a neat plot and interesting cliffhanger, I’m saying no to that relationship and main character. And this type of toxicity.

Cover design by Trif

Blind Fury:

Bound by Fate #1

Bargain with Fate #2

Cursed with Fate #3 – Dec 21,2026

Review: Hat Trick (Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow Book 4) by Sara Bourgeois

Rating: 4.75⭐️

Well, if that wasn’t just an excellent book. The mystery was one where you knew who did it after a while. But the investigation takes Blythe and her familiar, along with Anya, on a path that leads towards many places and players. So the plot winds up being poignant, character driven and layered with smaller pieces of other mysteries .

The author meaningfully scattered bits of information about the community throughout in new ways that knowledge of who did the murder early isn’t as key as you think.

And there’s another stranger mystery brewing that will lead to the next book in the series.

Sara Bourgeois is another autobuy/autoread for and this series is a great example why.

Highly recommended. Love the author.

Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow (4 book series)

If the Hat Fits #1

Under The Hat #2

Hat Out of Spell #3

Hat Trick #4

Bear Many Hats #5 – July 21,2026

Buy link

Hat Trick (Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow Book 4)

Blurb

Blythe Fairfield is finally getting the hang of her weird new life.

She owns a tea shop on Main Street. She’s dating the sheriff. Her late great-aunt’s notebooks are slowly teaching her what kind of witch she is, and her familiar has mostly stopped acting like tolerating her is a personal sacrifice.

Mostly.

Then the Cauldron Hollow Fall Festival rolls into town, and a dead body turns up behind the vendor trailers before the booths are even open.

The victim was a quiet leather worker traveling with the festival vendors. No enemies. No debts. No obvious connection to anyone in town.

At least, that’s the story everyone wants to tell.

As the festival barrels forward with tourists, bear sightings, and town gossip, Blythe starts tugging at threads nobody else seems to see. And somewhere between the funnel cake, fake smiles, and festival chaos, someone decides Blythe needs to stop asking questions.

Permanently.

It doesn’t help that Sheriff Paine is pulling away for reasons he refuses to explain. Or that Pippin keeps insisting being a Tallowmere should be enough to solve every problem, intimidate every enemy, and possibly improve Blythe’s posture.

But Cauldron Hollow has secrets it doesn’t show the tourists, and this one has been waiting twenty-four years to come due.

Blythe is about to learn there’s a big difference between a man running from his past and a man waiting for it to find him.

Sometimes the trick isn’t what’s in the hat.

It’s what’s been hidden in plain sight all along.

May 18, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

218 pages

Book 4 of 5

Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow

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