Hi everyone. Hope you are having a good start to your Friday. I am featuring a series today for a multiple review. The Coven Cozy Mystery Series is written by Speculative Fiction author Stephanie Ayers. She writes horror, fantasy, and now cozy mysteries. Rather enjoyed this series and hope you will check out the books to give it a chance. Happy reading :).
ABOUT THE BOOK: BOOK 1
Bleu Pops & Razzlebaums
A Soda Shop Series & Coven Cozy Mysteries Novella
by: Stephanie Ayers
Genre: Cozy Paranormal Mystery
WHAT TO EXPECT:
∞ Witches
∞ Secret Pop Recipe
∞ Demon Blood
∞ Ghost whisperer
∞ A Special Friendship
BLURB:
Carmen Bleu and Hester Razzlebaum have been best friends since preschool. When tragedy strikes the Bleu Pop Shop, Hester invites Carmen to set up her soda shop in a small corner of Razzlebaums, a wildly popular 1950’s style diner.
Trouble follows Carmen, though, and before long Hester finds her own business in jeopardy. Through Hester’s uncanny ability to speak with the dead, she discovers that there’s something more than carbonic acid and high fructose corn syrup behind Carmen’s signature BleuRazz soda pop.
Hester must figure out Carmen's secret before Razzlebaums fizzles out, and they both end up bankrupt, maybe even dead...or worse.
****
KATIE'S REVIEW:
Carmen and Hester have opened their own shops in the museum in New York. They both are on the spot to perform, but Carmen has other worldly problems stopping her from succeeding. She used a secret ingredient that leads to ghostly visitors to haunt her shop and eventually shut it down. Hester comes to her rescue and lets her use a corner of her diner to hold up shop for awhile. They work together to find out who is after Carmen and why the ghosts are attacking her shop specifically.
Stephanie has a career with her horror stories but shows her creative genius with crossing over into the paranormal cozy mystery genre. She has strength with words by forming a book that is so easy to follow you never even realize you reached the ending until you turn the last page. This is the first book in her coven cozy series and I am looking forward to reading more in this series from her.
Hester and Carmen are very lovable characters and they make you fall in love with them from page one. Out of 5 stars I would give this book 5 stars hands down. The only issue I had with this book was that it was a quick read and I was craving another story featuring the two witches, Hester and Carmen.
5/5 stars
✯✯✯✯✯
Purchase your Copy:
FREE on Kindle Unlimited
ABOUT THE BOOK: BOOK 2
Gertie's Garden
A Pet Shop Series & Coven Cozy Mysteries Novella
WHAT TO EXPECT:
∞ Faeries
∞ Hidden Garden
∞ Witches
∞ Tarot Readings
∞ Talking with Ghosts
BLURB:
Everything lost must someday be found. What was once stolen must someday be replaced. And sometimes, the most beautiful things are the most cursed of all.
What secrets does Gertie's Garden keep?
****
KATIE'S REVIEW:
Hester and Carmen are blowing things up with Bleu Pops & Razzlebaums working together in one restaurant. But their boss, Blair, wants to expand the exhibits in the art gallery. There is a special spot that could become a beautiful garden, but eerie things have been happening.
Hester and Carmen find out that the butterflies that protect the garden are under a curse. The curse is on the queen of the Faeries and the only way to free the land of it is to free Gertie. They go on a journey using their witch talents to free her to create one of the most beautiful butterfly exhibits ever seen at the gallery.
Stephanie spins a tale that features ghosts, witches, and a curse that leave you falling in love with the journey. The more you unravel, the more interesting the story becomes. She has a way with words and keeps it simple, which makes her book an easy read for those readers that don’t want to be overwhelmed by over stimulating words. Highly recommend this book to those cozy mystery lovers that enjoy a little paranormal fun thrown in. If I had to rate this book, it would be 5 out of 5 stars.
5/5 stars
✯✯✯✯✯
Purchase your Copy:
FREE on Kindle Unlimited
Also available in Audio:
ABOUT THE BOOK: BOOK 3
Jamaican Me Crazy
A Coffee Shop Series and Coven Cozy Mysteries Novella
WHAT TO EXPECT:
∞ Ghosts
∞ Romantic Honeymoon
∞ Witches
∞ Flustered New Husband
∞ Voodoo Magic
BLURB:
What’s a honeymoon without a few ghosts tagging along? Much to Carmen Bleu’s chagrin, that’s exactly what’s brewing. Only this time, it’s a haunted coffee shop in the tropical paradise of Jamaica, and her best friend, Hester Razzlebaum, isn’t there to help her out.
In a land where voodoo is the norm and ghosts don’t just go away, will Carmen be able to solve this mystery on her own? Or will she lose everything she’s worked for and her new husband in the process?
****
KATIE'S REVIEW:
Carmen Bleu just got married to a man that knows about her ability to talk to ghosts. Actually, that is how they met. But now they are in Jamaica on their honeymoon and he wants nothing to do with ghosts. Too bad Carmen finds ghosts haunting her path even when she doesn’t want to. A mysterious singer from its past haunts a coffee shop, and the only one that can stop it from shutting the place down is Carmen. The question is how far will she go to solve the problem and keep her husband in the dark while doing it?
Stephanie Ayers spins a tale about a budding marriage hitting its first hurtle in life. The husband just didn’t think Carmen would put his feeling on the back burner. She threatens the ties of their relationship so tight you can’t help but wonder if the strings will break before they find a true happily ever after.
The journey Carmen goes on is a solo in this book and she finds her strength standing alone without her cousin beautifully. You can’t help but love Carmen’s ability to get into trouble and hope she makes it out unscathed. I turned the page, wondering what would happen next. Couldn’t put it down if I tried. Definitely a strong candidate for a re-read in the future.
Out of 5 stars, I would rate this book a 5/5. Highly loved everything in this book. The only thing missing was Hester. Highly recommend to coffee addicts that love a little crazy music with their drink.
5/5 stars
✯✯✯✯✯
Purchase your Copy:
FREE on Kindle Unlimited
ABOUT THE BOOK: BOOK 4
Rustic and Roasted
A Sandwich Shop Series and a Coven Cozy Mysteries Novella
WHAT TO EXPECT:
∞ Secrets
∞ Romantic Connection
∞ Witches
∞ Vengeful Ghost
∞ Pumpkin Recipe
BLURB:
Hester Razzlebaum has had enough. With a broken engagement, her best friend happily married, her diner a success, and no ghosts to chase, she takes a much needed vacation at her cousin’s pumpkin farm in the gorgeous Pennsylvania Dutch countryside. Little does she know, there’s more in the cards for her than taste testing and relaxation. Through an uncanny encounter with Collin Fletcher, the new owner of the Rustic & Roasted Comedy Club, Hester discovers that whatever haunts the club is determined to shut it down.
In an atmosphere where everything from pumpkins to comedians gets roasted, Hester will need all the tools in her witchy arsenal to save the club from an ominous presence. Can she figure it out before it’s too late, or will Collin’s secrets jeopardize them all?
****
KATIE'S REVIEW:
Carmen got the last book by herself. It is only fair Hester gets her own. Yes, Carmen is not in this book, or is she? Because Hester is going on a food adventure that takes her to her cousin’s neck of the woods. Along the way, she meets a man that could become romantically involved if it wasn’t for the secrets he keeps. Hester finds he has a problem at his comedy club that doubles as a sandwich shop. He just doesn’t believe that a ghost is involved. Hester has to hide her gifts and solve the problem until a little help from Carmen comes her way.
Stephanie does a fantastic job building suspense in this book. While Hester works to solve a problem while keeping her secret of being a witch from everyone. She is in enemy territory with budding feelings. She is fighting for a man she doesn’t really know. The struggle unfolds on the pages and evokes a heartfelt response as you watch it. The ending will leave you sad but feeling happy for the cousins.
I would say each book keeps this series going strong and they never disappoint. Highly recommend this one to those that love food. A food festival is at the heart of this story and Stephanie really shows Hester’s chef's side. If I had to give this book rating out of five stars, it would be 5/5.
5/5 stars
✯✯✯✯✯
Purchase your Copy:
FREE on Kindle Unlimited
ABOUT THE BOOK: BOOK 5
Horny Confections
A Cupcake Shop and Coven Cozy Mysteries Novella
WHAT TO EXPECT:
∞ Cupcake Shop
∞ Poisoned Food
∞ A Mystery Not Paranormal
∞ Snake in the Mix
∞ Boss Near Death Experience
BLURB:
There’s a new sweet shop in Blair Cromartie’s popular art gallery. The bakery’s specialty, unicorn bliss cupcakes, are so good, they’re almost worth dying for. But when the first customer gets sick after eating one, and no one can figure out why, it’s up to Carmen, Hester, and Carmen’s dead Nana to intervene.
For Blair, something stinks of Regina, her disowned half sister who already tried once to destroy the art gallery. Rather than trust her new friends to solve what may not actually be a ghostly mystery after all, she hires a detective to follow Regina around.
Will this blissfully sweet shop become the horn in Blair’s side that finally shuts the art gallery down permanently or will otherworldly intervention save the day?
****
KATIE'S REVIEW:
Blair Cromartie opened a new cupcake shop in her art gallery. Everything is going swiftly until Carmen falls ill, along with a few customers from a poisoned cupcake. The food inspector is sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong and Hester is worried it will affect her restaurant. Carmen gets well, but more horror unfolds and a near death experience leaves them all reeling.
Stephanie spins a story that leaves you looking at a specific character because it has to be them. But turns out there is more to the story than meets the eye. Stephanie keeps you turning the page as people take ill and try to save the art gallery. But when one of them nearly dies, things hit the fan so you wouldn’t expect. She spins the tale so fluidly you don’t even realize you are turning the page. An easy read on its own and the cousins keep you rooting for them until the end.
Out of five stars, I would rank this book 5/5. I highly recommend this book to readers that love a little witchy fun and cupcakes shaped like unicorns.
5/5 stars
✯✯✯✯✯
Purchase your Copy:
FREE on Kindle Unlimited
Also available in Audio:
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Stephanie Ayers
A creative ninja with a dark mind and a quirky nature, Stephanie Ayers writes all the words and spins twisted tales filled with horror, fantasy, suspense, and anything in between. With a trunk full of tricks thanks to a checkered past, she haunts Irish castles and snowy mountaintops in her dreams, while living the unicorn life in Ohio disguised as a human. When she isn’t listening to the voices in her head, she spends her days as a mom, Gigi, cat lover, and Netflix binger, while avoiding housework at all costs.
Since signing with Crazy Ink Publishing, Stephanie has managed to somehow produce over a dozen solo works (with no ending in sight). With ink in her blood, an absence of fear, and a passion for telling stories, she isn’t afraid to dip her pen in the inkwell of many genres, and even has four successful series in her name—the stand-alone horror volumes of The 13 Series, the amateur witch detectives of the Coven Cozy Mysteries, the individual displaced characters in the Portal to Madness series, and her epic five book fantasy series, Destiny Defined.
When she isn’t lost in her overactive imagination or entertaining her mini-unicorns, you can find her all over social media and find a full listing of her works on her Amazon author page. Her favorite wandering place is her readers’ group on Facebook. Join the herd now!
Stay up to date with everything unicorn by subscribing to her monthly newsletter and get a free read as a thank you!
Follow Stephanie by the Link:
ABOUT THE BOOK REVIEWER:
Katie Jenkins
Katie Jenkins is the owner of Storyteller Publisher 22, LLC. She offers a range of author services from being a personal assistant to graphic design. Most of the time you will find her writing under K.M. Jenkins. Creating worlds of fantasy and adventure. She loves to read and gives back by writing reviews on her blog The Dungeon Crawlers and Watch Us Sparkle (Jenna D. Morrison's Blog).
Katie lives in Sioux City, IA with her fiancé (soon to be husband), her twin sons and a fuzzy corgi named Teddy. When she isn't writing or working she is hanging out with the kids or spending time with family.
Check out her website here: https://storytellerpub22.com
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