Series: A Magical Bakery Mystery, #1
Publisher: Signet
Released: May 1, 2012
Source: Review copy from publisher

Katie Lightfoot’s tired of loafing around as the assistant manager of an Ohio bakery. So when her aunt Lucy and uncle Ben open a bakery in Savannah’s quaint downtown district and ask Katie to join them, she enthusiastically agrees.

While working at the Honeybee Bakery—named after Lucy’s cat—Katie notices that her aunt is adding mysterious herbs to her recipes. Turns out these herbal enhancements aren’t just tasty—Aunt Lucy is a witch and her recipes are actually spells!

When a curmudgeonly customer is murdered outside the Honeybee Bakery, Uncle Ben becomes the prime suspect. With the help of handsome journalist Steve Dawes, charming firefighter Declan McCarthy, and a few spells, Katie and Aunt Lucy stir up some toil and trouble to clear Ben’s name and find the real killer..

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Tired of her unfulfilling job in Ohio, Katie Lightfoot packs up her possessions and heads south to Savannah. The opportunity to work with her aunt and uncle in their new bakery is too good to pass up. Just days before their grand opening, a woman is murdered just outside the bakery – a woman that Katie’s dear Uncle Ben had just argued with. When a witness says a man fitting Ben’s description was at the scene of the crime, the police make him the prime suspect.

Knowing that her kindhearted uncle could never harm anyone, Katie starts her own investigation of the murder. With the help of Aunt Lucy and the members of her unusual book club, as well as a sexy newspaper reporter named Steve and a hunky fireman named Declan, Katie uncovers several possible suspects that all wanted the deceased out of the way. But the most shocking thing Katie learns is that Aunt Lucy is a witch, and magical abilities run in the family.

BROWNIES AND BROOMSTICKS is an enchanting start to a new cozy mystery series. There was much I liked about this story: unique characters, a bakery full of tempting treats, an intriguing mystery, and the perfect location for all of this – Savannah, Georgia. There’s even the start of a complicated love triangle! Steve and Declan have bad blood between them, but they both take a strong liking to new-girl-in-town Katie. I enjoyed the magical aspects of the story, including information on the craft and spell casting. This is a light and fun paranormal cozy, and I will definitely go forward with the series.

Rating: 4 Stars

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.