Review: The Perfect Brew

The Perfect Brew by Jo-Ann Carson

ebook, 162 pages
Published September 16th, 2019 by JRT Publications

Goodreads Summary: 

An unexpected inheritance turns Cassie Black’s world upside-down, and she finds herself the owner of a sentient coffee-house that comes with an inter-dimensional portal and a side of ancient curse. When Cassie is summoned to attend the funeral of her great-aunt, Ophelia, she finds the picturesque village on the edge of the ocean is not at all what it seems. Her benefactor’s death is suspicious, and to make matters worse, after Ophelia’s lawyer explains her will to Cassie, he drops dead in a plate of cookie crumbs. That makes two unexplained deaths, which is two too many for a good witch to swallow.
Up to her neck in mysteries, and weighed down with a curse, Cassie canvases the town to find the murderer. Of course, there are many unusual suspects, a tall, dark and annoying human detective keeps getting in her way, and a seductive warlock offers his assistance.

Will Cassie catch the villain before he kills again? Will she be able to free herself from the curse? Will Sid, her beloved cat familiar with a naughty mind, convince her to play dirty with the boys?
This is the first story in The Perfect Brew paranormal, cozy mystery series, set in the modern world where magic remains hidden or at least tries to. There’s no sex or violence on the page, but be prepared for some serious romance, mystery, and magic. The Perfect Brew can be read as a stand-alone.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**I received an E-arc from Netgalley in exchange for a review

Reading The Perfect Brew also contributes to #FraterfestRAT and #SpooktasticReads 2019

The Perfect Brew guarantees to conjure ideas of coffee, magic and a side taste of paranormal.

I really love how much creativity and mystery unfold in The Perfect Brew.
Cassie Black inherits a coffee shop from her great aunt Ophelia, whom she has never met before. Dangerous things keep happening even to the detriment of the people inside. Actually, we suspect everyone is in danger.
There is more mystery to uncover when it comes to Cassiopeia's real identity. After arriving in Mystic Keep, Cassie literally runs into a police officer and is soon introduced to a couple of Ophelia's friends: A sea witch who is older than Ursula probably, and a handsome warlock.
The Perfect Brew is a great cozy mystery to read anytime. I loved it.

About the author:

Reports of Jo-Ann Carson’s death on a Gulf Island are greatly exaggerated or, at the very least, premature. The eclectic crew of ghosts that haunt her head spill onto the page in two series: The Gambling Ghosts and The Ghost & Abby Mysteries. A Viking with existential issues, a broken-hearted Highlander, a Casanova man-witch and a Pirate with a secret are just a few of the males her strong heroines encounter in tales of fantasy adventure and romance. A firm believer in the magic of our everyday lives, Jo-Ann loves watching sunrises, walking beaches near her home in the Pacific Northwest and reading by the fire.

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Review: The Grave Digger

The Grave Digger by Rebecca Bischoff

Kindle Edition, 192 pages
Expected publication: October 29th, 2019 by Amberjack Publishing
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Reading The Grave Digger contributed to Fraterfest 2019 Readathon and SpooktasticReads 2019!

What I liked about Grave Digger is that it was written from a young boy's perspective living in 1875.
Honestly, the story dragged on more than I cared for but it was a pleasure to go back in time and relive the way things used to be before modernization and the automobile.

Grave Digger got confusing halfway through because it was hard to keep up with all the characters.

The book read like a Nancy Drew mystery or Murder She wrote. Cap was determined to find answers to what was going on in his town but keeping everything a secret was a mistake. There was nobody he could talk too, unfortunately. He should have gone to the police sooner IMO.

A young boy and his father worked for a man called Lum aka Columbus Jones digging up graves but to Cap's dismay, the dead body comes back to life. For all Cap knew they needed the money and the body was someone who had a wife! It must have been awkward to try and explain how someone believed to be dead and buried came back to life after Cap touched it. Who would believe it? You had to have been there.

I was disappointed along with Cap when his power to resurrect the dead was not a possibility but simply science. Doctors quickly defeated that notion. Ho-hum.

Goodreads Summary: 

In 1875 Ohio, twelve-year-old Cap Cooper is an aspiring inventor—and a reluctant graverobber—enlisted by his father to help pay for his mother’s medical expenses. When one of the dead returns to life at his touch, Cap unearths a world of dark secrets that someone at the local medical school wants to keep buried. On the brink of discovery, he’ll have to use every ounce of cunning he has to protect those he loves most and save his own skin. The Grave Digger is an eerie mystery set in the aftermath of the Civil War, filled with action, friendship, and a hint of the paranormal, perfect for those who enjoy reading late into the night and long after the lights go out.

Update on It Read-along

I'm not going to continue to read the book, I have decided because there are certain topics I don't agree with.

I've heard, the book hints to an orgy.

Did Beverly Marsh make all the Losers Club have sex with her?

Did Pennywise make her do it? 

Really?!!! 

Stephen King also tends to discriminate and/or make fun of certain types of people. I mean, for example, Karen Carpenter having anorexia. In Mr. Mercedes she was made fun of and I thought it was very rude and disrespectful to talk about her that way. I'm also sick of bullying. That shit needs to stop! So does domestic violence. It's awful and it triggers those who have been abused and have seen children get slammed up against a wall and thrown across the room! Just like Richard Macklin with his two stepsons Eddie Corcoran and Dorsey.
Jeez, Louise how can you write about it and not be affected? So Stephen King, what makes you any different than Macklin or Henry Bowers and the insanely fucked murdering monsters you write about?  Hate and horror are definitely two peas in the same pod.
I've given Stephen King a fair trial because I've read many of his books. I've also come to realize that the author may not understand women all that much nor can he do romance well. Just saying.

Sharpest Sting (Elemental Assassin #18) by Jennifer Estep

Sharpest Sting by Jennifer Estep

Kindle Edition
Expected publication: October 8th, 2019
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**Thanks to Jennifer Estep for providing me with an E-arc in exchange for a review 

Gin Blanco is relentless and is determined to avenge the man responsible for killing her father Tristan and her foster father Fletcher. Mason fucking Mitchell is head of a secret society known as The Circle but when she uncovers the truth about a family member she feels the sharpest sting.

Pictured on the front cover is Gin in her bridesmaid dress at the wedding of her friends Stuart Mosley and Mallory Parker.

About the author

Jennifer Estep is a New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author, prowling the streets of her imagination in search of her next fantasy idea. She is the author of The Elemental Assassin Series, Crown of Shards series, The Mythos Academy original and spinoff series, The Black Blade series and the Bigtime series. 

For more information on Jennifer and her books, visit her website at www.jenniferestep.com. You can also follow her on Facebook, Goodreads, BookBub, and Twitter and sign up for her newsletter.

It by Stephen King Book Infographic

It Posters

In an event for some artists to come up with a winning It poster, I would like to share some of the participating entries which I found on Posterspy

Art by Peter

Cover art by Peter from pncreate.com!