11.15.2022 | Tuesday

Grimoires and Gingerbread

Item: Grimoires and Gingerbread
Rating: 4
Author: Kim

category: Book Reviews
tag(s): adult
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title: Grimoires and Gingerbread
author: Danielle Garrett
series: Sugar Shack Witch Mysteries #2
published: 4 December 2020
publisher: self-published
genre(s): cozy mystery
pages: 58
source: Kindle Unlimited
format: eBook
buy/shelve it: Amazon | StoryGraph | Goodreads

rating:

| series rating:

the blurb

Christmas in Winterspell means ice skating, hot cocoa by the barrel, and frosted gingerbread houses.
I was almost looking forward to it.
The merriment screeches to a halt when two elves show up, claiming to have been sent by Santa himself, on a mission to track down an ancient grimoire.
A grimoire with the power of Christmas itself woven through the pages. Without it, Christmas isn’t happening, and Santa himself is in grave danger.
Could Winterspell hold the key to saving Christmas?
**Grimoires and Gingerbread is a holiday-themed novella in the Sugar Shack Witch Mysteries series by Danielle Garrett. This festive novella falls after the events in the first book, but could also be enjoyed as a standalone.**

a few notes

cover notes: so cute; perfect for the genre
keywords/phrases: witch, magic, holidays, ostracism
mood reading: in the mood for a magical mystery
bonus points: the outcast as a lead

related series:

Beechwood Harbor Magic Mysteries
Beechwood Harbor Ghost Mysteries
A Touch of Magic Mysteries
Nine Lives Magic Mysteries

my review

Grimoires and Gingerbread takes place about six weeks after the conclusion of the first book in the series, Sprinkles and Sea Serpents. The holidays are nearing, but something happens that puts Christmas at risk, and Ella and Orion must team up to solve the mystery and save the holidays for everyone.

I love Ella in this novella! She’s been treated like an outcast for most of her life, nowhere more than in her own magical community, Winterspell. Her witchy powers are different, and those around her are quick to judge. But her family and friends have always had her back, and she’s slowly beginning to accept herself for who and what she is, to be proud of it. That’s a beautiful thing! Orion is a big part of that, too. He’s always seen her magic as strong and important, useful. In the last book, her magic was vital to solving a mystery, which gives her more confidence when he comes seeking her help. Even if she tries hard to be unaffected by the fact that he’s seemly ghosted her for weeks.

Like the last book, there are some darker forces at work, some dark implications. I love the depth that adds to the book/series!

book flights & matchmaking

About Danielle Garrett

From a young age, Danielle Garrett was obsessed with fantastic places and the stories set in them. As a lifelong bookworm, she’s gone on hundreds of adventures through the eyes of wizards, princesses, elves, and some rather wonderful everyday people as well.

Danielle lives in Oregon, and while she travels as often as possible, she wouldn’t call anywhere else home. She shares her life with her husband and their house full of animals, and when not writing, spends her time being a dedicated servant for three extremely spoiled cats.