Casting Spells

Sugar Maple, Vermont is the picture perfect town. It has no crime, no police force, and no human residents. Well, almost none. Chloe Hobbs, owner of the popular knitting shop, Sticks & Strings, is the only human living in Sugar Maple. She's also the daughter of a sorceress and holds the town's very future in her hands. When the spell protecting the town from harm begins to weaken, the town residents are out in full matchmaking force for Chloe. Then Sugar Maple experiences its first murder when a tourist, Suzanne Marsden is found dead. And that's only the beginning of the trouble. Luke MacKenzie has been sent to Sugar Maple to investigate the death of his childhood friend, Suzanne. What he finds is a town that is much more than it seems, a town filled with secrets an outsider like him isn't supposed to uncover. Luke also finds himself deeply drawn to the beautiful owner of Sticks & Strings. But love between Chloe and a man who's fully human is the last thing the residents of Sugar Maple want to occur. Casting Spells is an enchantingly written yarn that captured my interest from the very first page and didn't let go. It's a fresh, fun, captivating read that still puts a smile on my face when I think of it. I'll be honest; I generally do not like romances written in the first person, as I don't feel as connected to the protagonist who isn't narrating. Yet Barbara Bretton deftly works around this by writing the book from both Chloe and Luke's points of view (with clearly labeled viewpoint changes, which I appreciate). I loved being inside both their heads, getting to connect fully with both hero and heroine. Both Chloe and Luke are immensely likeable, and by writing the story in the first person, Ms. Bretton gifts readers with insight into all their individual eccentricities without it ever seeming forced or detracting from the story. Put simply, Chloe and Luke felt real and they were characters that, were they real, I would love to know. As for the other residents of Sugar Maple, the faeries, vampires, werewolves, and the like, they were vast, varied and interesting. A town filled with magical beings makes for some quirky incidents, and I loved every one of them. After finishing Casting Spells I wanted nothing more than to visit Sugar Maple, and admittedly cursed when forced by reality to acknowledge that I couldn't. I absolutely loved Casting Spells. It was a fluid, fast-paced tale filled with original, memorable characters I grew to love. This may be the first book I've ever read by Ms. Bretton, but it will definitely not be the last. Pure magick! Shayna Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

This is my first Barbara Bretton novel and I will be reading more. This is the story of Chloe Hobbs who owns a wildly popular and highly-rated knitting shop in a cozy and magical New England town. And when I say magical, I do mean magical. The town is a safe haven for fairies, witches, selkies, trolls and well you get the picture. Chloe, the off-spring of a sorceress and a human, is supposed to protect the town of Sugar Maple with her magical powers. Chloe, however, has no magical powers until she finds love with a Boston cop who comes to investigate a murder in Sugar Maple. I loved this truly magical story!

Chloe Hobbs, resident of Sugar Maple, Vermont, is the only one who cannot see the magic of the town. Chloe has yet to fall in love and come into her own powers as sorcerer and protector of the town. Chloe is the offspring of generations of sorcerers and each only come into their own powers through the gift of love. Chloe's mother found her love in the form of a human. When Chloe was six years old her parents died in a car accident and left Chloe with resident Sorcha. As Chloe gets older the spell her mother cast on the town gets weaker and weaker. Chloe is now 30 years old and the town has had two incidents of human contact they would rather forget. Only this recent accident has brought police officer Luke Mackenzie into their midst. The town hasn't had a human resident in years nor wishes to do so. Luke Mackenzie comes to Sugar Maple to investigate the accidental death of his friend Suzanne Marseden. Her body was discovered frozen to death in Snow Lake-and it looks like she had fallen through the ice while ice skating. Under normal circumstances Suzanne would have known how to test the frozen quality of a lake, yet under the influence of alcohol, she skated on it against better judgment. Luke sets up his police station right next door to Chloe Hobb's Sticks and Strings knitting shop. As the two come in contact with each other, magic starts to happen and they fall in love. Great for Chloe, for she becomes into her powers-and not so great for Chloe, for nothing can last with a human. As Chloe deals with all the ins and outs of magic and trying to find her mother's Book of Spells, Luke deals with greater things like understanding why there are sparks every time he touches Chloe and the suspicion that something is trying to do him great harm. Barbara Bretton knits a story using the magic of vampires, witches, and fairies. For a town like Sugar Maple that is made up of magical creatures, all things are possible under extra ordinary circumstances, including love between a human and a sorcerer. The question is whether the love of a human and the love of sorcerer can sustain the magick of the town. Side note: Although I am not a knitter myself, the 10 things you need to know about knitting in general are quite funny as well as the 10 things you need to know about knitting lace and knitting socks in the back of the book are a keeper. Armchair Interviews says: Excellent read--a mix of paranormal and romance.

Up-front disclaimer: I know the author of "Casting Spells," but no one asked me to write this review. I can tell you honestly that I would never recommend a book I did not enjoy. This is a delightful book about a small town that has a magical secret. At the center of the story is our heroine, Chloe, who runs a wildly successful yarn shop. (The previous reviewer has created a nice little plot synopsis so I won't repeat it here.) This book was such an enjoyable read! I am a knitter and loved all the knitting and yarn content throughout the story, but you absolutely don't need to be a knitter to enjoy this book. I read quickly and eagerly, and then was sorry when I got to the end, as I am with all good stories.

In Sugar Maple, Vermont, being the daughter of a sorcerer, Chloe Hobbs knows the rules that to inherit her magical power she must fall in love. However, half-breed Chloe, owner of Sticks and Strings knit shop in the northern side of the New England state, has vowed to never repeat her mom's error of tragically falling in love with a mortal; only the paranormal hunks will do for her. Boston Homicide Detective Luke MacKenzie is loaned to Vermont to investigate a murder in Sugar Maple when he and Chloe meet. They are attracted to one another, but he is a dreaded human. Still Chloe begins to fall in love, which means she needs to learn how to use her powers even as she must choose between Luke and her town. Whimsical and satirical, CASTING SPELLS lives up to its title as Barbara Bretton casts a spell on readers with a charming urban fantasy romantic police procedural. The lead couple is a delightful pairing as Chloe's brains says no, her heart says yes; Luke is confused with what he sees being done by the weird (to him) townsfolk, but is more bewildered by his feelings for the knit store owner. The whodunit is cleverly designed so that the audience will relish visiting northern Vermont in November while wanting sequels starring residents of the small New England town whose ancestors fled Salem. Harriet Klausner