A Magical Match
A Witchcraft Mystery, Book #9
By Juliet Blackwell
ISBN13: 9780399584183
Author website: www.julietblackwell.net
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Kayt
Synopsis:
Witch and vintage store owner Lily Ivory faces her most difficult mystery to date with a case of mistaken identity that hits close to home…
Lily Ivory and her friends are planning a 1950s-themed brunch to benefit the local women’s shelter. When a figure from her past shows up unannounced, threatening her unless she returns something that belonged to him, Lily’s fiancé, Sailor, steps in to defend her. After the same man is found dead later that day, Sailor is the primary suspect. He swears he’s innocent, but multiple witnesses ID him as the perpetrator of the assault. Lily vows to clear his name…only she’s not sure where to start with the mounting evidence against him.
When she sees Sailor in the neighborhood despite knowing he’s in jail, Lily starts to wonder if there could be a doppelganger in San Francisco. When she’s not busy helping customers find matching outfits for the upcoming event, searching for a vintage wedding dress for her own nuptials, and dealing with an ill-timed magical cold, Lily begins to suspect one of her magical foes is targeting her loved ones in an attempt to weaken her.
Review:
Ok first a couple of things. One I am not a fan of paranormal cozies. Two this is the first in this series that I have read. Three, if it was a series I read I would have given it less stars. Due to the fact that I was trying to give A Magical Match the benefit of the doubt, I am giving more stars than I would for how this book made me react and feel. Now that said, I think if you are a true fan of the paranormal/witch cozy, this book is right up your alley. The book is based around protagonist Lily Ivory who is a witch and vintage store owner and possibly the world depends on her shoulders and power. (Not exactly sure about that though). She is engaged to a man that not everyone things she should be, but who seems ok. Sailor is the center of this mystery and yet he is hardly there. The supporting characters are ok, some more than others.
I think my favorite character is Lily’s pig-not pig familiar-not familiar. That is just me though. Lily and her friends, some with magical powers some not from what I gather, are planning a 50’s theme matching benefit for the local women’s shelter. Attendees need to wear matching outfits. Out of the blue a menacing person from her past appears. He is from the time she was with her father, which must have been horrible because she cannot remember it. Sailor takes it upon himself to defend her and then the guy ends up dead. Oh no, of course Sailor is the prime suspect. When they have eyewitnesses and other sightings that place him at the scene, there is no way to keep him out of jail.
Lily and other’s see Sailor out of jail and that just cannot be. What kind of magic is going on. Maybe there is a doppelganger. She needs help from others that she would prefer not to ask to assist, but she has to do everything in her power (which by the way is waning for some reason) to find the real killer and get her man released. She has little time with all that is going on but even a cold (that she never gets and refuses to acknowledge) will hold her back. Is Sailor the real target, or maybe herself, or is something even bigger going on?
A Magical Match is the 9th book in the “Witchcraft Mystery” series. I personally think you need to read the other books in this series to understand the characters and the premise behind this book. That could just be because of my dislike of this type of cozy. I found the book was filled with too much magic and not enough mystery for me. I was not able to connect with the characters, but that is probably due to the magic issue. The author’s writing style is enjoyable and the interaction with some of the characters was entertaining. I just felt a bit lost. As I said, if this had been in my wheelhouse, I would have given it less stars. Having said that, if this had been my type of book, I probably would have given it 5 stars. It does the paranormal genre well.
*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review as part of their ongoing blog tour*
