Kate BarayCritiques

The quirky writing style that made me interested was mostly gone. The character and plot were just a bit flat. And on the romance felt barely there.

Mildly interesting read. The quirky writting style is what made me enjoy it and get the 2nd book

Despite the rather plentiful meh reviews this book has gotten, I had a lot of fun reading it. It is light-hearted, quirky and with a bit of a different take on the vampire transformation. Mallory seems to be the kind of girl that has it all, but nothing at the same time. She owns a fancy Audi sports car and a nice apartment downtown, but has to slog through a job she detests out of a huge fear of ending up homeless.

Worse, she has a really hard time forming friendships with her neighbors and coworkers even though not all of them are bad people. And so she does things she doesn't really like to do with the hope that people will start to like her.

Everything goes to hell when she blacks out after having two drinks and wakes up in her condo with a sickly thin body and no memories of what happened that night. And so she begins a self-journey to find people that can help her and solve the mystery.

Now, I like Mallory and feel guilty of identifying with her at times. She isn't evil, but she overthinks about her own personal problems and has a real hard time acting amicable towards other people. And so people that don't know her think she is rude and cause an endless cycle of rejection that makes her feel even worse. Mallory is definitely not a Mary Sue, but as she befriends a guy named Alex that seems to know a lot about what happened to her, she starts to open up more, create healthy boundaries and people for once start to like her for the first time ever. Heck, she is also quite brave!

Typos are not abundant in the book, but I do feel like the prose would have been better if an editor had helped "clean up" some of the more confusing paragraphs that are too wordy. The beginning of the book makes you falsely assume Mallory is poor and yet she drives a fancy sports car. Huh? It isn't even a used one, it's a brand new car! The scenes of the final battle gets a bit confusing too.

I also felt the book didn't really up the stakes towards the finale. You feel like you are in the middle of the novel and then BAM! final battle erupts with no warning. This book suffers from the syndrome of "don't tell the MC about lots of important general knowledge everyone is supposed to know." Yup, just like the Harry Potter books, Mallory isn't fed very reliable information about what happened to her from the people that are supposed to know and then act all surprised she freaks out when something completely preventable happens to her. I think that is the only thing I didn't like about the book.

However, I enjoyed the book and would enjoy reading the sequels sometime. Very cute read.

This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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“How do you kill a person with a cupcake topper?”

“When it’s drenched with as much raw magic as yours are, so many different ways.” Sabrina ticked off options on her fingers. “As a potion additive, as part of a ritual, ingested by the magic-user to add to their own power. Yeah, those are probably the top three.”

“Yours was used to create a potion which was then added to a beverage the victim drank, from what we can tell,” Miles added helpfully.

I really didn’t feel so good.

WHAT'S CUTTHROAT CUPCAKES ABOUT?
Lina's having a slow day in her store—a year-round custom-made candy store with a Halloween theme—when everything she knows about her family, herself, and the world as a whole changes.

Lina discovers that magic is real and that she's a witch in one of the worst ways imaginable to learn these things—by being arrested by a supernatural cop for killing someone with an item you cursed.

This cop is a wizard with the International Criminal Witch Police who has a certain amount of leeway in his jurisdiction—since he's easily convinced that Lina has no idea how she may have cursed the candies in her shop, he offers to cut a deal with her—if she helps to track down the person who used her unintentionally cursed items, he won't pursue charges (ignorance of the law yada yada yada could still get her a few years as an Accessory). Apparently, once you know what you're looking for it's easier to find traces of your own magic than it is to find someone else's, so it makes sense to recruit Lina into this investigation, even if she doesn't know anything about the magical side of things.

Lina's curious about this whole witch thing, desperate to not be convicted of a crime—and fairly attracted to this detective, truth be told. So she puts her store in the hands of a new (witch) acquaintance for a few days and takes the offer.

THE BOISE-NESS OF IT ALL

“The three of you are it? For the entire city of Boise?”

Bastian huffed. “City? Town.”

“Hey, now. No smack-talking Boise.” I’d only lived here five years, but that was long enough to recognize that the place definitely had its charms.

“I’m not talking smack. I’m stating a fact. It’s a town, not a city. But to answer your question, the three of us cover the greater Boise area.” His lips pulled into a grimace. “Insomuch as there is a greater metro area.”

You know right away that this is some sort of fantasy—there's no way that a homemade candy shop—particularly a Halloween-themed candy shop—survives in downtown Boise for as long as Lina's has. Yes, the idea is appealing, but it's easier to buy the idea of the magic, to be frank.

Outside of that, putting this series in Boise helps ground it—Lawley has some good fixed locations for things and is able to use that geography to her advantage. But no one who is unfamiliar with Idaho's capital is going to suffer for it—it's a nice bonus for those of us who make the same drive as Lina does to know how long it takes so we know how long the uncomfortable silence (or whatever) will be. But that's about it.

THE COZY FACTOR

I drank my exceptional espresso with exactly the right amount of cream and tried to keep my annoyance at recent events to a minimum. Nothing like a rotten mood to ruin good caffeine.

This is pretty "cozy" on two fronts—the magic and the mystery. We only get very broad brushstrokes about magic, how it works, what it can/can't do, the society of witches/warlocks/wizards, and so on. Lawley gives us enough details to keep the story moving. We do get to see some magic at work, and get a sense that some ritual and effort is necessary—but Lawley's not coming at this like Butcher, Rowling, or Harrison.

The mystery part of the book is solidly in the cozy area as well—we've got a candy store owner, a detective who works out of a coffee shop, and a whole lot of generally nice people (even a suspect or two are pretty nice when you get to know them).

The effect of both of these is to make you as comfortable as if you're relaxing with one of the some of the drinks and treats described while the world passes by.

SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT CUTTHROAT CUPCAKES?

Maybe I should have dithered, asked for more information, heck, even asked for the questions first. But this was the guy who’d cured my headache. Despite having locked us in my store earlier and disabling my phones, he seemed a stand-up sort of guy. Maybe he wasn’t warm and fuzzy, but…I trusted him. And that’s saying a lot given the fact he arrested me.

I initially thought this seemed like a charming idea for a cozy mystery series, but I wasn't prepared for the extent of its charms. I devoured this in one sitting and if I owned it, I'd have likely rolled right into the sequel (I will be rectifying this situation soon). I want to use words like cute and adorable, but those both feel condescending, so I'm sticking with charming for now. Enchanting might work there, too. But that's a little too something given all the witchiness of the book.

Lawley's not afraid to have a little fun with the premise—the first (aware) witch we meet is named Sabrina, for crying out loud.

*Pun intended, naturally.

The characters are all great (I thought about spending some time talking about them, but why ruin your fun?). The candies are tantalizing—even for someone who abstains from sugar. The coffee shop owned by the detective (there's not enough supernatural crime to be a full-time job in this area—and he needs a cover story for the non-magical folks) will cause cravings for sure.

Basically, this is a light-hearted, sweet, appealing, and charming book. I encourage you to grab a snack, pick up Cutthroat Cupcakes, and get lost in the world for a little while. You'll feel better for it.½

In theory this should have hit all the marks - but it kind of just fell flat. It's not bad but it wasn't fantastic. I didn't really like Lizzie or John. Lizzie is kind of an idiot. The romance was okay but it didn't really grab me. I may pick up the rest of the series at some point. 2 stars.

3.5 first few chapters were a bit monotonous, but was good after about chapter 5.
Really enjoyed the secondary characters.

Meh. This one just wasn’t for.

An enjoyable series of short stories. Will read the next two books.

Minion 452: A Lucky Magic World Story
By Cate Law let
I received this story from the author's newsletter. It's A funny short story about a minion that is very upset that his demon boss is too nice. Quite cute and clever!

Tickle the Dragon's Tail
(Night Shift Witch #3)
by Cate Lawley and Kate Baray

A fried body shows up at the funeral home of said famous vampire and it the claim is Star's friend the dragon killed him. The vamps are out to get her. Star and friends must find out what really happened and quick! Her dragon friend is harboring a different secret! My favorite story so far!

Star of the Party
(Night Shift Witch #2)
by Cate Lawley and Kate Baray

Star takes her handsome boss to a witch's party for Halloween. Things are awkward enough but when they sneak off to get some privacy they find a dead witch in the bathroom. Now they have to figure out who killed her. That includes all the powerful witches in the house and the ghost. Another fun story!

Night Shift Witch
(Night Shift Witch #1)
by Cate Lawley

This is such a fun story of a witch, Stephanie and her witch name is Star, that gets a job at a funeral home. Her first body she sees is not really a human and will probably be kidnapped. Now how to explain this to a normal boss without giving away her secret? Her ex boyfriend is a supernatural cop and between the three of them, things get very crazy indeed. Who murdered this guy and why? What is he? Fun book!

Mallory is accidently turned into a vampire and then discovers that she cannot eat blood, as most vampires do. So she must find a subsitute. first she must find out what she can eat. No dairy or milk. They make her puke. Eventually, she ends up preparing and drinking lots of fruit and vege smoothies. And tries to solve murder crimes at the same time. These are cozy mysteries, not to be taken seriously. But short and fun to read.

Another nearly-free ebook that didn't disappoint. I love Geoff and Clarence and I'm looking forward to snagging the second book soon!!

Life was normal until he came along. This is what Lina thought when she met Bastien. Lina was an average, ordinary woman running her Halloween-themed sweet shop when a handsome stranger enters her store and proceeds to arrest her for witchcraft. The man is clearly insane. At least, she thought he was until she uncovers a family secret that changes everything. Lina is literally thrown into this world with no prior knowledge and having to fight against her own beliefs to trust in the magic unfolding around her. Now, she's teaming up with Bastien to track down the killer that used her cupcakes to kill someone with the curse or she could be the one to go away for the murder.

The light touch of magic in Cutthroat Cupcakes is icing on the cake with Lawley creating a world that makes you want to be part of. The main character is compelling and charming with a charisma about her that immediately draws you into her world, almost without realizing it. The very real way her emotions and baking interact was fun to experience and make her became real as well as relatable. The first chapter ended on a delightful cliffhanger which only sets the tone for the entertaining and fun read that is Cutthroat Cupcakes.

The mood changed as suddenly as the scene did, proof of the author's skill and the character's leap-from-the-page personality. As the light touch of magic becomes one that infuses the entire novel, all that's felt was delight. There's nothing quite like a good magic world to run away to, especially ones with fun touches that make you want to join in such as wanting a lie-detecting crystal and not just because it sounds pretty. This mystery is aimed at those that enjoy a good friends-to-more arc and stories that have a buddy cop vibe. The banter between Lina and Bastien sets the tone for the whole story and drives the humor. The writing is superb with fun references such as Sabrina the not-so-teenage-witch and great internal dialogue. Easily distinct characters bring the world to life and make it easy to get to know each of them. Cutthroat Cupcakes is highly recommended!

So so good

I absolutely loved this book. It was such a nice fresh blow of air into the vampire genre. The main characters were good and I really liked how fast-paced this book was. I will definitely read the more books in the series.

Book source ~ Review copy. My review is voluntary and honest.

Geoff Todd is retired. Ok, so he was a soul collector. It’s still a job, right? And he retired though he still has one foot still in the magical world, so to speak. He had no idea when he picked a community to retire to that it would be thick with magical people. He’s mostly mortal, but he retains a little bit of magic. He also shares his home with an unusual cat. Clarence is a huge pain in his ass, but he’s been asked to keep an eye on him and they are slowly coming to terms with their co-habitation. Then there’s Sylive. Ah, Sylvie. Geoff really likes her, but he’s from the 1940s and is clueless about nearly all things modern. Including dating. That leaves Clarence to give him dating advice. What could go wrong? Scratch that.

This is a great quick read with lots of paranormal goodness, a talking smartass cat, other magical people and creatures, and a budding romance. Oh, and ghosts. Geoff and Sylvie’s first date does not go as he planned. Not in any way. But what did he expect when he’s surrounded by magic and sometimes mayhem? It’s been a couple of years since this story so I’m not sure if this series is going to continue, but I hope it does. I’m looking forward to more.

Glacial

The first four chapters drag. Perhaps the intent is to make the MC quirky and interesting, but there were too many irrelevant details cluttering the narrative. Worse, book-time covered over two years with no real plot progress to show for it.

Also, a lot of ‘tell’ and not enough ‘show’. The neighbor’s BBQ talents could have been revealed in conversation easily, but instead was delivered by the narrator.

Glacial

The first four chapters drag. Perhaps the intent is to make the MC quirky and interesting, but there were too many irrelevant details cluttering the narrative. Worse, book-time covered over two years with no real plot progress to show for it.

Also, a lot of ‘tell’ and not enough ‘show’. The neighbor’s BBQ talents could have been revealed in conversation easily, but instead was delivered by the narrator.

Book source ~ Purchased

My favorite vegan vampire is at it again. She and Alex need to solve a security breach at HQ, but before they can do that, not just one murder happens, but two! This is a fairly quick funny read that is just what I needed during these stressful COVID-19 times. Mallory is as scatterbrained as usual and it’s always fun to try to figure out her thought process. Alex is yummy as always and it’s awesome to see everyone else, too. Boone especially gets some extra time in this story and I’m glad. Because who could ever hate such a special doggo? We get a new character in the form of Madeline. I like her. A lot. And I’m so glad I discovered she has a series of her own. Now I must read them! There is one character I’m concerned about at the end of this tale and it’s driving me a bit loony. I hope everything ends up ok and I look forward to Mallory’s next adventure.

Lizzie receives a mysterious book delivered to her door. Next thing she knows there is a mysterious hunk at her door asking about said book. Her life becomes in danger being kidnapped more than once because of this book.

I think Kate Baray did an excellent job writing this book. I absolutely loved it. I fell in love with the characters. There was a hint of romance and lust. I cant wait to read the next book in the series!

There's a lot to like about this book.

Lizzie Smith and John Braxton are likable, interesting characters. The Lycan don't act out a stereotypical and scientifically disproven version of wolf dominance. The story is exciting, and keeps moving. The way magic works is interesting, and even the bad guys are somewhat interesting.

But.

You knew there was a "but" coming, right?

When Lycan John Braxton starts hanging around Lizzie's home (for good and sufficient reason), naturally the local dogs go nuts over the presence of the wolf. This includes Lizzie's two dogs.

Lizzie sees the wolf the first night, and mistakes him for the neighbor's dog, Spencer, a big, friendly, affectionate malamute.

Notice how much we know about the neighbor's dog. We know his name, his breed, his personality.

Guess what we know about Lizzie's dogs. Not just at this point in the book, but by the end of it, we still know only that they are dogs, and there are two of them. No names, no breeds, not even any dog type, and no clue where they came from or why she has them, something most dog owners can tell you at length and in as much detail as you seem up for tolerating.

Lizzie never talks about her dogs. She is concerned that someone gets them fed and walked at a point where she, without spoilers, genuinely can't herself. She tells us she's happy to be back with them when that happens. But it's very superficial, and none of it feels real.

My initial impression was that Baray must not be a dog owner, but apparently she is. She has pointers and bloodhounds. That makes this even weirder. Why does the otherwise likable Lizzie have dogs she doesn't even bother to name? Seriously.

Maybe the pointers and bloodhounds are a Clue. Maybe she decided that Lizzie's dogs must be small dogs, and that, as it does for many Big Hunting Dog people, makes them "not real dogs" for her.

And maybe not. But that's a huge lapse, for a dog-owning writer to make her protagonist's dogs anonymous, faceless, personality-free props.

There's a lot I liked about this book. But the dogs being there apparently solely for Lizzie to be really, really annoyed that they bark at, first the wolf outside, and then the guy that she initially doesn't trust at all, is weird and distracting and annoying, and really kicked me out of the book every time they were referred to in passing (they never got more mention than that.)

I liked it. I did, honestly, when I was allowed to forget the cypher-dogs.

But some serious eye-rolling happened.

Important note: No dogs die in the telling of this story.

I bought this audiobook.

urban-fantasy, magic, artifact, shifters

Interesting and different. Good characters but they need more depth to my way of thinking. Worth investigating. I found it on sale with the audio at a bargain price narrated by Catherine G Cobb who does the perky very well.

Timely Love
The Goode Witch Matchmaker, Book 1
By: Cate Lawley
Narrated by: Sonja Field
This was such a cute story about a witch that plays matchmaker. The witch has a very short part. The main story is the couple. It is a time travel story, which normally I hate, but this is done so well that I really loved it. It is a short book but well worth the time. Lovely.
The narrator was perfect for this story!

cozy-mystery, paranormal, witches, vampire, golem, funeral, urban-fantasy, fun

A somewhat different take on the rules of and over the paranormal community, and a really fun tale. Each of the characters is interesting and engaging, and the plot is well crafted. Too short to give a synopsis without doing the spoiler thing. The publisher's blurb is somewhat helpful, but doesn't convey the fun!