Review : Casting Spells
Casting Spells by Barbara Bretton
Pages : 299
Genre : Paranormal, Romance
Series : Book 1
My Rating : 
From Goodreads :
Sugar Maple looks like any Vermont town, but it’s inhabited with warlocks, sprites, vampires, witches and an ancient secret. And Chloe Hobbs, owner of Sticks & String, a popular knitting shop, has a big secret too. She’s a sorcerer’s daughter in search of Mr. Right, and she’s found him in Luke MacKenzie, a cop investigating Sugar Maple’s very first murder. Bad news is he’s 100% human, which could spell disaster for a normal future with a paranormal woman like her.
I read this book a long while ago, before the sequel was published, but I really wanted to review it since I enjoyed it so much. Casting Spells was a fantastic mix of everything : magic, various creatures (vampire, witch, etc.), knitting, mystery and romance. Oh, and there’s a cat. This is like all my favorite candies mixed into one unique bowl!
Sometimes, mixing too many good things just makes everything bad, but I loved how Bretton did it in this novel. The small town charm was at work here, and adding magic to it made it specially sweet. As a knitter I enjoyed every bit of knitting-talk in the book. The story wasn’t heavy with it though, so if you aren’t a knitter don’t be afraid to pick this book up. Also, it’s set up in Vermont, which I love (partly because my in-laws live there, it’s true – but it’s also beautiful!)
The author gives the reader an interesting insight into Chloe and Luke’s romance by alternating point of views between the two characters. This could have been awkward, but Bretton managed to give each narrator his and her own voice. Chloe knows her town and all of its magical aspects, while Luke’s point-of-view is more like the reader’s, discovering this strange little village. The writing was fluid and the book went by really fast, in a positive way. The story was intriguing, too, which is essential in a book where so much is going on. It was fairly predictable, but it was entertaining enough that I didn’t mind.
Also, for those who like little extras in their books, there are a few pages of knitting tips and tricks at the end, with a pattern. I love that!
I received Lace with Magic a couple weeks ago, and will hopefully be reading it soon. I can’t wait to read more about Luke and Chloe and their amazing romance!
If you enjoy all those things, and are looking for something sweet, magical and with a cute romance, Casting Spells is a cute book to read.
Series Reading Order :
- Casting Spells
- Laced with Magic
O I really liked this one. I think I liked part two best though 🙂
I love the cover, but I’m not big on paranormal or romance, so I think I’ll skip this one.
This one looks really cute!
I like books with cats on the cover, but not with yarn…
I still have this book on my TBR shelf. Must get to it!
I really liked this one too but haven’t picked up the 2nd yet.
I love the cover. This book sounds like something I would enjoy so it’s going on my TBR list.
Juju : Oh, this makes me even more eager to read book 2!
Kathy : I like it too! The cat holding the yarn is so cute.
Brenda : It was, cute really is the word!
Lenore : Hehe! I like cats on covers, too!
Heidenkind : I hope you’ll enjoy it!
Doug : It was cute, and I heard good things about book 2, too. Can’t wait to read it!
Vasilly : Adorable, isn’t it? I’ll be curious to read your thoughts on it.
This sounds like such a charming read. I’m not a knitter myself, but my sister loves to knit. I have been dabbling into books that feature knitting so that I can pass them on to her when I finish – she loves when I pass on good reads to her. And this sounds like something cozy, fun, and magical all in one.