A Drop of Magic by L.R. Braden was vividly descriptive and highly entertaining. Once I stepped into the world of Alex Blackwood and the Fae I simply could not put this novel down. The characters were bold and endearing with just the right amount of raw emotion and sass to keep me engaged.

After a sudden tragedy rocks Alex's life, a Pandora's box explodes and she is thrust into a new and dangerous world. Alex is bombarded by startling revelations of her past and those nearest and dearest to her. All her life she has survived by following one simple rule- Do not care! Alex swiftly learns life really doesn't care much about "rules" and kinda does its own thing.

As her quiet life is turned upside down by people who wanted to hurt, help, love, and kill her, she learns that maybe the good guys aren't always that good, and the bad guys aren't always that bad.

I was impressed by the layers of intricacy developed by L.R. Braden and her ability to present a cadre of unique and entertaining characters without overwhelming the reader. Her characters were larger than life and lept off the pages straight into my heart. A drop of magic is a truly amazing novel that had me emotionally invested from the first chapter.

Thank you to NetGalley, BelleBooks Inc., and Bell ridge Books for providing me with an arc.

I love Alex! Every thing about this story makes me excited that it is just the beginning of a series. After her best friend is murdered, Alex is attacked and her whole world is upended. First, I just love that she is an artist and later what she finds out about her art and how it moves people is a very cool touch, one of many little details that add to how much there is love and connect things in this world.

What she finds out about her friend is mild in comparison to what she finds out about herself as she works with Kai, who I am intrigued by, but still on the fence about. (And that's a good thing, I want to see more of him). I loved the cat as well ... more please. There are a lot of characters with room for exploration that I'm looking forward to.

I appreciate immensely that the plot of this story wraps up and yet still sets up for more, that's a rare treat not to be left hanging, only craving. I also love that a romance thread didn't dominate the story, I enjoy the subtle natural feel of the relationships. I'm also eager to see if more about the wolves will come into other parts. I loved their wild brutal nature. There is so much to explore with artifacts magic and the Fae. I can't wait to dive into part two.

A great start to a series that I throughly enjoyed from start to finish.

This is the first book in the Author's Magesmith series - featuring Alex Blackwood

Brought up in foster care , metalsmith ,Alex has few friends - the murder of one such friend Aiden turns her world upside down .
Aiden had secrets , just what had the Fae to do with him ? In investigating these secrets Alex discovers she also has secrets in her past , secrets that are dangerous . Desperate to find the truth Alex dives into this new world - she must tread cautiously for even her own life is now at risk .

This is a great start to this new series and I will definitely be reading more by the Author in the future

I was given an arc of this book by NetGalley and the Publisher in exchange for an honest review

A DROP OF MAGIC by L.R. Braden is the first book in The Magicsmith supernatural suspense series. This is the debut novel by an author that is new to me. The female protagonist, Alex Blackwood is a metalsmith creating works of art in Colorado after a fragile peace between the Fae and humans. When her best friend is murdered and she is violently attacked, her life suddenly becomes fraught with danger, lies, stress and changes. Along the way, she learns a lot about herself, her family, her friends and the Fae.

Alex is a likeable main character and is definitely someone you want to succeed. Here goals were clear and her motivations were believable. However, after being attacked, she didn’t take the precautions that I would have expected. I wanted Alex to be a stronger protagonist. The secondary characters are not as well-developed, but the novel was relatively short. Hopefully, that growth and depth will occur as the series develops. They did enhance the story and they added to the story rather than detracting from it except. The prose was well-written, engaging, and entertaining. The plot was engrossing, fascinating and action-filled. The world-building was excellent.

Overall, the book was suspenseful, entertaining and fast-paced. I am looking forward to reading more in this fantasy series. If you enjoy supernatural suspense with a lot of action, then this book is one you may enjoy as much as I did.

Many thanks to BelleBooks, Inc. and L.R. Braden for a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley and the opportunity to provide an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.

This author is new to me, and since this is a brand new series, I was prepared to be open minded.

I enjoyed the story. I’m getting a little burned out in all the “fae” books, Kind of like years ago when everything was vampires and werewolves, but this brought some new perspectives. There is a lot going on with all the mystical stuff And a murder to solve, but fans of Urban Fantasy should enjoy.

This book was action packed from start to finish and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! This book has a steady fast pace and an engaging paranormal mystery.

After a Human/Fae war the MC Alex a metal smith begins working with a Fae Knight to solve the murder of a close friend. Alex soon discovers things are not what they seem and this is a much more complicated mystery then with hidden agenda's.

the world building is fantastic and the characters were engaging. I love that the relationships and trust isn't forced and it is moving in a natural pace. I am excited to see what else is in store. This is truly a great first book in what I hope is a long running series.

After a Human/Fae war the MC Alex a metal smith begins working with a Fae Knight to solve the murder of a close friend. Alex soon discovers things are not what they seem and this is a much more complicated mystery then with hidden agenda's.

the world building is fantastic and the characters were engaging. I love that the relationships and trust isn't forced and it is moving in a natural pace. I am excited to see what else is in store. This is truly a great first book in what I hope is a long running series.

I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review.
#AdropOfMagic
#NetGalley

3.25⭐

This novel is L. R. Garden's debut and also the first of a new fantasy series.

Alex's friend is found murdered. Desperate to find answers, she is quick to jump into cahoots with a fae named Kai in order to get them. Along the way Alex learns a lot about herself as well as the people around her; the biggest thing she learns being how much those around her love and care for her.

There is a fair amount of action and surprises in this book, enough to make me want to continue the series. I felt the story was good but something felt incomplete. Hopefully this will get better with each book.

I recommend this book and would purchase it.

Thanks so much to #NetGalley and BelleBooks Inc for an advanced review copy.

I liked the Story and the Charakters. Her Gift was very interesting and unlike other Readers, I donˋt think there a too many possible Loveinterests. For me, they only where friends and allies. I donˋt no what, but something in this Story is missing for me to fall in Love with it.

Did I miss something here?
The book was jist OK.
Plot was all over the place.
Romance non existent.
I like the magic and the fact that the book was a Quick read. 3.5 stars only.

I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO LIKE THIS BUT IT DID NOT MEET MY EXPECTATIONS AT ALL. I WISH IT HAD BECAUSE THE PREMISE OF THE BOOK WAS PROMISING

Action packed from start to finish, I thoroughly enjoyed this book! This was a fun and fast paced paranormal mystery. In a post Human/Fae war world Alex is a metal smith who forms an unlikely partnership with a Fae Knight to solve the murder of a close friend. Alex is constantly discovering that everything is not as it seems…Fae, werewolves and I have a feeling more to come in the next books (and hopefully some romance)!

Braden did a great job of building the world without leaving you lost with the complexities. I can’t believe this is her first book and I cannot wait to dive into the sequel.

it´s a wunderful start to a Serie about an Fae Halfblood, who doesn´t know she is one.
The Book has everything a Reader could wish for: murder, mystery and magic. I enjoyed the Story and like to hear more about the backround of the war.

Thw World L.R. Braden created reminds me of the Books by Patricia Briggs and Thea Harrison. The Idea auf hidden Realms, Magic , Shapeshifter and Fae, who are Part of the Society - but not a loved one.

Hopefully there a many more Books to come.

Alex is a metal Artis. She can imbue her feelings and passion into her art. To some she's an amazing artisan for others she's a halfling. Her friend Aiden is murdered and she's called upon to help avenge his death. Along the way she is introduced to dangerous far and human alike. Will she survive? You can read this in one sitting.

The blurb got me intriuged and the cover gave me a sort of a Sansa-vibe, so i think i had high hopes for this one. It was somewhat interesting in the start, but i felt after a while i wasn't intruiged anymore... the balooon kind of aired out so to speak, I didn't connect nor like any of the characters, and was a bit confused why so fantasy was pressed into one book, dragons, fae... and more... it felt a bit like too much? and sometimes i got confused and felt just meh about the story, nothing kept me wanting to find out how the book ended, even though i finished it.

In a world of magic and prejudice, a blacksmith is drawn into the chaos of the supernatural community. The first volume of this series is a great start that makes me thrilled for the sequel.

A Drop of Magic starts out with a female, Alex (our main character) as she is working at her forge and has unexpected visitors, which is the start just before learning her best friend has died and she doesn't even know her own family history.

From the first page, this book was so enjoyable to read. Well written, with characters that jump off the page (though, I will admit, I maybe could have done with a touch more romance), this novel just flowed.

The author, L.R. Braden, knows how to write a story that I wanted to read, and I think a lot of others would too. This book felt similar to the Patricia Briggs Mercy Thompson novels, but the story is very different and the characters are different. But I think Alex and Mercy would get along.

I was given a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is an outstanding debut novel. A very entertaining read with great characters and several unexpected twists. It will be great fun exploring this series as it continues.

I was given a copy by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

This one wasnt for me. If I cant give a book 4 or 5 stars, I avoid doing a public review. Just because it wasnt my cup of tea doesnt mean it wont be someone elses.

I honestly loved this book. So many times I find myself leery about starting yet another PNR series, but this one was easy to fall in love with. Great Plot. Lovable characters. Heart-pounding action. Just great.

I really enjoyed this book. It's the first offering in the Magicsmith series and it's a great introduction. Set in an unstable truce between the Fae and the humans, Alex Blackwood lives in the Colorado mountain s and works as a metalsmith. She sells her works in a gallery run by James and is best friends with Aiden and David. She is pulled into the world of Fae when Aiden is murdered. Now several police agencies, some rogue fae, werewolves and shifters are in her life. This series reminds me of Patricia Briggs Mercy Thompson series. The writing is strong and fun to read. Anyone who likes the paranormal from teens to older adults will enjoy this new series and I already have book 2, Courting Darkness in my que to read. I received this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.