I think I have moved on from the cozy mystery genre. This was an ok read, but it wasn't really for me. There wasn't anything specifically wrong with it, and I'm sure anyone who loves cozy mysteries, especially with a paranormal flair would love this one. As such, I've adjusted my rating to account for that, and have added an extra star over my initial 3-star rating.

This author was new to me and I really enjoyed her writing style though I found the mystery a bit boring. I look forward to reading more.

This was kind of a fun, quirky read. Cassie gets drawn in to a slew of things he never saw coming and isn't at all prepared for, but she manages to handle most of them with great care.

This is a series starter, so there is a lot of backstory and world-building that occurs. Still, the overall story kind of falls flat. There just doesn't seem to be as much substance to things as there could be, and the problems don't seem to be as worrisome or urgent as you would think they should.

The characters were all kind of flat, and I had a hard time relating to any of them. And I really don't understand the whole love triangle thing, because none of them seemed to have much of a connection.

Overall, this book wasn't great, but it was okay for a quick read when you want something vaguely in the paranormal mystery arena but also very light. I wouldn't mind trying future volumes in the series to see if it improves any.

I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest reivew. This was a fun story to reach. I have never read any of Jo-Ann Carson's books before but this novella makes me think that I should read more. The Perfect Brew is the story of Cassie Black who in her great aunt's will gains a coffee house and a curse. With two mysterious deaths, two hot guys and a curse how could Cassie even think of leaving the coast town of Mystic Keep. She has her hands full and so what is a witch to do but solve the case.

Quirky and utterly over the top, plus there's a cat! I have high hopes for the rest of the series, as I think the characters could use a little more work and depth, but overall, lighthearted and fun and a great set up for a new series!

The Perfect Brew by Jo-Ann Carson
Book #1: Perfect Brew Series
Source: NetGalley and JRT Publications
Rating: 4/5 stars

Cassie Black has enough on her mind, thank you very much! Her lukewarm love affair seems to be headed towards full-on frozen, she’s fairly certain there’s an angry mobster looking to kill her, and she’s had to cross the ocean in order to settle the estate of her great-aunt, Ophelia.

For the entirety of her life, Cassie has felt like the black sheep in her family. Her magic, comparatively speaking is quite weak and often backfires, and her chosen profession, art forger is not much for her family to be proud of. Even among all the disappointments, Cassie has never quite crossed over the line as far as her legendary great-aunt, Ophelia. Known far and wide in the magical community for her shenanigans, antics, and magic, Ophelia was a bright and giving personality who was the darkest of black sheep and the one witch the family never, ever talks about. For some reason Cassie can’t even begin to understand, Ophelia has left her entire estate to Cassie.

From the moment Cassie steps into the Perfect Brew she knows in her bones something is different about the place. With only a few questions to the right people, Cassie discovers the Perfect Brew isn’t just a safe place for supernatural beings but is also home to an interdimensional portal that has previously been both supported and defended by Cassie’s aunt and one very surly and sexy warlock. Though Cassie fully intends to settle the estate and sell the coffee shop, she quickly finds it won’t at all be that easy especially once the lawyer she was working with to settle everything drops dead in her presence. By the time its all said and done, Cassie has more problems than she knows what to do with.

The Bottom Line: I rarely dislike an anti-hero and Cassie Black feels very much like an anti-hero to me. She walks a little on both sides of the line between right and wrong and I find that to be one of her best character traits. I also like the fact Cassie is bold, strong, and determined to do what she can to solve her own problems; if it means solving some other problems along the way and helping a few others, then so be it. Finally, I am quite fond of the fact the Perfect Brew is perfectly sentient and willing to help Cassie in her endeavors and there are familiars! I believe this is my first Jo-Ann Carson book and I’m quite glad this is where I chose to start. I see a bright future for Cassie Black and the Perfect Brew!

Cassie Black’s great aunt dies and leaves her an inheritance that includes a coffee house with a twist. Hoping to pop into the seaside town for a few days to settle her aunt’s estate and return to Amsterdam as quickly as possible, Cassie is instead sucked into a criminal investigation. She witnesses the murder of her lawyer in his plate of cookies during the reading of her aunt’s will, and soon finds out that her magic is required to keep the earth safe.

This book has of my favorites: coffee, witches, murder mysteries and a bit of romance. The quirky characters are lovable and intriguing. I’m glad this is the first in a series, because I want to read more about this quaint and unusual town and its inhabitants.

The author has some fascinating ideas, a town with a hidden portal, residents who have magical abilities, a dark presence, a murder mystery. This is the start of a series, and this book focuses on the set up for a larger plot. There are limited character development and the introduction of a series of plot points that have no resolution in this book. 

As a standalone, this book is weak with limited growth, but the premise is exciting, and its definitely got potential as a series.  I'm going to stick with it as I'm intrigued by the concept. 

I received an arc of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I loved the idea of the story but whilst reading it I didn't feel connected with the characters, they stayed flat throughout the story. The story itself felt like I had missed a whole book before even though this was the first book in the series.

I mostly felt confused throughout the book and the ending was also a bit unsatisfying. I felt like things just weren't explained properly and the style of writing didn't suit me.

The author has some intriguing paranormal concepts. A sentient building that has been cursed, A nexus that can safely attract other worldly beings who can mingle with the mundane population. A protagonist who blends a romantic lead with the amateur sleuth. Carson has a lovely light writing style that invites the reader towards the next chapter. Like Charlene Harris, she the small town ambience and characters are a large part of the plot. As with many romance /mystery hybrids, the solution to the crime is fairly quickly resolved.
More importantly, The Perfect Brew is Act one for a trilogy that will pit the dark forces against Cassie Black, and the inhabitants of this Pacific Northwest village.

All this with a coffee house complete with Kitchen Witches who brew your perfect cuppa. What is not to love.?
I look happily towards reading more about Cassie and her familiar, Sid.


Full disclosure: I received an ARC copy from netgalley and JRT Publications in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you for this opportunity.

While I like the concept behind this story, the exicution leaves something to be desired. The writing is exposition heavy and uneven, and I found the changing POVs to be unnecessary. While I may revisit this author another time, I dont believe I will be reading any more from this series.

The Perfect Brew by Jo Ann Carson is the 1st book in the Perfect Brew Cozy Mystery series, and is a lot of fun. Cassie Black finds out she is the owner of a coffee shop, that comes with an inter-dimensional portal and a side of ancient curse. This book is a quick, crazy, and funny read, that I could not put down. I am anxiously waiting the next book in the series.

I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and the publisher. Thank you.

A coffee shop with feelings and ideas? Oh dear that's going to lead to a calamity or two!

Callie just wants to zip in and out of town. Scoop up her inhertitance from great-aunt Ophelia and vamoose. It's not like they were close family, she wasn't allowed to spend time with her. But the will reading is...unusual to say the least!

Add in a particularly osy perigrine falcon and a fender bender with the only cop in town and Callie has a "wonderful" start to her visit. But how will she react when she realises that she can't leave town and there is a warlock, armed with a chock load of charm, who is also rather interested in her?

Greet wee story!

Fantastic cozy! I really enjoyed this little mystery. I will definitely be reading more by this author. I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review. I encourage you to try it.

This was pretty! Perfect for Halloween. The mystery was predictable but still enjoyable. The main character is cute and relatable. I enjoyed this mystery and would be interested in reading more

I think it's quite a good start for a new cozy series and I liked it.
It's fun to read and engrossing, the cast of characters is well written (my favorite is Sid the cat) even their relationships seem to be a bit confused.
I liked the plot but I hope there'll be a new instalment soon as a lot thing were left unresolved.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

A fantastic start to this cozy series, that leaves you hanging and wanting more from this author. Looking forward to the rest of the story.

Everything about this book was great except the end. The characters, Cassie, Gavin, Sanjay, they had a unique nature, they were aptly written about and described. Cassie gave both the good and bad witchy vibe, still trying to learn her magic like a teenager and living a freelance life as a replica painter of famous works. She goes to attend the funeral of her witchy aunt, who is famous for her strong magic and powerful nature, finds herself as a owner of the Perfect Brew, a cursed building. Being a free personality, she wants to settle the bill by selling the property, but in the process, her lawyer dies, and she is left to figure whether it was the curse of the building or a deliberate murder.

Everything was nice and good, until the end, when loose ends don't really connect and one is left unsatisfied. Another thing I disliked about this was the sexualisation of women for them to be loved. Gavin doesn't describe Cassie's nature while falling in love, rather her curves.

My comments on this book are honest and exactly what I felt. Thanks to the publishers who sent me the book

This is the first in a cozy mystery series--I'm not sure how long the series is intended to be. It does read somewhat as a standalone, but it leaves a lot of major questions hanging, which is frustrating. I liked the story, I liked the characters a lot, and I liked the writing. Cassie is a great character. Everybody expects her to be goody-goody, but she's got a lot more going on and is refreshingly snarky for a girl who appears to be the proverbial girl next door. The love interest characters are definitely interesting, particularly Sanjay, and I really liked Cassie's familiar, Sid (short for Obsidian).

A murder happens shortly after Cassie arrives in town, and she decides to track down the killer, but though that was the storyline that wrapped up in this book, it felt like it was just a subplot. The real plot was Cassie discovering her aunt's history, that she was murdered, more about magic, and the Perfect Brew--a sentient coffee shop, which, by the way, is a very cool place. I love it.

For me, though I enjoyed the book, I feel like it wasn't robust enough. That it really needs to be read with the other books in the series to get a better sense of the meatier part of the story, which I really want to know more about. I do plan to get the other books, because I really do like the book. It wasn't a cliff-hanger ending, by any means, but it just felt like the end of the opening scene of a play, and that there's a lot left unanswered and undeveloped.

The Perfect Brew is a fantastic cozy mystery. This was the first book I have read by this author and it won't be the last. The mystery was great with fun, quirky characters.