Whoa! Hold onto your seats because this is one heck of a ride. Alex arrives in Bellamy Bay, North Carolina to visit the aunt and cousins she hasn’t seen in close to 20 years. As Alex gets to know her family she is in for some surprises as to their abilities and family history.
Then Randy Bennett is murdered and Alex’s aunt is the prime suspect. Alex knows her aunt didn’t do it so she investigates. She frequently gets in new detective Jack Frazier’s way.
This is well plotted and intense. It’s a really good mystery with little additional mysteries adding to the plot.
In a few parts I was a little put off by Alex’s obsessive behavior in pursuing what she thought was the right path. She eventually put the pieces together and nearly loses her own life in order to keep another person alive. I recognize that a fine balance must be maintained to keep a main character moving along the investigative path and the main character becoming annoying because of a one track mind. The balance was fairly well maintained but that niggle of irritation has me giving the book 4 out of 5 stars.

"A Spell For Trouble" is the first book in the new series " Enchanted Bay Mystery Series". This is a delightful read with all the perfect elements that made for a great cozy mystery read ! I loved this book and look forward to the next in series. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinion is my own.

We are introduced to Alexandra Daniels and the quaint town of Bellamy Bay, North Carolina. Bellamy has deeply hidden secrets beneath its charming surface. Immediately I was intrigued by the author's descriptions of this seaside town. Alexandra has not visited in over twenty years. She has relatives here and wants to visit them even though her father has mysteriously forbidden her to have anything to do with them. Her relatives have invited her and offered her to come help them in the business: an herbal apothecary that sells homemade teas, salves, and folk remedies. Alexandra is anxious to know them and look forward to a change since her Mother has passed away.

Soon Alex discovers that her own family is at the center of nasty town gossip, and that they are rumored to be magical healers descended from mermaids. She feels this is pure nonsense. When a local person is poisoned and clues lead police to her aunt, Alex wants to jump in to investigate to save her aunt. She soon finds clues abound that the rumors may be true. She finds more hidden secrets and dissension within the family.

I love the mysterious clues that the author gave. The sleuth was very well crafted and full of surprises. The charcters are richly drawn and all add to the setting. The writing is smartly fast paced and reading this was a pleasure in one sitting to conclusion. Very well done to the author. I look forward to the next in series. , A Charming exciting cozy mystery read. Delightful !

4.5 stars

This is the first book in the Enchanted Bay mystery series by Esme Addison.

The premise: A young woman comes back to her mother's hometown only to discover she has a magical heritage. When she assists her cousins and aunt with their herbal remedy shop, a man her aunt has a public argument with us found murdered.

This is kind of like a coming of age story. The main character, Alex is learning to not only trust herself but learn to trust others too. She has so many things to learn here. There is more than one love interest available here. The son of the family who is at odds with her family's interests is magical, plus the bond is there between them that crackles to life whenever she is around him. Then there is the mundane, the non magical option. Jack is a cop and her lineage is known for their love connections with non magical folk.

There is a whole lot going on just on the surface of the mystery and Alex's introduction to town and how things are done. Then add in all the magical elements and This book is so chock full you will never find yourself uninterested.

The mystery is spot on. The push and pull between the love interest is captivating and the magic is a super special thing to behold. I am all in and ready for the next book in the series.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I want to thank NetGalley,the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

I really enjoyed this one! The setting was perfect and detailed, and the mystery was clever. Super fun read.

A SPELL FOR TROUBLE is the first in a new cozy mystery series. Aleksandra Daniels returns Bellamy Bay, North Carolina after 20 years. She helps her aunt and cousin in their herbal apothecary known for its remarkably potent teas, salves, and folk remedies. But trouble soon comes calling.

I love a good cozy mystery, especially when it includes witches and a great animal sidekick. It was a good read and had me guessing until the end about who was behind all the trouble.

On the down side, Alex kept jumping from suspect to suspect and back again with such speed that I thought that there was a glitch in the download.

All in all, I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the next in the series!

I was in the mood for cozy mystery's and choose one by it cover, so i went blindly in this one.. and I'm very glad i did 😊
This was a really fun cozy mystery with everything you need in it and a little paranormal. Definitely recommended to everyone who loves good cozy mystery's 😉
Thank you NetGalley, publisher and author for this lovely copy.

A really fun cozy mystery. I enjoyed the plot, the characters and the setting. Add a little paranormal and it's an overall enjoyable read!

Why didn't my Aunt Lidia and cousins Minka and Kamila just tell me? Why didn't my father tell me? Why did I have to find out from Dylan Wesley? Find out what, you ask? Find out that I am a witch descended from a mermaid. Wow! Now what? I left my risk management job in Manhattan and traveled to Bellamy Bay, NC to visit family I hadn't seen since my mother died a number of years ago and I get hit with this unbelievable news. So while trying to figure out what I am going to do with the rest of my life I am helping out in my aunt's herbal apothecary shop, Botanika. Sure, I witnessed Aunt Lidia's confrontation with Randy Bennett. Sure he consumed the tea made from the tea leaves Aunt Lidia gave him but she didn't give him the nightshade berries found in his stomach during the autopsy and that is what was determined to have killed him. I don't believe Aunt Lidia killed him. Her magic is all for good. I believe she is being framed and I am going to prove it. After all that hunk of a detective, Jack Frazier, who I had, past tense had, a date with after meeting at the coffee shop, believes he has arrested the killer and really isn't doing much further investigating. I will prove Jack Frazier wrong. Aunt Lidia is innocent!

I met this gorgeous woman at the coffee shop. I'm new to Bellamy Bay, moved here from Manhattan and left the New York City Police Department. Moved to be closer to family. Don't know why I was instantly attracted to Aleksandra Daniels, but I was. Too bad I had to arrest her aunt for murder and our dinner date for Saturday night is off. She keeps trying to convince me her aunt is innocent and to look at these other possible suspects. She insists she is going to do the job I am not doing and find the real killer. This not good. Not good at all. And, oh yes,, this is no way to start a relationship in case you readers were wondering. I wonder if Aleksandra has a sign or something that says, "Detective Jack Frazier is an idiot." Sigh.

A Spell for Trouble by Esme Addington is a super beginning to her Enchanted Bay series. Ms. Addington does a great job with this murder mystery. Aleksandra Daniels has lots of suspects to investigate and she sure gets into lots of trouble in the process. She and Jack are interesting characters. All the secondary characters help round out the story. The storyline is solid and I enjoyed following along with Aleksandra's investigation. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

This is going to be a did not finish for me. I gave it to 40% and Ii just wasn't excited about the characters or the story. Perhaps I'm just not the reader for this cozy mystery.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this novel.

Since I did not read the entire book I will not publish a review on social platforms

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me the chance to read and review, "A Spell for Trouble" by Esme Addison. To say I enjoyed this mystery novel is a complete understatement! Such a cozy and exciting read! After the loss of her father and losing her job, Aleksandra Daniels makes her way to Bellamy Bay, North Carolina. Even though Aleksandra has not seen her family or been in the area in a very long time, she is eager to reconnect with her loved ones. While helping out at Botanikal, the herbal apothecary her aunt and cousins own, a recent customer is found murdered and her aunt Lidia is suspect #1! Alex goes on a journey to clear her aunt's name and finds out a lot more about her own family history. This book was a breathe of fresh air in these crazy times. Even though Jack seems like the safe and obvious choice for Alex, I am team Dylan all the way! Who doesn't love a bad boy? Plus, Alex and Dylan clearly have an undeniable connection. I can not wait for book 2!

If you like witchy mysteries, this book is for you. Mermaids, water witches, soap with spells cast on them, romance oh my! This was a really fun cozy mystery with family secrets and rivalries that had me wishing for more.

A Spell for Trouble was a great beginning to a new cozy mystery series. I love cozy mysteries that are magical so this book was perfect for me. I really liked the main character, Alex. I felt bad for her a little bit because of how a special part of her was kept hidden from her for so long, but she adapted well and was a very likeable character. I also love her aunt and cousins. I'll admit though that I was bummed about how things ended with her and Dylan. I hope things get better between them in future books. I'm also not much of a fan of her being with Jack. It's kind of a cozy mystery cliche that the amateur sleuth dates the cop/police detective. I think it'd be much more interesting for Alex and Dylan to get together. I did find the big reveal shocking. That whole scenario was never on my radar. So not only was it clever, but it was a nice surprise and one I never expected. I'll definitely read more books in this series. I'm really looking forward to seeing Alex grow into her magic powers and seeing what else happens in Bellamy Bay.

Note: I voluntarily read a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for a review. All opinions are mine.

After Aleksandra Daniels' father dies she rethinks her priorities and realizes life is passing her by. She quits her job andheads back to Bellamy Bay, NC for the first time since she was a little girl. Her aunt, who runs an herbal apothecary invites her to stay and live with her and work at the store and she takes her up on the offer. After she confronts her aunt and cousins about rumors she has heard, she finds out they are all true... they ARE witches descended from mermaids. Their potions and teas in the store DO have magical properties. And now someone is using them to frame Aunt Lidia for a murder.
This is the first book in a cozy new mystery series that I can tell you is going to be a lot of fun. The characters are quirky, there is lots of magic, a good storyline and a mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end. This fun, quick read is perfect for every mystery and fantasy lover out there. I personally can't wait for the next one!

Thank you to the author, Esme Addison, and publisher, Crooked Lane Books, for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Alexandra Daniels hasn't set foot in the quiet seaside town of Bellamy Bay, North Carolina in over twenty years. Ever since her mother's tragic death, her father has mysteriously forbidden her from visiting her aunt and cousins. But on a whim, Alex accepts an invitation to visit her estranged relatives and to help them in their family business: an herbal apothecary known for its remarkably potent teas, salves, and folk remedies.

Bellamy Bay doesn't look like trouble, but this is a town that harbors dark secrets. Alex discovers that her own family is at the center of salacious town gossip, and that they are rumored to be magical healers descended from mermaids. She brushes this off as nonsense until a local is poisoned and her aunt Lidia is arrested for the crime. Alex is certain Lidia is being framed, and she resolves to find out why.

Alex's investigation unearths stories that some have gone to desperate lengths to conceal: forbidden affairs, family rivalries, and the truth about Alex's own ancestry. And when the case turns deadly, Alex learns that not only are these secrets worth hiding, but they may even be worth killing for.

What can I say, I'm a sucker for a good cozy mystery and this one was fabulous!

The first in a new series titled Enchanted Bay Mystery Series. Alex Daniels has not been in Bellamy Bay North Carolina since her Mother tragically drowned over 20 years ago. Her father has recently died, and she quit her job as a risk manager in New York and decides to visit her Aunt Lidia when she calls out of the blue. Just the thing to relax and figure out what to do next in her life. As soon as Alex steps into Aunt’s house she begins to have memories of life there when they would visit as a child, her cousins Minka and Tamela welcome her with open arms. Since she has nothing better to do, she decides to tag along and go the herbal apothecary that her Aunt Lidia and Minka run. When her Aunt has to step out a customer Randy Bennett comes in looking haggard and wanting to see Lidia, but she is not there. He asks Alex if she is Sobieski and she says yes so, he asks for a good luck potion. Minka gives him a good luck tea but as he is getting ready to go Aunt Lidia returns and has a terrible fight and Lidia raises him off his feet with her temper. Unfortunately, Pepper Bellamy who is a reporter and gossip is in the store and writes all about it. Robert is found dead with the tea beside him and belladonna berries in his stomach and Aunt Lidia is arrested for murder. They get her out on bail, and she is under house arrest with a tether on her leg. Pepper has been doing research on all the old families in town and tells Alex that her family is descended from mermaids and they are all water witches. Alex tells Pepper that sounds like the Little Mermaid and is all a bunch of junk. Unfortunately, when she confronts her Aunt and cousins, she learns it is the truth. Is this why her Father would never let them visit after her Mother died. As she begins to investigate there is a charming detective Jack that she meets the first day in town and then Dylan Wesley of another magical family that is in a centuries old feud with her family. Dylan was a little boy she remembers who made her a crown of violets and they played together in her Aunts backyard. Is he good or bad like the rest of his family? This was an interesting mystery that almost seemed impossible to determine who the actual killer was because of magic. Alex has little magic and is out of her element as she knows nothing about it or to protect herself from it. I enjoyed the story and read this in just one day as I could not put in down. Another love triangle and that is always perplexing, Dylan is so smooth, and I think really does care about Alex and even saved her from death but is she safer with Jack. I hope the next in the series comes soon.

I tried to get into this book since the premise seemed so interesting. A Victorian mystery usually is up my alley but couldn't get into the characters. However for those who love an easy mystery to read, this is for you.

A Spell for Trouble is the first book in the Enchanted Bay cozy mystery series by Esme Addison.

It's a real theme-combo cozy so it's going to have an appeal for a lot of different cozy fans. You've got the witchcraft/ paranormal angle, with a special twist that the witchcraft has a mermaid angle, but you've also got a crafting theme, in the form of soap and perfume making.

The mystery is woven nicely through the entire story, with some strong red-herrings to keep you guessing.

There's also some mystery within a mystery going on, as Addison sets up a few different questions to be explored in future novels. We're left wondering about what really happened to Alex's mother years ago, and how the long-standing feud between the rival witch families will play out. Add to that the mentions of a larger witch council and community as well as a potential love triangle, and there's a lot of opportunities for this series to grow.

I liked Alex as a protagonist, but she was a little naive and slow on the uptake in some places. She was occasionally a tad irksome. Hopefully the character will grow as she gains experience and settles into her role in the town as the series develops.

The world-building and mermaid legacies felt a little complication and under-explained, but I'd give the author the benefit of the doubt and read a future installment because it's a pretty ambitious magical system or a cozy so might just need time to develop.

A unique cozy with potential as a series opener.

This was a light, enjoyable read and an excellent opening for a new cosy series.

I always enjoy witchy books and this one had a good little mystery going as well, with a big twist at the end just when you think you have worked it all out. Several story lines were set in place for future books in the series.

The magic system was entertaining if a little troubling at times. I am not sure I could live in a house where everyone was eavesdropping on my thoughts. The characters were all interesting and our main character already has the requisite two men in her life to cause maximum indecision and confusion. Lots to look forward to in the next book!

I like how this story was presented with the introduction of the various characters that all have pivotal roles as this multi-arc story unfolds. The mystery was nicely done with suspects aplenty and clues spliced throughout the telling of this tale. When her aunt is the only suspect, Alex takes it upon herself to investigate butting heads with the local detective and with the town’s secret that some desperately want to keep hidden. It is those interactions with the characters that propelled this drama and I enjoyed watching it all play out as one by one, uncovered secrets take center stage as the identity of the killer led to a frenzy fight to the finish. The author did a great job in telling this tale that boasted a quirky cast of characters, engaging dialogue and a small-town atmosphere.

Release Date: May 12, 2020.
📖📖📖📖📖

I LOVED this book. I was a huge fan of Sabrina the teenage witch and this book is like an extension of that! I am hoping that Bellamy Bay is a going to be a series! @esmeaddison did a wonderful job explaining and explore the magical world in a way that made logical sense.

Alex moves to Bellamy Bay to stay with her aunt and two cousins, who she hasn’t seen in 20 years, after quitting her risk management job in NYC. She reconnects with a boy from her childhood, meets a handsome police detective and helps solve a murder of two! I highly recommend this book!