A Spell for Trouble is the debut of the An Enchanted Bay Mystery series set in Bellamy Bay, North Carolina and featuring risk manager Aleksandra Daniels. It's been over twenty years since her mother's drowning and her last visit with her aunt and cousins in Bellamy Bay, for some reason her father had not wanted Alex to return to her mother's hometown but now that he too has passed she accepts an invitation to visit her relatives and help them in their herbal apothecary.

Having quit her job as a risk manager after being passed over for a promotion, Alex sets out with her dropout police K9, Athena for the quiet coastal town. She begins to enjoy learning how her Aunt Lidia and Cousin Minka create the various soaps, teas and herbal remedies they sell in their popular shop, Botanika. One afternoon a disgruntled Randy Bennett comes into the store and sparks immediately fly between the man and her aunt - Alex is shocked when Lidia seems to pick the man up and throw him against the wall before shoving a packet of her herbal tea at him and shoving him out the door.

When the man turns up dead the next day a victim of suspected poisoning, all fingers point at her aunt. Knowing deep down that her aunt isn't a killer, Alex sets out with the help of her cousin Minka and against the warnings of Detective Jack Frazier to find the real culprit. She soon discovers that her family has been keeping a secret - they are all water witches.

A plot full of twists and turns including a rivalry between Alex's family and their arch enemies the Wesleys, adultery and a fight to take over ownership of a real estate empire. Unfortunately, there seems to be a developing love triangle between Alex, Jack and Dylan Wesley. I wish that I'd paid a little more attention to the description before picking up this book since witchcraft and sorcery is not my cup of tea. But, I did enjoy the main characters and the mystery and will look for the second installment to see if the author reveals a little more about Alex's past.

I received an advanced copy of A Spell for Trouble from NetGalley via Crooked Lane Books. While not required to write a review I am happy to offer my honest opinion.

For me the characters were just not smart and the journey to the end just silly. It went in circles and the potential romance with the cop just unbelievable

I’m not sure how I feel about this book.
I found the setting to be quaint, but I was struggling to keep up with the story. I was confused throughout and found myself having to go back to see if I missed something.
This certainly doesn’t mean I didn’t like it, it just means I may need to read it again to get a better idea of what’s going on.
Anything to do with cats and paranormal is definitely worth another read!

A Spell for Trouble by Esme Addison
Book #1: Enchanted Bay Mystery Series
Source: NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books
Rating: 4/5 stars

Alex Daniels has spent her life in the dark: in the dark about how her mother really died, in the dark about her mother’s family, and in the dark about her own connection to magic. Alex’s father was determined to never allow his daughter to succumb to the same fate as her mother and in an effort to protect her, he has inadvertently cut her off from the only people who can truly help her, her mother’s family.

In the wake of her father’s death, Alex has decided to reconnect with her mother’s family and spend some time in Bellamy Bay. The quaint little seaside town is just what Alex needs to soothe her soul and her mind and help her decide what her next life steps should be. Not one to lay about or shirk her responsibilities, Alex agrees to help her aunt and cousin in their small herbal apothecary. Though Alex doesn’t particularly believe in magic and woowoo, magic and woowoo believe in her and she quickly discovers there is far more to her family than she ever suspected.

As if her life weren’t already changing at the speed of light, the knowledge of her family’s gifts also comes with a terrifying murder that her aunt is accused of committing. Though she’s no detective, Alex can’t allow her aunt to be falsely accused of murder, so she begins poking about and asking questions. Trouble is, Alex is the new kid in town and her poking takes her to places her mother fought hard to keep her from, like magic and woowoo and old and dangerous family rivalries. Determined to help, Alex not only takes a more active role in the family business, she also begins training to control and wield her magic so that she might clear her aunt’s name.

Magic, like murder isn’t something to be trifled with and as Alex quickly learns not all wielders of magic have good intentions. Alex’s investigation brings her into contact with one of Bellamy Bay’s oldest and most powerful family’s, a family she learns has no love for her own family and a grudge that has been passed down through the generations. Unfortunately, to unveil the actual culprit of the crime, Alex must work with at least one member of the rival family and though trust is at a premium, she has to trust someone in order to get the help she needs. As she comes ever closer to discovering the truth, Alex also comes closer to true danger and as a new magic wielder, she may not be totally equipped to handle what she’s facing.

The Bottom Line: What a fun new series for me! This one has all the stuff I love about cozy mysteries: a quaint, small town setting, a wonderful little business that isn’t at all what it appears to be, characters with power and secrets, and a plot that took me into the history/backstory of the characters and town. Everything sort of comes together in this first-in-a-series read and I was delighted with the outcome. There’s a lot to be had in this book and much of what is thrown at the reader – especially the backstory and history - is in an effort to set up future books and plot lines. I can see a ton of potential and room for growth in this series and its characters and I sincerely hope that is what will come to pass.

witches, poisons, polish-heritage, cozy-mystery, law-enforcement, amateur-sleuth, family-dynamics, magic, murder, small-town, small-business

Very intriguing start to a new series! Aleks is at loose ends following her father's death and her escape from a stressful job in Manhattan, so she returns to the family of her mother who died when Aleks was a child. She joins in by working in the family herbal shop and is quickly immersed in issues revolving around her aunt's arrest for murder and rumors that the family women are witches (courtesy of the neighborhood smarmy journalist). No spoilers, just enjoy this different but interesting cozy mystery!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

A Spell for Trouble by Esme Addison was an intriguing beginning to this cozy series.

I really liked the setting of Bellamy Bay, North Carolina as it seemed to be a warm and friendly small town in spite of the Wesley family. Alex, Lidia, Minka and Kamila form a close bond once Alex moves to town. Alex seemed to be a strong woman but had allowed her former job in risk management to determine how she lived her life until she moved to Bellamy Bay. All of the characters are developing in this story and I felt that I got to know them pretty well. I especially liked how Alex began to push her own self-imposed boundaries to solve the mystery.

The plot is smoothly paced with murder, secrets, rumors and rivalries between magical families. Several suspects, twists, red herrings and magic kept me turning the pages. I will definitely look for the next book in the series.

Very enjoyable read! Fun, sometimes slightly confusing story (but that's probably just me). Loved the magical angle of the book. Loved the family aspect. Good mystery. Very entertaining!

A SPELL FOR TROUBLE by Esme Addison is the first book in the An Enchanted Bay paranormal cozy mystery series. The story takes place in Bellamy Bay, North Carolina and the author does a great job of world-building.
Alexandra Daniels lost her mother when she was young and recently lost her father. She hasn’t been to visit her aunt and cousins in North Carolina since she was a child. Instead, she has focused on her career in risk management in New York. However, she decides to accept an invitation and visit her relatives and help them for a few weeks in their family business, an herbal apothecary.

Alex is a compelling character that is engaging and someone you can root for. Her goals were clear and proactive enough to influence the plot with believable motivations. The secondary characters were well-rounded and enhanced the story. I was immediately drawn into the story and the vivid descriptions of the seaside town gave me a great sense of the place.

There are a lot of themes woven into this story including murder, marital affairs, secrets, rumors, family rivalries, making wrong assumptions, the importance of family, and much more. While I guessed who the murderer was, there were several twists and turns along the way and one very large surprise.

Overall, I enjoyed this well-written novel and recommend the series to those that enjoy this genre. It is the first book that I have read by this author and I am already looking forward to the next one. I liked how magic was weaved into the plot of this cozy mystery without overwhelming it. This was a solid start to a new series that was engaging and entertaining.

Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and Esme Addison for a 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.

I gave this new series a try since I like reading paranormal mysteries. However, I have mixed feelings about it. Throughout the book, I kept mistaking the writing for first person even though it was written in third person I felt it would have been better to allow us to connect with Alex it it had been written in first person. The magic part of it was a novel idea but if could have been fleshed out better, I felt as if it wasn't explained well enough. The characters weren't developed enough to really get to know them and feel like you understand them- especially the secondary ones. I had a hard time really getting into this book and the way the conclusion unfolded left me a bit disappointed. Perhaps a second installment will show some growth.

I enjoyed this book. It's completely different than a standard cozy mystery. I loved the way the magic is worked into the story. I liked the characters, thought they were well developed. I wasn't really surprised by who the bad guy was but the story kind of made that really clear. #ASpellforTrouble #NetGalley

When Alex Daniels resigns from her job as a risk assessor, she finds herself at a turning point in her life. Her father has passed away and she decides to accept an invitation to visit her Aunt Lidia and cousins in Bellamy Bay.
Alex never expected to discover that she is a water witch and she is soon caught up in a warring battle between the magical families who live there, who are determined to control the future of the Bay.
Sorry to say that the paranormal elements of this story did not work for me and I simply did not believe in these characters and their legacies. The men in particular were sketches and I found the extensive descriptions of the herbal remedies very repetitive and distracting.

Title: A Spell for Trouble (An Enchanted Bay Mystery Book One)

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books

Author: Esme Addison

Price: $26.99 (hc) / $12.99 (ebook)

Release Date: 12 May 2020

Aleksandra Daniels is back in Bellamy Bay. With the passing of her father, Alex has decided to seek out what little family she has left: her maternal aunt and her two cousins, whom she has not seen in twenty years. She had planned to spend only a week or two in North Carolina, helping her family with their holistic store -- but then her Aunt Lidia is accused of murder. And her family reveals a shocking history: they are descendants of the Mermaid of Warsaw. And, though they have lost they ability to shapeshift, they have retained their magical abilities. They are, simply, water witches .... Determined to prove her aunt's innocence and to learn more about her abilities, Alex opts to remain in Bellamy Bay. But the investigation takes twists and turns she never anticipated and, when she catches the eye of both Detective Jack Frazier and businessman/witch Dylan Wesley, Alex begins to wonder if she really wants to leave Bellamy Bay and return to New York after all ....

I am always on the look-out for new paranormal mysteries, especially cozy mysteries, so I was excited to download A Spell for Trouble. Overall, I enjoyed the book, but I was also left frustrated by several elements of the story.

First, I really like the characters. Alex is just the sort of character a reader can get behind: she's curious, ethical, and loyal. She doesn't let false starts and dead ends get her down; her is determined to prove Lidia's innocence, so matter what.

I also really like the unusual origin story for Alex and her family. I have never seen a paranormal story with witches who are descended from a mermaid. I'll be curious to see how Addison works mermaid lore (specifically that of the Mermaid of Warsaw) into future volumes. And, considering her relative magical strength, I wonder if Alex will be the witch to regain the ability to shapeshift.

The magic is also neat. As a water witch, Alex can control that element (and, I would guess, any fluid that contains water). She is also telepathic, able to silently communicate with other witches and overhear the thoughts of mundanes. Alex has been afraid of the ocean since her mother drowned when she was a child; but, as the story progresses, Alex begins to see its beauty and power, and I hope that relationship continues to evolve.

That being said ... cozy mysteries are a tricky thing to write. There has to be a good reason for the main character to be involved in a murder investigation. Alex does have a good reason; several actually, as she becomes convinced that a magic-user was responsible for the murder, and the mundane authorities will have no idea how to handle a magical crime.

That being said, Alex is not a very good amateur detective. She repeatedly goes down the wrong path, makes incorrect assumptions based on incomplete information, backtracks, starts again, and levels accusations based only on hunches instead of relevant evidence. I admired Alex' tenacity, but was frustrated by her constant missteps.

A Spell for Trouble is a fun first volume in a new cozy paranormal series. The characters are engaging and the mythology is unusual. Hopefully, Alex will improve as a detective in future volumes -- and she will make good choices when it comes to her love life.

Recommended to cozy mystery fans, and especially fans of Stephanie Burgis, Gretchen Galway, and Amanda Flowers.

This book was a revelation! I started reading it to pass the time and couldn’t put it down. The incredible backstory, the rich characters, the devious plot! I’m so excited to continue this series.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not paid for this review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy of this title in exchange for an honest review!

This is the first contemporary "cozy mystery" book I've read and it was a lovely introduction to the genre and a solid start to a new series! Esme Addison plunks the reader down into the charming, gossipy, and insular seaside town of Bellamy Bay, filled with a lively cast of characters. The mystery plot was intriguing, with several twists, and the undercurrent of....something special (no spoilers!)....added a fun element, which will hopefully be explored more in future books.

My only gripe was with the main character's inclination to form very fast friendships and romantic interests; it just seemed a bit odd for someone who described themselves as "risk-averse." Other than that, it was a very pleasant and engaging read!

What a great series. Alex comes back to her moms hometown with her dog Athens a German shepherd. Alex soon finds out the family secret and is so overwhelmed but then starts using her magic. Her aunt and cousins are also witches. When someone is murdered. Alex and minka start there own investigating. I recommend this book .

This was a nice wee read. It gave an interesting spin on the paranormal cozy mystery with these witches descending from mermaids.

Alongside the main mystery, a sub-plot of why Alex hadn’t returned to the bay for many years, added to character development and also made me want to read the next instalment.

For me the sign of a successful story is if I want to read another one. This one ticked that box for me.

I loved this book!!! The first in a new magical cozy mystery series by Esme Addison, the Enchanted Bay series. We follow Aleksandra Daniels as she returns to her childhood home, the seaside town of Bellamy Bay, North Carolina after decades away. Her father took her away from her cousins and aunt after her mother's death and now that he has passed she's returned to reconnect with her mother's family. Right aways she begins to hear rumors about her Aunt Lidia and cousins, that they are magical! She puts it off as gossip, related to them owning an apothecary shop, but soon realizes there is truth to the gossip. It turns out her family is a descendant of a magical mermaid!
When Alex's aunt is arrested for murder it's up to Alex to use the knowledge she has growing up as a police detective's daughter as well as her own newly discovered magic to try and clear her name. The investigation turns up more then just other suspects, she finds old friends, two potential love connections, near death experiences and lots and lots of magic related trouble.
Such a unique take on a magical cozy! I am obsessed with this series and can't wait for the next installment.

Witchy stories have been trending for awhile, but there are only a couple that I find consistently well=written with clever plots. Esme Addison has added another to my list with what I hope becomes a series. The characters and their backstory is unusual, with the oft-used herbalist trope nicely blended with a family history of mermaids with a nice touch of Polish culture.

Addison sets up future stories for the family as Alex learns more about her family, her mother, Bellamy Bay, and her own powers. Similar in tone to Juliet Blackwell's Lily Ivory series, this series promises to be just as fun and captivating.

I enjoyed this book. The characters were enjoyable and there is still so much to learn about them! Witches, mermaids, spells and murder make for a fun cozy to spend the afternoon reading.

I liked but didn't love this story. Aleksandra Daniels returns to her mother's hometown in North Carolina after her father dies. She reunites with the cousins and aunt she hasn't seen since she was little, before her mother died, and finds out her maternal family are all water witches from the Baltic Sea. Her aunt and cousin run an herbal apothecary and gift shop, kind of like Practical Magic. Alex's aunt gets in a fight with a local business man who turns up dead, and she's the main suspect when it turns out he was poisoned with a plant she has at home. As is typical, Alex tries to figure out who really did it and figures out what's going in behind the scenes in the witchy world of the town. There is a little too much real estate intrigue and not enough witchiness for my taste, however.
The family's Polish heritage is expressed in the food and their names and some words, which I liked and was a change of pace from the usual family background you see in books like this. The characters were fine, but I wanted more development of who they were as people, not just as Alex's cousins or aunt. Nobody got much characterization. The witch politics and the two families fueding could have been more interesting if revealed earlier and with more development. I will probably give this series another chance but am not sure I'll be in it for the long haul.