3.5 Stars

Seven Year Witch by Angela M. Sanders

This is the second book in the Witch Way Librarian series.
I do love the authors' descriptiveness I feel like I am in Darla's diner or the horror of the snake or even involved with the flooding. She does an amazing job of making us the readers feel a part of the story! What I enjoyed less is the lack of personal character growth. I reduced a star because I couldn't find any emotional growth in Josie.

Josie Way is the town librarian and a truth-teller who derives her power from books.

Location: Wilfred, Oregon

All of the citizens returned from book one including Sam Wilfred, the town's prodigal son and former FBI agent.

We left off with Josie vowing to move forward with her life and magic. While he was returning home to finish his divorce. He returns to Wilfred still married but now with his ex-wife-to-be and a newborn son! Sam and the almost ex-wife, is his refusal too accept certain facts that are clearly seen by all but him. His continual returning to Josie, for help and support with all of his issues. Some parts of this are simply way too close to soap opera status for me.

The mystery portion is solid. Ms. Sanders' built multiple mysteries within other mysteries in this book! She answered and resolved everything by the end without it ever feeling rushed.

Overall I liked the story but I didn't love it. For me, character growth, change, and interactions matter as much as the mystery.

It was great visiting with Josie and all her new friends in Wilfred, OR again. I'd forgotten how Josie could go check things out using her mind but in her cat Rodney's body which was so cool!

This was a mystery I definitely couldn't figure out, so I just went along for the ride and enjoyed the process. Josie was learning a lot from her grandma's letter she'd left her, and I was happy to see how far she'd come as far as her powers went. I've hoped since the first book that Josie and Sam could get together, and they might be one step closer to that by the end of the book. I loved how the whole town pulled together at the end. The showdown with the killer was scary for two different reasons-you'll see when you read it. I really wish the next one could come out sooner instead of having to wait another year!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

Really enjoyable second book in the Witch Way Librarian Mysteries. Paranormal cozies are some of my favorite books. This series features Josie, a librarian who has discovered she has witchy powers and communicates with the books in her library to find clues to different mysterious events happening in her town.

I love Josie and her magic. How fun would it be to communicate with books? That would be a book-lovers ultimate dream, I think. I enjoyed the mysteries Josie needs to solve and was kept guessing until the end. I'm looking forward to more books in this series.

Many thanks to the publisher, Kensington, and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor or expectation.

Angela M. Sanders puts the cozy in cozy mystery! Her writing makes me want to snuggle in a warm quilt, with a fall scented candle burning and a mug of coffee in hand, and settle in and not stop reading until the turn of the last page. Which is course, exactly what I did. Seven-Year Witch, the second installment in the Witch Way Librarian Mysteries series, was just as cute, charming, and well, cozy as the first book.

Both books in this series have everything one could want in a paranormal cozy mystery: a small town with that charm that only small towns can have, quirky characters (including witches. Because of course, the best cozy mysteries have witches!), mysteries lurking around every corner just waiting to be solved, murder, romance, and (in this case of this book) an amazing, sassy cat named Rodney. Voila! All of the ingredients necessary for a perfectly whimsical paranormal mystery novel.

This second installment in this series was just as cute and entertaining as the first, and I couldn’t have been happier with it. We are reunited with Josie, Rodney (my personal favorite), Sam, and many of the other quirky characters that lead lives in the small town in which this series takes place.

There’s a new murder mystery abound, and the novels centers around that as well as Josie, the lead character, who is busying herself trying to make sense of the powers she has inherited from her ancestors, and eagerly diving into learning more about her background and ancestors. One of my favorite things about this series (aside from Rodney of course) has to be that Josie’s supernatural ability is being able to use books to help her find answers and solve mysteries. As a book lover, I envy her that!

Since Seven-Year Witch is the second book in a series, I don’t want to go into too much detail and give too much away, because I don’t want to spoil any details for anyone, but just know that I absolutely loved this installment just as much as the first, and i’m eager to see what Angela M. Sanders has in store for us with the next book in the series!

If you haven’t yet read the first book in this series, I strongly urge you to do so. If you decide to do so, be sure to also have a comfortable reading spot to settle into, along with a warm blanket and a pot of coffee brewed, because once you start reading, you won’t want to stop until the flip of the last page.

5/5 stars!

This is a cozy mystery, and this is the second book in the Witch Way Librarian Mysteries series. I have read and review the first book in this series before I read this book. I loved the characters in this book, and I also loved the mystery in this book. There was twists and turns, and there was also cute cozy mysteries moments. This book as one problem that I also had with the first book, and that is the fact this book does not really have a ending. This book just stops, but it does not give you an ending feeling. I hate when books just stops, and they do not have a real ending. I would have give this book 5 stars if this book had a real ending. I will keep going on with this series. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Kensington Publishing Corporation) or author (Angela M. Sanders) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

Seven-Year Witch by Angela M. Sanders
Book #2: Witch Way Librarian Mysteries
Source: NetGalley, Kensington, and Purchase
Rating: 4½/5 stars

The Bottom Line: I’m going to go out on a limb here and say, even at only book two in the series, this series is shaping up to quickly become one of my favorites! This read is a bit of slow burn compared to book one, but I very much enjoyed the ride. Josie is learning to develop her skills and I especially loved how she’s truly learning to rely on her books to help her learn and problem-solve. No longer does Josie have only her instincts to rely on when sleuthing, but an entire library full of (mostly) willing helpers.

In many ways, the plot of this book tied into the plot from book one and liked the continuation without a load of repetition. Sam is back in town with a baby and wife in tow, the resort construction is a hot mess, and apparently there’s an old, old town legend/story that is trying to come to light so a wrong can be righted. With her hands full and her brain spinning, it takes all of Josie’s considerable skills to suss out the answers and keep herself alive.

From start to finish I was deeply absorbed in this read and barely put it down to rest. Josie is such a likeable character, and her burgeoning skills are so fun. I appreciate a good bookworm character, but Josie’s ability to communicate with her library takes it all to a whole new level. The sense of community is growing, and Josie is becoming more a part of her new environment, her love life is weirdly moving in directions yet unknown, and her skills are growing through the help of her long-deceased grandmother. I am so enjoying the pacing, the setting, and the clever plots that seem to always include the past meeting up with the present. In all, this series is offering me everything I adore in the genre!

Some series that start out five stars for their debut mystery struggle to do it again with the next book. Have no fear Seven Year Witch earns its five stars. In the first book Josie Way arrived in Wilfred, OR to become the town librarian which included living over the library housed in a great old Victorian. On top of starting a new chapter in her life she discovered she was a witch. Now she runs the library and is learning about her witchy talents. She also shares her life with her cat familiar, Rodney.
There are now plans to convert an old mill into a retreat but things go wrong when the architect is murdered. With the locals talking about the site being cursed, Josie is more than a little bit intrigued. Add to her attraction to Sam who has returned to town with bis soon to be ex wife and child, the wife goes missing and suspicion turns on Sam. Can Josie unravel both events? Does she have a future with Sam? Be warned, the ending will leave you with some questions and eager for the next installment.
My thanks to the publisher Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Sanders weaves the perfect amount of witchy magic and paranormal elements into the second installment of her librarian cozy series...and it's even better than the first

I loved the first book of this series, Bait and Witch, and had high hopes for this sequel. Seven-Year Witch didn’t disappoint. In fact, I couldn’t put it down.

Librarian Josie Way has settled into her position running the library in an old Victorian mansion. She’s also come to terms with being a witch. So when rumors of cursed land nearby coincide with a mysterious disappearance, Josie digs into the town’s past to hunt down possible causes of any deadly curses to see if her magic can banish them before anyone else gets hurt.

With two intertwined mysteries, almost a century apart, Seven-Year Witch has plenty of intrigue to keep readers captivated. The ending wasn’t as satisfying as I’d like, but I hope that means there’s a third book on the way. I’d love to see more of Josie and her library.

This is the 2nd installment in the Witch Way Librarian series. Josie Way moved to Oregon from the DC area over 6 months ago and was named the librarian in Wilfred Oregon. She learned in the last book that she is a witch and her Mother sent her letters from her Grandmother to teach her to be a witch. She goes down to the local diner and one of the locals swears she saw a big black SUV with dark windows and the driver wearing a gun holster. Next the architect on the retreat project shows up and it was not him but Josie remembers his name and knows he is a world famous architect and wonders what he is doing in Wilfred. Soon Sam arrives back in town (Josie has a crush on him) but instead of coming back divorced he returns with his wife Fiona and a baby. Josie is crushed but when Fiona turns up missing and Sam and possibly herself are suspects she wants to help Sam find the culprit. The town searches and finds a crowbar with blood and it is just a matter a time before Sam is arrested. Fiona arrives back in town as if nothing has happened and the sheriff was in the process of dredging the nearby millpond. A body is discovered but it is the body of the architect who apparently had no enemies. There also appears to be a connection to be Fiona and perhaps the baby’s Father but then Fiona is killed as well. Josie’s current lesson from her Grandmother is on curses and she feels the ground near the old mill and new retreat center so she tries to get to the bottom of that to see if that is the cause of the two deaths. This was a good mystery and enjoyed how Josie has become part of the community and wants to help Sam although they are just friends. Look forward to the next installment in the series. Good read.

A wonderful second entry into this series. I thought I had the mystery all figured out but did not! I love it when that happens. I love the setting and the cast of characters. And the touch of magic makes it so much fun.

The Witch Way Librarian Mysteries by Angela M. Sanders is becoming my favorite paranormal cozy mystery series. The way Josie uses the books to help her find answers and how they talk to her is many book lover’s dream… including mine. And I really enjoy how Rodney, her familiar, is sassy and actually helps her in the way that familiars do. In many other paranormal series it seems like the cat is just kind of there because witches are supposed to have cats.

There is a lot more character development in Seven-Year Witch and we also get to catch up with ones from the first book in the series, Bait and Witch. I really enjoyed how Sanders played around with Fiona’s disappearance and shows what a true sociopath acts like.

There’s still the question if Sam and Josie will get together, but if they don’t, there is so much going on in this series, I don’t feel like a love interest will be missed. Sanders also gives us a mysterious box, a crime with lots of red herrings and suspects, a twist, and a bit of a thrilling ending when Josie faces off with the killer.

If you’re looking for a paranormal cozy mystery series to enhance the Autumn season coming up, I highly recommend the Witch Way Librarian Mysteries!

In book 2 of the Witch Way Librarian Mysteries, Sam Wilfred moves back to town, only this time he brings along a wife a baby. Reeling from the shock, Josie throws herself headfirst into investigating the rumors of a curse on the land of the old mill site. When Sam's wife goes missing, and then the mill project's architect is found dead, Josie knows she is the town's only chance of ridding the land of it's curse.
I really enjoy this series. Josie is a witch who is fairly new to her powers....her mother had her powers suppressed when Josie was a child, so Josie did not even realize she was a witc until she moved to Wilfred, Oregon and it broke the spell. Because her specialty is books, she can hear books talk to her and she uses that to help her solve mysteries. It is a fun new take on cozy witch mysteries, and if you are a fan of those, then you will love these.

Seven-Year Witch by Angela M. Sanders is the second book in her series, Which Way Librarian Mysteries. I had not read the first book, Bait and Witch, prior to reading this book. While I did feel like I would have benefited from reading the first book not having read it did not detract from the plot or reduce my enjoyment of the book.

Seven-Year Witch is a wonderful cozy mystery that mixes paranormal elements with a library/book theme. The story takes place in small town Wilfred, Oregon. The main character, Josie, was very well developed and I can't wait to see how she continues to grow in the following books. The rest of the characters consist of an eclectic group of residents including Josie's potential love interest, Sam. There is plenty of mystery, twists and curses that kept me hooked and reading this book.

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Books for this arc in return for submitting my unbiased and voluntary review.

Josie Way is settling into life as librarian to the small town of Wilfred, Oregon, after the life-altering events that accompanied her initial move west from Washington DC. It wasn’t just adjusting to rural life after living so long in the nation’s capital that made for such a radical change for her. She was also coming into her magical abilities as a bibliomancer, abilities that came in handy when an assassin arrived in town, putting her life in jeopardy.

Nowadays, Josie is perfectly happy to use her skills primarily to recommend the right book for library patrons. There’s not a lot of excitement in Wilfred but she rather likes it that way, at least until the return of Sam Wilfred, the descendent of the town’s founders, whom she met and developed feelings for during the entire assassin fiasco. Alas for Josie, he comes back with a wife and baby in tow.

Josie tries her best to keep things purely platonic, choosing to focus on helping the people associated with the redevelopment of Wilfred’s burned-down mill into an eco-conscious retreat instead. While the town had originally been delighted that Ruff and Sita Waters stepped in to rehabilitate the property and hopefully attract tourist dollars to their out-of-the-way community, everyone is unsettled by the bickering that’s broken out amidst the development team. Rumors soon spread about the mill property being cursed, and Josie begins to wonder whether she ought to be involved in getting to the truth and potentially laying to rest any vengeful spirits interfering with progress. It is, after all, in her nature:

QUOTE
Sam was right that I had a strong sense of justice: I was a truth teller. Witches in my family had different qualities through which they funneled their magic. My mother had visions, and my sisters and grandmother were healers. My grandmother had a special way with plants. Like books talked to me, plants talked to Grandma.
END QUOTE

Even as Josie is researching curses and local history with the help of her library and a legacy of letters from said Grandma, Sam’s glamorous artist wife Fiona vanishes after visiting the mill site one afternoon. While Fiona and Sam are in the middle of a less than amicable divorce, Sam is convinced that she would never leave their son behind. Things start looking really bad for Sam, however, when circumstantial evidence points to him being responsible for the disappearance of his wife. Josie doesn’t believe any of it, of course, but Josie isn’t the new interim sheriff, Meg Beattie. A no-nonsense woman who’d originally thought of hiring Sam to her department, Meg goes where the evidence leads her, and right now that means straight to Sam.

Josie is determined both to prove her friend’s innocence and to get to the bottom of what’s going on with the mill. Her own investigations have led her to believe that not only does a curse linger over Wilfred, but that something even stronger could be at work with the abandoned mill, once a site of so much grief. She’ll do whatever it takes to get to the truth, no matter how it imperils her:

QUOTE
Motion on the ground six feet or so to my right caught my eye. Green on green--a snake with diamonds running down its back. A rattler.

Blood iced in my veins. I stepped back, and the snake lifted its head and curled its body rapidly into a coil, its tail rising and rattling at a pace to match the earth’s tremor. Images whipped through my brain of lightning storms, screaming wind, and suffocating fire.

Staring into the snake’s eyes, I was frozen. Its tongue licked out, and its head drew back. I couldn’t move. Couldn’t even close my eyes against the strike I knew was coming.
END QUOTE

This novel of suspense was a really lovely follow-up to the Witchy Way Librarian mystery series debut, as Angela M. Sanders expands on the world-building of Bait And Witch to not only explore the supernatural side of Wilfred, but also its more mortal if still quite eccentric aspects. Josie’s continuing magical education is balanced out by all-too realistic situations that are by turns humorous and danger-filled, as she strives to fulfill her duties as truth teller, librarian and friend. This installment of the series definitely leans a little more on the paranormal than on the cozy side -- which I absolutely loved! -- but is still a solid treat for lovers of exciting traditional mysteries.

Really fun story. Loved the paranormal aspect and the power with the books. Very excited to see where this series goes. Can't wait for the next one in the series!

This is the second book in a cozy paranormal mystery series, and I really enjoyed both. This latest catches us up from the first, and it takes place about six months from the first one. Sam is back in town, but he has a couple people in tow shaking Josie. Their romance is very slow to start, and there isn’t much resolution in this one. However, the book itself is fun and uses a small-town atmosphere to keep us entertained with all that characters therein. As someone who is both a small-town dweller and a librarian by trade, this is pretty much spot on. This book is a well-written tale, while not perfect, keeps you entertained throughout. Recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

This is the second book I read in this series and I'm becoming a huge fan.
I had a lot of fan in read this instalment as it well written and the plot is fast paced and full of twists.
I was happy to catch up with Rodney and Josie, they are two lovely and well thought characters. I'm rooting for Josie and Sam as I hope they will be able to clear the air soon.
The plot is well thought and I read it in one setting. I liked the mystery part and the solution came as a surprise.
The paranormal element is always present and mixes well with the mystery.
I can't wait to read the next instalment, this one is highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I have always enjoyed a good cozy mystery, and this lovely book was exactly what I had in mind. A lovely small town murder mystery with some supernatural elements thrown in!

Seven-Year Witch by Angela M. Sanders was just as wonderful as the first book in the series Bait and Witch. Set in the small town of Wilfred Oregon, resident librarian Josie way is unraveling her witchy talents as the town unravels. A new retreat center that should bring much needed tourists income to the town hits a snag in development and when Josie's crush is implicated in a murder she has to investigate. Nothing is ever as it seems in Wilfred. This book was lovely and will be perfect spooky season reading. I recommend for fans of Juliet Blackwell's Witchcraft Mystery Series!