Tomes Scones & Crones (Three Tomes Bookshop Book 1) published. While this story is nothing like my favorite series The Heroes of New Vegas it still has one of the major themes of those books. That theme would be having life completely changed, turn upside down even. How do you deal with the new way of things, coping with what you never expected? This time the main character Jacqueline Finch is a little older, hopefully a little wiser and a lot more jaded. Part mystery, part paranormal and all enjoyable.

Being the first in the series it is an introduction story with characters some lovable and some not so much met. The setting of an old Victorian house as a bookstore was such an enchanting idea. However, it may not come with just books. Now I look forward to the next book in the series. That is part of a newer genre of paranormal women’s fiction which of course is perfect because we don’t all stay young forever. Life goes on and is interesting, even unique as we get more shall we say mature so let’s read about it. Also loved the cat.

An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Myth: 4/5

I loved that while this is a whole new heroine and small town on the west side of northern lower Michigan, it’s in the same ‘world’ as Wicks Hollow. While only minor references to the western Michigan town that has had its share of paranormal activities, I can tell that this will be a really fun concept to play with overlap in future books.

Jaqueline was a delight to read, a librarian who’s life is uprooted and takes over a magical bookstore. This definitely has a lot of the ‘book about books’ vibe, not just in the fact that there are book characters walking around, but also in the way that Jaqueline thinks about her story. She’s constantly wondering if she’s turning into a character in a book, why she’s gets certain deus ex machinas and it’s just a really clever, fun way to tell her story.

Magic: 4/5

I can’t get enough of witches in a small town and Button Cove seems to have its hands full. There is also a great focus in this story about taking back the term crone, as a wise woman, and you have to have age and persistence to become one. As a women’s fiction, Jaqueline and her new friends confront women’s place in the world once they’re done raising their kids (or decided not to have kids).

Overall: 4/5

“Words and intentions have power.” Jaqueline takes back control of a life she was just kind of floating through. She’s going to be a fun heroine to watch find her way with her magical book store. This is a great series for book lovers as it plays with the power of characters and stories we’re told.

Series Info/Source: This is the first book in the Three Tomes Bookshop series. I got a copy of this book through NetGalley to review. Previous to this I read Gleason’s Gardella Vampire Hunters series (liked it) and her Stoker & Holmes series (okay but not great).

Thoughts: Eh, this was okay. I really liked some of the ideas in here but never really liked the characters or the plot that much. The idea of a magic bookshop, snarky cats, and copious amounts of tea sounds like something I would love. However, the whole thing felt a bit flat to me.

The writing style and plot were simplistic and I just never loved any of the characters here. This is the type of story that should be very character driven and it wasn't. Even the romantic interest for your main protagonist was just so-so (there was a lot of obsessing over his hands, but to each their own).

There are some funny parts and the book is very light-hearted. I thought the friendship that Jacqueline developed with the other shop-owners was cute but felt a bit insta-friendship. These characters didn't really have anything that bound them together and the friendship felt forced and fake to me...it was a bit too good to be true.

My Summary (3/5): Overall this was a pretty quick read but also a book I will forget about as soon as I write this review. It's not awful but also not memorable. If you want some good paranormal women's fiction I recommend the Glimmer Lake/Moonstone Cove series by Elizabeth Hunter or The Forty Proof series by Shannon Mayer. Those series are much more well done than this one. I think I am done with Gleason for a bit, she’s pretty hit or miss for me and over the last few years it’s been a lot more misses than hits.

I was given a free e-copy of this novel by NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

At forty-eight, Jacqueline Finch has a nice, easy life with few responsibilities: she’s been a librarian in Chicago for twenty-five years, she doesn’t have a husband, children, or pets, and she’s just coasting along, enjoying her books and a small flower garden now that she’s over the hill. That is, until the Universe (helped by three old crones) has other ideas. All at once, Jacqueline’s boring life is upended, and the next thing she knows, she’s heading off to Button Cove to start a new life as the owner of Three Tomes Bookshop. The bookstore is a darling place, and Jacqueline is almost ready to be excited about this new opportunity until Mrs. Hudson and Mrs. Danvers show up. Somehow, the literary characters of Sherlock Holmes’s landlady and Rebecca deWinter’s creepy and sardonic housekeeper are living persons who work at the bookshop. Not only does Jacqueline have to contend with them—and the idea that people regularly eat pastries while reading books in her store!—but the morning after she arrives, the body of a dead man is found on her property. Things start to get even more strange after that: Jacqueline is befriended by three old women who bear a startling resemblance to the Witches Three from Macbeth, an actual witch shows up at her bookshop and accuses Jacqueline of killing her brother, and the two women who own businesses across the street seem determined to befriend Jacqueline. And then there’s the police detective with the very definite hot-Viking vibe who shows up to investigate the dead body. The next thing Jacqueline knows, her simple life is no longer quiet and unassuming, and she’s got crones, curses, and crocodiles to deal with. And when a new literary character appears on the scene, things start to get even more hairy and Jacqueline is suddenly faced with a horrible life and death situation that will totally push her out of her comfort zone if she’s brave enough to let it. After all, isn’t forty-eight too late for an old dog to learn new tricks? (Fantastic Fiction synopsis)

I have read Gleason’s Stoker and Holmes series, and loved it. So I was super happy to find that I really liked this book. I originally started out not liking Jacqueline, but as she progressed I began to like her more. I was glad that she stopped quoting her deceased friend’s words, and made friends with Nadine and Suzette. No one should allow others to dictate their life, or to become so boring. I am looking forward to (hopefully) a potential romance in later books.

I even enjoyed the literary characters being brought to life. I would have loved to have Mrs. Hudson making me tea. Not so much Mrs. Danvers, because she’s creepy, but it was still an interesting concept to a magical bookstore setting. I can think of hundreds of other characters I would love to see. I don’t want to give spoilers but the third literary character’s story was unique. I would never have thought of this character’s side of the story, and again I hope this is a continuation in later books.

There are a couple of phrases that had me baffled. For example, in chapter 4 Jacqueline lets the cat Sebastian “ooze from her arms to the floor,” and then two paragraphs later she walks into another room with Sebastian still being carried. There was no indication that she had picked the cat back up. One other example was in chapter 11, when “it occurred to Jacqueline that she’d never even learned which side of her family Cuddy Stone belonged to,” but a few paragraphs later “her mother finally remembered that the Stones were from her side.” Again there was no time progression between the two statements. It felt off, but not enough to take anything away from the story.

Overall I rate this novel 4 out of 5 stars.

It all starts when Three Crones set up the crash and burn of poor Jaquelin's life.

All in order to have her inherit the local bookshop in the cutesy little town of Button Cove.
Jaquelin arrives in a whirlwind of anger, confusion, and sorrow, only to find a dead body in her shop. This sets off a chain of events that include a Viking cop, angsty literary characters, lots of tea, and magical mishaps.

The literary characters popping up was such a great concept for this story, it fit in so well with the vibe of the book. The dialogue was well done, filled with chuckle inducing zingers.
The characters are mostly loveable on sight, unless they are the villain, then it's automatic dislike.
It was really nice to see a middle aged heroine that wasn't super insecure about her age.
There were some really nice messages in here as well, female solidarity, empowerment, and acceptance.

The only negative would be that it dragged a bit in the beginning, but around the halfway mark it picks up and races to the end.

This was quirky and cute and will make you want to cuddle up with a warm throw, cup of tea, and a baked good, of course!
Check it out, when it hits shelves (real and digital) October 12th, 2021!

A big thanks to the Publisher & NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Not my usual mix of genres to read, but I enjoyed it quite a bit.

I have received this book in exchange of an honest review, thank you to NetGalley and Oliver Heber Books for the opportunity.

Also published on my website: https://daysinotherworlds.com/

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The main thing that got me interested in reading the book, lay with the fact that the main setting is a bookshop. It might be a cliche take, but I really do love books where the setting is a library or a bookshop or something that revolves around books in one way or another. Although, I would say that the focus of the book, or rather the message to be delivered lies somewhere else, specifically in embracing oneself before anything else.

Jacqueline Finch is at the lowest place she's reached in her life at the start of the novel, and the author wasted no time throwing her from one issue to the next to test her mettle. Thankfully, and despite her reservation, Jacqueline begins to try and change herself to fit the new surroundings instead of just focusing on the has-beens. It's difficult moving on, or letting bygones be bygones, and seeing her own struggle with it was something I considered relatable to my own real life situation.

I'm not in my 30s just yet, but I found myself echoing quite a few of the statements the ladies had in this book and it got me thinking a bit about my own life, but it's also the reason why I enjoyed it a lot. At the core, I'll describe this as more of a cozy mystery in a low fantasy setting, with a bigger part of it being of re-self discovery which I think the book did pretty well.

The mystery is not what I expected in a way however, but it was in the background for sure while I navigated this new life with Jacqueline and the other women in the book.

Being around all the ladies here was fun for me, even if I won't say that I loved them as characters. Which, by the way, I'll only say given that this is a setup type of book and establishing the setting and the major players moving forward, felt like it took precedence at most times instead of me getting to really know everyone here.

Yes, there are some mini adventures, a lot of instances with each other and learning about this new magical bookshop, but I still feel like they're outlines of a bigger whole for next time. Or at least that's what I hope for as the bookshop in particular is just awesome, and if Mrs. Hudson and Mrs. Danvers are any indication, it's barely scratched the surface of its full potential.

The only side I didn't care much about and was very worried about as well, was the romance. I loathe that genre with a passion and I'm so happy that it was only dropped hints so far, although I can see future installments taking that one much further. Therefore, I'll reserve judgment till then.

Other than that, I really did enjoy myself and I wouldn't mind more of it if it's just as fun and cozy of a read.

I was seduced by the title, the cover, and the description, but ultimately disappointed in Tomes, Scones, and Crones. Despite all the promise, the book fizzled for me. I thought about it as a R.I.P. read because it had that supernatural vibe, and witches, and a bookstore, and the promise of humor, but despite the potential, I found myself plowing through it rather than enjoying it. I'm not usually much for a cozy mystery, but I couldn't resist the cover and title. If you like cozy-light, you may like this better than I did.

I have enjoyed Gleason's Stoker & Holmes series.

Read in September

NetGalley/Oliver-Hebert Books
Mystery/Paranormal. Oct. 12, 2021. Print length: 298 pages.

The idea behind this book is a fun one. I liked the more mature main character and the plot, but I just can't get passed the eye-pokingly bad writing. You have characters repeating the same idiomatic phrases whenever they describe something. You might say, but Homer does the same, so this trick has been part of western literature since 800BCE, but no. In Homer it was used for a reason (the reason being the oral tradition those works were a part of). For Gleason to use this is jut strange. I'd suggest another editor stage for future books

I picked up this book after enjoying her Gardella series, but I found this one hard to finish. The first thirty percent or so of the book was unclear about where the plot was headed and was mostly about how much she missed her recently deceased best friend, and even after a body is discovered it wasn't entirely clear to me what the mystery was. I stopped reading a little over halfway through because I was no longer interested.

Three and a half because this is well written but I just wanted a little bit more somehow. I loved that Jacqueline is a more mature character who might have given up on love but certainly isn't dead from the waist down because there's nothing wrong with just enjoying your own company. I did find it a little disconcerting initially just how her thoughts harked back constantly to her late friend but happily this wasn't so prevalent when the story got going. I thought her quite brave to up sticks and see what life outside her comfort zone could offer her. There is a plot with honestly not a lot of mystery but essentially this book focused on introducing characters to the reader. I thought the message that it doesn't matter how you look or how old you are was certainly a relevant one. As I said this really just introduced this world and clearly sets the scene for more adventures from this quirky cast.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

I received a copy of this novel through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love bookshops and books that talk about bookshops. So the Three Tomes can be easily named as my favorite character in this novel. And the shop was a character, never you doubt that! I would simply love to get lost in that shop, read some books, drink lots of tea and eat some pastries. I am a librarian,but in that shop I would enjoy my tea, snacks and books all together!
The second favorite character was Max the cat. Yes, Sebastian was friendly and cuddly and absolutely catish cat, but Max was also very catish cat. You know, the kind who always thinks he’s above everyone else and probably is (especially if he’s sitting on a high bookcase). I simply loved his attitude.
And now I finally get to the human characters. I count witches as human. I didn’t really bond with any of them, but I liked all of them well enough. The ZAP ladies were fun and I enjoyed Jacqueline and her new friends. I think I especially appreciated Jacqueline’s development - as a librarian myself I hope to never get inflexibly serious about my work. Working in a library is fun and diverse, if you are ready to do different things and finds the adventures that await!
In the end,the thing I loved most about this book is the atmosphere and the friendship between the women in this story.

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley #netgalley

This book was hard to get my mind around. I did like it. I struggled with the three crones being so mean. And the MC was not always likeable. But the setting was fantastic.

I’m not quite sure what to think of this one. I enjoyed reading it and unraveling the mystery, but I didn’t care much for the characters. To care for, to fall in love with or to love to hate a character is part of the magic of a book. And I missed that here. Nevertheless for a first book in a new series it’s a nice start and I am interested to see where this story is going. So if you love cozy mysteries then is the book for you!

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of TOMES, SCONES, & CRONES (Book 1 of the Three Tomes Bookshop Mysteries), by Colleen Gleason, in exchange for an honest review. Jacqueline Finch is forty-eight and she lives a quiet, comfortable life with a steady job, a small garden, and no close relationships. Suddenly, Jacqueline loses all of her security; she’s fired with five-days severance; her landlord sells her house and evicts her, and her one friend believes rumors that Jacqueline did something immoral. When Jacqueline receives notice that she inherited a bookshop on the same day her world crashes, she decides to try life in Button Cove as a bookstore owner. However, things get a little weird. There’s these three pushy old ladies from down the street, staff who seem to believe they’re fictional characters, and a dead body in Jacqueline’s new apartment. Things get even stranger when the dead man’s sister comes to town and flings around accusations and magic. When someone is endangered and needs saving, Jacqueline must finally go beyond merely “coping with the crazy” and actively engage in the insanity.

I liked this book and thought it was a good start a series. I recommend this book to fans of cozy mysteries featuring murder, paranormal, witches, crones, fates, bookshops, fictional characters come to life, and starting over at mid-life.

#TomesSconesCrones #NetGalley

"At forty-eight, Jacqueline Finch has a nice, easy life with few responsibilities: she's been a librarian in Chicago for twenty-five years, she doesn't have a husband, children, or pets, and she's just coasting along, enjoying her books and a small flower garden now that she's over the hill.

That is, until the Universe (helped by three old crones) has other ideas.

All at once, Jacqueline's staid (and boring) life is upended, and the next thing she knows, she's heading off to Button Cove to start a new life as the owner of Three Tomes Bookshop.

The bookstore is a darling place, and Jacqueline is almost ready to be excited about this new opportunity... until Mrs. Hudson and Mrs. Danvers show up. Somehow, the literary characters of Sherlock Holmes's landlady and Rebecca deWinter's creepy and sardonic housekeeper are living persons who work at the bookshop (when they aren't bickering with each other). Not only does Jacqueline have to contend with them-and the idea that people regularly eat pastries while reading books in her store -but the morning after she arrives, the body of a dead man is found on her property.

Things start to get even more strange after that: Jacqueline is befriended by three old women who bear a startling resemblance to the Witches Three from Macbeth, an actual witch shows up at her bookshop and accuses Jacqueline of killing her brother, and the two women who own businesses across the street seem determined to befriend Jacqueline.

And then there's the police detective with the very definite hot-Viking vibe who shows up to investigate the dead body...

The next thing Jacqueline knows, her staid and simple life is no longer quiet and unassuming, and she's got crones, curses, and crocodiles to deal with.

And when a new literary character appears on the scene...things start to get even more hairy and Jacqueline is suddenly faced with a horrible life and death situation that will totally push her out of her comfort zone...if she's brave enough to let it. After all, isn't forty-eight too late for an old dog to learn new tricks?

From the bestselling author of the Wicks Hollow series, Tomes, Scones and Crones is the first book in a new paranormal women's fiction series about coming into one's own when you're over the hill, and owning one's "croneness.""

Even if I weren't already a fan of Colleen Gleason, I mean come on, this book sounds like it was written just for me! Especially with Mrs. Hudson and Mrs. Danvers showing up!