Snuffed Out by Valona Jones is the debut of A Magic Candle Shop Mystery. The cover is what drew me to Snuffed Out. I love the colors, the cat, and the touch of magic. I had a difficult time wading through this story especially the first few chapters. The author is setting the stage for the series. I liked the descriptions of the historic district of Savannah. The story is told from Tabby’s point of view, so we are subject to all her thoughts. Tabby is timid and afraid to use her powers. There was an incident in the past which has caused Tabby to be afraid of using her abilities. Sage is the bolder sister with strong abilities. It feels that Tabby is influenced by Sage’s abilities and choices. Sage uses her powers too often. She should not use her abilities to influence others. Sage is prejudiced against non-witches. The twins are energetics which means they can manipulate energy. I was not a fan of the main characters (as you can tell). I found Tabby to be wimpy. There are frequent mentions of the incident that caused Tabby to lock up her powers, but the details are not given up front. The descriptions of their powers were tedious (they helped my insomnia). I found the transitions to be choppy. There is a romantic partner for each sister. The chemistry was missing. It felt like they had boyfriends because they were supposed to not because they cared for the person. The mystery was okay. The sisters go around talking to various townspeople trying to uncover the truth (we meet a lot of people). They uncover secrets and suspects. Some aspects of the mystery are farfetched and others for convenience. There were too many characters. It is hard to keep them straight. I like Auntie O. She is a delightful character. There are repetitive details. We do not need to be reminded all the time that the twins are witches, how they manipulate energy, or about the incident that has caused Tabby to ignore her powers. I like that the story had a diverse cast, but the way one person’s gender was handled was insensitive. There are confusing and conflicting details. It was a challenge to get through this story. I feel that Snuffed Out could have used another round of edits. Snuffed Out is a Southern cozy mystery with energetic candles, supernatural sisters, a deceased customer, a suspected salesclerk, a historical city, and a curious cat.

Tabby and Sage are twin sisters who have inherited a candle shop from their aunt. They are witches per se, but they do have a way to send energy or good vibes into their creations. When an extremely difficult customer comes into the shop and accuses them of being fraud because their candles didn't help her headaches, it's all caught on camera phone. Tabby tries to calm her down and placate her. However, when she turns up dead, all eyes turn to the girls and most especially their clerk. Now they feel they must save him and their shop.

It was a fun premise and I enjoyed the character. It was easy-to-read. The only think I didn't like what the characters attitude and conversations around intimacy. To them, it was just a past time. It really didn't add to the plot. Tension could easily have been built into the plot without this point of view.

Snuffed out is a promising first book in the Magic Candle Shop Mystery series by Velona Jones. Although it struck me as an edgier cozy mystery, with more of the romance element that I'm used to, it still contained interesting characters and a well planned mystery. I would have liked to hear more about the magical items sold in the main character's shop but hopefully there will be more details in the next book. I am looking forward to reading more by this author.

Princess Fuzzypants here: Twins Tabby and Sage cannot be more different. They are elementals which is never completed described other than Sage can and does drain the energy from someone whom she thinks betrayed her and Tabby seems to be able to discharge energy that can be for good or not so good. There is an accident from her youth where she killed someone trying to defend herself and this has made her hesitant to unleash her powers.

But when the family Candle and Book Shop, their home, their friends and their lives are threatened, Tabby may have to remove her restraints and defend all she values. In that moment, she realizes that she can control her power and she can channel it for positive resilts. Her sister seems to revel in the dark and negative. I have to admit that while I really liked Tabby, her aunt, her beau and her employees I struggled with Sage. Thankfully by the end, she had redeemed herself enough as she and the others join forces to defeat the villain. I suspect there will be follow up stories as there are some interesting clues about Quig, Tabby’s boyfriend, that might lead into interesting directions. Four purrs and two paws up.

This was a pretty good start to a new series. I loved that our protagonists are twins with psychic abilities. It had the right amount of paranormal to keep it fun, and I did enjoy the characters. I loved the setting and their Book and Candle shop. I felt like this was a bit too long, but that could be because I didn't connect with the characters as much as I usually do. I will definitely continue with the series and cannot wait to see what happens in book 2!

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.

Really a great book, recommend it.

Enjoyed the mystery and it kept me guessing. Very heavy with the paranormal witch elements.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A brand new paranormal cozy mystery that is definitely something to get excited about! Wonderfully written plot with a layer of twists and turns to keep you turning pages added to intriguing characters that will delight and entertain! Set in a book and candle shop, a set of twin sisters with special abilities, create and sell their wares along with a longtime family friend as their best salesperson. Someone is out to shut them down and they may not just stop with destroying the business. Interesting personal relationships for the sisters also add a depth to the story as well. I must say that this book charmed me from the start. I absolutely can't wait to read more about all of the characters!

Snuffed Out Earns 5/5 Aroma-Therapies…Compelling & Clever!

Thirty-year-old Tabby Winslow and her twin “older” sister Sage inherited The Book and Candle Shop in Savannah, Georgia. It’s been in the family for three generations popular for their handcrafted aromatic candles and a quiet, restorative environment. The one thing most people are unaware is that the twins, as is true about their family, are energetics with the special ability to manipulate the energies around them, but each sister has an unique skill set unto themselves.

Their shop clerk Gerard Smith tried to warn Tabby of the oncoming “storm” entering the shop, which even had the shop cats, Harley and Luna, fleeing the arriving customer. The negative energy was courtesy of the wealthy Blithe McAdam … “Charlatans!” Tabby found it hard to deal with the flurry, but her sister Sage used her calm manner and energetics to diminish the negativity. Ms. McAdam, however, was still unhappy that the aromatherapy candles she’d been purchasing didn’t rid her of the debilitating headaches, even though Tabby knew she’d followed Auntie Oralee’s recipe perfectly. Although a refund and free product was offered and accepted, Blithe was still bent on destroying The Book and Candle’s reputation. So, what happens now when two detectives arrive at the shop announcing they are investigating a homicide? Blithe McAdam is dead.

Valona Jones “lit up” the cozy world with the first book in her Magic Candle Shop Mystery series with a close sister dynamic with a spark of competition, a karmic murder, social media attacks, and a unique magical element. Energetics. This ability creates an interesting advantage for the sisters when entangled in an investigation both from an offense and defensive position. Almost like a “lie detector,” they sense underlining “currents” of emotions. The victim had quite the acerbic tongue that cut more than just the sister’s patience, and it was engaging to see how other suspects were revealed: a half-brother, a local politician, victims of her verbal threats, and a developer. It gets complicated with planted evidence, a perilous hoax, and energies flying all around, but the final reveal was quite a surprising showdown. The lore behind the “energetics” was fascinating along with its use, secretive community, benefits, and dangers. Of course, along with candle talk, sweet treats, and family interactions, romance is always a favorite element. Tabby’s highlights the issues with keeping her ability secret especially to a close someone who doesn’t have the skill, but it was a fun to follow the changes.

Snuffed Out by Valona Jones is the first book in the Magic Candle Shop Cozy Mystery Series.

I really enjoyed this cozy mystery. Twin sisters Tabby and Sage run a cand shop together in Savannah.

The characters are well written and fleshed out and I really loved the mystery.

With red herrings and multiple suspects, this mystery kept me guessing until the end.

Looking forward to the next book in the series.

3.5/5stars

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers, and Valona Jones for allowing me to read and review this book.

This is the first book in a new series centering around twin sisters who are energy manipulators. One is outgoing and strong willed while the other is introverted and is mentally blocking her powers. This story follows them as they fight day-to-day prejudice against them for "being weird/different." It also follows the torubles that start to arise in their town when one of their frequent customers, a woman who has managed to get on just about everyone's bad side, ends up murdered. When the shop's best and only salesman is the prime suspect, the twins make it their main priority to set things right and find the real killer.

This series has such potential and is already on the way to possibly being a new favorite series of mine. The characters are diverse, well-written, and lovable. I can't wait to learn more about their personalities and backgrounds. I also can't wait to see what new problems they will find themselves in.

I would definitely recommend this series to anyone looking for a cozy mystery about family, magic, and two black cats.

Valona James has started a new cozy series with a little paranormal touch, Magic Candle Shop myteries with Snuffed Out. Twins Tabby and Sage own a candle shop and enhance their candles with positive vibes. Blithe McAdam trashed their candles as healing for headaches and then ended up dead. Police suspect their clerk Gerard but there are other potential killers out there. The twins need to balance their magical energies and get their love lives under control. Have fun with this fantastical cozy.

Snuffed Out is book #1 in the Magic Candle Shop Mystery series by Valona Jones.

30-year-old twins Tabby and Sage Winslow own The Book and Candle Shop in Savannah. An unpleasant customer is found dead and suspicion points back to their shop.

I like the premise of this book. The magical candles and books promises to be interesting. It was an interesting mystery. I think there is still more to learn about some of the characters. My issue with the book is the twins. They seemed immature. Tabby’s reluctance to use her abilities due to a past incident got old. And Sage is just unlikable. Both women seem to use their partners more to re-energize than have real feelings.

This was the first book in the series so hopefully things flesh out more in the next book. I will check it out and see what happens next.

Thank you to the author, Crooked Lane Books, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

This is the first in a new series featuring Tabby Winslow and her rock music loving twin sister, Sage and I really enjoyed getting to know them. Although there are frequent scene setting paragraphs, I found this paranormal cozy mystery, set in a shop called The Book and Candle Shop in Savannah, very compelling. Gerard Smith also works in the store and the twins have a couple of black cats, Harley and Luna. The tale has a great ending and I intend to continue with Luminary of Death, in this series.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Crooked Lane via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion.

While I like cozy mysteries, this one was not my favorite. It had too much of the aura and energy focus. I would have liked it better if it had been subtle but it seemed to be a constant feature. While I appreciate the twin energy connection, I did find the characters really hard to like, especially Sage. I didn't like their romance habits at all. The murder plot was suitable. It was just the emphasis on the energetics and the characters themselves that I did not like. This particular novel was not for me.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Two sisters, an adorable shop, a family legacy of magic, and a murder to solve. Tabby and Sage are twin sisters who’ve just stepped up to run their family’s candle shop. When an angry customer throws a fit about one of their magical candles not working, the sisters chalk it up to a day in the life of a shop owner; that is, until the customer winds up dead, and they and their coworker, Gerard, are under suspicion for murder! With familiar cozy mystery beats, this book serves as an introduction to the Magic Candle Shop series.

I have mixed feelings about this book, but I’d overall give it four stars. It did take me a minute to get into the story, and it’s a little difficult to follow the magic system in place. However, this is the first book of a series, and the author is trying to do a lot of world-building to set up for later books. Once the murder mystery storyline picked up, the less-than-clear magic system became less of an issue. There are a few irritating characters, but I suspect there will a lot of character development for them in future books.

There are some weirdly fast moving timelines related to romance and people responding to stress, but, despite that, I did enjoy the book. It was super cozy with the candle shop, the amateur sleuthing, and important family relationships—just the right book I needed for winter break.

3.5 upped to 4
I think there's a lot of potential in this series and I appreciated the idea of using candles as a way of manipulating energy. Savannah is always a great setting and I liked the cats.
I wasn't a fan of the twin sisters as found one a bit too whiney and the other a bit too bossy.
That said I enjoyed the mystery and hope to read other books in this series.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

I loved this cozy mystery! The magic aspect really made the story come to life. It was super cute and I highly recommend it for any cozy mystery lovers!

I really hate giving bad reviews but sometimes it can’t be helped. Usually it’s a matter of it being not the right book for me. I am sure others will enjoy this one but I couldn’t connect with anything: characters, location, setting; nothing worked for me. I found the main character annoying and unlikeable, her twin sister even more so. The setting was quaint but also seemed to be all over the place. The whole energy thing was never really explained, just thrown in when it seemed to fit (from the part of the book I could get through). I found myself not wanting to read on so I didn’t. This was a DNF for me.

I really like cozy mysteries that have a touch of paranormal added to them, so it seemed like Snuffed Out could possibly be a great read for me. Having the setting be a book and candle shop in Savannah, Georgia was a definite plus, and I love books by Amanda Flower and Bailey Cates (both of whom are mentioned in the information about this book). Unfortunately, I enjoyed the idea of this book much more than the actual story.

I never warmed up to twin sisters Sage and Tabby, so I didn't really care about anything that happened to them. Sage in particular seemed mean for no real reason, and both sisters seem immature, especially in their interactions with other people.