Thank you NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this book ahead of time in exchange for a review. You should read it!

I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this book. The cover and the promise of a talking cat are what immediately drew me to this story and I ended up absolutely loving everything about this.

We follow Morgan, a woman who has recently lost everything in a nasty divorce as she has to help her brother who got turned into a cat to find the witch who can turn him back into a human again. But once they get to Hollowbeck, a town that’s not even on the map and not many people can find, they find out the only person who can possibly help them is dead.

Now it’s up to Morgan and Ruiner (his name's actually Rainier, but he ruins everything hence the nickname) to not only find a way to turn Ruiner back into a human, but also figure out who murdered the witch. Along the way there's some twists and turns that constantly kept me guessing as to what was going on and as I never once suspected the actual murderer this led to an unexpected reveal in the end.

A huge part of the appeal of this book for me was the talking cat character. I love talking animal companions and Ruiner was no exception. I loved his snark and attitude and he kind of reminded me of Salem from Sabrina the Teenage Witch, also partly because they were both turned into a cat as some kind of punishment. This character definitely added something extra to the whole story, especially because while he is human he started to act more and more cat-like the more the story progressed.

Ruiner's relationship with Morgan was an interesting one. They never really had a great bond and it shows in the way they interact with each other. Ruiner has made some very questionable life choices in the past and Morgan has had to save him more times than she would've liked. But seeing that he is still her brother, she keeps helping him despite everything and this time it's no different. This leads to some interesting banter between the two of them. As someone with a brother, their sibling relationship definitely felt realistic to me. Because even when he does stupid things or annoys you and you don't have the best relationship, he's still your brother and you still care about him and want to help him in whatever way you can. I feel like the writers really did a great job in bringing this across.

I also really loved Hollowbeck as a setting. It sounds very cosy and I can completely imagine what it looks like to the point I'd want to go there. Without the murder, that is. I did feel like the initial descriptions of the setting were a bit too detailed and could've been shorter. But at the same time, it helped to set the tone and bring the town to life and didn't ruin my overall enjoyment of the story in any way. I loved how Hollowbeck is this unknown little town in England that’s not even on the map and everything- from the barter system to the weather -works differently because of the magical influences. The town clearly has a lot of supernatural creatures living in it and I would love to learn more about them in the next books because I feel like we don’t know half of what going on yet.

I also really enjoyed the writing style and the character voices in the book. Everyone was their own character with their own distinctive personality and voice and this really helped the story to come alive and to made everything feel real and almost like I was part of the story.

Because this book is the first part in a series, I was left with some unanswered questions at the end. However, the main mystery from the book is solved and I’m mostly just excited to read more and get the answers to these questions I still have along the way as I am enjoying that there's still some mystery to the characters and the town left. This book also ended on the perfect set up for the next one and it makes me want to dive right into that. Without spoiling, I feel like things are about to get really interesting and I can't wait to return to Hollowbeck and read all about Morgan, Ruiner and all the residents in the sequels.

* I received a copy through NetGalley and leave this review voluntarily. All thoughts and opinions are my own. *

The town of Hollowbeck is what every witchy fantasy lover like me dreams of. If my brother turns into a cat will I get to discover a quaint magical town? Because if so, sign me up. Sorry little bro.
One of my favorite things in paranormal books is watching the MC slowly discover the different creatures and come
To accept the new world they live in. I cant wait to see what more Morgan discovers in book 2!

It's such a fun book, I love it. The main character could be a little less of a doormat in the beginning, and the first few chapters are a little clunky, but after the arrive in town things pick up. Can't wait for the second one.

What an awesome intriguing start to a series! Imagine a cat turning up on your windowsill claiming to be your brother. He tells you a witch turned him into the feline. But he can be turned back by a witch that lives in Hollowbeck, a small mysterious town. So all they go to Hollow back only to find the witch is dead but has left a note. Morgan, the sister is determined to find the person responsible for the murder and get her brother back in human form! A fun filled mystery with amazing characters. Thanks #Netgalley and #Sterling&Stone for the eARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are mine.

Do you like peculiar, magical towns with witches and familiars? Well, Hollowbeck might be just what your looking for in your next read. In #WitchSlap, Morgan's brother is cursed into cat form. She accompanies him to Hollowbeck, and they promptly discover a body. This is a light-hearted, cozy paranormal mystery that is fun to read. 4.5 stars

Witch Slap by Amelia Ash and Kim M. Watt is a delightful and ridiculas read. A magically cozy mystery that's sassy and fantastical. I loved it!
It follows down on her luck Morgan Winters as she's sucked into one of her brother's crazy problems. Rainier, or the ruiner as she calls him, has got himself cursed and turned into a cat.
This is not a normal occurrence unless you find yourself in certain "magical towns" where anything can happen. Rainier gets Morgan to take him to one of these towns to try and get help from a real life witch. Unfortunately when they arrive the wicked witch is dead and Morgan can't seem to leave the town behind. She's going to have to figure out what happened with the help of a very perky mayor, a frog obsessed inn keeper and a detective who only comes out at night.
Such a fun world to enter and a plot with lots of red herrings. I loved it!!!
If you love paranormal cozy mysteries you will love this and it's perfect for spooky season!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this e-ARC!
3 stars

This was a really fun, cute book. It gave alllll the Halloweentown vibes, which was a movie series I adored as a kid (who am I kidding, I still do). Little cozy town with all the magical peoples. The mystery was fun to follow as we met more of the town residents and got to see the town's quirks.

I did have some issues, like there'd be some moments characters acted too childish, and the bickering between Morgan and Ruiner could get over the top. I also didn't feel super satisfied with the mystery (the character was one we'd known, but I still went "who?" at the reveal because I kept confusing her with another character), but the town was fun enough that I just went along with it anyway.

Overall, a fun little cozy mystery that I could see people enjoying on a cool evening with pumpkin spice and watching leaves fall!

“Witch Slap” is a cozy mystery and a bit fantasy as well. Morgan tries to help her brother, Rainier, who was turned into a cat. They venture to this magical little town called Hollowbrook.

First, I must say that I absolutely love the title! So funny! The banter between Morgan and Rainier was quite amusing. It was even funnier when I was picturing it in my head with a cat talking!

I liked our two main characters very much. I wish the other characters in the book had a bit more substance. I wanted to know more about them and I wanted more personalities.

This was a fun little read. I definitely enjoyed it. If you like mysteries with witchy flair, then this is for you. I can see myself continuing with this series. Very cute.

DNF @ 16%, so no rating.

The premise of this book is stellar. Even as I was describing it to a friend, it made me excited to talk about. But unfortunately, there was so much description that instead of enhancing the story, it felt really bogged down. Honestly, if some of it was cut, I'd gladly give this book another go. It just cloaks the story in endless details I don't need. If this doesn't bother you, I would definitely give it a go. The premise alone would be worth it.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC copy of this book.

First of all thank you Netgalley and Sterling & Stone for providing me this arc.
I was intrigued by the cover and premise of the book. I expected cosy mystery and I got very cosy story. It had potential, but didn’t live up to all my expectations for it. I enjoyed the scenery where the story takes place. It had so Halloweentown vibes. And the people in it was such interesting bunch of citizens. The writing style was really readable, so it was pretty quick read. The characters was just okay for me, I already forgot most of them after I finished it, so it has to say you everything. BUT I really enjoyed the description of sibling relationship between Morgan and her brother. It was a realistic one and their interactions were always fun. The mystery itself was a little bit lacking, but overal it was enjoyable story.
I can recommend this book for everyone who wants some cosy story with paranormal elements to just switch off and relax.

This delightful book was the perfect combination of quirky and cozy. I pre-ordered the second book as soon as it was available and have just started reading it (and that's what reminded me that I hadn't posted about Witch Slap yet).

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Sterling & Stone through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, Sterling & Stone.

This is an extremely entertaining and funny new paranormal cozy mystery, witty and well plotted.
What happens if you're very down on luck and your brother, a sort of loser, flirt with someone from paranormal world and is turned into a cat ?
This novel happens and I had a lot of fun as the banters between Morgan and Ruiner are great. I liked the world building and the fleshed out and quirky cast of characters.
I like the world building, the sense of a picture perfect town with a dark undertone, and the solid mystery that kept me guessing.
As I liked it I preordered the last one in this series.
Have fun, read it
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This was a great introduction to this new witchy world. Everything is so magical and mysterious. Morgan and Ruiner have a typical sibling dynamic. I'd love to continue and learn more about these characters and the side characters. Morgan and Ruiner's journey in this crazy, magically complicated town is just beginning. The story had an entertaining conclusion that I did not see coming. There was also enough left open in the story to lead into the next book. It certainly has things to keep you guessing and wanting to know more.

Goodbye Summer, and hello spooky szn! The perfect book to curl up by the fire this fall. I can’t wait to see more of this series and watch Morgan’s character develop.

The setting, the different characters and magic in the mysterious town got me hooked. I really enjoyed Morgans and Ruiners banter, the funny and the serious ones. Even when they were arguing, they still tried to protect each other.
I recommend this book for people who like fantasy and mystery.

Morgan is down on her luck, going through a divorce and working a crappy job when her brother Rainier, (affectionately known as Ruiner because he ruins everything!) shows up on her doorstep as a cat, begging her to help him (case and point). This is both surprising and completely normal as she has spent most of her life dragging her brother out of all sorts of trouble.

So their adventure begins as they travel to Hollowbeck in search of a witch to reverse her brother's curse. Only when they get there, the witch is dead and now Morgan is a potential suspect in her murder.

Hollowbeck reminds me of Stars Hollow (Gilmore Girls) but with a magical vibe and just like Gilmore Girls there is a unique cast of characters, who are quirky and loveable.....but also may be murderers.

The sibling dynamic was perfect and the banter between Ruiner and Morgan was so natural. This book literally had me giggling at times at the sibling rivalry and constant bickering. I can only imagine the author has her own annoying sibling who she has drawn inspiration from. Ruiners character was well fleshed out and I could imagine exactly the type of brother he was and the types of shenanigans Morgan was constantly rescuing him from. He was equal parts infuriating and kind of lovable in that way that only siblings can be.

In the next books I would love to see more personal growth from Morgan and Ruiner. There were definitely hints of it in this book, but by the end of the series it would be great to see how they have both matured.

Such a great cozy whodunit mystery with fantasy elements. I can't wait for the rest of the series!

Big Thank-you to Netgalley and Sterling & Stone publishing for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Sterling and Stone for the eARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. This is the first book in a new series. I was pretty disgusted with Ruiner for most of the story. I never got the connection with the title. The story was a little out there. But I liked it. This is a cozy mystery that didn't get resolved. That was a little frustrating. Morgan was definitely at a low point in her life The fact that I got frustrated with the characters-tells me that I was invested in the story. This wasn't a can't put down but it was different and interesting. 3 stars

For the most part a fun read. Did not culminate in the "fixing" of the initial problem. I assume so it can be a series. However not enough detail was given on all characters to make me want to continue the series.

What more could I want in a read , well this book met the criteria - a cosy mystery , witches , humour
and snarky banter
The vibe and banter between brother (the Ruiner !) and sister , Morgan , made me smile at times
and want to strangle him at others .
The extremely strange characters in Hollowbeck where they sought help to change him back
to a man were unusual to say the least , but also fun at the same time
But I did find the fact he was turned into a cat and her reaction to him was a little out of place initially ,
I found the storyline a little confusing at times , the connections between characters and places
left me struggling to put events together - that being said it was a fun , unpredictable read

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own