One Smart Witch is the perfect read for Halloween week! It features a magical (and maybe murderous) cat and a carnival which adds to the atmospheric delight. This cozy mystery is sure to cast a Halloween spell over readers looking for some October entertainment any time of the year. This is the first book I have read in the paranormal mystery series, but I am excited to go back and read the first volume and future volumes to come!

This was my first book from the author but I've noticed it was part of a series later so I had to go back and then re read it.. Perfect for Halloween season with the mystery vibes.. Made me remind of AMS which is one of my favorite series, the carnival season.. I loved it truly and the mystery made all the sense

Book 2 in the series. A creepy carnival comes to town and gets everyone riled up. When Ruiner is found on a dead wizard’s body it gets even more complex. Fun read, would recommend .

I was initially drawn to this book based on the gorgeous witchy cat cover that screams spooky halloween vibes! I understand it can be read as a standalone but unfortunately I felt a bit lost with this second installment, like i needed more background info to properly delve into this community. The other thing I didn’t click with was, sadly, the writing style which felt somewhat cluttered. Not sure I should try starting from book one. This series is probably not for me.

A pierce t read for this fall season. Fun with great characters. The mystery moved at a good pace. Great setting! Lots of twists and turns! Definitely will be keeping up with this seties! Thanks#Netgalley and #SterlingandStone for the eARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are mine.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc!!

I love everything about these books, the town makes me feel so cozy. Reminds me of Halloween town! Love these books!!

This is common review for One Smart Witch and Life's A Witch
I think that the best compliment for an ARC is to buy or pre-order the rest of the series and that's what happened after I read Witch Slap. I got a book because I liked the cat on the cover and got a very entertaining and well plotted series that makes me laugh and keeps turning pages.
These books are a mix of cozy fantasy and cozy mystery. There's a solid mystery, quirky characters, and a well developed and intriguing setting.
The authors did a good job in world building and I like the storytelling. The banters and the humour are a plus.
Go and read it, you're in for a treat.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC!

Well, that was a fun, silly, and sweet read! I felt like this is was a perfect read for the transitional time of summer fading into autumn.

I’m a big fan of carnival, fairground, circus settings in books, especially with the added spooky and magic elements. This book really delivered on the carnival setting! This was my first experience with this paranormal mystery series but I didn’t feel lost with the characters or their backstories. I enjoyed the chaotic sibling dynamic between Morgan and Ruiner but WOOF….they sometimes really make silly decisions. There were definitely times where I wanted to scream at Morgan with her decision-making skills, like what in the world are you DOING??!!

This book had a lot of interesting and oddball side characters. I really loved some of the carnies that we get to know in the story. Sometimes Morgan’s perspective was a little much for me but the pacing of her solving the mystery (while also dealing with other obstacles) really worked.

I would definitely read more from this series!

This book is a thrilling ride filled with clever twists and enchanting mystery. Morgan’s quest to save her brother, a talking cat accused of murder, pulls you into a magical carnival brimming with secrets. The vibrant characters and suspenseful plot keep you guessing until the very end. A delightful blend of humor and intrigue—highly recommend for cozy mystery fans! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Yet again Ruiner needs rescuing, so Morgan infiltrates a carnival to solve a murder.
In this book, you get a fun setting with interesting characters.
As in the first book the highlight for me was the banter between Morgan and Ruiner.
If you liked the first installment of the series, I'm sure you will like the second one as well.

Thanks to Sterling & Stone, Amelia Ash and Kim M. Watt for the ARC.

One Smart Witch is the second book in this magical series set in Hollowbeck, England. Morgan is still trying to get the hang of her new title as resident witch and keeper of a very powerful grimoire. Ruiner is still a cat, but she is starting to feel more at home in the town. Unfortunately a killer carnival comes to town and cause havoc to everyone.
There's a wizard in the carnival and Ruiner gets the idea that he may be able to help with his cat problem, so Morgan agrees to go with him to investigate. Quickly things get out of hand and there's a dead body, captured suspects and Morgan feels helpless to solve any of it.

A new witch in town gives her some advice and she takes it, potentially against her better judgement, entering the world of the carnival in disguise.
She discovers that not only are her, her familiar and her brother's lives at stake, but also the entire town.

Morgan needs to tap into her natural power and use her gut and intelligence to conquer the carnival before it's too late. Luckily she has made some good friends along the way who are willing to help her.

Such a fun, fast read. I couldn't put it down. I love the characters and the relationships forming in this series. It's a refreshing take on a cozy series and I'm hooked on Hollowbeck. I can't wait to read book three and to see Morgan blossom even more.

One Smart Witch by Amelia Ash and Kim M. Watt is such a fun book!

I really enjoyed this book and the well-developed characters.

I really loved the magical elements in this story and the story line.

This was a fun book full of interesting characters. I didn't realize this was the second in the series, so I quickly bought the first and read it so I wouldn't miss a beat, and I'm glad I did. While this novel may work as a stand alone, I think understanding the backstory helps quite a bit. If you enjoy paranormal cozy mysteries, there's a lot to like in this book - a talking cat, super quirky characters, and lots of twists and turns. I am looking forward to the third book in the series, and I hope some of the newly introduced characters are here to stay!

It’s time to go back to Hollowbeck where Morgan is trying to settle into her new life with a shop, a friend, a brother (who is still a cat) a grimoire she doesn’t know how to read. And then the carnival happens. I love creepy circus and carnival books; something about the music, the lights, the here-and-gone lifestyle is perfect for eerie stories, and this one … at first seems quite harmless. (But then don’t they all?) Bit by bit things start to unravel, and unravel, and unravel until Morgan has no idea if she can get of the mess she’s in and save her brother and Josephine, her familiar.

It’s fun, it’s quick, it’s well written and well paced. Personally, I would have liked a little bit more of the creepy side of the carnival and I felt like the ending came together a little too quickly — but it was still a fun ending. This book also introduces a new character, Grace, who is a skilled witch who promises to help Morgan learn how to use her powers, and Morgan continues her fascination with Theodore’s cheekbones.

There is also a nice moral commentary here about how easy it is, from the outside, to say “you should have done this, or that, or something at all” when you’re not caught up inside, with everything (and everyone) to lose. Morgan is compassionate and forgiving, and I can’t wait to see more of her in book three.

Thank you again to Net Galley and the publisher for letting me read an ARC of this book!

This book kept me on my toes so I would keep the characters straight. There were a lot of them but the way the author writes, it was easy to keep the straight. Morgan is a witch who really doesn't want to be one. Her brother is a cat - yep - because he has had a spell put on him. A carnival comes to town and Morgan and Ruiner (the brother) goes to see a wizard and the next thing he is found sitting on the lifeless body of the wizard. The carnival has its own rules of law and Ruiner is kept at the carnival and Morgan is banished from it. With the magic that the carnival has, she can't just walk back in. With witches, vampires, ghosts and many other magical creatures, this story has twists and turns right up to the very end.

Really enjoyed this book it gave me Sabrina the teenage witch vibes but make it adult I really really enjoyed reading this I got it read in 1 sitting. It has magic. Danger. A circus. A talking cat and more what's not to love ?

This is the second book in the series and as a paranormal mystery, the first does a bit of world building. I wouldn’t recommend starting with the second like I did. It made sense but I had to do more work to figure out the rules and setup. Every paranormal is slightly different.

I love the creepy carnival trope. It’s my literary catnip. I like the idea of the carnival being its own magical entity, its own life essence with a separate set of rules. It was a take I haven’t seen before. The stakes were high, the tension was real.

Other aspects of this cozy didn’t quite work for me. I find the idea of a highly insulated town concerning. What about romantic prospects? What about kids and school? I end up in my head and out of the story. Overall, this was a 3 for me.

Thank You To NetGalley, Amelia Ash, Kim M. Watts, and Sterling and Stone Publishing for letting me read this ARC copy in return for an Honest Review.


I couldn't wait to jump back into another Hollowbeck Mystery. Morgan is trying to get a handle on being a witch and running a magic shop. Meanwhile, Ruiner grows even more annoyed about being a cat. So he convinces Morgan to visit the “Legendary Lionel” at the Carnival that is coming to town. Of course, he's going to ignore all the warnings. What could go wrong? How about a dead body and Ruiner the Main Suspect? Did I mention the Carnival is the Judge, Jury, and possible executioner? No One in the town can help because of a deal with the carnival. So it's up to Morgan to go undercover and rescue her brother. Can she do it without getting caught, or will she wind up tied to the stake with him?

I loved this book and can't wait for the next one. I'm hoping we get more of the Hollowbeck Regulars in Book 3.

ONE SMART WITCH by Amelia Ash and Kim W. Watt is the second book in the Hollowbeck Paranormal Cozy Mysteries series – a fact I wasn't aware of until I started reading the novel. I found the cover appealing and the cozy vibes fit in with what I was looking to read and hence I dove right into requesting One Smart Witch on NetGalley.

As for the storyline, it has every element of a fantastic cozy mystery – witches, talking animals, ancient texts, secret town, carnivals, and a murder to solve. Unfortunately for me this was the case of great idea but poor execution. I found the storytelling to be lackadaisical, the setup (which makes up for the cozy vibe) to be bland, characters uninteresting, and the mystery not inspiring the excitement as it should.

All in all, this was a pretty average read. I skimmed through most of the part just to get to the end. I won't be continuing the series and can't recommend this book wholeheartedly.

The circus comes to Hollowbeck and Ruiner talks Morgan into taking him to see a wizard there. Hoping to be turned back to human, neither was expecting to become suspects in the murder of said wizard. Can Morgan and Ruiner find a way to circumvent the laws of the Circus will just railroad them for something they didn’t do?

Another cute entry in the series. You would think of talking cat and a witch would be a cutie, cute, Frou Frou cozy but it’s so much more than that! The dynamics between brother and sister really make this a series that starts at from other paranormal based cozy mysteries. I really enjoy it.