Category: Contemporary

As You Wish by Danika Brown

On By TracyIn Contemporary, New To Me Author, Paranormal / Fantasy, Part of a Series, Romantasy, Tracy's Reviews, Young AdultLeave a comment

As You Wish (A Brim's Hollow Romance #1)As You Wish by Danika Brown

Tracy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: A Brim’s Hollow Romance #1

Release Date: April 14, 2026

For the last ten years Honey Baxter has been the most efficient wishing well auditor at the NYC Bureau of Magical Compliance and is now eligible for a promotion. She has worked hard for the honor of being promoted to Assistant to the Director of Arcane Relations and knows that is her year! She arrives at work expecting to have her review and be informed of her promotion but is instead blindsided by her boss and sent to the small rural town of Brim’s Hollow to audit an old wishing well that has not been audited in over 20 years! Her boss makes it clear that her promotion hinges on the outcome of this case. Honey has rarely left the city and is not prepared for farm life and especially not the Hale Family! When she notices something off about the magic on the farm, she makes a note in her report, never realizing that little note could take everything from the family that she is starting to love.

As a single dad of three lively young girls, Ethan Hale has barely been keeping things together since his wife left. He is on the brink of losing everything he has spent a lifetime building if he can’t find a way to turn things around. At first, he refuses to let Honey access the well, but then decides it is easier to keep your enemies closer; he has big secrets and believes that if he lets anyone in, he will lose everything. But he seriously underestimates Honey, is she the answer to all his problems or is she the straw that breaks the camel’s back?

This was a cute story with very likable characters and a slow-burn (no spice) romance. I loved the idea of this book, and I was thrilled to find a new romantasy author who writes Third Person Narrative with a dual character POV. But as much as I liked this story, I felt like it could have been better, the world building is a bit weak, and the magic system is not clearly defined. I finished the book with a warm, fuzzy, feel-good feeling, but I still had a lot of unanswered questions – primarily about Honey’s family and Ethan’s ex-wife. I sincerely hope the next Brim’s Hollow book might provide some answers to the lingering questions I had with this book and (fingers-crossed) some heat. Overall, it was a cute read with a cozy small-town fantasy romance and a YA vibe.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *

 

A Murder at Cinnamon Falls by R.L. Killmore

On By TracyIn Contemporary, Mystery, New To Me Author, Part of a Series, Re-Release / Updated Edition, Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

Murder at Cinnamon Falls (Cinnamon Falls, #1)Murder at Cinnamon Falls by R.L. Killmore

Tracy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Series: Cinnamon Falls #1

Release Date: April 7, 2026

When a heartbroken Nia Bennett left Cinnamon Falls six years ago, she had no plans to return. But now just a couple of weeks after finishing her graduate degree and landing a coveted research position at one of Atlanta’s most prestigious law firms, her life is upended once more when she learns the man she has been dating for the last two years, the man she thought was her future is married! She doesn’t even think, she bolts and returns to her family in Cinnamon Falls. She knows going home won’t be easy, she will have to mend broken relationships and figure out how to heal the wound that caused her to leave in the first place. But before she can even come to terms with the huge changes in her life, she is dealt yet another devasting blow when a woman who was like a second mother to her is murdered just hours after they were reunited. She will do whatever she has to do to find the murderer!

Jesse Shaw was left heartbroken when Nia, the love of his life, broke up with him and left without another word. For six long years, he has tried to move on, first by serving in the military and then returning to Cinnamon Falls and working in law enforcement. His well-ordered world is rocked when Nia returns and immerses herself in the murder investigation of Rosslyn Rose AKA Rosie, the owner of the town’s popular diner and the mother of Nia’s late friend Sienna. He has barely had time to wrap his head around Nia’s return and Rosie’s death when the killer strikes again. Will he be able to find the killer before anyone else is hurt?

This small-town mystery was not exactly what I was expecting. I enjoyed the mystery and thought the author did a good job of keeping the reader in suspense for most of the story. I wanted to love this book, but there were just some things that bothered me about this story, especially Nia, I found things about her almost impossible to believe. Add to that the author’s use of some very odd phrases that pulled me out of the story. Overall, it was a well-done mystery interwoven with a low-key second-chance romance, but the writing was a bit off, so this was a book that I am glad I read, but not one I would read again.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *