Harlow Jane is related to Butch Cassidy and he has bestowed gifts on all the women in his blood line. They are not ordinary magical gifts, they are special and unique. This is a fun cozy mystery set in Texas with personalities as big as their hats. There is love, mayhem, mystery, evil deeds, good guys, attitude and death with a dash of magic all rolled up into a great cozy mystery. I really enjoyed this book and I am so glad that there are more in the series. ( )

As a disclaimer, I’ve always disliked mystery books that included anything magical or paranormal in the story line. I just always felt like it wasn’t my thing. However, as I’ve gotten older I think I’ve relaxed a little and have found that I do enjoy a little magic in my books. It can be quite a bit of fun.

After saying that, this was such a fun start to a series! The main characters are well developed and feel so down to earth and friendly that they seemed like they could be my own neighbors. There were quite a few characters to keep up with, which is why I gave this book a 4-star. At the first of the book, the reader is somewhat just thrown into the action without much being established, so it gives for an awkward beginning. The small town setting of Bliss, Texas was a charming place for the story to take place.As far as the mystery goes, I did NOT guess the killer until the end when it was revealed which is always a plus when it comes to any crime novel.

Overall, I was greatly surprised by how much I liked this mystery. It wasn’t a perfect read for me, but I ended up wanting to read more from this author. ( )

I loved this book. The characters, especially the main character, Harlow Cassidy and her family were wonderful. They were a loving, quirky, yet down to earth group. They are also "charmed". Each female in the family has a gift except for Harlow. She has just returned to Bliss, Texas after the death of her great grandmother, Meemaw, or Loretta Mae Cassidy. She opens her own custom design clothing business and spends most of her time altering polyester clothes until her old friend Josie shows up and needs her to design her wedding gown and the dresses for all of her wedding party. Harlow is thrilled, but apprehensive that she will not have enough time to make it work. Once she agrees, she gets right to her sketches. Once sketching she is able to see exactly what each person needs and designs a dress that is perfect for her, except for Nell, the maid of honor. That night, Harlow and her mom hear two people arguing outside the house and Nell turns up dead in her garden. Josie and her fiancee Nate are both questioned and under suspicion. The wedding, however, will still go on. There is a love interest in the story, Will, that it appears Meemaw set up before she died. His daughter Gracie is supposed to take sewing lessons from Harlow in exchange for him doing handyman tasks around the house. As Harlow begins to investigate the crime after Josie asks her to help clear Nate's name, we find out a lot more about the folks in Bliss. A fun read and I will definitely check out the rest of this series. ( )

This is the first book in the A Magical Dressmaking Mystery series.

Harlow Cassidy inherits her great grandmothers house and quits her job in NYC as a fashion designer and returns to Texas. Harlow figures to put a large selection of buttons and bow and material to good use and decides to open a dress making boutigue in the old farmhouse.

Harlow's first customer is a schoolhood friend who is to be married in two weeks and needs a wedding dress and three bridemaids dresses made. The wedding party is to come back the next day for measurements to give Harlow a sense of the design of their dresses. Before they are albe to start the maid of honor is strangled. The bride, Josie, works for Nell, the victim. The groom had once been involved with Nell, who turns out to be pregnant. Could the groom be the killer. Or was it Josie who would inherit the shop that Nell owns. Time is of the essence, as Harlow doesn't want Josie to marry a killer. The groom is the son of an oil tycoon family who will hold their cards very close to their chest.

All three of the Cassidy women have "powers". Grandma is known as the goat whisperer, because of ability to deal with stubborn goats. Mama is able to make plants grow with just by looking at them. Harlow is concerned that "the power" has escaped her, but soon great grandmother makes her presence know to Harlow.

There's not a lot of woo-woo involved in this book, so don't pass up this book even if at not you cup of tea.

This a very enjoyable light read and am looking forward to the next book. ( )

Really really enjoyed this book. Great story line, never saw the bad guy coming at the end and the characters and setting are fantastic. I really can't wait for the follow up to this one. Now if only Misa Ramirez would write another Lola Cruz mystery.... ( )