I love cozy mysteries. When I'm looking for a smile or a laugh out loud then you will find me with a cozy in hand. And this one has snark, talking animals, and a new life path for Pepper Dunn. I look forward to following her on her journey. ( )

Southern Magic (Sweet Tea Witches #1) by Amy Boyles I enjoyed this cozy paranormal mystery with Southern nutty characters and a light stressful atmosphere. It was a delightful read and something I think I was in need of. A fun story, good plot and characters, and stimulating enough to be enjoyable! Will follow series when more go on sale on chirp! The narration was great! ( )

This is a simplistic cozy mystery that would be enjoyed by teens and young adults. ( )

In a few short hours, Pepper Dunn loses her job, her boyfriend, her home, and becomes involved in witchcraft and murder!

When Pepper discovers she’s a witch, she doesn’t believe it. Add to the fact that she has inherited the most important store in the magical town of Magnolia Cove, Alabama, from an Uncle she never knew existed, and she begins to question life in general.

Unfortunately, the shop is a familiar pet store. Pepper dislikes animals and is allergic, so the shop is a letdown from the beginning. All she wants is to sell the shop and get back to her life, what there is of it. Her plans go haywire when a store owner winds up dead, and Pepper is caught at the scene of the crime.

Pepper must avoid trouble, solve the mystery, and placate her new grandmother, who keeps a strict ten p.m. curfew that’s enforced by the talking end of her shotgun. Or she may become the next victim of the murderer.

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Series: Sweet Tea Witch Mystery - Book 1
Author: Amy Boyles
Genre: Witch/Paranormal Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Ladybug Books LLC

Southern Magic is a fast-paced, entertaining book. The first in a new series it shows great promise for the future. Amy Boyles is a wonderful writer with a vivid imagination and a knack for the paranormal. This new series should prove to be as popular as her “Bless Your Witch” books.

Pepper is a witch, but until her world falls apart, she didn’t know it. She is skeptical and not interested in magic. After losing everything in a matter of hours, she questions her life and her sanity. She isn’t the type of person who likes people or animals, and she has little time for family. Even though she hadn’t known that she had a family until a crazy talking cat, Mattie, saved her from what appears to be an evil wizard.

Some characters in this book are pleasant and relatable, in particular, Pepper’s grandmother, Betty. She is exactly what someone pictures when they think of an odd, sometimes hilarious grandmother who plays by her own rules. Pepper, on the other hand, may not be well liked for good reasons. Her dislike of animals, her ungrateful behavior, her inability to see the truth, or that she has landed in the middle of a family that cares about her gets to be exasperating.

The town of Magnolia Cove is thought-provoking but not described in detail. Hopefully, future books will flesh out the characters as well as the town. There are some original ideas in this book, flying skillets instead of brooms is very fascinating and amusing, especially when Pepper rides a skillet for the first time.

Readers will quickly figure out who the guilty party is and a few of the other secrets that are not revealed in this book but most likely will be in future installments. Unfortunately, some of them are a bit too obvious from the beginning.

One of the most irksome aspects of the book is the use of colloquialisms such as the word “Y'all.” Although it is a word used in the South quite often in conversation, when reading, it becomes annoying and grating. I liked Southern Magic and many readers will. However, there are some rough edges in this book that should get smoothed out as the series progresses.


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