Casting Spells
by Barbara Bretton
Published by Berkley Publishing Group (November 4 release)
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Review by Susan Palmer
Chloe Hobbs, resident of Sugar Maple, Vermont, is the only one who cannot see the magic of the town. Chloe has yet to fall in love and come into her own powers as sorcerer and protector of the town. Chloe is the offspring of generations of sorcerers and each only come into their own powers through the gift of love. Chloe’s mother found her love in the form of a human.
When Chloe was six years old her parents died in a car accident and left Chloe with resident Sorcha. As Chloe gets older the spell her mother cast on the town gets weaker and weaker. Chloe is now 30 years old and the town has had two incidents of human contact they would rather forget. Only this recent accident has brought police officer Luke Mackenzie into their midst. The town hasn’t had a human resident in years nor wishes to do so.
Luke Mackenzie comes to Sugar Maple to investigate the accidental death of his friend Suzanne Marseden. Her body was discovered frozen to death in Snow Lake–and it looks like she had fallen through the ice while ice skating. Under normal circumstances Suzanne would have known how to test the frozen quality of a lake, yet under the influence of alcohol, she skated on it against better judgment.
Luke sets up his police station right next door to Chloe Hobb’s Sticks and Strings knitting shop. As the two come in contact with each other, magic starts to happen and they fall in love. Great for Chloe, for she becomes into her powers–and not so great for Chloe, for nothing can last with a human. As Chloe deals with all the ins and outs of magic and trying to find her mother’s Book of Spells, Luke deals with greater things like understanding why there are sparks every time he touches Chloe and the suspicion that something is trying to do him great harm.
Barbara Bretton knits a story using the magic of vampires, witches, and fairies. For a town like Sugar Maple that is made up of magical creatures, all things are possible under extra ordinary circumstances, including love between a human and a sorcerer. The question is whether the love of a human and the love of sorcerer can sustain the magick of the town.
Side note: Although I am not a knitter myself, the 10 things you need to know about knitting in general are quite funny as well as the 10 things you need to know about knitting lace and knitting socks in the back of the book are a keeper.
Armchair Interviews says: Excellent read—a mix of paranormal and romance.
Author’s Web site: http://www.BarbaraBretton.com