5+ stars for Tea & Trouble: A Paranormal Witch Bookstore Cozy Mystery #bookreview #cozymystery
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  • N. N. Light
    • Aug 8, 2023
    • 3 min read

5+ stars for Tea & Trouble: A Paranormal Witch Bookstore Cozy Mystery #bookreview #cozymystery



Title: Tea & Trouble: A Paranormal Witch Bookstore Cozy Mystery

Author: Lucinda Race

Genre: Paranormal Cozy Mystery


Book Blurb:


A fall festival, reading tea leaves and a few clues propel Lily into a new murder investigation.


Bookstore owner Lily Michaels still doesn’t know which kind of witch she’s going to be. She’s planning to read fortunes at her parents’ tea booth at the Fall Festival in the small town of Pembroke Cove, Maine. Is that her gift? Her snarky familiar, Milo, isn’t a lot of help. Lily’s mother warned her that reading the leaves would change someone’s life. Lily’s ready to make some changes of her own. Her relationship with Detective Gage Erikson—a.k.a. Detective Cutie— seems to be stuck in the perpetual friend zone. Maybe it’s time she went on a real date with someone else, like the new guy in town, Dax Peters.


Gage would like nothing more than to go on a real date with Lily, but romance will have to take the back burner when he’s is called to investigate another murder. Someone cut short the life of successful rose grower, Dean Hartley. Since when does horticulture lead to homicide?


Gage would be thrilled if Lily stuck to reading tea leaves and stayed out of trouble, but that’s just not in her puzzle-loving personality. Why were all the garden club members arguing with Dean at the festival? When Lily teams up with Gage once again in the race to resolve the rose-grower’s murder, can she continue to keep both her feelings and her magic a secret from Gage? Or will roses finally lead to romance for them?


Tea and Trouble is the third novel in A Book Store Cozy Mystery Series, although each book can be read as standalone. A sweet and clean cozy mystery with a guaranteed the culprit is caught. Happy reading!


My Review:


Reading tea leaves seems innocuous to Lily until she sees trouble in Dean’s future. Another murder sends Lily and Gage on a chase to nab the killer. Lily and Gage are back for another exciting mystery. I inhaled this book faster than a candy apple. This cozy mystery has all the elements I love: quirky characters, a complex mystery to solve, a budding romance plus a handful of magic. Lucinda weaves a mystery any reader will enjoy. I had such fun trying to solve the murder alongside Lily and Gage.


Let’s start with the characters. Lily is my favorite cozy sleuth. She may not have a badge, but she’s got a sharp mind. Her interrogation skills are top-notch. But she’s got troubles too. She’s trying to figure out what kind of witch she is. She also is getting up the nerve to profess her love to Gage. You know, just your average stuff. While I’m not a witch or anything, I connect with Lily on so many levels. The rest of the characters are well-written, and I’m drawn to them, too. What makes the characters so wonderful to read is their quirkiness and relatability. The hard work of Lucinda Race pays off huge for the reader.


The mystery itself is a well-constructed plot with effortless flow and a fair number of suspects. The more I read, the more red herrings emerged. As Lily and Gage investigate, the quicker I raced through the pages. Impressive writing makes this mystery an enjoyable experience.


There’s a romantic subplot that’s been building over the previous two books. The time is here for Lily and Gage to confess their mutual feelings for one another. Huzzah! I’ve been waiting for this and what happens next will surprise you, as it did me. I can’t wait for the next book!


My Rating: 5+ stars


Buy it Now:









Author Biography:


Award-winning and best-selling author Lucinda Race is a lifelong fan of fiction. As a young girl, she spent hours reading cozy mystery and romance novels and getting lost in the fictional worlds. While her friends dreamed of becoming doctors and engineers, her dreams were to become a writer—a novelist.


As life twisted and turned, she found herself writing nonfiction but longed to turn to her true passion. After developing the storyline for the McKenna Family Romance series, it was time to start living her dream. Her fingers practically fly over computer keys she weaves stories about strong women and the men who love them. To date she has published over 20 romance novels and several paranormal cozy mysteries. Lucinda lives with her two little dogs, a miniature long hair dachshund and a shitzu mix rescue, in the rolling hills of western Massachusetts. When she's not at her day job, she’s immersed in her fictional worlds. And if she’s not writing novels, she’s reading everything she can get her hands on.


Social Media Links:




Lucinda’s Heart Racers Reader Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/118597305361578



Linked In


Reviewed by: Nancy

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