Customer Reviews

Laced with Magic

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Once upon a time, Aerynn Hobbs cast a protective charm over the small Vermont town of Sugar Maple designed to keep it safe from the sharp eyes of the real world as long as one of her female descendants walked the earth. The town is made up of witches, ghosts, shapeshifters, trolls, vampires, and so much more. There are but two exceptions. The first is Chloe Hobbs, who is half-human and half-sorceress. She has only recently come into her powers and they are unpredictable. She is also the last female Hobbs descendant. The town keeps close eyes on her for that reason. Chloe is nearing the age of thirty and is still unwed. So the people of Sugar Maple are worried that Chloe may not produce an heir to the charm. The second is Luke MacKenzie, who is full-human and the acting chief of police. Though Chloe and Luke are in a relationship, it has not reached a serious level as yet. Worse, Luke really did not want kids.

Karen MacKenzie, Luke's ex-wife, arrives in Sugar Maple in a frazzled state of nerves. Their dead daughter, Steffie, has been calling her on her phone, reaching out for help. Isadora, a cruel Fae leader who has been banished from our dimension, is holding little Steffie's spirit hostage. Should Chloe help release Steffie, Isadora would also be freed.

**** FOUR STARS! The book is written in the first person. The first person view hops (very often) between Chloe, Luke, and Karen. Switching view points every few pages became irritating for me quickly, but the story was too interesting for me to stop reading. If you have not read the previous title, Casting Spells, you will still have no trouble enjoying this story. The author did a terrific job of giving new readers the back information needed in a way that will not aggravate those who did read book one. To get that perfect amount of information takes major talent and Barbara Bretton makes it look easy.

The ending of the book will disappoint some readers. I like to warn readers whenever a story ends with a cliff-hanger, because many prefer to buy the full series (or trilogy) and then read them back-to-back when the entire saga has been published. (The main plot line in this book does have closure though.) This story is well worth your time and money. I enjoyed it very much. ****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

I didn't enjoy this as much as the first book. However, it is certainly deeper material, and perhaps a bit better written.

Things are finally going right for Chloe Hobbs. Her latent sorceress powers have finally kicked in, she saved her town from being pulled beyond the mist, she banished the power-hungry Fae leader, Isadora, and best of all, she's in love with Luke Mackenzie, the town's chief of police and only resident full-blooded human. But Chloe's bubble of happiness is popped when Luke's ex-wife, Karen, shows up in Sugar Maple, claiming the spirit of Steffie, their dead daughter, is in trouble. Despite wishing Karen a thousand miles away, not to mention the shock of learning Luke had a daughter, Chloe can't leave Steffie's spirit in danger. Turns out, Chloe's old nemesis, Isadora, is the one holding Steffie's spirit hostage and will only release her if Chloe undoes her banishment. It's up to Chloe to rescue Steffie's spirit, save her town and her relationship with Luke before Isadora destroys all three.

Action, danger, and a surfeit of magic blend together as things take a dark turn in this sequel to Casting Spells. Laced with Magic is even more engrossing than its predecessor, though the joy and energy that came from the first book is markedly lessened by the desperate situation the characters are in. Chloe and Luke remain incredibly likeable as, to my surprise, was Karen. These three endeared themselves to me in part because of Barbara Bretton's use of the first person. The story switches from each of their perspectives (clearly labeled, which I appreciate), giving me a more intimate inroad to their thoughts. Because of my attachment to these characters, I couldn't put Laced with Magic down because I wanted to see everything work out for them.

I was delighted to return to the town of Sugar Maple once more in Laced with Magic. Chloe's store, Stick & Strings, continues to be a knitter's dream, and the town itself a fascinating one. The other residents of Sugar Maple, from faeries to vampires, werewolves, and so forth remain interesting, but I am sad to report they are less likeable than in Casting Spells. Still, I was captivated by Laced with Magic and, given the cliffhanger Ms. Bretton ends the story with, am on the edge of my seat for the next Sugar Maple book.

Shayna
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

LACED WITH MAGIC by Barbara Bretton was a beautifully light tale of magic and romance. I'm not sure what I was expecting when I picked up LACED WITH MAGIC, but this book exceeded that. The story was fantastic, the suspense full and captivating, and to top it all off the romance was completely delicious. If you're looking for a good Romance with a nice touch of magic, LACED WITH MAGIC is it.

Readers were first introduced to Chloe, part sorceress and knit shop owner, in Bretton's first book, Casting Spells. Now, in LACED WITH MAGIC we find Chloe still managing her knit shop and her romantic relationship with the hunky Officer Luke. If only he weren't a human, life would be so much easier! Finally accustomed to Chloe's fits of magic, Luke has managed to find a place for himself in the magical town of Sugar Maple. Many accept him, some tolerate him. Regardless of their feelings about Luke, all want him to hurry up and get Chloe pregnant already. Chloe's ancestors are the key to upholding the spell that protect Sugar Maple and if Chloe leaves the realm without providing a female heir to carry on the protection, Sugar Maple will be lost.

With pressure growing to protect the town, Chloe has a lot on her plate and really doesn't need any more. Of course, right at that point we meet Karen, Luke's ex-wife. Spouting stories of hearing her dead daughter's voice on her cell phone and seeing her in the playground, Karen hunts Luke down and pleads for his help. Anyone that has experienced a new relationship will know that having the focus of the old relationship in close proximity usually leads to some form of drama. Chloe and Karen certainly don't disappoint. While the three try to figure out the relationships among them, a darker force is gaining power in Sugar Maple. If Chloe can't gain control of her powers and banish this force forever, Sugar Maple will surely fall.

Bretton wrote a really fantastic story. This isn't necessarily an epic story or a dark thriller. I wouldn't place it with Lord of the Rings although the magic and romance do come close at some points. LACED WITH MAGIC is different in that it isn't very dark. The book has a very light, ethereal quality to it. Perhaps it's the way Bretton instilled humor in the form of Chloe and her magical mishaps, or Karen and her fairly bratty attitude. Maybe it's the way she gives all of her characters some sort of realistic quality. Midge the vampire is short and chubby with a perm that might make you cringe. Bretton creates a world where although it is highly magical and supernatural, we could actually visualize driving through on a quiet Sunday morning and being none the wiser.

The characters in LACED WITH MAGIC were just wonderful and really helped to make the book something special. LACED WITH MAGIC is riddled with suspense and tension and could easily have become dark and bogged down. Instead, the characters kept the feel of the book fairly upbeat and added life to the story. These are characters that I would love to know. Normally, a story is a story and although I may get a ton of enjoyment out of it, it's still just a great story written by a talented author. In this case, I fell in love with Bretton's characters. It's obvious that Bretton puts a lot of love into her writing and developing her characters. From just having read LACED WITH MAGIC and experiencing Bretton's storytelling, I would immediately and without question pick up any of Bretton's other past or future works.

Finally, I love how Bretton instilled the book with knitting tidbits. Chloe owns the knit shop and is a voracious knitter so Bretton does throw quite a few knitting terms out there. Although I have only dabbled at knitting and crocheting myself, it's obvious that Bretton knows her stuff. I would warn readers however, I had to look up some of the knitting terms that Bretton uses. If you don't know what she's talking about, it's not really going to affect the story much so I wouldn't let it detract you from giving the book a try.

Fair warning time: There are a few adult themes and adult scenes. Bretton doesn't really describe too many body parts so I would give this a sensuality rating of 3.5.

LACED WITH MAGIC has to earn top marks. The story was wonderfully constructed and the characters made the whole thing lift up off the page. I think the best way for me to describe LACED WITH MAGIC would be to say that it is a stroke of sparkly, brilliantly colored paint on a black background. The story stands out and in a world of intense Paranormal Romances it brightens the field with its lighter nature.

Chloe Hobbs lives in remote quiet Sugar Maple, Vermont, running the Sticks & Strings yarn shop as a half human heir to the sorcery that keeps her town safe for the paranormal inhabitants and summer tourists. However, she has upset her neighbors especially the witches and fae when she and purebred human police officer policeman Luke MacKenzie becomes lovers.

Luke's former wife Karen arrives hysterically insisting the ghost of their deceased daughter Steffie needs their help. Simultaneously, her long time enemy Isadora the fae is CASTING SPELLS over control of the child's spirit and that of the town. Chloe's family has always protected her town so she prepares for war though this sorceress would prefer a knitting battle.

This is a lighthearted satirical blending of a knitting cozy with a paranormal romance in a New England village fantasy (urban seems to denote a bit bigger of a community). The story line is breezy as Chloe and Luke struggle with small-town gossip and saving Steffie's spirit with a stitch and a spell. Never serious except for knitting tips, fans will enjoy Barbara Bretton's fine tale LACED WITH MAGIC of love. Chloe believes she can do anything including CASTING SPELLS with Luke at her side; however he is distracted as High Noon comes to the Green Mountain State.

Harriet Klausner

I really loved the first book in this series, and I'm a big fan of Barbara Bretton's (her novels are just that, novels, not just romantic fiction--not that there's anything wrong with that--it's just that novels with full characterizations, that don't depend on situations are harder to write and harder to find). The first in this series started out lighter than her usual books, and frothier, and I was looking forward to the 2nd-- but there wasn't the FUN that was in the first book. And this series doesn't lend itself to such serious matters as the male protagonist's back story. Too much of it was sad, and it was pretty depressing. And it didn't make sense. The fairies aren't supposed to be able to drag human spirits into their dimension (per things the characters say) and a conceit of the book is that as long as a descendant of Ayrynn walks the streets of their town, it's safe. Is that waterfall not supposed to be part of their town? Did it just mean the city limits? Anyway, the book was a downer. I would have much preferred just an epilogue to the 1st book with her twins being born, or a second book where it turns out the man is the 7th son of the 7th son of an Irish witch, and he just didn't know it. More what I was expecting from such a light series.

I just happened to pick up a copy of Laced with Magic from a book club assortment, only because the title contained the word Magic. I don't usually read fiction at all, and find it a waste of time. Needless to say, I hadn't read "Casting Spells". But five pages into this book, I was hooked. I'm not a knitter, but my daughter is, and I could easily identify with much of what Bretton writes.

The story line is very interesting to me, a pagan, with roots in Massachusetts, and it didn't disappoint me, all the way to the end. She writes clearly, without trying to confuse the reader. I also love that she offered a knitting pattern at the back of the book, along with a crochet pattern (which I can follow easily).

I was so taken by this book, I immediately came here to Amazon, to order more of her books, including Casting Spells.

Okay - this series requires one to suspend belief in reality for awhile. I have no problem with this. I enjoyed the first book. It was a welcome relief from the daily grind. It was nice to have a place to go that was just fun and silly. Really.

However, bad editing is really not all the rage. In the first book there were a couple of spots I let slide, but when the whole premise of this book is based on the fact Luke was secretive about his marriage and child, I went "whoa!". In the first book (page 258), Luke boldly states "She knew I was divorced...". Well, then I get to page 45 in this book and Chloe acts like she never knew (actually, she's on the verge of a meltdown). It's kind of a downer.

This is not the first series I've read where bad editing has taken place (I read one series where the antagonist was called one name for the first two books and then a different one for the third. Threw me a bit, that one.). I just happen to think that if an author is going to all the trouble to write a series, invest in these characters and plot, they might want to remember what they previously wrote, and share it with their editors! That's all.

I'll get the third book when it comes out because I do need light and fluffy in my life sometimes and this series fits the bill.

Barbara Bretton always draws me into a book with a mixture of wit, wisdom, and excellent character building. The challenges always seem impossible and keep us guessing. The romance is sweet, the dialogue often priceless. The inhabitants of Sugar Maple are quite a mixture of folks that could be the populace of any small town except for the fact that they shape shift, drink blood and howl at the full moon. Their moods and support or lack of it for their mayor, Chloe , may sometimes make the reader wonder why she bothers with them. Woven throughout is a heart wrenching tale of the death of a child and how the parents, Luke and Karen, his ex, have coped with it. Ms. Bretton handles this well with a finale that will astound the reader. If you're not a fan of this author before reading this, you will be after. Many writers can handle writing a book but Bretton not only pens an excellent tale, she adds complications that few could handle as well. This is part of a series but stands alone well with the kind of ending that will leave us wanting much more. - Dee Dailey

I myself had a broken heart when I found out I was reading the second book of a series without reading the first. I didn't even know there was a first book to the series for several weeks after I read the synopsis. On the plus side, Bretton does a nice job of summarizing everything so that you don't feel lost. On the negative side, reading those summaries made me really want to read the first book, but I think the ending is kind of ruined for me now.

Either way, I haven't read much fantasy and was delighted to give Bretton a try. Amazon gives her good reviews, and the premise sounded like a good mix of fantasy, mystery, and romance - my guess was pretty much right on. I liked meeting new fantasy characters, not knowing their characteristics exactly. New things were always happening, keeping my attention.

This was yet ANOTHER book that changes the point of view chapter to chapter. (How do I keep falling into so many???) I found it very helpful, though, because there are many things each character is keeping from the others, and the story would seem impossible to understand if only told from one side of the story.

If you like all of the things I mentioned above (fantasy, mystery, and romance) this is a good read for you - it's not too lengthy and rather easy to pick up and read a few chapters when you get a break without having to refresh too much knowledge of what has happened so far.