Book Review | Secondhand Spirits

SECONDHAND SPIRITS

by Juliet Blackwell

Author's Website | Author on Goodreads
Genre: Cozy Mystery | Urban Fantasy
Series: A Witchcraft Mystery Series - Book 1 | Goodreads
Read an excerpt here

From Goodreads

Lily Ivory is not your average witch. Her spell-casting powers tend to draw mischievous spirits while keeping normal humans at a distance. But now her vintage clothing store could give her a chance to make friends in San Francisco...

Lily hopes for a normal life when she opens Aunt Cora's Closet. With her magical knack for vintage fashion -she can sense vibrations of the past from clothing and jewelry—her store becomes a big hit.

But when a client is murdered and children start disappearing from the Bay Area, Lily may be the only one who can unravel the crime. She tries to keep her identity a secret while investigating, but it's not easy—especially under the spells of sexy "mythbuster" Max Carmichael and powerful witch Aidan Rhodes. Will Lily's witchy ways be forced out of the closet?

REVIEW

THIS BOOK GOES TO: MY AVERAGE NOOK

Adorable characters... I think there is more to this story in book 2...

Secondhand Spirits is a cute and light read. It has a bit of "darkness" but is also full of witchcraft, mystery and very unconventional characters. A good introduction to a promising series.

IT’S NOT OLD; IT’S VINTAGE!

Lily Ivory, the heroine and a powerful witch, is a very likable character. She traveled the world for years but decided to settle in The Haight in San Francisco, where she opened a vintage clothing shop called Aunt Cora's Closet. She's interesting and her drive to "belong", to set down roots and make friends in her new neighborhood made her very endearing. Definitely not your typical independent and kick-ass heroine. She is sweet, lonely, socially awkward and actually a little scared of her own powers —a fainthearted witch, adorable. Her background and the the extent of her powers and talents are yet to unfold —something to do with her father and her family, I just bet her secret will be pretty big and a little shocking once revealed.

Shape-shifting creatures and meddlesome witches aside, the quest for really cool old clothes must go on.

Secondhand Spirits is full of curious secondary characters. Lily's new familiar, Oscar the goblin/gargoyle/potbellied pig, is quite a riot —I love 'em quirky sidekicks. Lily also have a couple of intriguing men in her life, Max the "Mythbuster" and Aiden Rhodes the "Male Witch" —both seemed to be attracted to Lily but I don't think anyone of them is ideal for her, possible future headaches AND heartaches. Lily's new "girlfriends" and her new coven are also characters to watch out for.

“Then why are you following me?” I asked, clearing my throat in an attempt to recover my wits.
“Morbid fascination.”
“Just what I always wanted,” I said as I watched the elevator indicator numbers slowly light up. “To inspire men with ‘morbid’ fascination.”

Another likable part of this book is the story's setting —FYI: The Haight is an actual district in San Francisco. The neighborhood's atmosphere is both very refreshing and inviting to read because of its hippie, bohemian, and counterculture-rich shops and characters —just the perfect spot for a sweet but powerful witch who doesn't seem to fit anywhere.

Secondhand Spirits can be a enjoyable read but it can also be a bit disappointing. There are parts that are filled with so much detail —the magic, the witchcraft and the vintage fashion. There are also those that are severely lacking —the action, the ass-kicking part. This book is not for readers who prefer their stories action-packed and very stimulating. However, readers who like their stories real snug and cozy will unquestionably relish every page of Secondhand Spirits.

TERE TEREBOL | i ♥ great stories