There’s murder on the menu, and magic in the air. Read books one through three in the charming Spells & Caramels paranormal cozy series today!A magical French island. A dead contestant. An aspiring baker must clear her name before she gets burned. Imogen Banks has dreamed her entire life of opening her own bakery in Seattle. But when she accidentally sets fire to her apartment and loses all … fire to her apartment and loses all her possessions, her dreams get toasted. Still coping with her loss, she receives a cryptic invitation she can’t possibly refuse: entry into a mysterious baking competition on a beautiful French island.
When Imogen realizes the island village is magical and the bake-off’s participants are witches and wizards, she’s not sure her fledgling powers will be enough to win the coveted contest. In the midst of trying to cast her very first spell, a competitor drops dead and Imogen finds the psychic judges’ mystical fingers all pointing at her. Can Imogen unlock her own magic and stop the killer from coming back for seconds or will she jump straight from the frying pan and into the fire?
Seashells, Spells & Caramels is the first book in a charming paranormal cozy mystery series. If you like funny heroines, mysterious magical communities, and quirky conspiracies, then you’ll love Erin Johnson’s perfectly witchy recipe.
A carnival bakery booth. A deadly magic show. Is it the perfect recipe for murder or a clever sleight of hand?
Palace pastry chef Imogen is struggling to control her newfound magic and her potent feelings for the prince. So when the carnival rolls into the kingdom, she jumps at the chance to run the royal bakery booth. But her plan to escape her problems backfires when murder rocks the magician’s table… and her dear friend is found holding the bloody saw.
Determined to cook up a way to keep Rhonda out of witch’s prison, she sifts through the clues and the long list of suspects. Between devious dark magicians, cagey stage assistants, and a strongman with more to offer than just muscles, everyone at the fairgrounds seems to be hiding secrets—even Rhonda.
With the final night of the carnival approaching, will Imogen’s shaky powers be enough to flush out the murderer before her good friend ends up on the chopping block?
Black Arts, Tarts & Gypsy Cartsis the second book in the Spells & Caramels paranormal cozy mystery series. If you like feisty heroines, enchanted carnivals, and dueling magicians, then you’ll love Erin Johnsons’ whimsical whodunit.
Scheming pirates. Reveling mermaids. When murder crashes the party, can one witch dredge up the killer?
Imogen’s personal spellcraft lessons with Prince Hank have sparked a different type of magic between them. So when she’s invited to bake for the mermaid queen’s lavish wedding, she hopes the underwater ceremony will help cool off their growing attraction. But between the temptations of the sea-cave nightlife and the discovery of a murdered royal court member, her emotions are rising higher than the tide.
When one of her signature treats is found in the dead mermaid’s gills, she’ll have to stow her feelings and wade through the clues to clear her name. But surrounded by hard-partying revelers, a scandalous royal court, and a shipload of pirates, the twisted truth may be more elusive than sunken treasure.
With rough waters closing in, can Imogen catch the real killer before she has to walk the plank?
Mermaid Fins, Winds & Rolling Pins is the third book in the Spells & Caramels paranormal cozy mystery series. If you like underwater kingdoms, magical mysteries, and a splash of romance, then you’ll love Erin Johnson’s deep-sea whodunit.
Buy The Spells & Caramels Boxset Books 1-3 to dive into three cozy paranormal mysteries today!
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Seashells, Spells, and Caramels by Erin Johnson
Seashells, Spells, & Caramels by Erin Johnson is such a great and fantastical read. Everything about it was wonderful from the characters, to the setting, to the species that Ms. Johnson had in the book, to the competition, and lastly the murder that happened in the book.
What could be better than baking for royalty in France? Oh yeah, having to be in a competition for the spot as royal baker.
Seashells, Spells, & Caramels by Erin Johnson it is a wonderful magical book.
Black Arts, Tarts, and Gypsy Carts by Erin Johnson
In Black Arts, Tarts & Gypsy Carts by Erin Johnson, the fun-loving and sometimes sassy characters from Seashells, Spells, & Caramels are back in the second installment of this brand-new cozy mystery series. Of course, along with the characters, we all know and love will have to deal with a crazy new mystery. They find out a lot more than they bargained for. My favorite character would still have to be the main character, Imogen Banks. She’s still sassy and the friendly person ever. Especially since she has been thrown into a new world after earning a spot in the Palace as a baker.
What better way to avoid a prince then working at the Palace’s bake tent at the Summer Sea Carnival?
Black Arts, Tarts & Gypsy Carts by Erin Johnson is a great book that I devoured in a day. I so didn’t want to put it down for any reason, but I had to deal with the pesky needs, like eating and playing with my cat.
Mermaid Fins, Winds, and Rolling Pins by Erin Johnson
Imogen and her friends are back again in Mermaid Fins, Winds & Rolling Pins by Erin Johnson. In this book, it has been about a week since the carnival left and things are going well for everyone. Or at least as well as anyone can expect with the murders happening around them.
A mermaid queen is marrying a pirate king?
Mermaid Fins, Winds & Rolling Pins by Erin Johnson is another great book. The author did a different take on the mermaids which is fun to read about. This book was a bit saucy and different from the others which are good. I think everything about this book is great and leaves me wanting more. Especially about Imogen and her past.
Overall rating is: 5 stars.
If you like paranormal mixed with a cozy mystery then this is the book for you. This box set is five stars and check out Erin Johnson’s other books.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed these reviews of Seashells, Spells, and
Caramels, Black Arts, Tarts, and Gypsy Arts and Mermaid Fins, Winds, and Rolling Pins by Erin Johnson.
Until the next time,
Karen the Baroness
If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out BaronessBookTrove.com.
Book 1:
I enjoyed this first book in this cozy mystery series and found the setting and characters to be similar in some aspects but yet completely different in others. There isn’t a lot of character development but I’m sure that will come with time in the series. The world building is interesting and I found myself completely engaged in the story. The book was fast paced and easy to follow.
There were some twists and turns as everyone wondered who was going to win the contest, especially after a contestant died and his death ruled murder. There is a, possibly forbidden, love interest that I hope the author explores a lot more in the next book. I like the premise of the potential love story.
Book 2:
Imogen is a fun, caring, and interesting character. She has embraced the magic she was born into even if she still doesn’t truly know how to harness or use the magic. Maple is having a rough time fitting into the role of head baker and she has some pretty insubordinate assistants. Imogene is a wonderful friend to Maple as she desperately attempts to make her way. I love the dynamics between Imogene and Prince Harry. They are cute together. And Iggy is the best! He’s mouthy but after the misunderstandings in the beginning of book 1, Iggy and Imogen have a great relationship.
I enjoyed the second book in this cozy mystery series and found the setting and characters to be interesting, and at times, exciting. There is more character development in this book than in the first one and I enjoyed getting to know everyone better. The world building is interesting and I found myself completely engaged in the story. There were some twists and turns in the quest to catch the killer. There are multiple threads woven through Black Arts, Tarts, and Gypsy Carts and I was surprised by a couple of them. The book was fast paced and easy to follow. I love the potential love story and hope we get to see it grow in the upcoming books.
Book 3:
Mermaid Fins, Winds & Rolling Pins has really interesting plot points that kept me engaged in the story – from the talk Imogen has with Princess Shaday before leaving for the Mermaid Kingdom, to the method of sending humans and other 2 legged air breathing creatures to the depths of the sea to hobnob with merfolk. The development of the mystery was steady and unfolded smoothly. The true culprit was masked well and hidden among all of the suspects without providing any clues to heighten the reader’s awareness of who was actually to blame.
Imogen is a fun, caring, and interesting character. She has embraced the magic she was born into and she’s continually trying to harness and use the magic. Her skills are much better in Mermaid Fins, Winds & Rolling Pins. I’m intrigued by her past, which we do learn more about in this installment of the series. Maple is acclimating to the role of head baker much better and is working out ways to straighten up the problem assistants. Imogene and Maple are wonderful and I love their friendship. I love the dynamics between Imogene and Prince Harry. They are cute together and things really heat up in this installment. Iggy the flame is the best! He’s mouthy but Iggy and Imogen have a great relationship. He is able to travel to the underwater kingdom, as well, and provides some of the best comic relief, even if he doesn’t necessarily mean to.
Imogen has been feeling weird all her life. So when she sets her house on fire after baking some sweets and receives an invitation to participate in a baking contest in France she has nothing to lose by traveling to Bijou Mer. But she will meet wonderful and magic people who will support her and help her to find herself as a magic person. And she will find love and the truth about her family. A funny and magical box set.