Saving the world is such a bother when it makes you late for tea.
Wizard Lily Singer is kept busy managing library archives, studying magic, and trying to keep her witch friend Sebastian from dragging her into trouble. Unfortunately, he loves adventure even more than she loves being left alone.She doesn’t want to investigate a malignant spell in a haunted house, but Sebastian is promising rare … in a haunted house, but Sebastian is promising rare books as the reward. She also doesn’t want to hurt her family, but is tired of being lied to about her past. And she definitely doesn’t want to get stuck in a dangerously unstable time loop, but Sebastian is in trouble–again…
Strangling her friend, as satisfying as it would be, won’t fix her problems. If she wants answers, and to not miss tea, she had best find the right spell for the job–before everything goes to hell, and takes them all with it.
With 300+ five star ratings on Amazon and Goodreads and over 30,000 copies downloaded, this urban fantasy series full of adventure and snarky humor is guaranteed to cause loud snorts of laughter, tea cravings, and sleep loss. Don’t start reading at night or you’ll never go to bed! Great for fans of urban fantasy from Harry Potter to Harry Dresden. Pick up Book 1 and enter your magical escape today.
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Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus Universe Books:
LILY SINGER ADVENTURE SERIES
Beginnings (#1)
Revelations (#2)
A Study In Mischief (#2.5) – FREE novella, can be read as a standalone
Allies (#3)
Legends (#4)
Cat Magic (#4.5) – novella, can be read as a standalone
Betrayal (#5)
DARK ROADS TRILOGY
Accidental Wtich (#1)
More coming soon!
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Predictable and over used literary schemes to add unrealistic reactions of characters. Characters underdeveloped and not true to what little depth we see in them
I loved it! I’m so enjoying this series! You need to read this series!
Loved the story, the characters and now the author. Highly recommend it.
Lily is a wizard and Sebastian is a witch and the two have absolutely nothing in common. Sebastian is constantly finding trouble of one kind or another and he has a way of talking Lily into helping him solve whatever pitfall he has dropped into this time. It was an interesting and a very different look at a wizard and witch working together. I found it quite humorous at time and a good read. I am looking forward to seeing what happens next in the second book.
Loved it a real change to the norm will be looking out for any follow up
Interesting characters. The librarian is a “natural” ( my term ) magic user – although she needed to be trained Her frequent companion – whom she needs to help get out of scrapes had to gain some control of magic by bargaining with magical beings. ( This is looked down upon be the naturally talented.) Thisis
Um, bookish library wizards, snarky witch dudes, and talking cats? Sign me up!
Actually, the talking cat doesn’t show up until Book 2, but that’s all the more reason to read Book 1 – to get to Book 2 faster. Of course, there are plenty of other reasons, too.
In Lydia Sherrer’s Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus: Beginnings (The Lily Singer Adventures #1), Lily Singer is a no-nonsense wizard—yes, wizard—who would rather spend time in the secret magical library archives under Agnes Scott College than getting up to any actual adventures. Unfortunately for her, her friend Sebastian Blackwell is a witch—yes, witch—who is, if not all nonsense, at least nonsense enough to elicit frequent eye-rolls from Lily while still roping her into his latest magical misadventure.
Beginnings chronicles three such adventures which, though written like a collection of novellas more so than a singular novel, thread together to provide fun, fascinating looks at these two characters and their world. The plots are eclectic and often unpredictable—one an emotionally complicated ghost story, another a dangerous gang-related conflict (but still mostly clean enough to stay within the realm of a cozy read), and the last a heart-wrenching tale of mysterious time loops and dangerous family heirlooms.
Lily and Sebastian’s interactions, however, are the essential glue that holds the plots together. The two are polar opposite character types—Lily serious and pedantic to a fault, Sebastian the carefree, infuriating charmer—but their strengths and flaws balance each other out in such a way that they read like an inseparable pair that will probably end up married through the paradoxical unifying power of amused exasperation. Each character hides their own secrets and struggles, too, though. Lily is perpetually bothered by how much of her family’s wizard history was—and still is—hidden from her, and despite his relaxed, appealing demeanor, Sebastian is estranged from his magical family for reasons that aren’t immediately clear to Lily. The mysteries surrounding these characters alone are enough to make me curious to read more of the series.
The magic systems involved are equally intriguing, as Lily and Sebastian use two distinct forms of magic, and they complement each other in unexpected ways.
The magic that defines Lily’s wizardry is derived from a source known, pragmatically, as the Source, and isn’t cast so much as carefully wrangled through clever combinations of runes, artifacts, the user’s will, and a magical ancient language known as Enkinem. Wizard magic itself is likely one of the reasons why Lily is so strict and scholarly; it’s not magic that can be flung about carelessly. It’s magic that has to be studied and meticulously implemented, lest its effects go horribly wrong.
Sebastian’s witchery, meanwhile, derives from the fact that he can see and interact with fey and, more specifically, knows how to trade with them to earn their magical favor. It’s magic that requires charisma, which in turn is one of the reasons why he’s such a mischievous, charismatic character himself. His magical survival requires it. Additionally, when he comes to Lily for help, it’s not only to pester her (though that’s one reason); it’s because her particular type of magic is better suited to certain challenges than his, simply because of the structural differences between the two.
(The magic systems aren’t gendered, by the way, as the book emphasizes early on. Wizards study; witches make deals with the fey; and those are the only relevant separations.)
In short, the complexities of these magic systems are one of the coolest parts of the book, but ultimately it’s a book that hinges on the amusing interplay between its two leads and the surprising complexities of even its minor characters. If you’re looking for a for a cozy, sassy fantasy that puts the smart in smart aleck, Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus: Beginnings is a good place to start.
Lily and Sebastian are going to keep you coming back for more. Lily is a quiet woman who is also a wizard, still learning exactly who and what she is. Sebastian is a witch who seems to attract trouble, which he turns to Lily to help him get out of. And don’t forget Lily’s cat, Sir Kipling who likes to get slightly involved.
Overall I did like this book. Somethings about Lily are annoying but then again she’s 25 so that could be why. Though I do get a whole British vibe going with this book, which makes no sense as the whole book is done in Georgia and Lily is from Alabama. I like Sebastian but I don’t understand his and Lily’s relationship. I like how the book is set up like a tv show. The first part is one show then there is an interlude which is Sebastian getting into trouble and the second half of the book is another show where Lily gets Sebatian out of trouble. It’s definitely a different take on a book. I will keep reading this series as it’s interesting enough.
Love the premise of this first in a series. Includes fantasy and intrigue, danger without gore and interesting characters. An easy, fun read.
A Studious Librarian Who Is a Wizard and Adventures At Every Turn
How fun — a Wizard librarian and her friend a male witch had several adventures (OK, the wizard keeps getting called in to help her friend). This is a fun, fun romp. Less for romance and so much more for friendship, humor and playfulness with some intensity as well. This is a fun read and promises great things to come. This is a standalone book but is a starting block to a series of adventures. Bravo.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksfunnel and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Love love love this! The characters are so different and unique. The proper Lily, the go with the flow Sebastion. I love their chemistry, you can feel it while reading. Their friendship is unlikely but somehow, just somehow, it works. Together they make comedy, intrigue, and plenty of trouble…which seems mostly his fault and her tagging along to save him. Which was another thing I loved! The girl is often the knight in shining armor. It’s very interesting I cannot wait to read number two!
This was a really great start to a new series! This story is told in three parts: part one follows Lily, part two follows Sebastian, and part three switches back to Lily to wrap things up until the next book. Lily and Sebastian have to break a curse, free tormented souls, travel through a time loop, and save the people from being stuck in it forever. I loved both of their personalities- Lily is a wizard, complete book nerd, socially awkward, clean, and organized while Sebastian is a witch, trouble maker, outgoing, messy, and a slob; even though their personalities are opposites, they are so loyal to one another, their friendship is amazing, and they each bring different skills to help solve mysteries and anomalies. Lydia did an outstanding job creating this world, giving background information, and character descriptions. I loved that she made witches and wizards uniquely hers and their societies, artifacts, rules, and spells. This book was filled with snark, magic, a whole new world, and many laughs.
Amy did an amazing job with this narration! She used different voices for each character and her performance was dripping with emotion. I love listening to books that she narrates because of how well she can bring each character’s personality to life and how easy it is to get lost in the book!
*I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
I was a bit surprised to find that this book contains three shorter stories. Somehow I had missed that.
Despite that, it was still entertaining, and it was nice to get to know our heroes better (there were some definite AWWWW moments for both of them).
What I really like about the characters is that they are human (even if they have / can use magic) – they are neither all-powerful nor perfect, they make mistakes and they can get hurt.
Looking forward to reading more about them. 🙂
An intelligent young woman. Magic. Kitties!
Yes, yes and YES!!!!
This is not the typical fantasy that I read, but something about it just kept calling to me. So, I gave it a chance. And I’m so glad I did!
The voice of this book is so unique and catchy, and I adore the contrast of the characters. The science and history of the magic makes so much sense too. The author really put in time to research, and it shows.
I absolutely cannot wait to read more adventures in this series!
This was such a fun read and I am so glad I picked it up. I heard about this book in one of my facebook groups, added it to my wishlist and then grabbed it a few weeks later when I saw it was free. Before I finished this book I had already bought book 2 as I already knew by then I wanted to continue this series. Love, Lies and Hocus Pocus Beginnings is a fun read filled with adventure and magic set in the current day world. I quickly got immersed in this work and had a lot of fun reading about Lily and Sebastian their adventures.
This books is split up in three parts, first we have adventure surrounding a ghost that Sebastian and Lily work on. Then we get an interlude, which are a few chapters form Sebastian his point of view which actually serves as the set-up for the third part where we go back to Lily her point of view. While I was a bit surprised at first when I saw epilogue at 30-40% in the book, I thought the three part set-up worked well here. I think they are officially labeled as two episodes, so you basically get two adventures in one book. I liked getting to know the characters a bit in the first part and then seeing Sebastian his point of view was so fun as we learn a lot more about him as a character and his magic, which are all things Lily doesn’t know yet.
The book focuses on Lily and Sebastian. Lily is a wizard and a librarian. She was quite the interesting character, she’s a bit strict, studious and prim and proper as well. She likes to bake and drink tea. She was a tad too serious at times, but I could relate to her and Sebastian was just the perfect character to work alongside her as she’s such a contrast to her personality. Sebastian is charming, easy going and likes to make jokes. Or at least he acts that way, his point of view really gave some insight in his personality. I liked seeing how Sebastian got Lily involved in all kinds of trouble, but I am pretty sure she doesn’t really mind even though she pretends to at times. It was a lot of fun to follow the adventures of these two and I feel like we got a good idea of their personalities and some topics are touched upon that I am sure we’ll learn more about in later books. There is still a lot about them we don’t know, but I hope we get to discover that in later books. I already want to read more about Lily and Sebastian.
And then there is the world building, which is so expertly done. I loved getting immersed in this world. It really felt like the author thought this all out, how the magic worked, the wizard society and even the spells and artifacts we come across. It felt like the magic made sense and had rules in how to guide it. It was a bit confusing at first what the difference was between witches and wizards, but I felt that getting Lily’s point of view helped to clarify what wizards were and then the chapters form Sebastian his point of view gave me a better insight in what witches were. I like how both where very different and while the whole wizard things sounded cool, I thought maybe the witch thing was even more interesting. I liked feeling like this world and the magic in it made sense and was all thought out. And I just wanted to know more and see more of the magic. I also liked how while there was magic it also took place in the normal world, it has a bit of an urban fantasy feel when it comes to that.
To summarize: I can’t say enough good things about this book. It grabbed my attention quickly and I got immersed in this book and the world the author had created and didn’t want to leave. I ended up ordering the second book before I even finished this one as I knew I wanted to continue with the series halfway through this book already. This book is a lot of fun, there is magic and artifacts, wizards and witches and more. It follows the adventures of Lily and Sebastian, they are almost opposites in their personalities, but they are so fun together. Their personalities sometimes clash, but it also felt that due to their opposites they worked well together. I felt like I got feel for both their personalities as this book is split up in three parts and the middle part is from Sebastian his point of view while part one and three are from Lily her point of view. This also helped to get to know more about both wizards and witches. But at the same time there’s so much more to know ad I hope to learn even more about these two in the next books. And the world is so well crafted, it felt like things made sense and like the author really thought things through. I can’t wait to read the next adventures of these two!
Twenty something Lily Singer is a Wizard, she is the trusted Librarian at Agnes Scott College and also is entrusted with the more mystical books within its basement. She is very much the prim and proper librarian, enjoying plentiful cups of tea, books and of course magic all whilst trying to negotiate the dating game. Sebastian is a Witch, an enigmatic one at that, and the complete antithesis of Lily, a bold risk taker and the type that trouble always finds and seems to enjoy bringing that trouble to Lily’s door. Of course he sees it as more of an adventurous business opportunity and despite her best efforts she can’t say no when the promise of more mystical books to add to the library are involved!
I have been meaning to read more from Lydia Sherrer for a while as I really enjoyed reading her short story, Hope. I was unsure what to expect at first as the brightly illustrated cover suggested perhaps a target to the YA reader (I love YA fantasy btw) but on reading the first couple of chapters it was clear that this story was just outside of that range. What was also clear from the outset was the quality and clarity of the writing, I was instantly swept up in the beautifully written world of Lily and Sebastian, captivated by both the banterous conversation between the two and the way that everything is laid out and described on the page. I did read the ebook version which is beautifully put together (so I can only imagine how gorgeous the print version is) each chapter has a hand drawn image linking to what goes on in the pages.
The book is in 3 parts, the middle playfully interjected as an interlude. The first is a tale of tragic love and it’s filled with a ton of magical information and history (it’s clear that there was a lot of research done and the story benefits from these additional touches.) The pairs trials and tribulations in removing an aged curse from a house is exciting to read and I enjoyed it immensely. The interlude however takes a darker turn, giving us an insight into Sebastian’s life outside of his time with Lily, and the two couldn’t be more different. It contains a lot of violence during Sebastian’s attempts to track down an acquaintance, which I wasn’t expecting, but it does then set up part 3 quite neatly. What the interlude does manage though, is to lighten the situation with a great deal of humour and snark from Sebastian which did make me laugh out loud. Part 3 manages to be different in its approach yet again as it finds Lily separated from her trusty carpet bag of magical objects, leaving her and Sebastian to take a more trial and error approach to problem solving. The pair are literally racing against time as the same period loops over and over in groundhog day style. They are also racing against another Wizard vying for the same goal, a Wizard who seems awfully familiar to Lily. The epilogue gives a few hints of what may be to come in the future books in the series which I will definitely continue to read! I have become completely captivated by their adventures and I hope that the episodic layout of book one continues throughout the series as it keeps each story to a wonderful pace. 5 Stars!