Of Potions and Portents is the first book in the Sister Witches of Raven Falls Cozy Mystery Series. Join a set of sister witches as they solve paranormal cozy mysteries that fans of Charmed, Hocus Pocus, and The Good Witch will love. ***Bonus recipes and craft instructions in every book! Kitchen witch, Spring Whitethorne, longs for love and a “normal” social life. Finding the time-not to mention … mention the right guy-is a lost cause. All of her time is consumed creating products for the Lotions, Potions, and Herbs line for Conjure, the metaphysical shop she runs with her sisters. Her essential oil blend-Sex Magick-is helping everyone else in town find romance, while she’s working her broomstick off preparing for the upcoming Beltane celebration.Until Tristan McGregor, the sexy chief of police, shuts down production and accuses her of murder. Two people have died, entangled in an-ahem-compromising position, and covered in Sex Magick. On top of that, she discovers an upsetting portent about the chief in his tea leaves, and realizes romance might not be out of reach when Tristan falls under her spell.With her cursed mockingbird familiar, her sassy sister witches, and a whole lot of peppermint tea, Spring must solve the investigation before Tristan puts her behind bars. With the fires of Beltane nipping at her heels, will introducing the chief to her world of magick send her chances at love up in smoke? Clean read: no graphic violence, sex, or strong language.Genre: paranormal cozy mystery series / witch cozy mystery / women amateur sleuth / cozy crafts and hobbies mysteries / amateur sleuth mysteries / psychic thrillers / ghost thrillers / small town cozy mysteriesSister Witches of Raven Falls Cozy Mysteries SeriesOf Potions and Portents (Book 1)Of Curses and Charms (Book 2) Of Stars and Spells (Book 3)Of Spirits and Superstition (Book 4)
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Nix Halliwell is the pseudonym of one of my must-buy authors, and Of Potions and Portents, the first book in the Sister Witches of Raven Falls Cozy Mystery Series, was no exception. This paranormal cozy mystery would have attracted my attention even if author had been new to me. Be prepared that while this book has witches and fairies and flowers, it is not a fluff piece. Danger, conflict, and passion are well woven between the family dynamics and the celebration preparations. I didn’t not attach to the central characters as quickly as I usually do with the author’s book, but I did make a strong connection and really look forward to following where this fascinating new world leads me. I have already pre-ordered the next book in the series.
Sisters, romance and magic — oh my!
I found this book very entertaining, the characters were very well written. Once i started reading i found it very difficult to put the book down., kept me up
Into the wee hours to find out what was happening next.i highly recommend this book…
It’s a cute fun read especially if you like magical animals that live by their own rules.
Good story…nicely written!
I enjoyed the series.
This is the height of mind candy, a cute mystery with a clever plot and standard cast of characters.
Wonderful, fun, just a great story. Couldn’t put it down.
This is a good story. Spring and Tristan are delightful. Both grow so much. While there is a lot of drama and action, there is also a lot of slow, description. But, overall, enjoyable.
A cute start to a new paranormal cozy mystery series! (With a bit more demonic action than I was expecting; those bits were pretty intense)
Of Potions and Portents is Spring’s story. She’s a kitchen witch with an affinity for nature–she bakes treats and makes oils and lotions for the business she runs with her three sisters. When one of her oils is involved in a possible homicide, it throws her into the path of the chief of police–a newcomer to the area who just happens to have had a starring role in Spring’s dreams lately. Tristan isn’t a believer in magic, but ensuing events (and one sexy witch) are soon going to make him reexamine what he knows and believes to be true.
I enjoyed the creative storytelling here–I didn’t expect the resolution of the mystery to be what it was!–and thought Spring and Tristan were really cute together. I can’t wait to see where Ms. Halliwell is going to take us with the other three sisters’ stories–in the meantime, I’m definitely going to try out the delicious-sounding recipes at the end 😉
Rating: 4 stars / B+
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
Mystery and magic served with a healthy side of romance – what a fun read “Of Potions and Portents” was, and it looks to set the stage perfectly for an entertaining series!
Halliwell has created a wonderful world for her stories in this series, one that centers around a magical close-knit family, their quirky familiars, and the demons they must keep at bay to keep their town, and potentially the world, safe. She adds the right mix of humor and romance to keep her storytelling light but injects just enough mystery and darkness to keep you on the edge of your seat and turning the pages.
Spring and her sisters are all such unique characters and I loved how each added something different to telling Spring’s story. Tristan was the perfect match for Spring and I loved how open he was to Spring’s unique abilities as he starts to suspect and then see that maybe there is a bit of supernatural out there, perhaps even within himself. I also loved how bad-a$$ Spring is, something she grows into in the book, and how Tristan, an alpha male in his own right, accepts that she is strong and powerful and stands beside her.
One of my favorite aspects of this books is the use of humor, and Halliwell executes that perfectly in not only her main characters, but in her supporting cast, my favorite being Spring’s familiar Hoax, a “spirit, cursed by an evil sorceress into the form of a mockingbird who can’t fly.” Hoax likes to spend most of his time mimicking and occasionally hexing customers, but mostly he just likes to use foul language every chance he gets – a familiar after my own heart! He always seems to pop in with an inappropriate comment or action at just the right time to break up the tension or cause a bit chaos, and I loved that he was a bit protective of Spring, especially when she and Tristan, the police chief, have a romantic moment.
This was a fun cozy paranormal mystery that blended all those aspects perfectly and should appeal to anyone who likes any combination of those three things. This book has its own happy ever after but also sets up a series arc that should provide more of the same fun that this book had.
Cozy mysteries aren’t my go to genre, but I was intrigued by this series. I loved the storyline and the blurb sold me on reading this one. I’m glad I did because I gobbled this book right up. I didn’t want to put it down. I love the magical elements in this book so much. I love the sisters are named after the seasons. This book was Spring’s story. Her familiar had me laughing with the sayings he blurts out. I enjoyed the Harry Potter references. The mystery surrounding the chief of police is just another intriguing layer to the book. This book left me eagerly awaiting the next book. I love that there are recipes and and a craft at the end. I love trying out recipes! I would highly recommend this one!
What a brilliant first in a series for Nyx Halliwell.
The Whitethorn Sister’s are all amazing. Of Potions and portents was focused on Spring the youngest of the four White Thorne sister’s. As a character, I love Spring she has such a peaceful, calming energy to her, but she can be strong and fierce when she needs to be especially when her family is threatened. I love Spring’s way with nature, her love of food from growing to baking and her familiar Hoax is freaking adorable.
Now let’s talk about sexy, handsome, charismatic, really stubborn Tristan Macgregor hmmm he is one hell of a police chief and one hell of a perfect match for Spring if they can both ever get their act together…lol
I love the setting the town of Raven Falls is described so lovingly I instantly fell in love and wanted to move there, to me that’s a huge sign this is going to become a favorite series as it builds.
So basically if you love cozy paranormal mystery with a sweet dash of romance, awesome characters and a wonderfully delightful town you’ll love these books as much as I did.
A great start for a new cozy mystery series
Spring, a magickal witch, has a run in with Tristan, chief of police and nonbeliever, when a couple dies under suspicious circumstances. As the story progresses questions arise, the plot thickens, and embracing the truth will be the only way for them to progress to a future. Nyx Halliwell’s Of Potions and Portents is a great start for the new cozy mystery series, Sister Witches of Raven Falls. I love that the characters are unique amongst themselves and their familiars are reflections of their powers. I can’t wait to read more from this author and this series.
I received a free copy of the book from the author. I had the opportunity to review or not.
Raven Falls is the setting for this magick cozy. Spring, a witch, finds herself a suspect in two unusual deaths. With her familiar, Hoax, as well as her sisters, she battles a demon who took their mother from them. These deaths bring Chief Tristan MacGregor to her door. What a hunk! I enjoyed their chemistry. Their attraction is powerful. I wanted Spring to find the romance she yearns for. Nyx Halliwell starts off this series with a bang. The surprises just keep coming. The characters are interesting. I wanted to learn more about this family. Hoax is truly unique. I liked what he adds to the story. The action is nonstop and has unexpected twists. I can’t wait to learn what happens next.
I received a copy of this book which I voluntarily read and reviewed. My comments are my honest opinion.
Of Potions and Portents by Nyx Halliwell was a delightful afternoon read. Ms. Halliwell is a fresh new voice in the witch cozy mystery genre.
The plot was quickly paced and each of the characters are very likable and I can’t wait to learn more about them as this series continues. Ms. Halliwell descriptive writing throughout the story made me feel like I was in the gardens and the forest with Spring every step of the way. Magic, demons and a touch of romance kept me turning the pages. I’m anxious to read the next book in this series.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. All of the above opinions are my own.