The Scot, the Witch and the Wardrobe by Annette Blair

Title: The Scot, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Author: Annette Blair

Publisher: Berkley Sensation
ISBN: 0-425-21346-3
Pages: 269
Series: Accidental Witch Trilogy #3
Type: Adult Contemporary Romance
Source: Purchased
Goodreads


Rory MacKenzie has been treated as a pariah for his entire life because his ancestor lost the woman he loved and by sending her his greatest piece of work, he cursed the village for all eternity. Victoria Cartwright has inherited the key to a mysterious wardrobe that will only reveal its treasures for the woman with the magic of her ancestors. When Vickie opens the wardrobe and finds a beautifully carved unicorn, she and Rory find themselves thrown together by the choices of their ancestors.

This is the final book in the Accidental Witch Trilogy (after The Kitchen Witch and My Favorite Witch) and this time focuses on Vickie. Although the series began as pure contemporary romances, the magical aspect has steadily grown and this sits very close to being a paranoraml romance. I've wanted to know more about Vickie since she was introduced so it's great to see things from her perspective.

The storyline is well plotted and maintains a steady pace throughout. There are a few twists and turns which keep things interesting, one of which introduces Harmony, Destiny and Storm who are set to star in the Triplet Witch trilogy which follows on from this. The romance between Vickie and Rory is well written. Vickie dislikes Rory from the start and Rory isn't looking for romance so they each resist the feelings developing between them.

Unlike in the previous books, Vickie is very body conscious and this is well dealt with as unlike other romances she doesn't suddenly realise her beauty when a hot guy takes an interest. The other aspect of the book that is particularly well done is the scars both Vickie and Rory carry from their childhoods and gradually begin to heal with the support of each other.

I was really surprised by how much I liked Vickie's antique store. Vintage fashion has been a key element in the books since the beginning so it was really great to read more about it. The magic in the story is also unique as rather than cast spells, Vickie seems to make rhyming wishes that come true in some hilarious ways.

All in all, this was a great read and I'm looking forward to the first Triplet Witch book Sex and the Psychic Witch.

Plot: 10/10
Characters: 9/10
Ending: 10/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
Cover: 7/10

Overall: 46/50

My Favorite Witch by Annette Blair

Title: My Favorite Witch
Author: Annette Blair

Publisher: Berkley Sensation
ISBN: 0-425-20723-4
Pages: 286
Series: Accidental Witch Trilogy #2
Type: Adult Contemporary Romance
Source: Purchased
Goodreads


Jason Pickering Goddard's career as a playboy ice hockey star came to a dramatic halt when a car accident left him unable to play. At the insistence of his grandmother he is the new Director of Special Events at the struggling Pickering Foundation, hoping his fame will save the foundation's boys foster home. But when Jason walks into the office to see Kira Fitzgerald with wand in hand cursing her ex-fiance, he wonders if he'll be able to survive the year with Kira as his new coordinator let alone save the foundation.

This is the second book in the Accidental Witch trilogy (after The Kitchen Witch), this time focuses on Kira who was introduced in the previous book. Kira has left Salem and moved to Rhode Island to work at the Pickering Foundation after she caught her ex-fiance cheating on her with her sister. Jason has also returned to Rhode Island with broken dreams after being forced to leave the NHL. The book is well plotted and paced, with a few twists and turns thrown in and a healthy dollop of tension from the foundation's struggles to maintain a full St. Anthony's Home for Boys.

Interestingly neither Kira nor Jason are interested in starting a relationship, and while they have sparks from the moment they met each resists them accordingly. This allows them to develop a friendship which eventually grows to include some intriguing rabbit holes. Both Kira and Jason are really well written with interesting backstories and well developed personalities.

The supporting characters are equally well written. Bessie, Jason's grandmother frequently interferes in their relationship, trying to push Jason to be happy despite his determination to return to the ice. The boys from St. Anthony's steal pretty much every scene they are in, especially the twins Travis and Zane. Travis is desperate to be adopted but won't abandon his disabled brother which leads to some heart-wrenching scenes.

Melody and Vicki also appear in this book, allowing us to catch up with Melody and Logan who are now married and expecting a baby as well as the Kitchen Witch show which Kira uses as part of the fundraising campaign. We also get to learn more about Vicki who is the lead character in the final book of the trilogy.

All in all this was another great read and I'm looking forward to The Scot, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

Plot: 9/10
Characters: 10/10
Ending: 10/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
Cover: 7/10

Overall: 46/50

The Kitchen Witch by Annette Blair

Title: The Kitchen Witch
Author: Annette Blair
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
ISBN: 0-425-19881-2
Pages: 295
Series: Accidental Witch Trilogy #1
Type: Adult Contemporary Romance
Source: Purchased
Goodreads


When Logan Kilgarven offers to help his neighbour Melody Seabright get a job at his TV station in exchange for babysitting his son, the last thing he expects is for Melody to bewitch the manager into giving her a cooking show. Melody is thrilled to have landed such an awesome job, but resisting the temptation of stuffed suit Logan isn't her only problem. The Kitchen Witch is an great idea for a show...as long as Melody can learn to cook.

This is the first book in the Accidental Witch trilogy and one of my favourite books that I have read and re-read multiple times. This manages to blend magic, laughter and romance flawlessly with interfering parental figures, a television show and mouthwatering descriptions of food. Despite the a magical angle this is a contemporary romance, although if you read the entire trilogy they do evolve into paranormal romance by the third book.

All of the characters are really well written and the author has managed to build believable backstories that help explain their motivations without info-dumping the reader. Melody is the perfect balance of ditzy and determined. She has a major thing for vintage fashion, but she's also stubborn and desperate to prove her worth. Logan hides his bad boy tendancies under a pressed suit, trying to do the best thing by his son Shane, who is the cutest kid ever and I'm not usually a fan of children.

It is great to read about Logan and Melody's work as well as the development side of television shows isn't something frequently seen in books. I loved Melody's early attempts at cooking and I was really rooting for her show to succeed. I really enjoyed how neither Logan nor Melody wanted to be attracted to each other and actively sought out more appropriate partners, especially when they were working from their preconceptions of one another.

All in all this is an awesome read and I'm looking forward to My Favorite Witch.

Plot: 8/10
Characters: 10/10
Ending: 10/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
Cover: 10/10

Overall: 48/50

Teaser Tuesday (39)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.
 

My teaser:

" "You kinky little devil," said the wicked witch of the east, spiking his guns.
    Nearby a gaffer with a death wish chuckled."

~ Page 51, The Kitchen Witch by Annette Blair

Shelf Candy Saturday (20)

Shelf Candy Saturday is an awesome weekly meme hosted by Five Alarm Book Reviews where each Saturday bloggers defy the saying "never judge a book by its cover" and showcase one that really catches their eye. Covers play a huge role in the books I choose so it's great to have the opportunity to showcase the pretties :)

My shelf candy for this week is The Kitchen Witch by Annette Blair.

When Logan Kilgarven offers to help his neighbour Melody Seabright get a job at his TV station in exchange for babysitting his son, the last thing he expects is for Melody to bewitch the manager into giving her a cooking show. Melody is thrilled to have landed such an awesome job, but resisting the temptation of stuffed suit Logan isn't her only problem. The Kitchen Witch is an great idea for a show...as long as Melody can learn to cook.



I absolutely adore this book and it's cover. It fits the storyline incredibly well, especially as Melody has a real focus on fashion and that outfit looks just like something she'd wear. Even the tiny details like the cookbook (perfect for a witch who can't cook) fit well.

I love the simple, almost cartoon-y feel to it, particularly the cat (although honestly there should be two if you go by the book). It looks sketched out and I think it manages to stand out from the other photoshopped covers. This one is a contemporary romance (but is the first in a trilogy that ends up as paranormal romance - go figure) and it has a really unique look to it.

The oven, title, moon and stars are all foiled which adds a little something extra, especially as the other similar coloured parts (i.e. the silvers and reds) are matt so it creates a brilliant contrast. The white background also compliments the shinyness really well.

The one aspect I wish I could share with you is that it's a touchy feely book. Parts of the design are raised (Melody, the cat, the stove, the title and the moon) and you can even feel the individual roses on the dress as well as the pattern on the tights and the waves in her hair. It's the kind of book I could identify blindfolded just by feeling the front cover.

So what's your shelf candy this week?