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Willow Bay Witches #3

Just Horsing Around

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When vet clinic owner and witch Angela Martin is called to the farm which houses one of the most famous former racehorses in the country, she's super excited. After all, it's not everyday you get to meet a horse of Seabiscuit-level fame.

But when the horses' owner is killed only feet away from where Angela was working, that excitement quickly turns to horror. And worse - the patronizing police chief of the town next to Willow Bay thinks she's one of the prime suspects.

Angela has to find the murderer fast, before she finds herself in jail. But she also has to contend with Sophie trying to discover if she has more magical powers, and a mysterious new businessman in town who seems to be interested in buying up large parts of downtown Willow Bay. Not to mention finding time for that promised date with Jason Black.

Angela has a tough week in front of her. But she has no idea how dangerous it's about to get as she delves into the world of horse racing to try and find the killer.

Just Horsing Around is the third book in the Willow Bay Witches series of paranormal cozy mysteries. It's a full-length novel full of funny and sarcastic best friends, a touch of magic, a snarky talking cat and a little bit of romance.

162 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 22, 2016

115 people are currently reading
78 people want to read

About the author

Samantha Silver

110 books306 followers
Samantha Silver lives in British Columbia, Canada, along with her husband and seventeen-year-old dog named Terra.

When she's not writing cozy mysteries, Samantha loves travelling (she's most recently been to Egypt, Jordan and Florida) skiing, eating Dairy Queen, and complaining about how hard running is.

To be notified about new releases, giveaways, sneak previews and more, sign up for Samantha's newsletter by visiting http://www.samanthasilverwrites.com/n...

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Community Reviews

5 stars
290 (52%)
4 stars
172 (31%)
3 stars
72 (13%)
2 stars
10 (1%)
1 star
5 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
31 reviews
September 11, 2017
Not a favorite for sure, don't waste your time.

I know this is the third book in the series. The first two were mostly blah, but I continued reading to give the author a chance to correct things. I only made it 1/5 of the way through this one before I couldn't take the mistakes any longer. One. If you are going to write about a profession such as veterinarian medicine, at least do some research. There have been so many mistakes throughout the series that could have been saved by research alone. You don't feed sushi to cats (easily googled). A thoroughbred can't win The Kentucky Derby four times, as it is a age restricted race.
The combination of a veterinarian and witch really caught my interest, but I am saddened by the portrayal and ineptitude by the author to offer a successful combination of both. The story line is subpar and continues to decline as you read.
It doesn't happen often that I leave a bad review, so it has to be pretty bad for me to do this.
To the author I apologize, but you need to do a rewrite ASAP, research & please get someone to edit for you!
Sincerely Rebecca J.
Profile Image for Mike Lewis.
1,761 reviews8 followers
March 4, 2021
Extraordinarily entertaining supernatural cozy mystery series

This is an entertaining supernatural Kusey mystery series. Now standing cast of characters and a fun and entertaining storyline. A young veterinarian in a small Oregon town who happens to be a witch and also happens to have the unique ability to speak and listen to animals. She comes from a family of which is her sister who is a medical student is also a witch and that your sister is a bit more experienced magic wise then herself. They live with a roommate who also as a mother who is which but currently shows only ability to speak to her own dog. Could be more adventures to come on that line. She has a unique ability as well to find dead bodies and get involved in solving the murders. Follow along as her and her sister and best friend stumble their way through murder mysteries. Along with her smart Alec cat and her best friends quirky and fun dog. Very entertaining funny and mysterious. Check it out
Profile Image for Amanda Jane.
1,337 reviews10 followers
August 28, 2021
Yeah... Nah

Just not believeable.. the horse racing world has way too many checks and balances for this to happen in the first place. Tattooed lips, horse passports, and a Kentucky Derby winner couldn't be swapped out.. that is just too much.

I don't believe any police chief would get away with the misogynistic behaviour of Hawthorne, girly, I'll talk to the hot one, no just doesn't seem believable in a world with the me too movement and where sexism is unacceptable. Is America really still not acknowledging sexism is unacceptable?

The only bit that really was entertaining was the very last bit.
Profile Image for Kat Klein.
1,046 reviews25 followers
October 11, 2019
I'm giving this one 2.5 stars rounded up, just because she actually solved the mystery, rather than falling into the answer by rushing headlong into her own opinions. Of course, Corey (spelled Cory the first two times it appears in the book) might disagree since she was

However the series, while entertaining enough, continues to be plagued by poor editing, and poor research. So while I keep reading, it continues to be, as Goodreads labels their ratings, just OK
Profile Image for Krystyna.
5,134 reviews55 followers
June 20, 2018
Greed and horses

Another great read. Better than the previous book. Being asked to look at a sick horse was a novelty for as was the agreed payment. However the owner being found dead wasn't. What could have led to the killing? Had the killer ended their killing spree or had they just started? A great insight into horse breeding. A tight plot, full of magic ad suspects. The part were her cat gets a boyfriend is cute and the characters are more alive and vibrant.
1,239 reviews4 followers
November 12, 2016
Absolutely love it!

Hilarious fun and a gritty mystery, while maintaining the excellent quality of the writing is the hallmark of this book. All of the books in this series are family reading day worthy.
If your family likes magic, good natured fun quirky characters (that includes the critters), and imaginative writing this is the series you need.
Happy reading.
3 reviews
March 21, 2019
Good read

A murder mystery with witches involved as well. I really liked the book as you really cannot tell from the onset who the killer actually is which makes it interesting and it also has its funny moments with animals talking etc. Can be read alone or within the series as it gives you the background of the main characters at the start of each story. Worth the read!!
15 reviews
August 15, 2022
Great series

Great cozy paranormal series. Well written at a nice pace. A lot of quirky characters set in a small town. Angela, Charlotte, and Sophie seem to always get themselves into situations as they try to investigate. Angela the town vet who’s witchy gift is talking with animals adds some comic relief to the stories along with her snarky cat, Bee who loves to complain.
180 reviews1 follower
October 23, 2017
Witch fun and murder

A vet who happens to be a witch and can talk with her patients! Murder seems to find her and her sisters, how they solve it and how they deal with a small county obnoxious sheriff.
Profile Image for Dawn Croasmun.
11 reviews
February 14, 2018
It is getting better and better. I read first book, it was okay then second book- I enjoy it more. Now this third book is much better. Now moving on to 4th. I like how third book turn out as much different situation and etc.

Profile Image for Stacy.
1,069 reviews20 followers
July 13, 2018
Mystery in a Quaint Town

The craziness continues in Willow Bay. Again, I thought I had it figured out, but there were enough distractions to throw me off course. A mix of lovable and unlovable characters, just like a real town!
152 reviews1 follower
September 19, 2018
On my word!

I do love a good curse . I hope it lasts forever. None could ask for better. Thank you for more stupid humor this time . I do not think every story needs a body. Do a short if nothing else there is so much going on .
6 reviews
November 23, 2018
A little boring I guess I read too many of these books toget excited over the same old thing over and over in each book.
I was tempted on returning the book but then thought it might get more exciting but didn't finished this one but was disappointed with it.
89 reviews
May 22, 2021
Just Horsing Around

Angela has been asked to make a farm call to a very private race horse farm. Security is very tight . After tending to the sick horse , Cory the stable manager, I.s about to walk her back out to her car, when they find the body of the owner
Profile Image for Cyn.
25 reviews
November 22, 2016
Banal and vapid for the most part

Actually I liked the premise but it reads like it was written by a child. But all is forgiven for her love and activism for animals.
1 review
March 9, 2019
Just horsing around

Fast entertaining read.

A good series and is very humorous as a series.

Hope everyone enjoys as much as me.

Profile Image for Maria.
1,366 reviews69 followers
May 3, 2019
2 stars but rounded up to 2.5 because: horses.
4 reviews2 followers
Read
June 18, 2019
Wrong

A horse can only be in the KY Derby one time
Also need to use correct pronouns when it's an object.
Profile Image for Stephen Levesque.
2,902 reviews
May 30, 2020
Great writing and characters will keep you entertained. Story just flows, making it easy to lose yourself. Great Reading Everyone!
8 reviews
August 23, 2021
Cute

Some factual inaccuracies in this were distracting to me (a horse can only win the Derby once, y'all), but it was a fun read overall.
725 reviews8 followers
November 30, 2016
Good cozy

This is a fairly good cozy, but I have to get a major issue out of the way that caused the loss of a star or two. Someone once said, "Write about what you know", and if you don't, you'd better do some awesome research. Ms. Silver obviously knows nothing about horse racing. The bottom line is that the Kentucky Derby is only won on one occasion since it is for three year old horses, and in the first meeting of Touch of Frost she has the horse winning four times. A quick Wikipedia check would have prevented this faux pas, or perhaps a beta reader could have caught it. (I'm available for free, haha). And then we have the problem of training jumping horses on the same farm with Kentucky Derby winners. Uh, nope, not realistic. I beg you Ms. Silver, to edit and re-release this. It will grate on any horse racing enthusiast, and anyone from Kentucky, (which is how I know, having been born and raised there.) This series is an AWESOME set of cozies and I hate seeing your work marred by such a simple error. This story was just not up to the standards of the first two which were four and five star. There are still editing issues also, though minor. Bottom line, in lieu of an editor, you need someone to be a little hard on your stories so they are as good as you are capable of which is very good indeed
Profile Image for Relina Skye.
Author 11 books46 followers
October 25, 2016
"Just Horsing Around" by Samantha Silver is the third book in the Willow Bay Witches series. Angie is called to a local ranch where the famous race horse, Touch of Frost, is kept. Since his normal veterinarians are out of state, he owner needs her to find out why he's acting so lethargic. Unfortunately for her, Angie is in the right place but the wrong time. She gets caught up in another murder investigation since someone is killed during her visit to the ranch, and since the property has the highest level of security, the suspect list is very short.
Overall, I think I enjoyed this novel the most out of the series. Angie uses more magic, along with her veterinarian skills and knowledge to help solve this case.
Profile Image for Dharia Scarab.
3,255 reviews8 followers
January 18, 2017

Since I don't normally write reviews unless I have something specific to say, here's the break down of how I rate my books...

1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.

2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.

3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.

4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.

5 stars... I loved this book! It has earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.
Profile Image for Teresa.
2 reviews
October 26, 2016
Great Read

This was a great book. The end had me laughing so hard I teared up. I can't wait for the next one.
10 reviews
April 29, 2017
I liked the author until I started with this book. Her characters are relatable and she mostly avoids the cozy cliche of the clumsy, naive, damsel-in-distress amateur detective.

However, I really didn't want to keep on reading this book: The FAT mother is mean to her thin daughter, the FAT detective (with sugar on his shirt) is rude and sexist to the poor heroine and probably too dumb to immediately recognize that she is innocent. And according to the keen observation skills of the heroine, the other policeman spends too much time in the gym and the kitchen.
There is just one two many obnoxious fat person for me to enjoy this book. If they were balanced out by one or two amazingly smart,hard-working and thoughtful fat people I wouldn't mind at all. But there aren't and so I have decided to avoid the author in the future.
25 reviews
Read
March 14, 2018
Wonderful and Hilarious

I c a n identify with the small town syndrome. This book was delightfully written a d s army as well. Between the three girls, the cat and the dog, there is never a dull moment!



Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews