Sweatpants and Spells

Midlife Magic in Marshmallow #1

by Keira Blackwood

I knew hot flashes were supposed to be hot, but I didn’t expect flames.

One day I’m in anger management, normalizing the cordial hate between me and my husband.

The next, we’re divorced and he has taken both our house and the business we built together. I’m forty years old and living above our empty restaurant, plotting my next move.

And then the world around starts lighting up—literally catching on fire. I’m starting to think my defining characteristic may not be my snark or my cupcake-baking prowess, but spontaneous combustion.

I’m done suppressing my anger. I’m done playing by other people’s rules. Ready to take the reins on my destiny, I’m making the choices I used to be too afraid to make. Like my favorite cast iron skillet, women get better with age. And at forty, I know exactly who I am and what I want.

I’ll embrace the fire and the fury. This is my life, and I’m in control.

Genres: Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance, Audiobook, Magic, Witches, Dragons

264 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 13, 2020

About the author

Sassy. Snarky. Supernaturally Sparkly.

Keyboard ninja, late-blooming bibliophile, proud geek, animal lover, eternal optimist, visual artist.

USA Today Bestselling Author Keira Blackwood writes exciting paranormal romance and romantic urban fantasy with all the snort laughs and all the feels.

For news, exclusives, and your free book, sign-up for Keira's newsletter: http://www.keirablackwood.com/newslet...

Reviews

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweatpants and Spells
By Keira Blackwood
This is a cute book about a divorced lady whose ex goes nuts and, at their daughter's wedding, and he bites her neck and then throws her in his trunk. From there, it really gets crazy!

[Mlpmom (Book Reviewer) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun unexpected read. I love the humor, the sass and of course the dragon! I can't wait to read more from this world. I can see this series becoming a favorite!

[•Mrs Pizza• · Rating 3 out of 5]

*light spoilers*
2.5 This was fine I guess. I was excited for a funny 40 year old witch story but I felt like this book missed the mark for me. I felt like a lot of the banter was just mean instead of funny…like the grumpy older side character witch just straight up hates our MC but there isn’t really a reason why. Our love interest just shows up and BOOM they are in love. I am not a fan of fade to black steamy scenes, but I hate them even more when the author talks about “hot sex” we never see.They don’t even seem to have any chemistry, but we are told they do. Also her ex-husband…when did he become vampire? Bc that was never addressed, I’m assuming it happened post marriage? I also felt the big boss fight was very boring, and we got more telling instead of showing at the conclusion.
Basically I’m saying this wasn’t my favorite.

[Karla Dinger]

Enjoyed this

[Dr. K S~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the snark - the dialog was amusing. The story premise was interesting but..... at times I had to go back to check if I missed something. I liked it but there was - can't put my finger on it, that thing that made me want to get through. This was my first from this author. I like the idea of a fire witch I liked her friendship with Jen. I liked Julian I could not understand Molly's anger toward Remedy. I liked Remedy's name but not sure I liked Remedy all the time. For me it was a decent read, I passed the time

[Debbie Eyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the midlife stories that have been popping up and this is a great one! This is exciting and snarky, has action and humour, sarcasm and magic and is so addictive I was instantly hooked! Out with the despicable husband and in with the new midlife life of the supernatural and adventure and friendship!

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like the idea of a middle-aged protagonist finding out she's a witch and her whole life changing, as well as the fact that a strong female friendships is important to the story, but this feels somewhat disjointed. I kept wondering if I had zoned out while listening to the audiobook, but really, the transitions are abrupt.

[Snarktastic Sonja · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did enjoy this one. There is humor and a best friend, so lots to keep me interested. The magic and the world is interesting. The love interest is a little fast and sudden, but Paranormal Romance here more then Urban Fantasy.

An enjoyable, light read.

[Tania · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[Beth-Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciate that the main character while older, didn't spend the story complaining about being old, or her aches and pains (like some other books I've read).

The story was light, and fun, and built up a world I'm interested in continuing to learn about.

[Marsha Keeper Bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed at Paranormal-y Romantic

When one of my favorite Shifter Romance/Paranormal Romance authors releases her first Paranormal Women’s Fiction title… well, I just knew it would be good, but actually, it was amazing.

Sweatpants and Spells begin the Midlife Magic in Marshmallow series with a funny, sarcastic, surprise-filled story that kept me flipping pages from the beginning until the final page… and then I wanted even more.

Remi’s life is about to change drastically. She’s on the way to her ex-husband’s daughter’s wedding hoping to avoid the pond scum but that’s not what’s on the agenda… and so it begins.

Sweatpants and Spells will definitely deliver all the snark, sarcasm, and surprises that I expect from this author along with secondary characters that I want more of, a new love interest to devour, and a few flames to learn how to control. I laughed out loud, got annoyed at events, got swept up in the story, and didn’t want it to end.

Am I being a bit vague? Yes, I am. You should experience Remi’s story firsthand and not through another reader’s words. It’s a funny, intense introduction to this new world full of bad guys, good guys, fantastic friends, and unknown as well as untested abilities for Remi. I had such fun and can’t wait for the next installment in this series. But, seriously, you need to discover this PWF series for yourself, I’m betting you’ll be hooked and wanting more.

I own a Kindle edition of Sweatpants and Spells.

[Cindy Caron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What a charm this book is! Ms. Blackwood certainly has created a wonderful new series that will keep you on your toes, or the edge of your seat, and that is only when you aren't rolling on the floor laughing so hard you might pee yourself. Her characters are unique, quirky in each their own ways, and will have you loving them and thinking of them as your "sisters" in no time. And lets not forget Julien....swoon..... What's not to love about a hottie like nurse Julien (Mr. McHottie Pants and Remi and Jen like to call him).
What does a forty year old divorcee do when life just seems to go from rock bottom to almost under the rock bottom? Well, she combusts of course. And when those who have wronged her get in her way? Did someone say fireballs? Oh my! And what about the little old lady who thinks there's a store on the corner of the streets, you know, somewhere there in amongst the forest? Be prepared for the ride of your life as this tale unfolds. And lets not forget the "critters".
A definite MUST READ as far as I'm concerned. If you enjoy a bit of the paranormal, and love a good comedy, and a happy ever after, then you need to pick this one up and give it a read. You won't be disappointed.
I was gifted a copy of this book and am voluntarily giving my honest opinion.

[sherri jones-teachout · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny, snarky, romantic, action packed. Remi is her forties, going to the wedding of her ex-husband’s daughter (who she helped raise), and from that night on everything changes for her. When leaving the wedding she is attacked by her ex Richard and his new girlfriend, bitten and kidnapped. While in the trunk and trying to get out, the car is involved in a crash, the trunk pops open and she escapes, but not before Richard and his girl-friend are injured, caught on fire. But Remi is save by a little old lady who seems to know things about her and tells Remi she’s a witch and her powers have been activated. The lady, Molly, tells Remi she caught the car on fire. Now Remi has to first accept what she is and learn to control the fire or she will accidentally kill everyone she cares about. Her best friend Jen and her son, Molly, and the new love interest in Remi’s life. Her new life is surrounded by the supernatural and she has to learn to embrace it. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review

[Cheri Winget · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know what it was about this book, I am still not sure if I liked it or not. It had lots of Humor, the LOL kind. It had lots of action and intrigue, but I think it was the fact that it didn't have a conclusion of some kind. It left me thinking that there should be more. I am not a fan of series' that have the main character go through trial after trial in every book within the series. It makes me feel that the main character is jinxed somehow to never finding their HEA. And I like HEA's, They have a beginning and an end. Plus I then don't have to remember the previous books plot line in order to move on to the next book in the series.
This book left me hanging and not in a good way, Even the "burb" for the next book in the series is "to be determined", which tells me the storyline hasn't yet been plotted. Too many ??? for me

[Katsim Simons · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was hilariously bad given its Goodreads rating. Utterly predictable. Written in a casual first-person style that was more 20s than the 40-yo that was the supposed narrator. Minimal plot or characters: protagonist, cranky old woman, evil ex-husband, best friend, hot love interest. Very little else, definitely no character development. No explanation of the magic systems or anything. Just a weak attempt at a combo of cozy mystery and paranormal romance.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Good Fun Story About The Ups and Downs Of Change.

Keira Blackwood is a new-to-me author and I liked that the protagonist was a woman in her forties like me. I love that so many older female protagonists are popping up in the paranormal and urban fantasy genres. However, it took me quite a while to get into this story. Keira’s plotline confused me at times. A few parts felt forced, necessarily convoluted and jarred for me especially in the first half of the audiobook. I found myself going back over chapters at times to check if I missed something. Sweatpants and Spells definitely flowed easier after the halfway point and I found myself enjoying it more and getting more involved with the story.

The characters Keira created were certainly fiery.
Our protagonist, Remedy (aka Remi) is a woman who refuses to take any more BS. With a short fuse and an ex-husband she so obviously hated, sadly I struggled to connect or even like Remi at times. She was so often unsympathetic to those around her and I felt her frequent retorts were mean rather than funny. Remi’s friendship with best friend Jen was wonderful; we all need girlfriends we can trust and share the ups and downs of life with. It was the highlight of the story for me. Julian was a great character too and I enjoyed how his secrets were slowly revealed; he’s a very interesting man. Cantankerous old women can be hilarious as supporting characters, however, I never really understood the depth of Molly’s anger towards Remi. Molly’s pets, on the other hand, were amazing and I applaud Keira’s imagination!

Traci Odom is also a new-to-me narrator.
I really enjoyed the pace at which she read this story. The emotions and inflexions Traci used for the different scenes felt natural and brought them to life. I know how hard it is for narrators to create voices for the opposite sex. However, Traci’s performance caught me up and whisked me into the story so much so that I didn’t notice any jarring.

Sweatpants and Spells is a good audiobook, and in the end, I enjoyed the story.

[CarolKat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I borrowed the boxset from Kindle Unlimited but I'm reviewing each book separately as I read it.

This book opens at the wedding of Remedy 'Remi' Todd's stepdaughter Maude. With her best friend Jen, she is just counting the minutes until she can safely escape the torture of being in the same room as her ex-husband Richard and his new wife, Natalia. We quickly learn Richard is a misogynist and Remi didn't fit the bill as a compliant wife. This whole scenario blows up as Remi is leaving the wedding and is accosted by her ex. What happens here traumatic and totally unexpected.

Injured and traumatized Remi manages to escape the clutches of her ex and his wife. She finds she is still in town and is working her way towards home when Jen and her son Evan find her. After seeing what happened and defining Richard as a vampire, they take her to the emergency room.

The nurse Julian is just one of the people that we meet who will make an impact on Remi's life.

Jen sticks with Remi after she's discharged. In keeping with the vampire thing there's garlic, wooden stakes and crosses involved in decorating both Remi and her apartment door.

Remi wants to open her own bakery, she had given up that dream and had opened a restaurant with her ex. The restaurant she lives above. Now it's her time, it will be her bakery and she really would love to own the old Victorian House not far from where she currently lives. However, it's never come on the market.

Jen is a real estate agent and is surprised when the house comes on the market. The first thing she does is let Remi know. There is no question Remi is going to buy it and put her bakery on hold. That also means she'll need a job.

The next person she meets is an older woman she's going to try and just write off as full of nonsense. Then everything gets far more interesting.

I couldn't stop turning the pages, so much happens in this book as we get introduced to the players and this series. There's action, suspense, laughter, tears, romance and so much more!

[Anastasiya M · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to love this—really, I did. The idea of a middle-aged woman discovering she's a witch? Count me in. Strong female friendships? Even better. But what could’ve been a fun, magical journey of self-discovery turned out to be a jumbled mess that felt like it couldn’t decide what it wanted to be. The pacing was all over the place, the plot barely existed, and the transitions were so abrupt I kept wondering if I had missed whole chapters. It felt more like someone’s scattered thoughts than an actual story.

The main character, supposed to be in her 40s, sounded like she was fresh out of college—complete with overly casual narration and juvenile reactions to everything. Her evil ex-husband was cartoonishly bad, the cranky neighbor added nothing but noise, and the hot love interest? Insta-lust with zero substance. There was a best friend character meant to be supportive and quirky, but she was barely developed beyond that surface-level role. Honestly, no one felt real. And let’s not even talk about the magic system—because there wasn’t one. The whole witch discovery arc was just: “You’re magic now, go with it,” with no explanation, no build-up, no sense of wonder or danger.

It tried to be a cozy mystery with a splash of paranormal romance, but ended up being a weak soup of both. The stakes were low to nonexistent, and the writing style didn’t help—too breezy and directionless, like the story was being made up as it went. Nothing stuck. No real tension, no development, just surface-level chaos and clunky charm that didn’t land. I wanted depth, humor, a bit of heart. What I got was an undercooked idea with a catchy title and very little magic where it mattered.

Read more here: https://annietheinkdrinker.wordpress....

[Mary Lou Hoffman · Rating 5 out of 5]

SWEATPANTS AND SPELLS is the first book in the Midlife Magic in Marshmallow series. This series must be read in the order of release.

This begins at her step-daughter’s wedding and avoiding the limp gherkin that is Remi’s ex-husband until it is polite to leave. Thank all that is wonderful for her bestie, Jen, who is there to make it bearable.

Remi’s life changes drastically that night when her ex-husband and his new wife corner her just when she’s about to sneak away. Kidnapping, crashing, and flames are just the beginning of a mid-life crisis for Remi.

Then there is Remi and Jen’s new “friend,” Molly. The woman is older than everything that came before dirt and snarkier than snark. Jen doesn’t see it. She’s obviously been a witch for a long time. She knows a lot, but she’s slow to share. Finally, why does she rub Molly so abrasively?

I loved all of the snark and sass. I loved that people are called inventive names like “gherkin,” but swearing is still appropriate in other instances. I also love all of Remi’s old band t-shirts.

This world is fun, laugh-out-loud funny, and exceptionally out-of-control.

Note: While I received this book as a gifted ARC, my opinions are my own and are given freely.

Title: SWEATPANTS AND SPELLS
Series: Midlife Magic in Marshmallow #1
Category /Genre: Paranormal Romance
Recommended for: 18+
Grammar/editing: received as an unedited ARC / errors excused
Received from: Keira Blackwood

[Heather Dean · Rating 3 out of 5]

My actual rating was 3.5 stars. This was a book where I had a lot of fun reading it but there were certain aspects that were just not my vibe with the writing. This is a clean romance with closed door scenes so zero spice. Given that there were definitely some stakes in this book, I personally did not find it to be very high stakes (which is a good thing in this case). I enjoyed the ease of reading this book, the diversity of characters, and that the old witch that essentially "collects" our FMC into a coven did not like her. But she knew that witches were stronger together. I appreciated that so much because I feel like when characters come together they're almost always automatically best friends. I appreciated seeing their differences and how they overcome them.

As much as I loved the love-interest in this book and what he was, his transformation was a bit lack-luster in my eyes. I was kind of hoping to see more with that and more struggles during the big scene at the end. It all just felt a little too easy.

But for the purpose of my reading adventure, I still very much enjoyed this book and would recommend if you're looking for a quick light and fluffy not-so-serious supernatural romance book that you don't have to pay too much attention to.

[Patrice Veilleux Roth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun, Fast Moving and Furiously Fiery!

Oh my gosh, what a fun, fast and furiously fiery story. I thoroughly enjoy this author’s writing style.

Since I’ve entered the second half of midlife and seek ways of avoiding political and pandemic worries, I have turned to reading the midlife magical mystery stories that are appearing in my Kindle Unlimited suggestions. This book is particularly enchanting because the main character experiences so much difficulty discovering then learning about her magical ability. Her trials and tribulations mirror the difficulties and frustrations many of us encounter as we struggle to learn and master new skills as we get older; these struggles seem more difficult than before because we now have greater responsibilities like children, homes, careers and more fragile bodies so we are more aware and fearful of the greater calamities failure can bestow. We are also more cognizant of the gifts friendships can create so very cool about the coven power...haha, oh yes, and let’s not forget the very hot and dreamy dragon.

I can’t wait to read the next book.

[Cheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Remedy/Remi

Forty, a divorce, lost business, and even her home was going. Life over forty sucked. She was gonna do something about that. Little did she know there were more changes to come.

She didn't know much about the supernatural until her stepdaughter's wedding and an encounter with her ex. What an encounter it was. Talk about changes. Good thing she had such a good friend as Jen and even ... well think I'll let you read about her new friends.

Dangers, personal changes, a man, so much is going on. It turns out that she is going to be taking care of much more than getting a job and saving to start her new business. The new man in her life has more to offer than she ever dreamed. Those changes she's experiencing are of the supernatural kind and “HOT” like fire producing hot. But she's gonna need that new ability if she can just figure out how to control it.

Enjoy this new series start. The characters are interesting and fun. There are plenty of surprises and we were left with a cute surprise that might not be as cute as we think.

[Megan Cutter · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a solid meh for me. 3 stars. There was nothing exactly wrong with it, but I just didn't engage well with it.

Remedy is a divorced gal over 40 who is a baker. At her former stepdaughter's wedding she is kidnapped by her ex-husband Richard who is now a vampire. Somehow Richard and his new wife, also a vampire are both set on fire so Remi can escape. We are never really told how or why Richard ends up a vampire.

Of course it turns out Remedy is a fire witch and that's how she escapes. At the hospital she meets a gorgeous nurse names, Julian and her best friend Jen comes to see her. Remi recovers and is determined to get her life together. Jen, a real estate agent, helps her buy her dream home, which turns out to be a duplex. Bet you can't guess who lives in the other side? Also she is offered a job with Molly, a old gruff witch, who knows exactly what Remi is, but doesn't like her, for no good reason.

Anyway, it was thoroughly predictable and cute, but not really that interesting to me.

[Dana Busenbark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who are Jen, Richard, Natalia, and Remi? What happens as Remi and Jen get ready to leave from the event they have gone to? Who shows up a couple to few days after the event when Jen has left to go to work? Oh, when Remi goes hell bent flamey, I could not stop reading or shaking my head in disbelief. I had NOT expected that! Who is Julian> What is he and how do we meet him? When does he come to Remi's rescue? I really dislike Richard and find myself liking Julian I am not sure how I felt about Molly yet. Oh, I so did not expect how that turned out! I cannot wait to see what the thing with wings is! Hopefully we'll learn in the next book!

RECEIVED THIS BOOK AS A GIFT FOR A FAIR/HONEST REVIEW and REVIEWER FOR Bloggin' With M. Brennan.

[Anita · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this ebook for free in a giveaway. It was fine for a midlife (40-50 year old heroines) paranormal romance, but I didn't love it. The author crammed too much into the book, which meant that she didn't spend as many words on character development and world building as I prefer. It was all too rushed. Of course it's formulaic, but authors can still do a good job of character building within the formula. This book felt like an early work - like the author is still working on her craft. I wonder if the series might improve.

Premise: Divorce is kidnapped by her ex-husband (who turns out to be a vampire), escapes, discovers she's a firestarter witch, starts seeing the supernatural all around her, buys her dream house, falls for a hot dragon man, finds a coven, fights a big baddy vampire, starts a bakery.

[Aditi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really liked the sass and female friendships but it was almost too much sass for me without the bond or even gentle moments. I mean they accidentally or unintentionally tried to kill each other and just not even a moment of internal grief or regret. It oscillated between outward sass and inner lust. It made no sense to me. The world building was lacking, the back story was lacking. Suddenly someone she knew for 13+ years was a vampire and no questions. No reasons why her marriage broke up, not even a small paragraph about what happened. There were just liberally sprinkled facts about her life

Add to that the idea that every book is from a different perspective and I am not sure I liked it. Although her friend Jen might be more my style

[jessi_reading_corner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, didn't much care for Richard though.. iykyk.

This was a fun and unexpected funny read, recently divorced in her 40s with an ex that is slightly crazy and decides to bite her! I would have liked to find out how he became to be what he was though. The new found powers, flames to be exact and a best friend who has dreams that turn out to be real?! Let's not forget about the old wotch- Molly. I am still unsure as to why she harboured a dislike to her? Then throw in the dragon! There was some chemistry there, but it did appear more behind closed doors, and the final 'boss fight' if you will did kind of fall flat. There could have been a bit more oomph to it. There was plenty of laughter had in this book though, nice, quick easy read.

[Anne Dwyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Remedy sees her ex husband at his daughter's wedding, and much as she tries to avoid him, he captures her and puts her into the trunk of his car. Remi doesnt know how the fire started that caused them to crash, and enabled her to escape. She finds it hard to believe that Richard is a vampire - and that she is probably a witch. Will she be able to learn to control her talent in time to save her best friend? Will Julian be able to help her through the tough times ahead? What does Molly really want from her? Loved it and cant wait for more!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lisa Malmquist · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book starts with Remi -divorced at age 40 and the husband has taken everything.
She is attending the wedding of her stepdaughter and counting the minutes till she can politely leave and do that without seeing the ex-husband on the way out the door.
Remi is just a normal human or so she thinks until her ex kidnaps her, bites her-can you say vampire? And she realizes she has the power of fire and lights him on fire accidentally and escapes.
Whew!
Things go on from here!
Who says the second half of your life can't be more interesting and adventurous?
NO more following other people's rules time to get on with her real life!
Supernatural life that is.....fun and quirky.

[Stan Hutchings · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a delightfully humorous take on vampires, a fire-starter, a magical magic shop with a mysterious proprietor, and a dragon. Sarcastic, Snarky Remedy Todd is a new witch, just discovering her powers when she melts her ex-husband's face and burns up his car. Her power is "Fury of the Flame". She is guided by a witch, a dragon shifter, and her best friend, Jen. They must somehow conquer the forces of darkness, despite Rimi and Jen being brand new witches. Accidental magic causes havoc and the mystery dark forces almost prevail. Fortunately for the town of Marshmallow, the forces of good (or at least, better) win the day.