Found Objects

Unexpected Magic #1

by Christine Pope

Penny Briggs is a perfectly ordinary woman. Until her life takes a left turn at Albuquerque…

I thought my marriage would be a fairy tale. Instead, I’ve put a thousand miles between me and my broken dream, starting over with temp job in Albuquerque. Prop shopping for a TV production takes my mind off my troubles — until I buy an old pair of glasses no one on the set can wear.

Curious, I look through the lenses myself — and they show me a wild vision of a lonely desert canyon I’ve never seen before.

A friend directs me and my weird glasses to her cousin, a brujo — a male witch — who specializes in weird. He’s also the most spectacularly handsome man I’ve ever seen, with black hair, dark eyes, and a flashing smile so dazzling, I almost miss his casual remark that my magic is powerful.

Magic? What magic? I’m just an ordinary woman from an ordinary family.

Yet as the two of us explore the mystery surrounding those supernatural glasses — and give in to our growing attraction — I discover a past I knew nothing about. And that there’s a dangerous reason it’s been hidden from me all these years….

Genres: Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance, Urban Fantasy, Fiction, Magic, Paranormal Romance

251 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 27, 2022

About the author

A native of Southern California, Christine Pope has been writing stories ever since she commandeered her family’s Smith-Corona typewriter back in the sixth grade. Many reams of dead trees later, she’s happy to announce that her debut novel, Fringe Benefits,was published by Pink Petal Books on April 8, 2010. Her short fiction has appeared in Astonishing Adventures, Luna Station Quarterly, and the new journal of dark fiction, Dark Valentine. Her paranormal novella, Playing With Fire, was released on August 5, 2010.

While Fringe Benefits is a straight contemporary romance, she writes in a variety of genres, including paranormal romance, fantasy, horror, science fiction, and historical romance. She blames this on being easily distracted by bright, shiny objects, which could also account for the size of her shoe collection.

After spending many years in the magazine publishing industry, she now works as a freelance editor in addition to writing fiction. She lives with her husband and an explosively fluffy Pomeranian mix. Her house is pink, but don’t hold that against her.

Reviews

[Emmalynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This was a sweet and good start to a new series. Thankfully the MC did not have TSTL moments that would leave you tearing your hair out. Learning the secret of her birth and why she has magical powers is a shock to Penny, and it comes on the heels of leaving a cheating ex. Now with a budding romance, new career in a new city, she’s ready to see what happens next.

[Jana Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun, fairly light paranormal romance. I think it's more PNR than UF as the focus really is on the romance, even as the paranormal plot and mystery unfold around our leading lady. Contentwise this is also a light read with no sex scenes and light swearing and violence.

I enjoyed the Penny was a little older and fairly sensible. I also really liked seeing a hero who was disabled. I have problems with my hips and back and Isaac's struggles really struck me as being well thought out and interesting. It was very unique.

My reason for it not being a five star read comes down to pacing. It felt so so slow to get anywhere. There are a lot of scenes that are... and I went to coffee with this guy. And I went to a wine tasting with Joy. And I went shopping. I don't mind that there are several fun food scenes, but I'm not sure that all of them moved the plot enough. And so we end at a point where there are lots of questions, but no real answers which makes it feel a little like I only got part of a story. I can't really say anything got firmly resolved except that Penny now accepts that she's a witch and her world is a much weirder place than she could imagine.

And Isaac is a good kisser.

I guess that's good to know. :)

[Marilou Rao · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting plot. However, characters have no depth. The author was not able to pull me in or make me care about these characters. And the budding romance was awkward. I will not read the rest of the series.

[Karla Dinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good. Want to read the next

[Nikki Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another cracking series starter! A great blend of magic, mystery and a gentle romance.

Penny is new to New Mexico. After her marriage imploded due to her husband's adultery she was ready for a new start. But things start to go wrong when she purchases a set of antique glasses. When a newfound friend on the set of her latest job directs her to her cousin, a bruja, for some magical help Penny wonders if she is about to get punked!

Now she is seeing things through the glasses that make no sense and she's been told that she is a witch. This is all getting a bit much for Penny. Just wait till her unexpected visitor turns up!

Fab new series. Loved Penny - she could have come across as rich and spoiled from her family but she is down to earth, hard-working and just a little bit lost in this new world of magic. Learning more about her family and her unusual magic was brilliantly laid out. The romance is definitely secondary to the mystery and whilst it's part of the overall story, it's not front and centre and is very much in the beginning stages - no insta-love here, more of a subtle attraction with potential!

I must say I am not enamored by mommy dearest and daddy really needs a bit more backbone to standup to her.

Can't wait to find out just who grandma is and what her plans are for Penny!

[Debbie Eyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

This new series is off to a fantastic start! We meet Penny who has no idea she’s a witch until she finds some magical glasses and gets sent to Issac a hot and local Brujo (male witch) for help and then the chemistry is off the charts! It’s an exciting and magical read where Penny learns a lot about herself , her magic and this new world is opened up to her. There’s twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat, there’s family drama and murder mystery, suspense and a little romance and I look forward to book two.

[Aly Stratton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found Objects
Book 1 of Unexpected Magic


Set in Albuquerque and Sante Fe, we meet Penny, a newly divorced woman entering a new adventure in a new town. Ready to leave her old life she encounters more surprises than ever expected! A pair of antique glasses meant to be a prop in a film leads her to a whole host of new discoveries.
Written in first person, Penny takes us with on her journey when she discovers she just might be a witch! And maybe, her birth mom may not be the woman she has always considered Mom. And then there is Isaac, the one person she can turn to when needing to consider “sensitive topics.” Its an incredible journey, indeed, one that has us trying to put the pieces together amidst very strange dreams and even stranger visitors. Different from Pope’s other witchy tales in many ways, but still a well woven story based on a foundation of myths and beliefs, Found Objects continues to lure us, as have her books in the past. We continue to be the avid followers of Christine Pope’s wonderful blend of romance, invisible power and authentic spell casting that draws us to her magic! Another great Read.

[Michelle Cunningham · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's Ok/Not Resolved at End

The storyline was interesting, which is why I read it- I usually will not read 1st person novels. It drug a little bit about mid to 3/4 of the way through. The book does have some repetitive phrases. At certain points, the main character has a juvenile tone and dialog. If it was not for that, I may have bought the sequel to learn about grandmother & Penny's unknown family, even though I also hate reading series. I think this series is fine for teens, but for a mature woman used to adult characters & adult interactions, it's a pass.

[Audrey O'Neil · Rating 1 out of 5]

Slow. Officially DNF and will never read this author again because at 37% she said

"How could he help? Beat them with his crutches?"

About the disabled main male lead of the book, who was in a horrific car accident. After that tasteless line it soured me from wanting to continue.

[V · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a book where magic is real it was overall very mundane and had too many shopping/eating episodes

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Found Object” is an interesting tale about a recently divorced woman, Penny, who works for the movie industry as a shopper. Shopper? She hunts down various items that are used in the movie to add authenticity to the film.

Penny has recently accepted a job that send her to New Mexico. While in the set, the Star cannot find the prop glasses needed for the scene. Penny remembers seeing some antique glasses in the town while out shopping. The director gives her the okay to go get some glasses. She buys the glasses and a back up pair. When the actor puts on the glasses he is disturb by a distorted view so they use the back up pair. Of course Penny is curious as to why the actor responded so oddly to the initial pair of glasses so she puts them on. What she sees is a vision of a canyon.

One person on the set has Ben welcoming to Penny, Joy Zamora. After noticing the strange reaction Penny has to the glasses, Joy recommends that Penny go see her cousin Isaac who owns a new age shop. When Penny goes to the shop she is immediately attracted to the wheelchair bound store ow. He informs her that she is a witch whose talents have been suppressed. She inherited her abilities from her mother and Penny thinks the man is crazy.
With Isaac’s encouragement and protection Penny begins exploring using the glasses and she soon sees the face of a dead woman who looks a lot like herself.

These new abilities and the image of the dead woman sends Penny on a quest to learn more but it also puts her in danger. This first book is a great start for a new series. I can’t wait to see where the plot will take me. My only criticism is that the relationship is developing a little too quickly between Penny and Isaac. I wish the author had slowed it down and made it more of a teaser leading to an epic explosion. However, this was not enough to spoil the read for me. I am thankful that the second book will be released in a few months.

[R · Rating 4 out of 5]

***MINOR SPOILERS ***
This book is the first of the four book Unexpected Magic series. This book can be read as a standalone but the story ends with a natural lead into the next book. It does not end on a cliffhanger.
Penny has recently moved to Albuquerque after a divorce where her ex husband cheated with her best friend. Penny is a prop shopper for TV shows and films. On her first day on set, she runs to an antique store to buy some glasses for a period show. The glasses have magic in them that allows her to see a canyon and, later, a dead body.
Confused about it, she meets another person on set, Zoey, who tells her to go see her cousin, Isaac, to find out what is going on. Penny finds out that the glasses are magical and that she has magic.
Isaac is very kind and often helps people, magical and non-magical. He runs a New Age shop in Santa Fe. He helps Penny learn to use her magic and he helps her figure out the mystery of the glasses. Penny discovers more about her personal history than she ever knew. She also finds out who the dead body is and who the killer was.
Isaac has to use crutches or a wheelchair after an accident. After the accident, his fiancé dumped him. He is hesitant to believe in another relationship. As the story begins, he is nearly recovered with the help of some magic. Penny and Isaac are attracted to each other and take a step into a relationship towards the end of the book.
The book is told solely from Penny’s point of view. The pace is a little slow. The book has a climatic moment at the end, but it did not feel all that climatic. There was more written about Penny’s shopping trip(s) than the climatic moment.
A few of the wording choices were awkward.
The references to sights around Santa Fe and Albuquerque were interesting.
This is the first book I have read by the author. I do not plan to continue reading the series or the author.

[Rachael]

Cover Blurb:
Penny Briggs is a perfectly ordinary woman. Until her life takes a left turn at Albuquerque…

I thought my marriage would be a fairy tale. Instead, I’ve put a thousand miles between me and my broken dream, starting over with temp job in Albuquerque. Prop shopping for a TV production takes my mind off my troubles — until I buy an old pair of glasses no one on the set can wear.
Curious, I look through the lenses myself — and they show me a wild vision of a lonely desert canyon I’ve never seen before.
A friend directs me and my weird glasses to her cousin, a brujo — a male witch — who specializes in weird. He’s also the most spectacularly handsome man I’ve ever seen, with black hair, dark eyes, and a flashing smile so dazzling, I almost miss his casual remark that my magic is powerful.
Magic? What magic? I’m just an ordinary woman from an ordinary family.
Yet as the two of us explore the mystery surrounding those supernatural glasses — and give in to our growing attraction — I discover a past I knew nothing about. And that there’s a dangerous reason it���s been hidden from me all these years….

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my, what a great start to the new series by Christine Pope. In this first book, we meet Penny, a divorced, rather ordinary woman, who has decided to put a lot of distance between her ex and herself by taking a position in Albuquerque New Mexico. During the shooting of a film, a prop (glasses) could not be found. Penny volunteered to shop for a new pair. When Penny tried the glasses, she saw a murder scene. One of her co-workers suggested that she speak to her cousin, Isaac, a powerful witch called a brujo. Of course, Penny was rather shocked and did not believe she could be a witch. She did not believe in witches and warlocks or new age practices. As she spent more time with Isaac she slowly began to accept that she could, indeed, be a powerful witch. The plot really keeps the reader guessing as to what will happen. As with many of Christine Pope’s books, this one also is difficult to put down until the last page. I am looking forward to the next book and highly recommend this first book in the series.

[Stan Hutchings · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another sweet, tender romance as two unlikely people find each other, start interacting and caring for each other, and slowly realize they are fated mates. There is relationship tension leading to a few chaste kisses, but no sex (yet).
Penny Briggs has moved to Albuquerque, NM to work on the TV show “Fool’s Gold” as the “prop shopper” after divorcing her husband of seven years for infidelity. On her first day on the job, she discovers glasses that seem magical. A co-worker’s cousin, Isaac, is a brujo so she visits him to get help figuring out the magic. A spark flashes and a slow-burn romance starts. But it seems dark forces are trying to thwart the message the magic glasses are trying to convey. She moves to Santa Fe after her rental house is trashed and starts learning protective spells from Isaac. She learns a startling secret from her father that explains a lot. Now she has to solve the mystery of the glasses before dark forces overwhelm her. The book ends on a bridge to the next book, Finders, Keepers, with some mysteries solved but more to investigate.

[Sunny · Rating 5 out of 5]

We have a new series with and an exciting new witch. Found Objects of “Unexpected Magic”, Book 1, brings you to Albuquerque New Mexico and Penny Briggs, a perfectly ordinary and normal woman. But when she gets there her life takes a turn that was totally unexpected. What transpires is a whirlwind of twists and turns as Penny meets a very handsome, interesting and incredibly powerful male witch, or better known in that area as a “brujo”. His claim that Penny is a witch is not happening, or is it? As always, the plot tends to keep me on the edge and heats up as Penny begins learning many things that she had no knowledge about in her lifetime. I cannot wait to continue this new series with Book 2. Highly recommend this book and all others of Christine Pope’s. If you haven’t read her stories, I suggest you give them a try.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is of Found Objects, Book 1 of Unexpected Magic, by Christine Pope.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The only thing better than a new book by Christine Pope is a new book in a new series! New story lines, new people, new witches, new warlocks, new talents, new locations. But still the same great author doing her same great job!
Penny Briggs is normal. Right? It seems as if she is until she finds a pair of glasses and sees more than anyone else. We haven’t seen this talent before and it sets Penny and the reader off on a unique journey full of danger and action that keeps going to the very end.
I throughly enjoyed this book and can’t wait for the next in the series!
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

[Lise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Facing the end of her marriage, Penny Briggs leaves California behind for New Mexico. During a session of prop-shopping for her new employment - a tv show - Penny discovers a pair of spectacles that no one on set can tolerate wearing. Directed by a friend to a male witch to make sense of this mystery, Penny discovers the glasses aren't the only thing that's distorted.

The first in the Unexpected Magic series, Found Objects was so amazingly readable that I wanted to dive in and read cover to cover. I'm normally not one for paranormal stories, but this book was a delight. The main character is very relatable; I felt I knew her from the first page. This is definitely a series I'll be following.

[Katja 🇧🇪 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This first book was okay but I missed a little bit more action and it felt a little bit slow. There is a lot of detail in the everyday activities but I missed some depth in the story itself. All and all I do like the characters but I missed some emotional and a bit more of psychological depth as both main characters lived trough trauma. Penny’s story starts with her moving away from home after a divorce and still a lot is about to change. I think this series can have a lot of potential. Maybe the first book started somewhat slow, I am starting with the 2nd one to see how it will develop further as the end of the 1st book started to make it interesting.

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 out of 5
Another new series by Christine Pope that I happily enjoyed. Found Objects is the start a new story, Penny Briggs is recently divorced and moved to leave her old life behind. As she works on her new job, she has an odd encounter that leaves her spooked. Penny meets Isaac, a brujo, a male witch who tells her that she is a witch.
I have to say that as a new book series, I enjoyed this. Penny was not at all what I expected but I have enjoyed her so far. The book ends in a cliffhanger and I am very much excited for book two. I did receive an ARC but it has no effect on my thoughts.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and moves quickly

I enjoyed reading this book. The main characters are likable and relatable. Although this is a book about magic and learning magic, its not a Harry Potter wannabe. This book stands on its own and is full of adult characters.

New Mexico is a magical place, a perfect setting for the story. I found myself hoping that Penny would stay there and not return to California. I was so interested in the journeys of Penny, Isaac, and Joy, that I breezed through this book in two sittings.

[Maureen ~Bitch Can Write A Book · Rating 5 out of 5]

I stumbled on this for free on a FB ad. And downloaded awhile ago.

I needed to shift gears since I just read an excellent ARC and thought I would have a book hang over if I stayed in that genre. So I found this on my kindle.

I have never read this author, but I love mystery with paranormal aspects. I’ll tell you this did not disappoint. This was a fast fun read. I really liked the characters and it was such an easy read. So much so I will be grabbing the rest of the series and reading.

If you like mystery with some paranormal and characters that are likeable and fun. Grab your copy!

[Susie Justice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hooked from the first chapter!!!

Hopefully not to much of a "Spoiler Alert". Wonderful storyline. Penny backstory knew her Mother never thought of her as a daughter especially when her miracle baby arrived. But the True Love of a Father couldn't keep her from feeling the pain. Penny and Isaac make a great team with his powers and help with teaching her the Magic she possesses hopefully will keep them alive.

[Evelyn Goughnour · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! In this book we are just meeting the main character. She has been brought up in a very rich family. She has just gone through a divorce from her husband that cheated on her. So she goes from California to New Mexico for a fresh start. That’s where this book begins. Once she is in New Mexico her magic opens up. She never even dreamed that magic was real and now she’s in the middle of stuff she doesn’t understand.

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting.

Penny Briggs has moved to Albuquerque after she finds her husband, now ex, sleeping with her ex, best friend.

She likes the job she's got staging a film set.

But things start to go wrong when she picks up some glasses , that have people acting weird.

Then her house she's renting gets broken into.

This sends her to Isaac, a brujo, a male witch.

Then things start to get more interesting.

[Anita · Rating 1 out of 5]

Written in the first person it reads as a diary of a not so smart woman. It is an account of what she ate, whether she was hungry, what wine she drank or wanted to drink. Her insta attraction to Isaac is laughable and it borders on ableism.
Her interaction with the demon? WTF?? Who wrote this?
The story drags, there is no solution in this part, but of course there are 5 or so more to follow. No, thank you.

[Barrie Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad.

Penny discovers she's a witch. All the usual scenes that you expect to find in this type of story, the difference being that this one is quite well written with strong characters and a feasible magic system. I would have liked Penny to have developed her magic more fully in this first book to give the story more direction, other than that it's not bad, Baz.

[Ronda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just the kind of urban fantasy I didn't realize I was missing! As a fan of Kim Harrison and Patricia Briggs, I haven't found anything that quite recalled their "feel" lately--till now. Thanks to The Fussy Librarian for bringing this one to me. Loving the world building and descriptions of New Mexico.

[Kathleen A.]

Intriguing premise

Enjoyed the book and the writing style. Liked the geographical setting as well. Story line was intriguing to me, possibly even enough to buy the second book. Am just savoring this one for the moment as I think about the plot and the direction it is taking me.

[MGB · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable read as Penny slowly unravels who she is.

The author slowly reveals information about Penny but we can never know all. Isaac also has a lot of hidden history, but we seem to learn more about him. Unfortunately a lot of dark goings-on, maybe to be revealed as the series develops.