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Myrtlewood Mysteries #1
Accidental Magic
Welcome to Myrtlewood, a quirky town, steeped in magic, tea and mystery…
Life’s a struggle for Rosemary Thorn and her teen daughter, Athena. But their regular troubles are turned upside down after Granny Thorn’s mysterious death.
Despite her cousin's sinister manoeuvrings, Rosemary returns to Myrtlewood and the sprawling, dilapidated Thorn Manor. But there's more to the old house than meets the eye, as Rosemary and Athena soon find out — in a whirlwind of magic, adventure, mystical creatures and endless cups of tea.
Life in Myrtlewood would be bliss if Rosemary could only clear her name in a certain murder investigation, solve the mystery and stay out of mortal peril – for at least a little while!
A small town with endless secrets, strange activities and a house with a mind of its own.
If you love mystery, witches, magic and a big dose of humour, you’re going to love Myrtlewood Mysteries Book 1.
Life’s a struggle for Rosemary Thorn and her teen daughter, Athena. But their regular troubles are turned upside down after Granny Thorn’s mysterious death.
Despite her cousin's sinister manoeuvrings, Rosemary returns to Myrtlewood and the sprawling, dilapidated Thorn Manor. But there's more to the old house than meets the eye, as Rosemary and Athena soon find out — in a whirlwind of magic, adventure, mystical creatures and endless cups of tea.
Life in Myrtlewood would be bliss if Rosemary could only clear her name in a certain murder investigation, solve the mystery and stay out of mortal peril – for at least a little while!
A small town with endless secrets, strange activities and a house with a mind of its own.
If you love mystery, witches, magic and a big dose of humour, you’re going to love Myrtlewood Mysteries Book 1.
312 pages, Paperback
Published February 28, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 545 reviews
August 5, 2022
what a waste of time
I seriously don’t know where all of these five star reviews came from. Probably paid reviews. I absolutely could not stand weak, silly little Rosemary or her annoying over bearing daughter. Rosemary was so weak and silly and utterly useless. I very much disliked her as a character. The book very much blames her for all of the bad things that happen in her life because she is “scatter brained” and “silly”. Her daughter is completely awful. She took charge as the adult of the relationship and the way she spoke to her mother, Rosemary really made me want to slap her. Precocious she is not. I wanted to slap both of them multiple times. Their characters took so much away from what could have been a nice story. I wish Rosemary was a kick ass heroine, who told her daughter no. That would have made all the difference for this story.
I seriously don’t know where all of these five star reviews came from. Probably paid reviews. I absolutely could not stand weak, silly little Rosemary or her annoying over bearing daughter. Rosemary was so weak and silly and utterly useless. I very much disliked her as a character. The book very much blames her for all of the bad things that happen in her life because she is “scatter brained” and “silly”. Her daughter is completely awful. She took charge as the adult of the relationship and the way she spoke to her mother, Rosemary really made me want to slap her. Precocious she is not. I wanted to slap both of them multiple times. Their characters took so much away from what could have been a nice story. I wish Rosemary was a kick ass heroine, who told her daughter no. That would have made all the difference for this story.
January 21, 2023
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
Gilmore Girls meets Practical Magic, with a side of Buffy, plenty of tea, and the odd piece of cake 😂
This is a fast-paced, quirky read, holding true to what the author set out to do, write books similar to Gilmore Girls with a paranormal twist.
The writing is nothing spectacular, but it's easy to read and sucked me in. While reading, I pictured Lorelai and Rory Gilmore within the mother daughter exchanges, which really made me smile and laugh along.
Made a great little palate cleanser to hit refresh on my mind between heavier subject matter books, providing a little escapism within my reading.
Gilmore Girls meets Practical Magic, with a side of Buffy, plenty of tea, and the odd piece of cake 😂
This is a fast-paced, quirky read, holding true to what the author set out to do, write books similar to Gilmore Girls with a paranormal twist.
The writing is nothing spectacular, but it's easy to read and sucked me in. While reading, I pictured Lorelai and Rory Gilmore within the mother daughter exchanges, which really made me smile and laugh along.
Made a great little palate cleanser to hit refresh on my mind between heavier subject matter books, providing a little escapism within my reading.
February 26, 2022
I'm giving this book five stars for pure entertainment. It's been a while since I read a witchy paranormal and I don't think ever a cozy one.
I loved the characters, both good and horrid. The quirky village and it's magical ways. Rosemary and her daughter returned for a will reading after Gran died or rather was killed. The house was magical and too many people wanted it's secrets. Rosemary was determined to get to the bottom of the murder of her Gran and free herself from blame.
I loved the ending, not so much a cliff hanger but a mystery of a missing person to solve hopefully in book 2
I was thoroughly entertained on a lazy Saturday afternoon engrossed in this story. I highly recommend it.
I loved the characters, both good and horrid. The quirky village and it's magical ways. Rosemary and her daughter returned for a will reading after Gran died or rather was killed. The house was magical and too many people wanted it's secrets. Rosemary was determined to get to the bottom of the murder of her Gran and free herself from blame.
I loved the ending, not so much a cliff hanger but a mystery of a missing person to solve hopefully in book 2
I was thoroughly entertained on a lazy Saturday afternoon engrossed in this story. I highly recommend it.
July 2, 2022
Nope, couldn’t get through it
I couldn’t bear the way the daughter treated the mum. omg. I have 4 kids 15-23 years old, so I am familiar with mouthiness, sass, eye rolls & groans. But, honestly, I couldn’t stand the daughter, Athena. And Rosemary while clearly a survivor of domestic abuse, is also seriously dim. I wasn’t expecting greatness, mind, as the story was the tired trope of desperate woman suddenly finds she’s a witch and inherited a lot of money. I just was hoping for a fun read. I made it to Chapter 19, gave up & read the ending. Now, I am going to take an ibuprofen & find something else to read.
I couldn’t bear the way the daughter treated the mum. omg. I have 4 kids 15-23 years old, so I am familiar with mouthiness, sass, eye rolls & groans. But, honestly, I couldn’t stand the daughter, Athena. And Rosemary while clearly a survivor of domestic abuse, is also seriously dim. I wasn’t expecting greatness, mind, as the story was the tired trope of desperate woman suddenly finds she’s a witch and inherited a lot of money. I just was hoping for a fun read. I made it to Chapter 19, gave up & read the ending. Now, I am going to take an ibuprofen & find something else to read.
August 23, 2023
i read this after hearing it was “gilmore girls” meets “practical magic.” it is more like an off brand lorali with two brain cells meets halloweentown. the mother/daughter duo are almost unbearable BUT the story was interesting. i did enjoy the side characters.
October 19, 2022
Calling this book a cross between Gilmore Girls and Practical Magic is a disservice to both. I get Rosemary is supposed to be absent-minded but she is literally being raised by her bad attitude 16 year old. I read where someone said that it gets better in the second book but I'm having such a hard time finishing this book that I don't think I even want to try the second. The dialogue is forced, there's no depth to the characters, and Athena and Rosemary are beyond annoying. I don't recommend this book.
August 20, 2023
Not sure about Gilmore girls meet Practical Magic. Single mother and they discover there's Magic. Mom was not a strong character, disliked her, and they seemed to bicker a lot. It was a quick read I did want to see what happened.
October 9, 2023
The book started off quite good... and I was definitely in need for something light and fun, but after 20% mark it got just a bit too ... well, let's put it this way: it's all me, not the book. It was just too quirky for me overall, and the fact that mother/daughter relationship is a sordid mess where the daughter is more level-headed than the mother is can get old quite fast, too. It's the thing with wit and humor, it can go both ways for any reader.
That said, I can see a lot of readers love this book. Myrtlewood itself is a town full of magic and fantastic people with powers (but also the enemy lurks). It simply wasn't for me, but I am glad I gave this a go...
That said, I can see a lot of readers love this book. Myrtlewood itself is a town full of magic and fantastic people with powers (but also the enemy lurks). It simply wasn't for me, but I am glad I gave this a go...
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March 1, 2022I DNF'd this one at 15%
I liked the idea of the story and the set-up, but I didn't like the main character and her dynamic with her daughter. Half of the time the daughter felt like the adult with how she kept her mom on track and the dialogue just felt off to me. It wasn't grabbing me so I am DNF'ing this one for now.
I liked the idea of the story and the set-up, but I didn't like the main character and her dynamic with her daughter. Half of the time the daughter felt like the adult with how she kept her mom on track and the dialogue just felt off to me. It wasn't grabbing me so I am DNF'ing this one for now.
October 16, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️ for this witchy mystery read. Cute story. Elements of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Halloween Town and Gilmore girls. Seemed kind of juvenilish. Moments were good.
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October 6, 2023ACCIDENTAL MAGIC was okay. Nothing spectacular. Just okay. I was hoping for something more, but the mother-daughter relationship fell a bit flat for me. Nothing particularly wrong with the book. It just didn't grab me.
October 11, 2023
Really wanted to like this book. Loved the premises of the quirky magical town but the characters had no depth and I found the MC to be weak and irritating. The dialogue was a struggle and I ended up giving up after about 60% as I wasn't enjoying it and wasn't invested in the story at all.
February 21, 2022
This was a fun, quick, easy and cute read that I sped through. It was well writen with well developed and adorable characters and a good storyline that left me wanting more. I really liked it.
October 23, 2023
Reading this book gave me the same cozy Halloween vibes as watching Halloweentown for the first time 🎃 Granny Thorn’s murder brings Rosemary and her daughter Athena back to Myrtlewood where everyone talks about magic as if it’s a common occurrence. Despite how odd the town is, it’s a welcome change to Rosemary and Athena’s non-magical life back home where they’re constantly down on their luck. A combination of Granny Thorn’s cryptic messages and the talk of the townspeople help Rosemary and Athena uncover the mystery of their great/grandmother’s death. A great cozy read, perf for the fall, and magic/creatures are done so well that it doesn’t feel cheesy. 10/10 would read again.
January 1, 2024
I really struggled with this book, finding it really difficult to connect with the main characters at all. I found the main character annoying and her daughter a bit too sulky. I really struggled to get connected to the plot and found it was mainly dialogue. On the whole not impressed, would not recommend. X
May 28, 2022
2022 bk 157. Interesting community, potential for really interesting characters, confusing plot for a first in a series. It was not clear until near the end what the objective of the story was 1)establish the mother/daughter in a new town b) moan about the ex c) who were the baddies/goodies d)What was the goal of the baddies e) they go to the town where the grandmother was and never ask about the funeral or burial/location of ashes? f) and my biggest beef - it took until the fourth chapter to determine the country where the story was set - NZ? Australia? US? England? Ireland? South Africa? It's own fantasy country? So much hinges on a clear setting - language (standard, jargon, slang), description of housing, road rules, school calendar, inheritance law that it muddled the story line for me. I think I would have been more comfortable with the book if she had pared down all the different plot lines a bit and had included the setting - I know it was in her mind - but it didn't make it to the page - at least that I could tell. (And yes I know it is a run on sentence - I'm emulating the main character).
October 13, 2023
2 out of 5 stars
This book had a lot of potential but ultimately I couldn’t get over how much I disliked the characters. The mother was ditzy and the daughter was condescending. The author also used one of my biggest pet peeves to introduce conflict: have the main characters refuse to ask key questions or do urgent tasks even when the situation logically demands it.
At one point the main character learned she needs to find a clue. Instead of attempting to look for it, she became annoyed and went to take a nap. This is after she knew she was in danger and had an urgent task to do. The mother and daughter also kept leaving strange men alone in their house. In one instance they decided to have tea and another they just went to bed. Tf?!
Lastly, I hated the mother-daughter dynamic. The daughter treated the mother like a child and for some reason, the mother allowed it. Neither of them had enough curiosity for me and so they ended up seeming dumb. I HATE reading from dumb POVs.
This should have been a cozy and fun mystery. But I was too irritated to enjoy it. I will not be continuing on with the series.
This book had a lot of potential but ultimately I couldn’t get over how much I disliked the characters. The mother was ditzy and the daughter was condescending. The author also used one of my biggest pet peeves to introduce conflict: have the main characters refuse to ask key questions or do urgent tasks even when the situation logically demands it.
At one point the main character learned she needs to find a clue. Instead of attempting to look for it, she became annoyed and went to take a nap. This is after she knew she was in danger and had an urgent task to do. The mother and daughter also kept leaving strange men alone in their house. In one instance they decided to have tea and another they just went to bed. Tf?!
Lastly, I hated the mother-daughter dynamic. The daughter treated the mother like a child and for some reason, the mother allowed it. Neither of them had enough curiosity for me and so they ended up seeming dumb. I HATE reading from dumb POVs.
This should have been a cozy and fun mystery. But I was too irritated to enjoy it. I will not be continuing on with the series.
October 8, 2023
I wish I had something good to say about this book, because it seems like it would have everything I wanted, a mother-daughter team, witches, a granny, an enchanted town, seasonal festivals. But despite having every cottage core element a girl could ask for this book is unbearable. Rosemary is totally brainless and unremarkable, and the way she makes her daughter be the adult in the room in every situation is really unpleasant. The terrible writing is also a major distraction. I couldn’t get past how Rosemary scented her evil cousin’s perfume on the wind (in the middle of a blazing fire that burned down a building) - seems pretty unlikely, and also that just never comes back up. Or maybe it does. I had to quit a few pages before the end.
February 21, 2022
I received Accidental Magic, the first book in the Myrtlewood Mysteries series, as an advanced copy, prior to public release. I was excited to get my hands on this author’s debut novel, especially one centered around fantasy, magic, and family. This book is a sweet, short read, appealing to middle grade/young adult readers. Iris, the creator of Myrtlewood, does little to describe the scenes and leaves out extraneous details in favor of the readers using their imagination instead. She chooses to focus on the relationship of a mother and daughter scraping by through life together, and develops that bond throughout the book. I enjoyed this approach, as it allowed me the freedom to picture the settings and characters to my liking, while focusing on the newfound trust and dependence of our main characters. The author also leaves many questions unanswered—the location of key characters, the current state of magic, the future of the town—leaving me excited to get a copy of the sequel and learn more about this mysterious town and family. There is opportunity for this series to expand and evolve in the future from the foundation laid within this book.
Overall, I’v given this book 3/5 stars. It was a cozy, magical read and ultimately tells the Cinderella story we all secretly hope will happen to us. I’m eager to find out what more Iris has in store for her readers, whether that be in picturesque Myrtlewood, or a new imagining all together. She’s definitely one to watch for!
Overall, I’v given this book 3/5 stars. It was a cozy, magical read and ultimately tells the Cinderella story we all secretly hope will happen to us. I’m eager to find out what more Iris has in store for her readers, whether that be in picturesque Myrtlewood, or a new imagining all together. She’s definitely one to watch for!
February 23, 2022
I received an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Rosemary and Athena; the women main characters everyone has asked for and finally received! I normally shy away from FMC because they are always written to be either over the top badasses -OR- they are the wimpiest, whiniest women that ever graced the page. I rarely find ones that are in between but when I do, I don't want to let them go. A mother daughter duo that are down and out, on their last wish and dollar when an inheritance changes everything. The two women move back to Rosemary's grandmother's house and the fun begins.
I love the town, it gives me some Halloweentown vibes, while being romantic and picturesque. The author writes in such a way that nothing is overly described. She sets the scene and the picture to a degree but then lets it up to the readers imagination to fill in the blanks and see everything the way they want to with her guidance; the mark of an excellent write to me. The town doesn't shy away from magic and their allusions to magic in the beginning and fantastic.
Book one focuses on Rosemary and Athena as they get their footing in this new world of theirs. A world complete with magic, shifters, and vampires to start. I cannot wait for the second book, I want to see more of the townsfolk and the different types of magical people. I want to learn more about Dian, Perseus, and Liam. I'm not sold on any one male party yet but I am intrigued by them all and want so much more.
A beautiful debut that deserves all the praises and accolades it is bound to receive. Don't wait, pre-order it because you are not going to want to miss this astounding debut novel. Cheers and happy reading!
Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Rosemary and Athena; the women main characters everyone has asked for and finally received! I normally shy away from FMC because they are always written to be either over the top badasses -OR- they are the wimpiest, whiniest women that ever graced the page. I rarely find ones that are in between but when I do, I don't want to let them go. A mother daughter duo that are down and out, on their last wish and dollar when an inheritance changes everything. The two women move back to Rosemary's grandmother's house and the fun begins.
I love the town, it gives me some Halloweentown vibes, while being romantic and picturesque. The author writes in such a way that nothing is overly described. She sets the scene and the picture to a degree but then lets it up to the readers imagination to fill in the blanks and see everything the way they want to with her guidance; the mark of an excellent write to me. The town doesn't shy away from magic and their allusions to magic in the beginning and fantastic.
Book one focuses on Rosemary and Athena as they get their footing in this new world of theirs. A world complete with magic, shifters, and vampires to start. I cannot wait for the second book, I want to see more of the townsfolk and the different types of magical people. I want to learn more about Dian, Perseus, and Liam. I'm not sold on any one male party yet but I am intrigued by them all and want so much more.
A beautiful debut that deserves all the praises and accolades it is bound to receive. Don't wait, pre-order it because you are not going to want to miss this astounding debut novel. Cheers and happy reading!
March 1, 2022
I was lucky enough to score an early copy of this book (thank you to NetGalley and Te Rā Aroha Press for providing me with the eARC!) and I have to say the first thing that drew me in was the gorgeous cover.
Also, I like the premise - an eight book series where a woman returns to her family home with her teenage daughter in tow to uncover secrets and save things in the process? Yes please! I like the fact the main character is older, and I liked that she was a bit scatterbrained - I’m intrigued to see how it will play out. I also enjoy the dynamic between the mother and daughter characters, and their banter is so sweet!
Sometimes the action feels a bit slow but I find most first books are like that - their main job is setting the scene which means introducing us to the world, the characters, the Big Bad, the overarching story line, etc. It’s a lot of stuff, but I think Accidental Magic carries it off well - although sometimes it was slow, I didn’t feel like it dragged and I wasn’t bored. By the end, I felt I had a good grasp on the world, where the story was heading, and who the main players were which I think are super important heading into the next part of the series when all the action really starts kicking off.
I also thought the epilogue was inspired - when I first read the epilogue title in the table of contents I thought it was unusual, but it made so much sense when I got to it and was not what I was expecting at all! The perfect hook to get me coming back for book #2!
Also, I like the premise - an eight book series where a woman returns to her family home with her teenage daughter in tow to uncover secrets and save things in the process? Yes please! I like the fact the main character is older, and I liked that she was a bit scatterbrained - I’m intrigued to see how it will play out. I also enjoy the dynamic between the mother and daughter characters, and their banter is so sweet!
Sometimes the action feels a bit slow but I find most first books are like that - their main job is setting the scene which means introducing us to the world, the characters, the Big Bad, the overarching story line, etc. It’s a lot of stuff, but I think Accidental Magic carries it off well - although sometimes it was slow, I didn’t feel like it dragged and I wasn’t bored. By the end, I felt I had a good grasp on the world, where the story was heading, and who the main players were which I think are super important heading into the next part of the series when all the action really starts kicking off.
I also thought the epilogue was inspired - when I first read the epilogue title in the table of contents I thought it was unusual, but it made so much sense when I got to it and was not what I was expecting at all! The perfect hook to get me coming back for book #2!
October 25, 2023
Magic happens
Well this quirky novel was so unexpected .. came across this while looking for Halloween novels .
Currently there are 8 books in the Myrtlewood Mysteries series. The story of Rosemary and Athena is the first.
Not knowing they have magical powers, Rosemarys granny is killed in mysterious circumstances … there is a magical house (self cleaning if you don’t mind!) ….a plethora of other worldly creatures in town .. with most of them very happy to see Rosemary again after so many years.
I am looking forward to finding out what powers Athena grows to behold.
Overall a really sweet, spooky season read. I really enjoyed how easy it was to read.
Well this quirky novel was so unexpected .. came across this while looking for Halloween novels .
Currently there are 8 books in the Myrtlewood Mysteries series. The story of Rosemary and Athena is the first.
Not knowing they have magical powers, Rosemarys granny is killed in mysterious circumstances … there is a magical house (self cleaning if you don’t mind!) ….a plethora of other worldly creatures in town .. with most of them very happy to see Rosemary again after so many years.
I am looking forward to finding out what powers Athena grows to behold.
Overall a really sweet, spooky season read. I really enjoyed how easy it was to read.
October 2, 2023
Ok, it’s a little corny, a little cringe, and very cozy. But I enjoyed the low stakes ease of this read. It’s Gilmore Girls meets Practical Magic but very British. The dialogue annoyed me because I can’t imagine any 40 (?) year old saying “Oh bother” and the quips between mother and daughter (Lorelai-Rory style) were forced and cheesy. But it was cute and witchy and it’s Halloween season so why not. I will read the next in the series and hope that the main character is less flighty, the dialogue improves, and we see more of that vampire love interest.
August 8, 2023
redundant Rosemary
I enjoyed Athena and acting as the adult was interesting. I felt that her role was a caretaker and she had to be the older one of the 2. Then there was the story of the history of Myrtlewood and how Rosemary lost everything. She seemed fractured throughout the whole book. I still don’t know if I like her character. I want to read another book to see if her character changes.
I enjoyed Athena and acting as the adult was interesting. I felt that her role was a caretaker and she had to be the older one of the 2. Then there was the story of the history of Myrtlewood and how Rosemary lost everything. She seemed fractured throughout the whole book. I still don’t know if I like her character. I want to read another book to see if her character changes.
April 6, 2022
Rosemary and Athena went from living a boring difficult life directly to adventure. And it got me. Love, humbleness, mistakes, adventure, learning from mistakes, motherhood; I could definitely relate to all that and find myself believing once more in my innerpower, womanhood. I can believe how much I needed to laugh out loud and relax with a nice and sweet story. Love it!
May 22, 2023
Not your usual witchy story!
Shades of a discovery of witches but more fun, mum and daughter find out their magical inheritance having been bound by mum's late grandmother for their protection. Secret evil society, quiet town where magic is openly talked about and strangers rarely visit, makes an enjoyable read.
Shades of a discovery of witches but more fun, mum and daughter find out their magical inheritance having been bound by mum's late grandmother for their protection. Secret evil society, quiet town where magic is openly talked about and strangers rarely visit, makes an enjoyable read.
August 13, 2023
I really enjoyed this book! I will continue reading this series, taking it book-by-book. The characters are fun, it's set in the UK, I can hear the accents clearly in my mind, and I only guessed at a few things and was completely wrong about the whole who-did-it aspect which I love! There were a few moments of things being a bit fumble-y but not much. I can't wait to read the 2nd book!
October 19, 2023
This was a cute lil palette cleanser- the story was fun and easy. The only thing that annoys me in stories is the ditzy character that can't remember anything because it only elongates the story when you, as the reader, have already connected the dots. Other than that, I honestly can't wait to read the next one lol
February 20, 2022
I absolutely adore paranormal cozies, and that is what this is a little bit more than anything else. Rosemary and Athena are such a cute mother/daughter duo with Rosemary a little ditzy and Athena more grown-up. We learn this might have to do with Dain (her ex), but that is a thread left for the next book I suspect. There was very little blood or swearing (so little I don’t even remember it), and of course with the magic in the title, there are a little bit of…well, magical-type things going on. This book wasn’t perfect, but I just love how the author dropped little things in that are unexplained (like Dain’s hold over Rosemary and Rosemary’s ditziness) that will probably be explained in later books. They are like little seeds waiting to grow. All in all, this was a fun book, and I can’t wait to see what’s coming next! Highly recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.
October 18, 2023
Reminded me of a mixture of Charmed and Gilmore Girls. Both characters were a little frustrating, with the daughter being a little bratty and the mother being a little dense. Overall, I enjoyed the magical story!
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