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Baking Up a Magical Midlife #1

Butter, Sugar, Magic

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Embracing a midlife transformation has never been more delicious.

At best, she’s expecting a kitschy candy dish, at worst a beloved taxidermied pet, so when Cassie—newly divorced, single mom with zero prospects—discovers she’s inheriting a fully stocked bakery along with a beautifully furnished apartment from a great aunt she’d never even heard of, she’s convinced she must be dreaming.

The apartment bizarrely adapting itself to her whims and the friendly neighbor floating fireballs in the air aren’t helping.

Cassie has two choices. She can hightail it out of this bewildering town and figure out a way to support her pre-teen daughter. Or she can stay and live the life of her dreams in this unsettling place where the rules of physics don’t seem to apply, and people are suspiciously friendly and welcoming.

When Cassie and her daughter agree to give this new place a trial run (the fantastic pet shop next door is a helpful draw), she’s not convinced they’ve made the right choice. That hesitation just might cost her the fantastic life she and her daughter deserve.

Butter, Sugar, Magic is the first book in the tantalizingly delicious new Baking Up a Magical Midlife Paranormal Women’s Fiction series by Jessica Rosenberg.

359 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 19, 2022

1941 people are currently reading
3900 people want to read

About the author

Jessica Rosenberg

13 books274 followers
Jessica Rosenberg is the queen of cozy witchy #FriendshipCore fiction that makes readers feel like they're having coffee with their best friends. She lives on the foggy Central Coast of California with her two wonderful teens, two playful dogs, and a mischievous orange cat named Persimmon for obvious reasons.

When she's not weaving magical tales or getting lost in a good book, Jessica can probably be found strolling along the beach, searching for sea glass treasures even though she should probably be tidying her office.

Sign up for email updates at blueoctopuspress.com. (free treat for anyone who signs up!)

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5 stars
2,277 (43%)
4 stars
1,771 (33%)
3 stars
956 (18%)
2 stars
187 (3%)
1 star
34 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 543 reviews
Profile Image for Lola.
1,953 reviews273 followers
July 3, 2022
I received a free copy from the author and voluntarily reviewed it.

I really wanted to enjoy this book, but for some reason it just wasn't the book for me. I kept trying to get into it, but the story just wasn't gripping me. There were some things that actively bothered me, but for the most part I just felt like there was something unspecified about this book, story and characters not working for me.

In Butter, Sugar, Magic main character Cassie finds out she had an aunt she didn't know about and that she inherited her aunts house and store. She and her daughter check it out and decide to stay for a while. I felt the start of the book was quite slow and that only felt worse with the way we got a lot of Cassie's doubt, uncertainty about staying here and then her disbelief about magic.

It took quite a while for Cassie to accept magic was real, after that and when she opened her store I figured we would see more magic and more baking and hopefully I would enjoy it more. Sadly that didn't turn out that way. I has hoped to see more baking and more magic. I thought the type of witch she is was pretty cool, but I wanted to know more about it. I wish Cassie would've accepted magic sooner, as while her reaction was realistic I just wanted her to accept it so we would get more of the magic.

There is a bit of a mystery when something gets stolen, but I managed to predict part of the reasoning behind it. It bothered me how Cassie didn't trust anyone and how lots of the people she meets act a bit weird, while this is supposed to be such a welcoming town. I didn't really get that vibe yet. The house and store were cool, but for a big part of the story Cassie doesn't let herself feel the excitement. There are a few scenes later on where it starts to feel like home and where Cassie let's herself hope this can be her future that I liked.

To summarize: Sadly this book just didn't work for me. I liked the concept, but I just couldn't get into the story. I didn't really care for anything that was happening or got as invested in the characters as I would've liked. The start felt very slow with the whole set up playing out slowly, then the uncertainty about whether Cassie and her daughter would stay here and then Cassie not believing magic was real at first. I thought Cassie's reaction was believable, but in a fiction book I enjoy it more when characters believe magic is real relatively quickly. There wasn't as much about the baking and magic. Sadly this book just wasn't for me.
Profile Image for Brittany.
136 reviews
July 5, 2022
This was such a fun light read. I can’t wait to read more about these characters. It has short chapters, a magic building and some mystery thrown in there. This is a great palate cleanser if you are having trouble reading a new book after just finishing one or a series.
Profile Image for Keri Stone.
713 reviews82 followers
December 26, 2023
Magic, baking, windfall inheritance, mother/daughter team in a new city, in a magical house and bakery… what’s not to love? For me all the right elements were there for a fun and cozy read but it fell flat. All the conversations came off wrong. The mom kept forgetting her daughter existed. Perhaps the narration in the audiobook didn’t help, but I think if I’d been reading I would have done a lot of skipping ahead. I know a lot of readers reviewed it well so give it a try, but for me it was a 2-1/2 rounded to 3.
Profile Image for Amanda.
38 reviews
July 11, 2023
If you like easily resolved miscommunications that escalate unnecessarily, unrealistic responses to events and adults rolling their eyes then this is the book for you. The concept had potential (middle aged woman discovering magic abilities) but fell very flat. I also did not enjoy all the self-doubt the main character marinated in.
Profile Image for Wysteria.
Author 2 books40 followers
November 1, 2022
DNF

I would have continued reading it if their wasn't so much moderate and explicit language. Deleted it from my device.
Profile Image for Lauren.
541 reviews41 followers
January 24, 2025
Another fun start to a Midlife series. Our MC finds herself inheriting a bakery in a small magical town. This was a solid 3.5-star read. The MC, her daughter, and BFF accepted that magic was real way too quickly. So far, there seem to be no rules to using the magic. Make a wish, and it shall appear chaos. That being said, I enjoyed the book, and if I ever see the rest of the books on sale, I'll grab them and read them.
Profile Image for Eden.
2,193 reviews
October 17, 2022
2022 bk 319. Following in the path of the paranormal women's series, this book features a recently divorced woman who is at her wits ends, no house, a teenager, no job, when an inheritance from a great aunt saves her bacon. Moving from Georgia north is a major change, but her life goes through another paradigm shift when she learns that she is a witch, a kitchen witch, and her talent lies in her baking. Learning the craft of her trade isn't enough - her daughter exhibits signs of being an animal witch. Sometimes working together, sometimes at odds, the two do finally learn the secrets of their family and the town they have moved to. Started a little slow and 'poor me-ish", but developed into a fun story - enough that I've ordered the sequel.
Profile Image for Andi.
397 reviews17 followers
May 18, 2025
1.5⭐️

When a girl-bossing single mom inherited a bakery from a deceased distant relative and then found out she had baking magic (because she’s actually been a witch her whole life without knowing it), she decided to keep the bakery open since everything is always conveniently handed to her to enable her to keep girl-bossing and being the bane of her ex-husband’s (and everyone else’s) existence through her juvenile antics and insufferable personality.

I don’t know how this book found its way into my home library but I will be showing it the way out. 💀 These cozy, “self-insert” books are just not for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Kim Dijke.
97 reviews
January 6, 2024
4/5 ⭐️

This was such a cute and cozy read. I mean, magic, baking and coffee?! This book gave me all 90s vibes, Gilmore girls, Sabrina the Witch, Hocus Pocus, Dr Dolittle 🧡 The rest of the series is definitely going on my wishlist.
Profile Image for Brenda.
1,275 reviews6 followers
October 4, 2023
This was a fun story of a recently divorced mother who inherited the bakery of her dreams in a small New England town. As the building interior seems to change with just a thought, she learns she and her daughter are witches and has to learn about what that entails. I liked learning about the different types of witches and the town along with Cassie. I will definitely listen to more of these if I can find the audiobooks.
Profile Image for Brittney Lou.
289 reviews39 followers
May 3, 2025
Such a cute and cozy witchy read! Love it!!
Profile Image for Alexis.
346 reviews2 followers
April 10, 2024
Interesting premise and easy to read.
Profile Image for Natalie Pomeroy.
137 reviews1 follower
February 5, 2025
3.5 ⭐
I really like the idea of the story, I'm just not too sure about the execution.
Profile Image for Marita.
173 reviews2 followers
April 28, 2024
This book won't win any awards, but it was a fun, light read, and just what I needed. I've seen others describe it as a "palate cleanser," and that is quite accurate.

Cassie and her tween daughter, Aurie, move to a tiny New England town after Cassie's acrimonious divorce. It seems Cassie had a long lost great-aunt who has left her a bakery with a fully furnished apartment above it. As it happens, Cassie is a great amateur baker. As soon as the two arrive, little things start happening that cues Cassie into the possibility that magic may be real and that she may be a witch. In fact, the whole town seems to be populated with witches.

What I liked: the book was often funny, the people were quirky, and it avoided being too cute. I also loved the description of Cassie's baked goods, and even hunted up a recipe of orange chocolate chip scones after reading her description. I liked that Cassie is a kitchen witch and could create magic through her baking. I liked that the hunky deputy introduced about halfway through the book didn't turn out to be Cassie's knight in shining armor. In fact, there are no knights at all. The book is the first in a trilogy, so it's possible that hunky deputy will be back, but Rosenberg seems determined that Cassie will not be rescued by any man. The book is more about friendships between women of a certain age, and that is refreshing.

What I didn't like was that the narrative sometimes dragged, but with such a short read, the dragging parts were few and passed quickly. I wasn't sure what to make of Cassie's constant texting and calling her best friend, who seemed to have an oversized role in the story despite not being fully fleshed out as a character. It's possible she'll return in person in future books.

Overall, this was a pleasant book and I will read the rest of the trilogy.
Profile Image for Katy.
144 reviews1 follower
March 22, 2024
Butter, Sugar, Magic - Book One
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Welcome to Portney. The coffee is hot, the pastries are magical, and your new friends can’t wait to hang out with you.

Stumbled across this set of books on Amazon one day and decided to order them - in paperback cause I'm a physical book kinda girl!

Well I am extremely pleased I did buy them, this is the first book in a set of four and I just hope that the other three are as good as the first 🤞

Cassie finds out that her married life is not to be continued after her husband breaks there marriage up.... leaving Cassie and her daughter with nothing and no where to live. After Cassie receives a call from a solicitor in Potney explaining to her that she has inherited a bakery, money and accommodation from her Aunt she decides to make the trip to Potney with her daughter to see what it is all about....

After checking out the bakery and living quarters she decides to stay and try to build a life for her and her daughter - on provision that if her daughter doesn't settle after the summer then a move back Georgia is likely.

Cassie discovers that Potney, the people and the bakery aren't what she thought.... it's a very magical place with very magical people with Cassie and her daughter being included in this magic.

Cassie finds out that she is a Kitchen Witch with magical powers that she puts into her baking which the locals love! Her daughter also finds out she is a baby Animal witchling with very sparky fingers!

Life is alot to handle at the moment while she comes to terms with her powers, her job, her new life and a daughter who needs her more now than ever.

Bring on book two!!!
Profile Image for Melody.
1,343 reviews10 followers
March 26, 2023
Cassie, a mother married to a well off man is a stay at home mom, ready to entertain at the drop of a hat when her husband demands, keep the house cleaner than clean and raise their daughter to his family’s expectations. One day he tells her it is all over and he is getting divorced. She and the child will have to fend for themselves with paltry alimony and child support. Cassie has no skills other than housewifery but she is an excellent baker and in her heart of hearts she has always wanted a bakery of her own but her husband always poo pooed the idea as being a financial idiocy. She has no family as her dad left when she was an infant and her mother passed on a few years previously . When a letter arrives from a lawyer that she has inherited something from an great aunt she didn’t know existed in New England, she and her daughter take a road trip to see what the family gewgaw might be and take some time before deciding on their future. A very well written book, with great characters, surprising well fleshed out for a first in series. I am really looking forward to this being a long series.
2 reviews3 followers
July 26, 2022
A warm and toasty paranormal fiction read that isn't a YA novel!

I did receive an ARC copy to read and review this book. After reading her first novel (Aloha Also Means Goodbye), I basically begged for the ARC copy so I could read and review it;).

This was a lovely, light read that is a great time. We meet Cassie and her daughter after some major life-changing news. We get to go along as she finds herself and her new place, which may be in a bakery;). I love the fact she finds herself and not a man;). And on that journey, there is magic and lots of yummy sounding.

Jessica Rosenberg has created has a loveable protagonist that any woman (and possibly anyone at all) can see themselves in. The cast of characters is equally charming and quirky with mysteries of their own that I hope we will find out more about in future books.

The one downside of this book... so many yummy dishes were mentioned that I want to start baking. But it was 110 here when I finished reading;). So I can't wait until it cools down so I can bake and read the next book in this series.
Profile Image for Brooke.
931 reviews49 followers
February 8, 2023
Love Me Some Magical Baking

Butter, Sugar, Magic is such a fantastic read with so much to offer a reader. Magic, check. Loveable Characters, check. A storyline to suck you in, double check. I absolutely loved the relationship between Cassie and Aurie, its the relationship every child hopes they can share with a parent. Although the men in this novel seem to fall short of what they should be, unfortunately it mimics real
Life in so many ways.

I couldn't have fallen more in love with Portney, and the strong women who live there. They not only have a little woo woo going on, but they are kind and generous. And willing to bring someone new into their fold.

As much as we didn't get to learn about Aunt Bea I can't wait to see whay kind of life she lived and what she has left for Cassie and Aurie!
Profile Image for Cat Bowser.
Author 6 books42 followers
September 11, 2022
Sweet and moving story with a pleasant pace

The cover caught my interest and the blurb was enough for me to give the book a try. I’m so glad I did and I hope I see more.

First and foremost—a middle aged protagonist trying to wrangle magic with a child and moving on from a separation? Yes, please! What a nice change of pace!

The characters are such a fun and pleasant lot. I really enjoyed spending time with them and as the MC grows, you start to see more angles to them that is a treat to observe!

The story is not without conflict but it’s a nice, lower level conflict that allows us to really focus on the building of the characters and the world.

I absolutely hope to revisit this author in future works!
Profile Image for Gina.
508 reviews34 followers
April 24, 2024
4.25 stars!

Realllllly enjoyed this first book as a series and can't wait to read more. Cassie annoyed me a little with her whininess at first but grew on me, as did many of the other characters in this cute small town. I felt her discomfort at attempting to trust a group of women she didn't really know as I have been burned by that in the past.
Wasn't really expecting the Big Reveal but it was written well and made sense in the context of the story. If you're a fan of witches, small towns, baked goods and "starting over" stories, you'll like this one!
Profile Image for Tara Kat (MagnoliaPigeonBookBlurbs).
857 reviews65 followers
May 12, 2023
Oh my goodness this was amazing! I picked up Butter, Sugar, Magic and couldn’t put it down! It has everything I love in a magical cozy series - found family, starting over, picturesque small town, quirky characters, delicious baked goods, coffee, adorable animals and of course…magic!! Jessica Rosenberg absolutely knocked this one out of the park and I cannot wait to see what happens as the series progresses!

Bonus: the Baking Up a Magical Midlife series is available on KU!
Profile Image for Tiffany Lynn (thislilmama).
104 reviews5 followers
July 16, 2022
I received an arc of this book and I’m so glad I did! It was such a fun, easy, fast paced read. I’m excited this is the first in a series because the end left me wanting to know more and keep reading. I loved the world building, the characters and the little bit of mystery added to it. If you enjoy Woman’s paranormal fiction this is a perfect read for you. It’s also great read if you need out of a reading slump or a break from a series or darker genre. Totally recommend reading it.
Profile Image for Tiffany Kaye.
59 reviews113 followers
January 15, 2023
A wonderful cozy read

I really enjoyed reading this book and getting to know Cassie, Aurie, and all the other fun characters. It was such a pleasant read, something cozy and warm that just left me feeling happy whenever I opened up the book. Definitely looking forward to more from this author!
Profile Image for Jade.
18 reviews
September 11, 2024
Such a cozy read. Binged it in a few hours.
Cassie is a sceptical newly divorced single mum to a tween. Who finds out she's been left a bakery and that she's a witch.
I mean what could go wrong.
New found family reads. Great book if your not after anything heavy.
Really enjoyed sitting down with my hot coffee and lake ambience on and reading this.
Profile Image for Amber.
830 reviews19 followers
June 2, 2025
Dang I really wanted to like this one, but it just didn’t work for me. There was a little bit of magic, but it needed more. The MC was so hard to like. I find it weird when the side characters are way more likable than the main character. It made it hard to become invested in the story. Also, this book was pretty repetitive with a few the of the elements.
Profile Image for Megan Sewell.
238 reviews3 followers
December 14, 2023
Light cozy mystery, I knew on the first page I was going to enjoy and it didn’t disappoint. Liked the characters, could relate well to Cassie and her doubt and hesitation to trust after the marriage she had. I am really looking forward to see what everyone gets up to in the next book.
Profile Image for Anne (Not of Green Gables) .
420 reviews24 followers
March 16, 2025
Cosy fantasy isn't really my go-to genre so I'm not entirely sure what propelled me to pick up this. Overall, it was cute with a female focus. However, I was expecting a bit of romance. I assume that will come with the rest of the series.
Profile Image for Debra Parmley.
Author 54 books1,134 followers
October 13, 2025
This story intrigued me with the magical bakery, and I'm glad I picked it up. I enjoyed it so much, I am looking forward to reading the second book.
This is the first book by Jessica Rosenberg that I have read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 543 reviews

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