Deadly Sweet had a lot of potential, but not enough payoff. Really cool magic stuff is mentioned briefly, then dropped. A lot of the plot hinges on people not communicating very common-sense things to know. It was a frustrating reading experience for me personally.

Even if I had hated this book, I have to say that cover is going down as one of my all-time favourites. Just look at it. It is everything.

Now that I have that out of the way, this was also a really fun book! I loved the world-building: both the wider idea of the Vortex, and of witches being sneered at by wider society, and the more micro stuff, like the magical bakery. The descriptions made my mouth water every time. There’s also so much more that Lola Dodge can build on in subsequent books.

I also loved the characters. Mostly due to the way this world is set up, the majority of the characters are women, and I loved how much they support each other. Seeing how witches with different powers worked together was really awesome.

Sometimes the plot got a little predictable, or I didn’t feel like there was much going on. I did call the twist chapters before it happened, but predictability is not necessarily a bad thing. This book is nice and cosy. The kind of book I would hug if I had a physical copy and not an e-version. It made me feel happy reading it, and that is by any means a good sign. I also appreciated that it is very G-rated, even though the characters are all college-age or older. I don’t need steam in every book I read.

This was a really enjoyable book and definitely one you could curl up with and read in an afternoon (if you have more time than I currently do). I’m definitely watching out for the next book in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publishers for a free copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Deadly Sweet by Lola Dodge
Book #1: The Spellwork Syndicate Series
Source: Netgalley and Purchase
My Rating: 4½/5 stars

HELL YES!!!! This is my first Lola Dodge read and I am ever so glad to have started with such a fun and exciting book 😊

Anise Wise is a witch. Anise Wise lives in a world where witchcraft is known, recognized, and generally feared by those with no magic of their own. As a result, Anise has spent her entire life hiding who she is and what she is capable of. With very little formal training, Anise doesn’t have the best control over her magic and from time to time it leaks out. With each leak, Anise and her mother are forced to pack their bags and find a new place where no one knows who and what Anise really is. Unfortunately, her latest leak isn’t a small bit of nothing, but a tremendous display of power that lands her in jail and facing a lifetime behind bars. With nothing else to do but run, Anise runs to the one place she will undoubtedly be safe, the magical vortex in New Mexico.

New Mexico is a haven for witches and Anise is taken in by her great aunt, Agatha, a powerful and wealthy witch who owns the only magical bakery in the US. Anise feels stronger near the vortex and her aunt is offering her a chance to fulfill her dream of becoming a baker. Anise’s magic runs toward enchantment and baking, like her aunt, a rare gift Anise is hoping to hone in New Mexico. With the threat of prison behind her (isn’t magic awesome?) Anise is able to work in her aunt’s bakery, enroll in culinary school, make friends with other witches, and not fear her secret will be discovered. It seems like the perfect life, the life Anise has always wanted with the exception of two things, her surly bodyguard, Wynn, and the fact someone is trying to kill her.

Anise is certain the death threats have nothing to do with her past, but she can’t imagine what she’s done in her present to incite such anger and hatred. She hasn’t been in New Mexico long enough to piss off anyone, yet the attempts on her life just keep coming. What’s more, the threats and attempts are coming from an incredibly powerful source that is determined to succeed. Anise’s aunt and the other members of the Spellwork Syndicate must combine their own strength and power to defeat the evil seeking to claim Anise’ life. What no one counts on, including the Syndicate, the big bad, and Wynn is Anise’s own abilities, determination, and will to live. In combination, Anise is a force to be reckoned with and she certainly doesn’t want anyone dying just to save her life.

The Bottom Line: What a fun way to be introduced to a new-to-me author! I totally judged this book by its awesome cover and what I found behind the cover was an interesting, exciting, and quirky read. Anise is a young character with plenty of room to mature and develop as the series matures and develops. I liked Anise immediately and only grew to like her more as her words and actions indicated her strength, compassion, loyalty, and determination. Anise is willing to work just as hard for herself as she finds others are willing to work on her behalf. She takes nothing for granted and fights for the things and people she holds dear. The plot, characters, and language are all perfectly written for YA readers, but I would recommend this read to all readers YA and above. It’s fun, quirky, and entertaining, and I have already ordered the second book in the series set to release in late 2018 😊

If You love stories with witches and warlocks, then this is the book you are looking for!

Being a witch is never easy.

A teenage witch seeking her place in the baking industry. What should be an easy thing for her to do,proves to be a great challenge. Actually the challenge of her life is yet to come.
An incident at the baking fair gives her the chance to escape the city and go to her aunt in Taos. A city full of witches and magic, a city which proves to be her biggest challenge.
While her Mom is not allowed to set foot back in Taos, they keep in touch on the phone daily. Being,Agatha's apprentice ,may seem like mundane task, but things aren't quite like that.
The only problem is that....everyone wants to be Agatha's apprentice
Anise, is going to have to learn the hard way that some people never change, that things aren't always what they seem to be. Trying her hardest, to show Agatha she is worthy of a chance will piss off someone n the kitchen, who thinks she's worthier to be her apprentice.
To bad, Anise won't give up her dream so fast and will fight and do whatever she can to prove everyone wrong.
A lot of adventures and twists await for You with every page turn. You don't want to miss this book!

A very cute book filled with magic, baking, and a main character that I actually enjoyed reading about! I really felt bad that Anise kept getting rejected for baking school and enjoyed the fact that I was able to connect with her as a character. The story was fast and fun and I would definitely continue on with the series!

2.5
This is the first book in a new series aimed at the New Adult, perhaps Young Adult, paranormal audience. The cover immediately caught my eye, as I’m a fan of baking shows. There was quite a bit of predictability to the story, so things fell a bit flat for me. Some characters are better developed than others. However, if you’re looking for a quick, easy read, this could be one to check out, particularly if you enjoy your danger mixed with a bit of magic and cupcakes.

I found this book to be an easy read and pretty entertaining. I"m not sure if I'd read this author again if I had to purchase the novel but definitely would if it was free/Amazon Unlimited.

This was a treat and a surprise. Anise is a great MC and the baking references were mouth-watering. Above all this book was lots of fun which is a refreshing change in YA fantasy which all too often hinges on melodrama. I will be looking out for the next book in the series with an appetite.

Who knew a book that pretty much focuses on a witch baker would be so much fun? I had very little expectations and I truly believe that is what made this book so entertaining.

The witchcraft intricacies were a delight to read. I was astounded by the level of detail and consideration that went into the baking aspect of the magic. Spells, thoughts and intentions, the idea of all of them combining to make someone feel happy while eating a jam tart or get what karma has coming for them by sampling an apple pie is fantastic! The rest of the magic present in the story is just as interesting, based on feelings more so than actual spells and incantations. I'll admit I was disappointed when there were no actual spells, but the author kept the blessings from being hokey. I love the idea of each witch having a different strength to their power, be it necromancy, healing or animal familiarity.

I enjoyed the plot quite a bit. Weirdly, baking held a central premise in this tale, but the storyline of the hunting warlock kept this book together well. I liked Anise as a character, and enjoyed going along with her. Not once did she come off as weak or over the top confident. She was a relatable person who was swept up in something bigger than herself. As for the ending, it was unexpected. Although, looking back now, I think I should have picked up on the signs.

The rest of the cast of characters were enjoyable. I particularly liked the bond between Wynn and Anise. And I was so happy to find that their relationship didn't fall into that typical romantic rut. It remained platonic, and I loved that. I'm looking forward to learning more about him, and it looks like book 2 will give me just that. If their relationship does change in future books to a more romance-centric one, I'd be okay with that because it would be a natural progression. None of this "holy crap, he's so sexy, he's all I can think about" silliness that so many other books fall trap to. Admittedly, the one part where that line of thinking was used (not-word for word, I promise) was the only part of the book I wasn't keen on.

4.5 stars

Book Review
Title: Deadly Sweet
Author: Lola Dodge
Genre: YA/Fantasy/Paranormal
Rating: *****
Review: In the opening of Deadly Sweet we are introduced to our protagonist Anise Wise a young witch who wants nothing more than to go pastry school to further her passion for baking. Anise has been rejected from the ten school she applied to and her life doesn’t get any better when her mother loses her job too and they are looking at moving again like they have done so many times in the past. In a fit of desperation, she emails her great aunt Agatha Wise who runs a magical bakery in New Mexico, but she doesn’t hear back for months. While at a fair with some co-workers she sets fire to a boy name Trevor when he tries hitting on her and then threatening her when she refuses, but she also sets fire to several buildings causing a lot of destruction and gets out of there as quickly as she can.
After being arrested for the fire Agatha posts her bail and her mother tells her she is leaving immediately and that she will deal with the police. When she arrives in Taos she feels the vortex for the first time and she begins to understand why her mother has had to stay away from this place although this is soon forgotten when she sees the bakery for the first time and meet the other people like Lonnie and Sam that work there. However, shortly after arriving Agatha gives her a test to bake something for her to show her skill, it was also interesting to learn that Anise isn’t the first apprentice that Agatha has had, and we don’t know what happened to them. Anise doesn’t take to bakery and school life that well as she doesn’t have the freedom she has always had and is reduced to prepping. However, she does meet Gabi and Blaire and they tell her that Agatha’s last apprentice Hayley was possibly kidnapped and as she is possibly set to inherit the fortune that Agatha has, she could also be a target. Despite not liking Wynn; her bodyguard he might be of more use that she first thought.
As we approach the halfway mark in the novel, we get our first hint that Taos might not be as simple as it seems when Anise gets poisoned at school, although it is her fault for sneaking around. However, when she wakes up the only answer she gets from most people is that the Syndicate will keep her safe and protect her but Anise doubts this as Hayley went missing and the Syndicate doesn’t seem to be doing much about it, so she asks Agatha. Agatha’s response is to take Anise to a Syndicate meeting where she meets some women who were sympathetic to her mother when she lived in Taos and even meets Zedock who runs the Shields of which Wynn is a part of. Despite not being invited to the meeting Zedock tells Agatha that they have found more evidence about Haley’s disappearance, so she leaves Anise to get home alone and she is painfully aware that she is in the middle of the desert without any protection and feels very vulnerable.
After being put on lockdown because of the attack Anise starts to work in the shop when a second Hand attacks, Hand’s are minions of warlocks and it becomes clear that Anise hasn’t been taught enough about the magical world that Agatha lives in to be able to protect herself although she does demonstrate some amazing magical skill. After expending a lot of magic power helping Wynn she passes out, but it might not be just because of the magic loss. As we cross into the second half of the novel, Anise is going to be moved in with Blair’s family while the warlock is being hunted, which Anise doesn’t see as bad because she gets along well with the Wu’s and Blair even jokes about Peggy adopting her.
As we approach the ¾ mark in the novel, people like Peggy and Sylvia make Anise feel like she is truly part of the sisterhood something she hadn’t known she had been missing her entire life but people like Stef make her feel really alienated. This is made worse as Stef is her teacher for one of her classes and seems set to fail her for any small issue despite also working at Agatha’s and being aware of Anise’s situation doesn’t seem to help. When she has a sleepover with Blair and Gabi, they use magic to try and find out where the warlock is and all Anise’s clue point to Stef despite Agatha’s saying she can’t be the warlock Anise decides to keep an eye of the woman. However, talk soon turns to her date with Seth who is helping Anise with her make-up cake for Stef’s class. However, Stef seems to have a major problem with Anise and when she tells Agatha about it she also learns that she is going to inherit the whole bakery because she is Agatha’s blood relative. She also has a date with Seth and is really looking forward to it, but it means getting away from Wynn for the evening. In terms of romance, I could see Anise and Seth dating but I could also see a romance between Anise and Wynn if he can get off his high horse.
The ending section of Deadly Sweet was amazing the action scenes were some of the best scenes in the whole novel but the ending has to be my favourite part as Anise comes to see Agatha’s bakery and Taos as home and she truly understand what Agatha meant about baking with your heart. I really loved Anise and her nervous habits and dry humour and just seeing her develop her craft and as a person who beautifully written and the nearly 300 page novel just fly by.

Anise was born a witch. Her mother is a witch, too. Together, Anise and her mother have tried to keep their financial heads above water while keeping their figurative heads down. There are few places a witch can safely practice and New York isn't one of them so they need to keep their secrets close.

When Anise accidentally defends herself with fire, it's time for her to leave. Unfortunately, her mother can't follow and Anise must face life as a bakery witch on her own. Or, sort of on her own. She moves to Taos, New Mexico, where she meets her great aunt and one of the most powerful witches alive. She also meets Wynn, her bodyguard whether she wants him around or not.

And it turns out she needs him more than she would like. The last apprentice disappeared mysteriously and Anise seems to be the target of a warlock who'd like nothing more than to steal her life and her powers.

Can Anise survive someone so powerful and evil who thwarts even the might of the thirteen strongest witches around?

Final thoughts: It's kind of like a female Harry Potter. She's a little older and already has some basic magic knowledge but the characters around her are familiar. There are a few too many similarities with the first HP book and it doesn't help that some of it is just obvious. However, all that being said, I still enjoyed it and look forward to the next book.

Rating: 4/5

ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Ink Monster LLC

I got a copy of this book through NetGalley to review. I enjoyed this YA paranormal book about a baking witch who is trying to find her place in a society that spurns witches. At least one more book is planned in this series; Sugar Spells is expected to release in October of 2018.

There was surprising amount of action in this story and I loved the descriptions of baking and magic. I enjoyed the world created here and the characters in it.

The book is well written and engaging and makes for a fun and cute read.

There are a lot of unanswered mysteries at the end of this first book; especially around the Shields that protect the witches and how their contracts are enforced. I am hoping some of that will be explained more in upcoming books.

Overall this was a cute, fun, and quick read about a world where witches are real and specialize in very specific areas. I loved all the baking magic, the fun characters, and the light tone to this book. If you are looking for a fun and light paranormal YA read then I would definitely recommend this book. I plan on continuing with the series.

*Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a review*

Publisher's Summary:
Anise Wise loves three things: baking, potion making, and reading her spellbooks in blissful silence. She might not be the most powerful witch, but enchantment is a rare skill, and her ability to bake with magic is even rarer. Too bad no one wants witchcraft on their campus. Anise’s dream of attending pastry school crumbles with rejection letter after rejection letter.

Desperate to escape her dead-end future, Anise contacts the long-lost relative she’s not supposed to know about. Great Aunt Agatha owns the only magic bakery in the US, and she suddenly needs a new apprentice. Anise is so excited she books it to New Mexico without thinking to ask what happened to the last girl.

The Spellwork Syndicate rules the local witches in Taos, but as “accidents” turn into full-out attacks on Anise’s life, their promises to keep her safe are less and less reassuring. Her cranky bodyguard is doing his best, but it’s hard to fight back when she has no idea who’s the enemy. Or why she became their target.

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Deadly Sweet is a fun read with wide appeal for more just a YA audience. Anise is a hoot and I have a feeling that she is going to end up far more powerful than even she realizes now. It is more than apparent that her mother has hidden a lot about her heritage from her and that subsequent books will explore this.

I enjoyed the almost cozy food mystery aspect to Anise's love of baking. The concept of working spells into pastry reminded me of one of my Sarah Michelle Gellar favs Simply Irresistible. Dodge does well as building an interesting world centered around its own magical rules as well as incorporate a fair number of memorable characters in addition to her female protagonist. Great Aunt Agatha is intriguing as are the other adults and I enjoyed Anise's new friendships forged with girls with their own unique talents.

Fans of a good angsty romance will like Wynn, Anise's grumpy bodyguard. I adored their hate-hate relationship. I'm sure there is a good reason why he remains to distant but I can't blame him for being annoyed with some of Anise's choices. They have great, snarky dialogue exchanges but my predictions following the events of this first book it that smoochies are definitely in their future.

Overall, they mystery element kept me engaged but I found the villain a bit predictable and lacking dept. The whole reasoning for all the mayhem did not quite dazzle me but I think it is perfect for a target teen audience.

Final rating: 4 out of 5 stars

This came off as a quick cheesy read, there is nothing wrong with those I enjoy them quite a lot. I was so completely wrong though. This book had ups, downs, sideways, and any other way you can think of. The idea that Lola Dodge got to put witches into "groups" (i.e. cooking, death, herbs, jewelry, etc) is simply amazing. She kept the story line going while keeping you interested in the side characters. I actually read the entire book in one night and went looking for more books in the series only to find out it will not be out till October. That was a major sad face.

This book (Deadly Sweet (The Spellwork Syndicate Series #1)) will keep you reading and hungry for more. I have not read any other series or book by Lola Dodge but I can assure you that she is now added to my favorite author list. Even if the description doesn't sound like something you would read, I would give it a chance. It really is quite good and the characters are very well developed along with the story line.

One other thing? If you read this let me know if you figured out who the villain was before Lola Dodge tells you. I almost missed my guess (by two pages) and I am curious if I was just off on my clues or if Lola Dodge is that good.

Told from a first POV of a young witch name Anise (such a great name), I was introduced into a whole new world of magic, of witches and of weirdness. Like in all other witch stories, Anise has a problem with mortals. Though it is a general knowledge that witches exist, still she can't just be who she is. She's misunderstood, along with the whole population, to put it lightly. But all she wanted is to study culinary and then succeed in it. But rejection after rejection of college applications, she turned to the person she should be associated with - her great aunt, Agatha Wise and is owner of the most magical bakeshop in the world. As if fated, Agatha needs an assistant, and so Anise went to her after a little mishap with mortals. Now here comes the magical world. Taos, New Mexico, where witches live - peacefully? Arriving in the bakeshop, her Aunt tested her skill and said she's not on the level she wants her to be so she got to go to school. Seemed like a dream come true, right? But no, bad, mysterious, dangerous things start to happen. Anise also learned about the disappearance of the previous apprentice. Suddenly, her life is in danger and achieving her dream is not really that easy. Like always in her life.


Though I enjoyed reading this and found that I love many aspects of the book, there is always an annoying BUT in the tip of my tongue.

I love the MC Anise she seems really cool and definitely not a quitter.
BUT sometimes, I do see her as weak and lame. I don't actually know how to explain this better. All I can say is that, she was too uninformed about many things in the book, maybe it added to the mystery of the whole but Anise is not doing anything about NOT-KNOWING. Like accepting that she has a bodyguard, yeah, she somehow complained a little but that's it. And when others don't allow her to know more about the situation, she didn't repulse or something. AND SHE has the right. Even after several danger happened to her, she's still uninformed about many things. That makes her seemed controlled. A character should be the one in control of the story/plot not the other way around. That makes that character weak and lame as she just get along with the things happening in the book.

I love the characters, most of them seemed believable and this is a magical story so that's a plus point. BUT I also find them cliche or stereotyped. (Shame on you Steff)

I love the world/magic. The idea was just brilliant and has really huge potential. I mean in Anise's world, the witches and magic are somehow legal. Not totally accepted but legal. BUT even though there are many interesting aspects of the magic, upon finishing the book, I still don't understand the foundation of the it that the author is trying to introduce to me. There is this vortex that not everyone can get near and God knows why. And the magical, useful jewels. How do they work exactly and how are they made?

Maybe I just missed that part.

And the Shields and Servants and Hands. If they were explained more , maybe the foundation of the Anise's world aren't filled with plot holes in my mind. For example, they get to bake sweets with magic and people just eat them? Ahm, no. Is it safe, really?

I just really wish Anise could be more curious about everything so I, the reader, know more. But no, like I said, Anise seems to just accept everything and ask less because that's what people told her. I know she's still naive and new, and inexperienced but still. In the end there was no definite character development too.

I'm still gonna read the next book but hopefully I get more than I get from this first instalment. I guess the main problem here is the MC. She lacked the will of real heroine. I'm not saying that all heroines should all be strong but this is told in her POV, so everything that the readers know depends on what she says and how she acts. If she would've been more driven to know about everything, maybe there will be no plot holes, maybe I already understand the foundation of magic, maybe I'd be more excited the next book because I already know the world I'm jumping in. Like I said, she just get along.

Overall, I still recommend this book especially to those who love baking (because there's too much of that in here). Also this is a clean YA, so definitely recommendable to younger YAs.

Thank you for reading until here. :)

I really liked the premise for Deadly Sweet, but the story felt hollow. The synopsis makes it seem like Anise has this incredibly rare gift, but the book doesn't elaborate on that at all. She can bake spells into food, so that's cool, but why is that an uncommon power? Why is it so unusual in a town full of magical people?

The blurb is also misleading. She "books it to New Mexico," but it's not solely because she's excited about being an apprentice. Also, the reasons behind her leaving town are never resolved, and it isn't an issue that can be overlooked. Did her mother meddle with minds... I have no idea what happened there. Additionally, she left "without thinking to ask what happened to the last girl," but she didn't even know there was another girl to ask about!

Do not get me started on her "bodyguard," or whatever the hell he is. He has a contract with her, or Agatha, maybe the Syndicate... I'm not sure. It's obvious he doesn't want to be there, and his gruff attitude gets pretty old. The author doesn't even drop hints about him and where he came from, or why he's determined to protect Anise with his life. Everything felt unfinished. I know this was the first book in a series, but all of the characters were very blah. There wasn't anything special that made them stand out.

I am aware this was an advanced copy, but it was difficult to read through at times. There were a few paragraphs I had to skip over because I wasn't sure what the author was trying to say. Major plot holes, too. Characters would start off one way and then be something else by the end, or we would see someone for a few chapters and then poof.

The story had some compelling aspects, and I really liked the overall concept, but a lot of the magic didn't make sense. I wanted to know more about the vortex in Taos and all of the individual characters, but I felt like I was reading an outline--a lot of potential and very little detail.

All Anise Wise wants is to be a great baker. Anise is a witch who puts a little magic into her baking. Her dream is to go to college and learn to bake and then one day maybe own her own bakery. But with every rejection letter from the colleges she has applied for it doesn’t look like her dreams are going to be coming true.

After an accident in her home town leaves her with no option but to leave town Anise hits it off luckily when she receives an offer from her great aunt Agatha Wise to be her apprentice in her bakery.

Upon arriving at her aunt’s bakery she learns that Agatha’s last apprentice is missing or dead and Anise could be next on the killers list. Why is someone going around knocking off bakery apprentice?

Deadly Sweet was a fast great little read that will keep you turning the pages trying to figure out whodunit. Not to mention all the magical sweets she was always baking sounded so delicious I was like oh I got to have me some of that. The sweets is not the only thing that sounded delicious a couple of guys did as well. Deadly Sweet is filled with lots of twist and turns with a whole lot of mystery thrown in.

I would recommend Deadly Sweet to anyone who loves a good witchy mystery. I can’t wait to check out the next book in the series Sugar Spells.

Rating: 5 Cherry Pies

Deadly Sweet is about baking, witches, and everything in between. Anise loves to bake and using her magic in it but being a witch is a bit hard outside of certain areas where you have to hide what you are. So when Anise ends up with a chance to study under a long-lost relative who owns the only magic bakery in the US, she is more than excited for the chance. Upon arriving for her dream apprenticeship she learns that it won't be as simple as she thought. She has lots to learn from pastry school and oh yeah the last apprentice went missing under mysterious circumstances and there may or may not be a reason for her to have a full time security detail. But for a dream job what's a little danger?

This book appealed to me on so many levels. First witches and intrigue are always fun but when you add in baking….magical baking. I'm all for it. I love to bake and as I read I may or may not have wrote down some new treats I want to try in the near future. Also the kitchens described may or may not have stirred up a lot of kitchen envy as well. There is a clear love for baking in the writing which comes through vividly and made me connect to Anise. She wants this with all that she is and is willing to go through hell to make it happen.

Aside from making me hungry and itch to bake (and seriously step up my decorating game) I enjoyed the way magic was woven in. There are different types and levels to work with. I loved how the little things could impact the overall product. There are still many questions to uncover in this world for sure but it is so full and vibrant. I love the contrast from growing up moving around to keep their secret and the open town that everyone human and witch are out and about normal as breathing. I loved seeing Anise adjust from one norm to another and what being open meant for her not only as a witch but as a teenager. To be yourself and be able to make friends, honest friends, was amazing. A little assassination attempt here or there is hardly worth giving that up.

The characters really lit up the page. I could see Wynn scowling even before I read it after a few encounters. He is very…mysterious. There is a lot more I want to know about Wynn and what drives him; more about Shields in general as the series continues but still as little as he said I totally feel I know him. Same could be said for her new friends and the other ladies of the Syndicate. It is a small town vibe to it and I enjoyed the way Anise was both welcomed in and accepted while on the same side thinking they know you based on the family name. I found that very true of a small town.

Overall this is a great start to a new series and I will be adding it to my auto-buy list for sure because I need to know what happens next. So much has happened in one book but there are so many characters and stories to explore yet. Power to be learned and many many more goodies to be baked! I highly recommend this book…and maybe something for the sweet tooth this will activate!

This book is extremely engaging and of interest to adults as well as young adults. The character and world-building is excellent. It is definitely fantasy, but has a bit of a cozy mystery feel to it too. I was pleasantly surprised by it. I'd definitely read the next in the series and I can highly recommend this one to readers of the genre.