I enjoyed this book. It's completely different than a standard cozy mystery. I loved the way the magic is worked into the story. I liked the characters, thought they were well developed. I wasn't really surprised by who the bad guy was but the story kind of made that really clear. #ASpellforTrouble #NetGalley

When Alex Daniels resigns from her job as a risk assessor, she finds herself at a turning point in her life. Her father has passed away and she decides to accept an invitation to visit her Aunt Lidia and cousins in Bellamy Bay.
Alex never expected to discover that she is a water witch and she is soon caught up in a warring battle between the magical families who live there, who are determined to control the future of the Bay.
Sorry to say that the paranormal elements of this story did not work for me and I simply did not believe in these characters and their legacies. The men in particular were sketches and I found the extensive descriptions of the herbal remedies very repetitive and distracting.

Title: A Spell for Trouble (An Enchanted Bay Mystery Book One)

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books

Author: Esme Addison

Price: $26.99 (hc) / $12.99 (ebook)

Release Date: 12 May 2020

Aleksandra Daniels is back in Bellamy Bay. With the passing of her father, Alex has decided to seek out what little family she has left: her maternal aunt and her two cousins, whom she has not seen in twenty years. She had planned to spend only a week or two in North Carolina, helping her family with their holistic store -- but then her Aunt Lidia is accused of murder. And her family reveals a shocking history: they are descendants of the Mermaid of Warsaw. And, though they have lost they ability to shapeshift, they have retained their magical abilities. They are, simply, water witches .... Determined to prove her aunt's innocence and to learn more about her abilities, Alex opts to remain in Bellamy Bay. But the investigation takes twists and turns she never anticipated and, when she catches the eye of both Detective Jack Frazier and businessman/witch Dylan Wesley, Alex begins to wonder if she really wants to leave Bellamy Bay and return to New York after all ....

I am always on the look-out for new paranormal mysteries, especially cozy mysteries, so I was excited to download A Spell for Trouble. Overall, I enjoyed the book, but I was also left frustrated by several elements of the story.

First, I really like the characters. Alex is just the sort of character a reader can get behind: she's curious, ethical, and loyal. She doesn't let false starts and dead ends get her down; her is determined to prove Lidia's innocence, so matter what.

I also really like the unusual origin story for Alex and her family. I have never seen a paranormal story with witches who are descended from a mermaid. I'll be curious to see how Addison works mermaid lore (specifically that of the Mermaid of Warsaw) into future volumes. And, considering her relative magical strength, I wonder if Alex will be the witch to regain the ability to shapeshift.

The magic is also neat. As a water witch, Alex can control that element (and, I would guess, any fluid that contains water). She is also telepathic, able to silently communicate with other witches and overhear the thoughts of mundanes. Alex has been afraid of the ocean since her mother drowned when she was a child; but, as the story progresses, Alex begins to see its beauty and power, and I hope that relationship continues to evolve.

That being said ... cozy mysteries are a tricky thing to write. There has to be a good reason for the main character to be involved in a murder investigation. Alex does have a good reason; several actually, as she becomes convinced that a magic-user was responsible for the murder, and the mundane authorities will have no idea how to handle a magical crime.

That being said, Alex is not a very good amateur detective. She repeatedly goes down the wrong path, makes incorrect assumptions based on incomplete information, backtracks, starts again, and levels accusations based only on hunches instead of relevant evidence. I admired Alex' tenacity, but was frustrated by her constant missteps.

A Spell for Trouble is a fun first volume in a new cozy paranormal series. The characters are engaging and the mythology is unusual. Hopefully, Alex will improve as a detective in future volumes -- and she will make good choices when it comes to her love life.

Recommended to cozy mystery fans, and especially fans of Stephanie Burgis, Gretchen Galway, and Amanda Flowers.

This book was a revelation! I started reading it to pass the time and couldn’t put it down. The incredible backstory, the rich characters, the devious plot! I’m so excited to continue this series.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not paid for this review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy of this title in exchange for an honest review!

This is the first contemporary "cozy mystery" book I've read and it was a lovely introduction to the genre and a solid start to a new series! Esme Addison plunks the reader down into the charming, gossipy, and insular seaside town of Bellamy Bay, filled with a lively cast of characters. The mystery plot was intriguing, with several twists, and the undercurrent of....something special (no spoilers!)....added a fun element, which will hopefully be explored more in future books.

My only gripe was with the main character's inclination to form very fast friendships and romantic interests; it just seemed a bit odd for someone who described themselves as "risk-averse." Other than that, it was a very pleasant and engaging read!

What a great series. Alex comes back to her moms hometown with her dog Athens a German shepherd. Alex soon finds out the family secret and is so overwhelmed but then starts using her magic. Her aunt and cousins are also witches. When someone is murdered. Alex and minka start there own investigating. I recommend this book .

3.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest review. I love cozy mysteries with a magical twist so I requested this when I saw it. I enjoyed the story overall but it felt choppy in parts. The main character went from barely acknowledging magic to being quite powerful right at the end? It was rather abrupt. I will read the next in series to see if the characters flesh out more.

This was a nice wee read. It gave an interesting spin on the paranormal cozy mystery with these witches descending from mermaids.

Alongside the main mystery, a sub-plot of why Alex hadn’t returned to the bay for many years, added to character development and also made me want to read the next instalment.

For me the sign of a successful story is if I want to read another one. This one ticked that box for me.

I loved this book!!! The first in a new magical cozy mystery series by Esme Addison, the Enchanted Bay series. We follow Aleksandra Daniels as she returns to her childhood home, the seaside town of Bellamy Bay, North Carolina after decades away. Her father took her away from her cousins and aunt after her mother's death and now that he has passed she's returned to reconnect with her mother's family. Right aways she begins to hear rumors about her Aunt Lidia and cousins, that they are magical! She puts it off as gossip, related to them owning an apothecary shop, but soon realizes there is truth to the gossip. It turns out her family is a descendant of a magical mermaid!
When Alex's aunt is arrested for murder it's up to Alex to use the knowledge she has growing up as a police detective's daughter as well as her own newly discovered magic to try and clear her name. The investigation turns up more then just other suspects, she finds old friends, two potential love connections, near death experiences and lots and lots of magic related trouble.
Such a unique take on a magical cozy! I am obsessed with this series and can't wait for the next installment.

Witchy stories have been trending for awhile, but there are only a couple that I find consistently well=written with clever plots. Esme Addison has added another to my list with what I hope becomes a series. The characters and their backstory is unusual, with the oft-used herbalist trope nicely blended with a family history of mermaids with a nice touch of Polish culture.

Addison sets up future stories for the family as Alex learns more about her family, her mother, Bellamy Bay, and her own powers. Similar in tone to Juliet Blackwell's Lily Ivory series, this series promises to be just as fun and captivating.

I enjoyed this book. The characters were enjoyable and there is still so much to learn about them! Witches, mermaids, spells and murder make for a fun cozy to spend the afternoon reading.

I liked but didn't love this story. Aleksandra Daniels returns to her mother's hometown in North Carolina after her father dies. She reunites with the cousins and aunt she hasn't seen since she was little, before her mother died, and finds out her maternal family are all water witches from the Baltic Sea. Her aunt and cousin run an herbal apothecary and gift shop, kind of like Practical Magic. Alex's aunt gets in a fight with a local business man who turns up dead, and she's the main suspect when it turns out he was poisoned with a plant she has at home. As is typical, Alex tries to figure out who really did it and figures out what's going in behind the scenes in the witchy world of the town. There is a little too much real estate intrigue and not enough witchiness for my taste, however.
The family's Polish heritage is expressed in the food and their names and some words, which I liked and was a change of pace from the usual family background you see in books like this. The characters were fine, but I wanted more development of who they were as people, not just as Alex's cousins or aunt. Nobody got much characterization. The witch politics and the two families fueding could have been more interesting if revealed earlier and with more development. I will probably give this series another chance but am not sure I'll be in it for the long haul.

Well written witchy mystery. Great first book that introduces all the characters and has you waiting for the next installment. The family connections are very strong and keep you interested in what happens next. It will be interesting to see Alex’s magic evolve and to see if she solves her mother’s mystery.

I was thrilled to start this new series by a new author to me. The cover and snippet about it intrigued me, so I thought that I'd give it a chance. I'm so happy that I did. I find the characters in this book we're appealing and interesting. I can't wait to see how they develop with the series! It was an enjoyable read with just the right amount of mystery sprinkled with a bit of magic. I look forward to the next book in the series. I love that the characters were proud of their Polish ancestry and was interested in their relationships with one another. I wish they'd included the recipes for some of the food items that Aunt Lidia made. They sounded delicious!!

I would like to thank the author/publisher/Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I must say, the title is almost deceiving in the best way. Mermaids, witches, spells, and murder are the perfect concoction to brew up this completely enchanting story. This book is engaging, different, and gives you just enough so you get familiar with the characters without getting overloaded by the details. The mystery, all the twists, really grips you.

Picking up a new series by a new author is enough for me to give it a pass, at least until some reviews validate it. But for some reason, this appealed to me and I was happy that I took a chance on it.

Alexandra Daniels hasn't been back to visit her aunts in Bellamy Bay since her mother drowned there. Now that her father had passed away, she decided it was time to reconnect with family there. The family business is a herbal oasis of perfumes, salves and soaps that are strangely potent. And, Alexandra soon learns her family has some special talents, and so does she. When her aunt Lidia is arrested for the poisoning of one of her customers, Alex is compelled to figure out how to clear her aunt's name.

Characters are interesting with room to develop in further books. All in all, a charming and enjoyable read. I'm already anticipating the next one.

I wanted to like this book more than I did. I couldn't warm up to any of the characters and I felt the backstory wasn't told in full and I had questions. I did like the plot and the writing was good.

This was a sweet cosy mystery with a twist.

Alex has just left her high powered job in New York City and returned to her family in Bellamy Bay. Now that her parents have both passed, Alex's family consists of her aunty Lidia and cousins Minka and Kamila and they're so happy to have her return and to work in the family apothecary. But when one of their customers turns up dead after a fight with Aunty Lidia, Alex takes it upon herself to uncover the towns secrets and a few family ones at that.

I love the cosy mystery genre and the addition of an actual apothecary was so cool as thats not something you see everyday. The characters are sweet and it feels like everything could be hiding just a little something so it made for a great whodunnit. The setup, the family history and the supernatural elements of this story put it on the less believeable side of the genre for me but still made for a great, escapist read. I didn't pick the killer which is rare!

I found this, first in a new series, to be interesting with a wonderful plot line, a good mystery, and the characters engaging. I will look forward to reading more from this author. I received an e-book from NetGalley in return for an unbiased review.

The power of family drives this engaging introduction to Bellamy Bay with all it's twists and turns long the way to solving the mystery. Looking forward to reading more in this series.