A fun beginning to the Evenfall Witches B&B series. I love that Nora is so spicy and doesn't take crap from anyone. I love that Brynn finds her way back to her magic by the end of the story (although I already knew this because I read When the Crow's Away first). I am hopeful that Auralee Wallace will write a third book in the series as I love the mixture of paranormal and cozy mystery.

I am a huge fan of cozy mysteries, and there is nothing I love more than a cozy with a dash of magic! In the Company of Witches by Auralee Wallace was a great little story that had an ending I didn't see coming and plenty of emotion thanks to the loss of Brynn's husband and her reluctance to do magic again. It was a really fun cast of characters, and I couldn't help but love all of the Warren women. And of course, no cozy would be complete without animals, and this book features not only a cat and a crow but some toads (one of my favorites) as well! I actually enjoyed this one so much that I already checked out the second book from the library and will be reading it soon.

It is also important to note the audiobook was fantastic, and I was happy to see Cassidy Brown will be narrating the next book (When the Crow's Away) as well. And based on her lovely narration for In the Company of Witches, hopefully, all the rest to come! She was great to listen to and was the perfect person to be the voice of Brynn. The audio is actually a little over 10 hours long, but this book felt so much shorter, and I had no issues listening to it in a couple of days. There is a lot going on and the pacing moves nice and quick. If you are a fan of cozy mysteries and magic, you really can’t go wrong with picking this up.

This adorable little cozy mystery is perfect for the spooky season and will keep you entertained and intrigued until the very end. I loved trying to guess the plot in the story in the culprit and overall had a great time reading it I would highly recommend this if you’re into cozy mysteries of any sort and want a quick escape from the real world.

4.5 Stars — If you loved the aunts in Practical Magic and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, I highly recommend you give this new magical cozy mystery series a try. There's also a curious uncle who reminds me a bit of "we don't talk about" Bruno who adds to the fun.

Brynn, their niece, has been unable to use her witchy powers of communicating with ghosts ever since her husband died. Somehow Brynn needs to get her witchery back to help Aunt Nora when she's accused of murdering a guest in their New England B&B.

I enjoyed the spirited characters and their dynamics and witty banter. The murder mystery was complex and fast paced, and I enjoyed how the family's magical powers helped with the investigation. There are additional layers of emotion and family drama that give the story extra depth. I'm excited to see this series continue!

Cozy mystery that felt reminiscent of Practical Magic mixed with Sabrina The Teenage Witch.

Small town feels, with a picture perfect B&B minus the death of one of their guests!

Oh, how I love a cozy mystery! Then you add into the mix a bit of magic and witchcraft?!?! Wallace delivered superb storytelling in this first book in the Evenfall Witches B&B Mystery Series. I loved the characters, the plot, the pace, and pretty much everything about it. This book is truly just as entertaining as I hoped it would be.

I love a fun cozy mystery and this one is simply perfect for the witchy season - the setting is in the New England town of Evenfall where for over four hundred years, the Warren witches have low-keyed used their magic to help the townsfolk. All is great until a local dies and fingers point to Nora, one of the Warren witches. I really enjoyed this magical cozy for a riveting mystery, magic, and murder. I loved the characters, the setting, and determining the whodunnit, with the help of some supernatural to solve this case. This was a fun start of the series and I cannot wait to read the next book in this series.

I absolutely love cozy mysteries and this one was a great one, great read. Can't wait for more by Auralee Wallace. Witchy goodness.

This is the first installment in the Evenfall Witches B&B series by Auralee Wallace!

Brynn comes from a long line of witches, the Warren witches in fact. Her ancestors have used their magic for good to help the citizens of Evenfall for the last 400 years. Brynn, along with her two aunts, maintain the town’s Bed and Breakfast. When a guest turns up dead and Brynn’s Aunt Nora looks to be the main suspect, Nora can’t ignore the fact that she must help prove her innocence.

Since the death of her husband, Nora hasn’t used her powers and doesn’t think she can still do what her powers call her to do. Will she be able to break through and use her powers to prove that her family is not to blame for this murder?

What I great first book in this new cozy mystery series! I can’t wait to continue on. Looking for a fun Halloween/Witchy mystery for your October TBR? Look no further!

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in an exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Ivywood Hollow B&B is lovely victorian home while Constance's Graves house, while being nearly a mirrow of Ivywood, is creepy and dilapidated. The homes provide great settings for the story to unfold. Small town Evenfall sees its residents picking sides with either the Warrens or the Graves family as the finger points to Nora. This does feel like a small town indeed.

The mystery is well done and unfolds amid Brynn dealing with her grief and anger over never getting to see her husband's ghost to say goodbye, and Nora's stubborness digging her hole deeper. Brynn's investigation moves forward as tensions rise in town. Everything happening keeps the pages turning.

The killer confrontation was simple but effective and showed the Warrens sticking together. The wrap-up was touching and bittersweet.

My thoughts: There is a subtly presented drama about family and the difference between a supportive and nurturing family verses destructive interpersonal problems. This gave the cozy a bit more depth, along with Brynn dealing with her grief, without becoming too serious. The witchy aspects are more like a lighter version of the movie "Practical Magic" if you removed the scary haunting. This is a great example of the character driven cozy mystery. It's a delightful and well written story that demonstrates cozy mysteries are developing into a genre with more to contribute than solely a fun read.

I've been recommending this one left and right all autumn (including in a Book Riot round-up)—probably the best cozy I've read this year. This book nails fall vibes just right and reminded me of Practical Magic. Loved the witch aunts. Such a fun book and can't wait for the sequel.

Auralee Wallace has begun the Evenfall Witches B&B mysteries with In The Company of Witches. The Warren witches try to help the New England community Evenfall. However, things have gone sideways as one of them is suspected of murdering a local staying at their B&B and Brynn Warren's powers have not worked right since the death of her husband. How all gets resolved is a tale best read.

After a month of thrills and chills, this is a wonderful cozy mystery to read to end October and through the rest of Autumn. This is the first of a new mystery series and I look forward to learning more about the history of the Warren witches.

This story was told through the eyes of Brynn, who is grieving the death of her husband and struggling to move forward but also has the loving support of her aunts and others in the town. The characters of the three witches are fun and unique and I look forward to learning more about each of them.

The mystery plot was well crafted with layers and twists hard to see coming and solved through old-fashioned detective work with a touch of magic.

I love the witchy theme and the protagonists in this one! The setting was lovely in Evenfall New England, and the incorporation of magic was great. The mystery was fun and well paced.

This is a truly atmospheric read. It's a reminiscent mix of Practical Magic and Sabrina the Teenage Witch. It's a quirky murder mystery filled with heart. You hear a lot about cozy Christmas/winter reads, but this one has all of the elements for the perfect cozy Halloween/fall read. It has the small New England town, the whimsical witchy characters, and the mysterious murder plot.
Each main character has a specific magical power and their dynamics are great. Aunt Nora is sarcastic and fiery. Aunt Izzy is loving but no less powerful. (Major Franny & Jet Owens vibes). We also really liked their niece Brynn. She is spearheading the fight for her aunt's innocence. Her power? Seeing and talking to spirits. So now there's ghosts and witches. I loved the paranormal elements.
This is the first in an upcoming series and I can't wait to learn more about this engaging magical family.
Thank you NetGalley and Berkeley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

In the Company of Witches by Auralee Wallace is the first book in the new paranormal cozy Evenfall Witches B&B mystery series. As with most cozy mystery series each book in this series will feature it’s own mystery to be solved within so they can be read as a standalone or in any order if choosing to do so. There is character development that will carry over from book to book for those that follow the series from the beginning.

Brynn Warren comes from the long line of Warren witches who have been in Evenfall, Connecticut for the last four hundred years. Brynn helps run her family bed and breakfast with her two aunts who of course also practice witchcraft. Brynn though has decided that after the death of the love of her life that she will give up her magic but has yet to tell her aunts.

The trio are now dealing with a very demanding guest, Constance Graves, at their B&B. Constance had rented out the entire B&B during her stay while she has work done on her own home in town but Brynn and her aunts are beginning to wonder if they made a mistake letting her stay. However, when a thump comes from Constance’s room and the ladies find her dead they really regret the choice as Brynn’s aunt becomes a suspect in what seems to be Constance’s murder.

As a huge fan of all different types of books and really a fan of mixing genres in my reading I knew I had to try this new series when I saw In the Company of Witches by Auralee Wallace. What we have here is your normal cozy mystery taken in the paranormal direction with the characters being witches. This of course gave a whole new avenue to the ‘sleuthing’ you would normally have in a cozy with some nice spells to help along the way. After really enjoying this opener with these new characters I will definitely be interested in coming back for round two to see what the ladies conjure up next.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

IN THE COMPANY OF WITCHES was entirely too cute, and too heartfelt, and too honest about the nature of grief and I would like to know who I file a complaint with about the damage to my emotions. I never thought I'd get my start in cozy mysteries through what was basically thinly (very thinly) veiled The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina fanfiction, but here we are. And for the record, I am not complaining. I was delighted!

Like most cozy murder mysteries, the stakes are only so high as the interpersonal relationships between characters are of greater importance. ITCoW is as much about Brynn learning to live with the grief of having lost her husband as it is about discovering who murdered poor Constance Graves. But that's what gives the book its heart! We all know that Brynn is going to find the murderer, that's a given! And readers will of course try their hand at rooting out the villain from the midst of the significant secondary cast of characters. But because we know a reveal that the end is a sure thing, we're able to invest our energy into Brynn, and her journey.

I guess all this is to say that, ITCOW is delightful. Established cozy mystery fans will love it, and new readers interested in trying the genre on for size - particularly those coming from a fantasy background - will find the first of the Evenfall Witches B&B books to be a highly enjoyable introduction.

**3.5-stars rounded up**

In the Company of Witches, the first book in Auralee Wallace's new Evenfall Witches series, is the Practical Magic of Cozy Mysteries. A delightful series starter!!

After the tragic loss of her husband, Brynn Warren moves into the B&B owned by her Aunts, Nora and Izzy, ostensibly to help them run the place. Warren women have been a staple of the small town of Evenfall for over four hundred years. Although there are whisperings of them being witches, the townsfolk don't actually have any proof of that.

When a local woman, staying at the B&B while her home undergoes some renovations, is found dead, the Warren women are thrown for a loop. Not only is it upsetting that Constance Graves died inside their home, but it seems Nora is now the authorities number one suspect. That's right, they suspect foul play. Constance was murdered.

Further, you know those suspicions the townsfolk have about the Warrens? Yeah, they're true. Brynn is a witch of the dead, meaning she can commune with ghosts. In order to clear her Aunt's name, she may need to contact Constance's ghost and find out what really happened to her.

Unfortunately, since her husband passed, Brynn has had a really hard time using her powers. Thus, a bit of old fashioned investigation will have to be incorporated into her mission to help Nora. Brynn discovers a whole host of family secrets and drama as she dives into Constance's past in order to figure out who would have had the motive to kill her.

Y'all, this was a great start to an all new Cozy series. I really enjoyed getting to know Brynn, Nora, Izzy, Gideon and all the other citizens of Evenfall. I find with Cozies, the longer the series goes on, the more attached you get to the characters and place. I have no doubt this series will be the same.

The next book, When the Crow's Away, is expected to be published in April 2022. I cannot wait to get my hands on it. Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

If you love Cozy Mysteries, or Witchy stories, you absolutely should check this one out. Pure fun from beginning to end.

<img src="https://media.giphy.com/media/l3lrdvnLbHMXx10utt/giphy.gif"/>

It’s highly possible that In The Company Of Witches by Auralee Wallace may have converted me into becoming a fan of the cozy mystery genre. You see, I don’t typically pick that genre up. However, the whole witches theme caught my interest. So, I gave In The Company of Witches a shot. And I just genuinely loved it. I found this series starter to be a comforting, low stress read. And well, given how stressful my life is right now, give me all the chill laid back reads please.

Brynn Warren and her two aunts run a bed and breakfast in the town of Evenfall. The three women — plus Brynn’s uncle — are witches. One day a guest dies while at the inn. Foul play is suspected. It is up to Brynn and her aunts to get to the bottom of what happened. Brynn has a magic that allows her to speak with the dead, briefly. However, she has not accessed that magic since her husband died. Now all her magic is building up without having been used. Things are about to go a little haywire. Also, Brynn is going to discover some of the guest – Constance’s family secrets – which are quite messy.

I am sure that this book had all the hallmarks of a cozy mystery. However, those hallmarks are new to me and I am not sure if every book in the genre has them. There was the setting – a small town with some eccentric characters. Then we’ve got Brynn’s aunts who are actively involved. I felt no stress while reading this book, but I also wasn’t bored. If this is what I can come to expect from cozy mysteries then I am so thankful for In The Company Of Witches by Auralee Wallace for opening my eyes to a whole new genre that just might fight this current season of life for me.

A great start to a new paranormal cozy series. This mystery centered around witches, ghosts and plenty of enchanting moments.

Taking place in Autumn, there are numerous descriptions that perfectly captured what I love most about this time of year. I'm a huge fan of paranormal stories as well and this added such a fun and entertaining twist to the storyline. The crazy aunts, the rumored speculations around town about the peculiar Warren women and the moments of delightful magic kept me smiling throughout the entire book. One of my all time favorite witchy movies is Practical Magic and so many parts of this story remind me of the beloved characters from that one.

"It's okay to feel confused. It's okay to feel lost. It's okay to feel."

As with many cozies, this series starts with a main character who is trying to overcome the sudden death of her spouse. What makes this story unique is that I truly believed Brynn's sorrow and felt extra empathy for how it effected her special ability. She has the gift of being able to communicate with the deceased and pass along one final message to their loved one. This became such a beautiful and touching part of the story that offered many reflective quotes and moments. It ended with one of the most wonderful scenes as well. One that made me smile since I often take notice of all of the pretty insects who constantly flutter around me when I'm outside.

The mystery was just as captivating. It centered around an unresolved family feud and years of pent up resentfulness. I figured out the main culprit, but enjoyed piecing together all of the clues, reasoning and drama along the way. I especially liked how the victim continued to play a role throughout the entire story.

The side cast truly was incredible. The aunts are a non-stop riot and sweet uncle Gideon is easily likeable. Mr. Henderson and Nixie's obsession with finding proof of magic was just as entertaining as well. I cant wait to see how this series develops and will be on the lookout for the sequel, When the Crow's Away!