A Hex for Danger is a good follow up to A Spell for Trouble. The author and her protagonist are finding their footing in this new, cozy magic filled world. I still believe Alex to be rather naïve. The incorporation of more mythology is interesting for future books.

I enjoyed this audiobook. I liked the narrator. The mystery was entertaining and I look forward to what happens with the MC. I also want to know what happened to the MC's mother.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eAudiobook.

Unfortunately, this was a miss for me. The vibes were on point, and I actually liked the kind of cheesy old school paranormal mystery style, but I struggled with the audiobook narrator, and the writing didn't do it for me. I think I'm in the minority opinion, though!

Happy pub day to A Hex for Danger by Esme Addison, book 2 of the Enchanted Bay mystery series.. Thank you to Dreamscape Media/Crooked Lane Books for my ALC!

Genre: cozy mystery
Do I need to read book 1 first?: It's not 100% essential, but since book 1 gives a lot of information about Alex's family background, I'd recommend starting with that one.

Bellamy Bay is a coastal NC town like any other - except for the mermaids. Alex and her family are descended from a long line of mermaids, and their shop Botanika contains more than a little bit of magic. When muralist Neve comes to town to paint and winds up dead, Alex's friend and fellow mermaid Celeste is implicated. Can Alex help prove her innocence?

This book was a lovely treat injecting fantasy into the cozy mystery genre. Alex is still working on her powers and learning more about her past, and I loved following her journey. As in the first book, the mystery was compelling, with plenty of red herrings and suspects for Alex to investigate. I also really enjoyed the narration - Emily Durante's voice is smooth and easy to listen to. She did a good job adapting her voice to the various characters' accents.

If you're looking for a cozy mystery with a twist, definitely give this series a try!

Alex is back again in Bellamy Bay with another mystery to solve. This time, the victim is an artist brought in to do a mural for the upcoming Mermaid Festival. She is found dead after finishing the mural. Jack is not at all happy about Alex trying to solve the mystery. However Alex is not about to stop when her friend Celeste is the presumed killer. Enlisting the help of her friends and family, Alex puts herself in danger to try to free Celeste from accusation.
Opinion
This is yet another winner from Esme Addison. Addison has crafted an awesome mystery. Ms. Addison has such a flair for creating new and fun characters. The story was epic. It is the perfect summer read, intriguing and stimulating without being gory.
Perhaps my favorite part was the addition of local (to NC) foods. Being a NC resident, I enjoyed the mention of some of my favorites you can't get anywhere else. I will have to say that the Carolina hot dog style is also good on a hamburger and if you are at the right Wendy's, you can get it off the menu.
I listened to the audiobook. The different voices for each character were top notch. Tone and inflection used helped to enhance the story. Great job to Emily Durante1
I find myself fortunate that I read the first book as it came out and was able to get an ARC of this second book. I know that I have a favorite series with Alex and Esme Addison.
Many thanks to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC of this audiobook.

I couldn’t finish this because of the narration. The narrator spoke like a teenager whenever there was dialogue. Made me crazy
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the audiobook preview

I have read several books that try and blend fantasy and cozy mystery and most of the time it falls short. This book was not one of those. The fantasy and mystery melded so perfectly and I really enjoyed the fantasy elements as well as the mystery.
The characters as well all felt so bright and real. They weren't all likeable but in a good way. They felt like real people stuck in this weird fantastical town and these bizarre events. It was all just such a good time. I felt like this may be a new favorite cozy mystery series.

When I moved away from chick lit I turned to cozy mysteries for light, funny reads to balance the darker stories I was reading. I usually only read paranormal cozy in October but when I saw A Hex for Danger I thought what better time than summer for a story with a bit of mermaid lore.

This is the first book I've read with mermaids (not counting Harry Potter since merpeople were a minor character). This isn't like the movie Splash starring Tom Hanks (I know I just dated myself). None of the characters actually shift between human and mermaid. Instead, it is a genetic mutation that is carried by people who are descended from mermaids.

There is quite a bit of mermaid lore that is focused around the mermaid of Warsaw. But other mythologies are also brought in, like Thor's hammer and the Greek gods. So if you like mythology then you will like this book.

A Hex for Danger is book 2 in the Enchanted Bay Mysteries series so there is still some setting up of this universe and establishing the characters. However, I was a bit disappointed with all the explanations of this magical world in the last hour of the book. The mystery was wrapped up but then the story is dragged out - yes it reveals some things brought up in the story and sets up an overarching plotline, but I think it could have been incorporated better. It was almost like a short story on its own.

Speaking of length, this is one of the longer cozy mysteries I have listened to. Most are under 8 hours but A Hex for Danger is almost ten and a half hours long.

Emily Durante does a great job as narrator. I could hear the different characters and easily distinguish between them.

As the series is set in North Carolina, it would be a fun audiobook for a beach trip to the Outer Banks - though I enjoyed it just as well while washing dishes.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Tuesday, July 13 - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2021/07/6-audiobooks-for-your-summer-listening.html

#CozyUpTo2021

We start book two in Bellamy Bay with Alex finally settled in after her move to the Bay in book one. Celeste is on the one in hot water this time, as Celeste was last seen arguing with boyfriend, Jasper, about Neve’s closeness to Jasper. Neve is then found murdered. Let the games begin as Alex refuses to believe her bestie is the murderer and swears to find the truth and save her name!

I love this entire community. It’s so unique and fun. I did love that we got to dive deeper (no pun intended) into the history of mermaids and how they ended up in Bellamy Bay! Also, really just enjoyed the history of BB itself. So neat. Y’all, we also, wait for it, get dragons. It was so magically perfect. Emily Durante narrates this book, just as A Spell For Trouble, which just feels right. I feel like I just picked up right where I left off, and there wasn’t any confusion or gaps I needed to fill. I love the audio!

I know many of y’all know of my love for cozies, but I can confidentially say, it was reignited after listening to the first of this series, A Spell for Trouble. I squealed hearing there was a sequel, and that dreamscape provided me the gifted audio. With each book, my love for this series grows and grows. I don’t know if it’s the mystical aspect of mermaids, or just the unity of family with amazing history and backstory, or just the fascinating shop of the apothecary, whatever it may be, An Enchanted Bay Mystery will always be a series I will continue to read as long as Esme Addison keeps writing them!


Thank you @dreamscape and crooked lane books for the gifted copy! It’s such a wonderful series that I feel like anyone who wants to start a cozy should try! A Hex for Danger is out Tuesday, the 13th!

#AndThatsTheWayTheCozyCrumbles

The second installment in the An Enchanted Bay Mystery series, was a lovely follow up to the first series book, which I enjoyed as well last year. This paranormal cozy mystery included magical elements of the protagonist's Alex mermaid heritage and you get to also learn more about Alex’s past, new other magical beings who are residing in Bellamy Bay and why she is so drawn to the mysterious childhood friend.

While I felt there were a few slow parts in the story, overall, the narrator was great at telling us this tale that had intrigue, history, great red herrings and of course, mystery.

Thank you Dreamscape Media for the advanced listener’s copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A Hex for Danger is the second book in the Enchanted Bay Mystery series by Esme Addison. The title of this book promises danger and the cover a German Shepherd. There are moments of danger, and the dog shows up a few times to get a pat from the main character, Aleksandra Daniels. However, readers should not expect high tension or interactions with a specially talented animal. Neither is in this audiobook.

The fantasy world built in Bellamy Bay has promise but gets muddled among a mix of mermaids, witchcraft, mythical gods and goddesses, mythical creatures, mythical weapons, and mind control. The heroine doesn’t know the extent of her magic but that doesn’t stop her from feeling she has a right to interfere in police business. and go around questioning all the locals.

Emily Durante has a lovely voice as the narrator and does reasonably well with the material she is given to work with. The writing has a light tone even during moments that should be high tension. I was reminded of chic lit with descriptions of everyone’s outfits, and how great they look. There are multiple scenes about gourmet food and how well the characters prepare meals. There are also scenes about the use of herbs and essences to make soothing bathes and special candles.

The writing style didn’t work for me, and I found the story boring during most of scenes. There was a lack of description regarding the characters’ gestures and mannerisms and a lack of emotional tension. If characters get breathless and gasp a lot, the writer is lacking skill in portraying realistic human emotions. The descriptions of Alex’s love life lacked depth of feeling and passion. One passionate moment was described as, “A kiss that lasted a very, very long time.”

Esme Addison does shine in story plotting. This story has some very intriguing plot twists and surprises. The conclusion is interesting and should be quite satisfying and would be except for the lack of suspense and tension due to the writing style. During action scenes, the main character slows the pace by thinking and explaining her actions instead of just doing them.

If readers are interested in light-hearted, chic lit, fantasies I think this book will be an enjoyable find. I prefer more “meat on the bones,” so I rate this one 3 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for my ARC Audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This is officially my favorite Cozy Mystery Series to date! Esme Addison is a wonderful writer and has created both delightful, well-developed characters and an enchanting world for readers to indulge in. I read the first book in the series and now the second in a two-day time span... I couldn't put them down! The Paranormal trope is executed perfectly, in fact, that's what I find so enthralling about this series. It's obvious that the author has done her research and put great effort into the fascinating world she's created. I wish I could take a weekend trip to this charming seaside town, stay at the Bed and Breakfast, grab a turmeric latte at Coffee o'clock and spend the afternoon learning about herbal remedies at Botanika.

In A Hex For Danger, we are back in Bellamy Bay where Alex and her family are beginning preparations for the annual Mermaid Festival, this event comes tourists and a renowned artist developing a mural to commemorate the festival. When the friendly artist, Neve is found murdered, Alex is convinced that there's something deeper and darker going on than meets the eye. She soon falls back into the role of amateur detective and enlists the help of mundane town reporter and newfound friend, Pepper to head up an independent investigation and clear the name of her friend and fellow witch, Celeste. With International Espionage and black magic at play, the hunt for the culprit takes a multitude of unexpected turns and lands Alex in a predicament with a Mundane who's aware of her and her family's Magical abilities and threatens to tell the unsuspecting town that there are in fact, Mermaids and Witches living amongst them. Determined to find the killer and protect her friends and family, Alex stops at nothing to uncover the truth in this mystery full of twists that will keep you guessing until the very end!

The character development is authentically well done. We get to know Alex, her Aunt Lidia, and cousins Minka and Kamila to a greater degree and the supporting characters from book one are tied into this story in an effortless way. We come upon a better understanding of their Mermaid ancestors and how their powers came to be, with greater depth into the magic system and how it works, which is done in a superbly perceptive manner. The world-building is second to none, the Author does a flawless job of transporting the reader to the shores of Bellamy Bay and feeling as though they've enacted an invisibility spell, giving the ability to watch the story unfold in an up-close and personal way. I'm very much looking forward to the Alex-Jack-Dylan "love triangle" developing further, my fingers are crossed Alex comes to terms with her feelings for Dylan and takes a chance on their spellbinding connection. I highly recommend this magnificent and magical Cozy Mystery Series, it's such a fun read from beginning to end - you won't be disappointed!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC Audio Version of this book in exchange for an honest review!

In a quaint town with both the magical and mundane, Neve, a friendly new comer, ends up murdered. Neve knew about the magicals and Alex is convinced there is more behind her death.

This book was so fun! I adored the small town and close knit family aspect. I loved the addition of mermaids and dragons (magicals) all while having a murder to solve and a mystery to uncover. This was such a light hearted change of pace as far as mysteries go! Loved it from beginning to end!

I read the first book in this series because I was looking for a cozy mystery. I was so pleasantly surprised that it was more than just a "normal" cozy mystery. It had a nice twist on the traditional tropes and storyline. This book picks up not long after the first one, and it was really nice to jump back into Bellamy Bay and visit all the people we met in book 1. Alex, our main character, is not exactly in a love triangle, but it kind of is, and I don't usually like those in my books. Maybe because they are rarely done well. I feel like this one could be real and the choices that she's making are logical and could easily be the way someone would feel placed in her circumstances. In this book, she's still trying to find out where she fits in this new life she's discovered, and at the same time, trying to learn more about her heritage and who she really is. We get a lot more information about the magic system in this world, and how things work and even a few new magical creatures that we didn't know about in the first book. I love this world that Esme Addison has created and I'm definitely going to be looking out for book #3 when it comes out.

This is the second book in the series and another great read. The mythology of the Mermaid of Warsaw is continued in this book. along with other mythologies,with some emphasis on weapons like the Shield of the Mermaid of Warsaw, Thor's hammer, etc.. The history of Haitian-Poles was interesting.

I'm so glad I found this series! Water witches, my home state and Cheerwine....what more could a person ask for?

Great narration on this second book in the Enchanted Bay series from author Esme Addison! This bewitching cozy finds the reader once again in the fictional town of Bellamy Bay, North Carolina, where Alex Daniels is continuing to learn how to deal with the newly discovered fact that she (and many other residents of the town!) are mermaids! When artist Neve, in town to paint a mural for the Mermaid Festival, is found murdered, Alex investigates to find the culprit and return peace and calm to this lovely seaside town. A very fun read! A+

A very enjoyable performance. I thought the narrator did an excellent job with the male and female voices and I could see the characters as the story progressed, I was also very engaged in the mystery wanting to know what happened. I finished the audiobook over the course of two days.

This is the second book in the series. I loved finding out more about the characters and the story is amazing. The reader for this audiobook is so wonderful! I would highly recommend!

One thing that I love about cozy mysteries is that the answer is always there, but it's hidden in plain sight. Because of this, sometimes I can figure out who the murderer is, but usually I am surprised. However, the added elements of magic, which include improbable and unknowable disguises, as well as changes to the laws of the universe, mean that the mysteries don't feel accessible to solve because the reader doesn't have full insight into the magical world. Despite these drawbacks, Bellamy Bay is a perfect cozy mystery setting and the cast of characters is charming and relatable.