Jennifer Chow has started Magical Fortune Cookie series with Ill-Fated Fortune in which Felicity Jin finds her talent for actual fortune cookies that foretell the future. Unfortunately one of her early fortunes predicts the death of a man who manufactures mass produced fortune cookies. Lots of twists and turns before the real murderer is found. A very nice touch is the rabbit pet Whiskers who just may be Moon Rabbit, the immortal companion of the Moon Goddess in Chinese mythology.. Chinese family magic for baking ebbs and flows with the Jin family comfort with their baking talents. Great cozy.

3.5/5⭐️
The first in a new cozy series centered on Felicity, who comes from a long line of women who infuse magic into their baking (really just like happiness). She thinks she can’t bake until she discovers she makes great fortune cookies. However, soon after this, one of her rivals ends up murdered behind their building. Felicity decides to investigate to make sure their business doesn’t suffer.

Overall, I thought this was a good debut for a cozy! I think it started out pretty slow, but I’m glad I kept with it because the second half was definitely more high-paced. I’m intrigued to see where Felicity goes next (in terms of mysteries) because I can see the series improving from here!

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

When I read the blurb for this new cozy series, I immediately snagged book 1 for review. It just sounded like such a magical and delightful premise. Felicity Jin grew up helping her mother run their magical bakery. She usually leaves the cooking to her mother who definitely has the magical baking skills. When Felicity tries her hand at baking fortune cookies things go all wrong....deadly wrong.

I loved the premise, the setting, the characters....this first book in the Magical Fortune Cookie series was just fun to read!

The pace was a little slow in this first book, but there was a lot of character and setting building that needed to happen! I'm totally on board for the next book!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from St. Martins Press. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

This was a great cozy mystery series, with a unique premise and plot!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

This was a cool start to a new magical series. Felicity Jin and her mom have owned a bakery in the small town of Pixie, CA. Felicity comes from a long line of women who infuse magic in to the food they bake. So far Felicity has been kind of a dud.

At the beginning of the story we learn that Felicity is just starting to come in to her magical baking, through fortune cookies, but is still working out the kinks. When a customer is found murdered behind the sho with one of Felicity’s fortunes, she becomes the prime suspect.

I loved the characters in this. Felicity’s best friend, Kelvin, her Godmother and her mom were the main characters. The book was a bit slow for me, but I am hopeful that as the series progresses, the pace will pick up a bit.

I liked Felicity’s curious, but not overly in your face nature and her love for her mom and their shop. The addition of the cute magical bunny who showed up on the doorstep was a great addition!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

An excellent addition to the magical cozy mystery family.

Jennifer Chow does a very good job at creating a story that follows all the necessity cozy mystery beats, while making it her own story.
And the magical baking is a lovely touch, and the reason I picked it up to begin with.

Would highly recommend to fans of magical and/paranormal cozies or anyone looking to read more cozies from different prescriptive.

I’m always on the lookout for books featuring multicultural characters, so I jumped at the chance to read Ill-Fated Fortune! Magical realism also happens to be a favorite of mine, which means the combination of the two was positively irresistible to me.

The women in Felicity’s family have a gift for baking enchanted goods that make the eater feel joy and peace, but thus far the gift – and any baking ability whatsoever – seems to have skipped her. Until one night when it all comes together in a batch of fortune cookies and she finally feels like she’s found her magic. Not only do her fortune cookies taste heavenly and bring happiness, but she also finds a second and unexpected gift in her ability to write predictive fortunes when everything aligns just so. I thought the magical realism elements in Ill-Fated Fortune were very well done, just enough magic to create a sense of wonder but not so unrealistic as to not seem plausible. And I adored the bunny and how it came to be in her life as well as how it helped her understand her gift – so endearing and a unique pet for a cozy!

Unfortunately for Felicity, her newly found gift also makes her the prime suspect in a murder. And since the investigation is affecting the joy (or lack thereof) with which she and her mom bake and therefore the quality & magic of their food, it must be solved ASAP. The detective seems like an interesting character, and I hope she plays a larger role in future books so we can get to know her better. She popped in and out of this one but not enough that I felt we got a good bead on her character. Felicity’s bestie Kelvin (who I think maybe could be some romance potential in the future if she lets him out of the friend zone) makes a delightful and reliable sidekick, and the mysterious Alma intrigued me. The mystery itself is somewhat relaxed with a short list of suspects and few surprises, but I still enjoyed the process of solving it along with Felicity and Kelvin.

Bottom Line: Ill-Fated Fortune by Jennifer J. Chow is a delightful blend of magical realism and cozy mystery with engaging (and diverse) characters and a layered plot. I really enjoyed Felicity and her best friend Kelvin and their dynamics, and I loved the relationship she has with her mom. The shifting magic at the bakery takes center stage almost as much as the mystery, which helps develop the characters even further, and the laid-back pace of the story makes for a relaxing read, if a bit slow in the middle. I had suspicions about whodunit but wasn’t completely sure until the reveal. A fun read, great characters, and yummy plot!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

I really enjoyed this new series by Jennifer Chow. Some magical elements I wasn't expecting. One thing that bothered me a little was the main character came off much younger than her adult age. I liked the mother-daughter bond duo but the mom definitely treated her like a child and well as the MC acted like one. I would love to see strengths and growth in the next book. I'm also not sure if this is a normal thing for this culture. I definitely want to see where Jennifer takes this series.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with a review copy.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book. This new cozy mystery follows the main character Felicity as she descovers her magically ability to create and write frotunes that sometimes come true, which in this case leads to murder. This book was a great blend of mystery, magic, and baking. If you enjoy macigal cozy mysteries, then this is a must read. I can't wait to read the rest of this seires.

In Brief
The first in a new cozy culinary mystery series set in small town Pixie, California, a dash of magic and a sprinkle of Chinese customs turns this into a fun mystery that neatly balanced the murder mystery and family. Felicity Jin has spent her whole life struggling to find her Jin magic to add to the pastries she and her mother make, which impart joy to their customers. But a breakthrough happens when she bakes some fortune cookies, except one of her personalized fortunes is found on a dead body. Immediately suspected by Detective Sun, Felicity and her friend Kelvin, along with a magical rabbit, must work fast to find out who did it, leading them straight into a fortune cookie empire. Ill-Fated Fortune is a fun cozy mystery filled with Chinese baked goods and customs while giving Felicity a great deal of room to move. Though the mystery is easy to solve, there’s still a certain amount of brilliance underlying it that Felicity has to work to prove. Fortunately, she has firm friends by her side, a supportive mother, and her very own Jin magic. Filled with baked goods, friendships, a magical rabbit companion, and a touch of magic in a small town setting, Ill-Fated Fortune has a lot to offer to readers looking for a cozy mystery with a twist.

Extended Thoughts
I love cozy culinary mysteries and enjoy magical realism. Throw in a Chinese American mother and daughter who run a bakery selling magical pastries, and it becomes an offering I couldn’t refuse. I was a little afraid Ill-Fated Fortune might be a little too magical for my tastes, with magical baked goods, including fortune cookies that might or might not actually predict the future, but it ended up focusing much more on the mystery, even if it was on the easy to solve side. It was everything else in the book that charmed me, from the Chinese customs to Felicity’s florist friend who would clearly like a more intimate relationship with her to a surprise rabbit pet who might be a touch of magic itself.

In Pixie, California, Felicity Jin and her mother run a small family-owned bakery that sells baked goods that impart joy to their customers. It’s a gift that was bestowed on the family several generations before in China, and one that Felicity can’t seem to get the hang of. Until she makes fortune cookies, and discovers her own magic, with a side effect of actually giving fortunes to certain customers. Such is the case with one unpleasant customer, who is later found dead, with Felicity’s personalized fortune referring to his demise. Of course the police from the neighboring city Fresno suspect her, but Felicity, her mother, and her best friend Kelvin know she didn’t do it. Felicity just has to prove it. With a magical rabbit guiding her and her best friend watching her back, Felicity chases after leads that take her straight into a fortune cookie empire with its own secrets.

I liked Felicity, and I appreciated her struggles and hesitation when it came to claiming her Jin magic considering her history of kitchen and baking disasters. Nothing is quite smooth sailing for her as she has to balance clearing her name and finding her spark of magic. There were times when she seemed close to just giving up, but I liked that she always rallied, always tried to find her way. I also liked that she didn’t rely on her newfound ability to solve the case. It was a nice touch that did help from time to time, but I liked that she really relied on her own deductions. Things aren’t always easy for her and her mother with the bakery, and sometimes I did feel she left her mom on her own a little too much, but she really was a good daughter, and I look forward to her future sleuthing activities.

Felicity may be the main character, but she’s far from alone. She and her mother are delightful together, and I loved how they took turns supporting each other. Theirs is a really strong relationship, and I liked the subtle changes it went through over the course of the novel. Her mother did feel a little too one note, but I really loved how much she loves her daughter and how encouraging sh is, and I appreciated the struggles she went through. Felicity and Kelvin were really fun, bouncing off of each other really well. I loved how Kelvin was always there for her, always pulled through for her, to the point where he, as a florist, got himself stuck with a demanding bride for the sake of the case. It was so clear to see how much he cared for her, but Felicity has firmly friend zoned him. I can’t wait to see the course of their relationship, if it ever changes, because Kelvin is just such a great partner to her. Then there’s Felicity and her rabbit. Thanks to a candle from her godmother Alma, Felicity and her mother end up with a rabbit that seems to send hints now and then to Felicity. Sometimes it seemed like it was a magical rabbit trying to help Felicity, and sometimes it just felt like her fluffy companion. But I loved that it’s a rabbit; I can’t say I’ve read about many rabbit companions.

Ill-Fated Fortune is a really fun introduction to a new cozy culinary mystery with a dash of magic. I really liked how it neatly balanced the mystery and Felicity trying to develop her own special form of magic. I had a fantastic time making fortune cookies with her, and investigating a self-proclaimed fortune cookie king. I didn’t feel either was sacrificed for the other. Instead, they almost felt like disparate parts, but there were times when they relied on each other, and those were a lot of fun. I loved seeing Felicity’s gift in action, and I loved watching her doggedly follow clues. I did feel the mystery was a little too easy to solve, but certainly not as easy to prove. I really had to hand it to the culprit; it was quite a brilliant plan, and I don’t think it’s one I’ve encountered before. There were times when the mystery seemed a little lost in the shuffle as Felicity tried to work out her gift, which may be why it was on the simpler side, but it’s still filled with danger, and I liked watching Felicity fit the pieces together. With a bit of help from a rabbit, of course.

One thing I really enjoyed was the dichotomy between a big city and a small town and how the location changed people’s attitudes. I’m used to mysteries that are set in one or the other, but Ill-Fated Fortune has both. Pixie is a delightful small town where the people know each other, and everyone seems to know the Jin’s bakery and the joy their baked goods give. I loved how they always rallied around each other and supported Felicity and her mother, though some of that might also have been due to the thirst for gossip. I did wish for the overall lack of diversity would be addressed, but it wasn’t and no one seemed to care much. But Pixie is close to a big city, Fresno, and they rely on Fresno’s police force to solve serious crimes like murder. The lead detective, Rylan Sun, is definitely a big city woman, which was constantly putting her and Felicity at odds. I liked how the city and small town felt connected, but very different, and I enjoyed the commentary on it considering they’re right next to each other. The differences were big, but it was fun to explore them.

The thing that charmed me the most, though, was the fact that Felicity and her mother are Chinese American. They hold to some traditions, but are looser or more modern in others. Considering my own family operates in much the same way, the Jin family felt comforting and familiar to me. I loved the Chinese customs and the traditions that made their way into the story, and I liked that it was something Felicity was able to use to connect with the detective. But I loved how Felicity’s mother holds tighter to tradition while also allowing her daughter to have more flexibility.

Ill-Fated Fortune is a wonderful start to a new cozy culinary mystery with a dash of magic and a sprinkle of Chinese customs. While the mystery proved to be a little too easy despite its twists and surprises, I had a fantastic time in Pixie and getting to know Felicity and her loved ones. I loved the touch of magic in this book, and especially loved how the magic comes through in the baked goods. This was a fun, fast read that nicely balanced the magic, the baking, Felicity’s newfound gift, and the mystery. There were several things that charmed me, and I look forward to what comes next for Felicity.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

This was a cute read! If you're looking a story with a hint of magic, you'd enjoy this. It had a great mother-daughter relationship and some found family elements as well. My rating of three stars only has to do with not focusing on the mystery element as much. I felt that there was so much focus on the relationships within the plot that the mystery got lost a little bit. It was still a cute read though and I would recommend it.

***Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the e-arc of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.***

Felicity Jin hasn't always been sure footed when it comes to baking in her families bakery. When she gets takeout one evening she decides to try her hand at making her own fortune cookies. The cookies are a huge hit, they are such a big hit that Felicity has to start coming up with her own fortunes to add to the cookies. When a customer dies after getting a certain fortune Felicity becomes worried. The police begin to look at her as a suspect because of the fortune. Felicity decides to investigate and figure out who the killer is so she can clear her name. Can she find a killer and clear her name, dive in to this fun read and find out!

Great cozy mystery! Felicity's family injects magic into the special recipes that they bake but Felicity struggles to create her special recipe. When she finally bakes her special fortune cookies she is able to create a personalized fortune for those people she physically touches, whether it be good or bad. When the King of Fortune Cookies is found dead in the trash bin behind her bakery, Felicity becomes the main suspect in a murder case. She must solve the case to clear her family name and keep their bakery open. Likable characters and an easy to follow plot make this a very enjoyable afternoon's read.
Thank you to #NetGalley#Ill-FatedFortune#MinotaurBooks for the EARC.

Great characters and I love the magical element! Mystery was a little predictable, but still enjoyable! I love the touch at the end with not just a recipe, but flower and candle tips

I love a good cozy and this was just that. The premise was very enjoyable, about the family having magic through baking. I loved Felicity as a main character. Her mom grew on me as the story went on. I hope this series continues as I want to follow these characters!

I was not a big fan of this one. The FMC just kind of rubbed me the wrong way and seemed very immature. I had really high hopes for this new cozy series, but I don't think I'll continue reading this one. I'm sure others will enjoy it, but it just wasn't for me.

This first book in the Magical Fortune Cookie series is a good introduction. The concept of a bakery that sells baked goods infused with a bit of magic is interesting. Felicity has struggled to find the magic that her family has brought to their baking. When she finally finds that magic through baking fortune cookies and providing customers with customized personal fortunes, one of those fortunes appears to have led to murder. Felicity must figure out who murdered the Fortune Cookie King if she hopes to keep the magic power she’s only just discovered. The book is well written with entertaining characters. The mystery itself was good but took a bit too long to make progress toward a resolution and a little too much repetition bogged the story down. All in all, this was a ‘good’ first installment.

How can you not love a cozy mystery with a fortune cookie on the cover?
A sweet bakery that bakes happiness into their pastries with a bit of magic + likable characters + a mystery = a success in my book!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this sweet book. I predict it will find fortune!

Important things you need to know about Ill-Fated Fortune:

Pace: Medium

POV: 1st person (Felicity)

Trigger Warnings: Ill-Fated Fortune contains themes that include racism, anxiety & anxiety attacks, dead bodies, asthma, murder & attempted murder, and physical assault.

Language: There is mild swearing in Ill-Fated Fortune. There is also language used that might offend some people.

Sexual Content: There is no sexual content in Ill-Fated Fortune.

Setting: Ill-Fated Fortune is set in Pixie, California. There are also some scenes in Fresno.

Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

Growing up in a magical bakery and witnessing her mother use her magical power to bring happiness to their customers, Felicity waits for her to manifest. After many failed attempts, Felicity has given up. That changes the day she gets an awful fortune cookie from a take-out Chinese cookie. After making a batch of homemade fortune cookies, Felicity’s magic manifests. She makes delicious fortune cookies and writes handmade fortunes that come true.

But her happiness is short-lived. A rival enters her shop, gets a cookie and a fortune, makes a scene, and leaves. The following day, Felicity finds his body in the dumpster behind the bakery, holding her handwritten fortune. Now, Felicity is the number one suspect in his murder. Desperate to clear her name, she starts sleuthing. Will Felicity find out who killed that customer and why?

My Review

I enjoy a good cozy mystery. I also enjoy cozy mysteries that incorporate magic (or paranormal) themes into the storyline. But, lately, I have found those types of cozy mysteries lacking. Either they were too over the top, or I found them boring. So, I did go into reading Ill-Fated Fortune with the mindset that it could be either of those types. And I was pleasantly surprised when I started reading this book and realized it was good.

The main storyline centers around Felicity, her magic (or lack of it), the murder, and her investigation. It was a well-written, humorous storyline that kept me guessing who the killer was and the motivation behind it.

I did like Felicity and felt a little bad for her throughout the book. Her bad luck didn’t start until after the murder, and it just snowballed. I did think that the detective had tunnel vision. But I also felt that Felicity made herself a target by not doing what the police asked. It was a “damned if she did, damned if she didn’t” type of situation.

The mystery angle was interesting. I say interesting because there were a bunch of people who wanted that guy dead. So, I thought everything was good until I realized how much I had left in the book. The author didn’t even begin to scratch the surface of what happened. I was shocked when the true motives and the real killer were revealed. Someone wasn’t even on my radar until the very last minute. And even then, I was a little iffy if it was that person.

The end of Ill-Fated Fortune was a nail-biter. I am concerned about how Felicity will cope in the upcoming books (if you read the book, you understand). Also, I can’t wait to read the next book (for the above reasons).

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, NetGalley, and Jennifer J. Chow for allowing me to read and review this ARC of Ill-Fated Fortune. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

In a book focusing on how the emotions put into baking can bring joy to those that eat them, Ill-Fated Fortune is the type of book that fills the reader with joy. The magic element is a lot of fun and relates to the central character’s family lineage with a special emphasis on her and her mother working together. At it’s core, this is a book about family, finding your passion, and believing in yourself. And of course a side of murder mystery!

Felicity Jin works at her mother’s bakery in Pixie, CA. While many cozy mysteries begin with a character losing something and looking to start over, this book opens with Felicity finding something—her magic! The women in Felicity’s family have been blessed by one of their Jin ancestors to bestow the gift of spreading joy through baking on all the daughters in their lineage.

Felicity has always worried that her magical gift has never shown up. She works the cash register at her mother’s bakery and fears she’ll be the first woman in her family history to not have the magic inside of her. But as the book opens, a mediocre take-out meal with her best friend Kelvin and two rancid fortune cookies prompted Felicity to make her own, and suddenly the magic flowed through her and into the cookies. It seems the customers can taste the magic too, because the fortune cookies start selling immediately after the bakery opens.

“It’s not about the external ingredients you use but the internal ones […] When I bake, I pour forth all my joy into it.”

While most of the cookies have a generic fortune inside, a customer asks for one after Felicity hands him a cookie that she forgot to put a fortune in, and something unexpected happens. Felicity feels dizzy and scribbles down a fortune, but she has no memory of what she wrote. It felt like the fortune was pulled from somewhere inside of her. Even stranger, the fortune she wrote quickly comes true.

When Felicity experiences the magic fortune writing ability with a second customer at the end of the day, she wonders what she wrote down on the fortune. She doesn’t have to wait long for the answer, though. The customer (who happens to own a fortune cookie factory) is found murdered in the dumpster behind the bakery with Felicity’s hand-written fortune on him. It appears the fortune eerily predicted his death in a rather specific way, causing the police to look at her as a suspect. Can Felicity learn to harness her magic and hone her sleuthing skills to find the murderer?

“There was something beautiful about us putting out treats together side by side in the oven. It was like they were meant to be near each other. As though Mom and I were meant be together, to support one another, always.”

The mystery is engaging and I realize that so far I’ve spoken more about the magic element, but the mystery truly isn’t secondary in terms of time devoted to it. I think there was balance and since the mystery revolves around fortune cookies, the Gold Bakery, and how Felicity predicted the murder, most of what happens in the book directly relates to the central mystery.

The victim, Charlie, is not a sympathetic figure. He’s rude when he comes in to get a cookie, and it all makes sense when Felicity learns that he is known as the Fortune Cookie King because he has cornered the market on fortune cookies locally. However, it seems something has taken a turn with his product and the clients are unhappy with the cookies. This naturally transitions to them wanting to increase stock in Felicity’s cookies. The challenge is that Felicity’s cookies are all handmade and she still works at her family’s business.

“There’s no magic without love, care, and joy in the baking process […] and that can’t be done when you try to mass-produce something.”

As Felicity’s mother cautions, mass-producing cookies may technically taste good, but they won’t have the magic that the Jins pour into each cookie. I loved the relationship between Felicity and her mother. They seem to both draw happiness from working together, which is part of what makes their family so magical.

There is quite a roller coaster when it comes to Felicity’s ability to seemingly predict the near-future with her fortunes. When the talent initially emerges, Felicity is caught off guard. None of her family has shown this specific talent before. While she goes to test it, it seems that she needs to figure out the trick that triggers the fortunes—she can’t force it. Over the book it was fun hearing more about how she is able to strengthen and use her ability.

The list of suspects is relatively small, but there were still clues that pointed in different directions and kept me guessing. In addition to Felicity’s relationship with her mother, I enjoyed her friendship with Kelvin (who I predict may be a love interest in future books, but it hasn’t gone there yet). Kelvin works in a floral shop in the same cul-de-sac and he’s one of the only people who know about the Jin magic outside of the family. He’s a supportive friend and tags along for a lot of the sleuthing—ever detective needs a sidekick after all! Of course, a rabbit Felicity finds outside their bakery named Whiskers is making a strong play for sidekick after displaying the ability to help Felicity focus in on her visions…

A charming debut cozy mystery that will have you believing in magic (and craving one of those pineapple buns)!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for my copy. Opinions are my own.