Sprinkles and Sea Serpents by Danielle Garrett, book one in the Sugar Shack Witch Mysteries continued my journey in the magical town of Winterspell.
Title: Sprinkles and Sea Serpents
Author(s): Danielle Garrett
Series: Sugar Shack Witch Mysteries #1
Also in this series: Grimoires and Gingerbread: A Sugar Shack Witch Mystery Christmas Novella
Narrator(s): Amanda Ronconi
Published by Tantor Audio on February 9, 2021
Length: 6 hrs 56 mins
Genre(s): Cozy Mystery, Paranormal
Source: Publisher
Format: Audiobook, eBook
Purchase: Amazon|Audible|Audiobooks.com
Rating:
Series Rating:
They say you can't go home again. . .oh, if only that were true.
Thanks to a series of unfortunate events - and one backstabbing frenemy - home is exactly where I'm headed. back to Winterspell Lake, the small community in Eastern Washington where magic runs rampant and humans are outlawed.
Faster than you can say hocus pocus I'm unpacking my bags and settling into the guest room of my parents' house, trying to ignore the creeping sensation that I'll never break free again.
The one thing Winterspell has going for it is the sweets shop in the center of town, a bakery filled with magical creations designed to enchant the taste buds and charm even the pickiest of connoisseurs. Luckily for me, I get the friends and family discount since my parents own the famous Sugar Shack. If I want room and board, I have to frost cupcakes and sling macaroons with the rest of the fam.
Unfortunately, things in Winterspell aren't all sugar cookies and rainbows. According to the local news, a dangerous sea serpent has claimed the lives to three missing girls. The journalist in me has to have a look for myself, and what I find is something far more deadly.
Something that makes me wish I'd stayed in the bakery.
Listening Length: 6 hours and 56 minutes
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you purchase the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.
Sprinkles and Sea Serpents by Danielle Garrett is the first book in the Sugar Shack Witch Mysteries. Earlier in the year I listened to Grimoires and Gingerbread, book 1.5 in the series, which I enjoyed. Based on that I expected an enjoyable read. The story followed Rosella Midnight, aka Ella. An accusation of plagiarism and the loss of her job as a result forced her return to her hometown of Winterspell.
Treated like a pariah because of her unique powers she left home to reside in the non magical world. I didn’t blame for leaving, but I had issues with her cutting off her family. Her powers were considered a curse and persons feared her, but their fears were borne out of ignorance. I thought her powers were cool, especially when used to solve the mystery of three female joggers who disappeared under mysterious circumstances.
I found the mystery underwhelming. It is not the type that will have you biting your nails. The best part of it all was the confrontation with the villain.
I liked Rosella when I interacted with her in Grimoires and Gingerbread. However, in this installment I saw a different side to her. A side which I disliked. She manipulated strangers to get what she wanted. However, she redeemed herself. What I admired about her was her love for animals and her tenacity and determination.
I enjoyed spending time with the secondary characters. It made me happy to see Rosella reunite with her family and friends. Her grandmother added a slice of humour to the story.
Orion, the monster hunter, who was brought in to assist with the case of the disappearing women, intrigued me. He had an air of mystery about him, and I was eager to learn more about him. I sensed a growing chemistry between him and Rosella.
I have to admit I did not enjoy Sprinkles and Sea Serpents as much as I did Grimoires and Gingerbread. Although it did not wow me, I thought it was a solid start to the series.
Narration
Amanda Ronconi did a wonderful job of giving life to the story. She enhanced my enjoyment of the story with her tone and she captured the mood of the characters perfectly. Her voice for each of the characters were on point and one could always tell which character was speaking.
To conclude, Sprinkles and Sea Serpent provided a good escape. I enjoyed the world, and I am looking forward to my next visit to the town of Winterspell.
| Story Evaluation | |
|---|---|
| Plot | |
| Characters | |
| World Building | |
| Writing Style | |
| Pacing | |
| Cover | |
| Narrator (Audio) | |
| Enjoyment | |
| Ending | |
| Overall: | |
Sprinkles and Sea Serpents delivered a light and humorous tale featuring a witch with a unique gift. #paranormal #cozymystery #sugarshackwitchmysteries #audiobook #tantoraudio Click To Tweet
About Amanda Ronconi
Amanda Ronconi is an actress and narrator who divides her time between New York City and upstate New York. She has a BFA from NYU, where she studied at the Stella Adler Conservatory. She has performed in theaters around New York City and regionally at the Alley, Capital Rep, and many productions at the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey. Her Off-Broadway solo comedy, Shirley at the Tropicana, received critical acclaim and was subsequently featured in the New York Times. Film and TV credits include Daydream Believer (Slamdance 2001’s Best Dramatic Feature winner), The Understudy, Deadly Sins (ID Discovery), and IFC’s Get Hit and Chasing Paradise. National network and regional commercials include Chase Bank, Sony, and Blue Cross/Blue Shield. Her voice-over work encompasses nearly 100 audiobooks available on audible.com. She is a member of SAG-AFTRA and Actors’ Equity.
About Danielle Garrett
From a young age, Danielle Garrett was obsessed with fantastic places and the stories set in them. As a lifelong bookworm, she’s gone on hundreds of adventures through the eyes of wizards, princesses, elves, and some rather wonderful everyday people as well. Danielle now lives in Oregon and while she travels as often as possible, she wouldn’t call anywhere else home. She shares her life with her husband and their house full of animals, and when not writing, spends her time being a house servant for three extremely spoiled cats.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2021 Audio Book Challenge
- 2021 Kindle Unlimited Challenge
- Coyer 2021
