"The Farewitch of Foxe Holler" by Ellen Pauley Goff

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 




As in cooking, this book has all the right ingredients that add up to an excellent dish: grumpy vs. sunshine, a sentient farmhouse, and magic! The Farewitch of Foxe Holler by Ellen Pauley Goff is a charming cozy fantasy stand-alone set in a magic-imbued small town in Kentucky. This book checked all my boxes and worked perfectly for me.

Honey Frost is Foxe Holler's thirty-something Farewitch who had to take over her family's Apothakery business earlier due to unexpected circumstances. Creating culinary cures is her specialty, and most small ailments can be cured with just the right recipe. When the Holler's reclusive Warlock, Mr. Knight, suddenly requests her help, she reluctantly agrees, to the dismay of the townsfolk, in the hope of finding helpful new recipes to cure the one illness she has been unable to heal.

She stays at his farmhouse, which has a mind of its own and mistrusts strangers. The only other residents are a lovely nine-year-old boy, Lazlo, and his unwelcoming governess, Ms. Zeen. The Warlock has many secrets, so Honey's task is set out for her, and she has only three months to accomplish it. As Honey tries to find a cure while dealing with her own issues, two threats loom: the Widow Witch, who steals a husband from Foxe Holler every year, and a zealot pastor determined to banish magic altogether. And time is running out, literally.

I enjoyed the book very much. I loved the banter and repartee between Honey and Mr. Knight, the slow-burn romance, the eclectic cast of side characters, the different types of witches, and the cozy atmosphere. The romance develops gradually and never overshadows the rest of the story. I also adored the sentient farmhouse. It was every bit as grumpy as its owner and felt like a character in its own right. I appreciated the character growth of both Honey and Mr. Knight, the snappy dialogue between them, and the writing.

This book is definitely character-driven, and the author does a tremendous job capturing the personalities of her characters. Among the side characters, Beulah Buchanan and her lovely dog, the grumpy Gertha Fudge, and Letha Zeen were standouts and added plenty of flavor to the story. The pacing is steady, and while it may slow somewhat in the middle, it felt just right to me and suited the cozy atmosphere of the story. I loved the concept of solving problems with the right recipes. We get the backstory in bits and pieces, which is how I prefer it rather than pages of info dumps.

Interwoven within this sweet tale are themes of friendship, loyalty, found family, and the power of community, as well as other insightful messages, such as the dangers of overworking oneself at the expense of one's health (through the costs of magic), learning to accept help, understanding that people can make bad decisions without being bad people, and learning from our mistakes. The plot served our protagonists to the best of their personalities. And the characters, in turn, served the plot to its full potential.

Overall, I loved the book and highly recommend it. It was everything I want from a cozy fantasy novel. It is filled with vivid world-building, original characters, and a captivating magical setting. I loved the connection between magic and baking, as well as Honey's helpful tips from her planned Southern Cookbook for Recipes Gone Wrong at the heading of each chapter. I would love to read more books set in this world. It's perfect for fans of the genre. The author baked us a great burgoo dish, and in Honey's Momaw's own words: food is magic. And this book has both, in spades!

* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc.  All opinions are my own.

* For more info about the book: "The Farewitch of Foxe Holler" by Ellen Pauley Goff

 

"Dragons, Heists and Other Retirement Plans" by Meg Pennerson

 

"Dragons, Heists and Other Retirement Plans" by Meg Pennerson is book 1 of Hornsboggle & Dodge, a sweet cozy fantasy about two retired thieves in their seventies, Katherine and Imogene, and their magical cats and dragon-cat companions.

Katherine Winterhaven and Imogene Chrysler were once a legendary team. After a heist went wrong forty years ago, they retired. Katherine now lives quietly with her many cats — including Mr. Scruffles, an interdimensional cat who can walk through walls; Ember, a dragon-cat; and Tilly, who can turn invisible except for her tail — and spends her days knitting and taking care of her cats.

Imogene lives nearby with her dragon and misses the thrill of their old life. When the chance arises to finally fix the job they botched years ago due to a rival — saving Saint Percival Convent from a ruthless real estate mogul — she convinces Katherine to join her for one last adventure. Armed with enchanted knitting needles, a magical map, their wits, and their cats, the two set-off (slowly — they can’t run after all) to save the day and their pride.

Overall, it is a sweet and fun cozy fantasy with elder heroines that enter into your heart. It has the gentle, whimsical vibes I love, with light and playful magic. I loved the banter between the two, the humor — “She is hard of reading” — the amusing dialogues of the cats, and the concept. With its quirky characters and charming setting, this could have been an even stronger cozy fantasy if not for a couple of issues. I found the pacing slow to get going and a bit repetitive, and the story took time to take off. I had a hard time getting into it at first, but once the action began, I was fully engaged.

Another thing that bothered me: I found it odd that Katherine was referred to by her first name, while her friend was mentioned mostly by her family name. It made the writing feel kind of clunky. There are trolls in the tale, which is fun. Referring to their young as "pebbles" was cute. However, I found the idea that the physician troll had a red cross emblazoned on their uniform a bit odd — not to say ridiculous.

That said, I did enjoy the book and would love to read the next one. I fell in love with its characters. Not many books have such elder heroines, so it was a nice and refreshing change. There is no real romance here, only a small hint of one that doesn’t develop further. The cats provided comic relief with their interactions and made me smile. And I am a dog person at heart!

Friendships old and new, richly drawn and endearing characters, deeply felt bonds, second chances, found family, magical world-building, and a lot of adventure make this a very comfy read. Despite the slow start, the charm, humor, and heart won me over. I rated the book 4 out of 5 stars, knocking off one star for the pacing issues I mentioned above. I recommend it to cozy fantasy fans and also to readers new to the genre — it is an easy start to get introduced to the genre.

* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc.  All opinions are my own.

* For more info about the book:  "Dragons, Heists and Other Retirement Plans" by Meg Pennerson

"For Want Of A Dragon" by Wendy Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For Want of a Dragon: Pride and Prejudice meets The Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb. Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite books! Add dragons and a talking caracal, and you’ve got me hooked. Wendy Dayby’s For Want of a Dragon is a sweet, cozy fantasy retelling of Pride and Prejudice, following a dragon groomer who dreams of flying with dragons

Told in first-person POV and present tense, the book follows twenty-six-year-old Livvy Stoud, a human dragon groomer in the mountain village of Eshan, a community of mixed races—mortals, Fae, gnomes, and other magical creatures. Her childhood dream was to ride dragons, but only Fae are allowed to bond with them. A ward placed on its borders keeps the magic manageable for its human denizens. Livvy lives in a cozy cottage with a talking pet caracal named Mr. Bennet—how cool is that?—and her best friend is Marinn, who is a half-Fae, half-human.

Livvy’s luck takes a turn for the better when her village hosts the annual dragon jousting tournament. She agrees to groom the dragons despite her dislike of the contest and its professional riders, as she needs the fees to pay for her ailing father’s treatment. Along the way, she meets several riders, including the amiable Thaddeus Cedar and his aloof friend Asher. Livvy’s prejudices toward the riders clash with the pride of the Fae, creating several entertaining moments, with a dash of romance.

The atmosphere is charming, with small-village life, quirky Merchants’ Guild meetings, the excitement of the Drakonas Tournament, and even the playful use of 'berries' as a curse word. I especially loved Mr. Bennet, who brought so much humor and personality to the story. I just wish there were more scenes with him

The plot closely mirrors the original tale, with just a few twists. The premise is original—I loved the idea of a dragon groomer and a talking caracal. I also enjoyed the friendship between Livvy and Marinn, and the way they supported and cared for each other. There is some slow-burn romance, which I loved, but there were too few interactions between the love interests, making their romance develop too quickly. Some quotes and scenes, such as the letter written by Asher and Livvy's meeting with his aunt, followed the original too closely at times, making them predictable.

The writing was a bit simple and didn’t flow always smoothly, perhaps due to the present-tense narration. The pacing felt uneven at times, and some sections were repetitive. World-building wasn't developed enough—why can only Fae bond with dragons?—and the Fae lore wasn’t particularly original. There were also a few plot inconsistencies, such as Asher’s father being mentioned as deceased in one instance and alive in another. On the positive side, I loved the concept of the book, and the different characteristics of the dragons and their variety.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. Fine-tuning the writing and plot would make it stronger. I loved the ending, though an epilogue would have been appreciated. Still, the story is sweet and enjoyable, so I rate it 3.5 stars out of 5, rounded up to 4. If you’re looking for a sweet, feel-good read with dragons, cozy village charm, and a touch of slow-burn romance, For Want of a Dragon will fit the bill.

* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc.  All opinions are my own.

* For more info about the book: "For Want Of A Dragon" by Wendy Day