One Enchanted Evening by Trish LeBaron

 

Synopsis:

Was Thea mad over Mason’s unannounced reappearance?
Furious that she’d fainted at the sight of him?
Angry that she’d swooned over him when she came to?
The answer was obvious. D: All of the above.

Thea Halliwell has resigned herself to singledom. She lives with two cats, runs a small-town bookstore by day, and has only book boyfriends to keep her warm at night. The daily hum-drum has Thea looking for a little magic in her life—literally. Magic is part of the makeup of her island hometown and when she signs up for a six week course to explore her magical potential, the new adventure has her bubbling over with anticipation. That is, until Mason Bleeping Tuttle arrives at orientation. Okay, so that’s not really her ex’s middle name, but it should be.

Mason Tuttle hasn’t stepped foot on home turf in ten years. When he’s enlisted to oversee the fall session of magical boot camp, he doesn't expect to run into his old flame, Thea, or to see so much hurt behind her not-so-discreet glances. And he knows why she’s hurt—he feels it too. Their teenage romance ended in tragedy and Mason being sent to the midwest to finish high school. Now, seeing the woman she’s become has his heart pounding like he’s seventeen again. But there’s just one problem—she’s made it clear they have no reason to get reacquainted.

Is Mason grown up and good looking? Yes. Is Thea peeking over the pages of her novel to check him out? Oh, yes. But it’s more than just a painful past keeping these two apart. Someone in their present is meddling with their second chance at having a future.

My Review: 5 Stars

Moonrise Cove! Oh how I have missed you! I was so excited to get my hands on this baby! From the very first page, I was transported to one of my favorite places were I quickly fell in love with all things Thea and Mason! Y'all! Talk about all the feels, heart eyes, and dreamy sighs. 

Thea and Mason have been friends forever. Somewhere along the way it turned into something more. At the age of seventeen a life changing event happened and instead of it bringing them closer together, outside forces used it to tear them apart. But 10 years later the magic of Moonrise Cove brings them back together. 

The journey back to each other is definitely a rough one for Thea and Mason. There's a lot of heartbreak and hurt that they have to wade through. But the love they have for each other gives them the courage and that little push they need to face the hard things and find their happily ever after. Their story was so heartachingly beautiful and I loved every minute I spent with them. 

If you guys haven't read any of the books set in Moonrise Cove, I highly recommend checking them out! I have loved every single minute I've spent there. Oh how I wish I could live there! It's enchanting and magical and just a fun place to be! 

Ms. LeBaron has done it again! She never ceases to amaze me. I am in awe of her talent. She has a way of capturing the reader and not letting them go until the very end. There's a reason why she's one of my favorite authors. I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next!

And of course I can't forget my casting! I love these two! What do you think? 

Hidden Gems

Welcome to Hidden Gems hosted by KJ's Book Nook! Once a month I'll feature a new to me author that I've discovered and fell in love with their books. I'll share the author's bio, one of my favorite books of theirs and a review.

For this month's Hidden Gems I am going to choose...

Trish LeBaron

Trish LeBaron is a studious writer and bookish tea-drinker. She’s also a Storymakers First Chapter award winner having placed in 2017, 2018, and 2019. In 2020, her short story, The Weaver’s Tale, was published as the overall winner of a Utah anthology. When she’s not attending writerly conferences to sharpen her storycraft skills or enjoying a book while eating chocolate hand over fist, she can be found biking trails with her three kiddos and helping her pastry chef husband perfect sourdough.

Trish lives in a happy valley and has exactly zero pets.

Learn more about Trish and her debut novel, Magic in the Mix, by visiting MoonriseCoveBooks.com. You can also connect with her more directly by following her handle @writeawaytrish on Instagram.

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Y'all. I love food fiction! Like LOVE it! I also love urban fantasy. So imagine my surprise and utter delight when I discovered an author who wrote an urban fantasy food fiction romance. I. Was. In. Heaven! I quickly fell in love Moonrise Cove and, if this was a real place, I'd be packing my bags and moving there! I also fell in love with all the yummy deliciousness of this book! And I'm not just talking about the Hunky-Chunky chocolate cupcake. 😉 Y'all. I WILL recreate that baby one of these days. If you are a lover of food fiction and/or urban fantasy then I highly recommend grabbing this book! It's another MUST read! 😍 

Pastry Chef Lucy Crowthorne has no room for romance in her life. Running her bakery, making trendy pastries, and mixing potions takes up all the space on her proverbial plate. Using her craft to spread good vibes in her secret magical community is both fun and keeps her focused—until a tall, dark-eyed, and extremely distracting someone begins poking his nose around her kitchen.

Food columnist Devin Dawson can’t ignore his inbox any longer. Loyal customers of Pastries and Potions want foodie magazine PastryLit to get the scoop on this young baker and her desserts that are wowing the Oregon coast. He checks out the pastry shop and can’t deny her mousse cakes and caramel bars are worth repeat visits. But it’s the pastry chef behind the bakery case that he’s having undeniable cravings for.

Lucy’s been burned in the past, figuratively of course. Revealing her magical identity to her ex-boyfriend was her worst adulting decision ever and led to the “Clint Catastrophe” her family won’t let her forget. Now let’s be clear, Devin Dawson is nothing like Clint. So why can’t Lucy shake the feeling that if Devin discovers her secret it will lead to catastrophic heartache?

You can check out my review here.

Happy reading my fellow Book Dragons!

Charming Charlie by Trish LeBaron

 

Synopsis:

The only perfect thing about Charlie MacAfee Bates is her perfectly disastrous dating record. But Charlie has a lot of love to give, and she’s ready to storm the holiday dating scene to find her magical match and gain her biggest wish—a perfect little family full of squishy babies. Armed with her checklist of ideal qualities in a man, and a magical dating app, Charlie is determined to have Mr. Perfect wrapped up under her tree by Christmas. Unfortunately she’s spending most of her time with her new boss, a man who doesn’t match a single item on her list.

All Nick Linwood wants for Christmas is to stay perfectly grumpy. His house may be decked with boughs of holly, but he’s not fa-la-la-la-looking forward to the anniversary of his ex leaving him at the altar. Nursing a broken heart, Nick has withdrawn from the community of Moonrise Cove and become too grinchy to enjoy anything about the holidays. Until a beautiful redhead with rich coffee-brown eyes answers his job posting, draws him out from behind his work, and charms him without even trying.

Ignoring what’s right in front of her, Charlie follows misguided online advice that sends her on a streak of terrible dates that are anything but holly or jolly. What will it take for her to realize Mr. Perfect only exists on paper and Mr. Perfectly Right for Her has been working beside her all along?

My Review: 5 Stars

To tell you how much I absolutely adored this book, I'm going to start off with a confession. Hopefully this will also be a warning to you to clear your schedules before starting this book.

Confession. I stayed up WAY too late reading this book and only stopped because my kindle kept hitting me in the face whenever I dozed off. I also didn't even attempt to go back to sleep when I woke up at 2:43am. I literally rolled over, grabbed my kindle, hopped on the ferry, and headed right back to Moonrise Cove to pick up where I had left off. I was not going to let Charlie and Nick do anything without me! 

Charlie. *sigh* Charlie, Charlie, Charlie. Girl! What in the world am I going to do with you?! I have never loved someone so much but also wanted to shake some sense into them constantly. Charlie and I had many talks while she was trying to figure out what was right in front of her the whole time. I may or may not have growled at her in frustration a time or two. But I couldn't stay frustrated for long. Charlie really is such an amazing heroine that you can't help but love her! She's been through a lot to get to where she is and I loved how Nick was her safe place while she figured it all out. 

And speaking of amazing.... 

Nick. *dreamy sigh* Oh how I loved you! Grinch-like behavior and all! Nick, too, has been through a lot. There's a good reason for his grinchiness and I loved that Charlie didn't shy away from it. She helped him to see that what he thought was right, really wasn't and that love can be so much more with the right person. I swear these two were handpicked by Santa! 😉 They were just what the other needed, when they needed it. Their love story really is magical. 😍

Y'all. Why can't Moonrise Cove really exist, magic and all?! I would become a permanent resident there if I could! There's always a feeling of nostalgia and comfort whenever I visit. It makes me want to curl up in my big comfy chair, wrapped up in my cozy blanket fresh out of the dryer, with a mug full of my favorite hot chocolate in my hand, and forget that the world around me exists. It's definitely one of my favorite places to be!

I do have to say that while I absolutely adored this book and couldn't get enough of it, I wanted just a little bit more. I'm crossing my fingers we get to see more of Charlie and Nick in future books because I have questions I'm dying to get answers to. 😂

I'm so glad I discovered Ms. LeBaron! She is a very talented writer that knows just how to capture and keep my attention. I cannot wait to see what she has planned for us next! I'm sure it will be just as amazing as her first two books! 

As for my casting, I saw these two pretty much from the beginning. Love them! What do you think?

Magic in the Mix by Trish LeBaron

Synopsis:

Pastry Chef Lucy Crowthorne has no room for romance in her life. Running her bakery, making trendy pastries, and mixing potions takes up all the space on her proverbial plate. Using her craft to spread good vibes in her secret magical community is both fun and keeps her focused—until a tall, dark-eyed, and extremely distracting someone begins poking his nose around her kitchen.

Food columnist Devin Dawson can’t ignore his inbox any longer. Loyal customers of Pastries and Potions want foodie magazine PastryLit to get the scoop on this young baker and her desserts that are wowing the Oregon coast. He checks out the pastry shop and can’t deny her mousse cakes and caramel bars are worth repeat visits. But it’s the pastry chef behind the bakery case that he’s having undeniable cravings for.

Lucy’s been burned in the past, figuratively of course. Revealing her magical identity to her ex-boyfriend was her worst adulting decision ever and led to the “Clint Catastrophe” her family won’t let her forget. Now let’s be clear, Devin Dawson is nothing like Clint. So why can’t Lucy shake the feeling that if Devin discovers her secret it will lead to catastrophic heartache?

My Review: 5 Stars

Confession. One of my favorite tropes is food fiction. I love reading about all the yummy creations and then dream about recreating them. Sadly, when it comes to this trope, the pickens are slim. So, imagine my surprise and utter delight when I see the cutest book cover and discover it's all about a magical pastry chef! I felt like it was screaming at me... pick me! pick me! And pick I did. I may or may not have squealed and did a little happy dance as I one-clicked this baby.

Y'all. From the moment I started reading, I was swept away to the magical island of Moonrise Cove. Everything around me ceased to exist and I found myself sitting in the small alcove at Pastries and Potions with Lucy and Devin, nibbling on a Hunky-Chunky chocolate cupcake and drinking hot cocoa while being regaled by their adventurous love story. 

Before she was even born, Lucy's life was mapped out for her. She didn't have a choice in what she wanted to do or who she wanted to be. Having the decisions made for her had her feeling trapped and smothered. She just wanted to be free to choose things for herself. Opening up Pastries and Potions was just the ticket to prove to everyone that she can do the hard things on her own. With so much on the line, she can't afford any distractions. 

Enter in Devin. Y'all. I loved him instantly! I know I say this in a lot of my reviews but, he was absolutely perfect for Lucy! Even though he's absolutely clueless when it comes to magic, it doesn't stop him from being who Lucy needs in her life. Whether it's saving her from accidents, encouraging her when she's feeling down, cleaning up the disasters that seem to be following her around, whatever she needs, he is always there for her, no questions asked. He is absolute perfection!

Oh how I adored Lucy and Devin! I loved getting to know them and seeing what made them tick. Their journey wasn't all sunshine and roses. There were bumps along the way and hard choices needed to be made. But those things made them stronger and helped mold them into who they were meant to be. 

You guys! This is seriously the cutest and sweetest book! But it really needs to come with a warning or two. I'm thinking something like... 

*WARNING* Make sure you have some sweet treats with you while reading because you are most definitely going to be craving some yummy goodness like Moonrise Turtle Bars and Hunky-Chunky chocolate cupcakes. (Y'all. I really need these in my life!)

*WARNING* Make sure you clear your calendar because once you start, you won't want to stop. It may or may not cause you to be late back to work after lunch. 

If you haven't guessed already, I absolutely adored this debut novel by Ms. LeBaron! She did a phenomenal job of kidnapping me and holding me hostage until the very end. I cannot wait to read more of her books! 

As for my casting... y'all. There are no words! I love these two!