August 25, 2022

Straight up – I loved Small Town Big Magic, the first in a new genre-busting series from Hazel Beck. The publisher has labeled it romance, but to me, it was more straight fiction with romance and paranormal overtones.

And there are witches. Lots of them.

Emerson Wilde lives in St. Cyprian, a small town at the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. It is a normal small town. Until you learn that it was established by witches who fled the persecution in Salem, Massachusetts.

It’s quite the setup.

I don’t want to get into details of Emerson’s journey. It is best to experience with her. I was enthralled with her story and how the storyline progressed.

I want to repeat, that I love this book. However, there are a few things that I hope change in the next book.

Emerson’s brand of “fight the patriarchy feminism” is annoying at times. We get it. She is independent, used to being alone, and doesn’t need a man to succeed. Until she does. I understand that she needed to come to the realization about it for her own progress, but honestly if she just would have paid closer attention a couple of times….

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The whole plot line with Skip seemed unfinished. I know it essentially was wrapped up, but I expected more out of it, especially as he was the catalyst for the event that kicks everything off. There are also some unanswered questions there.

The big climax was exciting, but I would have liked a little bit more description of what they were fighting. Why was it building? What is the significance of it? Who is responsible for it? These were hinted at but never really described.

I mean, in a town full of witches, the paranormal should be a bit more pronounced and detailed. Same for the romance aspect – yes, it builds to fruition, but how does it affect the characters more?

Cleverly, the book ends on a cliffhanger, so there is at least one more in the series. But honestly, I hope that there are more books though because would be happy to visit St. Cyprian a few more times.

So, disclosure also. One of my all-time favorite series is The Secret Circle by L.J. Smith. It’s a series about a teenage girl who finds out that she’s a witch, and how she and her friends fight off evil. I still read this series at least once a year.

Small Town Big Magic gives me the same vibe. Hazel Beck has captured all of the fun aspects of a paranormal romance and created a new location for witches. Sort of like if the characters from The Secret Circle had grown up and moved.

I’m here for any and all of the next books in the series. Can’t wait!

HAZEL BECK is the magical partnership of a river witch and an earth witch. Together, they have collected two husbands, three familiars, two children, five degrees, and written around 200 books. As one, their books will delight with breathtaking magic, emotional romance, and stories of witches you won’t soon forget. You can find them at www. Hazel-Beck.com