REVIEW The Baby Dragon Bakery (The Baby Dragon Series #2) by A.T. Qureshi

The Baby Dragon Bakery (The Baby Dragon Series #2) by A.T. Qureshi
Rating: 3 Stars
Release Date: August 28, 2025
Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited) + Audiobook (Borrowed from Library)
Publisher: Avon

Check out my review of the first book in the series, The Baby Dragon Cafe

The Baby Dragon Bakery by A.T. Qureshi was an adorable sequel to The Baby Dragon Cafe. While not relying on as many fantasy elements as the first book (no baby mystical creatures participate in the romancce plot in a meaningful way), it's still a cozy romance with just a dash of fantastical elements. 

Lavinia and Theo have been best friends forever, and basically everyone knows they have feelings for each other except for them. I did find it harder to be as invested in their relationship, with the massive miscommunications that went on repeatedly between them, but things work out in the end and everyone gets their happily ever after so I was happy. If you're getting frustrated like I was, I recommend pushing through towards at least the middle of the book. And for those who are invested in the first book in the series, Aiden, Saphira, and Sparky do make multiple appearancces. 

A highlight of this story was all of the yummy food items and baked goods that make an appearance. Theo's passion as a baker was evident, and if you listen to the audiobook you can hear the author and the editor discuss how much work went into getting those descriptions just right. I appreciated how the author used food to highlight the differences between Lavinia and Theo's families, and the dynamics at home (one goes out of their way to make a favorite food, one doesn't even bother...)

Overall, this was an entertaining book and I enjoyed reading it. It wasn't as impactful as the first book, particulary complex, or one of those books I'll be thinking about for a while, but it hit the spot when I wanted a cozy book for an afternoon reading session under a warm blanket. If you have Kindle Unlimited or a library card, I highly recommend checking it out. Ishmeen Dhesi and Yuvi Bains did a good job bringing the story to life with their performancce in the audiobook narration. I'm also very curious to see how the series will be rounded out with Emmy and Luke's story in The Baby Dragon Bookshop. 

BLOG TOUR Cocktails & Casualties by Carly Wayne

Hi friends! Welcome to my stop on the virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author is awarding 4 prizes to randomly drawn winners (a leather bound diary and pen, a set of 4 drink coasters, a pewter necklace of a Quetzal bird, a copper compass). Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour - the more you comment, the more chances you have to win!

Teddy Aarons is a nomad, using her bartending skills as an excuse to move to a new luxury resort with each change of the season. But when she finds herself stuck on the remote island of Mahina Cay, she finds refuge in the quirky little Township of Crooked Cove.

Crooked Cove is a village of expatriates from various countries, and the people are welcoming, but she only intends to stay long enough to make the money to get off the island and back to her real life.. However, when one of the village’s most distinguished citizens turns up dead, it’s up to her to either solve the case or become a permanent resident of the slammer!

With her new friend Jasmine at her side, Teddy will do whatever it takes to shake out the truth and stir up the real killer to clear her name. Will she manage to keep herself out of lockup, or will she end up under the influence of the Mahina Cay Prison?

Read an Excerpt

“Teddy, what are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking you should give me the pictures and the phone and wait here,” she said.

Jazz pulled her purse close to her. “Oh hell no. If you are going to question Frannie, you’re not leaving me sitting out of the action. I’m coming with you.”

Knowing it was pointless to argue, Teddy sighed. “Alright. But you have to promise me to behave, Jazz. Let me do the talking. We are going to try the soft approach first.”

The look in Jazz’s eyes told Teddy she was not planning on staying silent. She was chomping at the bit to back Frannie into a corner.

Frannie stood and walked to the ladies’ room, and they followed. Teddy counted to twenty, and then walked in with Jazz behind her. The room was empty except for the two of them, and Frannie was in the last stall. Teddy pointed to the door, and Jazz silently locked it. They leaned against the door and waited for Frannie to emerge....

About the Author:

Carly Wayne first discovered her love of storytelling as a child when she would create alternate endings for all of her favorite fairy tales. As she grew, her fascination developed into a passion for writing about the characters and worlds she imagined.

Now, Carly has returned to her ancestral home deep in the woods of Jacksonville, Florida, not too far from the ocean. She fills her days pursuing her bliss by writing, creating, and exploring nature.

Carly holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Psychology.

Website: https://carlywayne.online
Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/cocktails-casualties
FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/creator.of.worlds
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CarlyWayneJax
GoodReads: https://cutt.ly/carlywayne-goodreads
BookBub: https://cutt.ly/carlywayne-bookbub

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BOOK TOUR: Going, Going, Dead (Paranormal Museum Mystery Series #6) by Kirsten Weiss

                               

Hi everyone! I'm pleased to welcome you to my tour stop with Goddess Fish Promotions for Going, Going, Dead by Kirsten Weiss. The author will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card to a randomly drawn winner during the tour, so make sure to check out the Rafflecopter at the bottom of the page! The more you comment, the more chances you have to win! 

About the Book

At an auction, competition can be deadly...

When Maddie attends an estate auction of artifacts from America’s spiritualist era, it’s just another day in the life of a paranormal museum owner…. Until she discovers the body of the murdered auctioneer.

Her mother is convinced the murderer is after a mysterious statuette that once belonged to the town’s Ladies Aid Society. With the holidays approaching, Maddie and friends dive into the mad world of obsessive collectors to find the missing statuette… and a killer.

Maddie tracks her suspects through a secluded gothic estate, in the wineries of Central California, and along the streets of small-town San Benedetto. But this clever criminal is determined to win at all costs. Will the killer use Maddie’s friends as the ultimate weapon against her?

If you love laugh-out-loud mysteries, witty heroines, quirky cats, and a touch of the paranormal, you’ll love Going, Going, Dead, book 6 in the Paranormal Museum mystery series. Read this twisty cozy mystery today!

Excerpt from the Book

The bell over the door jangled. I shut my laptop and looked up.

My mother strode inside. Cora wafted behind her.

My mom pressed her palms to the glass counter. “I thought I’d find you here. We saw you leave the auction.”

“I didn’t think I should interrupt your interrogation,” I said, somber.

My mother sniffed and adjusted the collar of her denim shirt. “Hardly an interrogation. That deputy was barely out of his teens.”

“We were hoping your Detective Slate would interview us,” Cora admitted.

“But he didn’t,” my mother said. “We saw him leave too. Which means he can’t assist the sheriff, which means you’re somehow involved.”

“I was with Herb when he found the body,” I said.

The two women looked at each other.

“Well then,” my mother said, “I suppose that makes it easier.”

My scalp prickled. “Makes what easier?”

“Your investigation,” my mother said. “Ladies Aid would like to hire you. Pro bono, of course.”

“You mean for free. Was Tracy Hook a member of Ladies Aid?” I asked.

“Was that the person who died?” Cora asked. “No, she isn’t.”

“Then what—?”

“There was something very valuable in that house, Madelyn.” My mother’s lips firmed. “Something important to Ladies Aid. I have no doubt that’s why the auctioneer was murdered.”

“What?” I asked.

“Does this mean you’re taking the case?” my mother asked. “Because I’m afraid I can’t tell you more unless we have a deal and a promise of confidentiality.”

I shook my head to clear it. “What are you talking about? What’s going on?”

“What’s going on,” she said, “is either you investigate, or we will.”

About the Author

Kirsten Weiss writes laugh-out-loud, page-turning mysteries. Her heroines aren’t perfect, but they’re smart, they struggle, and they succeed. Kirsten writes in a house high on a hill in the Colorado woods and occasionally ventures out for wine and chocolate. Or for a visit to the local pie shop. Kirsten is best known for her Wits’ End, Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum, and Tea & Tarot cozy mystery books. So if you like funny, action-packed mysteries with complicated heroines, just turn the page…

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09JHDP1MG

Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1590486555

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/going-going-dead-kirsten-weiss/1140366018? 

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Kirsten_Weiss_Going_Going_Dead?id=oz1IEAAAQBAJ

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/going-going-dead

Other links:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/kirsten.weiss/

Instagram: @KirstenWeissAuthor

Bookbub: www.bookbub.com/authors/kirsten-weiss

Twitter: @kirstenweiss

Website: https://kirstenweiss.com

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ARC REVIEW: Here Comes the Witch (Main Street Witches #1) by Ani Gonzales

Here Comes The Witch (Main Street Witches #1)
by Ani Gonzalez
Genre: Paranormal Cozy Mystery
Age category: Adult
Release Date: September 7, 2016

BLURB:
Jewelry designer Kat Ramos has come to Banshee Creek to break the famous Hagen House curse and, in order to do that, she must marry Liam Hagen. A vengeful ghost with a deadly history isn’t part of the deal, and neither is love. Will Kat be able to handle both? Or will the mystery of the cursed Hagen House remain unsolved?

REVIEW for Here Comes the Witch (Main Street Witches #1) by Ani Gonzales

Rating: 3 Stars

Release Date: September 7, 2016

Format: eARC

Publisher: FAC Publishing LLC

How far would you go to break a curse? Kat Ramos (a struggling jewelry designer) and Liam Hagen (Banshee Creek’s resident contractor) are willing to go all the way down the aisle to break the famous curse on the infamous Hagen House. Unfortunately for them, the Hagen House is not interested in getting sold (or going down) without a fight. Spooky shenanigans ensue in Ani Gonzales’ Here Comes the Witch as Kat and Liam struggle to deal with the seemingly sentient house and determine what caused the curse so they can finally break it. 

I really enjoyed the residents of Banshee Creek, and how they have embraced the title of “most haunted town in the USA”. Some of the names of locations in the town were super corny (i.e. “Satan’s Own Shopping Strip”) and I loved it! I couldn’t stop laughing while reading. As much as the story focused on the relationship between Kat and Liam, I would have appreciated more screen time for some of the other people in town. They seem very well developed, and in retrospect, I realized that they got their time in the spotlight in various books of the primary Banshee Creek series. Thankfully, there was never a time that I felt that coming into the world of Banshee Creek fresh impacted my ability to understand and enjoy the story (so feel free to start with these books instead of the original Banshee Creek series if that's what you feel like).

There were times when I got lost in all of the cultural references that the author brought up. I think a good quote to emphasize this point would be “Let me get this straight. You want to film a Caribbean Santeria ritual that aims to exorcise an Italian ghost during a Chinese festival?” The story might have been better served by limiting the references (i.e. just using references from the Wiccan and Santeria cultures). 

Banshee Creek seems like a super fun town to visit. I especially want to visit the bakery and sample some of their goods (the vampire churros sound delicious). If anyone ever finds a town like this, feel free to reach out and let me know! 

Overall, Here Comes the Witch is a cozy, small-town contemporary romance story with some paranormal elements thrown in. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy very humorous, quirky and light contemporary romance books. The paranormal aspect can feel sparse at times - readers who are looking for a story that’s heavy on the paranormal aspect may not enjoy it as much as others.

Thank you to the author and Lola’s Blog Tours for allowing me the opportunity to read and review the book. I appreciate the opportunity!

You can find Here Comes The Witch on Goodreads

You can buy Here Comes the Witch here:
- Amazon
- Amazon UK

About the Author:
I write paranormal romantic comedy and cozy mystery (whew, that's a mouthful!) set in Banshee Creek, Virginia, The Most Haunted Town in the USA. My books feature feisty funny heroines dealing with a host of paranormal critters (ghosts, cryptids, pagan gods...the sky's the limit) and mysteries. They find magic, love and laughter and readers get to follow them every step of the way.

I love quirky towns with spooky stories, and, thanks to my books, I get to "live" in one year-around. In real life, I live in a Minneapolis suburb (which is sadly lacking in ghosts) with my husband and three children and I'm still trying to adjust to the cold.

You can find and contact Ani here:
- Website
- Facebook
- Twitter
- Goodreads
- Amazon
- Newsletter

ARC REVIEW: Sheltering Spirits (Mallory McGrath #1) by Lori Allison

Sheltering Spirits (A Mallory McGrath Mystery #1)
by Lori Allison
Genre: Paranormal Cozy Mystery
Age category: Adult
Release Date: 6 October 2020

Blurb:
Orphaned at a young age, all Mallory McGrath wants is a place to call home, the companionship of friends who have become her family and to keep her Basset Hound, Elmer, from wrecking everything she owns.

A simple life.

And things are going her way until a sudden encounter with the bumper of a car driven by the intriguing new coroner in town leaves her with a head injury that unlocks a strange new talent.

Now Mallory is dealing with ghostly roommates, a dead body on her property and finding herself under suspicion of murdering the town’s matriarch. Not to mention the angry poltergeist trashing her attic!

To save all she holds dear, Mallory must catch a killer who has her in his sights … and to make sure her supply of peanut butter doesn’t run out.

REVIEW of Sheltering Spirits (Mallory McGrath #1) by Lori Allison

Rating: 4 Stars

Release Date: October 6, 2020

Format: eARC

If a Hallmark murder mystery and a story about a haunted house got together and had a brain child, Lori Allison’s Sheltering Spirits would be it. The story follows Mallory McGrath, a dog groomer living in a small town. Her life is fairly normal, until one day she is hit by a car and starts seeing ghosts. Things get even more complicated when the body of one of her nosy neighbors is found on her property, and Mal becomes the prime suspect. Can Mallory solve the mystery, find the killer and learn to deal with her ghostly roommates? Well, you’ll have to read the book to find out. 

Poltergeists are always fun. Sure, kindly old ghosts are nice. Poltergeists though, you never know what they are going to do next and how their mood will shift so they end up adding an element of suspense and surprise to the story. I think the first book I read that featured one was Harry Potter (enter Peeves the Poltergeist), and Peeves really set the standard. The poltergeist in this book is very mercurial; he can go from helping Mallory in one scene to annoying her and making all kinds of ruckus in his attic domain the next. I loved it! 

Sheltering Spirits does include romance and the discovery of a dead body, but it’s a “clean” read so to speak. Ms. Allison did not include any graphic detail or gorey scenes. I would rate the intimacy level as sweet - no descriptive makeout scenes and no physical intimacy.    

I’m a big fan of stories where the main characters gradually grow into a relationship; “insta-love” always comes across as shallow and boring to me. Mallory did not fall head over heels the second she met Jack, or once he took in Luther (a very timid dog who was recovering from abuse by past owners). Her interest was piqued, the attraction steadily grew, and it left the door open to explore their relationship further over the course of future books in the series. It was interesting how the animals were incorporated into the relationship - it’s said that dogs are great judges of character, and Luther warmed up to Jack fairly quickly. 

I would recommend this book to readers who are looking for fun, cozy mysteries that are perfect for curling up with on a rainy day. It’s also a good choice for those looking for a quicker read, as the book is on the shorter side at 151 pages. Thank you to Lola’s Blog Tours for allowing me the opportunity to review this book! I voluntarily read and reviewed Sheltering Spirits; all opinions are my own and not influenced in any way. 

Links:
- Goodreads
- Bookbub
- Amazon

-Bookshop.org

*Please note - this post contains affiliate links from which we may earn a commission (at no additional cost to you) if you make a purchase.

About the Author:
Lori Allison has had a life-long love affair with books, both as a reader and a writer. Lori is the mother of 3 grown children and has a Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of New Mexico. She managed the construction company her family owned for 17 years before retiring to pursue writing full time.

Lori lives in a small town in New Mexico with her husband, Jeffery, and their three dogs.

Author links:
- Website
- Facebook
- Goodreads
- Amazon
- Instagram