My 45th read of the year was Curses and Cold Brew by Ali.K.Mulford and K. Elle Morrison, I was actually lucky enough to be sent an ARC copy to read because I am an unshamed fan Ali.K.Mulford/ A.K.Mulford (their pen name for fantasy books) and I am signed up to their newsletter!
You read my review of the first book in the Maple Hollow series, Pumpkin Spice and Poltergeist here
A summary attempt
Iris is bored and fed up of third wheeling with her best friend a new girlfriend, after last year’s excitement when they were investigating a potential murder, Iris finds herself yearning for more thrilling adventures. Good job that her deal with the local demon is almost due then and when Ramona’s other deals are being collected before she can get to them, her number one suspect is the hot powerful witch. Under the guise of trying to figure out if Iris is the cause, she allows her to help with the investigation into why this is happening. When it quickly becomes clear that she A, isn’t involved and B, has to the potential to be more than a casual fling, and C, that her being close to Romana could actually cause her harm, Romana tries to put some distance between them. She didn’t account for how stubborn and powerful Iris is, however, and this connection between them will not be ignored. After several life-times spent alone, can Romana make space for a witch so full of life?
My review
This was such a fun book to read, I love the world of Maple Hollow and the sunshine/ grumpy (or in this case bad-ass immortal) dynamic gets me every time. I liked how Iris saves herself and how they are on equal footing, despite how powerful Romana is. I enjoy the little details like the knitting circle of powerful immortals in this world. I think I preferred the relationship story of book one but I still really enjoyed this booked, and I will definitely carry on with the series.
Antonia Bernardin 