Bailey Cates - Brownies and Broomsticks

I've recently read normal, non-fiction books that differ from my normal books as well as my usual bag of weirdness in the form of dystopic/post-apocalyptic books and other genres and watched a varied bunch of films; because of this, I decided to read a new series which falls into the cosy crime genre that I like to read every so often and expand my author knowledge base.

Brownies and Broomsticks is the first in Bailey Cates's Magical Bakery Mystery series which focusses on Katie Lightfoot as she moves to Savannah to work with her aunt and uncle in the Honeybee Bakery.  Bailey Cates also works under the names Cricket McRae and K.C. McRae and has written other mystery books like this series.  While this is similar to other cosy crime books I've read where the protagonist has nothing to do with working in law enforcement but inadvertently become involved in some kind of investigation, this series involves magic of different variations which make it stand out to me.

Rating: 6

Recommended To: Stephanie Plum fans; cosy crime fans

Favourite Characters: Katie; Mungo

Favourite Part: He stroked my cheek with his thumb.  Before I knew it, his lips were on mine.  His kiss was quick, casual and undemanding.  Warm and comforting.  Nice.  My body pressed against his for a moment before I gathered my wits and stepped back.
"Um," I said.
He grinned.  "Don't worry.  That was just an accident.  Life having supper with someone." - Page 194

Good Points: Concept; an easy read; wasn't just Wiccan magic

Bad Points: Love triangle; predictable; could have looked back at Katie's parents more

Brownies and Broomsticks opens as Katie Lightfoot arrives in Savannah to find her aunt Lucy and uncle Ben in her new home; back in Ohio, she left behind a job where she was getting no respect for the work she did and a relationship that ended just before the wedding they had planned.  After everything that has happened in Ohio, she decided to move to Savannah where her aunt and uncle live and are setting up a bakery called the Honeybee Bakery and need a mastermind to bake for them.  Katie begins to get involved in the bakery and even agrees to host a meeting in the bakery before it has even opened for the local business owners and promote the bakery so word of mouth can spread.  However, at the end of the meeting, uncle Ben gets into an argument with one of the women who attended the meeting and becomes the prime suspect in her murder which happens moments after she leaves the shop.  Katie then takes it upon herself to prove her uncle's innocence.

I found the concept behind this book was interesting because it was a new branch to the cosy crime genre I enjoy because I haven't read a series where the protagonist is some kind of Wiccan, practising or just starting out.  I think it'll be intriguing to see how this series will continue with Katie learning how to use her magic and then in turn using it to help solve crimes without anyone finding out what she really is.  What was also good about the concept of a Wiccan trying to help her community like this was that it wasn't making fun of Wiccan practises and those that truly believe in it; it showed some respect as the women put the spells together.

As with all cosy crime books, Brownies and Broomsticks was an easy read that I was able to pick up and dive straight in to the story whenever I was able to sit down and relax for a moment, whether I was at home or on my break at work.  This was because it wasn't too heavy, in terms of the story, and has lots of humour to keep the story light.  I would be perfectly happy recommending this book and series to those looking for an easy read and/or a holiday book.

It wasn't just Wiccan magic that was used in this book which I liked as it showed this great amount of respect to magic and those who in the various kinds.  I found it fascinating as they introduced different types of magic because it's quite an obscure thing to read about for me so this series is more likely to stick in my mind in comparison to other cosy crime books which are very similar, the Hannah Swensen series and the Chocoholic Mystery series which I read one after the other and were far too much alike.

I enjoyed Katie's story and I really connected with her because of her determination as well as having this playful, fun demeanour about her.  As she's learning about magic and how and when to use it, we're learning with her and are at the same level as her which I loved because I don't think I'd have enjoyed it as much if she was already a practising witch like those in the coven already.  While not fully built upon yet, we find out snippets about her past which I enjoyed because it built up this image of Katie gradually rather than throwing you in to someone's life and expecting you to keep up.

Mungo was such an adorable character; he most definitely was not a day, he was a small furry person which made me laugh and I could relate to that because my sister's cat is exactly like that.  Mungo was intended to be the cute factor in this story and it worked; it may be one of the reasons I come back to this series in the future because

There is one thing I have in a book, no matter what genre, and that's a love triangle, even the allusion to one because I find them irritating as the protagonist struggles to pick between two guys who are similar but hate one another.  Plus then this whole Team Man Number One vs. Team Man Number Two comes up and readers start to argue about which man is better for the protagonist and can become quite vicious if you don't agree with them.  I also found Katie's situation to be similar to the situation Stephanie Plum is in throughout her series so it was another reason why I find it annoying because I don't want to see Katie 20 books into her series and still unsure which man she want to be with.

This was quite a predictable book in the end because of all the clues Cates placed early on in the book and it became pretty obvious who committed the crime and why.  She could have added a twist towards the end with a surprise murderer who wasn't as obvious but still has a clear motive throughout the book.  Granted, Cates had written a few suspects who could have done but all were too obvious.

My final disappointment that came from this book was that you didn't really meet Katie's parents who are mentioned every so often and Katie even calls her mum in the end.  It would have been interesting to hear their thoughts and opinions on Katie was getting on, learning to use the magic they've kept hidden from her, and how they feel about it all first-hand rather than Katie and her aunt assuming what they would be thinking.

He stroked my cheek with his thumb.  Before I knew it, his lips were on mine.  His kiss was quick, casual and undemanding.  Warm and comforting.  Nice.  My body pressed against his for a moment before I gathered my wits and stepped back.
"Um," I said.
He grinned.  "Don't worry.  That was just an accident.  Life having supper with someone." - Page 194

I don't know why but I loved how Steve came across in this part, cocky but caring at the same time; I know I've said I don't like love triangles and I stand by that but out of him and Declan, Steve seems like the better man out of the two.  Plus he didn't have that irritating habit of calling Katie "Katie-girl" as Declan did which I found grating and kind of childish; maybe I am taking sides but you are kind of forced when presented with a love triangle to choose which guy/gal you prefer for the protagonist.

Overall, I enjoyed the concept of Katie learning to use the magic she inherited from her family and using it to help save her uncle from going to prison and that Cates wasn't making fun of magic and its practitioners; it was a good easy read so if you are looking for a book to take to the beach or lounge by the pool with, I recommend this or something like it as the story isn't too heavy and you can pick it up whenever you want.  However, with it being an easy read, it did make the book a bit predictable in a way but not majorly as I still enjoyed the story.  Katie was a great character because you got to learn more about her and her past as you went along and you still got to understand how she felt about everything that was going on which I always like because I want to understand a character and be inside their head almost; Mungo was just adorable as you would expect from a dog and I hope he stays with Katie for the entirety of the series.  However, I didn't like the love triangle I was presented with even if I picked which guy I wanted Katie to be with and I would have liked to have actually met Katie's parents as they would have brought this different perspective to the magical element to the book.  All in all, if you like cosy crime books then this is the book for you.

Predictions

1. Katie becomes better at magic and becomes the strongest in the coven

2. Steve finds out about Katie's magic and initially doesn't take it well
3. The Honeybee Bakery becomes a success