Like a light, fluffy cake, highly addictive.

I bought this after a binge of Charles Paris Mysteries by Simon Brett, on Audible's recommendation.
The books feel purpose written for an American audience of Anglophiles. The heroine is less annoying, and therefore less loveable, than M S Beaton's Agatha Raisin but she's likeable enough, not too sickly sweet.
Pearl Hewitt narrates very well.
Very entertaining and highly addictive, if a little light, but then cosy mysteries are supposed to be I guess.
This bundle is an excellent way to market a series. I wasn't totally hooked until halfway through book 2.
I'm off to read 3 now, with 4 also in the library.

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7 people found this helpful

it's not bewitched by Chocolate

it's not as gripping as the Bewitched by Chocolate books, but it was still good & worth the purchase.
I appear to be becoming an H.Y.Hanna fan.

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Entertaining book

I enjoyed these two books but there are a couple of things that I noticed were a little odd probably because the author lives in Australia. We don't have Real Estate agents in the UK and Jemma's mother would definitely shop at Waitrose not Sainsbury's.

Also it seemed a bit odd to drink tea at a late night party. Most people would have coffee.

That being said, the characters are likeable and her love life makes the books really fun.

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1 person found this helpful

NOW ADDICTED TO THE SERIES - WATCH OUT AGATHA!

I love this series and intend to read all of the books. A very British mystery following in the footsteps of the great Oxford Detectives - not too violent with interesting local geographic references. A gentle read with romantic undertones and A STAR CAT. A writer to be followed!

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fantastic

I thoroughly enjoyed this light hearted crime book, and can't wait to listen to the rest xxxx

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Love these stories

An inoffensive read, with lots of story, a smidge of romance, a girl with a mysterious past, sweet treats, a grouchy witch, a handsome landowner, a dotty old vampire and an incredibly cute kitten.

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Fantastic series

Hard to put down. I just wanted to keep listening, the stories are so good. I would highly recommend these books. I can't wait to get the next one.

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more playroom than tearoom mysteries

Ok so I decided to review This whilst I'm going through book 2. nothing particularly wrong with the stories per say slightly simple I guess. But then that's good for me . not overly keen on the performance of the narrator it's more play school then I would want. And I do know what a cat sounds like without the narrator making the said noise. just felt like I was being read to on the children's programme rainbow I was waiting for bungle to make an appearance but thankfully he didn't unfortunately the cat did several times. cats amazing. 🐈

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Disappointing

I have the impression that this is written specifically for a foreign market (probably America?) It is not convincing as a Cotswold story and seems to have gone over the top in every aspect of a cosy tale. I found a lot of the mispronunciation of place names very irritating and thought that it should have been better checked. It felt a little like an American TV programme set in the Cotswold but carried little authenticity. Not for me this one....

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4 people found this helpful

YES YES YES

I was listening to this book in bed and felt I had to get my laptop to write this review. Are you looking for a nice, cosy book, with an engaging (but not overly complex) storyline, read in a clear and interesting manner at a sensible pace for bedtime listening? If so, then this is the audible book for you. I listen to audio books at bedtime and at moments in the day when I need to just gather my thoughts and restore a sense of well-being. So many audio books have annoying narrators who garble or rush through it, sometimes with a thick accent which needs your brain to be at 200% in order to translate what is being said into English. This audio book is just the opposite. It is very well read, at a sensible pace, with just enough expression and colour to draw you into the story. I lived in Oxford for a few years, and loved it, and this book brought back all the happy memories.

Yes, the plot is not overly elaborate. But neither is it one of these books that just goes nowhere. It's a good balance, and allows me to fall asleep at bedtime after listening to it (on sleep timer obviously) and still remember enough to pick up the next bedtime. OK, I sometimes have to rewind a minute or 2, but no biggie.

So look, if you're sick of audio books with annoying narrators and plots with 100% fluff or, conversely, 100% what-the-hell-is-going-on then this book is for you. This book provides a really nice environment for immersing yourself in a story, and the story is interesting, the characters are warm and come to life, and there's an element of cosyness without being sickly sweet.

If you're looking for something to bring you down from the stressful times the world is going through at the moment, then buy this.

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1 person found this helpful