What do you think?
Rate this book
Good Bad Magic #1
Good Bad Witch
It's hard being a good witch when your clients want bad magic.
I'm a witch. Not a powerful witch, mind, but as Grandma liked to say, it’s all in the kindness, not the power. Grandma is gone now, but her dream of having a witch shop lives with me. So, when the opportunity to run my own shop presents itself, I move across the country to take it, no questions asked.
But maybe I should have.
The sexy local bounty hunter shifter thinks I’m up to no good, my clients keep asking me to use forbidden dark magic, and someone’s trying to sabotage my shop. Probably the same someone who reported me to the Witch Council and left a dead body in my bathtub.
Hah! Joke’s on them. As Grandma also used to say, it’s nothing a positive attitude, excellent cleaning supplies, and the complete annihilation of whoever has in it for me can’t fix.
Paraphrasing.
Join Hope in her quest to save her shop in the Urban Fantasy world of Good Bad Magic, featuring witches, shifters, demons, one sexy bounty hunter, and all kinds of magical creatures. Full of humor, banter, plenty of heart, and a slow-burn romance.
Perfect for fans of K.M. Shea, Annabel Chase, and Hailey Edwards.
I'm a witch. Not a powerful witch, mind, but as Grandma liked to say, it’s all in the kindness, not the power. Grandma is gone now, but her dream of having a witch shop lives with me. So, when the opportunity to run my own shop presents itself, I move across the country to take it, no questions asked.
But maybe I should have.
The sexy local bounty hunter shifter thinks I’m up to no good, my clients keep asking me to use forbidden dark magic, and someone’s trying to sabotage my shop. Probably the same someone who reported me to the Witch Council and left a dead body in my bathtub.
Hah! Joke’s on them. As Grandma also used to say, it’s nothing a positive attitude, excellent cleaning supplies, and the complete annihilation of whoever has in it for me can’t fix.
Paraphrasing.
Join Hope in her quest to save her shop in the Urban Fantasy world of Good Bad Magic, featuring witches, shifters, demons, one sexy bounty hunter, and all kinds of magical creatures. Full of humor, banter, plenty of heart, and a slow-burn romance.
Perfect for fans of K.M. Shea, Annabel Chase, and Hailey Edwards.
276 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 13, 2023
About the author
Isa Medina
25 books140 followersIsa Medina loves writing and reading Urban Fantasy books, playing MMORPGs, and scouring the Internet for pet pictures and beautiful art.
As a child, she was first introduced to the world of Fantasy through Dragonlance and she has never looked back. She also has a soft spot for Gothics and treasures all her old Victorian Holt paperbacks. If it has Fae, ghosts, vampires, demons, mythical creatures, or magic in it, she's all in.
As a child, she was first introduced to the world of Fantasy through Dragonlance and she has never looked back. She also has a soft spot for Gothics and treasures all her old Victorian Holt paperbacks. If it has Fae, ghosts, vampires, demons, mythical creatures, or magic in it, she's all in.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 118 reviews
October 19, 2023
I loved this. And look how GORGEUS that cover is! Stunning.
I didn't want to stop reading, couldn't stop reading. This was the perfect cosy read. Medina's main character, Hope, is laugh out loud funny. I'm not exaggerating. I caught myself chuckling, snorting, and laughing on most pages.
Medina's voice is incredibly refined, perfect for urban fantasy and its adjacent genres. Here in Good Bad Witch, we've got an interesting cast of paranormal characters (witches, shifters, mages, demons, and more) in a small town, complete with a body in Hope's bathtub.
Hope just took over the local witch shop, and already there is a one star review, and how will she explain any of this to the Council without losing the shop again?
Hope is not a powerful witch, she's out of her depth, but her positive attitude more than makes up for it.
What else is there to say? Oh yes. There is a dog called Fluffy.
The romance is a slow-burn, but Ian's grumpiness is adorable, especially paired with Hope's sunshine nature.
Good Bad Witch is a delightful mystery, full of humour and banter. The perfect comfort read for a day when you don't want to deal with too much angst and darkness, and are instead looking for tons of heart, found family, and adorable pets.
I read an advanced review copy, but will also buy the book because I genuinely loved it. My review, as always, is honest.
I didn't want to stop reading, couldn't stop reading. This was the perfect cosy read. Medina's main character, Hope, is laugh out loud funny. I'm not exaggerating. I caught myself chuckling, snorting, and laughing on most pages.
Medina's voice is incredibly refined, perfect for urban fantasy and its adjacent genres. Here in Good Bad Witch, we've got an interesting cast of paranormal characters (witches, shifters, mages, demons, and more) in a small town, complete with a body in Hope's bathtub.
Hope just took over the local witch shop, and already there is a one star review, and how will she explain any of this to the Council without losing the shop again?
Hope is not a powerful witch, she's out of her depth, but her positive attitude more than makes up for it.
What else is there to say? Oh yes. There is a dog called Fluffy.
The romance is a slow-burn, but Ian's grumpiness is adorable, especially paired with Hope's sunshine nature.
Good Bad Witch is a delightful mystery, full of humour and banter. The perfect comfort read for a day when you don't want to deal with too much angst and darkness, and are instead looking for tons of heart, found family, and adorable pets.
I read an advanced review copy, but will also buy the book because I genuinely loved it. My review, as always, is honest.
November 12, 2023
3.5⭐️ overall. [2.5, 3, 3.5, 4 ⭐️ moments] It’s a fun kinda roller coaster!
The conclusion for this, not the cliffy-next-book-ending, was definitely 4⭐️.
However, there was also moments more equal to 3⭐️’s, as well as some 2.5⭐️ moments.
So I’m rounding this up to somewhere in between.
Beautifully written, with easy to read dialogue, flowing, natural conversations, good pacing, original storyline, all up, so much to love.
While there were some minor typo issues and a few medium-ish info dumps, to be fair, any issues I had, were about personal preference.
We get dropped straight in, which on its own I have no problem with.
The problem is that bad things happen right from get go, one after another, before we’ve developed a care for the FMC.
Clearly meant to be part humorous, but we have no relationship or reason to care…
Plus, the bubblegum, cheery-ditzy personality, with no counter balance until much later, made it difficult for me to like her initially.
The humour was hit or miss for me.
When it hit, it was LOL, but when it missed, it felt a little young, and or, cringe.
A lot of slap stick, and miscommunication, or manipulation.
One scene is innocent, but potentially appears other, so is hilarious in its suspicion.
Another, also innocent, but appears curious, but not suspicious, so the rude response is just that, rude, not funny.
You have an awesome, snarky, sarcastic character. But they talk as if maybe they are a friend after all, then 2 comments later, deliver a line that is truly hurtful. Our FMC says as much, but then bounces back.
I’m not laughing here.
However, you know how you have those moments where you’re screaming it’s so obvious, or why aren’t they asking this, etc.? All plot devices intended to drive a story, just not done well enough…
Weeeell, here, our cluey FMC asks those questions, makes the observations, notices the obvious.
It’s AWESOME!
Not always right away, but close enough.
The only blatantly obvious one she misses, is the Uber baddie. An oversight the baddie notes at the end.
I love that sneaky, make fun of yourself, style of humour. If only the author had included more of this…
One of the funniest lines is when our plucky FMC makes fun of herself, talking out loud, noting how ridiculous she is.
Just once, not the overdone lines, where the author offers 5-7 different option, as she does at other sections. 😳🙄
We needed more interaction with the dogs, a better arc.
Moreover, I’m not a fan of perfect dogs through…love 🤷♀️…That kind of prefect obedience requires continuous training…or magic.
Didn’t see either, or just a hint of something, to make them more than story props.
The ending was so brilliant, fun, quirky, messy, and original [minus the soooo obvious baddie 😂🥱 which was kinda fun in its on the nose way…].
Didn’t like the cliffy, mostly cause I was just starting to like this character, and didn’t like having to question that. 😬
So, would I recommend this?
Easily!
Definitely read this. The teething problems this new series has [for me] , are just that, and easily overcome in time.
Plus, no doubt the humour as is, will suit many, as will the cutesy moments that I cringed through 😬
Give it a go and decide for yourself, it’s worth it.
p.s. this is straight up urban fantasy, the romance will obviously happen..later…much later 🤷♀️
The conclusion for this, not the cliffy-next-book-ending, was definitely 4⭐️.
However, there was also moments more equal to 3⭐️’s, as well as some 2.5⭐️ moments.
So I’m rounding this up to somewhere in between.
Beautifully written, with easy to read dialogue, flowing, natural conversations, good pacing, original storyline, all up, so much to love.
While there were some minor typo issues and a few medium-ish info dumps, to be fair, any issues I had, were about personal preference.
We get dropped straight in, which on its own I have no problem with.
The problem is that bad things happen right from get go, one after another, before we’ve developed a care for the FMC.
Clearly meant to be part humorous, but we have no relationship or reason to care…
Plus, the bubblegum, cheery-ditzy personality, with no counter balance until much later, made it difficult for me to like her initially.
The humour was hit or miss for me.
When it hit, it was LOL, but when it missed, it felt a little young, and or, cringe.
A lot of slap stick, and miscommunication, or manipulation.
One scene is innocent, but potentially appears other, so is hilarious in its suspicion.
Another, also innocent, but appears curious, but not suspicious, so the rude response is just that, rude, not funny.
You have an awesome, snarky, sarcastic character. But they talk as if maybe they are a friend after all, then 2 comments later, deliver a line that is truly hurtful. Our FMC says as much, but then bounces back.
I’m not laughing here.
However, you know how you have those moments where you’re screaming it’s so obvious, or why aren’t they asking this, etc.? All plot devices intended to drive a story, just not done well enough…
Weeeell, here, our cluey FMC asks those questions, makes the observations, notices the obvious.
It’s AWESOME!
Not always right away, but close enough.
The only blatantly obvious one she misses, is the Uber baddie. An oversight the baddie notes at the end.
I love that sneaky, make fun of yourself, style of humour. If only the author had included more of this…
One of the funniest lines is when our plucky FMC makes fun of herself, talking out loud, noting how ridiculous she is.
Just once, not the overdone lines, where the author offers 5-7 different option, as she does at other sections. 😳🙄
We needed more interaction with the dogs, a better arc.
Moreover, I’m not a fan of perfect dogs through…love 🤷♀️…That kind of prefect obedience requires continuous training…or magic.
Didn’t see either, or just a hint of something, to make them more than story props.
The ending was so brilliant, fun, quirky, messy, and original [minus the soooo obvious baddie 😂🥱 which was kinda fun in its on the nose way…].
Didn’t like the cliffy, mostly cause I was just starting to like this character, and didn’t like having to question that. 😬
So, would I recommend this?
Easily!
Definitely read this. The teething problems this new series has [for me] , are just that, and easily overcome in time.
Plus, no doubt the humour as is, will suit many, as will the cutesy moments that I cringed through 😬
Give it a go and decide for yourself, it’s worth it.
p.s. this is straight up urban fantasy, the romance will obviously happen..later…much later 🤷♀️
June 25, 2024
This is a sweet little confection of fun. It’s a totally surface story and the villain is blatantly obvious if one uses even a modicum of thought to question intent. Still the characters carry the day. I absolutely adored Hope and her optimistic attitude and Ian is a great, yet enigmatic character, as well.
SO… if one is looking for a read that requires very few brain cells, can deal with some eye-rolling, this story really is a great little escape.
SO… if one is looking for a read that requires very few brain cells, can deal with some eye-rolling, this story really is a great little escape.
October 13, 2023
Hope Avery is the witch who gets the chance to run her own witch shop, just like her grandmother dreamed about. But someone is trying to sabotage the dream. She gets bad reviews online, clients who wants her to use bad, forbidden magic - and a dead body in her bathtub. As a newbie in town she doesn't know who she can trust, but Hope is convinced that positive thinking will take you far!
This is both funny and exciting, full of witches, shifters, demons and other magical beings. Hope seems a bit naive at first, but she soon gets a handle of most things, although her magic isn't that powerful. The interactions between Hope and Ian, the local bounty hunter, are wonderful, and his dog Fluffy is the cutest! I would have loved to get Ian's POV as well, not just Hope's, but I like that it's in first person.
Some things I expect, but I also get surprises along the way. Just like Hope I don't know who to trust, and it makes it more interesting. I don't always think that she makes the right decisions, but I can still relate to those choices. I'm looking forward to following the good witch on more adventures in the future!
* I received an ARC from the author and I'm giving my honest review. *
This is both funny and exciting, full of witches, shifters, demons and other magical beings. Hope seems a bit naive at first, but she soon gets a handle of most things, although her magic isn't that powerful. The interactions between Hope and Ian, the local bounty hunter, are wonderful, and his dog Fluffy is the cutest! I would have loved to get Ian's POV as well, not just Hope's, but I like that it's in first person.
Some things I expect, but I also get surprises along the way. Just like Hope I don't know who to trust, and it makes it more interesting. I don't always think that she makes the right decisions, but I can still relate to those choices. I'm looking forward to following the good witch on more adventures in the future!
* I received an ARC from the author and I'm giving my honest review. *
November 4, 2023
Cute, light hearted read. Sometimes it’s nice to read a paranormal book that doesn’t have a questionable red flag male lead. Or a snarky heroine that runs her mouth and is super powerful (but is hiding her true powers). No, Hope is not a powerful witch but she tries her best. Quality over quantity she says! The villain was easy to figure out but I was already invested in Hope and her journey to make not-so nefarious potions for her very nefarious clients. Will continue the series.
September 29, 2023
Hope: the endless optimist. She “wins the witch lottery” and is allowed to take control of a tea shop called Tea Cauldron without the outstanding powers she should have. I can only imagine all the other witches turning it down on the sly. But Hope has my favorite power: affirmations. They work. If you are depressed, forcing yourself to smile every morning eventually can retrain your brain (it helped me!).
This is primarily a feel-good novel. Dead body in the bathtub? No problem. Hope has a spell for this. She needs dirt from an old cemetery for the spell? No problem. She will cupcake and sandwich her way into the grumpy bounty hunter’s family cemetery. No customers? No problem, she will ask anyone who enters the shop to stay, including another shopkeeper’s assistant, Dru. Both Dru and Ian, the bounty hunter, are grumpy, but a new day, a new hope!
When Hope finds a dark mage at her gate, she figures out a way to appease him without black magic, and I love every gifted-intuition moment.
❤︎ The Romance: ❤︎
===========================================
❦❦ Ian is that grumpy and almost-cold male with muscles that can individually flex. He is a shifter who refuses to shift, and he left the pack’s control to his equally grumpy and cold brother. But he is not really aloof, since two younger males joined him rather than the pack. It’s like having two teenage sons! And I just melt over his protectiveness when he loans Hope one of his two dogs, Fluffy.
[] They share experiences. It’s a slow-burn with no instalove.
[] Hope moons over him.
[] He shows his interest in his actions, not words. ❦❦
==========================================
I like her. I want to add a nice affirmation of my own, from an exercise class: “Power up!”
October 18, 2023
No dogs die in this book.
Review of an ARC copy.
I have been pondering what to tell you about this book; to help others know if this is the one for their current mood and life situation.
When the world around is depressing enough, Hope (pun intended) with her shenanigans and ridiculously positive attitude towards life made me feel... light, cozy, positive and bubbly.
Do you want a modern woman who definitely can solve her own problems, but isn't above asking and receiving help when needed?
Do you want a slightly mysterious man (whom I keep seeing as an athletic broad shouldered bald black man in my mind's eye despite very clearly being described otherwise when we first see him) — with huggable dogs — entangled in the protagonist's life?
Do you want wicked witches, potions and magic?
Werewolf drama?
Hot beverages and sweet things to nom?
All that and more.
Some things do get a bit dark, but they never overrun the overall fun mood, which I love.
I recommend this for anyone looking for a moment in a mundane supernatural place, where everyday life gets transformed by the connections you make and chances you take, where positive attitude is everything and all of the dogs stay alive.
Medina's stories have filled a hole in my comfort and joy seeking soul. Good Bad Witch is no exception.
Review of an ARC copy.
I have been pondering what to tell you about this book; to help others know if this is the one for their current mood and life situation.
When the world around is depressing enough, Hope (pun intended) with her shenanigans and ridiculously positive attitude towards life made me feel... light, cozy, positive and bubbly.
Do you want a modern woman who definitely can solve her own problems, but isn't above asking and receiving help when needed?
Do you want a slightly mysterious man (whom I keep seeing as an athletic broad shouldered bald black man in my mind's eye despite very clearly being described otherwise when we first see him) — with huggable dogs — entangled in the protagonist's life?
Do you want wicked witches, potions and magic?
Werewolf drama?
Hot beverages and sweet things to nom?
All that and more.
Some things do get a bit dark, but they never overrun the overall fun mood, which I love.
I recommend this for anyone looking for a moment in a mundane supernatural place, where everyday life gets transformed by the connections you make and chances you take, where positive attitude is everything and all of the dogs stay alive.
Medina's stories have filled a hole in my comfort and joy seeking soul. Good Bad Witch is no exception.
February 6, 2024
The book had so much to offer, and it kept me wanting to know more. The story starts out with Hope trying to understand why she got a one-star review for her new tea shop. I love that the story had me rooting for Hope. She is trying to make this shop a success. She is trying to find out why people keep coming to her for dark magic. She wants to find out who murdered the guy in her bathtub. One of my favorite things in the book is Hope’s positive affirmations from her grandmother. Hope had me wanting to say some of my own affirmations.
There’s also the mystery of what characters you can trust. I felt like I did not know who Hope could trust or not. I like when I am surprised to find out that I would have trusted all the wrong people. For me, that means the story was written well enough to where I did not realize it was happening or there was something else drawing my attention away. I was just as shocked as Hope was when she figured it all out.
Let’s talk about Ian! He is the bounty hunter, wolf shifter that owns the cemetery. Ian is the mysterious loner type which makes this so worth it. We get to see a little more of who Ian is as the story goes along. I like that he is standoffish at first but then we get to see a different side of him. As I said before- totally worth it!!
I am looking forward to reading more in this series.
There’s also the mystery of what characters you can trust. I felt like I did not know who Hope could trust or not. I like when I am surprised to find out that I would have trusted all the wrong people. For me, that means the story was written well enough to where I did not realize it was happening or there was something else drawing my attention away. I was just as shocked as Hope was when she figured it all out.
Let’s talk about Ian! He is the bounty hunter, wolf shifter that owns the cemetery. Ian is the mysterious loner type which makes this so worth it. We get to see a little more of who Ian is as the story goes along. I like that he is standoffish at first but then we get to see a different side of him. As I said before- totally worth it!!
I am looking forward to reading more in this series.
October 13, 2023
I love this book! I'm a big fan of cozy mysteries and paranormal mysteries, so this was the perfect choice.
Hope isn't a very powerful witch, but for sure she is determined to proof that you don't have to be powerful to be successful. Sometimes her actions were super goofy and irrational as for witch, but it was so funny...Be honest, who didn't freak out when finding a dead body in the bathtub? I won't be the first who will judge here. Hope is a perfect cozy mystery main character. Not super powerful, not very oriented in the paranormal world, but very charismatic and a little bit crazy, positively crazy.
Ian, our local retired bounty hunter shifter, is so grumpy and I love it. He has a two dogs, and Fluffy stole my whole heart, she is the fluffy bowl of love and joy.
I love how Isa created the relation between Hope and Ian. It's pure sunshine-grumpy theme and it's so funny and adorable.
Plot is 10/10. First time from a very long time, I met in a book motive where the main area of events is contaminated by black magic. It added a lot of interesting moments to the plot and makes Hope's life even harder.
Finally, the old tea shop owner. Her death and events around the shop during her time as a witch in charge were the best part. Even, if for me it was a little bit predictable, but still it was relaxing to see how Hope is connecting the different pieces of history to get to the main reason, why all weird things are happening around the shop.
I can't wait for more books about Hope and Ian, and small tea shop.
Hope isn't a very powerful witch, but for sure she is determined to proof that you don't have to be powerful to be successful. Sometimes her actions were super goofy and irrational as for witch, but it was so funny...Be honest, who didn't freak out when finding a dead body in the bathtub? I won't be the first who will judge here. Hope is a perfect cozy mystery main character. Not super powerful, not very oriented in the paranormal world, but very charismatic and a little bit crazy, positively crazy.
Ian, our local retired bounty hunter shifter, is so grumpy and I love it. He has a two dogs, and Fluffy stole my whole heart, she is the fluffy bowl of love and joy.
I love how Isa created the relation between Hope and Ian. It's pure sunshine-grumpy theme and it's so funny and adorable.
Plot is 10/10. First time from a very long time, I met in a book motive where the main area of events is contaminated by black magic. It added a lot of interesting moments to the plot and makes Hope's life even harder.
Finally, the old tea shop owner. Her death and events around the shop during her time as a witch in charge were the best part. Even, if for me it was a little bit predictable, but still it was relaxing to see how Hope is connecting the different pieces of history to get to the main reason, why all weird things are happening around the shop.
I can't wait for more books about Hope and Ian, and small tea shop.
October 20, 2023
Better than I expected
To be honest I am not big on shifter stories. Perhaps I have witch blood in my ancestry. Regardless, this is a well written story with believable and endearing characters. The plot is straight forward, the premise is to help others but also to do no harm, and the ending is a cliff hanger. Still I definitely recommend this book.
To be honest I am not big on shifter stories. Perhaps I have witch blood in my ancestry. Regardless, this is a well written story with believable and endearing characters. The plot is straight forward, the premise is to help others but also to do no harm, and the ending is a cliff hanger. Still I definitely recommend this book.
October 5, 2023
Phenomenal! Hilarious! I absolutely loved this book. Ahh it left me with a crush, curious, and wanting more. Holy cow, an outstanding start to a new series!!!!! I love anything Isa writes but man, each book, each series gets better and better. I love and highly recommend anything from Isa Medina!!!!
October 24, 2023
fantastic read
I was immediately hooked by the blurb and the book did not disappoint. Fab mystery with great characters and a twist that kept me guessing.
I was immediately hooked by the blurb and the book did not disappoint. Fab mystery with great characters and a twist that kept me guessing.
October 16, 2023
I have read all Isa Medina's books and thoroughly love them! Magical Artifacts was such a fun and quirky series and Mortal Secrets hooked me from the beginning - making Isa one of my always-buy-her-books author! This new series starts much slower and it was almost halfway through that I got more interested in the story. I think I didn't connect so well with the main character and it was mostly the mystery that kept me going. I can't really put my finger on it, but I think Hope was overall a bit of a bland character. By the end of the book I was not very impressed with the male protagonist either. Something about him does not seem to fit. I don't know, he just does not seem to have what it takes to be a main character. Not yet at least and I hope Hope will also become a bit more interesting as the story continues. The little twist at the end was good though, didn't see it coming until it was in sight! In the end, I did enjoy the book and will read the next installment as well.
*I received this book as an ARC*
*I received this book as an ARC*
October 6, 2023
I loved this book, A LOT! And how could I not? There were so many delightful moments, so many comical moments and a dog called Fluffy! I loved the mystery thriller element and the spectacularly concealed "who dunit" The suspects were scooting around my head and I started grasping at one after another, convinced it was "her", discarding "her", convinced it was "him" until my brain was " catching and releasing" suspects, much like a fisherman, only to have me go back to suspect one, them two, then...yeah, Ms Medina kept me on my toes, dangling the would be suspects under my nose and promptly snatching them away all over again! It so added to the intrigue! But I'm getting ahead of myself, let me begin from the beginning. A beginning that immediately plunged me into the thick of it, a dead body in a bath would do it.
A rather naive witch, mediocre in magic, lands her dream job, running her own little shop, brewing and selling tea and of course, portions, serving both humans and supernaturals. Except, patrons are few and far between, almost non existent and she needs to make a success of the shop or it will be taken from her. Moving to a new town is challenging enough but when everyone practically ignores you, looking at you with suspicion, yeah, not so great. Ok, so, dead person in the bath.. well, this person keeps appearing and disappearing, so who believes you? Why, no one! Then there's this mysterious man with 2 dogs, and there's the rather scathingly abrupt manager of the shop next door, yeah, great welcome committee! Thankfully for Hope, that's our naive witch, has a friend, Vicky, who's so exuberant and a great friend..... Oh how I loved seeing her bumbling about, and slowly showing her mettle, yes, there's a very strong backbone there, and I loved her daily affirmations, after all, Gran told her how important positive thinking is....
Now Ian, mystery guy with the dogs, is unapproachable, stoic and full of his own issues but hey, he's really a cool dude, once he allows the shutters to be opened.... love how unexpectedly he comes to Hope's aid, yeah cool dude! And there's Dru...her abrasive manner is so comical at times, I wasn't sure if she was friend or foe, but I was pleasantly surprised at what she actually was. I loved Vicky's character, so much fun, ALL of her.
In fact, this book WAS fun, a delightful easy read but with a whole lot of mystery and mayhem, of hidden truths, of a maybe brewing romance, of conviction in what is right. I'm always rooting for the underdog and Hope had my full support! She might not be very powerful, she might be out of her depth, she might be naive and trusting but she's a whole lot of sass, determination and all round awesome! I'm so looking forward to cheering her on in the next book!
A rather naive witch, mediocre in magic, lands her dream job, running her own little shop, brewing and selling tea and of course, portions, serving both humans and supernaturals. Except, patrons are few and far between, almost non existent and she needs to make a success of the shop or it will be taken from her. Moving to a new town is challenging enough but when everyone practically ignores you, looking at you with suspicion, yeah, not so great. Ok, so, dead person in the bath.. well, this person keeps appearing and disappearing, so who believes you? Why, no one! Then there's this mysterious man with 2 dogs, and there's the rather scathingly abrupt manager of the shop next door, yeah, great welcome committee! Thankfully for Hope, that's our naive witch, has a friend, Vicky, who's so exuberant and a great friend..... Oh how I loved seeing her bumbling about, and slowly showing her mettle, yes, there's a very strong backbone there, and I loved her daily affirmations, after all, Gran told her how important positive thinking is....
Now Ian, mystery guy with the dogs, is unapproachable, stoic and full of his own issues but hey, he's really a cool dude, once he allows the shutters to be opened.... love how unexpectedly he comes to Hope's aid, yeah cool dude! And there's Dru...her abrasive manner is so comical at times, I wasn't sure if she was friend or foe, but I was pleasantly surprised at what she actually was. I loved Vicky's character, so much fun, ALL of her.
In fact, this book WAS fun, a delightful easy read but with a whole lot of mystery and mayhem, of hidden truths, of a maybe brewing romance, of conviction in what is right. I'm always rooting for the underdog and Hope had my full support! She might not be very powerful, she might be out of her depth, she might be naive and trusting but she's a whole lot of sass, determination and all round awesome! I'm so looking forward to cheering her on in the next book!
October 5, 2023
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Overall thoughts: It could have been better, I liked the general idea of the book, and the plot was great.
This book follows Hope - a witch who lives off soda- who got the opportunity to run a teashop (that didn't sell a single tea bag during the whole book, just kept giving free cookies and drinks) after an old lady used to run it before she died. But upon arrival, she discovers a body in the tub. So being the "good" witch she is, she sets on the quest of finding the culprit along with her neighbor Dru and the very brooding and charming bounty hunter Ian.
What I liked: The particularity in the book was brilliant, I always love urban fantasy books because most of them have this secret society of supernatural communities that hosts all sorts of supernatural creatures. I adored that part, and I hope we get introduced to more species in the next book as well
What I didn't like: I think it was too bland, there wasn't enough flavor in it. And frankly, the ending was kind of predictable. I thought I was in for a huge revelation but sadly my theory was true (I mean it was waving at you with a neon sign), so that was a bit of a letdown. I almost didn't want to finish reading because it was kind of boring, it didn't have those elements that keep you hanging on every word. Some parts of the book felt unnecessary and didn't add anything to the plot (I'm guessing it has got something to do with the next book. I'm not sure)
Also, I felt disappointed because there wasn't any practical magic, I went thinking there would be some spell casting and people throwing things at each other or even maybe a wand, but alas.
The ending was ambiguous and left us on a cliffhanger (which I admit is my fault because we were warned beforehand). And this book in particular, is serving as the filler book for the next one which I hope would be a romance between Ian and Hope because this one had no romance in it.
Want to read
June 11, 2024This is not a full review. I read through the beginning of all 300 SPFBOX contest entries. This was a book I wanted to read more of.
It isn’t every day that a low ranked young witch gets to take over a witch’s shop, but our MC is determined to make the most of the opportunity. If only her first ever rating wasn’t 1-star!
This has a cozy, fun opening, as our MC uses self affirmation rather than spells to calm her nerves, laying her hands on her grandma’s spell book as she recovered from the disappointment of her first ever review.
She’s only got 6 months to make her shop work, or it will go to another witch. Whatever is she going to do?
Our 1st-person pov narration does a wonderful job of introducing us to the MC and world of Good Bad Witch. She’s trying to look on the bright side as she wakes herself up for another day minding her shop.
She has a cherished friend. She has a mostly positive outlook, despite her anxieties, and that’s good, because it sounds like she has her work cut out for her.
This opening, in a word, is charming. It’s focused, but patient, engaging without coming on too strong, easy to read without being flat footed, and it takes care to introduce the reader to the bounds of magic in this world of witches and mages.
I won’t spoil the surprise at the end of chapter 1, but suffice it to say if it wasn’t for my other obligations, I would love to spend all day reading this. I HAVE to find out what happens next. I’m IN!
It isn’t every day that a low ranked young witch gets to take over a witch’s shop, but our MC is determined to make the most of the opportunity. If only her first ever rating wasn’t 1-star!
This has a cozy, fun opening, as our MC uses self affirmation rather than spells to calm her nerves, laying her hands on her grandma’s spell book as she recovered from the disappointment of her first ever review.
She’s only got 6 months to make her shop work, or it will go to another witch. Whatever is she going to do?
Our 1st-person pov narration does a wonderful job of introducing us to the MC and world of Good Bad Witch. She’s trying to look on the bright side as she wakes herself up for another day minding her shop.
She has a cherished friend. She has a mostly positive outlook, despite her anxieties, and that’s good, because it sounds like she has her work cut out for her.
This opening, in a word, is charming. It’s focused, but patient, engaging without coming on too strong, easy to read without being flat footed, and it takes care to introduce the reader to the bounds of magic in this world of witches and mages.
I won’t spoil the surprise at the end of chapter 1, but suffice it to say if it wasn’t for my other obligations, I would love to spend all day reading this. I HAVE to find out what happens next. I’m IN!
October 13, 2023
Hope is a not-strong witch who’s gotten her dream opportunity to take over a witch’s shop after the prior owner passed away. She’s excited to move across the country to a new town to follow her dreams, but things quickly don’t go as planned when a body shows up in her bathtub, then promptly disappears. Hope lives up to her name with her positive spirit as she tries to figure out what’s going on before the Witch Council finds enough reasons to take the shop from her.
I really enjoyed this book! I liked Hope and how she kept a positive attitude no matter the circumstances and she didn’t let the fact that she’s not a very strong witch stop her from her goals. I also liked that while she’s not a strong witch, she’s still very knowledgeable about witchcraft. I laughed when she went running for help after finding the body and townsfolk’s reactions to her. Ian definitely grew on me, and I loved that he has two very different types of dogs, it made him a more likeable character given how he first met Hope. This series starter was a fun, urban fantasy, cozy mystery and I’m really looking forward to seeing what happens next for Hope and Ian!
I really enjoyed this book! I liked Hope and how she kept a positive attitude no matter the circumstances and she didn’t let the fact that she’s not a very strong witch stop her from her goals. I also liked that while she’s not a strong witch, she’s still very knowledgeable about witchcraft. I laughed when she went running for help after finding the body and townsfolk’s reactions to her. Ian definitely grew on me, and I loved that he has two very different types of dogs, it made him a more likeable character given how he first met Hope. This series starter was a fun, urban fantasy, cozy mystery and I’m really looking forward to seeing what happens next for Hope and Ian!
August 22, 2024
Enjoyable, but I can't say I'm just going to jump into the next book. This one mostly wrapped up, so there's no driving need to continue. As I said, I enjoyed it, but it wasn't stupendous. I will eventually read the next book, but not today. I'm going to keep hunting for a great book.
More details: The world builidng was pretty good. It wasn't a big long commentary that got boring, but threaded throughout the book, with enough up front to immediately have an idea of what the landscape looked like.
Hope is a cute character: she comes off as in way over her head, but determined to follow through and succeed. Dru was a great sidekick - snarky but ok in the end. Ian probably has a great story behind him, but we don't find out much in this first book. The emphasis on Grandma was a bit much, since Hope was only 8 when she died. Would have been more realistic if Hope was a little older.
Threads left hanging: why are so many people against Hope, that are apparently friendly to everyone else? Relationship with Ian. Upcoming issues with dark magic users. ???
October 7, 2023
A fun book, obviously the beginning of a series, where we meet Hope, a weak yet positive witch struggling to make a go of a witch shop she’s suddenly been handed that has a reputation for dark magic. In this book we’re introduced to the magical members of the surrounding community and watch Hope as she finds her place there.
This is nice, light reading in the supernatural world. I gave it 3 stars because I found it a little predictable and the characters somewhat one-dimensional, but as I said, it’s most definitely a series starter, and the characters will most likely develop further as we keep reading. I also got slightly frustrated trying to figure out where this fictional town was supposed to be; I didn’t find any reference point, but assume somewhere in America? Maybe in the South? Or could be Canada? A small point, but it did bug me.
Overall, though, it was an enjoyable read.
Thank you to the author, who allowed me to read an advanced reader copy of the book; the choice to leave a review was my own, as are all of my opinions.
This is nice, light reading in the supernatural world. I gave it 3 stars because I found it a little predictable and the characters somewhat one-dimensional, but as I said, it’s most definitely a series starter, and the characters will most likely develop further as we keep reading. I also got slightly frustrated trying to figure out where this fictional town was supposed to be; I didn’t find any reference point, but assume somewhere in America? Maybe in the South? Or could be Canada? A small point, but it did bug me.
Overall, though, it was an enjoyable read.
Thank you to the author, who allowed me to read an advanced reader copy of the book; the choice to leave a review was my own, as are all of my opinions.
December 12, 2023
(FYI I tend to only review one book per series, unless I change my mind on a series, so want to change my scoring by more than 0.50 of a star. -- I tend not to read reviews until after I read a book, so I go in with an open mind.)
3.5*
First time read the author's work?: No
Will you be reading more?: Yes
Would you recommend?: Yes
------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)
All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked
Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)
3.5*
First time read the author's work?: No
Will you be reading more?: Yes
Would you recommend?: Yes
------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)
All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked
Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)
December 25, 2023
This was a recommendation from one of the authors I follow (possibly Heather Harris? or Nancy Warren?) but alas, it fell flat for me.
Part of it, I think, is that there's just nothing that distinguishes Hope, the main character, from the protagonist of pretty much any other witchy cozy mystery where the main character is a young, pretty blonde who inherits a book shop / tea shop / magic shop / knitting shop / whatever shop. Part of it is, as one of the reviewers says below, that all the bad things happen to her before we know who she is or why we should care about her.
Mostly, though, it's because regardless of the reason, I just don't care what happens next. The book is only 260 pages, but it just felt like it was dragging for me.
So this ended up being a DNF at 18%, and I think that perhaps I need to just return any other new 'twenty-something witch inherits an x-shop' books that are currently sitting in my KU library. Other than Nancy Warren's Vampire Knitting Club, they're just not where my reading tastes are at right now.
Part of it, I think, is that there's just nothing that distinguishes Hope, the main character, from the protagonist of pretty much any other witchy cozy mystery where the main character is a young, pretty blonde who inherits a book shop / tea shop / magic shop / knitting shop / whatever shop. Part of it is, as one of the reviewers says below, that all the bad things happen to her before we know who she is or why we should care about her.
Mostly, though, it's because regardless of the reason, I just don't care what happens next. The book is only 260 pages, but it just felt like it was dragging for me.
So this ended up being a DNF at 18%, and I think that perhaps I need to just return any other new 'twenty-something witch inherits an x-shop' books that are currently sitting in my KU library. Other than Nancy Warren's Vampire Knitting Club, they're just not where my reading tastes are at right now.
September 28, 2023
This is the first book in a new series and this is the first time i Have read this author. Hope Avery is a witch who doesn't have much power. What she lacks in power, she makes up for with heart and a positive attitude. She is given a Tea Shop when the previous owner passes away. After uprooting herself to move and take over, nothing seems to go her way. Negative reviews, a dead body in her bathtub and hardly any friendly faces, she struggles to make it work. Add in a good looking shifter possibly investigating her and it's enough to make a normal person give up. But not Hope! As mentioned in other reviews, this book is a slower start but it does a great job laying the foundation for the series. It leaves you wondering the entire story and does a wonderful job of not giving anything away until the very end. The relationship between Hope and Ian is humorous and in a way reminds me of Austin and Jessie from the Leveling up series.
October 13, 2023
I received this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. First off, I love this author. Her books are always fun has quirky characters and this book is no exception. Though it was a bit slow at the beginning I think it was needed to lay the foundation of what was going on. Hope will work her tail off proving she deserves this witch shop and no matter what is thrown at her she just keeps pushing forward. She has a huge upbeat personality that I found infectious. For every customer that comes in wanting "bad magic" she comes up with a work around to keep on the side of right. Each character is layer and enjoyable or well bad. I could not help but cheer Hope on. This book is light funny and a joy to read. The way our world is sometimes it is nice to find characters you would love to meet, and this author always seems to do that with her characters. Looking forward to the next adventure Hope finds herself in.
January 18, 2024
This book was super cute. It's pretty much am easy murder mystery type. There are hints of a possible romance, but just barely, so if you're looking for a romance you'll either have to be patient or move along.
The magic in this book is pretty minimal, as is the action. It's a lot of uncovering and mystery, with everything wrapping up at the end.
However, it was very cute, well written and the characters were enjoyable and realistic. I wasn't too sure about Hope at the start. She seemed unbelievably nieve and way to perky, but she grew on me. Her never ending positivity and need to find the light in all things was really nice and refreshing.
She isn't dumb or nieve, just a generally happy and positive person.
The twist of her faking the dark magic and having it succeed was really cool, and that more then anything is getting me to dive in to book two.
The magic in this book is pretty minimal, as is the action. It's a lot of uncovering and mystery, with everything wrapping up at the end.
However, it was very cute, well written and the characters were enjoyable and realistic. I wasn't too sure about Hope at the start. She seemed unbelievably nieve and way to perky, but she grew on me. Her never ending positivity and need to find the light in all things was really nice and refreshing.
She isn't dumb or nieve, just a generally happy and positive person.
The twist of her faking the dark magic and having it succeed was really cool, and that more then anything is getting me to dive in to book two.
February 5, 2024
4/5 - Sunny Heroine Urban Fantasy
I appreciate that the author went for a different kind of FMC than the usual strong, smart badass.
Hope is one of those aggressively optimistic people who believe that good vibes can manifest good things in life. She's a little woo-woo, even for a witch, but she also has some depth of character that I like.
That being said, I don't think she's everyone's cup of tea. I myself could've done without so many positive affirmations.
For romance, there's not much in book one, just the beginning of a slow burn sunny-grumpy romance. The MMC is gruff and a bit mysterious. He has potential.
As for the mystery, it's decent. I guessed one part of the ending but not others, so that was ok. I don't love how things are revealed so slowly and obviously, but at least it's consistent with the FMC's character.
I appreciate that the author went for a different kind of FMC than the usual strong, smart badass.
Hope is one of those aggressively optimistic people who believe that good vibes can manifest good things in life. She's a little woo-woo, even for a witch, but she also has some depth of character that I like.
That being said, I don't think she's everyone's cup of tea. I myself could've done without so many positive affirmations.
For romance, there's not much in book one, just the beginning of a slow burn sunny-grumpy romance. The MMC is gruff and a bit mysterious. He has potential.
As for the mystery, it's decent. I guessed one part of the ending but not others, so that was ok. I don't love how things are revealed so slowly and obviously, but at least it's consistent with the FMC's character.
October 4, 2023
This was a fun read, with some twists and turns, and well written characters. I found it refreshing that Hope, our FMC, is not a powerful witch, rather the opposite; and despite that she accomplishes what needs to be done, through her positive attitude. I’ll admit that at times I found her optimism and positive affirmations a bit irritating, but it grew on me. Isa Medina is great at weaving a compelling and vibrant universe, a good mystery, and above all characters that compliment each other and balance out the story. If you are in a mood for a cozy paranormal mystery this book is for you. Can’t wait to read the next in the series.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 26, 2023
The newest Isa Medina book is Good Bad Witch. I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
The FMC may not start out as confident and kick-ass as the characters Isa has previously written – Hope is a little naïve and uncertain of her skills, but she has plenty of sass and determination, as well as a positive outlook and great sense of humour.
I love the opening, with a dead body in the FMC’s bathtub.
The story itself is a cosy paranormal mystery with a slow burn sunshine/grumpy romance – along with magic, witches, shifters and demons thrown in for good measure. Oh, and a cute dog named Fluffy. It’s a great combination.
I enjoyed this and look forward to the next instalment.
The FMC may not start out as confident and kick-ass as the characters Isa has previously written – Hope is a little naïve and uncertain of her skills, but she has plenty of sass and determination, as well as a positive outlook and great sense of humour.
I love the opening, with a dead body in the FMC’s bathtub.
The story itself is a cosy paranormal mystery with a slow burn sunshine/grumpy romance – along with magic, witches, shifters and demons thrown in for good measure. Oh, and a cute dog named Fluffy. It’s a great combination.
I enjoyed this and look forward to the next instalment.
January 3, 2024
oh hell. I really wanted to like this book more. It just, Hope, is so, so stupid.
I like her. She's friendly, determined, caring, but so, so stupid. Why? Why can't she be less stupid?
I get that her idiocy drives the plot forward but it was so distractingly annoying to me I almost dnf'd about 4 times.
I made it through because this author is a good writer. I'm interested in reading different series by this author because the writing was good but I'm going to have to keep a sharp eye for empty-headed toothaches driving the plot with their shenanigans.
If you can tolerate somewhat idiotic thinking and speaking from your MCs, go for this book because the world building is fun.
I like her. She's friendly, determined, caring, but so, so stupid. Why? Why can't she be less stupid?
I get that her idiocy drives the plot forward but it was so distractingly annoying to me I almost dnf'd about 4 times.
I made it through because this author is a good writer. I'm interested in reading different series by this author because the writing was good but I'm going to have to keep a sharp eye for empty-headed toothaches driving the plot with their shenanigans.
If you can tolerate somewhat idiotic thinking and speaking from your MCs, go for this book because the world building is fun.
August 11, 2024
Our MC Hope has just been given her dream from the witch council, a witch shop of her own. Unfortunately, the prior witch was up to no good and so were her clients and now things are getting hinky for Hope. Hope is a great name for this character, with her cheery positive affirmations via her Grandmom like:
"You didn’t need great power to be a great witch. You just needed to help your community to the best of your abilities."
“You can’t depend on the lottery, but you can on a positive attitude,”
This was a fun, and light read with a cozy mystery and a hint of romance with the sexy local grumpy shifter Ian. Ian was a great (I'm sure he's the love interest but this is slow burn baby) hero to our damsel and his strays were pretty sweet too.
Also, Fluffy! I love animal characters in books, even just goofy happy dogs, and I think there is more to her that meets the eye.
For sure a recommendation if you enjoy a light Fluffy read. (Sorry, pun totally intended.)
"You didn’t need great power to be a great witch. You just needed to help your community to the best of your abilities."
“You can’t depend on the lottery, but you can on a positive attitude,”
This was a fun, and light read with a cozy mystery and a hint of romance with the sexy local grumpy shifter Ian. Ian was a great (I'm sure he's the love interest but this is slow burn baby) hero to our damsel and his strays were pretty sweet too.
Also, Fluffy! I love animal characters in books, even just goofy happy dogs, and I think there is more to her that meets the eye.
For sure a recommendation if you enjoy a light Fluffy read. (Sorry, pun totally intended.)
September 3, 2024
The Witch, Werewolf, & Shifter Thriller is surprisingly superb. Hope is a weak witch who has been allowed to run a magical supply store in the guise of a tea shop. When a corpse shows up in her tub, she resolves to find the culprit and fight to keep her shop.
The main character is a paradox of possibilities. Hope grew up learning how to use magic, but she knows almost nothing about the magical community. Fortunately, her grandmother taught her to be law-abiding and morally outstanding. After the culprit is revealed, Hope must rely on help from others to survive. The end is pleasing.
Easy-to-read. Entertaining. Great world building. Romantic. Scary. Tragic. Unpredictable. Whimsical. Wonderful characters.
The main character is a paradox of possibilities. Hope grew up learning how to use magic, but she knows almost nothing about the magical community. Fortunately, her grandmother taught her to be law-abiding and morally outstanding. After the culprit is revealed, Hope must rely on help from others to survive. The end is pleasing.
Easy-to-read. Entertaining. Great world building. Romantic. Scary. Tragic. Unpredictable. Whimsical. Wonderful characters.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 118 reviews