A Charming Magic (Magical Cures Mystery #5)

A Charming Magic by Tonya Kappes

My rating: 1 of 5 stars


I'm out. No more. These books are so poorly written / edited that I can no longer handle reading them.

And June. Oh June. You are so self-centered and completely unlikeable. You think everything should be about you. You are insecure and needy. You hate every new woman who comes to Whispering Falls. If I were Oscar I would be thrilled to have my memories erased because you are just the world's worst person. And this ending was the worst of all. I'm so done.

These plots are dumb, June is an idiot, and the writing stinks. If I hadn't gotten all of these books at once when the series was on sale at Amazon I would have stopped after book 2. I think this is the last one I have, though, so sayonara to Whispering Falls for me!



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A Charming Spell (Magical Cures Mystery #4)

A Charming Spell by Tonya Kappes

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I know I said I was done with this series, but apparently I am a glutton for punishment. Plus I own books 4 and 5, so I guess I need to finish up what I have.

June is inexplicably still village president with absolutely no qualifications for the position and is doing the job you would expect. Oliver is still missing his memory of June and the magical world. Why did we hit the reset button in book 3? Oh, right, because the plot wasn't working. Anyway, June is still incompetent, and self-centered, and eating those damn Ding Dongs. And sticking her nose in everyone's business. I can take annoying from my characters. What I can't take is stupidity. She makes bad decisions, puts herself and other in danger, and is consistently selfish. She lost me completely when she chose to pick on Oliver's new girlfriend. Very "Mean Girls", and is the perfect example of why June is a bad character. I pretty much hate her at this point.

Aside from the atrocities of the plot and characters, these books are riddled with typos and grammatical errors that are unforgivable and make the books read like a high school writing project. The dialogue is stilted and amateurish, and the plots are inane. Don't waste your time and money on this series--there are much better options out there.

P.S. Every time I had to read, "Hidden Hall A Spiritualist University" (which was about 100 times) I wanted to gouge my eyes out. The name is stupid and you don't need to write out the full name every. damn. time.



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A Charming Wish (Magical Cures Mystery #3)

A Charming Wish by Tonya Kappes

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Another series bites the dust for me. I can't go on with this one. Too much poor writing and editing, and the characters are annoying.

June is still in Whispering Falls, and is now the village president (what? Suspend disbelief with me). June butts her nose in where it doesn't belong, is falsely accused, and shenanigans ensue. Just like book 1. Just like book 2. And the author decides to hit a tremendous reset button three books in and I have no idea why.

Rumor has it that the series rights itself by book 5, but I won't be around to find out. Sorry, Whispering Falls, but I am not a fan of quirky for quirky's sake when it isn't accompanied by solid writing.
P.S. Get an editor, for crying out loud. "Hit the breaks" is not acceptable.



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The Bean Trees

The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Have you ever wanted to reinvent yourself? To escape your old life and start over where no one knows you? I know I have. So begins our journey into the desert of Tucson.

Overall, I really enjoyed it. The settings really come to life. The characters were each unique although I wanted more development, especially with Taylor and Lou Ann. She could have gone deeper into each of their stories and extended the book 100 pages without making it drag. I enjoyed reading about Taylor and Turtle's journey together and how they both changed in their new lives. I especially enjoyed the side plot about Esteven and Esperanza and how it all came together at the end.

I enjoy Barbara Kingsolver so I can't imagine why I waited to read this book. This one was her first novel, and it was good. Glad I finally got to it.




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A Charming Cure (Magical Cures Mystery #2)

A Charming Cure by Tonya Kappes

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


My interest in this series is quickly dwindling. Book 1 was cute, and I was intrigued by the colorful characters in Whispering Falls, Kentucky. But I don't know if I can continue. The dialogue is terrible. It reads like a high school creative writing project at times. The purple prose pops up at the most awkward times and completely pulls me out of the story. I could overlook this and just enjoy the plot, but I am discovering how much I dislike the main character, June. June is insecure--a character trait I absolutely hate. She eats ding dongs non-stop, which is strange, but more importantly, she just isn't very smart. If she would stop and think before acting she would avoid most of her troubles. She is ridiculously naive about her relationship with her best friend, Oscar. I can handle the, "will they or won't they" nonsense. Hey, they are both 25 years old. No need to rush into anything. But her inner dialogue makes me cringe, and I just don't like her.

I will give book 3 a final shot before throwing in the towel, but it isn't looking good for me continuing the series. Sorry, June, you may have to continue on without me.



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A Charming Crime (Magical Cure Mystery #1)

A Charming Crime by Tonya Kappes

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


A cute start to the series. I liked it more than I expected. A bit fluffy, but a fast read. I loved her cat, Mr. Prince Charming. He saved the book from veering into 2 star territory.

Seriously, though, I could barely get past all of the Ding Dongs. Crazy girl had them stashed under the steps in her basement? How expired were they if she stashed them for an emergency? She had them in her glove box, in her purse, just everywhere. I know that if I ate that many Ding Dongs, I certainly wouldn't look like the woman on the front of the book. Just saying'.

Ding Dongs aside, I will continue with the series. Not my usual genre, but still fun.



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