Brownies and Broomsticks

A Magical Bakery Mystery, Book 1

By: Bailey Cates

Narrated by: Johanna Parker

Length: 7 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

Katie Lightfoot's tired of loafing around as the assistant manager of an Ohio bakery. So when her aunt Lucy and uncle Ben open a bakery in Savannah's quaint downtown district and ask Katie to join them, she enthusiastically agrees.

While working at the Honeybee Bakery - named after Lucy's cat - Katie notices that her aunt is adding mysterious herbs to her recipes. Turns out these herbal enhancements aren't just tasty - Aunt Lucy is a witch and her recipes are actually spells!

When a curmudgeonly customer is murdered outside the Honeybee Bakery, Uncle Ben becomes the prime suspect. With the help of handsome journalist Steve Dawes, charming firefighter Declan McCarthy, and a few spells, Katie and Aunt Lucy stir up some toil and trouble to clear Ben's name and find the real killer....

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©2012 Penguin Group USA (Inc.) (P)2013 Tantor

Light fun easy listen.

Light fun easy listen. Love the premise of the book. The author perfectly balanced levity and detail whether discussing crime or the bakery. I promptly went out and got the rest of the books of the series and I recommend you do the same. I can't wait for the author's next release.

The narrator isn't my favorite (the narrator for the rest of the series I actually like a whole lot better) but the narration isn't bad. It doesn't get in the way of the story.

Cute Story with Sweets and Ice Tea 😊😊😊

After being disappointed by one of my long time series and then accidentally listening to very depressing book, I decided to find something "fun".

Brownies and Brownsticks follows a young baker/chef who has just moved to Savannah, Georgia for a fresh start. She is opening a bakery with her Aunt who turns out to be a witch.

Our lead character, Katie is both skeptical and excited about learning her family's other tradition. As Katie and her new found Covent try to solve a murder mystery that might doom the bakery, they learn that everybody has a little something to hide.

I liked that the author didn't overdo anything. There are men companions in the book but none of that instant love at first sight foolery. The witch stuff isn't over the top but is mixed into the book well to make it interesting but believable.

The murder mystery is... well... remember I chose this book for its "fun-ness". Fun it does well, but the mystery and investigation was now for slightly humerous entertainment rather than suspenseful thriller. So don't go into this thinking you're getting the John Grishm of witches.

I also wish there were more diversity in the characters. Savannah has more than just rich elderly Caucasian women.

Another big part of the book are the recipes and treats she describes. There were a few things that tempted me to break my diet.

The narrator was Johanna Parker. I think she did a delightful job and I appreciated her not doing the exaggerated southern accent that non-southerners think we have.

The book was what I expected and helped me out of my depressing book funk. I plan on reading another book in the series when I need a break from my Urban Fantasy obsession.

3 Stars - Good Book. I like the overall concept and it was delivered well. Most common ranking for a book I enjoyed and look forward to the next.

Narrator Voice

the narrators voice when she wasn't sounding like the lead character was rather annoying. it came off sounding high class Bostonian but when she spoke like the main character her voice was pleasant.

Enjoyable new series...

Any additional comments?

This book was a fun listen. Nothing fancy... just a typical chicklit mystery but... I liked the narrator. I liked the story. It had just enough humor and romance and it villain wasn't obvious. You end up feeling more sorry for the killer than the victim.Look forward to the next books in this series. I hope audible brings them in soon.

Absolutely Charming!

What a deliciously decadent witchy little mystery! An absolute delight on every level. I just purchased vol 2 and 3, and hope Bailey Cates keeps 'em coming :)

Loved love l8ve

what. an i say I must .loved spending time with this story really enjoyed the way magic was experienced and explained in this story tube characters are wonderful and fun the baked goodies make up sent to jump Jo and make some yourself. can't wait to start. the next book

Easy Listening

What did you love best about Brownies and Broomsticks?

Easy to listen to, the story kept me interested, narration was very good

What was one of the most memorable moments of Brownies and Broomsticks?

The characters were vivid.

What about Johanna Parker’s performance did you like?

Nice smooth voice that is easy to listen to.

Any additional comments?

Relax and unwind

Ok, probably will buy the next one

This book is pretty good, I love the characters and the story is good. But there are two things that really irk me.
1. At one point the main character calls depression “a popular trend that wasn’t her thing.” As someone who has depression I almost stopped the book and returned it right then and there but decided to press on.
2. Secondly I am so sick of female characters talking about needing to eat “next to nothing” the day after eating a large meal. Can we please stop with that nonsense? Women are more than their weight! And they’re more than what they eat!!

New Witch, New Life, Fun Read

What would you do if you found out in your 20,s that you were a witch with a talent for solving murder. Start listening to this series and find out.

woohoo

oh yeah iv done 3% already.oh oh oh oh oh oh ho oh oh