| Title | : | Witchin USA (Moonstone Bay, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 308 |
| Publication | : | First published December 31, 2017 |
Hadley, ready for an adventure, decides to check things out and finds herself plunged into a world she never envisioned.
From the naked woman swimming in the ocean outside her back door, to the hot sheriff who seems to be hiding a secret, Hadley is intrigued from the start. That’s before magical things start happening – including to Hadley – and a body washes up on the beach.
It seems Moonstone Bay has a killer on the loose … and he may be stalking Hadley, although no one can figure out why.
Things are about to spiral for Moonstone Bay’s newest reluctant – and baffled – witch. She has to learn about the past, investigate the present and hold on to her future for dear life. Along the way she will meet a bevy of new friends who have a few particular abilities … and a lot of really odd quirks.
Set sail for adventure, because once you visit Moonstone Bay, you’ll never be the same again.
Witchin USA (Moonstone Bay, #1) Reviews
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Witchin' USA: A Moonstone Bay Cozy Mystery 1
In A Nutshell: Hadley inherits a lighthouse from a grandmother she did not know existed. She jets off to a small island and discovers she is a witch. More obvious sexual references than Lee's usual work but all the same characters. It's like the
Wicked Witches of the Midwest Mystery series on an island.
Amanda Lee’s latest series is set on Moonstone Bay Island in the sun, off the coast of Florida. But the characters are the 'same old same old' with that slightly misogynistic sense of humour and snark, which is usually girls ‘bitching’ at each other.
So, Galen, a police officer with magical powers, replaces Landon as the law enforcement agent and hero to Bay Winchester the witch protagonist who always needs saving. And Hadley is the protagonist who always needs to be saved by a man hero. Like Bay, she is a 20 something immature person who is also a witch. Unlike Bay, Hadley does not have blonde hair which will be frequently referenced as a thing of beauty or a sign of stupidity. Thank god for small mercies.
Hadley takes up stupid aka ditzy from the same level Bay Winchester has sunk too. And of course, there is harmless lightweight violence. Gaylen the beau, two days after making Hadley's acquaintance, orders her into the truck. When Hadley hesitates to ‘get in the truck’ he tries to ‘push Hadley in the truck’ then tells her to get in 'giving her another shove’. And of course, the girls in the books bitch and have a catfight literally. In this story, however, they don’t say ‘eat dirt’
Unlike the Witches of the West, this series lacks the drawing power of Aunt Tillie.
If you love Amanda Lee this is for you, but if you want a more original read I don’t think there is sufficient character development to hold onto. However, if you want lightweight witchy fun and you haven't read them already I would recommend
the Stacy Justice Mystery Series . Or the wonderful
the Lazy Girl's Guide to Magic Series
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Book Rating
Sexual Content: U
Language: U
Violent: U
Would I read the next oneor reread?: Unlikely
My rating system (* = star)
0* Could not finish this book (waste of time)
1*Finished the book butdidn't like itBored!
2* Finished the book it was okay.
3* A good read worth your time.
4* An excellent read often with a novel concept or unusual plot.
5* A magnificent read. A prominent example of the genre. -
This was a really cute book. I honestly thought it was going to be a dnf but it was actually quite cute. To be fully honest, it wasn't cliche. It wasn't lame. It had a little mystery. It was cute, sassy, and some little funny moments. I saw this on my kindle for Halloween reads. It sounded like a YA read (which it was) but it was nicely written. I took a star off because I hadn't realized it was a YA. It wasn't labeled as such. I'm in my 30s, I'm not so keen on YA but...I've a read a few that were actually decent including this one.
To recap: A young adult book read and it's definitely cute. I'd say it's a good read for Halloween. It's not scary or spooky. Nothing to have nightmares over. However, it was a good decent read. -
This book was so cute!! It had everything I love in a book: romance, a mystery, great characters, a supernatural aspect, and a short page count. Can’t wait to read the next in the series!
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Well, I won't get those hours or money I've wasted back...
Amanda M. Lee has a knack for writing bitchy pushover female characters. They're borderline annoying and one dimensional characters. Every book I've read from her is the same female character in a different setting. Then there's the always oversexed male lead who wouldn't understand the word no when he received a lethal injection.
Then there's this always bubbly character and the broody on...
In this particular story we have actually a pretty interesting setting and at first Hadley seems very interesting. But when the story reaches the point where the male lead basically roofied her it just goes downhill (BTW every character seems to be fine with drugging someone here).
It's just one mental breakdown and screaming match after another then. Also killing the "villain" here is perfectly normal in front of the police who actually wanted to kill him too without repercussions.
So, can I recommend this book? Hell no, but if I had to recommend something from this author then it'd be her Wicked Witches of the Midwest series. More likable characters although still as described as above. -
Predictable
Seems like all of Amanda M. Lee's heros and heroines are the same. It gets monotonous. Every hero is in law enforcement of some kind. Every heroine is beautiful and doesn't know it. She always says she doesn't need help, yet everyone acts like a protector.
The guilty party was obvious. Wasn't really a mystery.
The title also seems out of place.
I do enjoy the author's humor, but I am bored of reading the same characters over and over again. -
A great start to a new series! Review to come!
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This story begins when Hadley finds out she had a grandmother that recently died, and she left her her house. Now, Hadley goes to a new place and starts to learn some secrets from her past that she never knew of. Hadley must figure out what she wants to do next with a little help from some new friends as well.
I thought this book was really good, and a great start to this series. I liked the relationship between the hero and heroine. However, I didn't like the side female character at all, and I had a hard time with how similar the hero was to other hero's written by this same author. Other than that I'm excited and looking forward to more. -
Ugh. Cute premise, amusing world, likable side characters. JHFC, the heroine is a maroon and a shallow one at that.
Cute enough otherwise, that I'm willing to try another and hope the heroine improves. (Future Me: Spoiler! Heroine continues with a fatal case of suckage. Yeah, stop giving authors the benefit of a doubt.) -
Mysteries and the past
I cannot begin to say I am already hooked on these characters. Moonstone Bay is an interesting place to start over but when you wake up on your second day of you stay and find not only dead body but an incredible hottie asking questions what else could go wrong. Just about everything.
Amanda Lee’s new series is the start of good things to come with its fun and sarcastic cast of characters. I cannot wait to read the next installment of this series. -
This for me was a great start to this series. Thoroughly enjoyed this book. I couldn't put it down. I have to say yes it is similar to Amanda Lee's other series (or at least the 3 series I have read so far, I got over 3 more to go! ) but I really enjoyed it. I love the discovery of the characters and I can't wait to read more! Great book and a great start to a new series.
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I loved this book; fun, witty and interesting
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Great!
I loved her snarking personality and the romance. The mystery was a bit lacking though. Really loved the island atmosphere too. Will post the full review on my blog soon. -
Enjoyed this light-hearted read. Good paranormal cozy mystery. Pretty formulaic but totally enjoyable. I actually liked all the characters in this book and am looking forward to book 2 (and beyond).
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Idk
I couldn't really get into this one. I think there waa too much going on at once it felt a bit all over the place to me. -
Spectacular
I don't know how Amanda M. Lee does it but she can skin a good yarn and play with mutt emotions my family think I'm losing it alternatively wooing tears from my eyes then giggling like a loon!!! I love reading her books and highly recommend this series! It certainly starts with some shockers and keeps them coming right to the last chapter!! -
I’ve really been in a paranormal/UF mood with a witchy specification, and Hadley’s journey in Witchin’ USA was the perfect fit.
Summary:
Hadley Hunter has always led a normal life. She grew up with a normal single father, in a normal Detroit suburb, went to a normal college, and ended up with a normal job. When the will arrives, normal goes out the window. Suddenly, Hadley has a dead grandmother she never knew existed, and an inheritance that will turn her whole world upside down and challenge everything she’s ever believed. Hadley heads for Moonstone Bay and the amazing lighthouse home that has been passed down throughout the generations of her family. But things are definitely not normal in Hadley’s new island home. From the naked woman swimming in the ocean, the hot, secretive sheriff, and secret meetings where she is the topic of conversation, Hadley’s about to land in what some might call a fantasyland. If that’s not overwhelming enough, a body washes ashore in her backyard on her first day in town. It seems a killer is on the loose in her new home, and she may just be the next check on his list. Hadley will have to open her mind to a lot of the impossible, accept help from her new friends, and hold on to her hope for the future in order to make it through the new adventure.
I was hoping this would be a series that had a lot of magical elements in it, and I wasn’t disappointed. I was surprised that Hadley was such a novice. It made this first-in-series all the more entertaining. Hadley was hilarious. She pretty much had her world turned upside down, and even with a few mild mental breakdowns, she kept on going. I admired that she was determined to make her new life work if only to learn all she could about her mother’s family. I liked her snark and sass, and following along with her while learning all the elements of her new life was fun. She was overwhelmed at times, but her reactions and demeanor were laugh out loud funny. There wasn’t a lot to speak of in the way of romance here, but there is a potential love interest. I liked Galen okay. We don’t get his POV or very much about his life other than him being sheriff, so I feel like there may be more to him. I did like how firm and confident he was. He had an alpha air about him, and I really liked this. I’ll be interested to see if the smattering of flirty behavior becomes more. Overall, I had a great time reading this book. There were times I even laughed out loud at certain scenes or dialogue. The mystery was good for the first half or so, but fell kind of flat towards the end. I did guess who the “bad guy” was early on, but that didn’t detract from what I was reading. I was still happy to see Hadley find her way to the same conclusion. My issue came with how it just ended. I didn’t feel that the motive was explained in enough detail to understand why it was essential to the culprit. That said, it was still a fun read and I got a kick out of getting to know some of the Moonstone Bay residents. Booker is especially mysterious and I’m anxious to learn more about him. A promising start to the series. I hope it keeps the humor and sarcasm throughout. ♡ -
Reviewed at Haunted Bookshelf
Witchin’ USA is my first Amanda M. Lee book, yes, I know there are others out there but I wanted to start with a shorter series… and it seems I managed that as the second book isn’t available yet. So. Where do I begin?
Well, I can say that I liked the story, even though our heroine, Hadley could be very annoying, very often. I got that she’s just been handed a piece of her life that she never knew existed. Inheriting a lighthouse on an island far out from the Florida coast isn’t the usual way that we meet our grandmothers… or at least learn of them. It doesn’t take long to figure out that the island has some special qualities, or that all of the residents and tourists aren’t quite completely human. Moonstone Bay is a magical island, home to witches, shifters and so much more. And Hadley has been set down in the middle of it all totally confused… and in danger.
It didn’t really take long to figure out who the bad guy was… the why took up until the reveal to get straight. In the meantime there is a lot going on in Hadley’s life. Attacks, new experiences with the magical residents, some strange encounters on the beach, some talking ghosts… and one handsome sheriff to tangle with in so many delicious ways.
I really liked that the author states clearly in the author’s notes at the end of this book that not everyone is going to like her books or her sense of humor. For me it was 75% liked this book and 25% didn’t like Hadley. And probably the reasons that I’m not a Hadley fan is the constant sarcasm, the snark and the inability to actually listen to good advise from anyone, especially Galen. I just could not like the main character… yet, in an unexplainable way Hadley does grow on you, so I’m giving her the benefit of wait and see. I adored Galen, even liked the secondary characters and hope to learn more about them at some point. So, I liked the story, will continue the series when the next book comes out … and we’ll see on the other series. Would I recommend Witchin’ USA? Yes, but I do think you need to have a distinctive personality to enjoy the sarcasm and snark… and some days I do and some I don’t.
I read this title through my Kindle Unlimited subscription. -
I'm honestly not sure what to make of this one.
I love the humor, the snark and the sarcasm. It's full of fun, quirky, oddball characters that are literally "full of character".
The story itself is also quite intriguing. (even though the whodunit was a no-brainer) I like that for once we see the mc actually struggle to come to terms with their new reality, which frankly seems a lot more plausible than a momentary freak-out and after that they act like it's no biggie.
The romance is just as quirky as the rest of the story. There's no wooing or dancing around each other or anything, it's like he simply decided that she's his and that's that. Only he forgot to let her know. Still, they are somehow funny and cute together.
Now for the annoying and frustrating bits:
There's a lot of cryptic and enigmatic stuff (which I loathe , fiercely so).
You know, all the hinting at stuff, but never clarifying. "We'll talk about it later", "That's a discussion for another time",
Or "We have much to talk about" but never actually get around to it.
And to really rub it in these very same people that refuse to explain and tell her stuff then laugh at/make fun of her ignorance even though they are the ones refusing to tell her.
It also bugged me how pretty much everyone from May, to Lilac to Galen has a tendency to simply disregard anything Hadley is saying, repeatedly simply make decisions for her without so much as asking, like she's a child. a lot of patronizing, teasing, making fun of her, but very little in the way of actually giving answers, providing vital information. What's worse is, she lets them get away with it. As much as I like Hadley I wish she had a bit more of a backbone/ would assert herself a bit more.
I just hope this gets better once she get's a bit more settled in her new home.
So yeah a lot of fun, with a bunch of laugh out loud moments, but also quite annoying at times and there are a lot of things, questions left unanswered. Let's hope these her setups for future stories and we finally start getting some answers in the coming book. -
An island that is It's own unique reality; with zombies, witches, ghosts, shifters, and more
I found Amanda M. Lee through my sister who gave me the 1st book of the Wicked Witches of the Midwest for my birthday in 2019. I was thrilled with that series. It was very enjoyable. I would recommend it. Give it a try, beware, the snark. It maybe too much for some readers.
After reading that series, I decided to read other Amanda M. Lee books. This is the 1st Amanda M. Lee book I picked up in my search for additional entertaining, cozy paranormal mysteries by Amanda M. Lee. The paranormal aspects of the 2 series were very different. However Amanda M. Lee's snarkiness, Is still evidence in all the dialog. I thoroughly enjoyed the character development, because of the snark, bickering, and general poking at each other that all characters seemed to excel. This dialog however is not for everyone if you do not enjoy snark and you feel that adults participating in bickering and gossiping etc. is childish, you shouldn't read Amanda M. lee.
The book starts with, the main female lead, Hadley, inheriting a lighthouse, on an island. She moves to the island to Learn more about her family and gain her inheritance. When you move, you obviously expect your life to change. However you do not expect, Your whole world view to change. For Hadley, everything she has ever believed about her family and about the supernatural Is uprooted and thrown away by her move. Hadley learns paranormal beings are real and she's one of those beings, a witch. She grapples with trying to understand a world view containing; zombies, vampires witches, ghosts and more. But Hadley's struggles are just beginning. Not only does she have to find her way in her paranormal world, but she also has to stay alive long enough to enjoy her inheritance. Someone is suddenly trying to kill her!!
Is it a benefit or hindrance that suddenly she finds herself with powerful magic powers? -
2019 Grade A--
Definitely a fun read although I suspect it will only earn a B+ the next time I read it. Technically the book is a murder mystery in addition to being fantasy. But the mystery is a rather minor part of the book. Mostly it gives the protagonist (Hadley) a reason for wandering around, doing stupid things, and getting into trouble. The story mostly concerns Hadley learning about her past, her new home, and the magic powers that come with it.
The first half of the book is delightful. About half way through, I got tired of Hadley's self doubt and self reproach. She also mostly reacts to other people's actions instead of being proactive. I like stronger and less mentally damaged characters. By about 80% of the way through, I did a little speed reading. Not too much though since the conclusion starts not long after that point.
The conclusion was a little bit of a let down. No one figured out who the killer was ahead of time - the killer just showed up at Hadley's door intent on killing her too. Although Hadley delayed her death by talking, she still did not rescue herself. Where was the magic now that she needed it? In the end, she had to be saved by three of the supporting characters.
This version of the magic world is one of the most enjoyable that I have ever encountered. Add that to the entertaining characters and dialog the author writes and it is quite enjoyable. Even the five supporting characters are unique and different. We don't see much depth in them because it is only told from Hadley's point of view, but it doesn't matter. The prose flows along smoothly and is easy to read - it is very well written.
A recommended story. -
2Was looking for witch related romcoms for book club October reads and came across this. We didn't pick it, but it was on KU and I had a plane journey to occupy myself through and wanted an easy read so thought I'd give this a go.
I liked the murder mystery element (even if it was very, very obvious), and was glad it resolved within this book. I knew it was a series but didn't realise the romance would be more of a theme across the series rather than wrap up in a solution in book one (also would have like to see the fmc show a bit more feeling for the love interest, it came across as a bit one sided where he clearly liked her and she went along with it). In fact, on reflection, all of the male characters were much more rounded than the female ones. Pretty much all the women (fmc included) were annoying - especially Lilac who looks like she might be a recurring character - and some of the dialogue was very cringy, there was an unnecessarily long argument in which 2 women repeatedly called each other a slut, and surely everyone in America now knows that the rest of the world considers spastic a really inappropriate, offensive, derogatory term.
There was also a really weird miscommunication plotline where our fmc passes out, wakes up with the love interest having slept in her bed and assumes they had sex and she cant remember. She doesn't wonder why she passed out completely sober, considers it her fault, doesn't challenge him, but goes and tells her friend who then tells other people who refer to her as a slut. It's weird, and juvenile, and just jarring and frustrating to read.
So, easy to read, not all terrible, but when it was bad it really was bad. -
First I’d like to say that anything by Amanda M. Lee is an auto read (well at least the first book of a series). This book definitely has the lol moments and the snark that all her books have. The thing is, I think some of that was misplaced. The main character Hadley is quite immature for a 27 year old and that doesn’t go over well with me in this book. Witchin USA has a lot going on and the way Hadley handles everything is quite frustrating. I understand why all of Amanda’s heros are in law enforcement so it doesn’t bother me that it’s too much of the same (I appreciate Galen having something that the others don’t ;). What does bother me is that Amanda’s heroines seem to be getting more and more ditsy. I would like to see more of a balance between H/H where the heroine isn’t always a damsel in distress and the hero isn’t always an alpha male who just expects everyone to do as he says. Would it be crazy for the hero to be the one that needs rescuing every once in a while?
So I gave this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️ because it had the comedy and the snark that I love, it had fun new characters and a new spin in paranormal BUT Hadley was annoying so that cost a
Couple stars. -
A who done it with paranormal flair
So our heroine inherits a lighthouse on an island off the Florida coast. It's odd that a maternal grandmother she had never heard of wanted to leave all her assets to her. There were stipulations to inherit, naturally. She had to live in the lighthouse.
It's a beautiful island with a furnished home. And our young heroine has the funds for some improvements. However, things get weird. She is told she is a witch just like her grandmother who pays her nightly visits in spirit form.
The island sheriff is gorgeous, as is the local handyman. Oh and by the way everyone on the island is magical.
Then an elderly land owner floats up into the beach outside the lighthouse for our damsel to discover. The sheriff is very concerned. This elderly lady is the third murder victim in a short time frame. The second was our heroine 's grandmother who was much loved and a very powerful witch. Why is this happening and who is killing these ladies?
There is something wrong in paradise. After two surprise attacks on the heroine, the sheriff needs to move fast or risk losing her. -
Oh, Hadley. This was definitely not your week.
You know, I’ve been enjoying a lot of these paranormal cosy mysteries I’ve been reading lately. The mix of the quaint homey small town escapades of the cosy mystery with the sassy oddball characters found in the paranormal romance genres seems to be right up my alley.
Yet for all their fun and quirky characters, why is it that a majority seem to have their heroine pushed to the breaking point yet still be expected to function normally? No matter how many times Hadley was on overload, there was still one more kick to the ovaries coming. Galen and Booker frustrated me with their overriding of Hadley’s feelings at times, and Lilac just made me grimace at some of her big mouthed faux pas. Let alone what Galen showed her at the end of the story... I’m just hoping that dear ol’ dad doesn’t come for a visit anytime soon.
But as much as the character did put my knickers in a twist at times, I found myself laughing at some of their shenanigans, and will definitely be picking up the second book in the series to see how the characters develop.
3.5 stars 🌟 -
Hadley inherits a lighthouse on an island and quickly learns the island is populated by supernatural creatures.
What I enjoyed:
* The setting. The type of community on the island is interesting
* Wesley.
What could have been better:
* Hadley is immature. She jumps to conclusions, gets into fights and does things she even thinks are stupid
* Galen is presumptuous. He sleeps in her bed (after she is unconscious) twice. If he wasn't the love interest, he would be in jail for this.
* The villain was painfully obvious. And the motive was stupid -
I am a huge fan of Amanda's work I have been for years but you always wonder how the first in a new series will be.............. And the wait is over........... And it was freakin awesome............ And I want MORE, MORE, MORE.
I have to laugh I thought I'll just start it tonight and finish it tomorrow hahahahaha yeah like I could put it down once I started Hadley is awesome, Galen is interesting I have to say I like his moves and he isn't all just gorgeousness either, oh and then their is Booker he seriously reminded me of the class clown from high school I can't wait to read more about him the bit of him in this first book was more than enough to have me intrigued, Lilac is cute and crazy in a good way, May and Wesley the grandparents Hadley never new are an interesting dynamic add in the fact May is now dead but her spirit is still around and thats just even more entertaining.
If Hadley could do the magic she did in this book I am excited to see what happens next.
