I will admit, I was very hesitant to pick up this one. It was giving me the feeling that it was a mis-categorized paranormal romance, or just that the library system didn’t have a paranormal romance section to file it under. But also it features cupcakes and was set in Vancouver, so I figured I might as well give it a shot.
The story follows Jade, a witch from Vancouver who owns a cupcake shop thanks to some never delved into nepotism. One day a vampire visits her shop as part of an investigation because there are paranormal beings in town being killed and it looks very much like vampires might be doing it. He is looking to clear vampires, but Jade’s very minimal and not well developed magic remains on the site of the murders, making her the prime suspect despite her being not only oblivious to these events, but also very provably not the person responsible.
This book is the most Vancouver book I have ever read. There are references to landmarks, to lifestyle habits, to shoes that permeate throughout the book. I have read other books set here, but this was the most set here book that I have ever read1 and I was fascinated. But also, I really loved it and it was a ton of fun.
It was also not incorrectly categorized! While it is written very much like those light paranormal romance novels with the same voice and levity and lack of stakes, there is no romance at the center of this story and it ends up being more about a mystery being used as a way to introduce you to the world of a magical Vancouver. There’s some interesting concepts and it does leave on a cliffhanger that I’m sure is there to set up the next book, but the universe is a very soft fantasy.
Overall, I thought it was cute! It’s a quick read, low drama even though it does center around a bunch of murders and threat of death in a few spots, and I had a lot of fun with it. Check it out if you’re looking for something quick!
- Except for a very strange lack of Asians [↩]