{A Witch of Edgehill Review} Pawsitively Cursed by @WriterMsJackson

Pawsitively Cursed by Melissa Erin Jackson
Series: Witch of Edgehill, Witch of Edgehill #2
Published by Ringtail Press on September 23rd, 2019
Genres: Fiction, Mystery/Suspense, Paranormal
Format: eBook
Source: Netgalley
Buy on Amazon, Amazon Australia, Available with KU Subscription, iBooks
Goodreads

The only thing more twisted than a cursed witch is her family tree.

For the past fourteen years, Edgehill’s resident secret witch, Amber Blackwood, has been haunted by her parents’ deaths. The whole town knows about the tragedy, but the details remain a mystery even to Amber. From her tiny studio apartment above her shop, The Quirky Whisker, Amber can see her partially rebuilt old house out on the edge of town. Although she now has a good life—delighting children with her magically infused toys, concocting healing tinctures for Edgehill’s residents, doting on her cats, Tom and Alley, and sitting on the committee for the town’s annual Here and Meow Festival—she feels stuck in the past.

Amber suspects the fire that killed her parents was set deliberately by a witch from the cursed Penhallow clan, from whom no one has heard even a whisper since the night her parents died. The clan’s sudden disappearance is no coincidence to Amber, but her aunt Gretchen refuses to believe there’s a connection and urges Amber to stop looking for someone to blame. So Amber is shocked when Aunt Gretchen shows up unexpectedly, claiming the Penhallows have resurfaced and that one of them is heading for Edgehill with Amber in his sights.

Aunt Gretchen knows more about the fabled clan than she’s letting on. Amber is determined to find out what her aunt is hiding, and what the Penhallow seeks, before the same treacherous force that took Amber’s parents’ lives claims her own.

I received Pawsitively Cursed for free. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Also in this series: Pawsitively Poisonous

Welcome to Edgehill! The cat themed town has many things to offer. A junior fashion show? Check! Shops with cat related names, ie The Quirky Whisker, Purrcolated, The Catty Melt? Check! A descendant from a line of cursed witches out for vengeance and a spell that could change history? Check!

Only weeks since her best friend was murdered and the local police chief caught her doing magic, Amber Blackwood’s life is set spinning once again. This time one of the Penhallows, a curse line of witches, is out for her blood. The problem with cursed magic is it works opposite of a normal spell and leaves a sticky trail once used. Also, a Penhallow can mimic the appearance and voice of anyone they choose. When another murder occurs with what Amber assumes is a Penhallow signature, living in Edgehill becomes deadly.

Jackson’s journey into the world of Edgehill is slightly different than in the first installment of the series, Pawsitively Poisonous. While the first story was a who done it, this story is about imminent danger. While Amber, along with her sister, Willow, and aunt, Gretchen, try to stay alive and fight a force that can come in any form, they also have to deal with each other and the past misdeeds of the family.

I love how Jackson grows Amber, not only as an adult, but as a witch as well. We see a different side of her in this novel. While she is still grieving her best friend, she does step out to have some fun and a budding romance. Love and friendship can’t save the Blackwood sisters, only a look into the past of their parents shows them the way to save their future. After the tremendous leaps Amber makes with her powers in this story, I can’t wait to see what she will do next in the third installment of this fascinating series, Pawsitively Secretive!