Series Info/Source: This is the first book in the Three Tomes Bookshop series. I got a copy of this book through NetGalley to review. Previous to this I read Gleason’s Gardella Vampire Hunters series (liked it) and her Stoker & Holmes series (okay but not great).

Thoughts: Eh, this was okay. I really liked some of the ideas in here but never really liked the characters or the plot that much. The idea of a magic bookshop, snarky cats, and copious amounts of tea sounds like something I would love. However, the whole thing felt a bit flat to me.

The writing style and plot were simplistic and I just never loved any of the characters here. This is the type of story that should be very character driven and it wasn't. Even the romantic interest for your main protagonist was just so-so (there was a lot of obsessing over his hands, but to each their own).

There are some funny parts and the book is very light-hearted. I thought the friendship that Jacqueline developed with the other shop-owners was cute but felt a bit insta-friendship. These characters didn't really have anything that bound them together and the friendship felt forced and fake to me...it was a bit too good to be true.

My Summary (3/5): Overall this was a pretty quick read but also a book I will forget about as soon as I write this review. It's not awful but also not memorable. If you want some good paranormal women's fiction I recommend the Glimmer Lake/Moonstone Cove series by Elizabeth Hunter or The Forty Proof series by Shannon Mayer. Those series are much more well done than this one. I think I am done with Gleason for a bit, she’s pretty hit or miss for me and over the last few years it’s been a lot more misses than hits. ( )