Friday 7 February 2014

A Little Night Magic by Lucy March

9780349402918
There’s magic linoleum at Crazy Cousin Betty’s Waffle House.
Okay, maybe it’s not magic, exactly. It’s this one weird sparkly blue square, the midst of all the solid, checker boarded blues and whites. I first noticed it when I was six, and I remember tugging on Betty’s periwinkle blue skirt and pointing down at the floor. Betty, who’d seemed ancient to me even then, knelt down to level her wrinkled eyes at mine.
Published by Piatkus in January 2013
Pages – 310
Goodreads Summary
Olivia Kiskey needs a change. She’s been working at the same Nodaway Falls, New York, waffle house since she was a teenager; not a lot of upward mobility there. She’s been in love with Tobias, the cook, for the last four years; he’s never made a move. Every Saturday night, she gathers with her three best friends—Peach, Millie, and Stacy—and drinks the same margaritas while listening to the same old stories.
Intent on shaking things up, she puts her house on the market, buys a one-way ticket to Europe, and announces her plans to her friends... but then she meets Davina Granville, a strange and mystical Southern woman who shows Olivia that there is more to her life than she ever dreamed.
As Liv’s latent magical powers come to the surface, she discovers that having an interesting life is maybe not all it’s cracked up to be. The dark side of someone else’s magic is taking over good people in town, and changing them into vessels of malevolence. Unwilling to cede her home to darkness, she battles the demons of her familial past and her magical present, with those she loves at her side... and in the cross fire.
Can the most important things in life—friendship, love, magic, and waffles—get her through the worst that the universe can throw at her?
*****
I really thought paranormal was on it’s way out. After an abundance of vampires, witches and demons, I really didn’t think there was room for anymore, however this book proved me wrong.
Originally published in America last year, this book went on to top the New York Times Bestseller List. With it’s unique blend of magic and southern charm it reminded me strongly of the True Blood series by Charlaine Harris.
Olivia is just rambling along in life, finding it more and more difficult to deal with as Todd continually ignores her feelings for him. After one too many rejections, she decides on the spur of the moment to travel to Europe without any intentions of ever returning. All set to go and leave behind the friends that have always supported her, she is stopped in her tracks by a flying gym sock, which has an profound effect on her.
Olivia slowly comes into possession of her latent magical powers and realises life will never be the same again. As everything changes around her, Olivia has to learn who she can and can’t trust. A strong emphasis on friendship holds this plot together, resulting in an explosive situation that demonstrates how you can survive with a little help from your friends.
A page turning plot, held together with a cast of quirky and unusual characters who help to make this a most enjoyable read. If you love True Blood, or find yourself constantly flicking over to the SyFy Channel, then this book is definitely for you. Part urban fantasy, part paranormal romance, all mixed together with a soft scoop of southern hospitality.

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