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    Azure Secrets: Crystal Magic, #5
    Unavailable
    Azure Secrets: Crystal Magic, #5
    Unavailable
    Azure Secrets: Crystal Magic, #5
    Ebook381 pages5 hours

    Azure Secrets: Crystal Magic, #5

    By Patricia Rice

    4/5

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    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    From bestselling author Patricia Rice, another romantic mystery from the peculiar town of Hillvale, CA. . .

    A chef who brews magic challenges a mayor with secrets

    After a childhood of being tossed from foster homes for claiming she can detect liars by their scent, Fiona Malcolm McDonald does her best to conceal her secret these days. But when she sniffs a wrongdoer and drives him off with jalapeño cheesecake, she loses still another cooking job and is homeless again. She places her last hope on her mentor in Hillvale, a town as weird as she is.

    Mayor Monty Kennedy has a secret too. He owns most of Hillvale but hasn't the cash to repair the only empty cabin. Still, even in his desperation, he refuses to repeat his father's sins by throwing people out of their jobs and houses just so he can have his own space.

    Before either of them can find a solid roof for their heads, Fiona's mentor dies—and it isn't accidental. Determined to discover who wanted a good woman dead, Fiona camps out in Monty's cabin, setting her on a collision course with the mayor—and a killer. With the secret help of the town's spiritualists, Monty and Fiona must cooperate to solve a puzzle with only a dog, a ghost, and a seemingly useless key as clues to stop a murderous gang who stink of corruption.

    If they survive, perhaps a hot chef and a cool mayor might learn to share a roof.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPatricia Rice
    Release dateFeb 4, 2019
    ISBN9781611387803
    Unavailable
    Azure Secrets: Crystal Magic, #5

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    Reviews for Azure Secrets

    4/5

    22 ratings11 reviews

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    • 3/5
      I have not read Books 1-4 in the Crystal Magic series, but this book seems to stand alone. The first half of the book was slow-paced, but I liked this pace. It gave me time to get to know the town of Hillvale's main characters and its quaint attitude. Around the halfway mark, the slow pace got even slower and I found the plotline somewhat confusing. Where did the kidnapped baby come into the mix all of a sudden? For all I knew, she was a figment of someone's imagination. The pace was sluggish almost to a crawl. I would try another book by this author, but I can't readily recommend this one.
    • 4/5
      I didn't realize this was book 5 in a series, but this book stood on its own. I was able to figure out who was who thanks to the character list at the beginning. This book drew me in and kept me interested throughout the entire story. Each character was unique and fully developed and I wanted to be friends with every Lucy. It was a fun and quick book to read and I highly recommend it. I'm going to go check out the other books in this series!
    • 5/5
      I received this book for an honest review. This is listed as book 5 of a series for which I haven't read the first books. That said, this was a very good story that appears to stand alone just fine. I had no trouble following the story, not sure what I missed but I will have to go back and start with book 1 now as I thoroughly enjoyed this book. This story is written following Feona, a troubled young woman who appears to have trouble following her. She has the ability to smell people and determine what food they need or what food combinations are needed to produce some desired reaction. This sounds very odd but her abilities and those around her make for a very good story. Definitely recommended reading.
    • 5/5
      Former foster child Fiona arrives in the small town of Hillvale hoping to finally find a place to call home. Fee is a cook with the ability to smell what foods her customers need, and, more dangerously, which are hiding evil intentions. On her first day in town, she witnesses a hit and run. It soon becomes clear that this wasn’t an accident and is related to a crime Fiona witnessed in the city. With the help of the sexy mayor, a small dog, and a town full of characters, many who have powers of their own, can Fee stop the bad guys and find a forever home? Azure Secrets is the fifth book in the Crystal Magic series by Patricia Rice. I have read, and enjoyed, other books by this author. I haven’t read the earlier books in this series, but that didn’t interfere with my enjoyment of this book. This small town was full of fun and quirky characters and I now have to get the earlier books in the series to read more about them, As in other books I have read by Rice, this book is full of humour, suspense, mystery and romance. I always enjoy her characters. She writes smart and independent women and strong, but not overbearing, men. I would recommend this series for readers who enjoy romantic suspense with a some paranormal elements and a lot of humour.
    • 3/5
      I have not read Books 1-4 in the Crystal Magic series, but this book seems to stand alone. The first half of the book was slow-paced, but I liked this pace. It gave me time to get to know the town of Hillvale's main characters and its quaint attitude. Around the halfway mark, the slow pace got even slower and I found the plotline somewhat confusing. Where did the kidnapped baby come into the mix all of a sudden? For all I knew, she was a figment of someone's imagination. The pace was sluggish almost to a crawl. I would try another book by this author, but I can't readily recommend this one.
    • 3/5
      Fiona Malcolm McDonald is thrown out a lot of foster homes for claiming she can detect liars by their scent. Now she comes to Hillvale, a town as weird as she is. She barely is in town when her mentor dies of an accident. Mayor Monty Kennedy has other problems which are not completely clear to me (whatever happened to him?). Monty and Fiona must work together to solve the mystery, the only clues are a dog and a key.When I received this book, I thought it was from the Unexpected Magic series, but it was not. This is the Crystal Magic series which evolves around the Lucys, called after the Lucent Ladies, spiritualists who took over the town back in the 1800s. But Fiona comes from the old Malcolm family from the Unexpected Magic series.It was nice. A nice enough romance to give it 3 stars. Fiona's gift is odd, but ok, the gifts of the other ladies (one of them can trash the internet) are also odd.Disclaimer: I got this book in the Librarything Early Reviewers.
    • 4/5
      How come I did not know Patricia Rice's books? I really have missed something.The beginning of the book immediately gets you: an angry young woman, Fiona, seems to be sent away and seeks refuge in an empty cabin.The second chapter shows us the rather heavy set mayor of the town and then leads us to a terrible accident.The stage is set, the fun can begin.I just loved the book. The way the mayor sees himself and the way Fiona sees him, the way they are attracted to each other, the Lucies and the Nulls..It was all a lot of fun and I am planning to read the former books of the Crystal Magic Series as well.
    • 5/5
      I never tire of Patricia Rice’s writing. I am a historical romance fan and rarely stray from that genre, but I couldn’t resist following the Malcolm and Ives families – from the Magic series to the Unexpected Magic series and now on to the contemporary Crystal Magic series. I’m so very glad that I followed! The series is interesting and filled with lovely, quirky characters that you’ll quickly come to like. I think it might be fun to live in a town like Hillvale – with its welcome sign saying – “Hillvale- population 325 lives and countless ghosts.The “Lucy’s” of Hillvale welcome new arrival Fiona Malcolm McDonald as one of their own – because she is. As a child who was moved from home to home as a part of the foster care system, Fiona had always longed for a “forever” home. Maybe she’s found it in this small town where she isn’t even the weirdest member of the population. She can learn to open up and be herself there – or can she. After so many years of having foster parents reject her when she says something weird to them – even if it is to their benefit – Fiona has learned to be very guarded in her trust and in what she says. She’s become a master at making herself as invisible as possible. Now, she prays that Hillvale will be safe – and accepting.On Fiona’s very first morning in Hillvale, she witnesses a horrific hit-and-run – right on the main street in the bright sunlight – and it was no accident. Groan! Fiona had fled from Waterville because she had witnessed a beating and possible murder – she’d even rescued a sweet little pooch named Sukey. Now, this! As she approaches the victim, she realizes it is the very person she came to Hillvale to see.The first person Fiona meets in Hillvale is Montgomery (Monty) Kennedy, the town Mayor. He’s handsome as sin and evidently very rich given his Rolex watch and designer suit. Monty is also a witness to the hit-and-run and immediately summons the town’s police chief, Chen Ling Walker. (he was the hero in Sapphire Nights, the first book in the series).Fiona finds employment at the local café where she is quickly accepted by all the residents of the town. Fiona has a ‘skill’ for providing a person with just exactly what they need to eat. Her ability is a hypersensitive sense of smell and she immediately knows what a person’s body needs. That sense also identifies other things – illness, evil, love. She focuses mostly on food because that is the skill she knows – food and cooking.As the crime she witnessed in Waterville becomes linked with the hit-and-run in Hillvale, Monty becomes more and more protective toward Fiona – and more attracted to her. They’ll have to work together to solve the crime so that Fiona is safe. The ‘Lucy’s’ also get involved and Monty isn’t sure whether he likes that or not, but he knows he can’t fight it, so he might as well accept it.I highly recommend this book – and you can read it as a standalone – but I highly recommend reading the series in order. The writing is excellent, the plot is tight and well executed and you will come to love all of the quirky, unique and very, very special characters who reside in Hillvale.I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
    • 5/5
      Azure Secrets by Patricia RiceCrystal Magic #4Pedaling furiously on her bike with a dog in a basket Fee is on her way to find a place she hopes might provide her with a job and potentially a home. She has had a rough life and never quite fit in but her social worker mentioned at one time that Hillvale might be the place for her so with another door closed behind her she is off to find out if it is indeed the place for her. Fiona “Fee” Malcomlm McDonald should fit in with the Lucys of Hilldale because she, too, has a “talent” that sets her aside from the normal Nulls in town and found most places in the world. The first morning in town she is looking into Dinah’s Diner window when a hit and run takes place and the town is suddenly embroiled in a whole lot of bad that is happening. This story has romance, a kidnapping, murders, bad guys, paranormal events, a mystery or two, glimpses of people in town mentioned before as well as those that were stars and found their own partners...and more. I love the Lucys and find the Nulls a nice counterbalance in a town where everyone wants the place to thrive. Mayor Monty is a big lovable hunk of a guy and perfect for Fee. They are great together and watching their romance unfold was a great way to spend the day. There are still so may potential characters to have stories told that I am curious who will be next and can’t wait to find out. You don’t have to read the previous books in the series BUT this one will have more depth with the background from previous books so do recommend reading them first if you can. Did I enjoy this book? YesDo I want to read more in this series? DefinitelyThank you to the author for the ARC – This is my honest review. 4.5 Stars
    • 5/5
      I received this book through LibraryThing Early Reviewers program in exchange for a fair and honest review.I have always enjoyed reading Patricia Rice's historical romances, particularly appreciating the quirkiness of her mix of paranormal women and sceptical men. This story is another of the same kind (with links to the earlier historical series, although there is no need to have read the earlier series to understand the story). One thing that immediately struck me with this book is how much Patricia Rice has grown as a writer. The writing in this story is assured and confident and of the "just right" type - not too much or too little of any description and with no annoying repetition of stock phrases or words. From the first page, it was obvious that the reader was in the hands of a writer at the top of her game so I was able to sigh, relax and settle in to just enjoy the story - and it was a story worth enjoying. The hero and heroine are well developed, complex characters and the secondary characters (many of whom have their own stories in earlier books in this current series) are equally well fleshed out. The paranormal aspects aren't overplayed or over-emphasised with a near perfect balance between tolerance of the unusual and questioning of paranormal abilities.The story is a mix of a mystery, thriller and romance with the added fillip of two lost characters finding where they belong, discovering an accepting community and coming home. It was that part of the story that particularly resonated with me as it added a lovely depth to the romance and made this a story about relationships of all sorts, from romantic to parental.I read this in one long sitting and think anyone after a comfort read that is so much more than a romance would find it as entrancing as I did.
    • 3/5
      Fiona escapes gang members with a small dog who was being beaten. She arrives, penniless, in Hillvale, only to see her former foster case worker run down and killed before her eyes. Mayor Monty Kennedy witnesses it too and begins watching over her. Fiona gets a job in the local cafe, and uses her supernatural talent to "smell" people and match foods to them... cautiously, for she is used to being thought of as weird. With the help of others in the town, they determine that the hit-and-run driver was after Fiona. There ensue entertaining adventures as Fiona becomes welcomed by the community. A fun read, with a bit of a mystery.