A review by lynguy1
Pawsitively Cursed by Melissa Erin Jackson

5.0

PAWSITIVELY CURSED by Melissa Erin Jackson is a well-written supernatural cozy mystery. While this is the second book in the Witch of Edgehill series, it worked well as a standalone novel.

The story takes place in the fictional town of Edgehill, Oregon where witch Amber Blackwood has resided all of her life. She is considered reclusive and a bit odd by the townspeople and runs a shop called the Quirky Whisker that has her small studio apartment above it. She makes and sells magically infused toys that people believe are mechanical.

Fourteen years ago her parents were killed in a fire and Amber believes they were killed by a witch from the cursed Penhallow clan. Amber’s aunt Gretchen and sister Willow show up unexpectedly early for a town event. With this scenario the story is off and running.

The book had a protagonist that was appealing, supporting characters that were delightful or antagonistic and scenes that were bittersweet, suspenseful, engaging and/or heartbreaking.
While this novel has some quirky characters and a murder that you might expect to read in a cozy mystery, it also has some underlying themes that are explored. They include secrets, family dynamics, isolation due to being different and the inability of so many to accept those that are not quite like them. These extra themes are what pushed the rating to a 5 star rating for me.

While this is the first book I have read by Melissa Erin Jackson, I look forward to reading more of her suspenseful, thought-provoking and enjoyable novels. Overall, I was immediately drawn into the story and highly entertained.

Many thanks to Ringtail Press / Xpresso Book Tours, Melissa Erin Jackson and Net Galley for a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.