I always knew I’d inherit Covett House. But the timing couldn’t be worse. My divorce is still fresh. I’m not even forty. Quite. The last thing I need is pressure to step right into the life Nanna made for herself in Crescent Bay. What do I need with an 1888 Victorian mansion in a tiny northern California coastal town? I live by myself now. But I’m not alone here. There are those half-heard whispers in the night, the reappearance of Nanna’s lost cat…and then there’s the murder. Cherise Tillson died on the floor of the Museum of the Odd and Wondrous, the most eccentric piece of my inheritance, the day after I got to town. But why did she have my name on her person? And what was she doing in the museum at night? To clear my name – and my way out of this small town – I need answers. Nanna’s secrets are more than I bargained for when the cat’s antics reveal an old, ornate key. The key to a hidden garden in the woods behind Covett House, where pale blooms glow under the waxing moon. Where the creatures are strangely attentive. And a dryad waits to give me a piece of her mind. The moon garden threatens what little is left of the life I knew. But discovering midlife magic has made me bold. Or maybe that’s all the strong coffee I’m currently running on. Either way, I’ll make a better life with this second chance. Welcome to the Moon Garden Mysteries paranormal cozy mystery series, a magical blend of paranormal women’s fiction and cozy mystery for those who believe forty marks a new beginning, cats can talk (and you’d better listen), and when you’re guarding a fae portal, chocolate is a girl’s best friend.

Thoughts: Like most books, there were parts of this that I loved, and other parts not so much. The first part of the book seemed slow to me. Then the ending felt very rushed. We’re going along, with Naomi waffling between staying in her newly inherited grandmother’s home, or going back to Sacramento and her life there. That got a little old after a while. And all the angst about not having kids. In other words, I wasn’t overly fond of Naomi. But… the paranormal stuff was really good. Brownies helping around the house, a magical garden, the white stag, a griffin… perfect.

There were just too many things that didn’t quite add up to a great story. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a “good” story, just not a great one. But I’m still interested enough to look for others in the series to find out what happens next.

Recommended for the magical parts of the book if nothing else.