Reviews

FIVE FURRY FAMILIARS is the fifth book in the Kitchen Witch Mysteries by Lynn Cahoon. Filled with magic, mouthwatering morsels, and a murder to solve, this newest release kept my attention with its mesmerizing tale. Protagonist, Mia Malone, is a kitchen witch, newly come to her power and training. I love her grandmother is her instructor and the relationship they have. Sometimes it’s fraught with misunderstanding and irritation, but they always find a way to overcome and support each other. And, of course, the furry familiars all steal each scene they inhabit from Mia’s cat, Mr. Darcy, to her boyfriend’s new Maltese, to the three abandoned kittens taken in—they’re all adorable! While this can be read as a standalone—the author does an admirable job of filling in some backstory without slowing down the pace—each new book builds on what’s happened previously. And if you love character development, then I highly recommend starting at the beginning to follow along with all the changes and growth that occur over the series.

While it was fun to immerse myself with kitchen witch lore and delightful characters, Ms. Cahoon stays true to the genre and it doesn’t take long for a murder to solve. This time it’s Mia’s best friend and roommate, Christina, and her boyfriend, who’s suspected to killing Christina’s ex-boyfriend and wannabe fiancé. Since the deceased was only visiting Magic Springs for a ski holiday and didn’t know many people, there weren’t a lot of suspects. Still, Mia is determined to find the culprit and starts her own investigation. I found the pace moved quickly, and I didn’t want to put the book down until I’d read the very last page. My only tiny quibble is that the ending seemed really rushed but, by the conclusion, all my questions had been answered. If you like a bit of magic with character-driven cozy mysteries, then I highly recommend this series!

I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

auntbopp's review

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lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

robynensolis's review against another edition

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funny relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.25

dollycas's review

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lighthearted mysterious

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes

4.0

Dollycas's Thoughts

Mia has her hands full in Five Furry Familiars. Making the tough decision to turn over the day-to-day operation of Mia's Morsels, her cooking school and catering business to her boyfriend Trent's mom Abigail wasn't easy. Taking the job at the lodge as the catering director when the lodge stopped hiring her to cater their events has enabled her to receive a steady paycheck as she strived for ideas to make Mia's Morsels more profitable. Her best friend and roommate, Christina is working with Abigail but with her mother making constant and crazy demands she isn't always able to focus on her job. That gets even worse when her ex comes to town to win her back and ask her to marry him again. Her current boyfriend Levi is not happy. When the guy is murdered at his rental both Christine and Levi are on the suspect list.

While this is all going on someone leaves a box holding three kittens at Mia's front door and Trent gets a little Maltese as his new familiar. Dorian/Mr. Darcy doesn't care for any of them and Mia is unsure about all the pets but then another dead body is found so she needs to concentrate on catching a killer.

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I always have a big smile on my face when I start and when I finish a Kitchen Witch Mystery.

Magic, witches, warlocks, and familiars are an open secret in Magic Springs, Idaho. The old school that houses Mia's Morsels is a very interesting place where wards need to be maintained to keep everyone safe but they are also keeping some ghosts captive that may want to leave. They seem to be congregated in the old library. Ms. Cahoon's descriptive style puts her readers right on the scene whether the characters are communicating with the ghosts, making meals to be delivered daily all over town, attending events at the lodge, or hanging out in Mia's apartment.

All the characters continue to develop as the series continues and become more engaging and fun. Christine and Mia's ex, Isaac's mother, Mrs. Adams, tries to run her children's lives and she thinks she can run Mia's too. There is always a bit of chaos and drama whenever she is around. Grans also brings humor to situations as well. I love that she moves right in with Mia and Christine whenever exciting things start to happen. She also is right at hand to continue to educate Mia about her powers. Even with their exes in town Mia and Trent's relationship along with Christine and Levi's are going strong. Levi has a moment or two of doubt but they don't last long. With her husband out of town, Abigail is thrilled to take on more responsibility at Mia's Morsels but it is hard on Mia to be away so much. We saw a new side in this story of police chief Mark Baldwin, as an expectant father, who is going to receive an interesting piece of news shortly before his child is born. I appreciate the tight bond that has developed with the core characters and I love the addition of more furry familiars.

The mystery was a twisty one. I followed the clues throughout the story along with the characters. My focus was on a particular individual but coming up short on the motive. When the clues all fell into place for Mia she did the right thing in turning her information to Mark. I was just a little disappointed that like in Four Charming Spells the arrest took place outside of the story and things were quickly back to abnormally normal in Magic Springs without an exciting showdown.

Five Furry Familiars is a charming lighthearted paranormal cozy mystery with magical characters and an intriguing mystery. I am excited to see what Ms. Cahoon has planned for Mia and her friends next. Six Stunning Sirens will be released on September 24, 2024.

wertzj's review

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lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

5.0

cgonya1's review

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lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

4.0

Book five of Lynn Cahoon’s Kitchen Witch Mysteries finds Mia working at the ski lodge while her boyfriend’s mother manages Mia’s Morsels. Mia’s roommate and co-worker, Christina, is dealing with a needy mother who also happened to tell Christina’s ex where she was. Now he’s arrived in Magic Springs with a marriage proposal on his lips.

There’s also the arrival of homeless kittens and a Goddess delivered Maltese familiar for Trent. Unfortunately for Mia, that’s just the beginning to the chaos.

I love the Magic Springs crew. I still found Grams to be standoffish still with Mia. She just didn’t seem as warm and fuzzy as she did in the first part of the series. Mia also seems to be regressing as well. Trent, Christina, and Levi all have character progression, and their personalities are fun to read.

Now, look. I would be the person who would keep each one of those babies, or even just the ones interested in me. I have a hard time saying no to any furry animal. I wish this had been more about the familiars though, and less about the humans. I would really like the next book to focus on Mia, her magic, and the school ghosts. I just feel like her magic, and the magicalness of Magic Springs, is an afterthought.

Overall, I rate this novel 4 out of 5 stars.

lmerricks's review against another edition

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lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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