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cutenanya's review against another edition
3.0
A rather interesting mystery with a paranormal twist to it. While the plot is not very intricate and rather predictable, I think the story is interesting and I like the description about witchcraft and Oscar and Aidan. However recalling my times living in the Bay area, I had a different impression of the place and so couldn't quite picture the city as the author did. Still, it's a nice story and I like Aiden more than the main love interest Max, in fact, Max's not really my type, he's too stubborn, which probably is the reason why I gave it a three star instead of a four.
badseedgirl's review against another edition
3.0
A San Francisco witch with a mysterious past who owns a vintage clothing store who solves magical mysteries. Sounds like a it must be the start of the summer reading festival. Let the trash reading begin!!
This was not the worst book I have ever read and I will probably read another book in the series this summer. Would this have been a 3 star book if I had picked it up in February? No, but then again i would never consider reading something so trashy in the winter.
This was not the worst book I have ever read and I will probably read another book in the series this summer. Would this have been a 3 star book if I had picked it up in February? No, but then again i would never consider reading something so trashy in the winter.
katyanaish's review against another edition
4.0
***3.5***
This was a fun book. I was pretty stop / start-ish with the read, because I was busy this week, and I think that impacted my ability to emotionally engage as much as I ordinarily would. But I thought it was a good, solid story, with interesting characters. It definitely read as the first book in the series - it felt like we didn't dig in-depth on anyone, really... it was just a lot of setup. But I liked Lily, Bronwyn and Maya. I withhold judgement on Aidan and Max - I don't trust either of them yet, so we'll wait to see where things go.
Since I happen to have book 2 right here, I think I will dive right in...
This was a fun book. I was pretty stop / start-ish with the read, because I was busy this week, and I think that impacted my ability to emotionally engage as much as I ordinarily would. But I thought it was a good, solid story, with interesting characters. It definitely read as the first book in the series - it felt like we didn't dig in-depth on anyone, really... it was just a lot of setup. But I liked Lily, Bronwyn and Maya. I withhold judgement on Aidan and Max - I don't trust either of them yet, so we'll wait to see where things go.
Since I happen to have book 2 right here, I think I will dive right in...
hp2008's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
qu33nofbookz's review against another edition
1.0
How I feel reading this book. 
This is the first in a series but it reads like the 3rd or 4th with how much is referenced but not explained so it's confusing. The author assumes that the reader is brain dead with this story. I absolutely hate the main character! What a hypocritical, whiny, self-serving, woe is me bitch. The rest of the characters are too unbelievable and one dimensional. The story is full of little off shoots that are never resolved and the main mystery is convoluted. Full of contradictions and dialogue to either cringe to or roll your eyes so much they are in danger of falling out of their sockets. This story is annoying and pointless. I hate that my ocd makes me finish books like this.
Lily Ivory has finally stopped traveling the world and settled down in San Francisco and opened a secondhand...er...vintage clothing shop. She whines about being a witch, whines about her extra special powers (which are not evident since she can hardly do anything and are constantly failing, which she whines about too), she whines that she just wants to be normal, she whines about how she wants to be alone, then whines about not having friends, then whines about how any friend she makes she puts in danger, then whines about how she needs to fix everyone else's life, she whines about how witches are precieved as bad, she whines about how witches cause trouble (yet she has no problem sticking her nose into other peoples business and causing trouble or using her powers to self-serve herself and take advantage of others/cheat others) then whines about how witches shouldn'y abuse their powers...
While she does all this she becomes the object of affection (for no reason) to 2 men, one a human who could never understand her and the other a MALE witch who are evil. One gives her a fimiliar whom she assumes will spy on her for him but accepts it anyway when a familiar is supposed to be picked by the witch because it's one of the most powerful gifts and allies...yeah (all right in the first few chapters). Anyway, she goes one day to pick up some clothes from a woman who has saved everything for about 40+ years. While there a neighbor girl disappears and she hears the wail of La Llorona (here she is a demon). Later the woman is murdered and Lilly sets out to find the girl, solve the murder and banish La Llorona.
The mystery in this is slow and convoluted. The main character has too many loose threads in her history/backstory that should have been explained but weren't. The rest of the characters are all rather underdeveloped and almost all, with the exception of the villain and maybe one or two in passing exist only to help Lilly when needed and convenient. The two love interests are flat and there is no chemistry, they hardly interact and yet at the end she is making out with one of them. The cops in this town (all two of them) and their chief seem happy to just gossip about all the crime details and let her traipses around and do all the work and don't look at her at all even though she should be the number one suspect in the woman's murder. In the end everything is wrapped up nice and neat very quickly with no mess and it's business as usual as if nothing happened.
This is the first in a series but it reads like the 3rd or 4th with how much is referenced but not explained so it's confusing. The author assumes that the reader is brain dead with this story. I absolutely hate the main character! What a hypocritical, whiny, self-serving, woe is me bitch. The rest of the characters are too unbelievable and one dimensional. The story is full of little off shoots that are never resolved and the main mystery is convoluted. Full of contradictions and dialogue to either cringe to or roll your eyes so much they are in danger of falling out of their sockets. This story is annoying and pointless. I hate that my ocd makes me finish books like this.
Lily Ivory has finally stopped traveling the world and settled down in San Francisco and opened a secondhand...er...vintage clothing shop. She whines about being a witch, whines about her extra special powers (which are not evident since she can hardly do anything and are constantly failing, which she whines about too), she whines that she just wants to be normal, she whines about how she wants to be alone, then whines about not having friends, then whines about how any friend she makes she puts in danger, then whines about how she needs to fix everyone else's life, she whines about how witches are precieved as bad, she whines about how witches cause trouble (yet she has no problem sticking her nose into other peoples business and causing trouble or using her powers to self-serve herself and take advantage of others/cheat others) then whines about how witches shouldn'y abuse their powers...
While she does all this she becomes the object of affection (for no reason) to 2 men, one a human who could never understand her and the other a MALE witch who are evil. One gives her a fimiliar whom she assumes will spy on her for him but accepts it anyway when a familiar is supposed to be picked by the witch because it's one of the most powerful gifts and allies...yeah (all right in the first few chapters). Anyway, she goes one day to pick up some clothes from a woman who has saved everything for about 40+ years. While there a neighbor girl disappears and she hears the wail of La Llorona (here she is a demon). Later the woman is murdered and Lilly sets out to find the girl, solve the murder and banish La Llorona.
The mystery in this is slow and convoluted. The main character has too many loose threads in her history/backstory that should have been explained but weren't. The rest of the characters are all rather underdeveloped and almost all, with the exception of the villain and maybe one or two in passing exist only to help Lilly when needed and convenient. The two love interests are flat and there is no chemistry, they hardly interact and yet at the end she is making out with one of them. The cops in this town (all two of them) and their chief seem happy to just gossip about all the crime details and let her traipses around and do all the work and don't look at her at all even though she should be the number one suspect in the woman's murder. In the end everything is wrapped up nice and neat very quickly with no mess and it's business as usual as if nothing happened.
audioannie's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-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
5.0
There are so many crappy, culturally and religiously incorrect books about witchcraft. This series is one of the very few that gets it right. Thanks to whoever added this audio audition. The narrator is perfect, so much so I've looked for more by her.
cabbage_patch's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
read2menow's review against another edition
5.0
I am giving Secondhand Spirits 5/5 stars! Go check it out if you like #witches #mystery #supernatural and a fun read! #librarian