Manual A Little Night Magic (Nodaway Falls Book 1)

Contents:

If you think you might want to read it, please stop reading this review right now, because I can't talk about the elements I disliked without completely spoiling the plot. Here there be spoilers. Davina tells Liv that Cane killed her sister and wants to kill her too. Davina tells Liv that she has to grow strong enough to defeat him magically. If I absolutely believed as Liv does that someone was going to try to kill me, and that he had the means to do so and had done so before I would, at the very least, arm myself.

Yes, she lives in NY, which I guess is a blue state, but the internet has told me they have pepper spray there.

Isn't self-preservation the most fundamental instinct? Yes, Liv hates the idea of killing, and rails against it, but she doesn't even go to the cops. She's pacifist, and credulous, and sweet, but she takes it to such extremes that I found myself yelling at her as I listened. Soon we find out that Davina is actually the bad guy. Davina killed Holly by taking her magic, and her plan all along was to convince Liv to do the same. Cane is there to avenge Holly. Tobias is a magical security guard who had been hired by Holly before she died to protect Liv.

Holly knew that she and her father were on the lam, because she knew she had a sister she couldn't contact. Holly has a powerful conjurer as a boyfriend. Holly fears for her sister's safety so much that she hires a powerful magical security guard to watch over her for four years, which can't be cheap. And yet Holly was still somehow duped into to willingly giving Davina her magic?

My understanding was that she was conned, which would make Holly exceptionally stupid, but I'm going to plug my fingers in my ears, say lalala and pretend she was at least extorted, which will make it a little less pathetic, but that wasn't my original understanding. Davina originally tells Liv that Cane will kill her to take her magic, but he'll wait until her magic has come in fully. When Liv finds out that this is a lie, that it's Davina who wants the magic, Davina tells Liv that Davina will destroy the town unless Liv willingly gives her magic up, dying in the process.

At this point, people who have any faith in their government will call the cops and get a restraining order. The cynical among us might believe instead that this is the perfect occasion for a gun, a few plastic bags, and some really discreet friends with shovels. Neither of these options occur to Liv. Liv's boyfriend can kill people with his mind, and yet, getting him to do his job protect her doesn't occur to her.

Liv thinks her best chance is to get enough magic to defeat Davina. What she thinks Davina will do once she has been "defeated", I'm not sure, but it's clear Liv doesn't want to kill her. In fact, she relentlessly argues against killing Davina. This is do-gooder naivite that would make even Ned Stark slap his face in his palm and shake his head in frustration.

More absurd is the fact that Liv wants to use magic to take Davina down, despite the fact that--by her own admission--the ability to turn raspberries into butterflies is not useful for combat. This drove me crazy, because I don't like urban fantasy in which people seek out magical solutions when the non-magical solution is cheaper, easier, and more expedient. I'm not a violent person, but "I'm going to destroy everything and everyone close to you unless you let me kill you" is a situation in which even Quakers might lock and load.

Second problem I had with the book: Davina is a completely evil psychopath. She is the only truly evil person in the book. She is also the only black person in the book. This refers only to the audio version. Once again, I hated the voices. The narrator did the women's voices fine. I kind of liked Davina's honey drawl and Betty's lewd old-lady voice. I even appreciated the subtle differences between Millie, Liv, and Stacey. But the men's voices drove me nuts.

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In New York Times bestselling author Lucy March's new novel, Olivia Kiskey needs a change. She's been working at the same Nodaway Falls, New York, waffle. She's been working at the same Nodaway Falls. Start reading A Little Night Magic: A Novel (Nodaway Falls Book 1) on your Kindle in under a minute.

Tobias sounds like Binky from the kid's cartoon Arthur, and Cane sounds like Milhouse from the Simpsons, albiet with a fake southern accent and a head cold. As much as I liked the women's voices, I would rather have a narrator who reads it all straight, with no acting. I would give up my enjoyment of the voices done well in order to avoid the cringe-worthy cartoon-character quality of the mens' voices. Luckily, they had fewer speaking parts.

KIRKUS REVIEW

I recommend this novel for people who like urban fantasy a little fluff mixed in with the grit. It's good for people who like fantasy, and for those who like romance. I haven't checked, but I strongly suspect that there's a sequel, so it's good for people who want to get to know a magical heroine and keep her acquaintance for a few books. Dec 20, Olga Godim rated it liked it Shelves: This book is different from the previous novels by the same author, Lani Diane Rich. I picked it up because I love most of her other novels.

It felt darker and deeper. The heroine of this novel Olivia is a waitress in a small American town. She led an ordinary life until she turned 30, when she discovered she had magic. Her magical predicament is exacerbated by a personal one: Actually, there are several angry women in this story.

Unrequited love appears to be a recurring theme running through the plot. One thing bugged me in this tale: The author is stingy with information, and as a result, the reader is as confused as the heroine for most of the story. Who is the good guy? Who is the bad guy? Nobody is exactly what he or she seems. The irritating trend continues well past the middle of the book: As a reader, I wonder: The abundance of secrets also precipitates the banality of dialog. The characters produce line after line of inconsequential jabber just to keep from blurting out the important facts.

On the positive side, the writer came up with the original and amusing magic system. The action is quick, and the narrative clean and unaffected, flowing effortlessly from start to end. I sympathized with Olivia. I turned the pages avidly because I wanted her to win through this wringer of secrets and lies. I wanted her to be happy. My pleasure was tempered with exasperation, true, but I will definitely read the sequel, when it comes out. But again — be careful what you wish for.

He dumped her for his roommate — Neal. And when Olivia finds out that she can turn objects to animals, things get really whacky. Olivia is a fun character — she has been stuck in a small town, working as a waitress, for years. Well, at least that is what she is planning. Davina is sure that Olivia is magical — and is determined to teach her. There are secrets, evil, a stranger chasing her — and the people she has known all her life are even stranger.

Then there are the things that could have been done much better. The give-and-take between Olivia and Tobias is aggravating, to say the least. The other thing that really disappointed me? And yet, instead of doing something about it, or helping others with the ability do something about it, Olivia is a complete gutless weenie loser. I mean, come ON! You have the ability to stop a murderous megalomaniac — and yet you are too cowardly to stop that person? And that is a shame, because the concept was good — it was the execution that let me down.

The book opens with Liv unhappy with her life. She's been in love with Tobias for years and he doesn't want anything more than friendship. Her father abandoned her mother early in Liv's life and her mother never recovered from that heartache. She was a shell of a woman and Liv can honestly foresee that in her future, so she' My Review: She was a shell of a woman and Liv can honestly foresee that in her future, so she's decided she has to do something drastic to change things No longer can she say she leads a boring life, but she's soon wishing that she did as everything she holds dear, most especially this small town that she loves is in danger.

Yes, he's holding her at arm's length, but as a reader you can see how much he doesn't want to be doing that. Honestly, I'd say his feelings for Liv were even stronger than hers. It's painful to watch the two of them together I loved that Liv was so normal As her magic comes in, she finds new friends I loved the little snippets in the story with her and Gibson.

So sweet and it just shows what a wonderfully caring person she truly is. I loved that you could see Tobias's true feelings even when he's pushing her away.

A Little Night Magic

The mystery behind him was awesome and definitely kept me reading. You have to love a mysterious bad-boy and Tobias is one of the best I've ever read. There's a whole slew of characters here and so many of them were amazing. I'm not going to detail each of them although I'm really tempted to because then I might tip you off to some of the twists and turns in the story line.

Just know, it is a great cast of characters. And honestly, this is where the narrator in this book shone! Wow, she was awesome with her inflections and she managed to give each character such a wonderfully different voice. I loved her voices. Seriously, the narrator on this book was incredible!! I'll admit, I keep debating going and buying the print copy of it just because I love that cover so much And I will definitely be looking forward to more in this series and from this author!

Feb 20, Natalie rated it really liked it Shelves: I tend to stroll through the book ailes at Target once a week to see if there is anything new out. I usually bypass the new author section because I just miss it. Well, I found this one in that section and thought the cover was cute. I read the back and had to take it home. You're introduced to the lead Olivia or Liv as her friends call her in a small town working in a small town restaurant as a waitress.

She feels her life is nothing special and she's tired of that. So she takes t So So she takes the initiative to make the change She learns that she has magical abilities and that her life was never as it seemed to be. She is being pursued by a dangerous killer so that her magic can be stolen for this killer's personal use. Olivia has to learn to trust the people around her while also learning that not everyone is who they seem to be. All her life she lived with rose colored glasses on and in one swoop those glasses were taken off and destroyed.

Now, Liv must figure out who and what she is in order to save her life and everything important to her. I loved Liv's band of friends. I knew one person, Tobias, would be important in this story and his character was great. He's mysterious and not perfect. Most stories, the male lead is the absolute perfection of the entire male gender He has a few gray hairs and his teeth aren't perfectly straight and a few other details are in there to show you that he is just your average guy. Yet, Olivia is in love with him anyway. Through her eyes, you learn that he is a very kind, caring and trustworthy friend.

Fang-tastic Fiction: Lucy March: NODAWAY FALLS SERIES.
Sweeter than Honey : Orthodox Thinking on Dogma and Truth (Foundations Series Book 3).
Biaxial/Multiaxial Fatigue and Fracture: 31 (European Structural Integrity Society).

My other favorite character is Stacy. She was definitely the comic relief once things got dicey. I didn't trust her in the beginning but she proves that she is loyal and caring. I'm glad I picked this book up. Definitely one of my favorites for this year. I hope this author plans to write more on these characters. Aug 02, TheGeekyBlogger rated it really liked it Shelves: Listened to for Fun Audible Overall Rating: Really enjoyed A Little Night Magic!

It reminded me a little of the Molly Harper books. A Little Night Magic made me giggle, cheer, twist my hands, and root for the bad "guy" to get freaking caught. I listened to it in one day and even got my stepmom listening to it for her trip. This was a great combination of romance and mystery. It was just flat out FUN! Olivia was a spit-fire who just happened to have a long standing unrequited crush. Her solution was to go to Ireland. Is it any wonder that I loved her? She didn't quite make it there but you have to love the gumption.

I also liked her friends Peach and Stacy. I liked that they weren't perfect and each had very unique personalities. I can't wait to hear more about them as the series continues. As far as Tobias--it took awhile for me to warm up to him as a love interest but I loved him as a "cook" well and his other job. Overall these were easy to like characters that make you want to know more about Nodaway Falls.

Seriously she just rocks the quirky like no one's business. She does great with sarcasm, wit, and characters that just need to sparkle. She is hands down one of my favorite narrators! I recommend A Little Night Magic for those looking for a fun mystery read with just the right touch of magic! Jun 09, LPJ rated it it was ok. This is the most frustrating book I've read in quite a while. The words too stupid to live do not begin to describe Olivia. Every decision, thought or idea that she has is stupider than the last one. At first, I was totally on her side.

Love interest, Tobias, runs frustratingly hot and cold - does he like her? She's about to escape her small town in a tour of supposed self discovery when a literal magical Negro enters the plot and Liv discovers her own latent magical abilities. To be This is the most frustrating book I've read in quite a while. To be fair, there is a lot to like about this book. It's funny with a great voice.

Other than being an annoying idiot, Liv is really entertaining and witty. Too bad she's not clever or smart. She has three girlfriends, each unique and well-crafted, and plenty of small town characters for us to enjoy. But when faced with the inciting incident, her IQ steadily drops until I was surprised she was able to even feed herself without assistance.

So no matter how good the writing, how engaging the characters and lively the setting, the heroine's actions made me hate her and want her to fail. I wasn't super hot on Tobias either.

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But mostly I didn't really see how he could be in love with someone so obtuse. Nov 27, Nikki Wilde rated it really liked it. Ah, at the beginning. It started with Liv being fed up. She's bored and sick of being in love with a man that turned her down. Yeah, she's getting mixed signals but he still keeps her at arms length. She wants excitement not the same ol' samd ol'. So she buys a ticket to Europe. Not realizing that her life is about to get turned upside down starting with Davina who throws a dirty gym sock at her.

Too bad that's not all she threw. What Liv doesn't know is that she's magic. I won't Where to begin. I won't give away any spoilers but this one seemed a bit predictable from the beginning. It was like a slow roller coaster that never really came crashing down. I definitely enjoyed the story. I found it fun and interesting but I guess I wanted the antagonist to be more antagonizing?

It could be that I've read too many thrillers recently and I just expected the bad guy to do more bad things but either way it didn't seem suspenseful enough. When Liv confronted Tobias I must admit I got a little teary eyed. It was one of my favorite parts of the book. I loved how she always left everything on the table. She's straightforward and never minces her feelings or words. A true strong protagonist.

All in all this was a quick read. A little slow but entertaining in its own right. I'm glad I read this one. I received this book from Amazon Vine for my honest opinion. Jan 05, Signe' rated it it was amazing Shelves: I won an early review copy from SheLovesHotReads. Olivia Kiskey is not the usual perfect beautiful woman who suddenly has great and awesome magic powers, and plans to defeat the darkness alongside the perfect man she falls in love with. Olivia Kiskey is a waitress in a diner that has a magic linoleum square, in a quaint small town. She's also a little pudgy, loves eating waffles, and wants a change in her life.

She's proactive and a little too nice for her own good, but when the time comes, she dosen't run away and neither do all of the townspeople. I gave this book five stars because the characters are more than I've seen in novels lately.

Hardback Editions

These are people you might spot on the street or your bestfriend could secretly be involved with. The magic is real too, Lucy March doesen't put a giant flare on it and make it more than it is, which doesn't make it any less terrifying. This is magic that someone could be doing in thier kitchen or basement. That is what impressed me the most.

The realness of the story, I could believe that it could happen if only for as long as I was reading it. Still, there's romance, magic, suspense, and lots and lots of humor. It was a great story and I defintely plan to re-read it after I type this. Feb 07, Petula Darling rated it it was ok Shelves: This book grabbed me right from the start. I connected to the main character right away a rarity for me , and I was all excited to listen to the glorious story that I would eventually stamp with five stars. And then things went awry.

I have numerous small quibbles, but the main issue I have with the book is that the protagonist went from being fairly intelligent to plunging deep into the depths of inexcusable idiocy within the span of just a few chapters. Not only did she remain ignorant of thing This book grabbed me right from the start. Not only did she remain ignorant of things that would have been blatantly obvious to anyone with half a dozen brain cells, but she turned into that girl in the horror movie that we all yell at - the one who knows a homicidal maniac is out in the forest and who decides to wander into the woods in her nighty to see what all the fuss is about.

This book should probably be given three stars, but I'm so bitter from my disappointment that I'm only giving it two. Jul 05, Nancy rated it liked it. The story starts out reasonably strong enough. Liv is a regular girl working as a waitress in a small town. She is in love with an inaccessible man named Tobias who will not return her affection.

She makes a rash decision to move to Europe. At first, Eliot is most interested in discovering exactly why Judd bought this house in Nodaway Falls. She needs to discover who led Judd to Nodaway Falls and helped him buy the house. She also needs to know if this mysterious person knows her true identity. During her own childhood, Eliot had powerful Earth elemental powers. Then she gave Eliot new identity papers and warned her to run away and never go near her father again. Eliot has been on the run ever since. As the story plays out, we learn exactly what happened sixteen years ago and why Eliot is terrified to find that her father lives in Nodaway Falls.

What is Emerson Streat up to? Can Eliot trust him? Can she trust Desmond? This is a suspenseful, spooky story that will keep you holding your breath as you turn each page.

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It reminded me a little of the Molly Harper books. She decides to give up her life-long small town waitress job, sell her huge inherited house and move to Europe. As a reader, I wonder: This is do-gooder naivite that would make even Ned Stark slap his face in his palm and shake his head in frustration. Who is the bad guy?

I never imagined that would be possible, but she does it in a believable manner. For the most part, this is a well-told story, with much better characterization than in the previous books. Both Eliot and Desmond are fully developed characters with tragedy in their pasts that they must deal with before they can find love in the future.

Unfortunately, some aspects of the mythology remain muddy. I received no promotional or monetary rewards, and the opinions in this review are strictly my own. Magicals generally receive their arcane talents through heredity, and most of them live undercover within the mundane population. Magicals generally have either night magic or day magic, and each person's magic is quite specific: Naturally enough, the magical world has its dark side.

There are human conjurers aka witches who are not magical in nature, but who can create magic by using herbs, potions, and chants. Some of them want magical power so much that they attempt to steal it from the ones who have it legitimately. Two different organizations provide magical law enforcement: It was an hour and a half from Buffalo and a whisper away from the Pennsylvania border.

As the series opens, the core set of female lead characters includes four women in their late twenties who have been best friends since their school days. A Little Night Magic. She recently threw herself at Tobias Shoop, the man she loves, only to be rejected, so she's through with her old life. She doesn't want to spend her life like her mother did—pining away for her lost love—so she decides to be proactive and go off on an adventure.

Liv has had a tragic past. She has to decide which people she can trust and how far she will go to protect her town. That bodes well for book 2, which features Stacy as the heroine. I felt sort of embarrassed for her at times. Obviously, since this is a paranormal romance, the two do eventually get together, but not until late in the story.

With its under-developed characters, air-headed heroine, blatantly obvious villain, rambling plot, and murky mythology, this novel shouldn't have held my interest, but it did, no matter how many flaws I kept finding with it. Again, I have to go back to the dialogue, which is the only thing that saves this novel. That Touch of Magic. Liv's beautiful, sexy friend, Stacy Easter, calls herself the town slut and believes that no one can ever love her because she is so ugly and angry inside.

Ever since her bad break-up with Leo North, her high school sweetheart, ten years ago, she has slept with one man after another, using sex as an escape from her heartbreak. It doesn't help that Stacy has a crazy mother who constantly berates her for her lifestyle and her sarcastic view of life. As the story opens, Stacy's brother, Nick, is going to be married to Peach, another one of Stacy's friends. She pitched an angry fit and Leo left town, telling everyone that he was going off to become a priest. He's been gone for a decade, with no communication with anyone in his hometown, so Stacy assumes that he went through with his plans and joined the religious life.