Batter and Broomsticks by Danielle Garrett: Audiobook Review of Sugar Shack Witch Mysteries #5

🎧 Listened in audio | 📢 Narrated by Kelsey Navarro Foster
⏱ Duration: 6 hours | Genre: Paranormal Cozy
🏷️ Publisher name: Tantor Media and Roots and Wings Press

Book Blurb:

The magic from the amplification stones is gone, and Rosella and Orion have no idea where to find it. Then a fairy turns up who might know, but she has a problem of her own. Someone has been stealing botanicals from her sacred grove. The deal is simple: stop the thief, and she’ll share what she knows. With Orion’s Arcane Order badge, it should be an easy errand, maybe with time left for a late lunch at Whimzee’s. Instead, they walk into a crime scene and have to solve a murder to keep their end of the bargain. The suspects pile up, the fairies lose patience, and the clock keeps ticking.

Let’s talk about the book:

I have loved watching Rosella’s journey from the time she came home temporarily to finding her calling right in her hometown. It’s been so rewarding to follow her growth, and this fifth installment of the Sugar Shack Witch Mysteries shows how far she has come. Her relationship with Orion developed quickly, but it’s still going strong, and Danielle Garrett writes it with so much warmth and honesty. They feel like a real couple, with real questions about the future, including what happens when work might pull them in different directions.

In this book, the magic from the amplification stones is still missing, and Ella and Orion have no idea where to look. Then a fairy turns up who might have a lead, but she has a problem of her own: someone has been stealing botanicals from her sacred grove. The deal is simple. Stop the thief, and she’ll share what she knows. With Orion’s Arcane Order badge, it should be a quick errand, maybe with time left over for lunch at Whimzee’s. Instead, they walk into a crime scene, and now they have to solve a murder to hold up their end of the bargain. The deeper they dig, the more suspects turn up, and the impatient fairies make the ticking clock feel very real.

What I enjoyed most is how well the book balances its parts. The mystery is the main event, but the stones storyline runs underneath it and makes real progress here, which kept me hooked and eager for what comes next. The magical creatures are a highlight, and Rosella’s ability to talk to animals adds charm and humor to the sleuthing. The banter and family moments keep the story cozy, and the ending doesn’t feel rushed once the killer is caught.

Kelsey Navarro Foster’s narration is splendid. The characters have distinct voices that are easy to follow, the animals are adorable, and the performance suits the cozy tone perfectly. I couldn’t stop listening, and I can’t get enough of this world.

This is a series with an ongoing arc and a lot of shared history between Rosella and Orion, so I highly recommend reading it in order to get the full pleasure of the storyline. Start at the beginning and enjoy watching everything build.

Would I recommend it?

Batter and Broomsticks, book five of the Sugar Shack Witch Mysteries, is a full 5 star listen for me. Would I recommend it? ABSOLUTELY… but go back to book one first, because Rosella and Orion’s story keeps building and you’ll want all of that history behind you. The murder mystery is a good one, the missing stones storyline finally moves, and Kelsey Navarro Foster’s narration made me not want to hit pause. Five books in and I’m still greedy for more.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Your Next Cozy Listen Awaits

1. Secondhand Spirits by Juliet Blackwell
   If you love a witch who finds her place in a close-knit community, this first Witchcraft Mystery pairs a vintage clothing shop with a murder.
   Indiebookstores.ca | Bookshop.org | Goodreads | StoryGraph | Pagebound | Fable | Hardcover | Booktrovert | OpenLibrary | Litsy
2. It Takes a Witch by Heather Blake
   Start the Wishcraft Mysteries here if you enjoy small-town magic, a murder to solve, and a heroine who is still learning what she can do.
   Indiebookstores.ca | Bookshop.org | Goodreads | StoryGraph | Pagebound | Fable | Hardcover | Booktrovert | OpenLibrary | Litsy
3. The Vampire Knitting Club by Nancy Warren
   Want more paranormal cozies with a warm community and a mystery woven in? This one has a knitting circle with a supernatural secret.
   Indiebookstores.ca | Bookshop.org | Goodreads | StoryGraph | Pagebound | Fable | Hardcover | Booktrovert | OpenLibrary | Litsy
4. Witch Way to Murder by Shirley Damsgaard
   This opens the Ophelia and Abby series, where a psychic librarian, her small town and a crime make for a good next series if you like your sleuthing with a supernatural edge.
   Indiebookstores.ca | Bookshop.org | Goodreads | StoryGraph | Pagebound | Fable | Hardcover | Booktrovert | OpenLibrary | Litsy
5. The Ghost and Mrs. McClure by Alice Kimberly
   If the magical side of Sugar Shack is what keeps you coming back, this first Haunted Bookshop Mystery adds a ghost, a bookshop and a long-dead private eye helping with the case.
   Indiebookstores.ca | Bookshop.org | Goodreads | StoryGraph | Pagebound | Fable | Hardcover | Booktrovert | OpenLibrary | Litsy

Which Sugar Shack sidekick has your heart?

Okay, now I need to hear from you. Are you Team Rosella and Orion all the way, or did a fairy, a talking animal or a suspect with a very shady alibi steal your attention? Who would you hand your own amplification stones to for safekeeping? And if you have started the series, which book hooked you? Tell me in the comments.

Purchase options:

Want to purchase this or any of your favorite books while supporting a local bookstore? Consider purchasing using the sites below. These sites work with independent local bookstore owners to fulfill your book orders. #SupportLocal

Bookshop.org | Goodreads | StoryGraph | Pagebound | Fable | Hardcover | Booktrovert | Litsy
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