Another night of difficulty sleeping and so I read two more books off of my TBR list.  Witch Way to Murder by Shirley Damsgaard, which is the October read for the Cozy Mystery Corner book club on Goodreads.  This book was so much better than I expected!  I can’t wait to read more.  Often paranormal cozies are too cutesy for me but this was not at all. In fact, the paranormal elements were almost downplayed to highlight believable characters and a well crafted mystery that involves a very current issue, methamphetamine production.  I liked the protagonist, Ophelia.  Despite her cool, reserved persona I really connected with her.  She reminds me slightly of Miss Zukas from the Jo Dereske series, which I also love.  I will definitely be reading more of this series.

My second book was Artistic License by Katie Fforde. I should say from the outset that I always love Katie Fforde’s books.  I find it very easy to immerse myself in the world she creates for her characters and this book was no exception.  Thea Orville is a young woman who was unlucky in love and her career and became a landlady for a boarding house for students.  She meets an almost equally unlucky artist and decides to make some changes in her life, to become “unstuck” from the disappointing life she was living.  There are numerous twists and turns and more than one love interest and a charming young boy looking for a mother. Katie Fforde always writes about relationships and the effects people and their decisions have on others and their lives.  Her books celebrate how messy life can be and yet always there is  always this thread of hopefulness that makes them lovely and charming to read.  I recommend this book and any others by Katie Fforde.