Review of Bat Wings, Rings & Apron Strings by Erin Johnson

A delicious wedding. A sour and supernatural curse. Will this baker’s next bite be her last? With her wedding to Hank fast approaching, Imogen Banks has come a long way from the magical contest that brought her to Bijou Mer. But when conspirators seek to sabotage the witch’s big day, she fears her latest recipe for happiness will end in disaster. And after the prince falls horribly ill, Imogen and her friends must solve one more dark mystery before her love and kingdom perish. 
Speeding through a menu of suspects as long as the guest list, Imogen clashes with a vengeful monarch and a calculating assassin. But as the minutes tick down to seconds, saving her home and her fiancé may require walking away from everything she loves. 
Can Imogen create one final concoction to stop a war and marry her soul mate?
Bat Wings, Rings and Apron Strings is the magical conclusion to the Spells and Caramels cozy witch mystery series. If you like witty characters, mystical intrigue and a dash of romance, then you’ll love Erin Johnson’s tasty whodunit.

Available on Amazon and through Kindle Unlimited.

Publication Day: April 6, 2019

It’s simply delightful when an author can reward series followers by providing, quite simply, the most wonderfully fitting finale.  Thank you Erin!

Move over damsel in distress, it’s the princess-to-be who has to rescue the handsome prince and what an adventure she has in the process. All our favourite characters from across the series are united in their efforts to save Prince Harry (Hank). As Imogen and her best friends race across the kingdoms to find the cure for Hank’s illness, we revisit some past settings and catch up with old friends. 

The mystery itself is to solve who poisoned Hank and how. The ‘who’ was explained pretty quickly and the ‘why’ along with that. But the journey to find the ‘how’ and the cure is what really takes up the bulk of the action. The pacing of that is very good with each chapter taking us to a new suspect or location in the hunt. I quite enjoyed the interesting characters introduced along the way.

One of my favourite scenes is where Imogen confronts a jealous female family friend who believes she should have been Hank’s bride. Our heroine was always feisty, but she shows that nothing is going to stand in between her and the man she loves- not even sub-par magic tricks played out by some floozy! 

The evolution of Imogen’s character and several of her friends, and even members of Hank’s family, was on-going throughout the series but really comes full-circle in this last book. 

Spells and Caramels is most definitely on my list of favourite cozy series and I hope to maybe reread some of it again. Starting with characters, let me share some series favourites with you…  

My favourite character of the whole series:Horace. This villain-hero is now one of my favourite cozy characters. I love how perceptions of him changed throughout the series.  Of his own accord, Horace also grows into a more caring, less vengeful person. He’s never going to be the sweet and mushy older brother of Imogen’s infancy but he’s what she needs. He’s committed and contrary right down to the very last pages, and that’s perfect.

Favourite scene: The Kiss in Book 3, Mermaid Fins Winds and Rolling Pins. And then The Wedding and beautiful decor described in this one.

Favourite book: While this final book comes pretty close, I think my favourite remains Airships Crypts and Chocolate Chips, Book 6. I’d never before read a Cozy that honest to goodness had my heart thumping.

Favourite theme: The discrimination Sam faces. While Cozies tend to focus on lighter topics, I like how the author brings in the unfairness and ridiculousness of discrimination.  It’s not overdone and gives the characters a chance to bond through their love for and protectiveness of Sam.  

Favourite magical invention: Pretty much all elements of the Spa in Book 8, Grimoires Spas and Chocolate Straws. The descriptions of the magical manta ray migration were pretty hard to beat too!

Favourite kingdom:  Each kingdom is unique and has some wild, vivid, imaginative aspect to drool over. However, my favourite would still be where the gang originally calls home, Bijou Mer.  That said, I love the Kusuri bakery-home too.  That delightful place was created in Book 9, Eclairs Scares and Haunted Home Repairs.

What a wonderful series.  I fully enjoyed each instalment and I am sad to be at the end.  But Erin has promised a new series and I’m sure it will be just as much fun.  

I give Bat Wings, Rings and Apron Strings (and the whole series) 5/5 magical espresso shots.

​Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.