Author: Annabel Chase
Published: January 13, 2026 by Storm Publishing
Format: Audio, 192 Pages
Genre: Paranormal
Series: Midlife Magic Cocktail Club #3
Blurb: Julie Duncan never expected to be a fifty-year-old widow living with her domineering mother in the same lakeside house she grew up in. Winters in Lake Cloverleaf are a gloomy time for Julie. Christmas and New Year’s Eve remind her of her late husband and she isn’t looking forward to yet another holiday season without him. The unexpected death of her mother only adds to Julie’s grief--until a magical cocktail recipe triggers psychic visions of ghosts.
The new year kicks off a new normal for Julie, except she has neither the time nor the energy for unwelcome spirits. She already has an unwelcome visitor in the land of the living—her estranged brother who’s arrived in town to take control of the estate. Brad hasn’t been in their lives for years, yet now he expects to displace Julie and sell the family home, knowing perfectly well that Julie is unlikely to put up a fight.
As Julie struggles to cope with these seismic changes, she encounters more spirits and slowly begins to accept her gift.
In learning to use her voice on behalf of the dead, Julie just might learn to use it for herself.
My Opinion: The third book in the *Midlife Magic Cocktail Club* series lands with a mix of humor, grief, and that familiar magical warmth, which for me, was a welcome return to this group of women. This novel opens with Julie Duncan, still numb from the death of her husband, then finding her deceased mother, and her reaction is… empty. Doris was a demanding and difficult woman, so Julie’s emotionless reaction makes sense, but it still felt a little off‑kilter. Maybe she was just frozen. Maybe she’d already done her grieving long before she opened the door.
Thankfully, Julie’s magical cocktail crew [Libby, Kate, Julie, and Rebecca] are right there with her. These women, all inheritors of Inga Paulsen’s enchanted recipes, have become such a steady presence in the series. I love the generational magic concept: witches aren’t born, they’re created, and each woman’s ability shows up exactly when she needs it. So of course, on the night of her mother’s memorial service, the notebook offers up a new cocktail recipe. And of course, Julie tries it. Easy‑peasy.
Then, my favorite part, we get a good old-fashioned “I see dead people” storyline. I’m a sucker for these. The “can you help me?” moments are sweet without being syrupy, and the emotional beats land in that gentle, magical way this series does well. You can see the final goodbye coming; you know why it’s coming, but it still sneaks up and taps you right in the feels.
I enjoyed this book so much more than *Bewitching Bitters*. It felt steadier, more heartfelt, and more connected to what made *Magic Uncorked* so charming. Only one more book to go, and honestly, I think I might miss these ladies when it’s over.
The new year kicks off a new normal for Julie, except she has neither the time nor the energy for unwelcome spirits. She already has an unwelcome visitor in the land of the living—her estranged brother who’s arrived in town to take control of the estate. Brad hasn’t been in their lives for years, yet now he expects to displace Julie and sell the family home, knowing perfectly well that Julie is unlikely to put up a fight.
As Julie struggles to cope with these seismic changes, she encounters more spirits and slowly begins to accept her gift.
In learning to use her voice on behalf of the dead, Julie just might learn to use it for herself.
My Opinion: The third book in the *Midlife Magic Cocktail Club* series lands with a mix of humor, grief, and that familiar magical warmth, which for me, was a welcome return to this group of women. This novel opens with Julie Duncan, still numb from the death of her husband, then finding her deceased mother, and her reaction is… empty. Doris was a demanding and difficult woman, so Julie’s emotionless reaction makes sense, but it still felt a little off‑kilter. Maybe she was just frozen. Maybe she’d already done her grieving long before she opened the door.
Thankfully, Julie’s magical cocktail crew [Libby, Kate, Julie, and Rebecca] are right there with her. These women, all inheritors of Inga Paulsen’s enchanted recipes, have become such a steady presence in the series. I love the generational magic concept: witches aren’t born, they’re created, and each woman’s ability shows up exactly when she needs it. So of course, on the night of her mother’s memorial service, the notebook offers up a new cocktail recipe. And of course, Julie tries it. Easy‑peasy.
Then, my favorite part, we get a good old-fashioned “I see dead people” storyline. I’m a sucker for these. The “can you help me?” moments are sweet without being syrupy, and the emotional beats land in that gentle, magical way this series does well. You can see the final goodbye coming; you know why it’s coming, but it still sneaks up and taps you right in the feels.
I enjoyed this book so much more than *Bewitching Bitters*. It felt steadier, more heartfelt, and more connected to what made *Magic Uncorked* so charming. Only one more book to go, and honestly, I think I might miss these ladies when it’s over.
No comments:
Post a Comment