Purls and Potions (Book 5, paperback)

This is a charming retelling of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream with a distinctive touch of its own. If you are familiar with the original play, you may initially fear that the novel will simply follow the same path, but its wit and charm quickly win you over.

Compared with its predecessor, the story offers a little more depth, particularly when it comes to the main characters, although I still found some of the supporting cast underused. At least Violet is given more room to shine early on. Meri , however, is largely removed from the story, which I found genuinely disappointing. The misleading trail surrounding the detective is fortunately resolved, as he, too, felt somewhat underdeveloped.

I appreciated that both the magic and the vampirism remain tools in service of the story rather than becoming the focus themselves. The novel works well as a whodunit, with the mystery only fully coming together towards the end.

What I continue to miss is a stronger sense of Oxford itself. The city remains somewhat in the background, and Nyx also plays a relatively minor role this time. The tone is noticeably lighter than in previous books—less threatening and dark, and more humorous, romantic, and playful—which provides a welcome change of pace.

I also had the impression that readers spend less time inside Lucy’s thoughts than before. I would love to see her develop a close confidante—someone with whom she can share her feelings and reflections. That could be Violet, the cat, or another recurring character, simply a constant presence in her life. Of course, it may be entirely intentional that Rafe is meant to fulfil that role in the long run.

The reduced focus on knitting and the wool shop was, surprisingly, a welcome change. While it slightly lessens the cosy atmosphere usually created by the charming little shops and cafés, the theatrical setting brings variety and freshness to the series. Even so, I found myself missing some of that familiar cosiness.

Overall, this instalment appealed to me more than its predecessor and may well point the series in an interesting new direction.

This one is great. Its so good to see more of England through this series. And Rafe is every womans dream.