gasp
We actually get to cycle back to a previous main character?! And not one, but two of them!
In a nutshell, Laurel and Marigold are getting married! Yay for them!
Most of the story deals with the stress that comes with planning and dealing with an upcoming wedding–totally get that–along with a mysterious and magical saboteur–that was a fun twist.
They’re my favorites of this series’ characters and I’m glad to see some closure for them. I really feel books 1, 2, and 5 could have been made into a single novel, with an emphasis on the cozy on account of no ‘huge’ big bads throughout the series.
Still, an enjoyable read.
On to something bigger!
Notes. Spoilers.
And that was without even thinking about the logistics of moving to Sweden on top of it all.
Oh really.
“You know, Laurel,” her mother said. “I know you’re not very traditional, and I love that about you.” Laurel paused to think about if ’not very traditional’ meant gay or blue-haired. It couldn’t mean she was a witch, because that was most of her family. Then again, most of her family was turning out to be queer as well. Must be the blue hair. But she didn’t say anything. “But I’m so glad you went for a traditional dress, even if it doesn’t have all the frills. Because you look incredible.”
Stereotypically, don’t they often go together? :) Cute though.
It burned as well as ever, soft and warm, glowing in front of her face. She wasn’t sure what to do about it. Her magic powers had shown no significant sign of fading.
Did they have any previous basis for it fading?
“I’m just really good at assembling flatpack furniture,” Marigold said, raising her hands. “I don’t have many other skills…” “MARIGOLD ANN NIGHTFIELD, YOU HAVE A PhD AND ARE A WITCH AND YOU CAN PLAY THE CLARINET–what more do you want?” “Meh. It’s just satisfying.”
They are going to Sweden after all. Is that a thing? IKEA in Sweden?
“I’m just… completely shameless about approaching people. I’ve learned some people are going to hate me on sight anyway and if I pretend to be like them then either I exhaust myself or my façade falls away dramatically and then they hate me even more. I find it easier to make sure I’m super enthusiastic about everything and then just roll with it and let them either embrace it or look like they’re the weird ones. It, uh, mostly works”
You know. I like that. I may have to steal it.
“Okay, I get it, but honestly, your lot is so excited for you, you do not need to worry. Also. Look at all these couples. With or without alpaca. Your family is coming out of the closet at the rate of something, either that or we’re converting them all.” “I know right. Aunt Penelope! Who would have thought?” “Well. I’m starting to just assume people are bi unless they say otherwise. World’s easier that way.”
:D
“I looked again at the card that came with the posy. And the way I do loops in my Fs and Ms, quite a lot of people have commented on that, well it’s the same. And then if it’s about self-deception–I think I must have written it, Marigold, I think I must have written it and forgotten about it or convinced myself I didn’t and what you said about the forgetfulness spells…”
Oh. Oh my. I didn’t expect that one.
She told people she’d been friends with Memory more years than she could count, which was an abject lie. She could remember the exact point at which they’d become friends and it was very easy to simply count forward from there and arrive at a precise answer. But at some point, the precise number had ceased to matter. Memory was there, and always had been, and felt like she’d always be, perhaps the most reliable member of her family.
Memory is a strange name, even in a series full of them. Chosen? Common in a culture I don’t know?
“Okay. So I know magic’s real, but time travel, even for a witch, feels like a step too far.”
lol. I got nothing.