Undercover Paranormal (Midlife Undercover, #1)

by Kate Moseman

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Spells & Sandwiches is the first book in a fantasy romance series by Kate Moseman. Originally released as Undercover Paranormal in 2022, this reformat and re-release is 205 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. 

This is a fun, very light romantasy with easy to read prose that doesn't take itself too seriously. MC Zelda is back in NYC to reopen her grandmother's sandwich shop and manages to get dragged back into the magical world she spent half her life trying to avoid on her first day back. It's very much character driven with lots of magical creatures populating New York and Zelda is sarcastic and likeable and good at heart. 

Romantic entanglements in the form of her all-too-sexy ex-boyfriend and a mysterious business ally, alongside fae, vampires, monsters, and her cute rescue poodle. 

The writing is somewhat uneven. Zelda is meant to be middle-aged (she's been away for 25 years and was at least a young adult when she went away) but she *really* seems very young, flippant, unsure of herself and is written in a very young style. The romance is heavy in the book, so readers who enjoy lots of romance in reads will enjoy it. 

It's a whimsical cozy with lots of descriptions of magic and what each type of magic does and how people react. The world building seems well thought out and complex. The writing is uneven in places and the dialogue is occasionally somewhat stiff.

There are currently 4 books in the series. It would make a good binge/buddy read. 

Three and a half stars. Worth a look for fans of cozy romantasy.