*Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a review*
Publisher's Summary:Anise Wise loves three things: baking, potion making, and reading her spellbooks in blissful silence. She might not be the most powerful witch, but enchantment is a rare skill, and her ability to bake with magic is even rarer. Too bad no one wants witchcraft on their campus. Anise’s dream of attending pastry school crumbles with rejection letter after rejection letter.
Desperate to escape her dead-end future, Anise contacts the long-lost relative she’s not supposed to know about. Great Aunt Agatha owns the only magic bakery in the US, and she suddenly needs a new apprentice. Anise is so excited she books it to New Mexico without thinking to ask what happened to the last girl.
The Spellwork Syndicate rules the local witches in Taos, but as “accidents” turn into full-out attacks on Anise’s life, their promises to keep her safe are less and less reassuring. Her cranky bodyguard is doing his best, but it’s hard to fight back when she has no idea who’s the enemy. Or why she became their target.
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Deadly Sweet is a fun read with wide appeal for more just a YA audience. Anise is a hoot and I have a feeling that she is going to end up far more powerful than even she realizes now. It is more than apparent that her mother has hidden a lot about her heritage from her and that subsequent books will explore this.
I enjoyed the almost cozy food mystery aspect to Anise's love of baking. The concept of working spells into pastry reminded me of one of my Sarah Michelle Gellar favs Simply Irresistible. Dodge does well as building an interesting world centered around its own magical rules as well as incorporate a fair number of memorable characters in addition to her female protagonist. Great Aunt Agatha is intriguing as are the other adults and I enjoyed Anise's new friendships forged with girls with their own unique talents.
Fans of a good angsty romance will like Wynn, Anise's grumpy bodyguard. I adored their hate-hate relationship. I'm sure there is a good reason why he remains to distant but I can't blame him for being annoyed with some of Anise's choices. They have great, snarky dialogue exchanges but my predictions following the events of this first book it that smoochies are definitely in their future.
Overall, they mystery element kept me engaged but I found the villain a bit predictable and lacking dept. The whole reasoning for all the mayhem did not quite dazzle me but I think it is perfect for a target teen audience.
Final rating: 4 out of 5 stars
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