This is my audiobook review of Purls and Potions by Nancy Warren, is book 5 in the Vampire Knitting Club series. The author does write them as books that can be read as a stand alone. However, I think they are much more enjoyable as a series. If you want to know more about the first book, then look at my review here: Audio Book Review: The Vampire Knitting Club.

Otherwise, let’s find out more about your latest read, shall we?

Genre

This would be considered a paranormal cozy mystery.

The Vampire Knitting Club series as a whole would be considered paranormal cozy mystery.

“cozies”, If you aren’t familiar with the term, it is a sub-genre of crime novels that usually feature an amateur sleuth, placed in a small town or close knit community pardon the pun, and all of the violence or intimate situations happen off page. They generally focus on puzzle solving more than suspense.

This book is on the short side, the audio book is 5 hours and 32 minutes long. So it’s probably considered a novella.

Purls and Potions Summary

It’s February, love is in the air and Harrington street Oxford is no exception. Lucy and Detective inspector Ian Chisholm are making plans for Saturday night, much to Rafe’s upsetment. It’s not that Lucy doesn’t care for the 500 year old Vampire Rafe Crosyer, but how can they have a future when she can grow old and he never will? That little love triangle aside, there’s a bigger love problem going on in Harrington street.. and its coming from the direction of Froggs Books. The shop across the ways from Cardinal Woolsey’s.

The proprietor, a handsome but oblivious bookworm named Charley, has an assistant named Alice. She is hopelessly in love with him and it seems very much unrequited. She makes him fresh cakes every day, and handles the customers and the shop while he reads behind the cash desk. Never the less Alice cares deeply for Charley, if only she could get him to look up from reading and notice her.

Violet, Lucy’s shop assistant and witchy cousin, has an idea. What if Lucy makes her a love potion? Lucy is anything but pleased about this idea, what if it goes wrong? What if she gives them food poisoning? And she certainly shouldn’t meddle in peoples love lives. But when Alice comes in to get wool for a sweater she wants to knit for Charley’s birthday… in November. Lucy plucks up the courage to ask if Alice would be interested in a love potion. As it turns out she and Violet know of one, if she wants to give it a try.

All the while Lucy and one of her undead knitters are signing up to help with set painting for a mid-summer’s night dream at Oxford Collage. Since Charley and Alice are helping as well she figures she can watch the potion work.

Soon after the potion has been given there’s a murder at the collage.. Did the potion have something to do with it?

Reader

Sarah Zimmerman is the vocalist for this audio book and the rest of the books in the series. It took me a couple of chapters to get used to her ironic/sarcastic tone in the first book, but I love her now.

The main character is quite sarcastic, so she chose that tone for the first person narration. Her various voices and accents make it clear that she is a wonderful voice actress.

Each character has a different voice and speech pattern that is quite enjoyable. You can easily tell the difference between them as well which is always something I look for in an audio book.

audiobook review of Purls and Potions

This is definitely a fun one. If you’ve read my other Vampire Knitting Club reviews than you know I’m a fan of them. The play being amid- summer’s night dream was most definitely foreshadowing . I knew the second I heard it that there would be a love potion mix up and goodness, it did not disappoint! Lucy’s relationships definitely take a turn in this book. And while I don’t want to give much away.. I will say that something I’ve been wanting to happen for a while now, happens in this book!

I have one main complaint with this book. Lucy has another shop assistant Mari, short for Meritanum, a 200 year old Egyptian witch. She is homesick, understandably, so Lucy arranges it with her archaeologist parents to have Mari go back to Egypt to help with their dig. Someone you’ve met before comes and collects Mari, and takes her out to dinner the night before… but she is literately not mentioned again in this book. No making sure she has a good flight or that she even got on the flight. that story line just stops.. I feel like the author forgot about her.. With how much else is going on I can kinda understand why.. but still I wish there had been a text sent or something.

Other than that, I really enjoyed the book. I’m patiently waiting for Lucy to be more okay with being a witch and practice her craft. However, I fell like this is a one step at a time kind of thing, and this book might build her confidence a bit.

I really do suggest that you read all the books in order to really understand the journey here.

WHERE TO GET Purls and Potions

Here is the book on Amazon: Purls and Potions

I only post the amazon link because it is easier, as it has options for the paperback, the audiobook, and the kindle version in the same listing.

You can of course check your local book shop, or have them order it if they have that option.

You might be able to find it at your local library or request it. Just go to the circulation or check out desk and ask for a book request form. (That’s how my library works with requests any way) Bear in mind that you’ll probably be waiting a while if you do a request form.

WANT More Audiobook REVIEWS?

Try one of these out!

• Audio Book Review: The Vampire Knitting Club
• Audiobook Review: Stitches And Witches
• Audiobook Review: Crochet And Cauldrons
• Audiobook Review: Stockings And Spell
• Audio Book Review: Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce Book 1
• Audio Book Review: Mystery Stories Of Violet Strange by Anna K. Green.

I hope you liked this Audiobook Review Of Purls And Potions and found it helpful! If it was, please show your support by liking this post and following my blog, so you’re alerted when ever I make a new one. You can also sign up for The Crocheting Owl Monthly Newsletter for free patterns, updates, yarny bonuses and more!