8/10/05 Purchased used paperback at Paradise (Calif.) Hospice Thrift store.

ABC Readers' Board *Book Ring*

This is a *traveling book*. Please make an entry confirming you've received this book...and tell us *where* it is (city/state).

After you've read it, please return to this page, give your comments on the book and email the next reader for her mailing address. Please note on this site the date mailed on to the next reader :)

Plse mail First Class ($1.75; 2 weeks per reader pls

It'd be great if you'd also mention in the ABC Board's "Current Reads" what you thought of "The Kitchen Witch". Hope you enjoy it!

Reading Order: stampaliz@(Lizinsr); bordnbtchy@(Tammywith2kids); jdonahue1@(Jackie); gkonkler5(Gretchen); back to me

8/29/05 Mailed to Liz (stampaliz)

Received book through ABC Readers Board bookring. The book was Ok, kind of cute. It had some good storylines, but didn't do a lot with them. I haven't read a "romance" novel in awhile, so maybe this is the norm these days, but I thought the sexual attraction/tension/obsession was waaay overdone. I enjoy sexual situations in books, but really would have preferred she spend more time fleshing out the storylines & characters. But for a quick read, it was Ok.

CAUGHT IN SANTA ROSA CA USA

Mailing to next person in Book Ring today.

10/1/05 ~ Received the book today through the ABC Reader Board Bookring. I hope to start it Monday and have it sent out to the next person by next weekend (10/8/05)

10/5 ~ Very cute story.

I'll be shipping it off to the next person in line this weekend.

rec'd in today's mail =)

I'll start it as soon as I finish with my current book!

The perfect read (light & fun!) for a dreary day =)

on its way to the next stop in the ring

Recieved this today and hope to get to it soon. I was assured I could hog it awhile because I'm overloaded with rings/rays. Still I'll get to it ASAP. Looks like it will be a fun read.

It has been a long time since I've read a book like this and had my doubts that I would like it in the beginning but ended up getting sucked in. Wonderful fun read. Thanks for sharing.

Sending this off to today to terra57 in Hopedale, MA.

Got it and can't wait to read it.

12/17/05 Book Crossing Book Ray kicks off:

Terra57 (MA); CheriePie (MA); Booksnbeer (VA);
ShutterflyIL (IL); DreamSE22 (CO); Sarradee
(TX); KarenBC (BC); ladiibbug (CA); Hellie (UK); Spin-a-Yarn (Scotland); WelshHelen (UK); WelshHelen keeps book

Awesome, funny, light read that you'll be glad to get your hands on. I loved it. Will be sending to Cheriepie in Wilmington, MA next.

RELEASE NOTES:

This arrived safely with me yesterday. I'll start on it after I finish my current read.

BTW, what's the ABC Readers' Board which I keep reading about in this entry, and in the card inside the book?

It was okay... a little too "happily ever after" for my usual taste. I found myself constantly berating Melody and Logan for their dense headed-ness in denying their feelings for each other. If they're both too stupid to go for the gusto when it's dumped right in their lap, then they deserve to be miserable! Fortunately, like all romances, both realize their true feelings and all is well.

Was Melody really a Witch? Well, they live in Salem, Massachusetts, and Melody has a cooking show named "The Kitchen Witch", a herb garden in her backyard, a purple front door with bright yellow stars, and a friend Kira who's also a Witch. Plus she has her "spells" and incantations she does during her cooking show. So I suspect she probably is, as her zest for life would seem to indicate.

But Melody's character, were she a true Witch, would've embraced the superficial differences she believed existed between herself and Logan, instead of trying to deny and supress the constant electricity between them. A Witch will go for what they want out of life, bring it into manifestation so to speak. So throughout the book, her actions had me doubting she was anything more than a Witch wanna-be. But there was never enough emphasis placed on any of her magickal workings to truly judge one way or another.

Logan's fear of trusting someone who claims to be a witch, while he himself lives in Salem, is pretty laughable. Is she really a Witch? he keeps asking himself. I don't think being a Witch—which is something I openly admit myself to anyone who asks—has the negative connotation it once had long ago, so I didn't care for Logan's inital aversion to Witches given where he lives (and grew up). Truth be told, it kind of made me like his character less.

I know it probably sounds like I'm being fairly harsh on this book, but I must say that despite all the criticism I gave it above, the story held my interest enough to keep me reading. So for those whom romance is their favorite reading genre, and who maybe aren't as critical as I am with regards to Witchcraft stuff, they might like this book better than I did. As it is, I gave it a 5 because to me, anything less than that would indicate I had to struggle through it and almost didn't finish it, which certainly wasn't the case here. With the sole exception of Melody's denying her feelings for Logan, I admired her zest for life, a characteristic I strongly embrace in myself. Live for the moment!

I've got BooksnBeer's address and will get this in the mail to her in the next few days. (Will update this journal entry with the specific date when I do.)

UPDATE 05-JAN-2006: Mailed to BooksnBeer on 05-Jan-2005 via First Class Mail with Delivery Confirmation # 9101010521297913638965.

Received and it is next in line to read - I do have one in front of it, which I am reading now. I will probably get to it this weekend. It looks like a cute read. Not what I thought - I guess I was confusing it with a Wiccan book.

A very lightly written book. Honestly, I was not crazy about this book. The characters were written too thin and some of Logan’s caustic comments really got my goat. I also, really got tired of the around and around – yes, I’ll go for it/no I won’t. I guess I was looking for some witchcraft. Not one of my favorites.

I have the address for the next on the list – I will try and get this into tomorrow’s mail.

Received this book in the mail yesterday. :)

I was kind of disappointed in this book. I had a very hard time getting interested in it and ended up reading it just to get it over with. I believe the story could have been really good if the writer spent a little more time developing the characters and adding some details. I got annoyed with the back and forth “I want him/her, but I can’t have him/her for ” and found myself rolling my eyes at some of the comments that were made by the characters…especially Logan’s “Don’t mind the rocket in my pocket” one. Who actually says that about themselves?! The ways that Melody and Logan lead up to their near-sexual encounters had me baffled as well. They would be sitting there, having a conversation…sometimes even being angry at each other…and suddenly she would be on his lap or something along those lines.

For a story line with potential, I give it three stars, but because of my disinterest, it loses seven.

This one will be sent on within the next couple of days.

I received the book today, thanks so much! It looks like a lot of fun, and I'll definitely be done with it in less than two weeks time. Thanks again, will journal again very soon. :)

I've had a real laugh over the previous journal entries on this book, they are very good!

This book however, wasn't for me. I was disappointed right off the bat when Melody made fast friends with the child, and her personality actually turned me off because I thought she was a little annoying. Usually I can enjoy these fun, fast reads (especially from Berkeley Romance!) but this one didn't appeal to me at all. I'm glad I had the opportunity to try it though!

Thanks for including me in this ring. I will be mailing this book off to sarradee soon, if not tomorrow. :)

Received in the mail today. Have to finish the book I'm currently right in the middle of, and then I can start in on this one. Will pm KarenBC for her address, as I bet I'll be ready to mail by Saturday.

So, I finished the other book I was reading and started this one. I have to agree with some of the preceding comments; the book could have been much better if it was more believable. While I totally get overwhelming sexual attraction, I don’t think I could be right in the middle of a fight, and completely switch gears the way Melody does. Also the way she had the kid eating out of her hand, after she thwacked him in the eye with batter and burned his finger, didn’t ring true.

All in all, the book was a cute, extremely fast read and I’m not sorry I took the time with it. I’m not really a romance reader, and I’m trying to broaden my horizons in that area a little.

I was wondering if the author watched too much Josie and the Pussycats as a child. All her characters were named things like Logan, Shane, Jebbie, Melody and Tiffany. Whatever happened to Bob, Jane and Jack?

I mailed this onto KarenBC via airmail this morning.

Nice to come home for a little weekend trip to find this book waiting for me. I'm a tad concerned after reading all the comments - but will definitely give it a go. Will be PMing ladiibbug for a mailing address.

4/6/06 Rec'd back home in Paradise, CA - TBR, then will mail to Hellie (UK) within one week.

EEK! My first book ring - I'll forevermore read the book *before* I offer as a book ring ... which is why my "two weeks reading time" and "please mail first class!" requirements in the orig. post ~blush~.

It IS cool to see this 25 cent book come home 7 months later after visiting so many readers -- just wish it had been a more enjoyable read. RSVD

4/13/06 Mailed to Hellie in the UK - TRAV

arrived today...thanks will get to it soon

update: 14.6.06 will get to this v soon. will email welshhelen for her address soon too.

24.6.06 Book was okay but really far fetched.

still awaiting next address....

7/20/06 Note to HELLIE:

Pls note that the book goes next to Spin-a-Yarn in Scotland -- she has asked to be added, and WelshHelen has agreed to fit her in.

We are having such a hard time communicating with you ... PLEASE PM Spin-a-Yarn for her address and forward the book asap to her. THEN, please PM me or email me at [email protected] and let me know when you mailed the book.

Please keep resending the PM or email to me until you get an acknowledgement back from me that I rec'd it.

8/12/06 No replies to PMs/Emails to Hellie. Trying again today to contact Hellie regarding status :-(

Thank you!

Teri aka ladiibbug

RELEASE NOTES:

will post on way out..hope next reader enjoys

Sorry for not jounalling sooner. Book arrived while I was away.

Will get started on it tonight.