Windy City Magic Series

I picked up this audiobook because it was included with my Audible membership. The setting made me laugh. Windy City Magic is a shop on Navy Pier in Chicago. I was there for a conference a few years ago. I understood every reference she made to the setting, even down to the streets nearby. Amber has nothing but absolute distain for Navy Pier. It really isn’t as bad as she made it out to be.

What I liked about the series

This was a cute, light urban fantasy series about a world where magical creatures are living semi-openly. There are witches and vampires and werewolves and mermaids and sirens and fairies alongside other less numerous creatures.

Having Amber be a matchmaker caused a magical issue I hadn’t seen before. She knows whenever she looks at her boyfriend that he isn’t going to end up with her in the future. Should she continue a relationship that she knows is doomed from the start? Isn’t that what most of dating as a teenager is anyway?

It was also nice to have a magical teenager book where the main character isn’t the most powerful person around. Amber’s skills are far below her mother’s. No one in the magical community respects matchmakers.

What I wasn’t crazy about

Can we get rid of the old vampire/teenage girl romance storyline? Seriously, it is creepy.

I know this is probably because I’m old but Amber made really bad decisions. She really needed to discuss things with her mother. It would have saved a lot of trouble.

The Foodies Read elements:

-Amber is a baker. Her coping mechanism is making desserts. Lots and lots of desserts are made and consumed in these books.

-She is applying to the Culinary Institute of Chicago for college.

-She has two other part-time jobs besides Windy City Magic. She works at a bakery run by a human. She also works at a vampire-owned restaurant where she makes custom desserts. Candied brains and bat wings, anyone?