REVIEW: Hexes and Hops by Jacki James and Lori Ames (Magical Misfit Murders #2)

HEXES AND HOPS

Magical Misfit Murders - Book Two

by Jacki James & Lori Ames

Release Date: July 8, 2026

Review

Another fun installment in this cozy paranormal mystery series.

Declan is settling into this paranormal town, his magic, and love, when he and Gideon find themselves drawn into a fixed Beer Festival competition. Which leads them to a body.

Now their misfit team of sleuths is on the case, causing a little bit of chaos along the way.

It’s one of those reads that is easy, makes you smile, and generally just brings sweet pleasure.

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Synopsis

Hexes, hops, and a whole lot of trouble. Welcome back to Ravenstone!

Declan is finally starting to settle into life as a witch in a magical little town where the coffee is strong, the misfit monsters are delightfully odd, and there’s always something interesting happening.

Like the Get Hopped Up Beer Festival.

Between sampling new brews, spending time with his very protective (and very handsome) wolf shifter boyfriend, and making plans to open a bakery, Declan is having the time of his life... until a brewmaster turns up dead in a vat of beer.

Since, apparently, that’s just how things go in Ravenstone.

Declan and Gideon don’t mean to get involved, but with rumors being shared faster than a sourdough starter and whispers of magic and hexes floating through town, staying out of trouble was never really an option.

Because in a small town, someone always has a secret.

And this time? It’s deadly.

Tags: MM paranormal romance, cozy mystery vibes with a bit of heat, a newbie witch who is trying to figure out this whole magic thing, an alpha who still doesn’t have his wolf, more misfit monster shenanigans, supernatural small town, low angst, buckets of coffee (and a few pints of beer), hexes everywhere, and (accidentally) a big ol’ batch of truth muffins!

About Jacki James

Jacki James has been saying she was going to write a book since she was sixteen and wrote fanfiction (before fanfiction had a name) about her favorite Rockstar. She is a believer in love of all kinds but MM romance is her favorite by far. She has a romantic heart and a dirty mind and likes to write stories that let both shine.

When she isn’t writing she is either creating beautiful pieces of glass art or reading. She is an animal lover and dreams of having a small hobby farm where she can raise goats, chickens and organic veggies. In the meantime, she lives in town with her two cats, awesome husband, and two college-aged kids.

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About Lori Ames

When Lori was in elementary school, she wrote a very compelling story about a girl with a prickly personality who turned into a rose. (Sounds amazing, right? She knew you'd agree.) Then she discovered romances in her teens and, well, she knew she wanted to write romances. It took her a little longer to find MM romances, but once she did, she was addicted. She lives in a small town in Alberta with her husband and an elderly black cat. She also writes MF and MFM romance under a different pen name.

Lori Ames writes MM romance with touch of magic!

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