The Perfect Blend

The Nest is the story of the Plumb siblings, and takes place in New York in the aftermath of 9/11 and the 2008 financial crisis. The siblings all come together when they find out that their joint trust fund- one that they are all counting on for various desperate reasons- has been used to get their oldest brother out of a bad situation of his own creation. Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney Shelly's...

This holiday rom-com by Janet Evanovich takes place in Colonial Williamsburg right before Thanksgiving. Megan meets the handsome Dr. Parker while chastising him for neglecting his rabbit. Little does she know meeting the doctor will lead to playing house, making Thanksgiving dinner for both of their families and deciding if they actually "do". Shelly's tea: The Tea Spot's Turmeri...

Two women must put aside their animosity to survive a Wyoming prairie winter in the 1870's. It's a mix of Little House on the Prairie with some juicy soap opera drama. Olivia Hawker' s beautifully written historical fiction book is about betrayal, sorrow, survival and redemption. Shelly's Tea: Republic of Tea's Cardamon Cinnamon Candy's Tea: The Tea and Spice Exchange's...

Elizabeth Zott is a chemist in the 1960's who is fired from her job for being unwed and pregnant and eventually becomes a tv icon on her own cooking show. Shelly's Tea: Republic of Tea's Blackberry Sage Candy's Tea: Tin Roof Tea's Einstein's Equation A Perfect Cup of Tea Toto's song 99 (SO not about the Get Smart Agent 99, but still a nice song)

Shelly and Candy are taking a literary trip to Moonbright, Maine in this 3 for 1 story by authors Donna Kauffman, Allyson Charles and Kate Angell. Who knew there could be magic in cookies? Bellaluna Bakeshop's owner Sofia knows a thing or two about love and finding that just right person. Three different women experience her cookies and love during Halloween in the town of Moonbright, Maine. S...

Shelly and Candy are featuring two books for the podcast of one- two stories that are both about Grace Sherwood, who was accused of witchcraft back in the early 1700's. The Witch of Pungo is a selection of stories that take place in what is now Virginia Beach, Virginia. Louisa Venable Kyle wrote the stories and included some historical background after each. William Huber wrote a fictionalized...

Hal Westaway is a lonely young tarot card reader who becomes involved in an inheritance with a very dysfunctional family and possible a murder as well. Ruth Ware Shelly's tea: Tazo Chai Latte - Dirty Candy's tea: The Republic of Tea Blackberry Sage  Ruth Ware’s murder Mystery Party Game

Four guests come to Hill House to observe and note any unusual happenings. Hill House has a reputation for paranormal activity. Everyone experiences strange things, but only one of them begins to slip from reality. Shirley Jackson was a prolific short story writer. She wrote while raising four children and running her household. She had a knack for gothic themed stories. Shelly's tea: Plum Del...

While doing research for her doctorate, Connie Goodwin discovers a mystery that ties her to not only the Salem Witch trials, but her own family history. Katherine Howe Shelly's tea: lavender, chamomile, lemon zest Candy's tea: Nettle Tea The witchcraft trial of Elizabeth Howe .

After the death of Holly Gibney's mother due to COVID, Holly accepts a job to help find a mother's missing daughter. As she investigates, she realizes that the missing daughter may be one of a few victims of a serial killer. Whew! Shelly and I are long time Stephen King fans, listen in to find out if this meets our expectations. Shelly's tea: Turmeric Tonic Candy's tea: Tension Tam...

Harry Crane decides to lose himself in the Endless Mountain forest of Pennsylvania after the tragic death of his wife. While there, he meets a young girl that disrupts his plans as they both are on a journey to assauge their loss. In Harry's Trees, Jon Cohen has managed to tell a touching story that ties together loss, grief, fairy tales, magic and redemption. Shelly's Tea: Blueberry Wild...

Young Mia Jacob is raised in a strict commune in Western Massachusetts outside the town of Blackwell called "The Community".  Mia’s adventures outside the community are mostly to the town library where she finds a first edition of the Scarlet Letter that seems to describe the community and her mother’s story. This sets Mia on a larger quest after her mother dies and she runs away from th...

Carrie Soto has only known tennis her entire life.  She is a fierce player, known for winning at all costs.  Her determination and focus have not made her popular, and have earned her the nickname Battle-Axe. Five years after her retirement, she is sitting with her father watching  the 1994 US Open.  When Nicki Chan breaks her Grand Slam title,  she decides to come out of retirement to defend her...

Marcellus is a giant Pacific octopus in an aquarium where Tova cleans at night. The two have a companionable existence together, but both have deep sadness in their lives. Cameron is a down on his luck thirty year old with a plan to meet his unknown father and have him put his life to rights. All three interact and end up helping each other. Remarkably Bright Creatures is an uplifting, entertainin...

Tabitha Knight recently arrived in Paris to stay and care for her grandfather. Paris is magical and delicious- especially with Julia Child being her neighbor who willingly helps Tabitha learn to cook. A seemingly innocent party leads to murder with Julia's knife being the weapon. Tabitha decides to help with the investigation to clear not only Julia's name but her own. Shelly's tea: ⁠G...

We love Jodi Taylor's St. Mary's Chronicles! Join our discussion of "Just One Damned Thing After Another" where they "don't do time travel. They research historical events in contemporary time". Everything at St. Mary's seems orderly and perfectly in synch till Max arrives to interview. Is she a jinx or are there other forces involved in this time traveling adve...

After Serga A. Storms and his sidekick Coleman have been hunkered down in their condo during COVID, Serge comes up with a great way to venture out to all of his beloved Florida haunts. As he is offering road trips to all his fellow condo neighbors, things are brewing up with a reporter, the CIA and adventures in Honduras. Tim Dorsey has done it again! Another wild ride with Serge and Coleman. Shel...

Come join us in Empis as we continue Charlie Reade's journey. We did enjoy connecting the events to the tales that inspired them in King's fantasy realm of Fairy Tale. Stephen King Shelly's Tea- Tiesta Tea Blueberry Wild Child Candy's Tea: purple basil,  butterfly pea flower , Steep 5 minutes, then squeeze 1/4 of a lemon into the tea.

Welcome to The Perfect Blend. Charlie Reade is a 17-year-old who finds himself introduced to a fantasy world and gets entangled in the battle between good and evil. We decided to divide this story into two episodes. In Part 1, we will cover the first part of the book that introduces us to Charlie and his life up to he turns 17 and meets Mr. Bowditch and Radar. Stay tuned next week for Part 2! Step...

It's the late 1800’s in a world where magic has existed but has been outlawed. The estranged Eastwood Sisters  find themselves  drawn back to each other in New Salem during the women’s suffrage movement and a growing force for strong labor unions.  Juniper, Agnes and Beatrice discover their powers and their choices lead to a witch's movement and a women’s rebellion. Alix E Harrow Shelly&#3...

Oh we are so excited to share some of our summer favs and TBRs. Whether you like a light rom-com on the beach, a wacky mystery by the lake, a deep historical fiction, a dark thriller, or witches, time travel, and fantasy; We have a book for you. In this episode we share what's waiting on our shelves and of course, some sweet tea stories.

Welcome to The Perfect Blend and our first ever Book Superlatives! Shelly and Candy answer each other's burning questions about the books they have featured for the first 6 months of 2023. Which characters would you like to invite to dinner? Which characters would you like to introduce to each other? Best character(s) to take on a road trip. Best recipes. Which book/characters most  inspired y...

Welcome to The Perfect Blend. Anna Kate has returned to Wicklow, Alabama to bury her beloved grandmother, Zee. Zee owned the Blackbird Cafe and her only request is that Anna Kate stay and run the cafe for two months before selling it. Anna Kate is reluctant as she is not used to small town southern life and doesn't want to get involved with her father's family or create friendships that sh...

Welcome to The Perfect Blend. Our newest episode is all about The Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo . Galaxy Alex Stern has been given a full ride at Yale University. Coming from a questionable past in Los Angeles and surrounded by intrigue as the only survivor of a multiple homicide, she is an unlikely candidate. But she has a skillset that is much needed at The Lethe House . Known as The Ninth House,...

Welcome to The Perfect Blend. Kate Parker is approaching 40 thinking her life is falling into place, but during her romantic vacation to France it all falls apart. She comes back with no boyfriend and no place to stay. Hurt and humiliated, she gives her boyfriend 2 months to make up his mind and moves in with her mother. Things seem to go from bad to worse until her friend sends her on a mission t...