Casting Spells

Table of Contents

 

“I laughed, I cried, I cheered ... Bravo, Barbara Bretton ... Another winner!”
—Contemporary Romance Writers

“
Just Like Heaven
... is exactly that ... An engaging, humorous, and tender novel.”
—Romance Reader at Heart

“Bretton’s lyrical writing enthralls from the first page.”

 

“Peopled with an interesting cast of secondary characters, not to mention this strong couple, this one will keep you reading past your bedtime.”
—BellaOnline

 

“Bretton, a master storyteller, superbly dramatizes a great range of emotions in this compelling tale.”

 

“Readers who appreciate a powerful character study that digs deep into cause and effect will want to read Barbara Bretton’s fine, convincing tale.”
—The Best Reviews

 

“Alternately poignant and humorous, this contemporary romance gracefully illuminates life’s highs and lows.”

 

“Ms. Bretton provides a fine return to the Jersey shore with this warm family drama.”
—Midwest Book Review

“Barbara Bretton is a master at touching readers’ hearts. Grab this one when it hits the shelves! A perfect ten!”

 

“A moving romance ... Barbara Bretton provides a deep tale of individuals struggling with caring connections of the heart.”

 

“A book readers will want to savor.”
—Publishers Weekly

 

“Insightful ... Bretton excels at women’s fiction that engages the emotions without manipulating them ... I highly recommend that discriminating readers pay a visit to these
Girls of Summer.
”
—The Romance Reader

 

“An engrossing tale of hope, promise, heartache, and misplaced dreams ... Its uplifting message and smooth storytelling make it a pleasant read any time of year.”

 

“[A] warm, wonderful book.”
—Booklist

 

“Her women’s fiction is well-written and insightful with just the right blend of realism and romance ... Powerful.”

 

“A lovely book ... It’s an uplifting story, warm and cozy, and easily recommended.”
—All About Romance

 

“An absolute wonder of creative writing that comes right from Barbara Bretton’s heart. A perfect ten.”

“The region of the heart is her territory.”

 

“Bretton’s characters are always real and their conflicts believable.”
—Chicago Sun-Times

 

“Soul warming ... A powerful relationship drama [for] anyone who enjoys a passionate look inside the hearts and souls of the prime players.”
—Midwest Book Review

 

“[Bretton] excels in her portrayal of the sometimes sweet, sometimes stifling ties of a small community. The town’s tight network of loving, eccentric friends and family infuses the tale with a gently comic note that perfectly balances the darker dramas of the romance.”
—Publishers Weekly

 

“A tender love story about two people who, when they find something special, will go to any length to keep it.”
—Booklist

 

“Honest, witty... absolutely unforgettable.”
—Rendezvous

 

“A classic adult fairy tale.”
—Affaire de Cœur

 

“Dialogue flows easily and characters spring quickly to life.”

 

“No one tells a story like Barbara Bretton.”
—Meryl Sawyer

CASTING SPELLS
JUST DESSERTS
JUST LIKE HEAVEN
SOMEONE LIKE YOU
CHANCES ARE
GIRLS OF SUMMER
SHORE LIGHTS
A SOFT PLACE TO FALL
AT LAST
THE DAY WE MET
ONCE AROUND
SLEEPING ALONE
MAYBE THIS TIME
ONE AND ONLY

 

 

THE CHRISTMAS CAT
(with Julie Beard, Jo Beverly, and Lynn Kurland)

THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
Published by the Penguin Group
Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA
Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada
(a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.)
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South Africa

 

Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

 

This book is an original publication of The Berkley Publishing Group.

 

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

Copyright © 2008 by Barbara Bretton.

“Barbara Bretton’s Ten Things You Need to Know About Knitting” copyright © 2008 by Barbara Bretton.

“Wendy D. Johnson’s Ten Things You Should Know About Knitting Lace” copyright © 2008 by Wendy D. Johnson.

“Wendy D. Johnson’s Ten Things You Should Know About Knitting Socks” copyright © 2008 by Wendy D. Johnson.

“Dawn Brocco’s Nine Tips for Knitters” copyright © 2008 by Dawn Brocco.

 

All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form
without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in
violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
BERKLEY® is a registered trademark of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
The “B” design is a trademark belonging to Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

 

PRINTING HISTORY
Berkley Sensation trade paperback edition / November 2008

 

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

 

Bretton, Barbara.
Casting spells / Barbara Bretton.
p. cm.

eISBN : 978-1-440-60798-1

1. Women merchants—Fiction. 2. Knitting shops—Fiction. 3. Charms—Fiction.
4. Police—Fiction. 5. Magic—Fiction. 6. Vermont—Fiction. I. Title.
PS3552.R435C37 2008
813’.54—dc22 2008030847

 

 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Many thanks to knitters/designers extraordinaire Wendy D. Johnson and Dawn Brocco for their friendship, their talent, their blogs, and their generosity.

A virtual basket of quiviut to each and every writer and reader who has made Romancing the Yarn such a terrific experience. Special thanks to Fran, Cindi, Jamie, Janet, Elizabeth, Laura, Georg, Kenyetta, Nicole, Ellen, Cathy B, Carol, Nephele, and Linda D.

Love to Nancy Herkness, who is simply the best of the best in all ways possible: a superlative friend and knitter.

And a special 4 dpn salute to Dallas Schulze, the finest needlewoman on the planet! You almost make me want to try spinning again. I don’t know what I’d do without your friendship.

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