BOOK TOUR: Cadence of Gypsies + Giveaway

I am super excited to share with you a series I found this month! The first book, the Cadence of Gypsies by Barbara Casey, was a great read! Furthermore, I am featuring some exclusive content from the author and A GIVEAWAY at the bottom of the page in partnership with iRead Book Tours 😊


Synopsis (provided by publisher):

On her 18th birthday Carolina Lovel learned that she was adopted and was given a letter written
by her birth mother in an unknown language. After years of research she travels to Italy on a
mission to find the truth about her past. Carolina is accompanied by three extremely gifted but
mischievous students the FIGs from Wood Rose Orphanage and Academy for Young Women.
In an effort to help their favorite teacher, the FIGs will have to use their special abilities to
decipher the Voynich Manuscript, the most mysterious document in the world, and the one thing
that is strangely similar to what Carolina was given. Their search will take them into the mystical
world of gypsy tradition and magic, more exciting and dangerous than any of them could have imagined.

Guest Post Discussion with the AUTHOR, Barbara Casey:
THE IMPORTANCE OF JIMMY BOB

One of my favorite characters in The FIG Mystery Series gets introduced in Book 1 – The Cadence of Gypsies. Jimmy Bob Doake is the night security guard at Wood Rose Orphanage and Academy for Young Women, and it is his responsibility to make sure nothing irregular happens during the “witches’ hours,” as he calls late night.

Jimmy Bob managed to complete the 8th grade, but dropped out of school after that in order to help his parents with his brothers and sisters. In spite of this, as an adult, he has the soul of a poet; and it is during those late night hours that he pens his thoughts onto paper.

Jimmy Bob provides comic relief to some of the more emotional scenes involving the FIGs and Carolina. But he also offers inspiration and hope because he is such a good and decent person trying to do the best he can with what he has. His old hound dog, Tick, does the same thing in his own way.


Jimmy Bob is very much a permanent fixture at Wood Rose, and I bring him back in The Wish Rider and The Clock Flower, Books 2 and 3 in the series. With the problems of campus politics, jealousies among students and professors alike, and rampant distrust of Carolina and the FIGs, it is Jimmy Bob who sees things with a clear eye and pure, unjudgmental heart. As Carolina and the FIGs’ search for answers takes them to Italy, New York City, and China, it is Jimmy Bob and his faithful companion Tick who give the reader a sense of permanence and security.

My Review: 4/5 stars ⭐

The book was much different than I expected, but in a good way.

The beginning I did find slow, and at times the gypsy history notes were a little confusing. However, as the characters grew throughout the novel, I started connecting more with the FIG's and Carolina. I enjoyed seeing the perspective of each intellectual girl, and Carolina's growth throughout her journey to find her birth parents. The FIG's were relatable, and each experienced growth in the book.

The plot in the beginning was slow, but it developed nicely. There were lots of different perspectives, but it was not as overwhelming as I thought it would be. The romance between Larry and Carolina was genuine and I enjoyed the twist with his character. As the book setting changed to Italy, I found the plot pace quickening, and I was more engaged as of this point. The new characters added to the story definitely helped tie everything together.

Giveaway:

Click here for a chance to win your own copy AND an amazon gift card!

Check out the amazing bloggers involved in the tour: click here!