Published: May 6, 2022
Publisher: Starwatch Press
Series: N/A
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 286 (Kindle)
My Rating: 4 Stars
Synopsis:
A little bit of sin is good for the soul.
Gadriel, the fallen angel of petty temptations, has a bit of a gambling debt. Fortunately, her angelic bookie is happy to let her pay off her debts by doing what she does best: All Gadriel has to do is tempt miserably sinless mortal Holly Harker to do a few nice things for herself.
What should be a cakewalk of a job soon runs into several roadblocks, however, as Miss Harker politely refuses every attempt at temptation from Gadriel the woman, Gadriel the man, and Gadriel the adorable fluffy kitten. When even chocolate fails to move Gadriel’s target, the ex-guardian angel begins to suspect she’s been conned. But Gadriel still remembers her previous job… and where petty temptations fail, small miracles might yet prevail.
Olivia Atwater explores love, grief, and the very last bit of chocolate in this sweet modern fantasy, full of wit and heart. Pick up Small Miracles, and enjoy a heavenly faerie tale from the author of Half a Soul.
If you’ve always wanted a book with the same feel of Good Omens, but on a smaller cosmic scale and with more chocolate then you should go buy Small Miracles right now. It also happened to win SPFBO 8, so it has that going for it too.
Gadriel is a fallen angel, specifically over petty temptations and Gadriel has accepted a challenge. A challenge that Barachiel, angel of good fortune, insists is going to be quite the challenge. All Gadriel has to do is tempt one measly human into a few indulgences, whether they be having chocolate, a few too many drinks, or speaking those negative thoughts out loud. Unfortunately for Gadriel, the human in question is Holly Harker who happens to have superhuman self control. Holly has a super low cumulative sin metric and Gadriel has been challenged to increase said metric and make sure Holly has a little fun. What Gadriel doesn’t know is all the other little details, like Holly’s background, current personal life, and the other players influencing this particular game.
What unfolds is a heartfelt story that’s equal parts humor and serious storytelling. It has footnotes, which provide some hilarious context at times and helps keep you up to date on characters’ sin metrics. Overall, I can see why this took the top spot during SPFBO 8 because every page was an engaging delight. This further cements Olivia Atwater as a go-to author for cozy, romantically inclined stories!
Powder & Page 
I thoroughly enjoyed your review of “Small Miracles” by Olivia Atwater. It sounds like a delightful and heartwarming modern fantasy with a touch of humor and a unique premise. I’m intrigued by the concept of a fallen angel trying to tempt a sinless human and the challenges they face along the way. I’m curious to know, which aspect of the book resonated with you the most: the witty humor, the exploration of love and grief, or the whimsical faerie tale elements? Additionally, how did the footnotes enhance your reading experience?
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