#The Witches of Thistle Grove Series

[quoteablebooks]

Genre: Fiction, Adult, Romance, Fantasy

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Content Warning: Sexual content, Alcohol, Cursing, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Violence, Misogyny     

Summary:

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina meets The L Word in this fresh, sizzling rom-com by Lana Harper.

Emmy Harlow is a witch but not a very powerful one—in part because she hasn't been home to the magical town of Thistle Grove in years. Her self-imposed exile has a lot to do with a complicated family history and a desire to forge her own way in the world, and only the very tiniest bit to do with Gareth Blackmoore, heir to the most powerful magical family in town and casual breaker of hearts and destroyer of dreams.

But when a spellcasting tournament that her family serves as arbiters for approaches, it turns out the pull of tradition (or the truly impressive parental guilt trip that comes with it) is strong enough to bring Emmy back. She's determined to do her familial duty; spend some quality time with her best friend, Linden Thorn; and get back to her real life in Chicago.

On her first night home, Emmy runs into Talia Avramov—an all-around badass adept in the darker magical arts—who is fresh off a bad breakup . . . with Gareth Blackmoore. Talia had let herself be charmed, only to discover that Gareth was also seeing Linden—unbeknownst to either of them. And now she and Linden want revenge. Only one question stands: Is Emmy in?

But most concerning of all: Why can't she stop thinking about the terrifyingly competent, devastatingly gorgeous, wickedly charming Talia Avramov?

*Opinions*

Truth be told, I don’t remember how this book appeared on my radar, but it sounded like an interesting premise. While I am a novice romance reader, I am a huge fan of witch books and seeing how the author works magic in a contemporary setting. Also, a woman scorned getting her revenge is also something I am a huge fan of so the elements of this book should have worked for me. I did enjoy my time in Thistle Grove and with Emmy, but due to personal preferences, this book wasn’t a home run for me. 

Payback’s a Witch follows Emmy Harlow’s return to her hometown of Thistle Grove, a city of real witches that attracts tourists during Halloween with a gimmicky witch atmosphere. Emmy left almost nine years ago after a breakup that broke her spirit and her love for the town she called home. Now, she has to return for the Gauntlet, a magical competition that will decide which of the original witch families has governing powers in the town, due to her family scion always serving as the arbiter. However, when she returns to Thistle Grove, she finds out that her ex has also scorned two other witches, the scion of House Avramov and her best friend, and they pull Emmy into a pact to make sure that her ex doesn’t win the Gauntlet. The longer Emmy stays in Thistle Grove and the more time she spends with the people there, she starts to wonder if she has made a new life outside of the town or just run away from her old one. It doesn’t help that she has an electric pull to Talia that doesn’t feel as if it is onsided. What was supposed to just be a month-long visit to say goodbye to Thistle Grove for good is getting more and more complicated. 

As the plot took a back seat to the romance, obviously, I did enjoy the world-building that Harper put into this book. Thistle Grove felt like a real place that I would love to visit during the Fall. Harper also makes the magic a living thing in the town, which in turn makes the town a character in its own right. The history of the town and the founders that are established in this novel was also interesting, if a bit fluffy. In the acknowledgments, Harper stated that while she had been thinking about Thistle Grove for a while, this was a COVID novel, and you could feel that. Everything was just a little too shiny and all the emotional moments were there, but didn’t dig deep into the angst. While I know a lot of people like a nice fluffy novel, I like a little more angst in my stories in general, but especially my romances. 

I felt the same way with all the characters in the novel, they were all a little too shiny, even the horrible ex. Sure, Gareth really screwed over all three of the witches, but he was portrayed as more of an idiot than a truly horrible individual. Linden is the perfect best friend, Talia is the perfect mysterious romantic interest, and her parents are perfectly understanding parents. Emmy is really the character that is shown with the most negative attributes, of being selfish and running from her emotions, but who doesn’t do that in their twenties? Again, there is nothing wrong with any of this, but it just isn’t to my taste.  

The romance, which is the main focus of this novel, was well-written but didn’t really catch my attention. I liked Emmy and Talia together and I think their banter was well written. However, I felt a lot of their chemistry was told to us through electric touches than shown on the page. I believe that there was a good deal of lust between them, and the romance scenes were well written, but I didn’t think that the declarations at the end were earned. Again, Harper didn’t dig deep into either the positive or negative emotions. I am wondering if they pop up in the other novels in this companion series and if I will feel more about their relationship as it grows. 

My biggest gripe about this novel is the amount of pop-culture references in this novel. While I know that this isn’t out of the ordinary with contemporary novels or romances, the amount in this book was noticeable and slightly obnoxious. There was one page in which there were easily five pop culture references and while this was published recently enough that they weren’t outdated, no one thinks in that many references back to back to back. It kept pulling me out of the story and the biggest issue I had with Harper’s writing. 

Overall, this was an easy and fun novel, but I didn’t connect with it. Overall, I think I am going to continue in the series, but I don’t know if I am going to buy the novels or just get them from the library. This is a 3.5 read rounded up to a 4. 

[thereadingchallengechallenge]

JOMP BPC - October 18th - Witches

can't wait to try The Witches of Thistle Grove series the next time I'm in a paranormal mood 💜

[wlwbookshelf]

BOOK ROUND-UP: 2023 SEQUELS It's never a bad time to revisit a beloved world! Anticipated sequels (or prequels) we are looking forward to in 2023 include:

The Shadow Cabinet by Juno Dawson (Book 2, Her Majesty's Royal Coven)

A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon (Book 0, Roots of Chaos)

Iris Kelly Doesn't Date by Ashley Herring Blake (Book 3, Bright Falls)

The Severed Thread by Leslie Vedder (Book 2, The Bone Spindle)

The Faithless by C.L. Clark (Book 2, The Magic of the Lost)

The Battle Drum by Saara El-Arifi (Book 2, Ending Fire)

Books without a cover image released yet that are also anticipated 2023 sequels are:

Alecto the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir (Book 4, The Locked Tomb)

In Charm's Way by Lana Harper (Book 4, The Witches of Thistle Grove)

He Who Drowned the World by Shelley Parker-Chan (Book 2, The Radiant Emperor)

It’s not too late to get into any of the series yet. Just in time for the next book!

[justbackgroundnoise]

sapphic books I’ve read recently that I enjoyed so maybe you’d enjoy them as well:

In Charms Way (The Witches of Thistle Grove #4) by Lana Harper

Cover Story by Rachel Lacey

Tempting Olivia (Oxford Romance #2) by Clare Ashton

Hot Summer by Elle Everhart

Director’s Cut by Carlyn Greenwald

Late Bloomer by Mazy Eddings

special mention for Those Who Wait by Haley Cass because I listened to the audiobook again and it’s *chefs kiss* but an even more special mention is for my most favourite book, Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur because I read it again for like the umpteenth time (some of us have comfort shows or movies and I have comfort book, okay?), and I still love it just as much as I did the first time I read it. Elle and Darcy are everything to me.

and here is one of the books I’m currently reading:

Chasing Stars (Three Rivers #3) by Katia Rose - if you haven’t read the first two books in this series, you are really missing out and this is the final book of the trilogy!

ps follow me on goodreads 🥹

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 3.5/5

Book Blurb: To save both her town and the woman who loves her against all odds, a witch haunted by loss must reckon with her turbulent past, in the next magical romance in the Witches of Thistle Grove series by New York Times bestselling author Lana Harper.   Even in a family of chaotic necromancers, Daria “Dasha” Avramov has always been an outlier. An event planner at the Arcane Emporium occult megastore, Dasha is also a devil eater: a rare necromantic witch with an affinity for banishing demons and traversing the veil, the boundary between this realm and the next.    Still grieving the loss of both beloved parents years ago, and plagued by a dangerous obsession with the world beyond the veil, Dasha is fiery yet guarded, an expert at dodging commitment. Her worst regret is a devastating breakup with the wise, empathetic, and sensual Ivy Thorn, her event-planning counterpart at Honeycake Orchards, and probably the love of Dasha’s life. Dasha has managed to break Ivy’s heart not once, but twice, so things are more than a little tense between them.   When they’re thrown together to plan the Cavalcade—a month-long festival celebrating Thistle Grove’s ceremonial founding with dazzling spectacles held by the town’s witch families—Dasha hopes that the third time might be the charm, while Ivy refuses to let herself be hurt again. As they confront the pain and passion lingering between them, Dasha and Ivy must also stand against an otherworldly threat unlike anything Thistle Grove has faced before.

Review:

A witch haunted by her pasts tries to save both her relationship and her town from the demons closing in. Daria "Dasha" Avramo v is a devil eater: a rare necromatic witch who can banish demons and travel through the veil. Dasha has been mourning the loss of her parents and obsessed with the world beyond the veil. She guards herself, yet she can't resist Ivy Thorn, the beautiful and wise woman who just happens to be the love of her life... that she's broken up with twice. Yet when they have to come together to work on the month long festival, Dasha is hoping to win Ivy back. You know what they say, third times the charm. But Dasha will have to finally let Ivy in and they must also stop the evil that is threatening their beloved town of Thistle Grove. This book was a nice end to the series, it dealt with a lot of grief and the characters grew. I had fun reading the series and loved meeting all the characters throughout the books. This particular book focused on grief and healing, and I liked the overall ending of it all. I'e enjoyed all the rep that Lana has written and I can't wait to see what Lana writes in the future!

Release Date: August 20,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

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🦇 Payback's a Witch Book Review 🦇

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

❓ #QOTD What's something from your family history you're proud of?❓ 🦇 Emmy Harlow is a witch but not a very powerful one—in part because she hasn't been home to the magical town of Thistle Grove in years. When a spellcasting tournament approaches, tradition pulls Emmy back. On her first night home, Emmy runs into Talia Avramov—an all-around badass adept in the darker magical arts—who is fresh off a bad breakup...with the ex that encourages Emmy to leave in the first place. When she learns her best friend had her heart broken by the heir to the most powerful magical family in town as well, the three vow to take their revenge.

💜 Lana Harper's prose is enthralling from the get-go. If you're looking for some truly magical witch lit, this is it! Let's break it down. ⤵ ✨ Characters: Our FMC, though a witch, is human in her desire to break away from the small town she's always known, from a legacy that seems to be holding her back, to chart her own path. The surrounding characters create a cast BRIMMING with possibilities (as evident by the continuation of this series, which follows different couples). I'm also glad the payback plot, nor romance, eclipsed Emmy's character development. ✨ Plot and Pacing: This story is the perfect balance of plot and romance, which keeps the pacing moving forward without an exhausting lull. However, I would have enjoyed seeing more of the magic at play, namely between the competitions. Also, give me a "ladies ban together for revenge against an ex" plots any day. ✨ World-Building: Thistle Grove is, in itself, magic. Harper does a superb job at creating a cozy small town that doesn't RELY on magic to feel magical. I would have loved to learn more about each family's unique magic systems, but I'm sure the rest of the series delves into that. ✨ Romance: From the moment Emmy describes Talia's translucent gray eyes (which make her look like a tundra wolf), the swooning starts. The chemistry between them is palpable yet sweet. Though Talia has a bad-girl exterior, I love her heart of gold and warmth. ✨ Mystery/Suspense: I will say the "mystery" regarding the founding families is a bit obvious. Notetakers and writers have more power than history ever gives them credit for. ✨ Tone/Prose: Harper's prose gives this story its power. Though a light, playful read, the word choice is still detailed and captivating, drawing readers in to explore Thistle Grove and the secrets it keeps.

💙 Unfortunately the story is a little predictable, from Emmy's family secret to the competition. It's Emmy and Talia's fight that bothers me most, though. They both stepped into the relationship knowing neither was willing to change their minds (Emmy about leaving, Talia about staying), without leaving room for a mature conversation on the subject or compromise. The third-act breakup felt juvenile, especially when the resolution is so quick and easy. I also don't love a villain without purpose. The ex-boyfriend is entitled, yes, but what else? His characterization was a little two-dimensional, when there could have been a hint of the pressure he was under from his family to carry the mantel. What about the Blackmoore family's plot to steal business from the other families? There's more there, and I hope the rest of the series delves into it all.

🦇 Recommended to fans of John Tucker Must Die and Practical Magic.

✨ The Vibes ✨ 💜 Queer/Sapphic Rom-Com 🌙 Bisexual FMC 👻 Witch Lit 🍁 Small Town Romance 👻 Paranormal/Fantasy Romance 🌙 Magical Competition 💜 Part of a Series

💬 Quotes ❝ “I’m in, witches. Let’s run amok.” ❞ ❝ I shook my head, not trusting myself to speak. A dazzling smile streaked across her lips like a lightning bolt. ❞ ❝ The girl who embraced darkness, tended and cared for the phantoms that lived within it, while shedding such a scintillating light that it was damn near impossible to look away from her. ❞ ❝ "It’s like you fucked the sass right out of me.” ❞ ❝ “You, Emmeline Harlow,” she said, eyes locked on mine, “are so extremely fucking beautiful it hurts my soul.” ❞

[her-satanic-wiles]

I was tagged by the beautiful @da-rulah and @sodoswitchimage to do this. I never do these because I end up having no one to tag, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it, I suppose.

Last Song: Dawn by Dario Marianelli and Jean-Yves Thibaudet from the Pride and Prejudice soundtrack.

Favourite Colour: Blood red or emerald green, but pastel pink comes in at a close third given my entire house is that colour and navy blue lmao

Currently Watching Reading: I don't watch TV much, but I'm currently reading a Freya Marske book. I won't go into detail because we're boycotting Macmillan and St. Martin's Press for their employee's violently racist remarks about Palestinians, but we still support authors.

Last Movie: Insidious the Red Door.

Sweet/Spicy/Savoury: Love me something spicy, but I'm a slut for sweet shit, man.

Relationship: Single, and going back and forth between loving it and hating it lmao. Unless you count my delulu relationships with fictional men, in which case I'm currently dating Copia and Astarion at the same time, lmao

Current Obsession: Ghost (of course), Victorian fashion, tea, reading and sapphicism.

Last Thing I Googled: The publishing house of the, the Witches of Thistle Grove series by Lana Harper.

Selfie: I don't take selfies anymore, but I do make a bunch of videos for BookTok, so here's a screenshot from an unpublished review video:

Tagging: Anyone who wants to do this and hasn't had anyone tag them yet. I tag you.

[disregardcanon]

toh the witches of Thistle Grove au from my drafts

context: the witches of thistle grove is a new adult fantasy series about a small town in illinois called thistle grove which was founded by four families of witches as a safe haven for them and their kind. the main character is a member of the least consequential founding family and she hasn't been back home from chicago in YEARS because of a very messy breakup with a boy who shattered her heart, who's a member of the most influential family.

after many years, there's going to be a shakeup in the power in the town because the main character's family is going to arbitrate a competition between the families to decide who will gain the town's power. she has a romance with a VERY attractive girl who's the heir of a different family, reconnects with her friends and family, and has a fun adventure. it's gay and great <3

the au is lumity. here we goooooooo

Blights- Blackmoores (the most influential family)

Porters- Thornes (the family the MCs best friend belongs to)

Montagues- Avramovs (this is the last name I give boscha in my fics and also the love interest's family. no she is not the love interest)

Clawthornes- Harlows (the MC's family who has traditionally stayed out of the competition and arbitrated it.)

i don't remember if this was my worldbuilding or the book's, but part of this premise is that marrying or being adopted into a founding family can give someone without magic magic, but not marrying into a family that doesn't have the magic of the town on their side.

additional families that have magic but aren't founders

Deamonnes, Whispers, Parks, Calliopes (last name I give skara)

amity is living in chicagoland with her fiance, luz. she has to return to her hometown for some important family thing that she won't elaborate on and refuses to bring luz. so luz has to IMPROVISE

cue luz making her own way to the town of thistle grove, talking her way into staying with eda and king clawthorne, and getting involved in amity's checkered past.

details

alador is a normal townie that wasn't born with magic. he figured out at a young age that magic WAS real and ended up best friends with and then high school sweethearts with him. he ends up leaving him for odalia, though, because of the fact that marrying into the blights will give him magic whereas marrying darius... will not

willow and amity were besties as kids and then the blight parents made amity dump her because willow is from a family that isn't influential and seems to only have a trace of magic (as a kid, at least)

in high school, amity dates boscha. it's a match made in heaven for her parents but in hell for her. they really want her to stay with boscha because the montagues are a good, powerful family, but she's also. mean. possessive. and amity feels so stifled here in this town. she breaks up with her, runs off to chicagoland for college, meets luz, and never looks back. at least until it's demanded of her by tradition

a few years after that, willow opens up to boscha and falls in love with her. and then boscha takes her heart and stomps all over it, feeling like an idiot for every letting it happen in the first place.

amity and willow reconnect when amity comes to town for the arbitration and bond over boscha being The Worst. luz tries to figure out what's going on and bonds with eda the owl lady.

it's hard to work out a balance because luz sees MAGIC! and witches! and cool secret town of cool secret people! and goes why would you ever want to leave? this is my dream? wait you're saying if i married you i could get magic????~!?!?!?!?!?! amity this is AMAZING why didn't you ever tell me about this wonderful fantastic thing! and amity can't see it as anything but awful because not only did her parents control all of her actions here, her mother, quite literally, has a hold on all of the family magic. so any magic she could give to luz would only come through her mother, just the way it does with amity. which is why despite loving magic amity was able to go live so far away from its source.

i don't remember how we were going to get there, but gus was going to win the tournament for the porters and wrest control of the town magic away from both the blights and the montagues, eda was going to think luz is The Bees Knees enough to adopt her (and as a clawthorne that WOULD give her magic) and amity was going to marry her so that she could have magic that isn't controlled by her mother, but goes through gwendolyn clawthorne who is a lot cooler about Everything Always.

<3

[itsjustanne]

Recent Reads !

Payback's A Witch by Lana Harper

Started: November 21, 2023

Finished: November 23, 2023

Three and a half stars!

⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a super cute read and I must not have read the back of it when I bought it because I got so excited when it got gay! I love a book with witchy themes and queer characters!

I thought the plot pacing was excellent and it was well explained. I really liked what we got to see world building-wise, the explanation of the founding of Thistle Grove. I do wish there was a bit more of background for this area- The first few mentions of the house "scions" had me a little confused but as the story progresses little things like that being to fall into place and make sense.

I really like the opening pages and the description of how magic feels to our main character. There is a lot of really good description in this book and I absolutely love it.

This was such a quick and easy read, though it still had quite a bit of depth and development, I am very much looking forward to reading more of the Thistle Grove series.

⚠️SPOILERS BELOW⚠️

I really love the inner conflict and "real world" conflict that Emmy deals with throughout the book. Her character development is good, though I can't help but think that she will still struggle with some of those feelings even after the event of the book. I really enjoy the tension between herself and the rest of the characters centering around magic and their world (within a world). This book is very much a journey of personal discovery for her and I love it.

I really love the aesthetics of each of the houses/families. Talia is especially my favorite- and I can see why Emmy falls in love with her, I would too! I really enjoy her character and how she portrays herself. Her personality shifts and changes based on who she is with in that moment and I think that's honestly a really good touch, since that's something that I think everyone does. We don't see it quite as much from Emmy because we're reading her point of view, but it's very obvious in other characters.

I really enjoy the relationships between all the characters and how we see conflict and resolution in micro doses on top of the overall conflict of the book.

The ending really took me by surprise, but I do honestly like that Emmy ended up being crowned the victor. It feels very in line with Talia's character for her to do that. I think it is a very good way to give closure for this book and for Emmy's internal doubts and concerns.

I wish we had more of Emmy and Talia navigating their new relationship and Emmy integrating back into her family and friendships but over all I think this ended in a good place.

[rockislandadultreads]

More Spooky Reading Recommendations!

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix

When Louise finds out her parents have died, she dreads going home. She doesn’t want to leave her daughter with her ex and fly to Charleston. She doesn’t want to deal with her family home, stuffed to the rafters with the remnants of her father’s academic career and her mother’s lifelong obsession with puppets and dolls. She doesn’t want to learn how to live without the two people who knew and loved her best in the world.

Most of all, she doesn’t want to deal with her brother, Mark, who never left their hometown, gets fired from one job after another, and resents her success. Unfortunately, she’ll need his help to get the house ready for sale because it’ll take more than some new paint on the walls and clearing out a lifetime of memories to get this place on the market.

But some houses don’t want to be sold, and their home has other plans for both of them...

Payback's a Witch by Lana Harper

Emmy Harlow is a witch but not a very powerful one - in part because she hasn't been home to the magical town of Thistle Grove in years. Her self-imposed exile has a lot to do with a complicated family history and a desire to forge her own way in the world, and only the very tiniest bit to do with Gareth Blackmoore, heir to the most powerful magical family in town and casual breaker of hearts and destroyer of dreams.

But when a spellcasting tournament that her family serves as arbiters for approaches, it turns out the pull of tradition (or the truly impressive parental guilt trip that comes with it) is strong enough to bring Emmy back. She's determined to do her familial duty; spend some quality time with her best friend, Linden Thorn; and get back to her real life in Chicago.

On her first night home, Emmy runs into Talia Avramov - an all-around badass adept in the darker magical arts - who is fresh off a bad breakup . . . with Gareth Blackmoore. Talia had let herself be charmed, only to discover that Gareth was also seeing Linden - unbeknownst to either of them. And now she and Linden want revenge. Only one question stands: Is Emmy in?

But most concerning of all: Why can't she stop thinking about the terrifyingly competent, devastatingly gorgeous, wickedly charming Talia Avramov?

This is the first volume of "The Witches of Thistle Grove" series.

The Secrets of Hartwood Hall by Katie Lumsden

Nobody ever goes to Hartwood Hall. Folks say it’s cursed…

It’s 1852 and Margaret Lennox, a young widow, attempts to escape the shadows of her past by taking a position as governess to an only child, Louis, at an isolated country house in the west of England.

But Margaret soon starts to feel that something isn’t quite right. There are strange figures in the dark, tensions between servants, and an abandoned east wing. Even stranger is the local gossip surrounding Mrs. Eversham, Louis’s widowed mother, who is deeply distrusted in the village.

Lonely and unsure whom to trust, Margaret finds distraction in a forbidden relationship with the gardener, Paul. But as Margaret’s history threatens to catch up with her, it isn’t long before she learns the truth behind the secrets of Hartwood Hall.

The Shadows by Alex North

You knew a teenager like Charlie Crabtree. A dark imagination, a sinister smile - always on the outside of the group. Some part of you suspected he might be capable of doing something awful. Twenty-five years ago, Crabtree did just that, committing a murder so shocking that it’s attracted that strange kind of infamy that only exists on the darkest corners of the internet - and inspired more than one copycat.

Paul Adams remembers the case all too well: Crabtree - and his victim - were Paul’s friends. Paul has slowly put his life back together. But now his mother, old and suffering from dementia, has taken a turn for the worse. Though every inch of him resists, it is time to come home.

It's not long before things start to go wrong. Paul learns that Detective Amanda Beck is investigating another copycat that has struck in the nearby town of Featherbank. His mother is distressed, insistent that there's something in the house. And someone is following him. Which reminds him of the most unsettling thing about that awful day twenty-five years ago. It wasn't just the murder.

It was the fact that afterward, Charlie Crabtree was never seen again.

[myatlantispoets]

When you get this, please respond with five things that make you happy! Then it send to the last ten people in your notifications (anonymously). You never know who might benefit from spreading positivity. ♡

My rl friends, who have been getting me through these last few weeks💙💙💙

This book series I discovered via my bff called the Witches of Thistle Grove by Lana Popovic Harper (it's basically cozy fantasy romcom with lots of amazing queer rep!!)

Plotting and brainstorming for my fics

My bed, including my 3277282 pillows and blankets lmao

My mutuals and online friends...i can't name all of them but off the top of my head @askwonderlandsprincessooc @two-calicos-in-a-trenchcoat @daimerpassionement @cliche-ique @samodivas and lots of other people (if we're mutuals consider urself tagged)

[quirkycatsfatstacks]

Review: From Bad to Cursed by Lana Harper

Series: The Witches of Thistle Grove #2Author: Lana HarperPublisher: BerkleyReleased: May 17, 2022Received: NetGalleyWarnings: Racism, self harm (for rituals) From Bad to Cursed is the second novel in Lana Harper’s The Witches of Thistle Grove series. It’s also one of several witchy-romance series that I’ve been enjoying. If you’re looking for something more fun and casual to cheer you up (we’ve…

[cherrygeek]

In Charm's Way will delight supernatural RomCom fans

Head back to Thistle Grove with In Charms Way but Lana Harper #InCharmsWay #LanaHarper #BerkelyRomance #RomCom #Fantasy

Let’s go back to Thistle Grove for a powerful love potion bringing all the wrong creatures to the yard and bedroom! It’s a meet-cute with Delilah looking for a cute and Catriona protecting her. Is it true love or spell??? “THE ONLY FLAW IN LANA HARPER’S MAGICAL, WHIMSICAL, SEXY-AS-HELL THE WITCHES OF THISTLE GROVE SERIES IS THAT I CAN’T SET UP SHOP IN THISTLE GROVE MYSELF RIGHT THIS SECOND!…

[wlwbookshelf]

IN CHARM'S WAY - LANA HARPER Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

In this fourth Thistle Grove installment, the series circles back to the house of Harlow. Delilah is a compelling main character, and as always, there is a magical problem for her to solve, as well as a romance to be had. The love interest Catriona is an outsider and a complex character. 

I think these books can no longer be standalone at this point in the series. Thanks to the lore/worldbuilding from prior books so, if anyone wanted to start with this book, I would say to read at least Payback’s A Witch and Back In A Spell before it for better context. 

I enjoyed this book and still find this a solid series/world and am looking forward to reading the next installment about Dahlia Abramov.

Many thanks to Berkley Publishing Group for an eARC via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. 

[messfc]

okay, so a list of books I've enjoyed recently

The Finlay Donovan series is so funny and I love the murder mystery aspect to it (Finlay Donovan Is Killing It, Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead, Finlay Donovan Jumps The Gun)

The Bromance Book Club series is also really good (contemporary romance)

I've read two so far, but the Witches of Thistle Grove series by Lana Harper are my go to read for autumn

Am a sucker for Greek mythology, and highly recommend The Song Of Achilles and Circe by Madeline Miller. I've also heard great things about Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzales & Cale Dietrich (queer YA)

Another good thriller is A Good Girl's Guide To Murder (which is another YA book)

Also loved Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas (another queer YA with fantasy elements)

Bear Town by Frederik Backman left me absolutely destroyed

omg so many to add to my list! thank you so much!! 🫶

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 3.5/5

Book Blurb: A witch struggling to regain what she has lost casts a forbidden spell—only to discover much more than she expected, in this enchanting new rom-com by New York Times bestselling author Lana Harper. Six months after having been hit by a power surge that nearly obliterated her memory, Delilah Harlow is still picking up the pieces. Her once diamond-sharp mind has become shaky and unreliable, and bristly, self-sufficient Delilah is forced to rely on friends, family, and her raven familiar for help. In an effort to reclaim her wits and former independence, she casts a dangerous blood spell meant to harness power with healing capacities. While the spell does restore clarity, it also unexpectedly turns Delilah into an irresistible beacon for the kind of malevolent supernatural creatures that have never before ventured into Thistle Grove. One night—just as things are about to go terribly sideways with a rogue succubus—a mysterious stranger appears in the nick of time to save Delilah’s soul. Gorgeous, sultry, and as dangerous as the knives she carries, Catriona Quinn is a hunter of monsters—and half-human, half-fae herself, she is the kind of sly and morally gray creature Delilah would normally find horrifying. Though Delilah balks at the idea of a partnership, she has no choice but to roll the dice on their collaboration. As the two delve deeper into the power that underlies Thistle Grove, they uncover not only the town’s hidden history but also a risky attraction that could upend Delilah’s entire life.

Review:

We return back to Thistle Grove and this time we’re focusing on Delilah Harlow, a witch who is struggling to deal with recovering after having her memories wiped and still trying to find a way to recover them and the length’s she’ll go to to be whole again... even if it means casting a very forbidden and dangerous spell that might make her the target of deadly creatures, however at least there is a gorgeous new half fae monster hunter in town who wants to help her, or does she? Delilah Harlow use to have a sharp mind, she used to recall spells and books, but now? After having her memory wiped by Nina Blackmoore, she can barely remember what things are, her everyday life is a struggle, she can barely remember spells, her own house keys, and has gaps in her memories.  She feels completely helpless and refuses to ask for her, she doesn’t want to be a burden onto others but is fueled with her own rage at her predicament and at the very witch who did this to her who just happens to now be working at her store to try and make it up. Delilah has had enough, so when she casts a dangerous blood spell that was meant to heal her own mind things go very wrong and soon she finds herself the target of dangerous creatures... cue Catriona Quinn, or Cat, a gorgeous and sultry half-fae who is a monster hunter who ends up saving Delilah and offers to protect her... yet there is definitely something more going on not only between their feelings but the fact that Cat has many many secrets that could destroy the blooming relationship between Cat and Delilah, secrets that could destroy the trust in the one person Delilah has begun to open up and trust.... can they save Delilah and make it work? Or was it all a lie? This is the fourth book in the Thistle Grove series and it really focuses on Delilah’s healing journey, from her rage and emotions about what happened to her to coping with the sadness and helplessness about her situation. The romance was very light and just kind of happened, I wish it was a bit more fleshed out and we got more of Cat and Delilah after the third act breakup and how they work out and finally make up. I thought it was a really interesting focus on Delilah’s healing journey, and found it very relatable in how she was so focused on trying not to burden everyone but also closing herself off and refusing to ask for help despite how much her family and friends love her, she just can’t seem to see it in the moment due to her trauma. I wish there was a bit more of Delilah and Cat’s relationship and the ending felt a bit abrupt but overall it was a nice addition to the series and I can’t wait to see where the next book goes and which couple Lana Harper will write about!

*Thanks Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*