The House Saphir by Marissa Meyer

 

“Mallory Fontaine is a fraud. Though she comes from a long line of witches, the only magic she possesses is the ability to see ghosts, which is rarely as useful as one would think. She and her sister have maintained the family business, eking out a paltry living by selling bogus spells to gullible buyers and conducting tours of the infamous mansion where the first of the Saphir murders took place.

Mallory is a self-proclaimed expert on Count Bastien Saphir—otherwise known as Monsieur Le Bleu—who brutally killed three of his wives more than a century ago. But she never expected to meet Bastien's great-great grandson and heir to the Saphir estate. Armand is handsome, wealthy, and convinced that the Fontaine Sisters are as talented as they claim. The perfect mark. When he offers Mallory a large sum of money to rid his ancestral home of Le Bleu's ghost, she can’t resist. A paid vacation at Armand’s country manor? It’s practically a dream come true, never mind the ghosts of murdered wives and the monsters that are as common as household pests.

But when murder again comes to the House Saphir, Mallory finds herself at the center of the investigation—and she is almost certain the killer is mortal. If she has any hope of cashing in on the payment she was promised, she’ll have to solve the murder and banish the ghost, all while upholding the illusion of witchcraft.

But that all sounds relatively easy compared to her biggest learning to trust her heart. Especially when the person her heart wants the most might be a murderer himself.” - taken from Goodreads.

This book is based on the fairytale Blue Beard by Charles Perrault. Right from the start I knew that The House Saphir was going to be my favorite book by Marissa Meyer. Mallory Fontaine is quite the spunky character. She is trying to keep the fact that she isn’t a true witch like her mother and keep Armand Saphir in the dark about the truth in order to make enough money to start a new life elsewhere. The only magic Mallory does have is the ability to see ghosts, including Le Bleu’s three murdered wives. Before too long, she finds herself drawn to Armand. When a new murder occurs at the Saphir house, the Fontaine sisters realize that they are truly in over their heads. Can Mallory solve the murders surrounding Le Bleu and House Saphir before it is too late?

Visit Marissa Meyer’s website.

Rebel Witch by Kristin Ciccarelli (Crimson Moth book 2)

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, Heartless Hunter, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

Check out Book Series Recaps for a refresher of the first book.

Please visit the Recaptains blog if you need a refresher of the first book.

“A WITCH...

Rune Winters is on the run. Ever since the boy she loved, Gideon Sharpe, revealed who she was and delivered her into enemy hands, everyone wants her dead. If Rune hopes to survive, she must ally herself with the cruel and dangerous Cressida Roseblood, who’s planning to take back the Republic and reinstate a Reign of Witches—something Cressida needs Rune to accomplish.

A WITCH HUNTER...

Apparently it wasn’t enough for Rune to deceive Gideon; she’s now betrayed him by allying herself with the witch who made his life a living hell. Gideon won’t allow the Republic to fall to the witches and be plunged back into the nightmares of the past. In order to protect this new world he fought for, every last witch must die—especially Rune Winters.

AN IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE...

When Rune makes Gideon an offer he can’t refuse, the two must pair up to accomplish dangerous goals. The more they’re forced into each other’s company, the more Gideon realizes the feelings he had for Rune aren’t as dead and buried as he thought. Now he’s faced with a terrible choice: sacrifice the girl he loves to stop a monster taking back power, or let Rune live and watch the world he fought so hard for burn.” - taken from Goodreads.

Two months have passed since the end of the first book.Without giving too much away, our characters must make some heart wrenching decisions that keep the story moving. This book was an incredible ending to this duology that has to be one of my favorite books of the year.

Visit Kristen Ciccarelli’s website.

The Whispering Night by Susan Dennard (Luminaries book 3)

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first two books in the series, The Luminaries, and The Hunting Moon, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“Winnie Wednesday’s future is looking bright. Hemlock Falls is no longer hunting the werewolf, she and Erica Thursday are tentative friends, and Winnie finally knows exactly where she stands with Jay Friday.

With everything finally on track, Winnie is looking forward to the Nightmare Masquerade, a week-long celebration of all things Luminary. But as Luminaries from across the world flock to the small town, uninvited guests also arrive. Winnie is confronted by a masked Diana and charged with an impossible task—one that threatens everything and everyone Winnie loves.

As Winnie fights to stop new enemies before time runs out, old mysteries won't stop intruding. Her missing father is somehow entangled with her search for hidden witches, and as Winnie digs deeper into the long-standing war between the Luminaries and the Dianas, she discovers rifts within her own family she never could have imagined.

What does loyalty mean when family and enemies look the same?” - taken from Goodreads.

This was a fantastic conclusion to the Luminaries trilogy. Winnie Wednesday is determined to solve all of the current problems plaguing Hemlock Falls. With an influx of visitors to the town, one makes herself known to Winnie as a Diana who is determined to finish what was started four years ago. Can Winnie solve all of the big mysteries in the town before it’s too late?

Visit Susan Dennard’s website.

The Summer Queen by Rochelle Hassan (Buried & the Bound trilogy book 2)

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, The Buried & the Bound, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“As a new coven, Aziza, Leo, and Tristan faced evil and triumphed. All that’s left is to put their lives back together, a process complicated by the fallout from painful secrets, the emotional and physical scars they now carry, and the mysteries that still haunt them.

But with the approach of the solstice comes the arrival of strange new visitors to Blackthorn: the Summer Court, a nomadic community of Fair Folk from deep in Elphame. They’ve journeyed to the border between the human world and fairyland, far from their usual caravan route, to take back something that belongs to them—something Leo’s not willing to lose.

Refusing to give up without a fight, he makes a risky deal with the Summer Court’s princess and regent. The challenge she proposes sends Coven Blackthorn into the farthest, wildest reaches of Elphame.

But when you play games with the Fair Folk, even winning has a cost.” - taken from Goodreads.

Aziza, Leo and Tristan are trying to figure out what's next in their lives when they must launch a rescue mission to the Summer Court. Shocking secrets and some new characters are introduced to set up the final book in this trilogy.

The final book in the trilogy, The Spell for Unraveling, is coming out on August 12, 2025.

Visit Rochelle Hassan’s website.

Burning Crowns by Catherine Doyle & Katherine Webber (Twin Crowns book 3)

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first two books in the series, Twin Crowns and Cursed Crowns, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“Twin queens Rose & Wren survived the Battle for Anadawn and brought back magic to their kingdom. But danger lurks in Eana’s shadows.

Wren is troubled. Ever since she performed the blood spell on Prince Ansel, her magic has become unruly. Worse, the spell created a link between Wren and the very man she’s trying to forget: Icy King Alarik of Gevra. A curse is eating away at both of them. To fix it they must journey to the northern mountains—under the watchful guard of Captain Tor Iversen—to consult with the Healer on High.

Rose is haunted. Waking one night to find her undead ancestor Oonagh Starcrest by her bed, she receives a warning: surrender the throne—or face a war that will destroy Eana. With nowhere to turn and desperate to find a weapon to defeat Oonagh, Rose seeks help from Shen-Lo in the Sunkissed Kingdom, but what she finds there may break her heart.

As Oonagh threatens all Rose and Wren hold dear, it will take everything they have to save Eana–including a sacrifice they may not be prepared to make.” - taken from Goodreads.

Not quite the ending that I was expecting but the storyline is wrapped up by the ending.

Visit Catherine Doyle’s website.

Visit Katherine Webber’s website.

The Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli (The Crimson Moth book 1)

 

“On the night Rune’s life changed forever, blood ran in the streets. Now, in the aftermath of a devastating revolution, witches have been diminished from powerful rulers to outcasts ruthlessly hunted due to their waning magic, and Rune must hide what she is.

Spending her days pretending to be nothing more than a vapid young socialite, Rune spends her nights as the Crimson Moth, a witch vigilante who rescues her kind from being purged. When a rescue goes wrong, she decides to throw the witch hunters off her scent and gain the intel she desperately needs by courting the handsome Gideon Sharpe - a notorious and unforgiving witch hunter loyal to the revolution - who she can't help but find herself falling for.

Gideon loathes the decadence and superficiality Rune represents, but when he learns the Crimson Moth has been using Rune’s merchant ships to smuggle renegade witches out of the republic, he inserts himself into her social circles by pretending to court her right back. He soon realizes that beneath her beauty and shallow façade, is someone fiercely intelligent and tender who feels like his perfect match. Except, what if she’s the very villain he’s been hunting?” - taken from Goodreads.

In this gender-swapping take of The Scarlet Pimpernel, Rune Winters depicts herself as a boring socialite to everyone while concealing her true identity. Masquerading as the Crimson  Moth, Rune is determined to save every witch she can after sacrificing her own grandmother to save her own life. When she fails to rescue the one witch she promised her grandmother she would save, Rune decides that her best course of action to find the necessary information is to “court” Gideon Sharpe, her best friend’s older brother and a witch hunter, Using each other to in an attempt in uncover elusive information, Rune and Gideon soon turn from enemies to lovers while trying to glean information from one another. With feelings in the way, the ending is a jaw dropping, high stakes reveal to set up the next book in the series.

A great series starter for fans of Shelby Mahone's Serpent and Dove trilogy.

Book two is not yet published.

Visit Kristen Ciccarelli’s website.

Blood Like Fate by Liselle Sambury (Blood Like Magic book 2)

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, Blood Like Fate, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“Voya fights to save her witch community from a terrible future.

Voya Thomas may have passed her Calling to become a full-fledged witch, but the cost was higher than she’d ever imagined.

Her grandmother is gone.
Her cousin hates her.
And her family doesn’t believe that she has what it takes to lead them.

What’s more, Voya can’t let go of her feelings for Luc, sponsor son of the genius billionaire Justin Tremblay—the man that Luc believes Voya killed. Consequently, Luc wants nothing to do with her. Even her own ancestors seem to have lost faith in her. Every day Voya begs for their guidance, but her calls go unanswered.

As Voya struggles to convince everyone—herself included—that she can be a good Matriarch, she has a vision of a terrifying, deadly future. A vision that would spell the end of the Toronto witches. With a newfound sense of purpose, Voya must do whatever it takes to bring her shattered community together and stop what's coming for them before it’s too late.

Even if it means taking down the boy she loves—who might be the mastermind behind the coming devastation.” - taken from Goodreads.

In the conclusion to Voya’s story, she is dealing with the catastrophic decisions she had to make to pass her Calling. Now the matriarch of the Thomas family, she is struggling to lead and her family isn’t very supportive. After a devastating vision, Voya realizes that she needs the help of her family and community in stopping the boy she loves. With several surprises thrown in along the way, Voya’s story comes to a satisfying end.

Visit Liselle Sambury’s website.

The Buried and the Bound by Rochelle Hassan (Buried and the Bound book 1)

“As the only hedgewitch in Blackthorn, Massachusetts—an uncommonly magical place—Aziza El-Amin has bargained with wood nymphs, rescued palm-sized fairies from house cats, banished flesh-eating shadows from the local park. But when a dark entity awakens in the forest outside of town, eroding the invisible boundary between the human world and fairyland, run-of-the-mill fae mischief turns into outright aggression, and the danger—to herself and others—becomes too great for her to handle alone.

Leo Merritt is no stranger to magical catastrophes. On his sixteenth birthday, a dormant curse kicked in and ripped away all his memories of his true love. A miserable year has passed since then. He's road-tripped up and down the East Coast looking for a way to get his memories back and hit one dead end after another. He doesn't even know his true love's name, but he feels the absence in his life, and it's haunting. Desperate for answers, he makes a pact with Aziza: he’ll provide much-needed backup on her nightly patrols, and in exchange, she’ll help him break the curse.

But when the creature in the woods sets its sights on them, their survival depends on the aid of a mysterious young necromancer they’re not certain they can trust. But they’ll have to work together to eradicate the new threat and take back their hometown... even if it forces them to uncover deeply buried secrets and make devastating sacrifices.” - taken from Goodreads.

This is the book where fairies are definitely not friendly nor is the woods. Told in three POVs of our three main characters, Aziza, Leo, and Tristan, readers are introduced into the wicked and magical town of Blackthorn, Massachusetts. Aziza is a hedgewitch whose purpose is to protect the town. Tristan is a necromancer who traded ten years of his life to a hag in order to save someone. Leo is looking to break the curse that caused him to forget his true love on his sixteenth birthday. Working together to save not only the town but themselves, plenty of secrets are uncovered but not all are answered.

The story will be continued with a second book.

Visit Rochelle Hassan’s website.

 

The Drowned Woods by Emily Lloyd-Jones

 

“Once upon a time, the kingdoms of Wales were rife with magic and conflict, and eighteen-year-old Mererid “Mer” is well-acquainted with both. She is the last living water diviner and has spent years running from the prince who bound her into his service. Under the prince’s orders, she located the wells of his enemies, and he poisoned them without her knowledge, causing hundreds of deaths. After discovering what he had done, Mer went to great lengths to disappear from his reach. Then Mer’s old handler returns with a proposition: use her powers to bring down the very prince that abused them both.

The best way to do that is to destroy the magical well that keeps the prince’s lands safe. With a motley crew of allies, including a fae-cursed young man, the lady of thieves, and a corgi that may or may not be a spy, Mer may finally be able to steal precious freedom and peace for herself. After all, a person with a knife is one thing… but a person with a cause can topple kingdoms.” - taken from Goodreads.

This book is set in the same world as the author’s The Bone Houses but comes with a completely new set of characters. Mer is a water diviner who is trying to stay out of reach of a ruthless prince who has used her in the past. She unknowingly identifies the water sources of his enemies so that he could have the wells poisoned.. When the prince’s former spymaster and Mer’s “keeper” comes to her with a proposition to unseat the prince, she joins in.

 Part fantastical fairy tale, part heist, my favorite character in this story was the Corgi. This story is based on the Welsh myth of cantre’r gwaelod. Fans of The Bone Houses will enjoy the epilogue.

Visit Emily Lloyd-Jones’s website.

The Drowned Woods by Emily Lloyd-Jones

 

The Bone Spindle by Leslie Vedder (The Bone Spindle book 1)

 

“Fi is a bookish treasure hunter with a knack for ruins and riddles, who definitely doesn't believe in true love.

Shane is a tough-as-dirt girl warrior from the north who likes cracking skulls, pretty girls, and doing things her own way.

Briar Rose is a prince under a sleeping curse, who's been waiting a hundred years for the kiss that will wake him.

Cursed princes are nothing but ancient history to Fi--until she pricks her finger on a bone spindle while exploring a long-lost ruin. Now she's stuck with the spirit of Briar Rose until she and Shane can break the century-old curse on his kingdom.

Dark magic, Witch Hunters, and bad exes all stand in her way--not to mention a mysterious witch who might wind up stealing Shane's heart, along with whatever else she's after. But nothing scares Fi more than the possibility of falling in love with Briar Rose.” - take from Goodreads.

What would it be like to live in a fairy tale, horror and all? In this gender-swapped story of Sleeping Beauty, Fi and Shane embark on an action-filled adventure against impossible odds to find the sleeping prince and break the curse. With secrets between the two, can Fi and Shane learn to trust and work together? With several unanswered questions, readers will be eagerly anticipating the final book.

The story will be concluded on February 7, 2023, with The Severed Thread,

Visit Leslie Vedder’s website.

Bound by Firelight by Dana Swift (Wickery book 2)

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, Cast in Firelight, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“After a magical eruption devastates the kingdom of Belwar, royal heir Adraa is falsely accused of masterminding the destruction and forced to stand trial in front of her people, who see her as a monster. Adraa's punishment? Imprisonment in the Dome, an impenetrable, magic-infused fortress filled with Belwar’s nastiest criminals—many of whom Adraa put there herself. And they want her to pay.

Jatin, the royal heir to Naupure, has been Adraa’s betrothed, nemesis, and fellow masked vigilante... but now he’s just a boy waiting to ask her the biggest question of their lives. First, though, he’s going to have to do the impossible: break Adraa out of the Dome. And he won’t be able to do it without help from the unlikeliest of sources—a girl from his past with a secret that could put them all at risk.

Time is running out, and the horrors Adraa faces in the Dome are second only to the plot to destabilize and destroy their kingdoms. But Adraa and Jatin have saved the world once already... Now, can they save themselves?” - taken from Goodreads.

When Adraa is falsely accused of the Mount Gandhak eruption, she is sent to the Dome. Devastated, Jatin is determined to free her and prove her innocence. I usually don't like stories where our main characters are separated and trying to work their way back to each other but it works really well for the story. Adraa soon discovers that the Dome isn't what it seems and the problems facing her kingdom are larger than she ever thought possible. Even though the story is a duology, I would have liked to have read more of the story.

Gods and Monsters by Shelby Mahurin (Serpent & Dove book 3)

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first two books in the series, Serpent & Dove and Blood & Honey, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

Check out Book Series Recaps for a refresher of the first book.

Please visit the Recaptains blog if you need a refresher of the first book.

“Evil always seeks a foothold. We must not give it one.

After a heartbreaking loss, Lou, Reid, Beau, and Coco are bent on vengeance more than ever before—and none more so than Lou.

But this is no longer the Lou they thought they knew. No longer the Lou that captured a chasseur’s heart. A darkness has settled over her, and this time it will take more than love to drive it out.” - taken from Goodreads.com

I don't want to give away too many details that may ruin Lou and Reid’s story for you. I will say that this book is long and our characters are continuously in peril. Some parts do seem to drag along before a heart-stopping conclusion.

Visit Shelby Mahurin’s website.

Blood Like Magic by Liselle Sambury (Blood Like Magic book 1)

 

“After years of waiting for her Calling—a trial every witch must pass in order to come into their powers—the one thing Voya Thomas didn’t expect was to fail. When Voya’s ancestor gives her an unprecedented second chance to complete her Calling, she agrees—and then is horrified when her task is to kill her first love. And this time, failure means every Thomas witch will be stripped of their magic.

Voya is determined to save her family’s magic no matter the cost. The problem is, Voya has never been in love, so for her to succeed, she’ll first have to find the perfect guy—and fast. Fortunately, a genetic matchmaking program has just hit the market. Her plan is to join the program, fall in love, and complete her task before the deadline. What she doesn’t count on is being paired with the infuriating Luc—how can she fall in love with a guy who seemingly wants nothing to do with her?

With mounting pressure from her family, Voya is caught between her morality and her duty to her bloodline. If she wants to save their heritage and Luc, she’ll have to find something her ancestor wants more than blood. And in witchcraft, blood is everything.” - taken from Goodreads.com

This was a unique dark story about one girl’s path during her coming-of-age ritual to gain her family’s witch powers. When she fails at her first attempt and begs for a second chance, Voya Thomas is given the task of destroying her first love within the next 30 days. Easy right? Not even when Voya has yet to meet her first love. What begins as a quest to make her recent genetic match fall in love with her soon opens the tightly locked vault of family secrets that the adults tried to keep buried. A thrilling and unexpected ending that sets up a new story arc for the next book in the series.

The story will continue with book two, expected sometime in 2022.

Visit Liselle Sambury’s website.

Blood and Honey by Shelby Mahurin (Serpent & Dove book 2)

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, Serpent & Dove, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“After narrowly escaping death at the hands of the Dames Blanches, Lou, Reid, Coco, and Ansel are on the run from coven, kingdom, and church—fugitives with nowhere to hide.

To elude the scores of witches and throngs of chasseurs at their heels, Lou and Reid need allies. Strong ones. But protection comes at a price, and the group is forced to embark on separate quests to build their forces. As Lou and Reid try to close the widening rift between them, the dastardly Morgane baits them in a lethal game of cat and mouse that threatens to destroy something worth more than any coven.” - taken from Goodreads.com

Picking up immediately from what I thought was a cliffhanger, our merry gang is on the run for their lives from everyone. In an attempt to gather allies against Morgane, several new characters are introduced. This second book truly ends in a whopper of a cliffhanger that makes the ending of the first book look like child's play.

Visit Shelby Mahurin’s website.

Sea Witch duology by Sarah Henning

Sea Witch - book one

"Before she took the mermaid's voice, she have up her own heart."

“Everyone knows what happens in the end. A mermaid, a prince, a true love’s kiss. But before that young siren’s tale, there were three friends. One feared, one royal, and one already dead.

Ever since her best friend, Anna, drowned, Evie has been an outcast in her small fishing town. A freak. A curse. A witch.

A girl with an uncanny resemblance to Anna appears offshore and, though the girl denies it, Evie is convinced that her best friend actually survived. That her own magic wasn’t so powerless after all. And, as the two girls catch the eyes—and hearts—of two charming princes, Evie believes that she might finally have a chance at her own happily ever after.

But her new friend has secrets of her own. She can’t stay in Havnestad, or on two legs, unless Evie finds a way to help her. Now Evie will do anything to save her friend’s humanity, along with her prince’s heart—harnessing the power of her magic, her ocean, and her love until she discovers, too late, the truth of her bargain.” - taken from Goodreads.com

So all I really knew about the Little Mermaid fairy tale I learned from Ariel and Disney. I loved how the story was told between two different POVs of the past and the present. I really wasn't sure where the story was going in relation to the original fairy tale but was pleasantly surprised but how the story ended. Now on to the next part of Evie’s story.

Sea Witch Rising - book two

SPOILER ALERT! Please don’t read any further if you don’t want to ruin the rest of the story.

“The Little Mermaid” takes a twisted turn in this thrilling sequel to villainess origin story Sea Witch, as the forces of land and sea clash in an epic battle for freedom, redemption, and true love.

Runa will not let her twin sister die. Alia traded her voice to the Sea Witch for a shot at happiness with a prince who doesn’t love her. And his rejection will literally kill her—unless Runa intervenes.

Under the sea, Evie craves her own freedom—but liberation from her role as Sea Witch will require an exchange she may not be willing to make. With their hearts’ desires at odds, what will Runa and Evie be willing to sacrifice to save their worlds?

I found the beginning of this second book a bit slow but for me, the action really picked up in the second half. Without spoiling any details, I enjoyed this unique twist in the Little Mermaid fairy tale.

Visit Sarah Henning’s website.

 

The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw

“Welcome to the cursed town of Sparrow…

Where, two centuries ago, three sisters were sentenced to death for witchery. Stones were tied to their ankles and they were drowned in the deep waters surrounding the town.

Now, for a brief time each summer, the sisters return, stealing the bodies of three weak-hearted girls so that they may seek their revenge, luring boys into the harbor and pulling them under.

Like many locals, seventeen-year-old Penny Talbot has accepted the fate of the town. But this year, on the eve of the sisters’ return, a boy named Bo Carter arrives; unaware of the danger he has just stumbled into.

Mistrust and lies spread quickly through the salty, rain-soaked streets. The townspeople turn against one another. Penny and Bo suspect each other of hiding secrets. And death comes swiftly to those who cannot resist the call of the sisters.

But only Penny sees what others cannot. And she will be forced to choose: save Bo, or save herself.” - taken from Goodreads.com

This book was every bit as great as the author’s second book, Winterwood. The story of Sparrow, Oregon and what happened to the Swan sisters is told both in present-day with Penny Talbot and what happened two hundred years earlier. With both Penny and newcomer Bo Carter keeping secrets from each other, it isn’t long before the reader is swept away by the shocking and sad history of the town and its people.

Visit Shea Ernshaw’s website.

Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin (Serpent & Dove book 1)

“Bound as one to love, honor, or burn.

Two years ago, Louise le Blanc fled her coven and took shelter in the city of Cesarine, forsaking all magic and living off whatever she could steal. There, witches like Lou are hunted. They are feared. And they are burned.

Sworn to the Church as a Chasseur, Reid Diggory has lived his life by one principle: thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. His path was never meant to cross with Lou's, but a wicked stunt forces them into an impossible union—holy matrimony.

The war between witches and Church is an ancient one, and Lou's most dangerous enemies bring a fate worse than fire. Unable to ignore her growing feelings, yet powerless to change what she is, a choice must be made.

And love makes fools of us all.” - taken from Goodreads.com

I got to say that I love a good enemy to lovers plotline and this book absolutely blew me away. Thankfully, I had a free day where I could finish the second half of this book in one sitting. A witch being forced to marry a witch hunter made for a great slow burn romance as well as individual journeys of self-discovery for both Lou and Reid. Comic at times with great supporting characters, true friendships, and several unexpected reveals, this is easily one of my favorite reads of the year. Lou and Reid are definitely one of my favorite book relationships of all time. I cannot wait to see where the story goes next. 

Book two, Blood & Honey is due out on August 31, 2020.

Visit Shelby Mahurin’s website.