Witches. Romance. Magical Secrets. Competition.

This book had all the things that I love in a magical book! When Emmy returns to her childhood town for a magical tournament, her plan is to get in, lay low, and get out. After a bad break up years ago, she chose to leave town and allow her magical powers to fade. Coming back home, she reconnects with two women who also had a bad experience with this guy. The three of them decide to join forces and get revenge. Mixed into this story of revenge is a magical tournament that Emmy must host, and three people from the other main families of the town must participate in.

I really enjoyed the magical system in this story. The families each have their own strengths and play a different part in the town. The outside world doesn’t know that they are magical, and I enjoyed that secretive part of the story.

I enjoyed the revenge story line and the romance between Emmy and Talia. I liked that Talia is such a strong personality mixed with Emmy’s softer one. My favorite part of the story though, was Emmy journey of hosting the competition and really understanding her family’s history in this magical realm. I loved the growth and exploration that she goes through!

I would absolutely recommend this one for romance readers that enjoy magical systems!

Where to Find This Book:

Amazon ~ Goodreads

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?

Just the Facts:

Payback’s a Witch by Lana Harper
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Page Count: 336 pages
Publisher: Berkley
Pub Date: October 5, 2021

Lana Harper is the author of four YA novels about modern-day witches and historical murderesses. Born in Serbia, she grew up in Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria before moving to the US, where she studied psychology and literature at Yale University, law at Boston University, and publishing at Emerson College. She recently moved to Chicago with her family.

I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

All adult book reviews
All children’s book reviews