Payback’s a Witch by Lana Harper is a small-town romance set around a magical contest that happens every 50 years to determine the community’s supreme witch dynasty.
Emmy Harlow is back in Thistle Grove out of duty. She left after high school to escape a complicated family history and indulge her desire to forge a life without magic. As a Harlow, it’s her duty to fulfill her role as Gauntlet Arbiter of the semicentennial spellcasting competition. Her family’s magic has never been that powerful, so out of the four families, they function as the magic rule keepers.
Her reappearance has nothing to do with Gareth Blackmoore. Nothing at all. His family is the reigning Gauntlet champion. More importantly, he broke her heart in high school, and her quick exit from Thistle Grove may have been influenced by her regret and grief.
It turns out both her best friend, Linden Thorn and high school cool girl Natalia Avramov have recently been jilted by Gareth. All three witches want revenge. They concoct a plan where the Thorn family and the Avramov family will work in tandem to unseat the Blackmores. Linden and Talia want to know if Emmy is in.
This seems easy enough. However, the more time Emmy spends with Talia, the closer they become. Talia may have her own reputation for breaking the hearts of Thistle Grove’s young women, but her command of the dark magical arts is a powerful draw for Emmy. Emmy is in town to do one thing –preside over the magical tournament. Once completed, she’s heading back to her life in Chicago.
There’s one problem. She can’t stop thinking about the outrageously competent, startingly gorgeous, wickedly funny Talia and what kind of future they might share.
Pros And My Favourite Parts
Harper does a nice job creating Thistle Grove – a small town with loads of personality. While Emmy’s been away the city has added numerous modern businesses, so the main street includes upscale coffee shops and sushi bars mixed in with the spell supplies and magical texts shops. The town was founded by four witches, and their family dynasties and influence are still at the heart of the town’s comings and goings.
Despite being witches, the romantic leads are very relatable. Yes, they perform amazing magic, but they also experience the same existential crises faced by their non-magic counterparts. Emmy has struck out on her own to make a life that’s separate from her inherited identity. Talia is afraid to leave Thistle Grove for the opposite reason. Without her magic, she doesn’t know who she’d be. Her family name defines her. As with most romantic pairings these main characters perfectly complement each other. Together Emmy and Talia can face any challenge.
Cons And Heads Up
Payback’s a Witch takes a few chapters to really kick into gear. At first it felt like the story was going to simply revolve around the shared animosity towards the ex-boyfriend. As the story takes off, the boyfriend fades into the background, and the women take center stage.
The Conclusion
Payback’s a Witch is the perfect Halloween story for those who don’t want to be scared out of their wits. It’s a quick, fun read that put me in the mood for tricks and treats. It’s full of magic spells, sexy witches, small town charm, and a villain easy to hate. It’s about going home and finding out you still belong. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.
Excerpt from Payback’s a Witch by Lana Harper
As soon as I crossed the town line, I could feel Thistle Grove on my skin. That I was in my shitty beater Toyota made no difference; maybe the town could sense one of its daughters coming home, even after almost five years away. A swell of raw magic flooded into the car, until the air around me nearly shimmered with potential, bright and buzzy and headier than a champagne cocktail. As if Thistle Grove’s own magical heart was pulsing eagerly toward me, welcoming me back. No hard feelings about my long absence, apparently. Made one of us, I guess. The onslaught of magic after my dry spell was so intoxicating that I hunched over the steering wheel, taking shallow breaths and wondering a little wildly whether you could overdose on magic after having gone cold turkey for so long.
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Series
Payback’s a Witch
From Bad to Cursed
Bits and Bobs
ISBN number: 9780593336069
Publisher: Berkley
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