Barbara Rachel's Reviews

Sorry, but this was not my favorite. I love the Thistle Grove series but… Delilah Harlow is a witch struggling to regain her power after a spell was cast against her. She decides to use some forbidden magic to attempt to restore her previous powers.  The problem I had with this book was Delilah. Her thoughts seemed to be word salad from a thesaurus.   The attraction between her and Cat fell flat for me as they both kind of come off as terrible people.  I just did not feel this one.  I felt bad at the end as the author’s discussion about the book seemed really heartfelt.  I did enjoy the end when some of my other favorite characters joined up to help Delilah. ⏰ was a fairly short book 🌶️🌶️🌶️ fairly spicy 🏷️ #thistlegrovewitches #LGBTQromance #saphicromance #witchesrule

 First of all, let me say I did receive this ARC for free; I am writing a review voluntarily. Okay, to get right to it, I really enjoyed this book! Our protagonist may have been down on her luck, but it has made her stronger than she knows and I enjoyed her wit and sarcasm, both of which are a cover for a deeply loyal person (once trust is earned).  The descriptions of transformation - shifting, heightened senses - were very well written - it was almost like being there.  I appreciate being able to visualize the scene and the characters in this way, especially the fantastical and magical aspects of the story. (#ADHDreaderandreviewer) Some of the dialogue, however, seemed clipped or rushed and I wished for some more of the eloquence put into the prose.   🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ The intimacy scenes are very spicy and had some different aspects - without giving anything away - that I found surprising. Nothing over the top, by my standards, but I will not be recommendinnng this to ...

Back in a Spell by Lana Harper My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews Back in Thistle Grove for an enemies to lovers tale but this time there is so much more than the will they or won’t they…. There is toxic family relationships and this book is as much about a woman, who happens to be a witch, and the choices before her in terms of how she sees herself in the world around her as much as it is a contemporary romance. I really enjoyed and recommend this book.  ⏰I read it in a day despite #adhd 🌶️🌶️🌶️ Spice level is moderately high. I was not blushing but it is not one I will be lending to my tween.  ⚠️trigger warning - narcissistic parent  🏷️ #romance #enemiestolovers #charactersthatneedtheapy #witches #witchromance

So this is book 2/3 in the Witches of Thistle Grove Series and I do recommend this book. Yet another book I devoured quickly and did not want to put down. What I did not love about the book:  everyone, including Isidora herself, was so hard on her and so non-forgiving that it was a bit much to take. Rowan Thorn was just too judgmental for my taste. It was that much harder to digest because of the insight into Isidora's inner dialogue of self-flagellation. However, it is noted that as much as these two conflicted, the sparks between them burned all the brighter. There are (multiple) moments when they cannot keep their hands off of each other and they were as aggressive as with their incessant bickering. So, if you are into that, it is there for you. Also, it did not bother me, but I thought the mystery aspect of the story was pretty transparent. I mean, it was obvious to me anyway, even though these things usually go by me. Do not worry - no spoilers here. I would be interested to h...