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Thank you so much to NetGalley for sending me an ARC of this book im exchange for an honest review!
Watch my full review for Payback's A Witch on my BookTube channel!
Lana Harper’s Payback’s A Witch is the perfect book for those looking for an atmospheric Autumn romance. It follows Emmy Harlow, the heir to one the four founding witch families of Thistle Grove, as she returns to her hometown 9 years after getting her heart broken by a Blackmoore, the most powerful of the witch families. Emmy had vowed to never return, but once every 50 years the founding families compete in a magical competition, and it is the Harlow’s duty to run the game. So Emmy returns one last time to fulfil her duties as a Harlow, and not disappoint her family. Upon her return, however, Emmy starts to question everything in her life. Things get even more interesting when Emmy’s best friend Linden asks for her help: to get revenge on the Blackmoore boy who broke her heart years ago, as he had just cheated on Linden with Talia, heir to the Avramov family. The three women team up to humiliate him at the tournament, and as Emmy and Talia get closer, there is an undeniable spark between them.
This was such a fun read! While the plot was pretty predictable, it was still a delight to read and see how everything was going to unfold, even though I had already guessed the ending and plot twists. I liked the way the plot moved forward, and found the pacing to be just right. This is not a particularly fast paced book, but the setting and atmosphere made the slow/medium pace entirely the right choice. Speaking of atmosphere, that was without a doubt the best part of this book! Thistle Grove is a magical town full of witches, and while the “normies” don’t know for sure that there are witches in their town, they fully buy into the witchy lore. As a result, their entire tourism is based on a year-round Halloween aesthetic. Basically, Thistle Grove is my dream town and I would like to move there immediately! It was such a charming atmosphere, which made it the perfect book to read in the fall. Otherwise, the characters in this one were lots of fun, although the side characters were not the most memorable. I really loved the romance between Emmy and Talia! I almost always dislike the relationship conflict that happens towards the end of every romance novel, but I found this one actually made sense for the plot and characters, and was very well done. The tension between Emmy and Talia was so strong, and I loved the “will they, won’t they” nature of their relationship.
Overall, Payback’s A Witch won’t be a story that sticks with me for a long time, but it was an enjoyable read and definitely got me into the Halloween Spirit! I would definitely recommend this one to anyone looking for a light romance with a witchy twist to read during the Fall season.
Watch my full review for Payback's A Witch on my BookTube channel!
Lana Harper’s Payback’s A Witch is the perfect book for those looking for an atmospheric Autumn romance. It follows Emmy Harlow, the heir to one the four founding witch families of Thistle Grove, as she returns to her hometown 9 years after getting her heart broken by a Blackmoore, the most powerful of the witch families. Emmy had vowed to never return, but once every 50 years the founding families compete in a magical competition, and it is the Harlow’s duty to run the game. So Emmy returns one last time to fulfil her duties as a Harlow, and not disappoint her family. Upon her return, however, Emmy starts to question everything in her life. Things get even more interesting when Emmy’s best friend Linden asks for her help: to get revenge on the Blackmoore boy who broke her heart years ago, as he had just cheated on Linden with Talia, heir to the Avramov family. The three women team up to humiliate him at the tournament, and as Emmy and Talia get closer, there is an undeniable spark between them.
This was such a fun read! While the plot was pretty predictable, it was still a delight to read and see how everything was going to unfold, even though I had already guessed the ending and plot twists. I liked the way the plot moved forward, and found the pacing to be just right. This is not a particularly fast paced book, but the setting and atmosphere made the slow/medium pace entirely the right choice. Speaking of atmosphere, that was without a doubt the best part of this book! Thistle Grove is a magical town full of witches, and while the “normies” don’t know for sure that there are witches in their town, they fully buy into the witchy lore. As a result, their entire tourism is based on a year-round Halloween aesthetic. Basically, Thistle Grove is my dream town and I would like to move there immediately! It was such a charming atmosphere, which made it the perfect book to read in the fall. Otherwise, the characters in this one were lots of fun, although the side characters were not the most memorable. I really loved the romance between Emmy and Talia! I almost always dislike the relationship conflict that happens towards the end of every romance novel, but I found this one actually made sense for the plot and characters, and was very well done. The tension between Emmy and Talia was so strong, and I loved the “will they, won’t they” nature of their relationship.
Overall, Payback’s A Witch won’t be a story that sticks with me for a long time, but it was an enjoyable read and definitely got me into the Halloween Spirit! I would definitely recommend this one to anyone looking for a light romance with a witchy twist to read during the Fall season.
Highkey considering abandoning the rest of my TBR for the month in order to binge this series
This was So Much Fun! I can’t believe this doesn’t have more hype around it. I don’t even know how to articulate my thoughts here, so I’ll just leave this there but like WOW!
I think if you liked the characters in Margaret Rogerson’s Sorcery of Thorns, you would like this one!
This was So Much Fun! I can’t believe this doesn’t have more hype around it. I don’t even know how to articulate my thoughts here, so I’ll just leave this there but like WOW!
I think if you liked the characters in Margaret Rogerson’s Sorcery of Thorns, you would like this one!
I feel like I would have liked this a lot more if I hadn’t listened to it as an audiobook, for several reasons
First of all, this is the same narrator who does the Murderbot Diaries books, which is a very funny, sarcastic, conversational series about a potentially murderous robot who just wants to be left alone to watch cheesy soap operas for the rest of eternity. I love this narrator, I think he’s incredibly talented. But because I’m used to him as Murderbot, it was very jarring to hear him in a darker horror setting. The entire book I found myself waiting for the punchline or some sarcastic remark, and had to keep reminding myself that it wasn’t going to happen lol
I also found the plot difficult to follow on audio because of the kind of story it is. If I had been able to physically see the words I might have been able to grasp it better. Instead I was constantly confused, having to rewind the audiobook because I thought I’d missed something even though I hadn’t. I’m not sure if that’s because I just wasn’t retaining the information, or if it’s just a confusing book. But either way, I’m still not entirely sure I fully understood what I just read
On the positive side, the characters and the atmosphere was fantastic! LaValle did an incredible job at making me feel throughly creeped out during certain scenes, and I’m very glad I didn’t read this in a dark room
First of all, this is the same narrator who does the Murderbot Diaries books, which is a very funny, sarcastic, conversational series about a potentially murderous robot who just wants to be left alone to watch cheesy soap operas for the rest of eternity. I love this narrator, I think he’s incredibly talented. But because I’m used to him as Murderbot, it was very jarring to hear him in a darker horror setting. The entire book I found myself waiting for the punchline or some sarcastic remark, and had to keep reminding myself that it wasn’t going to happen lol
I also found the plot difficult to follow on audio because of the kind of story it is. If I had been able to physically see the words I might have been able to grasp it better. Instead I was constantly confused, having to rewind the audiobook because I thought I’d missed something even though I hadn’t. I’m not sure if that’s because I just wasn’t retaining the information, or if it’s just a confusing book. But either way, I’m still not entirely sure I fully understood what I just read
On the positive side, the characters and the atmosphere was fantastic! LaValle did an incredible job at making me feel throughly creeped out during certain scenes, and I’m very glad I didn’t read this in a dark room
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I was not aware that Abbott: 1973 was part of a larger series until after I started reading this. But since that was my fault, I tried not to let that influence my enjoyment and overall rating as much as possible. With that said, there were definitely some pieces of the story that I missed and felt lost on, so I do recommend reading the earlier works before this one. This was still pretty easy to follow, and I was able to pick up on the missing pieces relatively easily, but it definitely would have been easier if I had the context.
Overall though, this was objectively a pretty solid read! I enjoyed the setting and atmosphere the most, and especially the art style. I did find the plot the be a little predictable and basic, but still enjoyable. The dialogue was good for the most part and I liked the character relationships, but I found it to occasionally be just a bit overdramatic. The plot also felt rushed at times; I would have liked to spend more time with certain characters and have some scenes be more drawn out.
I’m not sure if I’ll want to continue with this series, but I’m glad I had the opportunity to read the first volume!
I was not aware that Abbott: 1973 was part of a larger series until after I started reading this. But since that was my fault, I tried not to let that influence my enjoyment and overall rating as much as possible. With that said, there were definitely some pieces of the story that I missed and felt lost on, so I do recommend reading the earlier works before this one. This was still pretty easy to follow, and I was able to pick up on the missing pieces relatively easily, but it definitely would have been easier if I had the context.
Overall though, this was objectively a pretty solid read! I enjoyed the setting and atmosphere the most, and especially the art style. I did find the plot the be a little predictable and basic, but still enjoyable. The dialogue was good for the most part and I liked the character relationships, but I found it to occasionally be just a bit overdramatic. The plot also felt rushed at times; I would have liked to spend more time with certain characters and have some scenes be more drawn out.
I’m not sure if I’ll want to continue with this series, but I’m glad I had the opportunity to read the first volume!
Thank to Macmillon Audio and Netgalley for sending me an audio-ARC in exchange for a review!
Watch my review on YouTube HERE!
Casey McQuiston's One Last Stop is a celebration of what it means to be queer.
One Last Stop follows a woman in her mid-twenties who has always been on the run, terrified of what would happen if she were to put down roots. She has spent her life friendless, with very little family, digging through archives with her mother in search of a ghost. After moving to New York City into a tiny apartment with a set of quirky but loveable roommates, August starts to find a routine to her new life, one that involves a daily trip on the Q train. This is where she meets Jane, a short-haired, punk rock, Chinese-American lesbian who looks like she came right out of the 70s. Which, as it turns out, she did. Jane is an impossibility, having been stuck in time and place on the subway for over 40 years, with no memory of who she is, how she got there, or why. Jane and August start trying to figure out the mystery of Jane's very existence, all the while trying desperately not to fall in love.
This is easily one of the gayest books I have ever read, and it was beautiful in every way. Every character plays such an important role in One Last Stop, all coming together to form this gorgeous mosaic of some of the different ways to be queer. August and Jane's experience of joining this family and becoming part of their world is something that I have longed for in my own life, and I'm sure is so relatable to every young queer out there. This book is a beautiful example of how we make our own families within this community, which is my favourite thing about us. This has such a richly diverse cast of characters, all so different but still the same in all the ways that matter. One Last Stop will feel like coming home to all the queer folk who have ever felt lost, alone, or had no one to turn to. It reminded me that, no matter where we go, all of us have a family who are always ready to welcome us home, even if you're a complete stranger. That was the family that August and Jane found in this book, and it was such a beautiful thing to read. As much as I loved the plot of this book, with it's fascinating concept of being stuck in a blip of time and somehow ending up tethered to to a single moment and all the complications that come with that, it was truly the characters that were the heart of this book. I loved reading about Jane's experience of being an LGBTQ+ activist in the 60s and 70s, the mentions of our history, and all the badass heroes that we have to thank for having the freedoms we do today. This is the perfect book to kick off Pride month! I'm so thankful that books like this exist, and even more thankful to all the people that made it happen!
Watch my review on YouTube HERE!
Casey McQuiston's One Last Stop is a celebration of what it means to be queer.
One Last Stop follows a woman in her mid-twenties who has always been on the run, terrified of what would happen if she were to put down roots. She has spent her life friendless, with very little family, digging through archives with her mother in search of a ghost. After moving to New York City into a tiny apartment with a set of quirky but loveable roommates, August starts to find a routine to her new life, one that involves a daily trip on the Q train. This is where she meets Jane, a short-haired, punk rock, Chinese-American lesbian who looks like she came right out of the 70s. Which, as it turns out, she did. Jane is an impossibility, having been stuck in time and place on the subway for over 40 years, with no memory of who she is, how she got there, or why. Jane and August start trying to figure out the mystery of Jane's very existence, all the while trying desperately not to fall in love.
This is easily one of the gayest books I have ever read, and it was beautiful in every way. Every character plays such an important role in One Last Stop, all coming together to form this gorgeous mosaic of some of the different ways to be queer. August and Jane's experience of joining this family and becoming part of their world is something that I have longed for in my own life, and I'm sure is so relatable to every young queer out there. This book is a beautiful example of how we make our own families within this community, which is my favourite thing about us. This has such a richly diverse cast of characters, all so different but still the same in all the ways that matter. One Last Stop will feel like coming home to all the queer folk who have ever felt lost, alone, or had no one to turn to. It reminded me that, no matter where we go, all of us have a family who are always ready to welcome us home, even if you're a complete stranger. That was the family that August and Jane found in this book, and it was such a beautiful thing to read. As much as I loved the plot of this book, with it's fascinating concept of being stuck in a blip of time and somehow ending up tethered to to a single moment and all the complications that come with that, it was truly the characters that were the heart of this book. I loved reading about Jane's experience of being an LGBTQ+ activist in the 60s and 70s, the mentions of our history, and all the badass heroes that we have to thank for having the freedoms we do today. This is the perfect book to kick off Pride month! I'm so thankful that books like this exist, and even more thankful to all the people that made it happen!
