Rise and Divine by Lana Harper

Daria "Dasha" Avramov is a devil eater and it's complicated her life in any number of ways. First, demons do NOT taste good. In fact, they are downright nasty. And eating them makes her thirsty. Really, really thirsty. And her ability makes it so that it is very easy for her to be pulled across the veil. In many ways, she'd actually prefer to be there. But Ivy Thorn isn't there.

Ivy knew that Dasha had a complicated past. Well, and that her current life is complicated. Her future probably will be as well. That's why the broke up. But she is incredibly hot. Which is why they got back together. But then they broke up again. Ivy would have said they were never, ever, ever getting back together but then things start happening 

Four stars

This book comes out August 20, 2024

The Witches of Thistle Grove #5

Follows In Charm's Way

ARC kindly provided by NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group

Opinions are my own

In Charm's Way by Lana Harper

I wasn't especially in love with the last book but I did enjoy this one. There is a lot more in this book about Delilah's personal journey than building a romance and the ending was a little convoluted but overall an enjoyable book. 

Delilah Harlow is still recovering from the events of the last book when she had her brain pretty much scrambled. When the book opens, she is driven to desperation and she tries a spell from a book that she normally would never touch. But she just wants to have her own mind back. Too bad this particular spell makes her a beacon to all of the creepy-crawlies that normally pass Thistle Grove by. 

Into town strides a champion, Catriona Quinn, whose name is just a little too much on the nose. Her mother did that on purpose but it doesn't mean she loves it. She steps into the hero role, even though her armor is a little tarnished. 

The Witches of Thistle Grove #4

Three and half stars

This book comes out August 22, 2023

Follows Back in a Spell

Followed by Rise and Divine

ARC kindly provided by NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group

Opinions are my own

Back in a Spell by Lana Harper

Nineve "Nina" Blackmoore is having some really bad luck at the moment. First, she's been dumped. Second, her family is known as being kind of the "bad guys" around town which is severely hindering her love life as she tries to jump back in the dating pool. Third, her magic is acting really weird. Like, way overreacting to any spells she tries to cast. And the dreams... Plus she seems to be witchbound (married) to a guy that her friend picked off a dating application. 

Morty isn't sure what's going on. First, his date ends up being the lawyer whose family sent a whole bunch of letters trying to buy his family bar. Then, he woke up and had magic. Like, real magic. What the heck? Only Nina will know the answer but he's not sure he wants to be near her. Yet he can't stay away. Is she really a black-hearted witch like the rest of her family?

I wish we had gotten to see more of Morty and Nina's relationship. It went from "I think I should hate you" to "Let's hang out forever" really, really fast. There was a lot of plot movement for the series but I wish we had seen more for them.

Three and a half stars

This book comes out January 10, 2023

Follows From Bad to Cursed

Followed by In Charm's Way

ARC kindly provided by NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group

Opinions are my own

From Bad to Cursed by Lana Harper

I tore through this book. The main characters, Rowan Thorn and Isidora "Izzy" Avramov are well-developed and both show some growth over the course of the story. Izzy more so because we are in her first-person point of view but we do see some changes in the oh, so handsome Rowan as well. I wish we had gotten a little bit more time to see the relationship between them grow from antagonism to love and the end of the mystery seemed fast but I really liked this book and can't wait for the next one in the series. 

The Avramov family are the local necromancers. It seems obvious that they might have some friction with the Thorns whose magic has an affinty for growing and healing. It doesn't completely explain why Rowan Thorn was so against Izzy working in the local animal adoption center. It does, however, explain all eyes looking to the Avromov family when a thorn is hexed at the local festival. Based on the witch governmental rulings, a representative from each family is allowed to investigate. As the scion of the Thorn family, Rowan is chosen. Izzy's sister is the Avramov scian but she is connected to the arbitrator so Izzy becomes the stand-in. Working together gives them time to talk and to work through old hurts and also solve the problem of who would like to hurt the Thorn family. 

Four stars

This book comes out May 13, 2022

Follows Payback's a Witch

Followed by Back in a Spell

ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Payback's a Witch by Lana Harper

Leaving Thistle Grove was hard but for the current scion of the Harlow family, Emmy, returning is even harder. She left after a painful breakup with another witch, Gareth Blackmoore. She's finally back in town and learns that Gareth has cut quite the swath through town, seducing two of her friends. Well, one is her best friend and one is about to be something more... But can she get back at her ex and also fall in love? Yes, yes she can.

This is an interesting world that Harper built but the ending was a little too much wrapped up in Emmy's ego for me to really enjoy the book. I'm looking forward to the next in the series.

Four stars

This book came out October 5, 2021

Followed by From Bad to Cursed

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own