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kaitrates's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I REALLY enjoyed this one and it’s exploration of deeper themes like childhood neglect. I also loved that Nina is the one who needs to grovel because DAMN SHE DID A DARK THING. Here for women’s rights AND wrongs, always.
As with the first book (which i also enjoyed a lot!) the pacing was a bit off at times (eg the ending felt rushed, i wanted more time with Morty’s family which i think would’ve been GREAT to see in an epilogue - how did Nina win them over? )
I LOVE Morty SO much. They’re firmly rooted in their values, such a fantastic communicator, and confident in who they are. So damn swoonworthy. I also appreciated how his enby-ness just was and the balance they had found in their life. This isn’t a coming out story at all. Though i, like others, was extremely disappointed to not see they/them pronouns used beyond the beginning.
Overall this was a fun, sexy, witchy romance with deep themes and a powerful story of stepping into your own power.
CN: childhood neglect and abuse
Sex tags: oral sex, kissing, hand sex, PIV
As with the first book (which i also enjoyed a lot!) the pacing was a bit off at times (eg the ending felt rushed, i wanted more time with Morty’s family which i think would’ve been GREAT to see in an epilogue - how did Nina win them over? )
I LOVE Morty SO much. They’re firmly rooted in their values, such a fantastic communicator, and confident in who they are. So damn swoonworthy. I also appreciated how his enby-ness just was and the balance they had found in their life. This isn’t a coming out story at all. Though i, like others, was extremely disappointed to not see they/them pronouns used beyond the beginning.
Overall this was a fun, sexy, witchy romance with deep themes and a powerful story of stepping into your own power.
CN: childhood neglect and abuse
Sex tags: oral sex, kissing, hand sex, PIV
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Child abuse
percervall's review against another edition
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Emotional abuse
Minor: Child abuse
haileyhardcover's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Ugh. For books about witches, these books are getting less and less magical for me. The premise of this one was boring, so that’s bad enough… but it gets worse.
I learned before going into Back in a Spell that the non-binary representation was not great. (Please check out @foreverinastory’s review of this book on IG! Xe shared their perspective as a genderqueer individual and I really appreciated xem sharing their insights and feelings!) Being cis myself, I can’t speak to how authentically Morty’s identity was represented, but I will say that from my perspective, Morty’s non-binary identity felt more like a last-minute grasp for more diversity.
Morty’s pronouns are identified early on as he/they, but “they” isn’t used a single time after that, by any character. They were described in very masculine ways consistently, with occasional references to being “pretty” or “feline” or wearing makeup, which seemed like they were only added to remind us that Morty was non-binary, without actually having to do the work of exploring or embracing that identity.
“I could feel the ripple of his amusement, THAT DISTINCTLY MALE undercurrent of pride, as if he were somehow responsible for his own size.” This quote (emphasis my own) from a spicy scene cemented for me the feeling that the author made Morty’s character non-binary purely for some diversity points, and not with any actual care or empathy for the character she was creating or those with whom they share an identity.
I’m more and more disappointed with this series as I keep reading. I know there is a 5th book in the works, but as of right now, I’m not inclined to read it. I purchased all 4 of the already published books, and the 4th, In Charm’s Way, is short (and sapphic again!) so I will read it… but I think that is where my glimpse into the lives of the witches of Thistle Grove ends.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Transphobia, Classism, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Child abuse and Toxic relationship
saintyeehaw's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Terminal illness, Child abuse, Classism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Chronic illness, and Fire/Fire injury
thaliareads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book was an absolute delight! I really appreciated the growth Nina went through as she discovered who she could be outside of her family's expectations. I think that Morty was indeed exactly what she needed to help her grow and discover herself more fully and to find her own confidence and footing. While I do agree with some of the reviews saying that they probably wouldn't have been together if not for the unusual circumstances, I personally enjoy this sort of "fated mates" situation and I think they still grew the relationship further in a healthy way, they just sort of were given a reason to jump past their previous reservations and get to know each other better.
I do think the plot secondary to the romance was a little smaller than the previous books in the series, but again, I felt like the flow was so nice that I didn't mind and I powered through this book so fast.
What was a problem was the nonbinary representation. Other than Morty being labeled as nonbinary and a brief discussion on pronouns it seemed that they were described as a cis male with he/him pronouns for the rest of the book. The other characters treated Morty as a guy, and other than the not traditionally masculine style of dressing that Morty used, you wouldn't know or could easily forget they were nonbinary.
I do think the plot secondary to the romance was a little smaller than the previous books in the series, but again, I felt like the flow was so nice that I didn't mind and I powered through this book so fast.
What was a problem was the nonbinary representation. Other than Morty being labeled as nonbinary and a brief discussion on pronouns it seemed that they were described as a cis male with he/him pronouns for the rest of the book. The other characters treated Morty as a guy, and other than the not traditionally masculine style of dressing that Morty used, you wouldn't know or could easily forget they were nonbinary.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Emotional abuse, and Child abuse
Moderate: Cursing and Transphobia
Minor: Terminal illness
Nina grew up in a very emotionally abusive household, and a good part of the book deals with her breaking free of how she was shaped by these experiences. There is a scene heavy in cursing, but not a lot in the rest of the book. The sexual content was fairly thoroughly detailed. Morty's dad struggles with a degenerative disease - not necearily immediatly terminal, just begining to more severly affect how he can live. In this case, the transphobia is tricky because some characters obviously only refer to Morty as a cis male, and while this could have been a learning opportunity, they were never corrected and Morty's identity really fell on the back burner and got ignored. None of the characters who knew Morty well and heard this misgendering never corrected the speaker or felt outraged for that reason on their behalf.jessereadsthings's review against another edition
4.0
My favorite book in the series so far.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse
andloveistoolong's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing, Alcohol, Child abuse, and Classism
Minor: Toxic relationship and Transphobia
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