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purplepenning's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
I've been loving the inclusive, contemporary, Millennial-made Witches of Thistle Grove series and was both eager to return to this southern Illinois town and slightly dreading this story. Because Blackmoores. Have we not learned to dislike them? And Nina Blackmoore, the uptight, sharklike attorney of the family? Blech. So, yeah, the Blackmoores aren't a great group, but I actually kind of love what Lana Harper did here — changes are afoot in Thistle Grove as a community as a new generation steps into love and leadership. Huzzah!
Nina IS an uptight, sharklike attorney, but we get to meet her in context — in a controlling and toxic family, as a supportive sister, struggling with her conscience over what she owes her family and community and trying her best to be an authentic and giving best friend, and after a brutal romantic breakup that has shaken her confidence and sense of self.
At the encouragement slash well-meaning coercion of her best friend, Nina takes a shot at a fling to help her regain some confidence. Morty has entered the chat. I had to be convinced to give Nina a chance, but I was all in for Morty, a colorful but somewhat mysterious bar owner we've met in previous books. Morty does not disappoint. (Except I wish we could've had more of them in the story.) Opposites may attract, and there's no denying the immediate connection here, but opposites are just as likely to crash and burn when they're on opposite sides of a family/business feud. First date disaster. That initial spark doesn't go away, however. When it becomes a magical bond (for reasons), complete with an empathetic connection, things get a little more complicated (and steamy, in a hot, magically enhanced way). Nina's personal journey, the fate of the town's magic, her relationship with Morty — it's all tangled up. To untangle it, Nina has to look deeply into town lore and deeply into herself.
Nina and Morty are a fun couple to root for, and I really liked the expanded understanding of the Thistle Grove founders, the magic system, the modern community, and the future direction, There's a good amount of pop culture talk and banter. I'd consider this a good fit for new adult readers, with upper YA and adult appeal.
Nina IS an uptight, sharklike attorney, but we get to meet her in context — in a controlling and toxic family, as a supportive sister, struggling with her conscience over what she owes her family and community and trying her best to be an authentic and giving best friend, and after a brutal romantic breakup that has shaken her confidence and sense of self.
At the encouragement slash well-meaning coercion of her best friend, Nina takes a shot at a fling to help her regain some confidence. Morty has entered the chat. I had to be convinced to give Nina a chance, but I was all in for Morty, a colorful but somewhat mysterious bar owner we've met in previous books. Morty does not disappoint. (Except I wish we could've had more of them in the story.) Opposites may attract, and there's no denying the immediate connection here, but opposites are just as likely to crash and burn when they're on opposite sides of a family/business feud. First date disaster. That initial spark doesn't go away, however. When it becomes a magical bond (for reasons), complete with an empathetic connection, things get a little more complicated (and steamy, in a hot, magically enhanced way). Nina's personal journey, the fate of the town's magic, her relationship with Morty — it's all tangled up. To untangle it, Nina has to look deeply into town lore and deeply into herself.
Nina and Morty are a fun couple to root for, and I really liked the expanded understanding of the Thistle Grove founders, the magic system, the modern community, and the future direction, There's a good amount of pop culture talk and banter. I'd consider this a good fit for new adult readers, with upper YA and adult appeal.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Abandonment, and Cursing
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