Scan barcode
daniellestarredpages's review
emotional
hopeful
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? It's complicated
4.5
I fell in love with 'Love And Other Wicked Things' immediately. I loved the romance, the characters and the plot line.
Rhia's family dynamic was so amazing and wholesome. I loved the various powers the different members had as well as the interactions between members of the family. I really enjoyed reading a story with a large family with multiple characters from the same generation that didn't have any sort of tension or rivalry. The love between the members of Rhia's family was palpable.
The friendship between Valarie and Quinn found a special place in my heart. The way we see them become family on the page and the way the author wrote about them loving each other in a non-romantic way was great.
The romance between Rhia and Valerie definitely put a smile on my face. From the initial meeting to them falling in love with each other. I loved it. I was also a huge fan of how the author wrote realistic reasons for why the relationship didn't take off immediately even after the characters realised they had feelings for each other.
Finally I loved the casual queerness and representation in this book. While there were some small missteps, I didn't see anything big that impacted my enjoyment of this story.
This book was a breath of fresh air after a series of DNFs and low ratings. So thank you to Edelweiss and Wattpad Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review
Rhia's family dynamic was so amazing and wholesome. I loved the various powers the different members had as well as the interactions between members of the family. I really enjoyed reading a story with a large family with multiple characters from the same generation that didn't have any sort of tension or rivalry. The love between the members of Rhia's family was palpable.
The friendship between Valarie and Quinn found a special place in my heart. The way we see them become family on the page and the way the author wrote about them loving each other in a non-romantic way was great.
The romance between Rhia and Valerie definitely put a smile on my face. From the initial meeting to them falling in love with each other. I loved it. I was also a huge fan of how the author wrote realistic reasons for why the relationship didn't take off immediately even after the characters realised they had feelings for each other.
Finally I loved the casual queerness and representation in this book. While there were some small missteps, I didn't see anything big that impacted my enjoyment of this story.
This book was a breath of fresh air after a series of DNFs and low ratings. So thank you to Edelweiss and Wattpad Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Fire/Fire injury, Cursing, and Grief
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Murder
morebedsidebooks's review
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Grief, Cursing, Death of parent, Murder, and Car accident
trussell12's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
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? It's complicated
3.75
Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book
I really enjoyed this book! I didn’t know much about other than what I learned from the synopsis. Within the first few chapters I was absolutely hooked!
I was expecting it to be cozy romance; which it absolutely was. However, the plot twist took me a little by surprise; it was a great addition. I will admit some of plot was a bit predictable but it absolutely did not take away from my enjoyment.
My favorite thing about this book is the diversity and representation. There’s so much of it ! And it does not seem force! I like that the author chose to include several different racial, gender, and lgbtq+ identities. All the characters were really well written and nicely flushed out. Quinn and Rhia were some of my favorite characters; mostly because I could relate to them.
If you love books about witches and romance, this is definitely the book for you!
I really enjoyed this book! I didn’t know much about other than what I learned from the synopsis. Within the first few chapters I was absolutely hooked!
I was expecting it to be cozy romance; which it absolutely was. However, the plot twist took me a little by surprise; it was a great addition. I will admit some of plot was a bit predictable but it absolutely did not take away from my enjoyment.
My favorite thing about this book is the diversity and representation. There’s so much of it ! And it does not seem force! I like that the author chose to include several different racial, gender, and lgbtq+ identities. All the characters were really well written and nicely flushed out. Quinn and Rhia were some of my favorite characters; mostly because I could relate to them.
If you love books about witches and romance, this is definitely the book for you!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Cursing, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Car accident
nobeliumreads's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.
When Valerie Morgan comes to town in search of her missing mother and answers about the magic she’s harboured half her life, Rhia Greenbrook can’t help but feel a magical pull to her--and a danger. With their burgeoning romance, the mystery of Oakriver and Valerie starts to unravel, putting everything Rhia has loved on the line.
When Valerie Morgan comes to town in search of her missing mother and answers about the magic she’s harboured half her life, Rhia Greenbrook can’t help but feel a magical pull to her--and a danger. With their burgeoning romance, the mystery of Oakriver and Valerie starts to unravel, putting everything Rhia has loved on the line.
--
I hadn’t heard anything about this book, so I had virtually no expectations other than thinking the synopsis sounded cute and it was with a pleasant surprise that I did in fact enjoy it!
We follow along both Valerie and Rhia, as the former tries to uncover the mysteries surrounding her long missing mother and the latter has to manage her own magical journey whilst falling in love with the very witch she wasn’t supposed to.
The plot itself was pretty predictable, there were a lot of things that I foresaw but it wasn’t to the point of being boring. The magic aspect was fun to read, coming from someone who doesn’t know much about tarot or crystals or magic in general, so admittedly maybe the novelty helped. The writing was nice; it wasn’t over the top but it was easy and fun to get through (I realised after reading that the publisher is wattpad… you truly can’t escape your roots).
I reckon it helped that I really enjoyed the characters; particularly Quinn and Valerie’s friendship, which I found wholesome and meaningful and how lovely it was to see everyone woven seamlessly into this found family (compared to many instances where friendships with the main characters feel insignificant compared to the main relationship). Rhia and Valerie’s relationship were so cute, they had me smiling on the commute to uni and whilst I found their first interactions a bit insta-lovey, they were very adorable throughout (and anyway, who am I to judge when there’s magic involved?).
“Dimly, she thought that she’d always known Valerie was going to burn her to the ground--she just hadn’t expected the flames to feel so tender, consuming her one careful touch, one kiss, one whisper at a time.”
Overall, a sweet, intriguing read for anyone looking for a small-town sapphic witchy book with a little bit of mystery.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Cursing and Grief
Minor: Car accident
shirecrow's review
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Love and Other Wicked Things is a book about two young witches named Rhia and Valerie and their way of navigating their lives full of magic, love and grief.
It’s been a long time since I’ve read a romance-y book but I have to admit that I flew right through these 344 pages. I needed maybe a day start to finish. That is thanks to the writing style. It’s very easy but still flowery enough to give you a mostly nice experience.
Speaking of mostly nice; this book has a lot of pop-culture references and a lot of phrases that felt very… well, let’s say that wattpad publishing made sense after that. As an example, a phrase that made me roll my eyes is as followed: “Yeah, but you’re the human embodiment of a golden retriever,” c’mon, golden retriever outside out of TikTok comment section? Goosebumps.
Another thing about the writing was the sometimes excessive need to use italics. They were mostly used right and I didn’t mind them but then the author would use them every other sentence and I was just wondering what iS GOING ON? Example:
“I think it’ll enjoy the greenhouse.”
What was the need for the dramatic greenhouse? Am I supposed to imagine a velvety voice, thunder sounds and lightning strikes?
I digress. Let’s move on to the characters.
I'm not sure where I stand with them but I didn’t hate either so that’s a plus. Valerie and Rhia were both fun characters with enough backstory to make them feel as fleshed out as 300 page ya novels go. Valerie was fun and easy while Rhia had personality struggles to fight with which gave a nice balance to the two and their interactions. I liked the mystery around Valerie’s past even though I would’ve liked if that were revealed in a different way.
But it wouldn’t be me if I didn’t have something to complain about so…
Rhia is a young Black woman in a Black family. The fact that all the men in their family either left (uncle, grandfather) or died is very… well, I wouldn’t say racist but I think it’s on the insensitive side. I’m white so I can’t give solid, reliable judgement but after the controversy about Harms last book (that I only just now learned about) I think it’s still valid to point out. Also, the first time Valerie sees Rhia she describes her as “a lot curvier than herself” which… a Black woman is the curvy one? Hm…
Anyways, Rhia is Black but it is completely ignored in the story which brings me to the fact that this is a very “colorblind” book. In that aspect, it’s also rather blind to real life struggles of inclusivity. The book is set in a small, everyone-knows-everyone town but you’re telling me that 90% of the people introduce themselves with their pronouns? Especially characters like a lacrosse player telling Valerie his pronouns had me raise my eyebrow. I’m not the type to like flawlessly happy, “no one is homophobic/bigoted” books but if you do, this one is perfect for you.
What I did enjoy was the actual magic. I thought it would only have a real life witch plot but the fantasy was a nice touch that gave the whole thing a sort of original feeling.
In conclusion, this is an easy book with lots of feel good sapphic but also an emotional edge. I wouldn’t go around and recommend it to every living soul I know but I would recommend it if you’re stuck in a slump and want something easy going. The plot was interesting enough to have me keep reading and when I did put it down I always thought about how it was going to continue.
Very big thank you to Netgalley, Wattpad WEBTOON Book Group and Philline Harms for providing me with an ARC of this book.
It’s been a long time since I’ve read a romance-y book but I have to admit that I flew right through these 344 pages. I needed maybe a day start to finish. That is thanks to the writing style. It’s very easy but still flowery enough to give you a mostly nice experience.
Speaking of mostly nice; this book has a lot of pop-culture references and a lot of phrases that felt very… well, let’s say that wattpad publishing made sense after that. As an example, a phrase that made me roll my eyes is as followed: “Yeah, but you’re the human embodiment of a golden retriever,” c’mon, golden retriever outside out of TikTok comment section? Goosebumps.
Another thing about the writing was the sometimes excessive need to use italics. They were mostly used right and I didn’t mind them but then the author would use them every other sentence and I was just wondering what iS GOING ON? Example:
“I think it’ll enjoy the greenhouse.”
What was the need for the dramatic greenhouse? Am I supposed to imagine a velvety voice, thunder sounds and lightning strikes?
I digress. Let’s move on to the characters.
I'm not sure where I stand with them but I didn’t hate either so that’s a plus. Valerie and Rhia were both fun characters with enough backstory to make them feel as fleshed out as 300 page ya novels go. Valerie was fun and easy while Rhia had personality struggles to fight with which gave a nice balance to the two and their interactions. I liked the mystery around Valerie’s past even though I would’ve liked if that were revealed in a different way.
But it wouldn’t be me if I didn’t have something to complain about so…
Rhia is a young Black woman in a Black family. The fact that all the men in their family either left (uncle, grandfather) or died is very… well, I wouldn’t say racist but I think it’s on the insensitive side. I’m white so I can’t give solid, reliable judgement but after the controversy about Harms last book (that I only just now learned about) I think it’s still valid to point out. Also, the first time Valerie sees Rhia she describes her as “a lot curvier than herself” which… a Black woman is the curvy one? Hm…
Anyways, Rhia is Black but it is completely ignored in the story which brings me to the fact that this is a very “colorblind” book. In that aspect, it’s also rather blind to real life struggles of inclusivity. The book is set in a small, everyone-knows-everyone town but you’re telling me that 90% of the people introduce themselves with their pronouns? Especially characters like a lacrosse player telling Valerie his pronouns had me raise my eyebrow. I’m not the type to like flawlessly happy, “no one is homophobic/bigoted” books but if you do, this one is perfect for you.
What I did enjoy was the actual magic. I thought it would only have a real life witch plot but the fantasy was a nice touch that gave the whole thing a sort of original feeling.
In conclusion, this is an easy book with lots of feel good sapphic but also an emotional edge. I wouldn’t go around and recommend it to every living soul I know but I would recommend it if you’re stuck in a slump and want something easy going. The plot was interesting enough to have me keep reading and when I did put it down I always thought about how it was going to continue.
Very big thank you to Netgalley, Wattpad WEBTOON Book Group and Philline Harms for providing me with an ARC of this book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Car accident, Cursing, and Grief
More...