Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Payback's a Witch by Lana Harper

15 reviews

graceev's review against another edition

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medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

3.5
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takarakei's review against another edition

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lighthearted 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

3.5

  • witch families
  • small town
  • WLW bisexuals
  • contemporary fantasy romance
  • bonding over hatred of a man

    I thought the concept of this quirky witchy tourist town was cute. I wasn't wholly invested in the outcome of the characters beyond their goal of taking down this trash of a man (which honestly, fine!). The tournament plotline is a bit generic, but heck if you're looking for a witchy queer romance with some spice, it's a fun time!

3/5 🌶️
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melodyseestrees's review against another edition

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adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing 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

4.25

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erinoco's review

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funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

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karina_dreamsinwords's review

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adventurous funny lighthearted 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

5.0

A magical, spicy, atmospheric & perfect witchy read? All signs point to Y E S.

The lyrical writing transports you to the magical town of Thistle Grove. I loved the exploration of mending friendships after leaving your hometown and losing touch. Plus the sapphic relationship?! Holyyy-- the angst and tension was *chefs kiss*. I am so happy I loved another witchy read during this spooky season!

If John Tucker Must Die & Delilah Green Doesn't Care had a baby, then said magical prodigy entered the TriWizard Tournament and ta-da, you get Payback's A Witch. I know that might sound a bit wacky but trust me, you'll want to pick this gem up!!

 
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thecourtofreading's review

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adventurous funny slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

well wasn't that a big fat disappointment. it seems like such an interesting premise too, but i ended up feeling rather disappointed by it. even for me, there were too many pop-culture references, and although i got them, they got way too annoying. at one point, one of the characters says "TBH" and i think they're supposed to be adults? also, why was bridgerton mentioned for gods sake? 
in terms of atmospheric, this felt like i was reading about stars hollow from gilmore girls, which is perfectly okay because i love that show, and this book was a fun read (i guess) for october/november but it still disappointed me more than enthralled me
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steffiraquel's review against another edition

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  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

 
Emmy doesn't deserve the understanding of everyone around her, I see her as selfish, bitter (like me after reading this) and extremely childish. Everyone around her deserves better. Talia deserves someone who won't pick fights with her, Linden deserves someone who genuinely wants to stay best friends, Dahlia deserves the powers Emmy should of lost and her parents deserve a child who is grown enough to go to therapy and open up to them about her hatred of some boy who broke her heart 10 years ago. I agree with the founder about the powers, because they are so obviously the reason Emmy is swayed to stay and even bother giving her relationship with Dahlia a chance! I'm sorry, Emmy only stayed because she realised she would lose magic forever if she left! She doesn't deserve it, not even in the slightest
 
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froyobaggns's review

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adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

this is a really fun read. it's not like, a literary masterpiece, but it is witty and the characters are sassy and badass. emmy as the main character is overdramatic, a bit of an asshole and an unreliable narrator, but it's definitely a lot of fun. and it really leans into witchy tropes. 
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unwise_samwise's review

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adventurous emotional mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

A cute book and a fun read but I feel like some of the references will make it dated very quickly
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starry's review

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emotional lighthearted mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

I really wanted to like this book, but it lost me a few chapters in and never got me back. It took me over a month if daily reading to finish this book, because it just failed to grip me. My main problems with this one stem from the faults of the main character, Emmy Harlow. Emmy is a witch who left her hometown (and her magic) behind ten years ago after a traumatic breakup, but heads home to the witchy, autumnal Thistle Grove for a once-per-generation magical tournament at the request of her father. Payback’s a Witch is one of those Emma-like stories, where the main character starts off self-absorbed, pretentious, and largely tuned out to the consequences their actions have on others. Over the course of the book, they’re supposed to learn, face consequences, and make amends. The thing with this one is, Emmy realizes she’s been unfair to her family and her friends, but readers don’t ever really see her change. At the end of the novel, Emmy is still self-absorbed, unthinking of how her actions will affect her family and her friends, and she gets everything she wants, without having to sacrifice anything. Usually in a romance novel, that’s exactly what I would want. But with Emmy, it felt too easy, and undeserved. 
The romance was lackluster to me, relying on sultry looks and banter that failed to evoke any reaction. I wanted more witchy autumnal town, and less of… whatever this ended up being. 
Side characters were criminally underdeveloped and one dimensional, which was extra frustrating because there was so much potential for nuance in these characters and this narrative. 
This was one of my most anticipated romance reads from 2021, and I’m sad to say I will not be rereading or recommending it to anyone. 
One star for fun bisexual rep, and another half-star for Emmy’s dad, whose bookish stoic personality really charmed me. 
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