Reviews with content warning for Infidelity - Payback's a Witch

Reviews tagging 'Infidelity'

Payback's a Witch by Lana Harper

46 reviews

booksthatburn's review against another edition

I missed that this was a rom-com. If I had I would have passed on this one altogether since that's a genre I almost never like. If you want a queer romcom about getting magical revenge on a cheater, you might like this. It's just not my thing.

Content Warnings

therese_nook68's review against another edition

Go to review page

lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.0

Content Warnings

wrensreadingroom's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional funny tense fast-paced

5.0

Content Warnings

unwise_samwise's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

Content Warnings

starry's review against another edition

Go to review page

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.

Content Warnings

tays_books's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous 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

3.5

Content Warnings

brokenlightdances's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

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

3.25

Content Warnings

firefly's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous hopeful lighthearted 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

3.0

Content Warnings

courtneyfalling's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was so fun! Like a witchy sapphic John Tucker Must Die, with some good ol' fashioned confused but well-intentioned millennial soul-searching to match! The ending was a little sudden/much (gotta love romance with its constantly urgent high stakes) but I'm so into Emmy and Talia as a couple and individually, and Linden deserves better (...future book?) <3

(side note I would 100% call this fade to black which I kind of expected but it's a good heads up!)

Content Warnings

moeckles's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

4.0

Content Warnings

More...