A review by kathryn_reads_paiges
Love and Other Wicked Things by Philline Harms

Did not finish book. Stopped at 14%.

DNF @ 13% / 48 pages 

Definitely picked this up on a whim from my library’s new books section. I kept trying to get into Love and Other Wicked Things and was just bored. 

We always need more queer books! But this was maybe a little too “younger LGBTQ+” for me — lots of talk of vegan food, “lesbian” style boots and flannels, and most people introducing themselves with their pronouns. Obviously I don’t dislike any of that, but I’ve found queer culture incorporated more subtly in other books I’ve read. 

Other reviewers have said that the Black (Rhiannon and her family) and Asian American (Quinn) rep could’ve been done better, although I can’t say for sure from what I read. I did hear that the Black rep could be problematic for one of the MCs in this author’s debut novel.

All of the negatives out of the way…this might still be worth a try for anyone who likes cozy fantasy, sapphic witches, YA or NA characters (Rhiannon and Valerie are 19). Also, if you really like Fleetwood Mac… guess who’s named after one of their top songs. Love and Other Wicked Things includes both an author playlist and an explanation of the tarot cards for each chapter at the end — pretty cool! The author’s bio says she loves crafting Spotify playlists. 

Other Rep: lesbian MCs; asexual, bisexual, and pansexual/nonbinary SCs