Review: Payback's a Witch by Lana Harper
Thank you Berkley Publishing for my copy of Payback’s a Witch! All thoughts are my own.
When I saw that this book was billed as “The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” meets “The L Word” I was READY. It had been on my radar for months! I think it’s a great Halloween read for those of us who don’t do scary but do love the ~ vibes ~ of Fall.
Synopsis:
“Emmy Harlow is a witch but not a very powerful one—in part because she hasn't been home to the magical town of Thistle Grove in years. Her self-imposed exile has a lot to do with a complicated family history and a desire to forge her own way in the world, and only the very tiniest bit to do with Gareth Blackmoore, heir to the most powerful magical family in town and casual breaker of hearts and destroyer of dreams.
But when a spellcasting tournament that her family serves as arbiters for approaches, it turns out the pull of tradition (or the truly impressive parental guilt trip that comes with it) is strong enough to bring Emmy back. She's determined to do her familial duty; spend some quality time with her best friend, Linden Thorn; and get back to her real life in Chicago.
On her first night home, Emmy runs into Talia Avramov—an all-around badass adept in the darker magical arts—who is fresh off a bad breakup . . . with Gareth Blackmoore. Talia had let herself be charmed, only to discover that Gareth was also seeing Linden—unbeknownst to either of them. And now she and Linden want revenge. Only one question stands: Is Emmy in?
But most concerning of all: Why can't she stop thinking about the terrifyingly competent, devastatingly gorgeous, wickedly charming Talia Avramov?” —Goodreads
What I Liked:
The Premise—I love a good atmospheric read and this book too me right into the Halloween/Fall spirit.
The Setting—I found Thistle Grove to be so fun! I’m not a huge Halloween person but I found myself totally charmed by this witchy town and it’s history.
The Vibes—Total small town, rival family mess that I love in a festive story.
What Didn’t Work:
Pacing—I didn’t get the “can’t put it down” feeling I love from books. The pacing felt a little off. Slow for the plot but then all the competitive moments in the Grimoire were so fast!
Repetitive/Lack of Dialogue—I didn’t feel as connected to the characters because there was so much descriptive dialogue. GREAT for the witchy vibes, but I missed feeling like I was getting to know everyone in the story.
Content Warnings:
Toxic relationship (described)