Here are four quickie reviews of books I’ve read lately.

Payback’s a Witch by Lana Harper

Emmy is pulled back to her hometown for a spellcasting tournament and she is determined to leave as soon as possible. But it might be difficult to extricate herself…

⭐⭐⭐⭐ I wasn’t too sure about this story when it started, but it grew on me. I enjoyed the vivid and detailed descriptions of the town and the magical challenges. Emmy’s magic grew the longer she stayed, along with the conviction that Thistle Grove is exactly where she is meant to be. And her relationship with Talia was definitely one of the highlights of the book. Every interaction between them was charged with anticipation and excitement. I can recommend this book if you like a heated FF romance, magic, and revenge. 

Genre: Fantasy Romance
Published: October 5, 2021
Sensuality Rating: Warm
Series: The Witches of Thistle Grove

From Bad to Cursed by Lana Harper

Issa and Rowan are forced to set their mutual animosity aside to investigate the source of a horrible curse.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ The story had a slowish start where we basically just got to know Issa a bit before the action kicked in. Vivid descriptions of the magic and the intense chemistry between Rowan and Issa made me feel like I wanted to jump into the pages and become part of the words. I didn’t really care for the reason for the initial animosity between them, not on Issa’s party anyway. But it served a purpose and can be forgiven. I quite enjoyed this book. The world building was excellent and detailed with interesting characters that are very different from each other. I can recommend this if you like magic with your romance, mixed with some mystery.

Genre: Fantasy Romance
Published: May 17, 2022
Sensuality Rating: Warm
Series: The Witches of Thistle Grove

The Gossip and the Grump by Pippa Grant

Sabrina was thrown for a loop when her sexy one-night-stand turned out to be the new owner of her café.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ I enjoy Pippa Grant’s writing and this one hits all the right spots. There is plenty of humour, snarky inner dialogue, witty banter, hilarious situations, and of course, intense chemistry. It might help to read this series in order, to keep on track with all the characters and the thread of Emma’s disastrous wedding that weaves through it all. Jitter, the overenthusiastic puppy, and Zen, the nephew, are both awesome additions to the story.

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: October 5, 2023
Sensuality Rating: Hot
Series: Three BFFs and a Wedding

The Duchess Takes a Husband by Harper St. George

A scandalous arrangement between a London rogue and an American duchess leads to lavish stakes. The lure of such a bargain proves too delicious to resist, drawing the enterprising rogue and the wallflower duchess into a scandalous game and an even more dangerous gamble of the heart.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ The slow, intense sensuality completely make this book. Camille is left traumatized after her marriage and now, as a widow, she wants to have a positive sexual experience, but she feels as if there is something wrong with her that leaves her unable to enjoy sex. Most of this book explores the developing attraction between Jacob and Camille and their intimate journey together. And, of course, Jacob gets drawn in despite his aversion of love and marriage. Camille also confronts her feelings about her marriage and she gets a chance to effect positive change for other women when she joins a suffrage movement. Jacob is hard to pin down at times. He has complex feelings about his father and brother and is driven by the desire to accomplish something on his own. I love the gradual escalation of Camille’s sexual discovery.

Genre: Historical Romance
Published: May 23, 2023
Sensuality Rating: Warm
Series: The Gilded Age Heiresses

Hope you enjoyed these quickie reviews. Have you read any of these books yet?

^{**Image by Freepik}