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Witch of the Demesne #1
Ritual Income
Every witch has her Way.
Milla is a witch who wants to hide. Grieving the loss of her mentor, she retreats to St. Augustine where her only goals are to run her antique store and tend her demesne into obscurity. But C.R.O.W. has other plans for the formerly wicked witch.
As if being saddled with a new apprentice and trying to get rid of the Aural Insurance Adjuster sent to observe her isn’t enough to deal with, a pack of multi-level marketing huns sets their sights on Milla, intent on burning her store to the ground.
When a threat to the demesne, and the witches and mortals under Milla’s care, raises its ugly head it is up to her to decide:
Is living out her days as a nothing witch in a nowhere demesne what she truly wants, or is the formerly wicked witch ready to rejoin the witchy world of C.R.O.W.?
Milla is a witch who wants to hide. Grieving the loss of her mentor, she retreats to St. Augustine where her only goals are to run her antique store and tend her demesne into obscurity. But C.R.O.W. has other plans for the formerly wicked witch.
As if being saddled with a new apprentice and trying to get rid of the Aural Insurance Adjuster sent to observe her isn’t enough to deal with, a pack of multi-level marketing huns sets their sights on Milla, intent on burning her store to the ground.
When a threat to the demesne, and the witches and mortals under Milla’s care, raises its ugly head it is up to her to decide:
Is living out her days as a nothing witch in a nowhere demesne what she truly wants, or is the formerly wicked witch ready to rejoin the witchy world of C.R.O.W.?
571 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 23, 2023
98 people are currently reading
766 people want to read
About the author
B.L. Brown
14 books77 followersB.L. Brown is a writer of paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and fantasy. She loves a good slow burn but recognizes that sometimes two characters collide with explosive chemistry that must be acknowledged. And boy, is it fun to read.
Random musings appear on Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram.
There's also a newsletter that releases new material with less frequency than George R. R. Martin.
https://brittawritesthings.com/contact/
Random musings appear on Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram.
There's also a newsletter that releases new material with less frequency than George R. R. Martin.
https://brittawritesthings.com/contact/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
October 8, 2023
If you're looking for a new, unique Urban Fantasy with more world building and magic than you can shake a stick at- look no further!
The world of C.R.O.W. has everything from New Orleans Voodoo to charming Scottish Sunshine men.
The main character, Milla, is hiding secrets - not only from the world but from herself, because she's trying so desperately to avoid her own truths.
While the book is advertised as a "hipster witch vs. MLM huns" dynamic, there is so much more to it than that!
The anti-MLM bit is very relatable and definitely a main issue- but the forces at work behind both sides of the fight are vast and unique from anything I've read before.
I was NOT expecting such an immersive story from the "hipster witch vs. MLM huns" tagline.
This book feels like the corner stone and ground work for the rest of Brown's world to build on with ease.
A couple of things I do want to mention:
There is a lot of reference to other established magic systems (like Wicca and Vodun). So, if you don't have that basic understanding, you may find yourself looking up some words or phrases.
The same goes for the Scottish common words and sland that are a part of Darkly's vocabulary.
It was never enough to make me want to put the book down, but it just added a bit time to make sure I could figure out what was already an existing magic, vs something the author created for this world.
(I was given an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
The world of C.R.O.W. has everything from New Orleans Voodoo to charming Scottish Sunshine men.
The main character, Milla, is hiding secrets - not only from the world but from herself, because she's trying so desperately to avoid her own truths.
While the book is advertised as a "hipster witch vs. MLM huns" dynamic, there is so much more to it than that!
The anti-MLM bit is very relatable and definitely a main issue- but the forces at work behind both sides of the fight are vast and unique from anything I've read before.
I was NOT expecting such an immersive story from the "hipster witch vs. MLM huns" tagline.
This book feels like the corner stone and ground work for the rest of Brown's world to build on with ease.
A couple of things I do want to mention:
There is a lot of reference to other established magic systems (like Wicca and Vodun). So, if you don't have that basic understanding, you may find yourself looking up some words or phrases.
The same goes for the Scottish common words and sland that are a part of Darkly's vocabulary.
It was never enough to make me want to put the book down, but it just added a bit time to make sure I could figure out what was already an existing magic, vs something the author created for this world.
(I was given an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
October 20, 2023
A perfect witchy read for this month!
Blurb: Milla is a witch who wants to hide. Grieving the loss of her mentor, she retreats to St. Augustine where her only goals are to run her antique store and tend her demesne into obscurity. But C.R.O.W. has other plans for the formerly wicked witch. As if being saddled with a new apprentice and trying to get rid of the Aural Insurance Adjuster sent to observe her isn’t enough to deal with, a pack of multi-level marketing huns sets their sights on Milla, intent on burning her store to the ground. When a threat to the demesne, and the witches and mortals under Milla’s care, raises its ugly head it is up to her to decide. Is living out her days as a nothing witch in a nowhere demesne what she truly wants, or is the formerly wicked witch ready to rejoin the witchy world of C.R.O.W.?
This book has everything witchy you need including fine, fare, forbidden and fouls ways, dark creatures, mysterious killings surrounding a group of women, adventure, and mystery. I wasn’t expecting some of the turns this book took cause those were a surprise 👀. The side characters are really interesting too and adds much to the story development. I loved how the chapters start with a small description about a witchy term or element which was very helpful to understand some parts of the book. Plus the map and the initial introduction page were wonderful. I did struggle a bit with some of the content because this is my first full witchy book and there’s a lot of special terms and details around the witchy worlds and types. But the sprinkles of clues around the story kept me wanting to know more and the quirky bits are funny too.
Will Milla be able to save her demesne? And will she stay true to her heart and accept her true feelings for Darkly? Will they survive in their quest to find who’s behind killings and save their demesne from foul witches? Find out on October 23rd!
I received an ARC of this book in exchange of an honest review. All opinions are of my own.
Blurb: Milla is a witch who wants to hide. Grieving the loss of her mentor, she retreats to St. Augustine where her only goals are to run her antique store and tend her demesne into obscurity. But C.R.O.W. has other plans for the formerly wicked witch. As if being saddled with a new apprentice and trying to get rid of the Aural Insurance Adjuster sent to observe her isn’t enough to deal with, a pack of multi-level marketing huns sets their sights on Milla, intent on burning her store to the ground. When a threat to the demesne, and the witches and mortals under Milla’s care, raises its ugly head it is up to her to decide. Is living out her days as a nothing witch in a nowhere demesne what she truly wants, or is the formerly wicked witch ready to rejoin the witchy world of C.R.O.W.?
This book has everything witchy you need including fine, fare, forbidden and fouls ways, dark creatures, mysterious killings surrounding a group of women, adventure, and mystery. I wasn’t expecting some of the turns this book took cause those were a surprise 👀. The side characters are really interesting too and adds much to the story development. I loved how the chapters start with a small description about a witchy term or element which was very helpful to understand some parts of the book. Plus the map and the initial introduction page were wonderful. I did struggle a bit with some of the content because this is my first full witchy book and there’s a lot of special terms and details around the witchy worlds and types. But the sprinkles of clues around the story kept me wanting to know more and the quirky bits are funny too.
Will Milla be able to save her demesne? And will she stay true to her heart and accept her true feelings for Darkly? Will they survive in their quest to find who’s behind killings and save their demesne from foul witches? Find out on October 23rd!
I received an ARC of this book in exchange of an honest review. All opinions are of my own.
August 6, 2024
As with all of my SPFBO reads, this will have a video review :)
October 18, 2023
… grabbed her wrist, setting it against the mattress and caging it in one hand as he gripped her thigh with the other. “It took me weeks to get you here, Milla,” he all but snarled. “Don’t. Move.”
Hey hun!!! 👋😘😍✨ have I got a book 📖 rec for you!! ✍️ 🤸♀️ 🥂
🤢 okay I’m sorry (not sorry) but listen, this book? Right here? A masterpiece. Hipster witch vs. MLM Huns? A niche I had no idea I needed until I heard of it. B. L. Brown put so much into creating this story, and I was hooked from the very first line.
✨ TROPES & THEMES ✨
✔️ urban fantasy
✔️ slow burn romance 🤌🏽
✔️ a variety of witches and magical beings
✔️ a really gorgeous map if I do say so myself 👀🤣
✔️ rich world and lore building
✔️ enemies to lovers
✔️ found family
✔️ shadow/shade magic vibes 😉
This story is written in 3rd person and truly I think it very much added to the mystery of the plot. I am not the brightest crayon when it comes to catching things (yep, that’s right. I didn’t get the riddle in ACOTAR 🤷🏻♀️ I’m one of those lmao) so I was wondering what the heck was going on a lot in the beginning.
Trust 👏🏻 the 👏🏻 process 👏🏻
Okay? Trust it. Keep going. The best part? It’s not even hard to keep going. Yeah, I had no idea what Milla had up her sleeve - but good goly did I have SO MUCH FUN reading it anyway! The entire cast was five stars. I felt like this entire book was a movie playing out in my mind. I could see the characters in my head, hear their dialog, see the city, smell the scents described and it was just the most enjoyable book experience.
I LOVE Darkly, okay? It did take me a little bit to get his accent down - but after the first scene or two of reading his dialog I got it 100%. I love him. All the characters were so unique and special, and he takes the cake for the most eccentric and beloved MMC I’ve ever read.
The plot was hard to predict - and I am SO pleased it was!! I legit was thinking about it when I couldn’t sit and read, daydreaming about what was gonna happen next. Then sat and stewed on it afterwards because WHY WERENT THERE MORE PAGES?! 🤣🤣
This story is absolutely a breath of fresh air, a beautifully unique and witty twist on urban fantasy/pnr books. Also if you’re a lover of excellent chemistry, banter, and slow burn spice? READ. This. BOOK!!! Ever fallen prey to a mlm scam? Read this book. Always searching for a book so excellently written it literally plays out in your brain like a show? Well hun, read this book. 😎🤸♀️
Hey hun!!! 👋😘😍✨ have I got a book 📖 rec for you!! ✍️ 🤸♀️ 🥂
🤢 okay I’m sorry (not sorry) but listen, this book? Right here? A masterpiece. Hipster witch vs. MLM Huns? A niche I had no idea I needed until I heard of it. B. L. Brown put so much into creating this story, and I was hooked from the very first line.
✨ TROPES & THEMES ✨
✔️ urban fantasy
✔️ slow burn romance 🤌🏽
✔️ a variety of witches and magical beings
✔️ a really gorgeous map if I do say so myself 👀🤣
✔️ rich world and lore building
✔️ enemies to lovers
✔️ found family
✔️ shadow/shade magic vibes 😉
This story is written in 3rd person and truly I think it very much added to the mystery of the plot. I am not the brightest crayon when it comes to catching things (yep, that’s right. I didn’t get the riddle in ACOTAR 🤷🏻♀️ I’m one of those lmao) so I was wondering what the heck was going on a lot in the beginning.
Trust 👏🏻 the 👏🏻 process 👏🏻
Okay? Trust it. Keep going. The best part? It’s not even hard to keep going. Yeah, I had no idea what Milla had up her sleeve - but good goly did I have SO MUCH FUN reading it anyway! The entire cast was five stars. I felt like this entire book was a movie playing out in my mind. I could see the characters in my head, hear their dialog, see the city, smell the scents described and it was just the most enjoyable book experience.
I LOVE Darkly, okay? It did take me a little bit to get his accent down - but after the first scene or two of reading his dialog I got it 100%. I love him. All the characters were so unique and special, and he takes the cake for the most eccentric and beloved MMC I’ve ever read.
The plot was hard to predict - and I am SO pleased it was!! I legit was thinking about it when I couldn’t sit and read, daydreaming about what was gonna happen next. Then sat and stewed on it afterwards because WHY WERENT THERE MORE PAGES?! 🤣🤣
This story is absolutely a breath of fresh air, a beautifully unique and witty twist on urban fantasy/pnr books. Also if you’re a lover of excellent chemistry, banter, and slow burn spice? READ. This. BOOK!!! Ever fallen prey to a mlm scam? Read this book. Always searching for a book so excellently written it literally plays out in your brain like a show? Well hun, read this book. 😎🤸♀️
July 13, 2024
“They’re using the women in the downline to gain energy, feeding off of their affirmations. Look,” she grabbed Jennifer Sanderson’s phone and found her final post in the group chat. “Her last message was about wanting to quit, and then she talked to Kayleigh and Annalisa about just that. But all of these women were in Jennifer’s downline. Removing her created a dam in the energy flow, cutting off whoever is at the top from their source.” “So clever,” Ana gushed from the speaker.”
I want to preface this review by saying had this been any other plot; it would have been a 3.5/4 ⭐️ for me.
Let’s start with the best part (in my opinion) the plot. Although slightly frustrating that the flashbacks don’t give you any “answers” until the last several pages, the plot itself was so uniquely incredible. To take witches and magick and intertwine them into a story about pyramid schemes and huns was brilliant. You can tell the author was either involved with one herself, or did the right kind of research because as an “ex-hun” myself everything felt spot on.
The MMC and FMC lacked chemistry for me, but their love story was cute. I did feel the reason this book took me longer than most to finish is the extreme detail the author adds to the book regarding magick, Ways, Hex’s, and how those things physically make her feel. Either way, love love love to see something different in the magical realism space and this was definitely it for me!
I want to preface this review by saying had this been any other plot; it would have been a 3.5/4 ⭐️ for me.
Let’s start with the best part (in my opinion) the plot. Although slightly frustrating that the flashbacks don’t give you any “answers” until the last several pages, the plot itself was so uniquely incredible. To take witches and magick and intertwine them into a story about pyramid schemes and huns was brilliant. You can tell the author was either involved with one herself, or did the right kind of research because as an “ex-hun” myself everything felt spot on.
The MMC and FMC lacked chemistry for me, but their love story was cute. I did feel the reason this book took me longer than most to finish is the extreme detail the author adds to the book regarding magick, Ways, Hex’s, and how those things physically make her feel. Either way, love love love to see something different in the magical realism space and this was definitely it for me!
October 23, 2023
ARC Review
All the twists that came up in this book had me captivated. From the beginning, I loved Milla and her sarcasm. I felt the grief for Ezra and his "not ghost" popping up was interesting. She's relatable when it comes to her just wanting to be left alone. Diego was perfect. He's lively, sweet, and not scared to call Milla on her shit. He reminds me of by bffl. Darkly. What should I say about Darkly? "Tall, Darkly, and handsome" sounds about right. He had this playful vibe in the beginning. It quickly changed to mysterious and kept me on my toes from then on.
This is a slow burn, but it keeps you interested the whole time. It was so worth the wait.
All the twists that came up in this book had me captivated. From the beginning, I loved Milla and her sarcasm. I felt the grief for Ezra and his "not ghost" popping up was interesting. She's relatable when it comes to her just wanting to be left alone. Diego was perfect. He's lively, sweet, and not scared to call Milla on her shit. He reminds me of by bffl. Darkly. What should I say about Darkly? "Tall, Darkly, and handsome" sounds about right. He had this playful vibe in the beginning. It quickly changed to mysterious and kept me on my toes from then on.
This is a slow burn, but it keeps you interested the whole time. It was so worth the wait.
did-not-finish
December 20, 2023DNF at 2%. How did I hear about this book? I don't know. But the beginning is annoying me and I don't have the patience. Maybe it's good. I will never know.
October 24, 2023
I was honored to be an ARC reader for this lovely book 💜. I can begin to explain how much I enjoyed reading another wonderful piece by B. L. Brown. I thought Shady Depths was good. Omg this was just as wonderful! I think my favorite thing about her writing is how wonderfully descriptive she is. On ever page, I could see, feel, and smell everything. Some thing I wish I couldn’t but it was worth it 🤣.
This lovely slow-burn was full of excitement and witchy energy. It touched on intense topics in a good way that I appreciated very much. And plot was plotting!!! I had a nice scream at my kindle “I fucking knew it”!!!!! Just know you should go ahead and jump on this. I look forward to what’s in store for Darkly and Milla.
Who was my favorite character: Diego 😭
This lovely slow-burn was full of excitement and witchy energy. It touched on intense topics in a good way that I appreciated very much. And plot was plotting!!! I had a nice scream at my kindle “I fucking knew it”!!!!! Just know you should go ahead and jump on this. I look forward to what’s in store for Darkly and Milla.
Who was my favorite character: Diego 😭
October 10, 2023
Just in time for spooky season we get a book of a magic and mayhem.
We meet our FMC Milla, who is is a jaded witch that just wanted to get through her day at her store unbothered. it seemed though that the universe had other plans for her in the form of a bathing costume and online reviews. Soon after and while licking her wounds tall, Darkly and handsome enters the picture then hijinks ensue. Darkly, our MMC and a case worker from the magical governing body C.R.O.W. He is possibly the most sunshiny shadow daddy boyfriend you’ll ever meet and I’m not sure anyone would be able to resist him.
There are two spicy scenes, but they aren’t extremely graphic so this is definitely a plot heavy story. Ritual Income took me by surprise, I already knew it would be a good time, but I didn’t expect the level of detail in the world building. It was perhaps some of my favorite things about the book. The story gave you the feeling that it should be set against a dark and broody background yet the brightness of Florida shines through giving this story a fresh perspective. I can’t wait to read more about Milla and Darkly, and to continue learning more about the magic system and this world.
I received an advance copy in return for a review.
We meet our FMC Milla, who is is a jaded witch that just wanted to get through her day at her store unbothered. it seemed though that the universe had other plans for her in the form of a bathing costume and online reviews. Soon after and while licking her wounds tall, Darkly and handsome enters the picture then hijinks ensue. Darkly, our MMC and a case worker from the magical governing body C.R.O.W. He is possibly the most sunshiny shadow daddy boyfriend you’ll ever meet and I’m not sure anyone would be able to resist him.
There are two spicy scenes, but they aren’t extremely graphic so this is definitely a plot heavy story. Ritual Income took me by surprise, I already knew it would be a good time, but I didn’t expect the level of detail in the world building. It was perhaps some of my favorite things about the book. The story gave you the feeling that it should be set against a dark and broody background yet the brightness of Florida shines through giving this story a fresh perspective. I can’t wait to read more about Milla and Darkly, and to continue learning more about the magic system and this world.
I received an advance copy in return for a review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 17, 2023
What a perfect read for fall!! It had everything you could ask for witches, vampires and even voodoo. Mila who is a witch who loves her drinks and trying to stay low key in her antique shop gets investigated by Darkly. They have a love hate chemistry from the moment they meet. They have to work together to figure out who is sucking the life out of the witch and her city in beautiful St Augustine Florida.
February 24, 2024
(3.75) Magic, mystery, murder, and a slow-burn forbidden romance.
"Milla was the Witch of the Demesne, and the demesne made her more. It was a reservoir, an anchor, and a burden all at once."
There are so many parts of this book I absolutely loved. The magic and mystery were definite strong points, but other parts left me feeling conflicted. Overall, the good outweighs the bad and I would definitely still recommend this book if the themes above appeal to you.
The Plot: There are multiple mysteries to unravel. Every single character is hiding something and I was dying to figure things out. The author does a great job of dropping clues in a way that gives you some of the information but leaves you wanting to know more. Some reveals were truly surprising. Some were telegraphed a little too clearly. I guessed the two biggest twists very early on, which lessened the impact of the big finale.
The Magic: There’s a well established magic system with a deep history and competing power structures. For the most part you learn about things through experience although there is some info dumping in the beginning as things are set up. I did find a few minor parts confusing but it doesn’t take away from the magic being one of the stronger parts of the book.
The Characters: Because everyone is hiding things, I feel like you don’t get a true sense of Milla and Darkly until later in the book. Darkly came across as a little bland for me initially and it’s not until he starts dropping the mask of control that I found him interesting. I admittedly didn’t read Brown’s other book that focuses on him, so maybe that would have changed things. Milla is incredibly judgmental early on and pretty selfish when it comes to her friends. It leaves her plenty of room for character growth and it plays in heavily to the plot, but it made me dislike her for a good chunk of the book. By the end I really came to respect how she stepped up and took ownership of her demesne and her own Way. Both of them are at their best when they’re together, facing danger and embracing their true magic. They truly have the chance to shine as the plot progresses.
The Romance: A little bit of enemies to lovers, a little bit forbidden romance, and a slow burn with a splash of spice.
The Pacing: This was my biggest issue. The first half of the book reads very slow. There’s a lot of setup needed and the pacing really gets bogged down with the details. Although there are scenes that piqued my interest early on, I didn’t truly get excited about this book until the 50% mark. The plot is at it’s strongest when Milla is tending her demesne and using her magic, and you don't get much of that early on, but the momentum builds quickly once things start happening.
The MLM portion of the book was a lot more prominent than I expected from the summary. There’s a lot of info dumping with how uplines and downlines work which I found boring. I’ll admit, I’m already familiar with the controversy surrounding MLMs but I think it would still be over explained even for someone with zero knowledge. At one point the word ‘upline’ was used four times in the span of a paragraph. A lot of this detail is what slowed things down for me in the first half.
The Writing: There’s a lot of repetition with dialogue/descriptions/thoughts. Not a dealbreaker for me, but noticeable throughout. A lot of foreign language used in connection with the magic that is sometimes explained and other times not. Also Darkly is Scottish and is written with a heavy accent throughout the book, to a point where it almost became distracting. I can normally tolerate that so if that bothers you even in the slightest, this is going to be too much.
Overall: The first half is a flat three stars for me but the second half is 4+ and more than made up for it. I really think it pays off in the end. The story is exciting, and mysterious, and action packed, so if you're willing to push through in the beginning there's so much to look forward to.
"Milla was the Witch of the Demesne, and the demesne made her more. It was a reservoir, an anchor, and a burden all at once."
There are so many parts of this book I absolutely loved. The magic and mystery were definite strong points, but other parts left me feeling conflicted. Overall, the good outweighs the bad and I would definitely still recommend this book if the themes above appeal to you.
The Plot: There are multiple mysteries to unravel. Every single character is hiding something and I was dying to figure things out. The author does a great job of dropping clues in a way that gives you some of the information but leaves you wanting to know more. Some reveals were truly surprising. Some were telegraphed a little too clearly. I guessed the two biggest twists very early on, which lessened the impact of the big finale.
The Magic: There’s a well established magic system with a deep history and competing power structures. For the most part you learn about things through experience although there is some info dumping in the beginning as things are set up. I did find a few minor parts confusing but it doesn’t take away from the magic being one of the stronger parts of the book.
The Characters: Because everyone is hiding things, I feel like you don’t get a true sense of Milla and Darkly until later in the book. Darkly came across as a little bland for me initially and it’s not until he starts dropping the mask of control that I found him interesting. I admittedly didn’t read Brown’s other book that focuses on him, so maybe that would have changed things. Milla is incredibly judgmental early on and pretty selfish when it comes to her friends. It leaves her plenty of room for character growth and it plays in heavily to the plot, but it made me dislike her for a good chunk of the book. By the end I really came to respect how she stepped up and took ownership of her demesne and her own Way. Both of them are at their best when they’re together, facing danger and embracing their true magic. They truly have the chance to shine as the plot progresses.
The Romance: A little bit of enemies to lovers, a little bit forbidden romance, and a slow burn with a splash of spice.
The Pacing: This was my biggest issue. The first half of the book reads very slow. There’s a lot of setup needed and the pacing really gets bogged down with the details. Although there are scenes that piqued my interest early on, I didn’t truly get excited about this book until the 50% mark. The plot is at it’s strongest when Milla is tending her demesne and using her magic, and you don't get much of that early on, but the momentum builds quickly once things start happening.
The MLM portion of the book was a lot more prominent than I expected from the summary. There’s a lot of info dumping with how uplines and downlines work which I found boring. I’ll admit, I’m already familiar with the controversy surrounding MLMs but I think it would still be over explained even for someone with zero knowledge. At one point the word ‘upline’ was used four times in the span of a paragraph. A lot of this detail is what slowed things down for me in the first half.
The Writing: There’s a lot of repetition with dialogue/descriptions/thoughts. Not a dealbreaker for me, but noticeable throughout. A lot of foreign language used in connection with the magic that is sometimes explained and other times not. Also Darkly is Scottish and is written with a heavy accent throughout the book, to a point where it almost became distracting. I can normally tolerate that so if that bothers you even in the slightest, this is going to be too much.
Overall: The first half is a flat three stars for me but the second half is 4+ and more than made up for it. I really think it pays off in the end. The story is exciting, and mysterious, and action packed, so if you're willing to push through in the beginning there's so much to look forward to.
August 6, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 Stars for me!
There wasn’t a better way to get ready for my favorite time of the year, Spooky Pumpkin Season! Ritual Income: Witch of the Demense is the first book in an Adult Urban Fantasy. It’s a bit longer than usual, but don’t let that scare you. B.L. Brown keeps you pulled in. I felt too called out with the MLM depiction, as you will if you have been pulled in too many times like I have. 🤣 I loved all the different types of magic and cultures represented (don’t be afraid to give some things a Google if you need to know more about some of them). So, make sure you read the introduction page for an explanation. There is also a map. I LOVE a book with a map I can reference and see the world as I read about it. Content/Trigger warning can be found in the front of the book as well. There is also a little element of magic heading at the start of each chapter, which was a nice touch. If you’re looking for a lighthearted witchy book, this one isn’t it. We are diving headfirst into it, and riding this wild, winding story all the way.
Mills is our FMC, and I identify with her just wanting to be left alone. Not only does she have magic, she has the power of sarcasm and uses it well. However, Darkly, our MMC isn’t going to allow that to happen. He is there on a mission to get things done. Of course, things are not going to go smoothly. You will think you know what it going to happen, then you’ll change your mind, then change it again. Prepare to scream at both the characters and the author, laugh a little (especially if you enjoy sarcasm), cry, and be amazed. Brown really has a way of building this world in front of you without actually having to lay out pages describing it. The characters just seem to show you, and I think it was rich and beautiful. Although, I do personally enjoy dark over sunny. I look forward to the next book to find out more on what is going on with Milla’s magic, and how much trouble they can get into.
I want to thank R&R Book Tours and B.L. Brown for the ARC copy for an honest review.
Point of View: Third Person
Spice: 🌶️🌶️ 2/5, but the scenes that are spicy are hot 🥵 and open door.
Tropes:
🔮 Rich/Multiple Magic Systems
🔮 Slow Burn
🔮 Enemies-to-Lovers
🔮 Grumpy vs Sunshine
🔮 Black Cat Energy
🔮 Dark Secrets
🔮 Strong FMC
🔮 Golden Retriever MMC
🔮 LGBTQIA+/Pan Rep
🔮 Shadow Daddy
🔮 Found Family
Blurb:
A hipster witch takes on MLM Huns in this slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers, urban fantasy.
Every witch has her Way…
Milla is a witch who wants to hide. Grieving the loss of her mentor, she retreats to St. Augustine where her only goals are to run her antique store and tend her demesne into obscurity.
But C.R.O.W. has other plans for the formerly wicked witch.
As if being saddled with a new apprentice and trying to get rid of the Aural Insurance Adjuster sent to observe her isn’t enough to deal with, a pack of multi-level marketing huns sets their sights on Milla, intent on burning her store to the ground. When a threat to the demesne, and the witches and mortals under Milla’s care, raises its ugly head it is up to her to decide:
Is living out her days as a nothing witch in a nowhere demesne what she truly wants, or is the formerly wicked witch ready to rejoin the witchy world of C.R.O.W.?
There wasn’t a better way to get ready for my favorite time of the year, Spooky Pumpkin Season! Ritual Income: Witch of the Demense is the first book in an Adult Urban Fantasy. It’s a bit longer than usual, but don’t let that scare you. B.L. Brown keeps you pulled in. I felt too called out with the MLM depiction, as you will if you have been pulled in too many times like I have. 🤣 I loved all the different types of magic and cultures represented (don’t be afraid to give some things a Google if you need to know more about some of them). So, make sure you read the introduction page for an explanation. There is also a map. I LOVE a book with a map I can reference and see the world as I read about it. Content/Trigger warning can be found in the front of the book as well. There is also a little element of magic heading at the start of each chapter, which was a nice touch. If you’re looking for a lighthearted witchy book, this one isn’t it. We are diving headfirst into it, and riding this wild, winding story all the way.
Mills is our FMC, and I identify with her just wanting to be left alone. Not only does she have magic, she has the power of sarcasm and uses it well. However, Darkly, our MMC isn’t going to allow that to happen. He is there on a mission to get things done. Of course, things are not going to go smoothly. You will think you know what it going to happen, then you’ll change your mind, then change it again. Prepare to scream at both the characters and the author, laugh a little (especially if you enjoy sarcasm), cry, and be amazed. Brown really has a way of building this world in front of you without actually having to lay out pages describing it. The characters just seem to show you, and I think it was rich and beautiful. Although, I do personally enjoy dark over sunny. I look forward to the next book to find out more on what is going on with Milla’s magic, and how much trouble they can get into.
I want to thank R&R Book Tours and B.L. Brown for the ARC copy for an honest review.
Point of View: Third Person
Spice: 🌶️🌶️ 2/5, but the scenes that are spicy are hot 🥵 and open door.
Tropes:
🔮 Rich/Multiple Magic Systems
🔮 Slow Burn
🔮 Enemies-to-Lovers
🔮 Grumpy vs Sunshine
🔮 Black Cat Energy
🔮 Dark Secrets
🔮 Strong FMC
🔮 Golden Retriever MMC
🔮 LGBTQIA+/Pan Rep
🔮 Shadow Daddy
🔮 Found Family
Blurb:
A hipster witch takes on MLM Huns in this slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers, urban fantasy.
Every witch has her Way…
Milla is a witch who wants to hide. Grieving the loss of her mentor, she retreats to St. Augustine where her only goals are to run her antique store and tend her demesne into obscurity.
But C.R.O.W. has other plans for the formerly wicked witch.
As if being saddled with a new apprentice and trying to get rid of the Aural Insurance Adjuster sent to observe her isn’t enough to deal with, a pack of multi-level marketing huns sets their sights on Milla, intent on burning her store to the ground. When a threat to the demesne, and the witches and mortals under Milla’s care, raises its ugly head it is up to her to decide:
Is living out her days as a nothing witch in a nowhere demesne what she truly wants, or is the formerly wicked witch ready to rejoin the witchy world of C.R.O.W.?
November 5, 2023
Stars: 4.5
FMC: Milla
MMC(s): Darkly (Keir)
Tropes: Disaster Witch Milla, Hipster Witch, slowburn, ginger love interest, enemies-to-lovers, found family, cryptids, MLM
> Reviewer add: So many leggings, Bi/Pan MMC (you have to read Shady Depths), C.R.O.W. seems overbearing, Death, Death, Death, so much Death, but still a cute story, Magic, The Song is Banana Boat not Day-Oh.
Perspective: Third person
Plot or character driven: Both
Spicy scenes breakdown:
> Present? Yes
> Detailed? Yes
> Multiple, with only one character? No.
> Multiple, with both/multiple characters? Yes.
> Personal favorite? In New Orleans.
> State of the joystick? Human.
Burn speed: Fast
Can this be read as a stand-alone: Yes. It takes place in the same universe as Shady Depths though, so you can read that too.
Re-Readability: I had so much fun with this, I’m going to say yes.
Content/Trigger Warnings/Enticements: Front of book.
I received an advanced reader copy of this book, and this is my voluntary, honest review.
“My number?” Milla spun on her heels. “We were just dry-jumping in an alleyway and you want my number for lunch?” She gaped at the Scotsman, daring him to say something, anything, that was less ludicrous than that. He shoved a hand in his pocket, sweeping the other through his hair and letting it rest at the base of his neck. Silently. Milla rolled her eyes and flipped him both middle fingers. “Lunch on that.”
Milla, Disaster Witch Inc, is running a cute little boutique of Antiquities and Curios, while keeping the secrets of all secrets. A Karen shows up one day and tries to make a wreck, and then her Witch Momma shows up and does what Witch Momma’s do, informing her that she’s about to get a visit from C.R.O.W. in the form of an A.I.A. and a witch apprentice. Our sweet little disaster witch baby almost sleeps with the A.I.A. until they realize who they are in a comedy of SNAFU. The secrets and the leggings keep coming. So many.
There was so much screaming and capslocking at the author white I was reading this. She got all my theories, right and wrong, got my moments of absolute screaming when I pieced everything together.
While this is fantasy (paranormal maybe?), perhaps bordering on magical realism since it takes place on our earth and there are humans that are definitely not aware of magic, there’s also a mystery going on. There are multiple mysteries. Who or what is Milla? What is her Way? What is Darkly’s Way? What is it about these leggings? And it all comes together while our characters are falling apart and back together again.
Also, Milla is my disaster witch. IYKYK.
This was meaty, like Darkly. I said what I said.
FMC: Milla
MMC(s): Darkly (Keir)
Tropes: Disaster Witch Milla, Hipster Witch, slowburn, ginger love interest, enemies-to-lovers, found family, cryptids, MLM
> Reviewer add: So many leggings, Bi/Pan MMC (you have to read Shady Depths), C.R.O.W. seems overbearing, Death, Death, Death, so much Death, but still a cute story, Magic, The Song is Banana Boat not Day-Oh.
Perspective: Third person
Plot or character driven: Both
Spicy scenes breakdown:
> Present? Yes
> Detailed? Yes
> Multiple, with only one character? No.
> Multiple, with both/multiple characters? Yes.
> Personal favorite? In New Orleans.
> State of the joystick? Human.
Burn speed: Fast
Can this be read as a stand-alone: Yes. It takes place in the same universe as Shady Depths though, so you can read that too.
Re-Readability: I had so much fun with this, I’m going to say yes.
Content/Trigger Warnings/Enticements: Front of book.
I received an advanced reader copy of this book, and this is my voluntary, honest review.
“My number?” Milla spun on her heels. “We were just dry-jumping in an alleyway and you want my number for lunch?” She gaped at the Scotsman, daring him to say something, anything, that was less ludicrous than that. He shoved a hand in his pocket, sweeping the other through his hair and letting it rest at the base of his neck. Silently. Milla rolled her eyes and flipped him both middle fingers. “Lunch on that.”
Milla, Disaster Witch Inc, is running a cute little boutique of Antiquities and Curios, while keeping the secrets of all secrets. A Karen shows up one day and tries to make a wreck, and then her Witch Momma shows up and does what Witch Momma’s do, informing her that she’s about to get a visit from C.R.O.W. in the form of an A.I.A. and a witch apprentice. Our sweet little disaster witch baby almost sleeps with the A.I.A. until they realize who they are in a comedy of SNAFU. The secrets and the leggings keep coming. So many.
There was so much screaming and capslocking at the author white I was reading this. She got all my theories, right and wrong, got my moments of absolute screaming when I pieced everything together.
While this is fantasy (paranormal maybe?), perhaps bordering on magical realism since it takes place on our earth and there are humans that are definitely not aware of magic, there’s also a mystery going on. There are multiple mysteries. Who or what is Milla? What is her Way? What is Darkly’s Way? What is it about these leggings? And it all comes together while our characters are falling apart and back together again.
Also, Milla is my disaster witch. IYKYK.
This was meaty, like Darkly. I said what I said.
October 18, 2023
This was 3.5-3.75 stars for me, so I’ve rounded up to 4 stars. And the biggest reason for that is that the story can get really confusing really fast if you don’t pay attention to even the smallest details, which is what really caught me up for about the first 200 or so pages. The other thing that kind of tripped me up is that some foreign language sentences are translated so you can understand what it means, but not all of them are. So, I spent some time looking up a lot of what Diego says. That might seem a little nitpicky, but it did distract me enough from the story that I feel it’s worth mentioning in case another reader doesn’t speak Spanish.
As I mentioned, I got a little caught up in the first 200 pages, and that was due to some of the confusion of everything happening. I also spent a lot of time in the first 17 chapters just flipping back to the definition/magical item/note at the top of the chapter itself. Which was far harder on the kindle version than the paperback version. Again, this may seem nitpicky, but it was hard to remember some of them as you’re trying to delve into the story. Once I stopped worrying about that and stopped reading the definitions, it went a lot smoother.
Some spoilers may lie ahead!!!!!
As for the story itself, there are a lot of twists and turns and lots of little threads to keep track of. But it was fast-paced, enjoyable, and really brought me in once I got past my own hang-ups. Darkly’s Scottish sentences can get really confusing with the dialogue and how things are written (I’m not great at hearing Scottish brogues in my head whilst reading, so others may find this very true-to-life and not notice it), but the relationship he builds with Milla, the strength he gives her just by existing in support of her, is very beautiful and the juxtaposition of how he treats her and how we discover Ezra treated her.
I do feel that the MLM part got very confusing at times, but it wrapped up neatly at the end. Poor Julie felt like a disposable side character by the end, and I desperately want to know about her future.
And finally. The spice rating. 2.5 out of 5 chili peppers because there IS spice. But there’s no “completion” spice. Meaning they never actually have on-page sex even though they get so close so many times. I’m mentioning this for my “it has to be at least 4 chili peppers” people.
Overall, the book was fun and engaging with twists and turns and a really good wrap-up ending that leaves it open for the next book.
I did receive a free copy in exchange for my honest review.
As I mentioned, I got a little caught up in the first 200 pages, and that was due to some of the confusion of everything happening. I also spent a lot of time in the first 17 chapters just flipping back to the definition/magical item/note at the top of the chapter itself. Which was far harder on the kindle version than the paperback version. Again, this may seem nitpicky, but it was hard to remember some of them as you’re trying to delve into the story. Once I stopped worrying about that and stopped reading the definitions, it went a lot smoother.
Some spoilers may lie ahead!!!!!
As for the story itself, there are a lot of twists and turns and lots of little threads to keep track of. But it was fast-paced, enjoyable, and really brought me in once I got past my own hang-ups. Darkly’s Scottish sentences can get really confusing with the dialogue and how things are written (I’m not great at hearing Scottish brogues in my head whilst reading, so others may find this very true-to-life and not notice it), but the relationship he builds with Milla, the strength he gives her just by existing in support of her, is very beautiful and the juxtaposition of how he treats her and how we discover Ezra treated her.
I do feel that the MLM part got very confusing at times, but it wrapped up neatly at the end. Poor Julie felt like a disposable side character by the end, and I desperately want to know about her future.
And finally. The spice rating. 2.5 out of 5 chili peppers because there IS spice. But there’s no “completion” spice. Meaning they never actually have on-page sex even though they get so close so many times. I’m mentioning this for my “it has to be at least 4 chili peppers” people.
Overall, the book was fun and engaging with twists and turns and a really good wrap-up ending that leaves it open for the next book.
I did receive a free copy in exchange for my honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 21, 2024
Number 2 on my SPFBOX reads and another great read.
Milla is a witch who just wants the world to forget her, leaving her to attend her demesne in St. Augustine and her antique shop. Damaged and grieving after the lose of her mentor, Milla’s wallowing is interrupted by C.R.O.W who not only send her a new apprentice but also an AIA agent to monitor her.
The story starts off innocently enough, but in a bid to make amends with her Stich Witch roommate, she agrees to sell some of the tacky ICYMI clothes (think cheap and ugly Lululemon). Not to mention she almost had a quickie with a random stranger who turned out to be the AIA agent. But nothing is really as simple as it seems.
I was cruising along, there were many questions left open to keep me curious: What’s going on with her magic, what actually happened to her mentor, what’s the deal with her apprentice, and what is the DEAL with these weird clothes? What the author did so well, was either make us think we knew the answer (and we were Oh So Wrong!) or we learn a bit more, dig a bit deeper and realize we know nothing. Little insights kept us reading along and I was never prepared for the full truth and I loved that. There was so much more intrigue and depth to every facet that kept me reading - which is saying something as this was pretty long for an UF (571 pages when typically UF is about 300-400)
World Building: One thing that always makes a book great to me is well done world building. One of the things I loved about this book is that it is clear through the story how rich the magical world is, but it’s not told/explained to us but we see it through the narrative. It was also so unique and different from every other UF I have read, pulling from many cultures which made it feel so vibrant and real. The magic was like nothing I had ever read before, each persons magic felt specific and clear even if we didn’t see them use it much. Love the specific abilities they had and the consequences for using magic.
The only negative I had was first the random hook up in Ch 3(?) it threw me and was very happy that wasn't how the rest of the romance went. My second was the resolution of the story felt a tad rushed, it felt a bit flippant to what had just gone down, but I am guess the fallout will happen in the next book.
**Will it make you cry?** Good chance. There is some emotional trauma our FMC needs to work through.
**Romance?** Y.E.S. While at the start I was a bit iffy about the romance, I did enjoy it mostly
**Spicy?** This one is pretty spicy (at least for me) - While I’m not usually one for spicy books, these ones worked will with the plot line and their are two explicit scenes.
**Humor?** Bits. More sarcasm than anything, but the book has some good wit.
**YA/NA?** I’d put this as adult. Our FMC is 26 and has been through A LOT in her short life, so their is an emotional maturity to her, and what she is going through.
**Fight Scenes?** Yes, we do get a couple of magical fights.
**Soft/Hard magic?** Hard. Each type of magic has their specific way it works (or their Way as it’s called) and its limitations.
Milla is a witch who just wants the world to forget her, leaving her to attend her demesne in St. Augustine and her antique shop. Damaged and grieving after the lose of her mentor, Milla’s wallowing is interrupted by C.R.O.W who not only send her a new apprentice but also an AIA agent to monitor her.
The story starts off innocently enough, but in a bid to make amends with her Stich Witch roommate, she agrees to sell some of the tacky ICYMI clothes (think cheap and ugly Lululemon). Not to mention she almost had a quickie with a random stranger who turned out to be the AIA agent. But nothing is really as simple as it seems.
I was cruising along, there were many questions left open to keep me curious: What’s going on with her magic, what actually happened to her mentor, what’s the deal with her apprentice, and what is the DEAL with these weird clothes? What the author did so well, was either make us think we knew the answer (and we were Oh So Wrong!) or we learn a bit more, dig a bit deeper and realize we know nothing. Little insights kept us reading along and I was never prepared for the full truth and I loved that. There was so much more intrigue and depth to every facet that kept me reading - which is saying something as this was pretty long for an UF (571 pages when typically UF is about 300-400)
World Building: One thing that always makes a book great to me is well done world building. One of the things I loved about this book is that it is clear through the story how rich the magical world is, but it’s not told/explained to us but we see it through the narrative. It was also so unique and different from every other UF I have read, pulling from many cultures which made it feel so vibrant and real. The magic was like nothing I had ever read before, each persons magic felt specific and clear even if we didn’t see them use it much. Love the specific abilities they had and the consequences for using magic.
The only negative I had was first the random hook up in Ch 3(?) it threw me and was very happy that wasn't how the rest of the romance went. My second was the resolution of the story felt a tad rushed, it felt a bit flippant to what had just gone down, but I am guess the fallout will happen in the next book.
**Will it make you cry?** Good chance. There is some emotional trauma our FMC needs to work through.
**Romance?** Y.E.S. While at the start I was a bit iffy about the romance, I did enjoy it mostly
**Spicy?** This one is pretty spicy (at least for me) - While I’m not usually one for spicy books, these ones worked will with the plot line and their are two explicit scenes.
**Humor?** Bits. More sarcasm than anything, but the book has some good wit.
**YA/NA?** I’d put this as adult. Our FMC is 26 and has been through A LOT in her short life, so their is an emotional maturity to her, and what she is going through.
**Fight Scenes?** Yes, we do get a couple of magical fights.
**Soft/Hard magic?** Hard. Each type of magic has their specific way it works (or their Way as it’s called) and its limitations.
March 22, 2025
This one took me some time to get through: 1-she's meaty; and 2-the first half is SLOW. The world building at first is incredibly confusing. There are so many absurd words and acronyms that I would yell at the book and put it down. So, the first half is really really tortuously slow.
From the beginning, Milla is clearly a witch with a tortured past. The author hints at Ezra a lot, but it's clear that it was a TOXIC relationship. I got Bella/Edward vibes from them. But she loved him and didn't see just how awful he was. All because of this, she made ridiculous choices and was so sensitive and just overall not likeable.
Enter Darkly, the goofy male lead. His parts were pretty good. I thoroughly enjoyed him. There's hints to a darker side of him which steadily become more and more obvious throughout the book. I think the author really built him up well and I really look forward to reading his prequel.
There are so many side characters it's not even funny. I still don't remember who everyone was.
Okay, so the plot and writing. Writing was great; though I feel the author has a love for their thesaurus which showed up in some bizarre words that should have had a more common word instead. First half of the plot is slow due to the world building. It was a little bit thrown in your face and not overall smooth. The second half when we're finally able to get the story going is great! Honestly, I'd give the second half of the book 4.5 stars; the first half is why it's only 3. There were several times I had to reread sections because it wasn't clear how someone got from A to B or how they moved or why they said certain things.
In the end, the big reveal was quite obvious. I was annoyed the characters didn't figure it out sooner. Also, when they finally reveal her powers, they were also obvious. But in the characters usual manner, she's a jerk about it. "Oh, you want me to harness my Way, well here it is and I'm gonna use you as the tool you are." Seriously? (that's not an exact quote). The only guy who has stuck with her through thick and thin and she's just...boom...you're a tool. And then "I'm so sorry. Let me sacrifice myself for you." So, meh.
TL/DR:
Beginning is slow and boring.
Ending is very fast paced and really interesting lore included.
Female lead is obnoxious.
Male lead is great.
I'd recommend, but go in with the expectations that the first half is SLOW.
From the beginning, Milla is clearly a witch with a tortured past. The author hints at Ezra a lot, but it's clear that it was a TOXIC relationship. I got Bella/Edward vibes from them. But she loved him and didn't see just how awful he was. All because of this, she made ridiculous choices and was so sensitive and just overall not likeable.
Enter Darkly, the goofy male lead. His parts were pretty good. I thoroughly enjoyed him. There's hints to a darker side of him which steadily become more and more obvious throughout the book. I think the author really built him up well and I really look forward to reading his prequel.
There are so many side characters it's not even funny. I still don't remember who everyone was.
Okay, so the plot and writing. Writing was great; though I feel the author has a love for their thesaurus which showed up in some bizarre words that should have had a more common word instead. First half of the plot is slow due to the world building. It was a little bit thrown in your face and not overall smooth. The second half when we're finally able to get the story going is great! Honestly, I'd give the second half of the book 4.5 stars; the first half is why it's only 3. There were several times I had to reread sections because it wasn't clear how someone got from A to B or how they moved or why they said certain things.
In the end, the big reveal was quite obvious. I was annoyed the characters didn't figure it out sooner. Also, when they finally reveal her powers, they were also obvious. But in the characters usual manner, she's a jerk about it. "Oh, you want me to harness my Way, well here it is and I'm gonna use you as the tool you are." Seriously? (that's not an exact quote). The only guy who has stuck with her through thick and thin and she's just...boom...you're a tool. And then "I'm so sorry. Let me sacrifice myself for you." So, meh.
TL/DR:
Beginning is slow and boring.
Ending is very fast paced and really interesting lore included.
Female lead is obnoxious.
Male lead is great.
I'd recommend, but go in with the expectations that the first half is SLOW.
November 4, 2023
Thanks to BookSirens I was able to be part of B.L. Brown’s ARC team and, honestly, it has been a while since I had this much fun so I’m writing this review due to that experience.
I love witches, and magic, and things going from bad to worse so quickly that not even the characters can follow what’s happening (I figured the last one here, heheh). I liked Milla from the first second (and won’t lie, Darkly too), all gothic, sarcastic, and generally dark in comparison to everyone else. Not all the characters that start being that way continue being that way at the end of the story, so this detail was really a breeze.
My favorite character, though, is Diego. For a lot of implications. It was surprising, and fluttering, for me as a native Spanish speaker to find Spanish in an English book due to a character. And not only that, to find my country specifically in lenses not particularly black in perspective. I have found my country before in media, movies and series mostly, but we were always depicted as the bad people. Diego… Diego gave me a respite, and felt almost moved to tears by all his details and everything that could tie him to me (not a lot, but even that little things are A LOT in comparison with what I found out there).
The story is complex and rich. It tries to confuse you, but I personally believe it only tries to confuse Milla, because when I received the correct information I knew where everything was going, what was happening, and who was the culprit. Kind of. I’m not the type to follow up on all the evidence, I just prefer to enjoy the ride and let the story unfold itself and find myself surprised with whatever outcome, but really! There was a detail SO evident in there that uuuuugh, Horned God damnit! It was frustrating! But, uh, we are frustrating. It’s normal. It made the characters more human. It made it easier to feel them close. I felt them close.
(I didn’t remember what we were forgetting either until the Epilogue, hahahah I’m so sorry, darling.)
(That ray of sunshine was so bright in comparison to Milla that it hurt my eyes every time it appeared, ugh. It should have been a hint.)
Four out of five stars because I unfortunately have a sharp eye, noticing everything even when I don’t want to. There were some missing commas and little details that made me stop here and there on my ride to write down a note, but they didn’t block or diminish my joy. It was a delight, and I hope to be able to be part of future installments of this series. Wanting to know more about Milla, Darkly, Diego! Even Julie, and maybe Morgen. Whatever happens in that universe filled with that kind of magic.
I love witches, and magic, and things going from bad to worse so quickly that not even the characters can follow what’s happening (I figured the last one here, heheh). I liked Milla from the first second (and won’t lie, Darkly too), all gothic, sarcastic, and generally dark in comparison to everyone else. Not all the characters that start being that way continue being that way at the end of the story, so this detail was really a breeze.
My favorite character, though, is Diego. For a lot of implications. It was surprising, and fluttering, for me as a native Spanish speaker to find Spanish in an English book due to a character. And not only that, to find my country specifically in lenses not particularly black in perspective. I have found my country before in media, movies and series mostly, but we were always depicted as the bad people. Diego… Diego gave me a respite, and felt almost moved to tears by all his details and everything that could tie him to me (not a lot, but even that little things are A LOT in comparison with what I found out there).
The story is complex and rich. It tries to confuse you, but I personally believe it only tries to confuse Milla, because when I received the correct information I knew where everything was going, what was happening, and who was the culprit. Kind of. I’m not the type to follow up on all the evidence, I just prefer to enjoy the ride and let the story unfold itself and find myself surprised with whatever outcome, but really! There was a detail SO evident in there that uuuuugh, Horned God damnit! It was frustrating! But, uh, we are frustrating. It’s normal. It made the characters more human. It made it easier to feel them close. I felt them close.
(I didn’t remember what we were forgetting either until the Epilogue, hahahah I’m so sorry, darling.)
(That ray of sunshine was so bright in comparison to Milla that it hurt my eyes every time it appeared, ugh. It should have been a hint.)
Four out of five stars because I unfortunately have a sharp eye, noticing everything even when I don’t want to. There were some missing commas and little details that made me stop here and there on my ride to write down a note, but they didn’t block or diminish my joy. It was a delight, and I hope to be able to be part of future installments of this series. Wanting to know more about Milla, Darkly, Diego! Even Julie, and maybe Morgen. Whatever happens in that universe filled with that kind of magic.
October 23, 2023
"You don't know what you have until it's gone"
This is the thought that came to mind while reading this story. Millie is a witch who wants to stay hidden. After losing her lover a few years ago, she just wants to sulk and work in her little antique store she purchased after moving to St. Augustine. She quietly became the witch of the local demesne under the radar but her secret was found.
Millie decided not to check in with the Coven for the Regulation and Oversight of Witches (C.R.O.W) as a result she needed to complete a task in order to remain in control of her demesne as well as a witch in good standing. As a result Millie was partnered with a Mentee to train as well as placed under supervision of an Aural Insurance Adjuster to monitor her behavior to ensure she works within the parameters of C.R.O.W.
Millie's character was a work in progress. She was jaded and a little bitter because she was alone. Millie never took into consideration how her actions affected those around her which was made evident when she insulted a customer in her store that lead to a chain reaction with their patrons MLM Huns targeting Millie's antique shop via online reviews on Social Media and online review apps.
Thankfully her Insurance Adjuster Darkly was patient and helped Millie realize that everything wasn't about her and that she had an entire demesne to take care of as well as its inhabitants and residents of the surrounding community. A demesne Millie took for granted and made it known several times that she really didn't want the responsibility.
An act of betrayal that threatened not only her demesne but the witches and mortals living in her care causes Millie to understand the importance of her role as a witch. Millie was faced with the truth about her lover as well as the role she played in his death. Now faced with a harrowing truth Millie must decide if she will remain hidden or finally get over being a pawn in everyone's game and get in line with C.R.O.W ans prove that she is the formidable witch everyone believes she can be.
Expect to Find:
Urban Fantasy
Various Witches and Other Magical Beings
Enemies to Lovers
World and Lore Building
Slow Burn
This is the thought that came to mind while reading this story. Millie is a witch who wants to stay hidden. After losing her lover a few years ago, she just wants to sulk and work in her little antique store she purchased after moving to St. Augustine. She quietly became the witch of the local demesne under the radar but her secret was found.
Millie decided not to check in with the Coven for the Regulation and Oversight of Witches (C.R.O.W) as a result she needed to complete a task in order to remain in control of her demesne as well as a witch in good standing. As a result Millie was partnered with a Mentee to train as well as placed under supervision of an Aural Insurance Adjuster to monitor her behavior to ensure she works within the parameters of C.R.O.W.
Millie's character was a work in progress. She was jaded and a little bitter because she was alone. Millie never took into consideration how her actions affected those around her which was made evident when she insulted a customer in her store that lead to a chain reaction with their patrons MLM Huns targeting Millie's antique shop via online reviews on Social Media and online review apps.
Thankfully her Insurance Adjuster Darkly was patient and helped Millie realize that everything wasn't about her and that she had an entire demesne to take care of as well as its inhabitants and residents of the surrounding community. A demesne Millie took for granted and made it known several times that she really didn't want the responsibility.
An act of betrayal that threatened not only her demesne but the witches and mortals living in her care causes Millie to understand the importance of her role as a witch. Millie was faced with the truth about her lover as well as the role she played in his death. Now faced with a harrowing truth Millie must decide if she will remain hidden or finally get over being a pawn in everyone's game and get in line with C.R.O.W ans prove that she is the formidable witch everyone believes she can be.
Expect to Find:
Urban Fantasy
Various Witches and Other Magical Beings
Enemies to Lovers
World and Lore Building
Slow Burn
October 19, 2023
DISCLAIMER: I have received this book as an ARC.
Milla is a witch grieving the loss of her husband whilst struggling to run a gothic antique oddities shop. When her store gets doxxed by a ‘Karen,’ her friend gets swept up in a pyramid scheme, and a sexy but annoying Scottish witch is sent to investigate her, Milla is plunged into a chaotic storm. Not only does she have her personal life to contend with, but a series of mysterious deaths across the Mississippi Delta begins to hit too close to home and Milla must investigate before any further harm is done.
B.L. Brown has done it again! Ritual Income is a brilliant novel! Set in St. Augustine, Florida and New Orleans, Louisiana, this book has all the witchy gothic vibes one could ask for. I think fans of American Horror Story: Coven will absolutely love this novel. It’s fun, sexy, and a tad scary; a combination that made it difficult to put down when I started. Not to mention, the sexual tension between Milla and Darkly is absolutely scrumptious. The spice is scarce but immaculate and although there isn’t a ton of it, the relationship between Milla and Darkly is full of deliciously smoldering attraction. The world building and characters are amazingly fleshed out and I absolutely love the magic system in the story. Setting this story in the modern world made for an interesting layer to the plot and I think it was done really well. I really loved this book and I can't wait for what is to come with this series.
If you haven’t read the prequel to this series ‘Shady Depths’ I highly recommend picking it up as well, although I’d recommend reading it after reading this one.
Spice rating: 🌶🌶/5 — a little bit of spice but mostly sexual tension
Will I continue the series? Absolutely!
Would I read another book by this author? Absolutely!
Would I read again? Yes!
Milla is a witch grieving the loss of her husband whilst struggling to run a gothic antique oddities shop. When her store gets doxxed by a ‘Karen,’ her friend gets swept up in a pyramid scheme, and a sexy but annoying Scottish witch is sent to investigate her, Milla is plunged into a chaotic storm. Not only does she have her personal life to contend with, but a series of mysterious deaths across the Mississippi Delta begins to hit too close to home and Milla must investigate before any further harm is done.
B.L. Brown has done it again! Ritual Income is a brilliant novel! Set in St. Augustine, Florida and New Orleans, Louisiana, this book has all the witchy gothic vibes one could ask for. I think fans of American Horror Story: Coven will absolutely love this novel. It’s fun, sexy, and a tad scary; a combination that made it difficult to put down when I started. Not to mention, the sexual tension between Milla and Darkly is absolutely scrumptious. The spice is scarce but immaculate and although there isn’t a ton of it, the relationship between Milla and Darkly is full of deliciously smoldering attraction. The world building and characters are amazingly fleshed out and I absolutely love the magic system in the story. Setting this story in the modern world made for an interesting layer to the plot and I think it was done really well. I really loved this book and I can't wait for what is to come with this series.
If you haven’t read the prequel to this series ‘Shady Depths’ I highly recommend picking it up as well, although I’d recommend reading it after reading this one.
Spice rating: 🌶🌶/5 — a little bit of spice but mostly sexual tension
Will I continue the series? Absolutely!
Would I read another book by this author? Absolutely!
Would I read again? Yes!
July 5, 2024
Slight spoilers
There are some... unique ways the author describes things. Some of it is engaging and then there are others that just yanked me out of the story.
"The horrid flap-slap of the raw-head’s flayed skin scuttled closer,"
"The meat ka-ploshed in the Matanzas River"
These are just a few examples of the ones that made me pause and think it myself, "there's definitely more effective ways to describe this than that"
It also took a lot for me to get into this book. I thought about DNFing quite a few times and I think part of that is because of how long this book is. I don't mind a 800 pg long epic as long as there's content that aids the story. This had a lot of fluff.
There was also a lot of information that the author just assumed the reader understood. I know a little about wicca but nothing about vodun or the other types of witchcraft so I ended up having to research what was going on if I couldn't infer it. Or if I had to look up what things meant in the many, many, many different languages included in this freaking book. Nothing ruins the immersion of a story like having to stop to do research.
I didn't like the characters, I really didn't like the love interest. I felt like they had no chemistry. You don't find out any information until the last couple chapters of the book (or at least not any information that is pertinent to our main character and advances the story).
This book is definitely meant for a specific subset of readers that meet all of the qualifications to make this book interesting. If you don't meet every single one of these check boxes, you honestly just might as well stop reading because it really doesn't get any better. If I had any sense I would have DNFed the first time at 3% but I'm an overachiever and had have to finish things I start so here I am.
There are some... unique ways the author describes things. Some of it is engaging and then there are others that just yanked me out of the story.
"The horrid flap-slap of the raw-head’s flayed skin scuttled closer,"
"The meat ka-ploshed in the Matanzas River"
These are just a few examples of the ones that made me pause and think it myself, "there's definitely more effective ways to describe this than that"
It also took a lot for me to get into this book. I thought about DNFing quite a few times and I think part of that is because of how long this book is. I don't mind a 800 pg long epic as long as there's content that aids the story. This had a lot of fluff.
There was also a lot of information that the author just assumed the reader understood. I know a little about wicca but nothing about vodun or the other types of witchcraft so I ended up having to research what was going on if I couldn't infer it. Or if I had to look up what things meant in the many, many, many different languages included in this freaking book. Nothing ruins the immersion of a story like having to stop to do research.
I didn't like the characters, I really didn't like the love interest. I felt like they had no chemistry. You don't find out any information until the last couple chapters of the book (or at least not any information that is pertinent to our main character and advances the story).
This book is definitely meant for a specific subset of readers that meet all of the qualifications to make this book interesting. If you don't meet every single one of these check boxes, you honestly just might as well stop reading because it really doesn't get any better. If I had any sense I would have DNFed the first time at 3% but I'm an overachiever and had have to finish things I start so here I am.
December 22, 2025
This was awesome! A witchy urban fantasy with tons of detail and folklore, Voodoo loa (dieties), a bunch of MLM huns selling leggings, and the setting split between St. Augustine and New Orleans? Sign me 1000% up!
I love the complexity of the magic system, and how much it, and the various magical beings depicted in the book, draws from various cryptids/folklore from around the world. Most of them I'd never heard of!
I also love how in-depth the book was in regards to the Voodoo religion (which doesn't always get proper representation in fantasy), the Loa, and the depiction of witches in New Orleans. Brown's attention to detail is incredible - she clearly did her research!
This is such an incredibly unique book with a morally grey, multi-layered FMC whose full backstory is slowly unraveled throughout the course of the book. It's a tale about belonging, who the world determines is "Good" and "Bad", and wanting to be more than just the label you've been given.
Milla is a fantastic character, someone who has made terrible mistakes but is also willing to do whatever it takes to make things right. Her romance with Darkly is a very slow-burn, and their relationship feels a bit like a buddy-cop duo with a side of "oh no he's hot". I loved how much their relationship developed throughout the book (it's quite long - over 500 pages) and I look forward to where it goes from here.
The story arc wraps up pretty neatly in this book, but I look forward to returning to this world in the future to see what other adventures the characters have. (There are currently 3 books out in this series.) Amazing job BL Brown!
I love the complexity of the magic system, and how much it, and the various magical beings depicted in the book, draws from various cryptids/folklore from around the world. Most of them I'd never heard of!
I also love how in-depth the book was in regards to the Voodoo religion (which doesn't always get proper representation in fantasy), the Loa, and the depiction of witches in New Orleans. Brown's attention to detail is incredible - she clearly did her research!
This is such an incredibly unique book with a morally grey, multi-layered FMC whose full backstory is slowly unraveled throughout the course of the book. It's a tale about belonging, who the world determines is "Good" and "Bad", and wanting to be more than just the label you've been given.
Milla is a fantastic character, someone who has made terrible mistakes but is also willing to do whatever it takes to make things right. Her romance with Darkly is a very slow-burn, and their relationship feels a bit like a buddy-cop duo with a side of "oh no he's hot". I loved how much their relationship developed throughout the book (it's quite long - over 500 pages) and I look forward to where it goes from here.
The story arc wraps up pretty neatly in this book, but I look forward to returning to this world in the future to see what other adventures the characters have. (There are currently 3 books out in this series.) Amazing job BL Brown!
October 22, 2023
This book looks at the life of in person and online antique business practitioners who sell cloths in one(won) size(sea-i-zi/sir-e-zi with zi for exist or presence in ikwerre language of Nigeria.This is looked at from the life of Milla also Millapet as fondly called by Ezra who as a mentor leaves her in the craft of stitching witchery gone(ji/you for gi in Igbo and one pronounced won or gun being a male(for sending her missives).We see In the story and fiction Milla's capable(cap-a-bull/able) hands at her craft !Ezra bring her to the bar where she was safe from the CROW threats on the witches of stitcheery and their control.There is in the book an inference of the bar Being lawyers protecting business persons and craftmen from the "madam"(mar-dam or spoil dam).The book shows Milla's sacrifice of love for the Darkly(the ark Lee) in their sexual act together giving him what he wants pulling her off her witch as St Augustine.There is also the role played by Anaisa(Ah-na-esa/Ah-na-esa (meaning "opening go to perfect it or eat" and "A go perfect three or tree or t-ri" with to for eat in ikwerre language and na for go in ikwerre language also esa for three in engenni language ) who stripps their witchery bit by bit without tending the demesne as it deserved and not allowing the questions on what next..
May 16, 2024
So Bloody Annoying
1.25 Stars. Fantastic concept. So much potential for the plot. However, it was utterly ruined by the two dimensional and frankly altogether annoying main characters. The bulk of the dialogue was damn near impossible to get through due to its unnatural flow, but most importantly the REALLY annoying way Scottish jargon was overused, INCORRECTLY.
The amount of times Darkly used the word “nae”, he may as well have been written as a horse. It was the death of my patience. My eyes have rolled so frequently I fear I may be permanently cross-eyed.
Another frustrating element was the overuse of different languages. Listen, a little bit of French to spice things up here and there, fine, but there’s no need to use as many languages as you can possibly think of. It’s was all just a bit too much. Okay, a LOT too much.
I really wish I had DNFd this book but I’m too stubborn for my own good. It look me MONTHS to schlep through to the end. I’m glad it’s over. Now someone, please put me out of my misery ?
1.25 Stars. Fantastic concept. So much potential for the plot. However, it was utterly ruined by the two dimensional and frankly altogether annoying main characters. The bulk of the dialogue was damn near impossible to get through due to its unnatural flow, but most importantly the REALLY annoying way Scottish jargon was overused, INCORRECTLY.
The amount of times Darkly used the word “nae”, he may as well have been written as a horse. It was the death of my patience. My eyes have rolled so frequently I fear I may be permanently cross-eyed.
Another frustrating element was the overuse of different languages. Listen, a little bit of French to spice things up here and there, fine, but there’s no need to use as many languages as you can possibly think of. It’s was all just a bit too much. Okay, a LOT too much.
I really wish I had DNFd this book but I’m too stubborn for my own good. It look me MONTHS to schlep through to the end. I’m glad it’s over. Now someone, please put me out of my misery ?
April 2, 2024
While I don't normally reach for 600 page fantasy monsters, I knew B.L. Brown would deliver. I first met the witches of C.R.O.W. and others in Brown's world via her novella Shady Depths and I KNEW I'd be a sucker for anything else that those characters appeared in. Enter Ritual Income:
It has:
-Grumpy antique shop owners who dress like the emo kid of my teen dreams
-Overly attentive undead uncles
-local color and flavor of Florida chaos
-bean bag chairs
-a very good transcription of that savory scottish brogue that we all love
-TOO REAL MLM LIFE DEPICTION!! (Seriously, if you escaped one, maybe give yourself a little extra comfort in reading this)
-Voodoo? New Orleans? Literally magical hookups?
-SURPRISE! Vampires!
Brown's mastery of folklore, urban legend, and dedication to detailed magic systems makes this first series entry a must-read for fantasy lovers of any subgenre. You'll meet characters who cling onto your heart and refuse to let go--TRUST ME.
It has:
-Grumpy antique shop owners who dress like the emo kid of my teen dreams
-Overly attentive undead uncles
-local color and flavor of Florida chaos
-bean bag chairs
-a very good transcription of that savory scottish brogue that we all love
-TOO REAL MLM LIFE DEPICTION!! (Seriously, if you escaped one, maybe give yourself a little extra comfort in reading this)
-Voodoo? New Orleans? Literally magical hookups?
-SURPRISE! Vampires!
Brown's mastery of folklore, urban legend, and dedication to detailed magic systems makes this first series entry a must-read for fantasy lovers of any subgenre. You'll meet characters who cling onto your heart and refuse to let go--TRUST ME.
August 9, 2024
Book Review: Ritual Income
By: B.L. Brown
This book is written in third person and usually third isn’t my cup of tea but I really think it helped shadow the mystery of the story. This book had me captivated right away and I didn’t want to put it down.
I absolutely adored Milla she is a spitfire and full of snarky sarcasm. I enjoyed Ezra’s character and his story was fascinating. I think Diego was my favorite for sure. He has a sweet and energetic vibe.
I loved the slow burn of the story and how each character journeyed through the book.
She brings the story alive with her words capturing your senses. Highly recommend this book!
🔥Slow burn
🗡️Enemies-to-lovers
🌤️ Grumpy x sunshine
🐈⬛ Black cat energy
🤫 Dark secrets
💪 Strong FMC
🦮 Golden retriever MMC
💨 Shadow daddy
🌈 LGBTQ rep
❤️Pan-rep
❤️ Diverse characters
🌶️ Open door spice
By: B.L. Brown
This book is written in third person and usually third isn’t my cup of tea but I really think it helped shadow the mystery of the story. This book had me captivated right away and I didn’t want to put it down.
I absolutely adored Milla she is a spitfire and full of snarky sarcasm. I enjoyed Ezra’s character and his story was fascinating. I think Diego was my favorite for sure. He has a sweet and energetic vibe.
I loved the slow burn of the story and how each character journeyed through the book.
She brings the story alive with her words capturing your senses. Highly recommend this book!
🔥Slow burn
🗡️Enemies-to-lovers
🌤️ Grumpy x sunshine
🐈⬛ Black cat energy
🤫 Dark secrets
💪 Strong FMC
🦮 Golden retriever MMC
💨 Shadow daddy
🌈 LGBTQ rep
❤️Pan-rep
❤️ Diverse characters
🌶️ Open door spice
October 21, 2023
I started reading this book with some expectations of an adventure and some witchy vibes, but I was blown out of the water with the intricate world building, mystery, suspense, and storyline of this book! I quite literally couldn’t put it down, and there are very few novels I can say the same thing about. Milla’s story was written so eloquently and presented in such a way that kept me hooked from start to end. There was the perfect amount of comedic relief peppered around the intensity of the rest of the novel. I am SO looking forward to the sequel!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
November 21, 2023
It took me awhile to get into the storie and understand the characters, but when i got into it i started to love ste story, the plot and the characters.
Milla and Darkly are a very good team and I love the chemistry between them. Personally, I was able to empathize with Milla, which made me enjoy the story even more.
I really liked how everything built on each other and with every moment that something was resolved, more questions were added. It remained exciting until the end until Milla was able to put the pieces of the puzzle together herself.
I received an advance review copy, from Sirensbook, for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Milla and Darkly are a very good team and I love the chemistry between them. Personally, I was able to empathize with Milla, which made me enjoy the story even more.
I really liked how everything built on each other and with every moment that something was resolved, more questions were added. It remained exciting until the end until Milla was able to put the pieces of the puzzle together herself.
I received an advance review copy, from Sirensbook, for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 14, 2025
Who doesn’t love a witchy book with a self-destructing female main character who is drowning her sorrows in alcohol and is quickly categorized as suspicious by her government due to the way she manages her city? Even with this unusual introduction, it doesn’t get weirder than how quickly we are thrown into the mystery of this woman’s life. I didn’t realize how much I would enjoy trying to piece together the main character’s history and the events that may have damaged her. The chemistry and yearning between her and the male main character are palpable, even when they keep their distance due to the need for professionalism. He always keeps her in mind, checking up on her, and being the most supportive character I have encountered in a long time. There is another book in this series, but I don’t see myself picking it up anytime soon, despite how much I enjoyed the story.
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September 24, 2025DNF @ 20%. Not for me.
I couldn't get a feeling for what this book wanted to be. I found the way it dealt with heavy topics too lighthearted.
And while I don't mind looking up words I don't know, I very much mind having to do that every second paragraph. All in all I found the first chapters confusing. The magic system at least has to be somewhat understandable from context. As for the titles - if you take them from a single language, at least please explain why this language. Spanish, Czech, German, set in Florida... wtf?
I couldn't get a feeling for what this book wanted to be. I found the way it dealt with heavy topics too lighthearted.
And while I don't mind looking up words I don't know, I very much mind having to do that every second paragraph. All in all I found the first chapters confusing. The magic system at least has to be somewhat understandable from context. As for the titles - if you take them from a single language, at least please explain why this language. Spanish, Czech, German, set in Florida... wtf?
April 1, 2024
I choose to read this book because of a tiktok and I am not upset by that decision. I have never read a paranormal romance quite like this. There are witches, cryptids, creepy crawlies, and so much more. B.L. Brown reels you in with the world building, takes the ground from you with the twists and turns, and keeps you entertained with the banter. (I love Darkly, but Dies-well and Diego are so funny!)
10/10 would recommend!
5/⭐️
2/🌶️
10/10 would recommend!
5/⭐️
2/🌶️
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