STEP 1: Realize you have a unique ability to detect curses.
STEP 2: Bring cursed objects to your local (heart-stoppingly gorgeous) witch.
STEP 3: Accidentally catch the attention of a murderous family who will stop at nothing to acquire magical objects.
*
From award-winning author Tiana Warner comes a new sapphic paranormal romance full of forbidden love, dark secrets, and curses too dangerous to break.
Katie’s biggest worry starting university in Vancouver is finding her place in a new city… until she adopts a fluffy kitten that turns out to be cursed.
Her misfortune leads her to Natalie, a beautiful “veterinarian” with a she’s a witch whose job is to keep dark magic under control. Turns out, Katie has a rare ability to sense curses. Thrust into a secret coven of witches and deadly magic, she’s determined to use her special ability to help Natalie do her job. Natalie, on the other hand, just wants to keep Katie safe.
But the sinister Madsen family is also hunting for dark magic, and they’ll do anything to get it. Though involving outsiders is forbidden, Natalie has no choice but to bring Katie into her coven if she wants to protect her. As they work together to keep the world safe from curses and the Madsens’ greed, the attraction between them becomes impossible to ignore…
Tiana Warner is a #1 Amazon Bestselling Author whose books have been featured on BuzzFeed, Gizmodo, Paste Magazine, Tor, Book Riot, Foreword Reviews, and more. She is the winner of the Best Indie Book Award, the Dante Rossetti Awards, and Sequential Magazine’s Favourite Writer Award. Her works have been optioned for film and TV.
Tiana is a bisexual author who writes sapphic romance novels and comics. Her books include the critically acclaimed, Amazon bestselling series, Mermaids of Eriana Kwai and its graphic novel adaptation, as well as The Valkyrie’s Daughter (Entangled Teen), How to Flirt with a Witch, and several lesbian romance novels with Ylva Publishing.
Born and raised in British Columbia, Canada, Tiana is an outdoor enthusiast and a lifelong horseback rider. She is passionate about animal welfare and is an active volunteer with BC animal shelters and dog rescue organizations. You can often find her cuddling a foster dog, riding her horse Flynn, or exploring nature.
This witch is fiercely protective of her girl. 💜 This book has been two years in the making! The idea came about when a spider nest hatched in my bathroom, leaving me screaming as a thousand creepy-crawlies scuttled up my wall. After I calmed down, I joked that I must have been cursed by a witch… and then immediately became inspired to write. I wrote a short story about bringing cursed items to an attractive witch as an excuse to see her again, and my husband had funny ideas about some not-so-cursed kitchen appliances the protagonist could bring her. What started as a fun idea about curses turned into an entire novel about a secret coven. Enjoy!!
This was fun! I haven’t read every book by Tianna Warner, but of all the ones i have, I’ve enjoyed myself. This (I think) is her second adult novel? And I would def say it’s more the vibes of new adult. The protag is 18 and freshman in college, and it def gives off more of that vibe. Not in a bad way, just, that’s the impression I got. I enjoyed all the characters, the world building was an interesting take on magic, and the cliffhanger-ish ending def left a setup to more interesting things to come. I’ll be keeping a lookout.
I LOVED this book. It had me on the edge of my seat at times but also cackling. It has witches, intertwined secrets, interesting curses, creepy dolls, a little bit of spice and a kitten. It was truly a fun magical world and I genuinely enjoyed the world building in this story, especially the magic system. It gets quite serious at times and comes together very organically.
I received an eARC and all opinions are my own.
🏳️🌈 Rep: Bi and Filipino/German FMC, Lesbian LI
💜 Tropes/Themes: sapphic, forbidden love, opposites attract, found/chosen family, slow burn, secret society, demonic cat, witches, magic, cursed dolls, secrets and mysteries, first year in college, family dynamics,
The world building was great. The curses were fun and imaginative. Natalie (the titular witch) is a decently realized character.
The MC was one of the most annoying and 'dumb for the sake of plot' characters I've yet read. Villians are of the mustache twirling variety and the morally grey issue at the heart of the novel is tropey and not very well realized. Plenty of plot threads are left dangling for an inevitable follow up and I am undecided as to if I think it would be worth my time to read.
I can’t remember the last time a book made me laugh so much. Sapphic witches, magic, and utterly ridiculous curses.
This is a great read if you want something fast paced to cheer you up. It’s fairly low angst, amusing as hell, and the romance is well developed.
Every book of Tiana’s I’ve read so far has nailed pacing. This was my book club’s read this month, and many of us were losing our minds waiting for book club to happen so that we could read the rest.
I’d say this is perfect for NA readers. It’s a more adult book but the characters are in college and the storyline is pretty easy to follow whilst remaining interesting for adults.
I did have some slight issues with the plot that made some things unbelievable / did feel a tad ridiculous.
There is a tiny dash of spice too.
Rep// Sapphic Filipino, German Woman MC (21), Sapphic Woman MC (21), Relationship is WLW / Sapphic.
TWs listed below, please skip if you don’t want vague spoilers.
TW// explosions, death, body, injury, injury caused by dog, kidnapping, spiders, death of a parent (past), asphyxiation, brief sex scene (on page), medical scene.
How to Flirt with a Witch by Tiana Warner opens with one of our mains Katie, battling a crazed, purple-eyed kitten who melts her food bowl and attacks for no apparent reason. The seemingly possessed fluff ball is wrangled and taken to an emergency vet. A "specialist" is called in to neutralize the situation. Katie is immediately smitten with Natalie and is intrigued by her secretive manner. As it turns out, Katie has a rare ability to sense curses, and after happening upon another, she and Natalie become more involved. Katie's eyes open to a dangerous world of witches, curses, magic, and opposing sides clashing over who should be allowed to wield said magic. This book is action-packed from the start. When Katie is in danger, Natalie has to show herself as a witch to protect her from a family that will use her ability to serve their desire for power. They are willing to kill for it. Good chemistry between the main characters and a nice spicy intermission. Warner has a balanced writing style that gives us the right amount of descriptive text and dialogue to keep the story flowing. The characters are varied and likable, the hierarchy of magic is interesting, and the supernatural elements are fun and also threatening. It is easy to read, has great editing, and the first-person POV works well. Chapters have short titles and a few illustrations that add to the story. There are suspenseful parts but also moments that make me laugh. We get multiracial/Asian and bi rep. Appealing details of Vancouver, Canada, as well as the hidden fantasy side of the city. Tough female leads, complex good versus bad viewpoints, and important supporting characters. How to Flirt with a Witch is a fun urban fantasy that I recommend. It ends well but leaves some bits unresolved for the series' future. I am excited about what comes next. #urbanfantasty #witches #touchheranddie #magic #curses #AsianRep #multiracial #BiRep #Vancouver #Canada #NewAdult I received a free ARC from the author. This is my honest opinion.
This book was amazing I absolutely loved the curses and magic elements of this book with the right amount of spice. It was funny, light hearted read I couldn’t stop or put down. I’ve got unanswered questions tho that I hope we will Get answers to in a future sequel.
How to Flirt With a Witch starts out hilariously, with our MC Katie (whose POV is the only one we’ll get) on a video call with her BFF Hazel trying to catch her new kitten, which is wreaking havoc on her apartment. After finally managing to get the animal into its carrier, she heads off to the vet to try to find out what’s wrong with her frisky feline. There she meets Natalie, a veterinarian, and Katie is immediately drawn to her.
The story does get a bit more serious and a lot less slapstick as it goes on, but in really interesting ways. Katie is a new college student away from home for the first time. She’s feeling a bit out of sorts, but as it turns out she’s got an innate ability to sense curses. Natalie is a witch tasked with finding and eliminating cursed things, and she happens to be quite protective of people she cares about—particularly a beautiful new college student. Both of them are lovely and their chemistry is obvious, but there’s someone after Katie and there are some secrets being kept.
The story has an interesting magic system, and touches on some deeper topics of morality and good vs. evil, plus we get some action and magical battles. There’s not a cliffhanger ending, but with some issues left unresolved it’s clearly being set up for at least a second installment, and I’m all for it!
I received a free ARC from the author, but my review is unbiased and left voluntarily.
📝Tropes/Themes: Witches & Magic, Forbidden Love, Slow Burn, Opposites Attract, Found Family, Finding Your Place, Secrets & Hidden Truths, First Year in College, Secret Society
I truly adore this book! It’s got witches, sapphic romance, humor, drama, action, and so much more! I initially read this book back in Dec/Jan and never got my review done so I decided to listen to the audiobook before reading the sequel which releases this month! I forgot how fun and adrenaline pumping this story was!
Katie is 18 and a freshman in college, away from home, her family, and her best friend for the first time. She’s also very much an introvert and instead of trying to socialize with classmates decides to adopt a cat for company. Except it’s not just any cat…it’s a curse. And that one decision ends up sending Katie’s life in a direction she never could have anticipated - thrust into a world of magic and secrecy and the company of a very sexy witch named Natalie.
I will say - Katie was definitely annoying at times and I had to remind myself of her age. She is immature and makes rash decisions without thinking beyond herself, and her actions often end up having dire consequences. She doesn’t understand the secrecy and why Katie can’t and won’t tell her things, and she has this sense of entitlement that leads her to make choices based on her emotions in the moment without looking at the bigger picture. She too easily trusts the wrong people while refusing to trust the ones trying to protect her. She thought she found a purpose and a place where she belonged, but was always kept firmly on the outside of the circle.
While I don’t condone all of her behavior, I do understand some of it. She was shrouded by secrets and lies. She was handling deadly curses and risking her life but didn’t know what the curses were or where they came from or why any of it mattered. And when you have people on one side shutting you out and people on another wanting to offer you all the knowledge you’ve been seeking - it’s hard not to want to reach out and grab it, consequences be damned. Even if those people are the same ones stalking and attacking you. And evil people always seem to find the ones who are most vulnerable to prey on. And the Madsen family is definitely evil.
I absolutely love the magic system/hierarchy and world building Tiana did with this story. It was so different from other witchy books I’ve read and I found it fascinating. I don’t know if it was intentional but the whole story also felt very allegorical too - especially as it relates to power, ethics, morality, and politics. It’s a reminder that with knowledge comes power and with power comes responsibility - but where there is power there will always be people trying to manipulate it for their own purposes.
Natalie is definitely my favorite. She’s a badass witch who will stop at nothing to protect the people she cares about. There were times I wished I had her POV because I can’t imagine the inner turmoil she was going through being stuck between her loyalty to the coven and her feelings for Katie, especially when Katie was constantly in danger. But their flirtiness was adorable and there were definitely sparks flying even in the midst of the constant turmoil surrounding them. I’m looking forward to seeing how their relationship and chemistry grows in book two.
This was such a fun, action packed read that kept me interested and on the edge of my seat from the start! Also - I love the chapter titles! Adrienne Fleming did a wonderful job with the narration and captured both Katie and Natalie really well, their voices matched their personalities perfectly. I’m beyond excited to find out what happens next in the story - I already know it’s going to be a doozy!
⚠️TW/CW [contains some spoilers]: Stalking, Blood, Violence, Attempted Abduction/Abduction, Mention of Parental Death (past), Dog Attack, Cursed Things, Injury, Sexual Content, Death/Murder, Asphyxiation, Explosions, Manipulation, Brief Mention of Suicide, Mention of Cancer
A copy of the book was provided to Sapphic Book Club in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this book. How to Flirt with a Witch follows Katie, a college student who, unbeknownst to herself, has a knack for finding cursed items. When her kitten starts acting weird and unexplainable events start occurring around Katie, she takes her kitten to the vet and meets the hot Dr. Natalie. Once Natalie returns Katie's kitten all healthy, Katie finds herself with more questions than answers. So naturally Katie goes looking for another cursed item so she can see Natalie again.
I absolutely loved the beginning of this book. It just hooked me in and I couldn't put the book down. I was giggling all over the place. The situation was funny but mostly it was Katie and her best friend Hazel interactions as they figure out how to survive the situation. Katie made a wonderful MC to follow along as we learned about this world of witches. The magic system is interesting and I can't wait to learn more.
All in all, I really enjoyed this book. The only thing I didn't like was not knowing it was the first in the series because I immediately wanted to read the sequel and this one isn't even out yet! I am looking forward to learning more about this world and to see where Katie and Natalie's story goes.
I would recommend it for fans of urban fantasy and witches.
Ugh I wanted to love this so bad, but both of the MCs were Just. So. Stupid. I don’t think either of them made a single smart decision, nobody thought to tell each other anything or keep a single promise, but somehow they love and trust each other? Ugh.
World building can be a complicated business, but Tiana Warner does a reasonable job in How to Flirt with a Witch. Witch Natalie and not-so-normal Katie have a fraught relationship from the beginning as the pair gradually learn interesting things about each other. There is some angst, lots of drama and even outright melodrama as the story line unfolds. To some degree the various magic aspects of the world consume more of the readers’ attention than the developing relationship between Katie and Natalie. This is understandable but makes it more difficult for the reader to feel fully invested in the main characters as a couple. This is an entertaining read with a reasonably satisfying conclusion and a clear set up for volume 2.
Se me ha hecho muuuuy pesado. Empezó muy bien y la premisa me parece interesante, pero ufff, llegó un momento en el que no estaba pasando nada y el libro seguía y seguía… El final, eso sí, ha mejorado un poco, pero vamos, no mucho.
What did I think? Well. I did enjoy this book, but at the same time it felt like the MC's just pushed everything under the rug until the end of the book. All of a sudden things changed. I would have liked to have seen the characters grow and change together. I don't know, it just frustrated me. But you should still give this book a try, you may feel differently to me about it. 3.5 stars 🌟
There was a ton in this book that went unanswered. Why do curses leave crystals and butterflies? Why are there unregulated groups wandering around collecting curses when there's a whole larger coven network who could have helped track these people down and stopped them for good? How has no one else devilled an ability to sense curses? Why is this book 401 pages of pining / not pining? Why is everyone roaring everything? The idea behind this was good, and I had high hopes going into it, but the broader magical world and all the wonderful details that could have been included in it are wildly overshadowed by Katie's obsessing over Natalie. The only thing I really enjoyed about the story was that Katie was 18, and she acted like it. Finally, a child who acts like a child, and not a 34 year old veteran curse hunter in an 18 year old's body.
On the other hand, this led to some frustration about the plot. Katie can't seem to lie or behave like anything other than a child who really wants to be an adult. About the lying, at one point Katie very specifically includes a symptom caused by a curse that Natalie is essentially traumatized by. She doesn't omit it, she just tries to bury it in a list of symptoms, and this leads to the confrontation it was supposed to cause. Katie is also nicely obtuse when it comes to subterfuge, and throws away something she used to contact the Madsen's in her room trash can when she's already been told there's room service. She also pretends at one point that the Madsen's are no longer a threat and she moves out of the coven facility because Natalie told her they can't be together (for like the third time). Katie straight up chose death over denial. The ending to the book is suitably dramatic with some minor deaths, but fails to answer any of the major questions it brought up. This book felt like it was trying to be a TV show, and I'm really hoping the second book breaks the chain.
Could not finish this book. The concept is cute. it's a cute, campy, lesbian witchy romance set in my own university. But the narrators voice is just so annoying. There is so much telling not showing. The prose is rudimentary without heart. The narrator was a bit of a classic pick me girl. Very "who could ever fall in love with little ole plain me???" vibes. I gave it my best shot but I'm giving up on this one.
How to Flirt with a Witch is a fun, witty read filled with magic, moral conflicts, lovable characters, sarcasm, curses, and a sprinkling of mild spice (I’d say 🌶️🌶️/5). The magic in this world was very unique and different than anything I’ve read before. I’m not going to lie there were multiple times I wanted to reach in and slap Katie upside the head for being dumb, but she gets there eventually… Overall a great read!
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
After falling in love with Tiana Warner's The Mermaids of Eriana Kwai series, I knew I wanted to read more of her work. Admittedly, How to Flirt with a Witch pushed me slightly outside my usual comfort zone. Witches have never been a fantasy trope that particularly appealed to me, so I approached this book with some hesitation. What I found instead was a delightful surprise that quickly became one of the most enjoyable reads I've had in quite some time.
From the very first chapter, Warner's writing shines. The novel is exceptionally well written, blending fantasy, romance, humour, and adventure into a story that feels both fresh and immersive. One of the book's greatest strengths is its world-building. Every setting, magical element, and character interaction is described with such clarity and care that I could vividly envision everything I was reading. The world felt alive and tangible, drawing me deeper into the story with every page.
The plot itself is imaginative, unique, and beautifully crafted. In a genre where it can sometimes feel difficult to find something truly original, How to Flirt with a Witch manages to stand out. Warner takes familiar fantasy elements and weaves them into a story that feels entirely her own. The pacing is excellent, balancing moments of action, romance, mystery, and character growth in a way that kept me consistently engaged.
What truly elevated this novel for me, however, was its cast of characters—particularly Katie. She has quickly become one of my favourite fictional characters. Her awkwardness, stubbornness, and sense of humour made her feel incredibly authentic and relatable. Rather than being a flawless protagonist, Katie is wonderfully human in all the best ways. Her mistakes, insecurities, and determination made her easy to connect with, and I found myself thinking about her long after I had finished reading.
The humour throughout the novel deserves special mention. The banter between the characters is witty, natural, and genuinely entertaining. So many scenes had me smiling, laughing, or eagerly anticipating the next interaction. Warner has a remarkable talent for writing dialogue that feels effortless while simultaneously deepening relationships and revealing character traits. The humour never undermines the emotional moments; instead, it enhances them and makes the characters feel even more real.
Another standout aspect of the novel is the character development. Watching the characters grow, learn, and evolve throughout the story was immensely satisfying. Their progression felt believable and relatable, allowing me to become emotionally invested in their journeys. I found myself rooting for them every step of the way, celebrating their victories and feeling their setbacks. The emotional growth woven throughout the narrative adds depth to what is already a captivating fantasy romance.
Beyond its magical setting and engaging romance, How to Flirt with a Witch succeeds because it tells a heartfelt story about identity, connection, and personal growth. Warner balances these themes beautifully, creating a reading experience that is both entertaining and meaningful.
Overall, How to Flirt with a Witch exceeded every expectation I had. As someone who was initially hesitant because of the witch-centric premise, I was pleasantly surprised by just how much I loved this book. The brilliant world-building, imaginative plot, unforgettable characters, sharp humour, and meaningful character development combined to create a truly memorable read.
Tiana Warner has once again demonstrated why she has become one of my favourite fantasy authors. If you enjoy imaginative fantasy worlds, engaging romance, strong character growth, and laugh-out-loud banter, this book is absolutely worth picking up. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it and cannot wait to dive into the second book in the series.
I really enjoyed the start of the book. I enjoyed both of the characters (at least early on), and I thought the whole . I enjoyed the early flirting and teasing that was going on. I also just thought the book was fun to read, I enjoyed the curses and the larger world that was being set up. For me it really fell apart towards the end though. I was just getting frustrated with kind of everything. I was struck by how much the organization really sucks, and the moral dilemma didn't really feel like much of one to me. Moreover, I think the thing I was most frustrated by was
I wish the story had stuck to the vibe of the first half, because I didn't enjoy the second. The book ends with a definite direction for the second one, but I'm personally not very interested in reading it.
A copy of the book was provided to Sapphic Book Club in exchange for an honest review.
This book follows Katie who has recently moved across Canada for school and seemingly stumbles upon magic in the form of curses. Enter Natalie, a mysterious women who helps rid her of said curses. After their first encounter Katie is intrigued to say the least and she searches high and low to try and figure out what exactly is going on with Natalie and who or what exactly she is.
I really liked the main characters in this book and the storyline as a whole flowed really well in my opinion. It was fun to watch Katie puzzle things out and she is the definition of "curiousity killed the cat" lol I thought her and Natalie had a good dynamic and I loved the flirty moments between them (the book title did not disappoint!). I was so swept up in the story that didn't even realize it wasn't going to be a standalone book until I was like 80% done with it. I'm definitely exited to see what happens next and can't wait to pick up book 2!
I would definitely recommend this book to fans of fantasy as well as any of the author's other works. I had read the Mermaids of Eriana Kwai series by this same author and it's one of my favorites so I was glad to get back into their books. I might check out the Valkyries series next and I'll also probably buy the physical copy of this one since I enjoyed it so much!
Primeiro eu achei que a bruxa fosse ser a gatinha Lucy (que no final é na verdade uma quimera gigante) que ela acabou de adotar, mas não, é a Veterinária, cheguei nesse livro sem ler a sinopse, apenas li um comentário, que disse "Fiquei engajada desde as primeiras páginas" e esse é meu tipo de livro, amo quando a trama te envolve nas primeiras frases, dizendo algo engraçado ou absurdo, e foi como aconteceu com esse livro.
Nada como bruxas lésbicas para alegrar o dia.
Gostei muito que a mágica delas não é infinita, no sentido de que podem fazer qualquer mágica. Todas as bruxas fazem apenas "earth magic" e isso da um toque de sobriedade a trama.
Katie, a não mágica, pode sentir objetos amaldiçoados, mas mais que isso ela sente a mágica em alguns espaços e estou curiosa para saber se ela tem algum outro poder, porque isso seria muito engraçado.
"I grip the katana tighter, trembling with barely contained rage. Natalie’s unknowingly been the one leaking information to the Madsens? She’s how they’re finding out about the locations of new curses?" - Por essa eu não tava esperando, achei que teria alguma revelação de um espião e talz.
“There’s a place for you here, Katie. Even if Fiona and the others don’t see it yet.”
- Livro ótimo, mágico e com ótimas sequências de batalha, muita emoção e situações diferentes de livros de romance comuns. Mesmo focando no romance a história foca muito na mitologia mágica, mais que em "The woman from the waves" por exemplo que foca na relação das duas e conflitos internos, mais que em batalhas mágicas. - O que em conjunto, passa a sensação de um mundo mágico como em Harry Potter, que transpassa a história.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
When Katie moves across the country to start university she is looking for comfort when she adopts a kitten. Within days however, strange things begin to happen. The kitten's food dish is melted, a scorpion appears in Katie's shoes and the kitten starts acting very strange. Shaken Katie takes the kitten to the vet and meets Natalie, a stunning ‘vet’, who turns out to be a witch who destroys curses. And the kitten - cursed. Katie discovers she has the ability to sense curses. Pulled into Natalie's world of secret covens and magic, she relishes the chance to help Natalie. Katie soon discovers that the Madsen family is searching for dark magic and when they discover Katie's secret they try to recruit her. Now Katie and Natalie have to work together to destroy curses, stop the Madsens, and try to fight the growing desires between them.
From the opening scene to the end this book is action packed. It was easy to get pulled into the story. And even though it did take me a while to read this book (thanks life), I picked this book up every chance I had. The characters are so well written and so varied. And the chemistry between Katie and Natalie was so good. I loved how protective Natalie was of Katie right from the start too. As of right now I don’t know if there is a sequel coming but with and open ending like that there better be. Cannot wait to see more of this world.
Rating 3.5 stars *I received a review copy from the author for my voluntary and honest review
I generally love fantasy, but it took a while for me to get into this story. I started reading this book on January 20, 2025 and by Chapter 10 I had put the book down and wasn’t sure if I wanted to finish it. I did come back to it a little later and wound up liking it, even if the story didn’t grip me like Tiana Warner’s other books have.
I wasn’t all that impressed with the magic in the story until the very end. The sequel seems like it will explore more of the dangerous magic in this world that the author has created, so I will be checking that out when it releases. I didn’t really like the villains all that much, either. I kept thinking how it could have been fun if Freddie was a woman rather than a man and while Katie was attracted to Natalie, maybe female-Freddie could have been working on trying to get with Katie, too, in order to the information that she would have wanted from Katie. Katie is bisexual, so that still could have happened with Freddie being a man. I say all of that as someone who loathes love triangles, but I guess I was just wanting something extra from the story?
Anyway, the opening chapter with Katie and her kitten was fun. Katie being able to detect magic was a great way of getting Katie and Natalie—the witch and Katie’s love interest—together. CSAMM (ka-zam) was a neat place for the coven to reside, though I do look forward to it being more thoroughly explored in the sequel (hopefully).
This book was well-written and if you’re a Tiana Warner fan, I do recommend checking it out. It’s not as high for me as some of her other works (Snowed in with Summer is excellent and I will forever recommend her Mermaids of Eriana Kwai series), but it was worth the read.
This was a cute and fun read. The magic system was really interesting and unique, and I enjoyed the relationship between the main characters.
Small nitpick: the ages of the characters didn't seem to match up with the story. Maybe it's different in Canada, but I wouldn't expect a college freshman to be allowed to live off-campus and adopt a pet in their first semester. And Natalie is way too young to have completed veterinary school, but doesn't have a good cover story. I think it would have clicked better if Katie lived at home during undergrad and had just moved away for her first year of grad school (and Natalie was aged up accordingly).
My bigger problem was that there needed to be better storytelling around the villains, especially in the final showdown. The balance of power was illogical.
I appreciated the relative depth of backstory for Natalie and that the promised hook with Katie and her cursed kitten was exactly as funny and entertaining as I expected from reading the blurb. This book is definitely worth checking out.
P.S. How did the editors and publishing people allow that acronym to stand?
I was pretty certain that I'd buy this book after seeing that it was written by Tiana Warner, whose books I've greatly enjoyed in the past, and reading the synopsis, but I decided to try the sample first, which I liked so much that I immediately ordered "How to Flirt with a Witch" and started reading it the day after it arrived (in spite of my perfectly ordered TBR pile). And it was great! Hilarious, creative, magical, filled with loveable characters and a cute romance. I do wish the relationship between Katie and Natalie developed a little slower and that there were a few more scenes with them just hanging out and getting to know one another, though. Hopefully, in the next book. On the other hand, I especially liked the magic since the author combined some old tropes with new ideas giving it a pretty fresh feeling, something that's not very easy. Also, the book started out pretty light and funny, but slowly began to take on a more serious and thoughtful tone that I really liked.
Overall, a sweet and funny story with hidden depths.
I almost DNF'd this one early on. The beginning is so silly that it felt like the book would be borderline unreadable levels of fluff.
But, once it got going and the doll was introduced I got more invested. The world and the magic system are interesting. Unfortunately we don't learn much about them until the end of the book. The moral dilemma would have been more meaningful if it had been handled by an intelligent character.
I think the bones of this story were great, but the big flaw is that the main character is EXTREMELY immature and is as dumb as a bag of rocks. I kept reminding myself that she was 18 to try and excuse it, but my god.
"Hey, I'm risking literally everything to integrate you into this world that I tried to keep you from but you will not steer clear of. Please don't share the secrets that's the number one rule." MC immediately FaceTimes best friend and spills almost every detail every time.
I kind of want them to put her on trial at this point.
All that said, if the main character had SIGNIFICANT growth I think this could be a really fun and interesting series.