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Main Street Witches #1
Here Comes the Witch
A magical store? No problem. A haunted house? Bring it. Solving a dead witch’s murder? Now that’s when it gets interesting…
Kat Ramos has a quite a to-do list. The Manhattan jewelry designer wants to open her own shop, but she’s running short of funds. That’s when she receives a very intriguing proposition—to travel to the very haunted and extremely quirky Virginia town of Banshee Creek and help undo the deadly Hagen House curse.
In order to so, however, she must marry handsome haunted house contractor (yes, that’s a real career in Banshee Creek) Liam Hagen, manage a mysterious magical store, solve a centuries-old murder, and embrace her witchy heritage. Will Kat prevail, or will the Hagen Curse claim one last victim?
Kat Ramos has a quite a to-do list. The Manhattan jewelry designer wants to open her own shop, but she’s running short of funds. That’s when she receives a very intriguing proposition—to travel to the very haunted and extremely quirky Virginia town of Banshee Creek and help undo the deadly Hagen House curse.
In order to so, however, she must marry handsome haunted house contractor (yes, that’s a real career in Banshee Creek) Liam Hagen, manage a mysterious magical store, solve a centuries-old murder, and embrace her witchy heritage. Will Kat prevail, or will the Hagen Curse claim one last victim?
172 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 5, 2016
402 people are currently reading
748 people want to read
About the author
Ani Gonzalez
30 books485 followersHi! I write about smart, funny people making out (and finding corpses) in haunted houses. I like ghost stories, chocolate, and sangría.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 155 reviews
September 15, 2016
***Disclosure: I received a free copy in exchange for a review.***
“Let me get this straight: you want to film a Caribbean Santeria ritual that aims to exorcise an Italian ghost during a Chinese ancestor festival?” The plot in a nutshell.
What's Good: like it says, it's a light, cozy (sorta) mystery. Lots of pop culture references, one-liners and more mythological name dropping & wiccan terminology than you can shake a stick at. As a spinoff from the Banshee Creek series, the characters and setting should be readily familiar to those fans.
The PRoVE crew (Paranormal Research of Virginia Enterprises) were a fun & funny bunch- think of them as the town's version of Mythbusters. You'll enjoy whenever they make an appearance. I also liked the diversity of the town; lots of myth and lore from across the world and a studious avoidance of the same old stale Wiccan-only focus.
Amy Chan, proprietor of the local chinese restaurant, was the best character and needed much more screentime. Hopefully this'll happen in future books.
What's Bad: see above. Even though it's a spinoff, so much is invested in building up the backstory, characters and squeezing in more magickal mumbo-jumbo than necessary it comes damn close to putting you off. There's a limit to this kind of stuff; a lot of it felt like filler to pad things out because there isn't a whole lot to this 'mystery' and curse- like an Anita Blake novel, after all the buildup the main plot gets wrapped up and fizzles out in about two pages.
Theres's no actual sex in the book, just lots of kissing and attempts at building sexual tension. Attempts.
The main characters were inconsistent; they know everything about everything that's going on... except when they don't. Main man Liam is as sharp as a crayon. He knows he’s supposed to complete all the traditional marriage rituals in order to break the curse yet doesn’t seem to realize this includes giving someone a chance to object to the wedding, carrying his bride over the threshold of the house, kissing the bride and of course- consummating the marriage. Really? Because everyone else in the town knew all that.
The female lead, Kat, ain't a whole lot better- she didn't think of any of that stuff, either. The moment she meets Yolanda (Yoda), she immediately recognizes all the paraphenalia she's wearing and which gods it's dedicated to, yet she doesn't know jack all about casting spells and magic. She literally resorts to books like Wiccan for Dummies and Witchcraft 101 to break the curse on the house. Huh?
And it's odd that a place that's such a hotbed for verified paranormal activity that it's become a tourist spot, there's no governmental agency to monitor things. But maybe that's just me overthinking things.
What's Left: there's lots to like and lots to scratch your head about. It gets bogged down under its own weight, which is odd for a cozy. Think of it as a book version of an episode of Bewitched or I Dream of Jeannie.
“Let me get this straight: you want to film a Caribbean Santeria ritual that aims to exorcise an Italian ghost during a Chinese ancestor festival?” The plot in a nutshell.
What's Good: like it says, it's a light, cozy (sorta) mystery. Lots of pop culture references, one-liners and more mythological name dropping & wiccan terminology than you can shake a stick at. As a spinoff from the Banshee Creek series, the characters and setting should be readily familiar to those fans.
The PRoVE crew (Paranormal Research of Virginia Enterprises) were a fun & funny bunch- think of them as the town's version of Mythbusters. You'll enjoy whenever they make an appearance. I also liked the diversity of the town; lots of myth and lore from across the world and a studious avoidance of the same old stale Wiccan-only focus.
Amy Chan, proprietor of the local chinese restaurant, was the best character and needed much more screentime. Hopefully this'll happen in future books.
What's Bad: see above. Even though it's a spinoff, so much is invested in building up the backstory, characters and squeezing in more magickal mumbo-jumbo than necessary it comes damn close to putting you off. There's a limit to this kind of stuff; a lot of it felt like filler to pad things out because there isn't a whole lot to this 'mystery' and curse- like an Anita Blake novel, after all the buildup the main plot gets wrapped up and fizzles out in about two pages.
Theres's no actual sex in the book, just lots of kissing and attempts at building sexual tension. Attempts.
The main characters were inconsistent; they know everything about everything that's going on... except when they don't. Main man Liam is as sharp as a crayon. He knows he’s supposed to complete all the traditional marriage rituals in order to break the curse yet doesn’t seem to realize this includes giving someone a chance to object to the wedding, carrying his bride over the threshold of the house, kissing the bride and of course- consummating the marriage. Really? Because everyone else in the town knew all that.
The female lead, Kat, ain't a whole lot better- she didn't think of any of that stuff, either. The moment she meets Yolanda (Yoda), she immediately recognizes all the paraphenalia she's wearing and which gods it's dedicated to, yet she doesn't know jack all about casting spells and magic. She literally resorts to books like Wiccan for Dummies and Witchcraft 101 to break the curse on the house. Huh?
And it's odd that a place that's such a hotbed for verified paranormal activity that it's become a tourist spot, there's no governmental agency to monitor things. But maybe that's just me overthinking things.
What's Left: there's lots to like and lots to scratch your head about. It gets bogged down under its own weight, which is odd for a cozy. Think of it as a book version of an episode of Bewitched or I Dream of Jeannie.
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September 9, 2018💝FREE on Amazon today (9/9/2018)!💝
December 2, 2018
After recently finishing up the Banshee Creek series and wanting more of this humorous, quirky town and its living, living from the beyond, and monster residences, I was thrilled to see there was a spin-off series with a bit more magic to make the romance interesting.
Here Comes the Witch takes place shortly after the finish of My Ghostly Valentine from the Banshee Creek series. It is technically the first book in a new series, but it is my humble opinion that the reader will enjoy this more by starting with the Banshee Creek series. The hero, Liam Hagan, and several of the other characters crossover from that series as does the background for this new story.
Kat Ramos dreams of opening a store for her hand-made jewelry in her home town, The Bronx. To achieve this, she is willing to take Liam Hagan from Banshee Creek up on his weird and interesting business offer. Liam owns a cursed house that he can't sell until he gets the curse lifted. By doing some research he figures out that descendants of both her family and his family lines must marry and live in the old Hagan place. Liam figures a year will do the trick then he will sell the house and give her half the money. In the meantime, he agrees that she can set up her jewelry making and sell in Banshee Creek.
But, as with anything else in this town, its not that simple. Liam and Kat learn that there is more to the curse than he thought and they have to get answers about that past doomed love affair before they are in the clear. In the meantime, their business match is starting to heat up, weird things start to happen at the house, a mysterious local herb woman thinks Kat is the real deal like her witch ancestors, and the locals are hosting a Chinese Ghost Party Festival. Welcome to Banshee Creek, Kat!
This read easily and quickly. It was fun and engaging from the get-go. Kat has a lot thrown at her, but she takes it on like a pro. I loved the low drama from Liam and Kat since the story already had plenty with the history of the curse, Kat figuring out if she's a real witch, and Kat working out that her dreams might have changed after she gets immersed into life in Banshee Creek.
I loved the familiar scenes with long-time characters (and I do mean characters), crazy town happenings, the paranormal crew led by Caine, and seeing poor Liam finally get a chance to do something about the family cursed house.
All in all, I had a good old time and can't wait to keep going with the series and meet the next Main Street Witch in Banshee Creek. Paranormal Romance and romantic comedy fans are a good bet for this book and the series.
My thanks to Lola's Blog Tours for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Here Comes the Witch takes place shortly after the finish of My Ghostly Valentine from the Banshee Creek series. It is technically the first book in a new series, but it is my humble opinion that the reader will enjoy this more by starting with the Banshee Creek series. The hero, Liam Hagan, and several of the other characters crossover from that series as does the background for this new story.
Kat Ramos dreams of opening a store for her hand-made jewelry in her home town, The Bronx. To achieve this, she is willing to take Liam Hagan from Banshee Creek up on his weird and interesting business offer. Liam owns a cursed house that he can't sell until he gets the curse lifted. By doing some research he figures out that descendants of both her family and his family lines must marry and live in the old Hagan place. Liam figures a year will do the trick then he will sell the house and give her half the money. In the meantime, he agrees that she can set up her jewelry making and sell in Banshee Creek.
But, as with anything else in this town, its not that simple. Liam and Kat learn that there is more to the curse than he thought and they have to get answers about that past doomed love affair before they are in the clear. In the meantime, their business match is starting to heat up, weird things start to happen at the house, a mysterious local herb woman thinks Kat is the real deal like her witch ancestors, and the locals are hosting a Chinese Ghost Party Festival. Welcome to Banshee Creek, Kat!
This read easily and quickly. It was fun and engaging from the get-go. Kat has a lot thrown at her, but she takes it on like a pro. I loved the low drama from Liam and Kat since the story already had plenty with the history of the curse, Kat figuring out if she's a real witch, and Kat working out that her dreams might have changed after she gets immersed into life in Banshee Creek.
I loved the familiar scenes with long-time characters (and I do mean characters), crazy town happenings, the paranormal crew led by Caine, and seeing poor Liam finally get a chance to do something about the family cursed house.
All in all, I had a good old time and can't wait to keep going with the series and meet the next Main Street Witch in Banshee Creek. Paranormal Romance and romantic comedy fans are a good bet for this book and the series.
My thanks to Lola's Blog Tours for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 20, 2016
Here Comes the Witch is pegged as a romantic, cozy mystery. Kat arrives in town to complete her end of a deal that will both fund her long-wished-for jewelry shop and put an end to a generations-old curse on an old house. The only catch is, she has to marry a complete stranger and live in the house with him for a year. Still, it’s worth it if it will make her dream come true.
First off, in my opinion, this isn’t really a cozy mystery. Instead, I’d call it a ghost story with romance, or maybe a cozy ghost story, if such a thing exists. Still, the history behind the haunting is rather mysterious so maybe that’s where the cozy mystery tag comes from.
The book’s a fun read: humorous, scary and romantic in turn. Quite unique. There is an element of the occult, if you couldn’t guess by the cover and the title, but it fits right in with the ghost story. Not only is the house haunted, but the whole town is, and they’ve made it a tourist draw. I thought it added an amusing flare to the story. But the town’s phenomena are mostly benign, whereas the ghost (or ghosts) in the house seem anything but. They’re downright scary. Then add in Kat and Liam’s sham of a marriage getting a little more real than either expected, and it’s quite an interesting mix.
Overall, I loved this story and would strongly recommend it to folks who love a good romance with some magic and a few angry ghosts thrown into the mix.
I received the review copy of this book from the author via Lola’s Blog Tours. This review was written for my blog, I read too much!
First off, in my opinion, this isn’t really a cozy mystery. Instead, I’d call it a ghost story with romance, or maybe a cozy ghost story, if such a thing exists. Still, the history behind the haunting is rather mysterious so maybe that’s where the cozy mystery tag comes from.
The book’s a fun read: humorous, scary and romantic in turn. Quite unique. There is an element of the occult, if you couldn’t guess by the cover and the title, but it fits right in with the ghost story. Not only is the house haunted, but the whole town is, and they’ve made it a tourist draw. I thought it added an amusing flare to the story. But the town’s phenomena are mostly benign, whereas the ghost (or ghosts) in the house seem anything but. They’re downright scary. Then add in Kat and Liam’s sham of a marriage getting a little more real than either expected, and it’s quite an interesting mix.
Overall, I loved this story and would strongly recommend it to folks who love a good romance with some magic and a few angry ghosts thrown into the mix.
I received the review copy of this book from the author via Lola’s Blog Tours. This review was written for my blog, I read too much!
March 14, 2022
When I started this book, I thought that I wasn’t going to like it. First, there was the cover. While lovely, I felt it implied a cutesy type of witch cozy, which isn’t usually my cup of tea.
Then there was the premise, which seemed a little over the top at first. Kat Ramos, a Manhattan jewelry designer, is looking for capital to start her own store when she agrees to an odd proposal. Liam Hagen has renovated his family’s haunted house and wants to sell it, but first he needs to break the curse put on it, by marrying a descendant of the witch who cursed it in the first place.
That descendant is Kat and she thinks she’s entered the Twilight Zone when she arrives in Liam’s hometown of Banshee Creek. The whole town is haunted and is proud of it. They even have their own ghost-hunting business.
I like my paranormal in small doses that are at least somewhat realistic, i.e., it could happen, maybe... This story seemed to be heaping the paranormal on.
But I do like a good ghost story. So I kept reading.
I’m so glad I did! The story is well written and the mystery around the ghost and the curse is intriguing, with some very nice twists and turns.
And I kinda fell in love with Kat and Liam as they (slight spoiler alert) are falling in love with each other.
Then there was the premise, which seemed a little over the top at first. Kat Ramos, a Manhattan jewelry designer, is looking for capital to start her own store when she agrees to an odd proposal. Liam Hagen has renovated his family’s haunted house and wants to sell it, but first he needs to break the curse put on it, by marrying a descendant of the witch who cursed it in the first place.
That descendant is Kat and she thinks she’s entered the Twilight Zone when she arrives in Liam’s hometown of Banshee Creek. The whole town is haunted and is proud of it. They even have their own ghost-hunting business.
I like my paranormal in small doses that are at least somewhat realistic, i.e., it could happen, maybe... This story seemed to be heaping the paranormal on.
But I do like a good ghost story. So I kept reading.
I’m so glad I did! The story is well written and the mystery around the ghost and the curse is intriguing, with some very nice twists and turns.
And I kinda fell in love with Kat and Liam as they (slight spoiler alert) are falling in love with each other.
July 16, 2021
Here Comes the Witch is Book 1 in the Main Street Witches series. The series is a spinoff the author's other series Banshee Creek. I did not read the original series, so I came into this one as a newbie. I found it didn't affect my reading of the book.
Kat Ramos travels to the haunted town of Banshee Creek to help undo a deadly curse. The solution? She must marry one of the locals!
Get ready for a lighthearted, easy read full of witchy magic and humorous references. Overall, I found Here Comes the Witch to be entertaining. The plot centered more around romance than mystery (I would have preferred the other way around, but that's my personal opinion!). There are sometimes bits of the book that seem a little heavy for a cozy, but overall, the book achieves a nice, light read with plenty of entertainment and spooky fun!
Kat Ramos travels to the haunted town of Banshee Creek to help undo a deadly curse. The solution? She must marry one of the locals!
Get ready for a lighthearted, easy read full of witchy magic and humorous references. Overall, I found Here Comes the Witch to be entertaining. The plot centered more around romance than mystery (I would have preferred the other way around, but that's my personal opinion!). There are sometimes bits of the book that seem a little heavy for a cozy, but overall, the book achieves a nice, light read with plenty of entertainment and spooky fun!
January 23, 2020
A fun, lighthearted paranormal story. Predictable, yet entertaining.
And this quote made me laugh:
“I'm Norwegian and our ghosts don't care about nookie, just raiding, blood feuds, and herring recipes."
And this quote made me laugh:
“I'm Norwegian and our ghosts don't care about nookie, just raiding, blood feuds, and herring recipes."
September 20, 2018
A wonderful blend
Of funny and edgy! Well-written, well-paced, with lovely characters. An engaging read, and I definitely will read the next book.
Of funny and edgy! Well-written, well-paced, with lovely characters. An engaging read, and I definitely will read the next book.
April 5, 2019
Crossposted from my blog > https://authorionacaldwell.wixsite.co...
Overall: 2.5 out of 5 Stars
Cover: 3 out of 5 Stars (because it looks like a cozy)
***Disclaimer: These views are my own opinion. I will always recommend people to read the novel and form their own opinion.***
My, my. How I wanted so badly to like this book. I really won't go much into the plot because the synopsis gives a good description but long story short - cursed house needs a ritual completed which just happens to be a wedding between the owner of the house and an heir to the witch who cast the spell. Needless to say, they actually start loving each other which wasn't supposed to happen.
While it was supposed to be a "cozy mystery" it read nothing like one. Usually cozies have some murder or a massive problem and something warming to help alleviate this tension. This was NOT that. It was more like a contemporary romance with a hint of supernatural.
The Hagen house was supposed to be a cursed object. Something sentient that would never let itself be sold. Here's the problem with this being the "inciting incident." The character could've taken his losses and walked away. Liam really didn't have to go back to the house and try to salvage it. Yes, it cost him some money and he would've lost some but in the end, he knew the house was dangerous and should've walked away. A strong inciting incident doesn't allow the character to choose. Frodo didn't have a choice and neither did Harry Potter. They both had to move towards their destinies, they didn't have a choice.
I couldn't connect with either of the characters, the world building was shallow. The dialogue felt forced and not at all natural. Just not my cup of tea. I went into it thinking it was one thing only to find it was another. It was disappointing.
However, I do think anyone who appreciates a nice humorous, contemporary romance and love-at-first-sight will enjoy it. I'd recommend it to those readers. If you are looking for heavy paranormal activity, you're most likely not going to enjoy it.
Overall: 2.5 out of 5 Stars
Cover: 3 out of 5 Stars (because it looks like a cozy)
***Disclaimer: These views are my own opinion. I will always recommend people to read the novel and form their own opinion.***
My, my. How I wanted so badly to like this book. I really won't go much into the plot because the synopsis gives a good description but long story short - cursed house needs a ritual completed which just happens to be a wedding between the owner of the house and an heir to the witch who cast the spell. Needless to say, they actually start loving each other which wasn't supposed to happen.
While it was supposed to be a "cozy mystery" it read nothing like one. Usually cozies have some murder or a massive problem and something warming to help alleviate this tension. This was NOT that. It was more like a contemporary romance with a hint of supernatural.
The Hagen house was supposed to be a cursed object. Something sentient that would never let itself be sold. Here's the problem with this being the "inciting incident." The character could've taken his losses and walked away. Liam really didn't have to go back to the house and try to salvage it. Yes, it cost him some money and he would've lost some but in the end, he knew the house was dangerous and should've walked away. A strong inciting incident doesn't allow the character to choose. Frodo didn't have a choice and neither did Harry Potter. They both had to move towards their destinies, they didn't have a choice.
I couldn't connect with either of the characters, the world building was shallow. The dialogue felt forced and not at all natural. Just not my cup of tea. I went into it thinking it was one thing only to find it was another. It was disappointing.
However, I do think anyone who appreciates a nice humorous, contemporary romance and love-at-first-sight will enjoy it. I'd recommend it to those readers. If you are looking for heavy paranormal activity, you're most likely not going to enjoy it.
December 21, 2021
Fun! Looking forward to the rest of the series.
September 20, 2016
Read this review and more on my blog.The Book Return Blog ‘Here Comes the Witch’ is a cozy/mystery/romance with a twist. Kat Ramos comes back to her ancestral town of Banshee Creek.Her mission is to help lift a curse that was placed on a home by one of her ancestors. This turns out to be more complicated than she thought.
When I first read the synopsis of this book,I was a little scared. I thought that the town of ‘Banshee Creek’ sounded a lot like the town of Cassadaga, Florida (which scares the daylights out of me). I was relieved to find out the town in the story was quirky and full of fun characters. The town even comes with its own spooky stores such as a bakery that makes bat cookies.
Usually, I am not a big paranormal reader but this book seemed different. It’s storyline is very fresh. I feel as if many books now a days just rehash similar plots over and over but ‘Here Comes the Witch’ is totally new and unique. The intriguing plot of the story, drew me in at once.
‘Here Comes the Witch’ would make a wonderful rainy day read and is perfect for the upcoming Halloween season.
The pace of the story was good. The characters were amazing. This was an altogether fun read that mixed together different genres perfectly.
I am so glad I read this book. It was something totally new for me and I will definitely be reading of Ani Gonzalez’s works.
When I first read the synopsis of this book,I was a little scared. I thought that the town of ‘Banshee Creek’ sounded a lot like the town of Cassadaga, Florida (which scares the daylights out of me). I was relieved to find out the town in the story was quirky and full of fun characters. The town even comes with its own spooky stores such as a bakery that makes bat cookies.
Usually, I am not a big paranormal reader but this book seemed different. It’s storyline is very fresh. I feel as if many books now a days just rehash similar plots over and over but ‘Here Comes the Witch’ is totally new and unique. The intriguing plot of the story, drew me in at once.
‘Here Comes the Witch’ would make a wonderful rainy day read and is perfect for the upcoming Halloween season.
The pace of the story was good. The characters were amazing. This was an altogether fun read that mixed together different genres perfectly.
I am so glad I read this book. It was something totally new for me and I will definitely be reading of Ani Gonzalez’s works.
October 22, 2024
Here Comes the Witch is book one in the Main Street Witches series by Ani Gonzalez.
I picked this up as a freebie. I was looking for a fun cozy mystery with some magic, but I just couldn’t get into the story and romance.
It’s got a lot of pop culture references and one-liners. I din’t realize this was a spinoff from the Banshee Creek series, until I read a few reviews. I haven’t read the Banshee Creek series. Not sure if you need to before picking this one up.
I didn’t care for the set up ‘mystery’ aka curse. We put two people together who don’t know each other and they get married on the first day they see each other to try and break the curse.
Liam and Kat were inconsistent. They knew everything about everything until they didn’t. It just didn’t click with me.
The romance was blah. I never connected to either Kat and Liam. The author was trying to build sexual tension, but for me she didn’t pull it off.
Her Comes the Witch didn’t capture me. If the blurb intrigues you, I urge you to give it a shot. Just because it did not work for me does not mean it won’t for you.
Rated: DNF 42%
I picked this up as a freebie. I was looking for a fun cozy mystery with some magic, but I just couldn’t get into the story and romance.
It’s got a lot of pop culture references and one-liners. I din’t realize this was a spinoff from the Banshee Creek series, until I read a few reviews. I haven’t read the Banshee Creek series. Not sure if you need to before picking this one up.
I didn’t care for the set up ‘mystery’ aka curse. We put two people together who don’t know each other and they get married on the first day they see each other to try and break the curse.
Liam and Kat were inconsistent. They knew everything about everything until they didn’t. It just didn’t click with me.
The romance was blah. I never connected to either Kat and Liam. The author was trying to build sexual tension, but for me she didn’t pull it off.
Her Comes the Witch didn’t capture me. If the blurb intrigues you, I urge you to give it a shot. Just because it did not work for me does not mean it won’t for you.
Rated: DNF 42%
December 9, 2016
This series is a spin off of Ani Gonzalez's Banshee Creek series.
Although the opening was good, it came off a bit shaky and took a little while for me to get back into the groove of the Banshee Creek community and atmosphere.
Though there were a few rough spots in the book and some of the dialogue a bit iffy, overall it was an interesting and fun read. I'm definitely loving how the Hagen house curse was finally delved into and am not disappointed at the mystery that was uncovered.
Definitely one of the better books of the Banshee Creek universe, in my opinion .
Although the opening was good, it came off a bit shaky and took a little while for me to get back into the groove of the Banshee Creek community and atmosphere.
Though there were a few rough spots in the book and some of the dialogue a bit iffy, overall it was an interesting and fun read. I'm definitely loving how the Hagen house curse was finally delved into and am not disappointed at the mystery that was uncovered.
Definitely one of the better books of the Banshee Creek universe, in my opinion .
February 6, 2017
This was pretty much a simplistic romance with a dash of paranormal - I lost interest about half way through.
November 24, 2021
RATING:
3 STARS
How far would you go to break a curse? Kat Ramos (a struggling jewelry designer) and Liam Hagen (Banshee Creek’s resident contractor) are willing to go all the way down the aisle to break the famous curse on the infamous Hagen House. Unfortunately for them, the Hagen House is not interested in getting sold (or going down) without a fight. Spooky shenanigans ensue in Ani Gonzales’ Here Comes the Witch as Kat and Liam struggle to deal with the seemingly sentient house and determine what caused the curse so they can finally break it.
I really enjoyed the residents of Banshee Creek, and how they have embraced the title of “most haunted town in the USA”. Some of the names of locations in the town were super corny (i.e. “Satan’s Own Shopping Strip”) and I loved it! I couldn’t stop laughing while reading. As much as the story focused on the relationship between Kat and Liam, I would have appreciated more screen time for some of the other people in town. They seem very well developed, and in retrospect, I realized that they got their time in the spotlight in various books of the primary Banshee Creek series. Thankfully, there was never a time that I felt that coming into the world of Banshee Creek fresh impacted my ability to understand and enjoy the story (so feel free to start with these books instead of the original Banshee Creek series if that's what you feel like).
There were times when I got lost in all of the cultural references that the author brought up. I think a good quote to emphasize this point would be “Let me get this straight. You want to film a Caribbean Santeria ritual that aims to exorcise an Italian ghost during a Chinese festival?” The story might have been better served by limiting the references (i.e. just using references from the Wiccan and Santeria cultures).
Banshee Creek seems like a super fun town to visit. I especially want to visit the bakery and sample some of their goods (the vampire churros sound delicious). If anyone ever finds a town like this, feel free to reach out and let me know!
Overall, Here Comes the Witch is a cozy, small-town contemporary romance story with some paranormal elements thrown in. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy very humorous, quirky, and light contemporary romance books. The paranormal aspect can feel sparse at times - readers who are looking for a story that's heavy on the paranormal aspect may not enjoy it as much as others.
Thank you to the author and Lola’s Blog Tours for allowing me the opportunity to read and review the book. I appreciate the opportunity!
How far would you go to break a curse? Kat Ramos (a struggling jewelry designer) and Liam Hagen (Banshee Creek’s resident contractor) are willing to go all the way down the aisle to break the famous curse on the infamous Hagen House. Unfortunately for them, the Hagen House is not interested in getting sold (or going down) without a fight. Spooky shenanigans ensue in Ani Gonzales’ Here Comes the Witch as Kat and Liam struggle to deal with the seemingly sentient house and determine what caused the curse so they can finally break it.
I really enjoyed the residents of Banshee Creek, and how they have embraced the title of “most haunted town in the USA”. Some of the names of locations in the town were super corny (i.e. “Satan’s Own Shopping Strip”) and I loved it! I couldn’t stop laughing while reading. As much as the story focused on the relationship between Kat and Liam, I would have appreciated more screen time for some of the other people in town. They seem very well developed, and in retrospect, I realized that they got their time in the spotlight in various books of the primary Banshee Creek series. Thankfully, there was never a time that I felt that coming into the world of Banshee Creek fresh impacted my ability to understand and enjoy the story (so feel free to start with these books instead of the original Banshee Creek series if that's what you feel like).
There were times when I got lost in all of the cultural references that the author brought up. I think a good quote to emphasize this point would be “Let me get this straight. You want to film a Caribbean Santeria ritual that aims to exorcise an Italian ghost during a Chinese festival?” The story might have been better served by limiting the references (i.e. just using references from the Wiccan and Santeria cultures).
Banshee Creek seems like a super fun town to visit. I especially want to visit the bakery and sample some of their goods (the vampire churros sound delicious). If anyone ever finds a town like this, feel free to reach out and let me know!
Overall, Here Comes the Witch is a cozy, small-town contemporary romance story with some paranormal elements thrown in. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy very humorous, quirky, and light contemporary romance books. The paranormal aspect can feel sparse at times - readers who are looking for a story that's heavy on the paranormal aspect may not enjoy it as much as others.
Thank you to the author and Lola’s Blog Tours for allowing me the opportunity to read and review the book. I appreciate the opportunity!
October 18, 2017
Disclaimer: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
This is apparently a cozy mystery (I think?) but it didn't really read like one, it's more a lighthearted paranormal. Cozy paranormal? That should be a thing!
It is a spinoff of another series, Banshee Creek, which I haven't read. I don't think I missed out on anything though - and indeed, it made me curious about that series itself, which I will have to check out at some point.
Our main character is Kat Ramos, she's in town for an unusual business arrangement. To marry Liam Hagen, in the hopes of breaking a long held family curse on Hagen House. Then it can be sold and everyone can move on (one of Kat's ancestors put a curse on the place). She's doing this to make her dreams of owning a jewellery shop become a reality, as they will split the proceeds when the property sells.
There's some quirky characters in this. The PRoVE team (Paranormal Research of Virginia Enterprises) were a delight, as was Amy from the Chinese restaurant (I hope there's more about her in future instalments!) I liked Kat well enough, although her and Liam both made me roll my eyes. For a couple of people who had researched this place very well, they were both pretty dumb about it. Also, it was established that the house only had a grudge against Hagens, but then it seemed like it was against both families. Perhaps I interpreted it incorrectly to begin with?
Anyway. The writing was engaging, but the pacing was a bit slow at first, but then it ramped up and was a bit too fast. Things happened and suddenly it was over! I would have liked to seen the mystery of the house drawn out a bit more. We weren't privy to Kat's 'solving' of the ghostly mystery, which was disappointing. She was also one of those characters that just gets everything right first go, there wasn't much tension at the climax. And the romance was...okay. It was just there, I didn't feel strongly about it either way.
All in all it was a cute, fun read; if a bit short. I am curious enough to read more though!
I read this book thanks to Lola's Blog Tours :)
This is apparently a cozy mystery (I think?) but it didn't really read like one, it's more a lighthearted paranormal. Cozy paranormal? That should be a thing!
It is a spinoff of another series, Banshee Creek, which I haven't read. I don't think I missed out on anything though - and indeed, it made me curious about that series itself, which I will have to check out at some point.
Our main character is Kat Ramos, she's in town for an unusual business arrangement. To marry Liam Hagen, in the hopes of breaking a long held family curse on Hagen House. Then it can be sold and everyone can move on (one of Kat's ancestors put a curse on the place). She's doing this to make her dreams of owning a jewellery shop become a reality, as they will split the proceeds when the property sells.
There's some quirky characters in this. The PRoVE team (Paranormal Research of Virginia Enterprises) were a delight, as was Amy from the Chinese restaurant (I hope there's more about her in future instalments!) I liked Kat well enough, although her and Liam both made me roll my eyes. For a couple of people who had researched this place very well, they were both pretty dumb about it. Also, it was established that the house only had a grudge against Hagens, but then it seemed like it was against both families. Perhaps I interpreted it incorrectly to begin with?
Anyway. The writing was engaging, but the pacing was a bit slow at first, but then it ramped up and was a bit too fast. Things happened and suddenly it was over! I would have liked to seen the mystery of the house drawn out a bit more. We weren't privy to Kat's 'solving' of the ghostly mystery, which was disappointing. She was also one of those characters that just gets everything right first go, there wasn't much tension at the climax. And the romance was...okay. It was just there, I didn't feel strongly about it either way.
All in all it was a cute, fun read; if a bit short. I am curious enough to read more though!
I read this book thanks to Lola's Blog Tours :)
September 28, 2019
4 Hoax or Haunt Stars
Here Comes the Witch is the first book in the Main Street Witches series by Ani Gonzalez.
This novel turned out to be exactly what I have been desperately craving and searching for. I’ve read so many different twists to everyday supernatural, witchy-woo tropes that I was feeling burned out when it came to my favorite genre. Reading this fascinating and suspense-filled tale by Ani, breathed new life into my love and devouring reading tendencies.
Katalina Santelli and Liam Hagen have concocted a hair-brained & over simplified plan to end the nuisance of a curse that has plagued his families home since the deaths of their ancestors. Haunted Hagen Manor resides in the small town in Virginia coined as “The Most Haunted Town of the USA”. A town that maneuvers their sordid, sketchy, supernatural origins by advertising it out to kitschy and imaginative American tourists. The whole town is a little kooky. Which happens to work for them with their interestingly named restaurants and PRoVe, the large gathering of ghost hunters residing in town.
With all these quirky qualities, you’ll follow two different love stories to resolving old wrongs and the building of new lives.
Here Comes the Witch is the first book in the Main Street Witches series by Ani Gonzalez.
This novel turned out to be exactly what I have been desperately craving and searching for. I’ve read so many different twists to everyday supernatural, witchy-woo tropes that I was feeling burned out when it came to my favorite genre. Reading this fascinating and suspense-filled tale by Ani, breathed new life into my love and devouring reading tendencies.
Katalina Santelli and Liam Hagen have concocted a hair-brained & over simplified plan to end the nuisance of a curse that has plagued his families home since the deaths of their ancestors. Haunted Hagen Manor resides in the small town in Virginia coined as “The Most Haunted Town of the USA”. A town that maneuvers their sordid, sketchy, supernatural origins by advertising it out to kitschy and imaginative American tourists. The whole town is a little kooky. Which happens to work for them with their interestingly named restaurants and PRoVe, the large gathering of ghost hunters residing in town.
With all these quirky qualities, you’ll follow two different love stories to resolving old wrongs and the building of new lives.
March 28, 2021
As usual, I love books that get trashed while hate books that get 5-star ratings. Go figure. I saw a ton of low reviews on this book and I am glad I ignored them.
I loved Kat and Liam. I liked that this isn't your typical paranormal cozy. It's not really a mystery. It's more of a romance with ghosts and a bit of a mystery about the ghosts. There are darker elements of jealousy and betrayal due to the ghosts. However, the majority of the book is about Kat discovering she's a witch and the developing relationships between her and Liam and Kat and the town.
I love the town of Banshee Creek, all it's residents, and it's wackiness. This is a town that I would love to visit. Maybe. I'm kind of a scaredy-cat and I'm not sure I'd enjoy seeing ghosts everywhere.
I think I may have read these books out of order. I should have finished the Banshee Creek series before reading this book. Then I would have enjoyed seeing those characters pop up in this story more.
I loved Kat and Liam. I liked that this isn't your typical paranormal cozy. It's not really a mystery. It's more of a romance with ghosts and a bit of a mystery about the ghosts. There are darker elements of jealousy and betrayal due to the ghosts. However, the majority of the book is about Kat discovering she's a witch and the developing relationships between her and Liam and Kat and the town.
I love the town of Banshee Creek, all it's residents, and it's wackiness. This is a town that I would love to visit. Maybe. I'm kind of a scaredy-cat and I'm not sure I'd enjoy seeing ghosts everywhere.
"I'm Norwegian and our ghosts don't care about nookie, just raiding, blood feuds, and herring recipes."*snickers*
I think I may have read these books out of order. I should have finished the Banshee Creek series before reading this book. Then I would have enjoyed seeing those characters pop up in this story more.
December 3, 2020
I thought this was a fun read. I feel like I probably should've read the previous series too understand the characters better but it is what it is. Liam and Kat were cute together and clearly the attraction was there from the start. I figured they'd be more than just housemates. What I thought was silly was them thinking that just getting married but not actually living as husband and wife would break the curse. Come on!
Kat insists she's not a witch but with one question from Cassie all of a sudden she thinks she is? Ok??? 🤔🤷🏻♀️ All of a sudden she's figured out the curse, creates a complicated spell fusing different kinds of religions and magic and it works? That was, for me, really lame. The ending seemed pretty rushed and the build up wasn't very exciting. Liam and Kat stay married and are in love, I think, after a week or so of marriage? I guess the sex was just that good, lol. I mean there was attraction and then bam, they're in love. Unrealistic, but whatever. I did like the book and will likely read the rest of this series though.
Kat insists she's not a witch but with one question from Cassie all of a sudden she thinks she is? Ok??? 🤔🤷🏻♀️ All of a sudden she's figured out the curse, creates a complicated spell fusing different kinds of religions and magic and it works? That was, for me, really lame. The ending seemed pretty rushed and the build up wasn't very exciting. Liam and Kat stay married and are in love, I think, after a week or so of marriage? I guess the sex was just that good, lol. I mean there was attraction and then bam, they're in love. Unrealistic, but whatever. I did like the book and will likely read the rest of this series though.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 19, 2020
Will a new witch be able to break a curse before it kills her?
A scary but not scary enough to give you nightmares mystery. Although the initial crimes happened in the distant past, the consequences are proving deadly in the here and now. Kat has come to marry the owner of a house ... a house with a curse. Supposedly, it all started with star-crossed lovers. Kat is a descendant of the original bride to be. Liam, the owner of the house, a descendant of the original groom. The hope is that if they legally marry and live in the house, even though it is actually to be a business transaction, that the curse will be broken. However, nothing is as it seems. Will they break the curse? Will they even survive? Loved the storyline, the characters and the approach. Five stars.
A scary but not scary enough to give you nightmares mystery. Although the initial crimes happened in the distant past, the consequences are proving deadly in the here and now. Kat has come to marry the owner of a house ... a house with a curse. Supposedly, it all started with star-crossed lovers. Kat is a descendant of the original bride to be. Liam, the owner of the house, a descendant of the original groom. The hope is that if they legally marry and live in the house, even though it is actually to be a business transaction, that the curse will be broken. However, nothing is as it seems. Will they break the curse? Will they even survive? Loved the storyline, the characters and the approach. Five stars.
November 2, 2017
A town that claims it is the most haunted town in the country. Most of the original homes in town claim paranormal experiences. Liam Hagen has been remodeling and flipping house but he can’t sell his own home, it is cursed. The local Santera “wise woman”, Yolanda, has tried cleansing with no result. Yolanda recommends he try to remove the curse by marrying an heir of the woman who cursed the house and Hagen family. So Liam locates a Santelli heir, Kat Ramos and gets her to agree to a years marriage. But the curse isn’t broken following the wedding, what ritual did they miss?
A light read with mostly character establishment and back story in this first book of the series.
A light read with mostly character establishment and back story in this first book of the series.
September 11, 2019
Bewitchingly entertaining
I enjoyed this cute story of a handsome contractor, Liam, who has restored his ancestral home but now needs a bride to remove the curse placed on the house a hundred years ago. Kat, needing money to finance her jewelry business venture agrees to the marriage arrangement. It also seems that her great great aunt was the one who placed the curse.
The results were somewhat predictable, but I liked the premise, the writing, and characters that kept me interested. Romance and witchcraft made a good combo. I may visit my local apothecary/spell store soon.
I enjoyed this cute story of a handsome contractor, Liam, who has restored his ancestral home but now needs a bride to remove the curse placed on the house a hundred years ago. Kat, needing money to finance her jewelry business venture agrees to the marriage arrangement. It also seems that her great great aunt was the one who placed the curse.
The results were somewhat predictable, but I liked the premise, the writing, and characters that kept me interested. Romance and witchcraft made a good combo. I may visit my local apothecary/spell store soon.
January 7, 2022
Good story
This is the first time I have read a book by this author, and it was time well spent. Liam and Kat, along with a town full of quirky characters, bring Banshee Creek, VA to life for me. Caine's new viewpoint on the haunting led to the perfect ending, with Kat coming into her witchy powers. Although I would have liked a more involved vanquishing. The epilogue was a nice touch. And I love that the story is set in NoVa. I'll have to hit the libraries in Manassas and Loudon to look for grimoires. Some editing issues were noted. Oh yeah, what happened with the "cracked" stone that was stuffed in the kitchen drawer? What came out of it?
This is the first time I have read a book by this author, and it was time well spent. Liam and Kat, along with a town full of quirky characters, bring Banshee Creek, VA to life for me. Caine's new viewpoint on the haunting led to the perfect ending, with Kat coming into her witchy powers. Although I would have liked a more involved vanquishing. The epilogue was a nice touch. And I love that the story is set in NoVa. I'll have to hit the libraries in Manassas and Loudon to look for grimoires. Some editing issues were noted. Oh yeah, what happened with the "cracked" stone that was stuffed in the kitchen drawer? What came out of it?
December 15, 2016
Entertaining
I loved that a Latina, jewelry designer Kat Ramos is the lead in this story. Entrepreneurial, educated and strong, she reminds me of all the women in my family. But I digress. Ani Gonzalez introduces us to a very special town. The inhabitants marketing the town for what its best known for. The Paranormal. Hauntings, poltergeists, spirits malevolent and not. She has incorporated many belief systems, correctly I might add to spin a tale that captures a reader's interest. Well done Ms. Gonzalez! I look forward to more of this series.
I loved that a Latina, jewelry designer Kat Ramos is the lead in this story. Entrepreneurial, educated and strong, she reminds me of all the women in my family. But I digress. Ani Gonzalez introduces us to a very special town. The inhabitants marketing the town for what its best known for. The Paranormal. Hauntings, poltergeists, spirits malevolent and not. She has incorporated many belief systems, correctly I might add to spin a tale that captures a reader's interest. Well done Ms. Gonzalez! I look forward to more of this series.
October 14, 2018
Entertaining story
I liked the premise of this book, and the characters were interesting. However, the plot could have been developed more. The final quarter of the book seemed very rushed. I mean Kat is told that she is a witch, and the next thing she does is put together a very complicated spell! I would have liked some information about the research she did, but we weren't given any of that.
I liked the premise of this book, and the characters were interesting. However, the plot could have been developed more. The final quarter of the book seemed very rushed. I mean Kat is told that she is a witch, and the next thing she does is put together a very complicated spell! I would have liked some information about the research she did, but we weren't given any of that.
November 19, 2018
I love Main Street Witches Series. I’ve read three of four and they are edged more into the paranormal, but please read Banshee Creek Series first. I enjoy how all the characters intertwine from book to book, series to series.
*****SPOILER ALERT*****
I thoroughly enjoy the fake marriage trope and this does not disappoint. I would have like to see more of Kat’s development as a witch, but the author does a very good job of it with the limited length of this book.
*****SPOILER ALERT*****
I thoroughly enjoy the fake marriage trope and this does not disappoint. I would have like to see more of Kat’s development as a witch, but the author does a very good job of it with the limited length of this book.
April 19, 2019
I'ts Time to Heal
You float in this happy place from the moment Kat meets Liam they're at at cross road Kat thinks she knows what she's doing,Liam truly believes this will work. Yolanda promised this would break the curce, only time will tell. What a marvelous aray of crazy caracters and different lifes passions being fallowed, each one carries paranormal to your door,it makes for a fascinating series . 😉😊🤔🙄 Kat
You float in this happy place from the moment Kat meets Liam they're at at cross road Kat thinks she knows what she's doing,Liam truly believes this will work. Yolanda promised this would break the curce, only time will tell. What a marvelous aray of crazy caracters and different lifes passions being fallowed, each one carries paranormal to your door,it makes for a fascinating series . 😉😊🤔🙄 Kat
September 22, 2019
A fun light read. Kat seemed a bit too perfect and a bit too knowledgeable (I guess she did do a lot of research) but still not understanding what is actually going on. She's told she is a witch (like her ancestress) and then the first spell she does is really complicated; in the meantime she's trying to convince herself she isn't really a witch. That seems a bit much to me. I did like that her and Liam were attracted to each other but tried hard not to be. The ending was good.
March 8, 2022
A Cursed House
Kat and Liam are descendants of old star crossed lovers who were both killed, or committed suicide, before they could run away and elope. A curse was out on the Hagan House and the recent descendants, Kat and Liam, must marry and live in the house. Does their marriage manage to lift the curse? Or is there really a curse at all? Read this enjoyable book and find out for yourself.
Kat and Liam are descendants of old star crossed lovers who were both killed, or committed suicide, before they could run away and elope. A curse was out on the Hagan House and the recent descendants, Kat and Liam, must marry and live in the house. Does their marriage manage to lift the curse? Or is there really a curse at all? Read this enjoyable book and find out for yourself.
September 10, 2018
A little different
This story was somewhat different than most cozy mysteries what with the paranormal happenings. It was interesting that all the ghosts, hexes, and other magical occurrences were normal in the town of Banshee. I felt the ending (don't want to give it away) could have been detailed more, but I enjoyed the book very much.
This story was somewhat different than most cozy mysteries what with the paranormal happenings. It was interesting that all the ghosts, hexes, and other magical occurrences were normal in the town of Banshee. I felt the ending (don't want to give it away) could have been detailed more, but I enjoyed the book very much.
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