Ariel Kimber is a seventeen year old girl who has recently discovered she is no ordinary girl.
She's a witch and she's got magic.
Her world is turned upside down with this discovery and the recent death of a parent. She struggles to learn the way of the world of magic while mourning for her hideous mother and trying to find her place amongst her coven. It's not easy being the only girl with seven guys and she works hard to get to know them all because they are her coven, whether she likes it or not.
This is the second book in a series. It's Reverse Harem and slow burn. Contains subject matter that may cause triggers.
At what point is this series actually going to make sense?
At what point is Ariel going to get her shit figured out and actually start playing a role in her own life? All she does is wait for things to happen to her and then bitch and moan about all the bad shit. Yes, things are tough.
To me, that leaves you with two options:
1) You make some sort of decision in your life that leads to progress. You come to terms with your new reality and work for something. I don't care what it is, whether it be love or magic or understanding but get a goal and work towards it.
2) Mope and pout and let Uncle Quinton, who we already know has serious boundary and control issues, make all the decisions.
Guess which one this girl picks. Just guess. I'll wait.
All this being said, yes I'm going to read the next book and yes, I still enjoyed this one. I'm just salty because if this was a horror movie, this girl would be the death in the opening credits.
Was so full of fillers it was tiring really ..pages upon pages of her inner monologue and nothing really happened. Very disjointed
She did not learn to be a witch nor does she know anything about her powers..her relationship with the guys does not make sense because one minute she wants them the next she is appalled at the idea they will share her ..she mourned the death of a person who tortured her her whole life and she keeps running like it is going to solve anything and it’s not even part of her character so why run? To prolong the inevitable i guess
Other than the letters and what happened with chucky nothing held my interest really ..
Well umm... I'm not as pleased with this book as I was with the first one. I didn't realize how much of Ariel's internal monologue was going to eventually get on my last nerves. She's also a contradiction unto herself. I mean like one minute she's has this nice and sweet disposition and the next she's kinda a b*tch. At times I'm getting total whiplash from her attitude with the guys and with Mr. Cole. I mean geesh, Mary Martel, come on pick a personality here...
Overall I do love the guys, especially that controlling a-hole Quinton. I mean who doesn't like an alpha male who gets things done?
So here's the thing even though Ariel is the protagonist of the book/series it isn't her who carries this story, it's the guys that bring it all together for me. Because let's face it Ariel sucks.
Yes, yes I understand the girl got problems and I have compassion for it but if I had to live inside her brain with her aggravating, irritating, annoying, and wishy-washy, thoughts I just might jump off a damn cliff. Gosh, she's just so irritating!!!!!
Anyway, yes I'll be reading book #3 and I will try to finish the entire series even if I may have to skim through some boring ass parts of Ariel's thought process...
- I really like Dash ; - the Chucky drama really got out of hand & I didn't like it ; - I really like Binx ; -Ariel is a bit of a doormat but i can't wait to see her grow some more backbone ; - but the rock in the face was seriously messed up ; - No, everything was messed up,period. from the characters to their actions ; - They're all fucking crazy ; - Perv Uncle Quint is definitely the most fucked up. He's hot. And scary ; - I'm really liking this series ; - But the romance leaves me cold for now ; they don't really like her for herself yet.
I don't think I've ever disliked an MC more than I do Ariel. I've tried to overlook her bratty behaviour, her quickness to anger, and proneness to throwing temper tantrums but it's become unbearable. Like she literally threw a rock at one of the guy's faces and made him bleed... was that supposed to be cute? Because domestic violence is NEVER cute. I'm still diving into the next book to see if it has any redeemable qualities, but I'm not holding my breath.
The flow of this book was a little better than the first, still a lot of redundancy though. How many times do we need to hear about how canary yellow is her favorite color?? I skimmed the inner monologues again (all very redundant in nature), the story line is good (when you can pick through all the monologues). Quality over quantity, in my book :)
I am going to go on to the next book, and probably skim through a lot of it as well, since the story its self is pretty good!
Ariel Kimber has had a rough life that has turned upside down the last few months. Her no-good, abusive mother found a rich boyfriend and uprooted her to move in with him making Ariel a target for the high schoolers. Ariel found out that she has magic and as a rare female witch will be part of a coven and "be with" all of the males in the coven. Then her mother was caught trying to drown her and killed herself. Now her mom's boyfriend is moving to be closer to his family and Ariel must make a decision to go with him or stay and possibly be homeless. She's forgotten, however, that she's been claimed by a coven; she's no longer alone.
I really enjoyed the first Ariel Kimber book and looked forward to this one. I was definitely not disappointed with book 2, however, I do have mixed feelings. The storyline continued nicely. Very interesting revelations. We found out more about the Witching World, more about Ariel, Marcus Cole, and several of the guys. We actually got to spend time with the older set of guys in the coven this time, so now we have a better idea who Dash, Julian, and Damien are. We still definitely need more, but with a group this large it's natural that it would take time to get to know all of the guys. We were allowed a few true gems with them. We didn't get as much time with Tyson, Addison, and Abel, but what we did get was quality time. And lucky for me, we got plenty of Quinton. I realize that he is a polarizing character, but I love him. He's intense, volatile, his moral compass is questionable, but he's all in. He loves passionately, goes after what he wants with determination, and fiercely protects what he loves. Part dream/part nightmare!
What I didn't love was Ariel. I understand she's been abused, she has issues, but that doesn't make her any less selfish, frustrating or irritating at times. Someone placing a hand on your arm, trying to open a door for you or making nice small talk should NOT cause you to act like a little bi***. I would like to see her get out of her own head. Go to therapy, do yoga. Stop isolating, whining, overreacting and generally being nasty. It seemed to cause her physical pain to even say kind words to another. I felt sorry for her coven at times. I think she's lucky she's a rarity and that she's better in comparison to the last female in their lives. The few times she was delightful, it was easy to see what a great character she could be. Her reaction to the kitten, her gift, and Dash gave me hope. I'm hoping as Ariel settles into life with the guys and without her mother that her natural sweetness will show more.
The new revelations and probable dangers that came to light in this book make me eager for book 3. The coven's future will not be boring with the addition of Ariel. That's for certain!
4.75 Stars I really liked this installment in the Ariel Kimber series. It constantly had my attention and I did not want to put it down. I devoured this book and this it only made me love this series more. I like Ariel. The way she thinks is a different and seeing her point of view is intriguing. She has gone through some really hard times in her life and each time she tells a story about her childhood, my heart breaks for her. I am so glad that she found the guys and she has someone that will look out and care for her. I love all the guys-though Damian is still a bit of a mystery. The twins make my heart melt and anytime they are around, I can't stop smiling. Tyson cares about Ariel so much and he is so protective of her. I want to learn more about Julian, but so far, everything about him I have liked. Dash grew on me in this installment. At first, I didn't like him because of how he treated Ariel, but after finding out more about him, I can definitely see his side of things more clearly. With all of that being said, Quinton is by far my favorite out of the bunch. I find him so intriguing and I love when his crazy side comes out. While some people might find his attitude annoying, I find it hilarious because he really does have good intentions. He will do whatever it takes to keep Ariel safe, and the fact that he is unapologetic about it, just makes me love his character more. I just love him so much! Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Of course, I will be continuing the series. I can't wait to start reading the next book, Blood Magic.
I paid $3.99 for this book. It is not available on KU, but I have no regrets paying that much. Ariel is still learning about being a witch. She has learned some things about her "mom" Vivian. She is also learning a little bit more and more about the seven guys in her life. Wordy at times, but I still want to keep reading.
I am not sure how some from the school is not checking as to why a 17 year old is not in high school anymore.
This is a slow burn romance between the heroine and the heroes. There is some kissing, but nothing else.
Still reading this in between my other book, and as much as the story itself is, I don't know how to describe it, it has potential but there are a ton of spelling errors, and the grammar is a bit messed up here and there. Which makes me look at the book less seriously. It makes me think of it as a child's book. As opposed to and young adult or new adult kind of book. Does that make sense? I know my grammar is crap right now, at least I can own it.
Love Potion was an amazing addition to Ariel's story. She went through a traumatic event... Okay multiple events... Watching her grow as a character was awesome! Getting to know her boys better was perfect. Watching them all start their journey of coming together made me even more excited for the next installment of Ariel's story! Great Job Mary!!!
Im not impressed with this book- at all. When i read a paranormal book i expect some paranormal action. There's nothing happening here. Infact they apppear to be weak to me. Ariel for the love of god cannot defend herself in any situation. She's a real lousy witch. But since she's newly discovered her powers i'd give her some leeway, but what about the other characters? They're supposed to be wizards but have shit for powers! There was nothing paranormal in this novel. The only use they put their powers to was tarot card reading. Honestly!? How am i supposed to get impressed by this. I mean they didnt even have some paranormal issues or fights. The villain in this story was a human who they were unable to control! Like seriously? I guess im disappointed cz i wanted to see more display of power, or atleast some display of power like casting spells n doing magic rather than just using potions. It didnt give me any supernatural vibes. Very plain. Nothing happened in the entire story!! Just the h's monologues. n she wasnt a very impressive or fun character so i didnt enjoy her monologues. I feel so much couldve been done in this story but nothing happened. I found myself flipping pages-it got so boring. There was no romance either other than two kisses. Maybe its coz they're just getting acquainted. Plus i really dont like the scar on the female protagonists cheek!! Maybe im being shallow but she could do without a huge ass scar right on her face. A hidden one would've been better. n the reason for getting the scar was obviously the worst! Cz of some 'love potion' again not a sexy spell or magic by hands. n they had no means to reverse it which again i wasnt impressed wiht cz its magical world- all is supposed to be possible. n then when she foolishly walks out of the house to face chucky. Like wth- what did she think she would accomplish going outside? Seems like she has no brains either. My suggestion read only if you've got lots of free time with nothing better to read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
So the thing is I did read the first book and liked the guys instantly, they are great. They do their best to help Ariel and care for her, at the same time they all have their own demons and problems to deal with and I like a good character with more than one side. Now to the problem. Already in the first book I was a bit confused by the actions of Ariel, she is from a poor background with an abusive mother and still she has these moment where she acts like a spoiled brat, like not closing the door cause they can do it themselves and so on. But I thought maybe she will develop and its just her way of rebelling a bit against all the changes in her life... In the second book though she got downright annoying to be honest, by that point I just read the book for the guys. She cant make up her mind as to what she want or even tries to. She says she is in mourning even though she doesnt feel shit for her dead mother, which is understandable. Then she doesnt want to be shared by the guys but also wants them and is attracted to more than one. In the course of the book she keeps reminding me of this other girl witch that the author introduced, which is weird since that girl was awful and I'm not sure that your main character that is loved by several guys should be like that. Somehow for it feels like the guys really mostly like her cause she has magic and that is rather disappointing....
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Well, that was definitely an interesting turn of events.
Seeing as how Ariel couldn't exactly tell people that her mother was dead, everyone just sort of assumed that Vivian took off and left her daughter behind (not really a stretch). Because of this new development and the fact that his brother just died, Mr. Cole decided to finally sell his house and move closer to his family. And he wants to take Ariel with him.
While the first book was pretty good, I think I liked this one better. Here we got to learn more about each member of the Coven and I felt like Ariel is becoming more and more open to the idea of sharing. I like that there is actually some development in the relationship department and I like that those things are not rushed. Ariel was a little less shy in this book and well, kind of unstable at times. She is, as Quinton put it, coming into her skin and finally starts figuring out who she is as a person. There were also some interesting twists the story took and I'd like to see where that is heading.
All in all, as I already said, I liked this book much better than the first one. I can now only hope that the third book does not take too long to come out. I'm being impatient here.
I'm a little disappointed in this book. I found myself skimming and skipping through several pages, just to get past the same, redundant scene. She talks to one of the guys, insert angst and Ariel being needy, and repeat several times. I really wanted to see her mature and grow in this book, but she's still very immature (throwing a ROCK, albeit a small rock, at Quintin's face?!), and timid. And if she does this one more time, I'm gonna throw my Kindle: "I sat down and pulled my knees to my chest". (Not a direct quote.) I get it, Ariel likes to sit all timid like with her knees to her chest. Really.
I don't need a play by play of every single thing she does either. It went vaguely something like this: " Ty handed me the book. I took it from him and placed it on my lap. I sat down and looked at him then." Obviously, I'm exaggerating, but not by far. I felt like overly describing each physical action was simply a means to making more pages.
Negatives aside, there were interesting happenings and a plot going on that has me wanting to read the next book. Hopefully, Ariel will have matured by then, and there will be less "filler pages".
Ariel feeling awkward IN HER OWN BEDROOM because she was forced to have another guy stay there.
Ariel, the barely turned 17, getting told by a 20+ yo dude she will be forced in the future to have sex with multiple guys (of which at least 2 of them she feels uncomfortable and wants nothing to do with) and she'll have no choice in it because "that's the way it is" ಠ_ಠ
Ariel apologizing for everything and the guys apologizing for nothing.
This series has grabbed me and is not letting go. The first book was good but I enjoyed this one even more.
I am enjoying learning more and more about the covens and each of the guys. I am excited to see how each one will develop a relationship with Ariel and it is sure to be different for each of them.
I cannot wait for more of this series and so ready for book three.
To be honest I skimmed through those 50%, and thought nothing progressed in the story plot. I found myself bored and felt the magic actions from the guys were quite juvenile. I couldn’t connected with any of the characters, even though I tried I just couldn’t bring myself to finish reading this book.
I like this series. It's interesting and the themes in this book are great. The characters are all crazy on some level, I like it because there's truth in that. I can't wait to read the next installment. I hope the next book will dive more into magic and less into teenage drama.
Ariel Kimber has had a rough life that has turned upside down the last few months. Her no-good, abusive mother found a rich boyfriend and uprooted her to move in with him making Ariel a target for the high schoolers. Ariel found out that she has magic and as a rare female witch will be part of a coven and "be with" all of the males in the coven. Then her mother was caught trying to drown her and killed herself. Now her mom's boyfriend is moving to be closer to his family and Ariel must make a decision to go with him or stay and possibly be homeless. She's forgotten, however, that she's been claimed by a coven; she's no longer alone.
I really enjoyed the first Ariel Kimber book and looked forward to this one. I was definitely not disappointed with book 2, however, I do have mixed feelings. The storyline continued nicely. Very interesting revelations. We found out more about the Witching World, more about Ariel, Marcus Cole, and several of the guys. We actually got to spend time with the older set of guys in the coven this time, so now we have a better idea who Dash, Julian, and Damien are. We still definitely need more, but with a group this large it's natural that it would take time to get to know all of the guys. We were allowed a few true gems with them. We didn't get as much time with Tyson, Addison, and Abel, but what we did get was quality time. And lucky for me, we got plenty of Quinton. I realize that he is a polarizing character, but I love him. He's intense, volatile, his moral compass is questionable, but he's all in. He loves passionately, goes after what he wants with determination, and fiercely protects what he loves. Part dream/part nightmare!
What I didn't love was Ariel. I understand she's been abused, she has issues, but that doesn't make her any less selfish, frustrating or irritating at times. Someone placing a hand on your arm, trying to open a door for you or making nice small talk should NOT cause you to act like a little bi***. I would like to see her get out of her own head. Go to therapy, do yoga. Stop isolating, whining, overreacting and generally being nasty. It seemed to cause her physical pain to even say kind words to another. I felt sorry for her coven at times. I think she's lucky she's a rarity and that she's better in comparison to the last female in their lives. The few times she was delightful, it was easy to see what a great character she could be. Her reaction to the kitten, her gift, and Dash gave me hope. I'm hoping as Ariel settles into life with the guys and without her mother that her natural sweetness will show more.
The new revelations and probable dangers that came to light in this book make me eager for book 3. The coven's future will not be boring with the addition of Ariel. That's for certain!
I am so loving this series! Ariel and the guys, may I add all seven of them, completely have me invested. Ariel has gone through so much, and is continually dealing with past trauma, figuring out her magic, new complications and growing attractions make for interesting reading.
In Love Potion we start off with Ariel just returning from a break with Mr. Cole. They have just returned from burying his brother. She has been having no contact with the guys, trying to process all that she has been through. With not being able to sleep without nightmares, having to deal with knowing what happened to her mother but keeping it a secret is wearing her down. The guys had left her alone for three weeks. All that changes the first day she is back. When a weird encounter with Chucky, who for some reason cannot go too long without seeing her. When Quinton senses something is wrong he comes to help on her behalf. She learns that Chucky was given a Love Potion , in the belief that he would not try to hurt Ariel anymore. Never expecting it to back fire into obsession. Thus the story kicks off. Can they find a way to reverse the spell? Will Ariel be able to control her growing powers? Will Ariel be found out by the Elders and taken away? How had Mr. Cole hidden such a secret from her? And how in the world could she be falling for 7 guys?
If you enjoyed Brothers of the Flame, then you will definitely enjoy Love Potion. Ariel has a little a few issues with getting overloaded, so she tried to get a break from everything. In doing so, she has come to realize that she just needs the guys that much more. She has many things to overcome and she is trying her hardest to stay strong and do that. Which I think after just small amounts of running she does. I love that we get more of Dash, Damian and Julian. We get more of them and I have to say that I am a fan of all Seven now. Quinton is still my fave as the most dominant, but then they all have that in common in my opinion. Overall I thought Love Potion was a great addition to the Ariel Kimber Series and I cannot wait for more.
Love Potion is book 2 in the Ariel Kimber series by Mary Martel. This series is about a girl who just finds out that she is special, that she has magic. This fact makes her extremely important as the race of witches only currently have 3 other known females.
Her coven Tyson and his Uncle Quinton, Abel and Addison, the twins, Julian, Dash, and Damien all have to decide if Ariel is who they want.
Love Potion starts off with the aftermath of the accidental death of Ariel's mother, Vivian. You would think that after that event Ariel's life could literally begin, but that is sadly not the case. Instead, she now has to avoid emotional-mines in the form of guilt. Not guilt for a mother she loved, because she didn't, but guilt for lying to the only person in her life to have shown her parental care and concern. Ariel hates lying to Mr. Cole about her mother's disappearance, but she knew, for his own peace of mind, she shouldn't tell him.
Now with her life uprooted once again Ariel has to decide what to do next, but this time she is not alone. She has people who care about her and want to take care of her. Something she also had never had before, but one thing held her back. - They intended to share her.
What I liked about this story: First I have to say that this story was so exciting that if the editing mistakes from the first book made it into this one, I did not notice. Ms. Martel continues to keep the pace of the storyline excellently. I especially liked the way that Ariel is blossoming as a character, I like who she is becoming. My favorite male character has to be crazy Quinton with Tyson a close second.
What could have made the story better: I kind of wished that we got to learn more about Julian. We got a brief look at his personality in this story and I find him intriguing.
If “Brothers of the Flame” hadn’t already soured me to the Ariel Kimber experience this book would have done it all by itself with the rock throwing scene. I would have been willing to overlook it if the book had bothered to explore why a victim of domestic violence would herself, under stress, commit the same atrocities visited upon her, but the book treats it as a cute interaction that embarrasses Ariel while making others chuckle.
I am not okay with that.
I am also not okay with – again – the series’ insistence that any female besides the titular character is nothing more than a violent, jealous psychopath. The entire interaction with Dash’s client was embarrassing to read and does not excite me about the inevitable encounter between Ariel and Annabell, despite the book ending on a frankly interesting parallel between their situations.
The constant inner ramblings, Ariel’s inconsistent personality, the men’s creepiness (I know Quinton is meant to be an hot leader-type, but him straight up telling a minor about the inevitability of her having sex with all of the men she met all of a month before does not strike me as attractive, besides all the other insane crap he has pulled) and so much more has all made it that, two books in, I am still not fond of any of the series’ main characters, so I will cut my losses and just drop the series here. Too much would have to change for me to start caring for these characters, so I may as well just find an entire new series to read.
I’m not sure where to start this review. While I didn’t hate – I didn’t exactly love it. There was more “going over” everything that happened in book one – and holy cow can we just discuss the descriptions of everything! I don’t really need three pages of description on the Salt and Pepper twins over and over and over. If I have to read one more time “their legs are like tree trunks”, I may have to toss my kindle. I started skimming pages just to get through the book. Also - The ebook that was downloaded to my Kindle needs to be formatted!! BADLY!
I am happy that Ariel is starting to form bonds with the seven men of her coven. Trying to learn about them all is a very daunting concept. With that being said there is a ton of push and pull, and I want to know everything to maybe I will just let it be. This comes from both Ariel and the guys. Was hoping for more character development that what we get – but I do understand that this is a “slow building series” and I need to get some patience.
Also waiting to see exactly how powerful Ariel’s magic is. They (the coven) keep telling her that they will help her to learn magic, but that hasn’t happened yet. Chucky seems to be an interesting character, a few new twists and turns, her coven men, and the plot isn’t all that bad. I will keep reading this series as I want to see what happens in the long run. Here is hoping for the best in book three!
Finally!!! I’ve been waiting for this book for forever, and it definitely was worth the wait!!! Ariel is so so sweet and lovable and totally understand why the brothers love her. Quinton is so sexy and hardcore; I love all their scenes together, especially the kiss! Ty was so adorable when he slept in her bed and chased away her nightmares. The twins nearly broke my heart when they saw Ariel again in her room and almost walked away, but I love how close they are and how she knows what they need. I loved getting to know more about Dash in this book, and his lovely house. I loved his cat. I was so sad when he got hurt but happy he is okay and hope they get closer. Julian is a sweetheart with a vindictive twist, and I hope Ariel gets closer to him too. Damien is a little bit of a mystery still but I can see their relationship could get much better later on and hope to know more of him too. I love Marcus and I really hope to see more of him and hope he continues in her life and always watches over her. Her dad is a little scary and I’m not sure I like him either. Just wish it were longer and I’ll be anxiously awaiting the next book!!!!! Loved it!