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The Witch's Consorts #1

Consort of Secrets

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Every witch knows the rules:

Stick to your own kind. Never reveal your powers to outsiders. Take a consort from the witching families or kiss your magic good-bye forever.

For years I've been quiet, obedient Rose Hallowell. I accepted the man my stepmother chose for me. But I never stopped missing my long-ago friends.

Now we're back on my childhood estate to arrange my marriage. The boys I grew up with? They're still in town—and they haven't forgotten me either. And damn if they haven't grown up well.

They've got no magic, no place in my life. But they're charming and sweet and infuriatingly hot, and I can't seem to stay away. The more I try to resist, the more secrets I uncover about my family, my betrothal, and everything I thought was true about the witching world.

I've been lied to. I've been betrayed. So to claim my magic and my happiness, I'll break every rule there is—and then some.

Don't mess with this witch. Every rose has thorns.

*Consort of Secrets is the first full-length novel in a steamy reverse harem paranormal romance series. Take a dollop of gothic atmosphere, add a heaping of romantic angst, and mix it up with five enticing young men and a passionate witch just coming into her own—are you ready to dig in? Scroll up to grab your copy now!*

296 pages, Paperback

First published March 8, 2018

2322 people are currently reading
3373 people want to read

About the author

Eva Chase

124 books3,781 followers
Eva Chase lives in Canada with her family. She loves stories both swoony and supernatural, and strong women and the men who appreciate them. You can visit her online at www.evachase.com.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 351 reviews
Profile Image for Lucie V..
1,218 reviews3,643 followers
January 30, 2024
✅ Concept of witches and consorts
✅ Pace
🆗 Plot
🆗 Characters
🆗 Smut
🆗❌ Romance / RH

I realize now that this was my third book by Eva Chase, and once again, I was not impressed so I guess I will just skip this author from now on.

Rose is a 24 years old witch and she needs to bind herself to a male consort before her 25th birthday if she wants to be able to spark and keep her magic. Her upcoming wedding is the reason she is finally back to her family’s estate with her father and her stepmother, after having been forced to leave 11 years ago, leaving behind her 5 childhood friends.

The concept of witches needing a consort to “activate” their spark and nourish their power is interesting, but it was not enough to make this book engaging. Despite this original idea, the world-building was simple, the characters were bland and generic, and the plot was predictable. The beginning of the book held my interest, and I wanted to know more about Rose and her shared past with the guys, but then it just fizzled away. The fact that even though the main character is 24, for some reason I felt like I was reading a YA book didn’t help either.

Rose was a doormat for 90% of the book and only grew a spine at the very end, which annoyed me. I get it, she had nowhere to stay, and she wanted to stay at the estate to figure out what was happening, but she was monitored and treated as if she was still a 14 years old teenager and when she felt in danger, she relied upon and implicated the 4 guys she hadn’t seen in 11 years to help her and break the law while doing so. It just feels rash, immature, and not at all thought out for a grownup, hence the feeling of reading a YA story. She found tangible, physical proof of what her stepmother was planning to do to her, but instead of going to the witch authorities, she just kept on relying on 4 non-magical dudes, and waiting for her dad to come back and defend her.

I am not sure about the whole imaginary friend thing. I enjoyed Rose and Philomena’s conversations, but the fact that it’s an imaginary friend that she imagines and talks to at 25 years old makes it weird. It would have been more believable, or at least less weird, if Philomena was a ghost or spirit that only Rose could see and talk to. It’s a minor detail, but I find that it affected Rose’s credibility as a grown-up adult. Just having her see and talk to her imaginary friend at 24 years old made it seem more like she had schizophrenia honestly (and I am sorry if that’s not actually what schizophrenia looks like, I am in no way an expert on the subject, and I don’t want to ruffle any feathers or insult anyone by saying that this looks like schizophrenia if it’s not the case)…

Ky, Seth, Damon, and Jin are okay I guess… Honestly, besides Ky’s sunny disposition, I found them to be rather dull and bland. The fact that Damon smokes is also a BIG turnoff for me. Every time Rose got close to him or kissed him, I couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that he smokes and must reek of cigarettes. Overall they e pretty boring, their main attractive trait being their physics, and I still don’t see why Rose was SO enamored with them.

Many things felt very convenient and almost too easy for me to really get into the plot and feel the somewhat high stakes. First of all, Rose just happens to hear a few very interesting and damning conversations. Then, she finds relevant paperwork in her stepmother’s office, and of course, Ky was able to hack into a bank’s electronic database in only a few minutes because he taught himself how to hack when he was a teenager. They need to do some breaking and entering? No problem, because Damon can pick locks, and even though some of the guys seemed a little reluctant about letting Rose back into their life at first, they just forgot all their reservations as soon as she told them she needed their help.

The romance felt forced and rushed. There was an obvious physical attraction, because, of course, they are all gorgeous. But the boys also had feelings for Rose when they were younger and apparently they couldn’t get over her in the 11 years they spent apart, and those feelings just popped back as soon as she walked back into their life. I know they have a past together, but 11 years is a long time to get over someone or change at least. You need to learn to know each other again when you haven’t seen each other in 11 years. The fact that they suddenly remembered their feelings for each other and acted on them felt very close to an insta-love. There is also the fact that none of them batted an eye at the fact that she wanted a relationship with all 4 of them. They knew that she had a strong bond with all of them of course, but the fact that all of them were super chill with the idea of sharing her, and didn’t even need to talk about it or try to figure out how that would work was unrealistic.

The steamy moments were not the best either. Rose never kissed anyone at the beginning of this book, then she kissed two different guys in the span of a few days (which is totally okay, I'm not judging), and then loses her virginity to a third one right after, but that’s not what annoys me. What annoys me is that the man she lost her virginity to knew she was a virgin, but still didn’t feel that foreplay or some vanilla moments were necessary, he just rammed into her and she freaking orgasmed.
She. Orgasmed.
After just roughly losing her virginity.
This shit doesn’t happen. Studies have been made on that subject.

At least it was fast-paced and it was a quick read, but I didn’t enjoy it enough and I do not care enough about the character to want to read the next book.


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Profile Image for Erin *Proud Book Hoarder*.
2,959 reviews1,192 followers
April 4, 2019
Odd book. Started well but then my interest died. The weaker storyline would have worked better if shorter perhaps, but I couldn't retain interest. The author writes fine, but it reads like a Young Adult Reverse Harem - I don't like YA RH - but the character is 24.

I think the main problem was I became so frustrated with it all. If you think you're at that much risk and betrayal, why would you continue to stay in the house? What would you pretend and put yourself at risk? And even if you didn't suspect this was a scam, why would you act so weak-willed about just going to see friends or what you're really doing in town? She is not a child! I get it's a different culture, but that was too annoying to deal with the entire book. Why be a doormat to someone you hate, don't trust? If you find yourself at major risk, why stay until you can sort it out?

It doesn't make sense, and it makes the character too weak for me to deal with.

I also don't get the character she invented from loving books. It matches schizophrenia more than anything. It may tie into the magic later, but she has an imaginary character she knows isn't real who appears to her visually and they communicate in her mind. She speaks in her head to that character when with others, and speaks aloud to this character when she's alone, knowing people will think she's mentally ill if they witness it. The character is invisible from everyone else. She says the character came alive because she loved the book so much that she was born. ??

The men aren't bad but they just don't ring much other than good guys who are hopelessly committed. It's a pre-established (by years) relationship where they've been apart for years, which are both things that bug me when starting a new romance series. I like to see the first meeting and impressions, not years later when they catch back up again.

It's also multiple point of view, which isn't my preferred form for this type of genre. Some may prefer it so it's not black marks on the grade exactly, but another reason I couldn't get into it as well. The emotions are too there already, a little too clean and simplified.
Profile Image for Dani (Dani Reviews Things).
547 reviews292 followers
March 21, 2018
Ever since Reverse Harem Month, I've been keeping an eye on the subgenre. There's something extra delightfully naughty about not having to choose between your favourite types of heroes. You can have the bad boy, the nice guy, the dark and handsome figure... It may not be common in real life, but romance allows us to explore our fantasies, and having a group to give you the love you desire (physically and emotionally) is actually a rather nice one.

And you know what? This was a rather nice reverse harem story. It was easy to read, and very quick, too. It didn't take long to jump onto the action, and I had my suspicions and hopes set from the very beginning. The Big Bad was somewhat of a stereotype, but I was fine with that. And as much as I love my romance, it was sort of nice to see that Rose had bigger things to worry about, like making amends for the actions of her family and figuring out her own destiny, not just hooking up.

That being said, the steaminess was perfect. There weren't too many sexy scenes in this series starter, but they were delicious, and I have high hopes for the next book!

For the first page or so, I was confused, but I quickly latched on to the idea of Philomena. Rose is so lacking in friends for over a decade that she turns to books for support, and to one book in particular, Philomena's. Over time, Rose came to think of Phil as a real person, an imaginary friend who comes with her everywhere and makes amusing comments that no one else could make, as they'd be overheard. Yes, this is a bit sad and not exactly sane, but I kinda loved it??? It would be so much fun to have my favourite characters come to life and interact with me, even if no one else could see them.

I'm going to be honest and say that I feel like you have to judge reverse harem novels in a different way to other romances, and other paranormal stories. Unless you want an epic, you have to understand that there just isn't enough time for substantial paranormal world-building and character development of multiple main characters. There were quite a few gaps to the world, and so I'm left with a lot of questions. Hopefully, though, this is a series, and some of those questions will get answered later.

The important thing is that it scratches the itch its meant to. If you want fully fleshed out characters and magic systems and whatnot, turn to a fantasy. However, if you want to dream about having a bunch of handsome young men lavishing you with love and attention, then this is a good place to start.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Alaina.
7,343 reviews203 followers
January 19, 2019
Oh god, can someone plan out my life? That would make things way easier for me right now.

In Consort of Secrets, you will meet Rose. She doesn't really need to think about things or what she wants to do with her life because everything is done for her. Not that she enjoys her stepmother, or anyone really, planning her life out but she does it anyways.

Instantly, you can see how unhappy Rose is with her life. It sucks but she also doesn't speak up about it. Her stepmom has chosen who she should and shouldn't be friends with. Who she should marry and probably when to go to the bathroom. It's crazy, insane, and I felt bad for her.

Now this is a reverse harem, and I tend to be very picky with these kind of books. It had romance, which I liked but definitely wanted more of it. It also had a friendship vs family kind of vibe. Rose has a lot of ass kissing to do to make up for her past. This new little twist was what kept me interested in this book and the characters. I loved everyone and everything in it but again, I just wanted more romance.

If I had a favorite character in this book, I wouldn't tell you. Just know that I can't wait to dive into the next book of this series.
Profile Image for Annette.
3,822 reviews177 followers
June 6, 2020
Since I finished Moriarty's Men last week it was now time for a new Eva Chase Series! (I have quite a few left to read, so you will be seeing a lot more Eva Chase here for quite some time) And for some reason this series really spoke to me. By now I don't doubt that I will like the books, so I totally dare buying all books of the series at once. I was however really curious how much I would like this series!

And once more Eva Chase wrote an amazing first book to a new series. It's amazing how she throws us into a new world without info dumping or endlessly explaining things. We get the information when we need it and when it feels natural for the characters to bring it up in their (inner) dialogues. Therefore the story never gets boring and the characters are constantly on the move, planning, scheming, learning, discovering and growing.

The world and environment Chase created in this story is pretty fascinating and once more very different from the other worlds I've already read about. What fascinated me most was the amazing mixture of a modern and classic feel in this book. There were cellphones and computers and other modern technology and yet I had the feeling that the house and town were a little stuck in time, one of those places where you just keep on looking around in awe because it's so old fashioned (and yet beautiful).

Last but not least, I also fell in love with these characters! I think that's Chase's true talent. I already liked Rose from the start. It was easy to feel for her, to feel with her and to root for her. And although she already had an established relationship with her boys, Chase really took her time to develop their dynamic and to give us a chance to get to know them. And all of them were unique and different. I'm not good with names and remembering who's who, but I could easily tell these guys apart.

I can't wait to read the rest of the series. Because the political intrige is only getting started. I want more!
Profile Image for Kathy.
441 reviews181 followers
March 6, 2018
Wow. Just wow. The fact that I read this book in no time at all says plenty already. Pretty sure I read this book faster than I normally do just because of the writing - and that's something I rarely say / admit! It's been a while since I read a fantasy novel with witches that I actually loved reading. Consort of Secrets is now easily at the top of my list. Ea-si-ly.

So, obviously, our main character Rose is a witch, but she hasn't gotten into her powers yet. Because she's almost twenty-five she's so easy to connect with. She isn't childish nor naive. She doesn't act out, she simply acts like she should. Like I would. I loved it.
The four human, unsparked, guys in her life are pretty darn amazing as well. Kyler, Seth, Jin and Damon are the four guys she was friends with way back when, before she moved out of town.
I'm not a girlie-girl. I like surrounding myself with guys, men whenever and wherever so this was another thing I could find myself in.
They also have their own distinct personalities, characteristics and voices. It's so admirable that the author is able to pull that off! It's another thing that made me enjoy this novel so much more than I anticipated.

The relationships between Rose and the four guys felt totally natural and normal. That's something that definitely needs to be mentioned. I thought I'd go "no, go with him!" from the bat but that wasn't the case. They each took a piece of my heart and wrapped themselves up in it. They're all special, all unique and I can definitely see why Rose would surround herself with them. 

Oooh, the steamy scenes. Really, this is an adult novel. No doubt about it. This is squirming-when-reading-in-public steamy because you will be so lost in the story and there's nothing else you can do but squirm. I loved it. I LOVED IT. Like, there pretty much is nothing I didn't love about this novel.

5 / 5!

Kathy
Profile Image for Jenn.
2,049 reviews328 followers
February 24, 2020
So this one had it's ups and downs for me.

Rose is a witch who is about to come into her magic. But in order to do that, she must take a consort. Kinda sucks when she has no spark with her betrothed but those four childhood guy friends, well they light the fire so to speak. What's a girl to do?

I liked all of the guys for the most part. You can tell that Chase tried hard to make them all very different from each other. But even though we had four yummy guys here, I'm really interested in the missing one. What's his deal? How is he going to fit into the equation? I also really liked Rose. I felt bad for her. She was very sheltered and everyone around her just wanted to control her. The guys let her be herself and you could just tell how much that meant to her.

What kind of rubbed me the wrong way was how very young adult this felt but Rose was almost 25. At times it felt very high school and then some steamy scene would follow that would remind me of their ages.

All in all, an interesting start to a series. I'll probably check out the next book just to see how it goes.
Profile Image for Jen (jenslostinthepages) ♥Star-Crossed Book Blog♥.
772 reviews391 followers
October 6, 2024
This is a review for the whole series and is spoiler free...

I definitely recommend The Witch’s Consorts Series if you're looking for a witchy paranormal romance that has magic running through the pages! This was my first reverse harem series, and I was hooked! From that first book to the last I came to care for these characters so deeply.  Rose was a heroine I could root and cheer for, she was smart, caring and made me feel everything she did.  So as we were introduced to the men in her life, it was impossible not to fall for every single one of them.  Their friendship spanned years, to when they were younger, and they were such a tight-knit group.  I got why everything proceeded the way it did, it magically made sense to me.
What we had here, what we'd made together, it was right. It was good. And I couldn't imagine ever feeling lost or lonely again, not while I had my consorts by my side.

We slowly got introduced to their world and by that third book it was non-stop action and kept you on the edge of your seat. I was always wondering what was going to happen next. And that fourth book even made me cry, the found family was everything! Also I loved how the series wrapped up, it left me feeling so happy! I listened to the first 5 books, and read the final one, and absolutely loved the narrators. They made the characters come alive!  It was so effortless to listen and read these books!  And as someone who was nervous that I would only be rooting for just one guy, because that's what I have always done in the past, I had no problems loving every single one of them.  And wanting them all to live happily ever after together.  I can't recommend this series enough!  



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Profile Image for Celeste.
999 reviews59 followers
July 26, 2018
I have to say this book came as a surprise. Since the whole RH scene is pretty new the books that have been written are still far behind in terms of development than other well established genres so I can't say I was expecting all that much.

Normally I'm just in it for the guys and if the female lead is insipid or a doormat or just especially dumb I deal with it for the guys. But Rose (who btw bears a startling resemblance to sleeping beauty) wasn't any of those things. Like, this girl was smart as fuck! She didn't jump in and do stupid things, nope. She had a plan, she stuck to that plan and then she kicked everybody's ass by just being smarter than them. Who even cares about the boys! Well, ok I sort of do. And that's where this series lacks a little. If the relationships had developed at a slower pace I think this series would have been epic. Instead Rose gets with her harem pretty quickly and in the later books a whole lot of the time she's having sex with one or more of them (which may have gotten a little repetitive) but they are still pretty well written.

Rose stays pretty smart through the first 3 books at least and while I would have preferred a slower burn romance I still quite enjoyed this series.
Profile Image for Tiffany Heywood.
159 reviews84 followers
May 2, 2020
So i really enjoyed this books. It features of main character Rose who is a witch who is nearing her 25th birthday which means she must get a consort or her spark will be gone forver. I really liked her as a character as she was really focused on her goal and thoguht for what she believed in. She had 4 boys who were non magic who were like her best friends from child hood that she was rekindling a friendship with now that she was home. I liked reading the scenes where they were together as it showed that they had change but also that their friendship hadnt even if circumstances were different. I liked the mystery aspect and how they were all being detectives. What i liked was trying to work it all out alongside them while reading. This book does feature an arrange consorting like an arranged marrage which i didnt mind as at the begining  thought derek who was her to be consort was a nice enough chap and didnt see anything wrong with him. 

This book was very Steamy come the last half and i was not expecting it. It was a bit uncomfortable to read luckily i listened to it on audiobook but it definatley gave more depth to the story and was needed. 
Profile Image for ❀ Crystal ✿ -  PEACE ☮ LOVE ♥ BOOKS .
2,532 reviews308 followers
February 6, 2020
I enjoyed this book and I think it was a good start to the series. I'm eager to see how her powers manifest and how she uses them especially now that we know it wasn't just her stepmother masterminding the scheme to control her power. I'm sad to find out her dad is behind it. I think the dynamic of her having power and her men having none is a nice contrast. I have a feeling especially since she has so many men that she's going to be a lot more powerful than normal. Looking forward to seeing her uncover the truth about her magical world. She saw signs of others having more than one consort as well as joining with a consort of no magical blood and yet there's no written proof of it anywhere as if it was purposely hidden. I think the author also did a decent job of creating unique and memorable characters. I often have trouble remembering who's who in these RH novels and I think for a change I have them all down lol. Looking forward to seeing where the series leads!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Ashley.
220 reviews43 followers
August 31, 2018
I am really kind of over RH, I wore myself out on it and they started to feel the same, but whenever I pick random books that I need for challenges they always seem to be RH. So I didn't expect to like this, but I actually did. It had a lot of the same RH stuff you expect to see, but the plot was a little different and once it picked up it was hard to put down. I liked how the magic worked and I liked the guys. The stepmother villain was fun. Rose wasn't ridiculous, she was actually pretty smart. I'll read the next one.
Profile Image for starryeyedjen.
1,768 reviews1,264 followers
August 14, 2018
I think that maybe Eva Chase isn't the RH author for me. This is the second novel of hers that I've read, but again I just felt like there wasn't enough meat to the story, no real building of the bond between all of the mates, or in this case, consorts. No connection to the characters and their relationships means that I'm just not invested in the story. And though this one had witchy goodness and the other had Norse gods, that's not enough to save the story for me.
Profile Image for Cee.
3,230 reviews166 followers
April 5, 2023
I was really hoping for more romance instead of just BAM they all remember liking her as children and she them soooo they are together.
The background story was interesting though. The world of witches and witching men seems pretty unique and hopefully we will learn more.
Profile Image for Dr. Andy.
2,537 reviews256 followers
May 10, 2021
This was such a fun reverse harem book! Rose Hallowell has never been in control of her life. But she's quickly approaching her 25th birthday and if she doesn't have a consort by then, she'll never be able to access her magic. When Rose moves back to her childhood estate, she thinks she'll finally be free from her stepmother's clutches, only to learn that is not the case at all.

I love witches and this story delivered on that aspect. I wish we knew more about witching society, but I get that Rose has to keep a lot of her life secret. The way witches use magic was really cool and I hope it gets explored more. The main "fault" with this is how heteronormative it is. It's all witches can only get power from romantic/sexual attraction to men and like that's seriously stupid.

Rose was kind of a naive character, but I liked seeing her grow and become more independent. The bond she had with her guys was super cute. I really liked the four of them that we got to know in this book. Overall, I really enjoyed this series and the last plot twist really got me.
Profile Image for ME E.
584 reviews57 followers
May 23, 2019
Gothic Romance meets Paranormal Romance 5/5 Stars
Wow... this book caught me by surprise. I was wanting to read more of Eva Chase's work while waiting for book 2 of the Villain Academy and was torn which to start first. After my friend told me she liked this book and we could read the rest of the series together, I dived in.

I found this story very unique compared to the millions of witch stories out there. Eva created a world filled with magic, mystery and intrigue. I love that the woman in this world are the ones who hold the power. But also noticing that there are several more books in this series, it makes me wonder at what lengths would the witching men go to try and obtain power themselves?

I was also pleasantly surprised when I read the "reasoning" for the RH. I feel like there are so many books out there with this popular theme... but for once the RH aspect makes sense in this story!

This story was filled with mystery, sexy unsparked men (who know how to light a fire), friendship, romance, humor and loyalty.

I also had the pleasure of listening to the audiobook...and I really enjoyed the female narrator.

Thank you Eva Chase you are now on my auto-buy list!!.
Profile Image for Jaime (Two Chicks on Books).
825 reviews393 followers
March 7, 2018
Omg!!! This is Eva’s best Book to date! I’m in love with Rose and all of her boys and I love the way magic works in her witching world! I NEED book 2 now!!!!
Profile Image for Katherine Paschal.
2,295 reviews63 followers
March 16, 2018
**Review on https://smadasbooksmack.blogspot.com/ **

Rose and her boys were inseparable as kids, so much so that her father took her away because those with "the spark" can't commingle with those without. Now, 11 years later, Rose and her parents have returned to the estate abandoned so long ago so that Rose can come into adulthood and marry. But Rose has not forgotten her boys, nor they her.

​Reverse Harems are my most current reading obsession. The thought of being a loved by many (attractive, smart, successful...) men who are perfectly happy sharing​ is pretty much the most ridiculous idea, but geez isn't it fun and the best kind of fantasy? I have been gobbling up tons of RH books that I can get my hands on recently and when I stumbled across this one about a witch and the human men who love her (but she can't have) my interest was 100% piqued!
​I did like the that there were hints of fairy-tale to the story as well, with an evil conniving stepmother who ruled Rose's life to the nicknames she was called, like Briar Rose.​



​Rose has a best friend, Philomena, who just happens to be ​imaginary. The two do everything together, be it go on adventures or just banter about life...but nobody else could see Philomena. At first I thought that maybe because Rose is a witch she conjured a spirit or something cool to be her friend since she had nobody else, but nope! Just an imaginary friend, one of her favorite characters from a book she ever so much enjoys. And yes, Rose is about to turn 25 and her best friend is a figment of her imagination, so pretty much she has 2 sided conversations with herself and acts like it is a surprise at what Phil says. I don't know how I was suppose to feel about this (except it was awkward and uncomfortable, and it made me pretty dang depressed for Rose), to be honest.

It really felt like Rose was a child, maybe a blooming 15 year old girl who is ready to learn about life. But really she is the most sheltered, passive woman in her mid-twenties, with zero life experience and no real qualms about the fact that she is treated like a young mindless child. Her marriage has been arranged, her friends are hand chosen, her walks are supervised, and even at times her stepmother dresses her. I kind of feel like she was living out of time- maybe this would all seem more reasonable or expected in a historical setting instead of the modern time this story takes place in. I did like that she became a much more confident and capable person as the story progressed, more the adult that she was aged for. It was really nice to see her character grow through this story and I am excited to see how much more she can do in the next book, be it emotionally and magically.



Overall, Eva was able to blend the reverse harem aspects of the story into the mystery and magic of the world to create a nicely balanced and fast read. I look forward to what the next book will bring. I highly recommend this if you are looking for an afternoon read full of paranormal potential and some HOT steam!

I am voluntarily reviewing an advance, complimentary copy of this book.
Profile Image for Rachel.
248 reviews31 followers
February 4, 2024
The audiobook was fun to listen to even though there are only 2 narrators for this Why Choose story. The audiobook series is also free with an Audible subscription.

Our FMC is a witch from a long line of powerful witches and is moving back to her home estate (filthy rich family) now that she's almost 25 and needs to do the witch equivalent of a marriage ceremony with a male witch consort so she can come into her powers. It's long believed in the witch community that only a male witch can spark a female witch's powers by becoming her consort, however, male witches have no power of their own. Female witches must pick a male witch consort to marry and ignite her spark of magic with before their 25th birthday or they'll lose their magic forever.

The FMC however has never felt any connection to anyone within the witch community and has put off her ceremony for too long. Now that she is almost 25 she's had to choose a male witch to be her consort and has chosen the one that seemed the least off-putting to her, but she still cares little for him. Now that she has picked it's time to return to her family estate and complete the ceremony. She hasn't been back to the family home since she was 13 (I think) because her stepmother and father found out she had become close friends with five of the boys who lived in town. The witching community looks down on consorting with non-witches. So her parents chose to raise her away from their hometown and moved her away to a more witch-populated area. Now that she's returned home she can't help but catch up with those five boys who have grown into men.

Turns out her family has been scheming against her and she will need the help of those men to save herself and her magic.

I'm starting the next audiobook right away!
Profile Image for Mummy's Naughty Corner.
1,513 reviews88 followers
February 7, 2020
This was a good start. I liked the ideas within the book. I like that the men give the women the spark although they don't actually use magic. I like that there is a time limit and then you miss lose the chance to get the power. The step mum and chosen partner were evil and I'm glad that Rose foiled their plans.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Runningrabbit.
1,387 reviews99 followers
May 21, 2018
KU

This is a well written novel, although it took me 40-50% to actually feel that the book was making a concentrated headway. It is definitely a slow burn, though having said that the novel itself does make its way into some reverse harem action. Once the story gets underway it manages to pull the reader in, and I am certainly going to move on to the next novel.
Profile Image for Tiblu.
1,255 reviews49 followers
March 12, 2018
Felt more about the magic than the love... I . Did. Not. Enjoy. Myself.

This felt more about the magic then anything else,especially the love...
Rose had an almost desperate need for her magic,and seemed willing to do almost anything to get it....
This book soooo DID NOT go the way I expected, I read most of “Rose’s boys” and almost immediately felt their connect,it felt strong and beautiful and potent and when I got to the point where the big bad stepmother was going to rip them apart I had to stop because i had started to care for them soo much I was t ready for the heartbreak of their split.....
Then when I found out the book was finally out and got around to reading it I was too eager to read this to go back....
Not sure at the moment if that good or bad because at the moment ,I feel like Rose betrayed them more than step mom did...

Ok, first Rose felt more 19-21 than she does 24 going on 25, she may be dogged in her determination to find and get her magic but out of magic I NEVER felt I got to really know anything about her or her world ( very little to no world building is done) ( Witches have magic,a “witching “ community, and consorts but what else is there? Do they just live among humans hiding what they are ? Like say vampires usually do ? Or what ?) and Rose for all her determination felt timid and kinda tepid most of the time, soo overly cautious sneaking around and yet no one really seemed to care one way or the other....
What really disappointed the most was I thought romance despite Rose and her magical quest about her magic,I thought old and new love would lead the way and in rediscovering love that had never had a chance to be Rose would discover the truth and uncover the lies along the way... but the love of her boys now men would be first and foremost and the truth about the spark and magic with come along with....
Dear lord No!
Shakes head,except for their first meeting w/Ky and the alter meeting with Ky,Seth,Damon and Jin almost every meeting is more self serving and is mainly because she needs help finding her magic or proving a theory about her magic....
Honestly the guys start to just feel like tools and pawns in her magic... there nor world building really like I said,not even much character building, what has Rose been doing besides practicing for magic she doesn’t have yet,magic she’s desperate to have , ( why is she soo desperate ? Haven’t a clue ?) did she go to collage ? What happened to her step sisters? Does she have a job ? If soo what is it ? If not,why ?
Why is this house and land soo special? I feel like I know and all at once...
Seriously most of the book was Rose and her desperate search for her magic,what is her step mother planning ?
What is this binding ?
I can’t say I left this liking Rose in the slightest really,her magic seemed all that mattered and I don’t even know why ,beyond being a witch and she’s supposed to have it...
It’s not like a shifter fearing losing their inner animal if they were to mate the wrong mate or something and yet,at first Rose is willing to suffer almost any fool she has to just to claim a magic she’s barely experienced.....
Almost her time is either, spying on her stepmother or sneaking looking for info or testing theories, Rose may have once “loved” them as boys as a child, but I have absolutely no doubt that if they weren’t the key her getting her magic she would never touched any of them....
We don’t see any really special moments or reconnection that involve old times or trying to get to know the men they today just because,no if she kisses one it because of the magic,heck when she loses her virginity to one it’s all about the magic...
And when he pushes her away right after the deed is done ,between finding out what he did to her magically and them having barely started to reconnect emotionally,she honestly didn’t seem bothered...
Jin just seemed on the side and saved for last and Gabriel seemed the one her heart longed for the most and he wasn’t even there...
No Rose’s inactions with the guys ( who we barely got to know) seemed mainly self serving ,all about her and her magic, I honestly wasn’t sure why they wanted her or vice versa,all that mattered was their usefulness in protecting and claiming her magic....
Her fiancé and “parents “, might have had dark,ugly , selfish or even evil motives for what they were doing but honestly Rose only felt better by degrees when it came to “her boys”...

I wouldn’t tell a friend to not read this but wouldn’t to read it, this is just me and my lengthy opinion but I really wanted this to be based around Rose and their love her and her love for them and honestly ? It really really wasn’t ...
Profile Image for Al *the semi serial series skipper*.
1,659 reviews850 followers
April 26, 2018
I don't dislike this book per se but I didn't like it either. The main character felt like an eighteen year old even though she was twenty four, she could not gainsay anything her parents did just because she wants to inherit some house. The men in this book were just there, doing whatever she needed doing,I only liked Damon because he was the only one with one lick of sense, the others were her lapdogs.

I am interested in the magic aspect so I will continue and see how that goes.
Profile Image for Suze.
1,884 reviews1,299 followers
May 2, 2018
Rose hasn't seen her best friends in years. She used to spend all of her free time with Kyler, Seth, Jin and Damon. Until her stepmother sent her elsewhere and prevented her from seeing them again. Rose's family has magic and she isn't supposed to share that outside the community, but her friends have always known there's something special about Rose. Will they still accept her as one of them again after many years without staying in touch?

Rose was a teenager when she left and she's back for the first time now that she's almost twenty-five years old. It's a crucial age for a witch, she has until her birthday to light her spark. A witch needs a consort and a binding ceremony to be able to perform magic. If this doesn't happen before the twenty-fifth birthday she's losing her ability to perform magic. Rose's stepmother has set Rose up with a consort, someone Rose doesn't particularly like. She also doesn't trust her stepmother's intentions. However, Rose does want her magic to ignite, what can she do and how can her four dear friends help her with her family problems?

Consort of Secrets is a hot magical story. Rose is a smart, kindhearted and talented person. She doesn't have any warm feelings for her stepmother and knows the evil woman is plotting against her, but Rose doesn't have her magic yet and is at a disadvantage. I was instantly intrigued by Rose's huge family trouble and finding out more kept me on the edge of my seat. Rose isn't alone, after a few awkward moments with her friends she's slowly winning them back. I loved their connection and deep meaningful friendship. Their unconditional love is something incredibly beautiful.

Eva Chase has written an original enchanting story. I liked the way she approaches witchcraft, making it something amazing between men and women. There are of course plenty of sparks in the story, it's filled with chemistry, friendship and true love. Consort of Secrets is a great start of The Witch's Consorts series. I loved the spectacular ending and am eager to read more about Rose and her four men. Eva Chase's writing is vivid, captivating and creative and I really liked Consort of Secrets.
Profile Image for Kimi.
443 reviews
July 25, 2018
3.5 Stars

I thought that the story was interesting and a unique kind of world. Good start to a series.

I also felt like it was fucked up because it seems like the power balance was a mess with male witches not having magic. Since I like it when the men also have power, this kind of bothered me. I liked that there was some conflict and jealousy at times. The guys were cool even though I couldn’t find specifically what I liked about each. That may take some time. It was good that they weren’t all willing to do any and everything for her at once.

The characters seemed to be about 18 or maybe even less and not 25ish, especially the main character and Damon. Parts of the story seemed like a movie with missing pieces. Some of the time I felt like those parts needed to be included and some didn't. I wanted to know more about her imaginary friend. For example: Is that normal for witches? Do other people have imaginary friends?

I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Profile Image for Coco.V.
50k reviews129 followers
Want to read
March 13, 2019
🎁 FREE on Amazon today (3/13/2019)! 🎁

Blurb:
Every witch knows the rules: Stick to your own kind. Never reveal your powers to outsiders. Take a consort from the witching families or kiss your magic good-bye forever.

For years I've been quiet, obedient Rose Hallowell. I accepted the man my stepmother chose for me. But I never stopped missing my long-ago friends.

Now we're back on my childhood estate to arrange my marriage. The boys I grew up with? They're still in town—and they haven't forgotten me either. And damn if they haven't grown up well.

They've got no magic, no place in my life. But they're charming and sweet and infuriatingly hot, and I can't seem to stay away. The more I try to resist, the more secrets I uncover about my family, my betrothal, and everything I thought was true about the witching world.

I've been lied to. I've been betrayed. So to claim my magic and my happiness, I'll break every rule there is—and then some.

Don't mess with this witch. Every rose has thorns.
Profile Image for Krissreads.
880 reviews34 followers
September 17, 2025
2/5⭐️ 2/5🌶️ 3/5🎧

——• 🖤

WHEN. WILL. I. LEARN. MY. LESSON.

This is when I remember how much I really hate Eva Chase's books...

I started two of her other series only to stop on book 2 each time because I just could not do it. They're either fucking shit or just extremely boring so the fact that I have wasted one Audible credit for this series collection makes me HATE MYSELF EVEN MORE!

Now to finish it or not to finish it just to feel like I can justify wasting my credit....

Profile Image for Poppy || Monster Lover.
1,794 reviews497 followers
October 8, 2023
Interesting beginning for this RH

This book was primarily set up for the series, but did have some good moving forward of plot and the romances. I’m a little disappointed that I feel like I barely know the personalities or lives of the MMCs, but I’m assuming I’ll learn more in time.

Spice: 3/5

Triggers: voyeurism (unintentional), suicide (off page)
Profile Image for Neermboop.
268 reviews48 followers
Read
March 13, 2024
This one is going to be a DNF for me.

An imaginary friend? In her 20s? Gonna go with no. Can't do 4 books like that 😂 (Made it through 1 chapter....)
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