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Cardinal Witches #1

Alejandro's Sorceress

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First in a funny, sexy new paranormal romance series from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Alyssa Day.

He's a warrior, hardened by years of protecting his town from vampire attack.
She's a garden witch who sees the world in shades of sunshine and delight.
Opposites don't only attract, they go supernova in this sizzling tale of magic and mayhem.



[Author's note: this novella - 84 pages, 22,000 words -- was originally published in the Dark & Deadly: 8 Bad Boys of Paranormal boxed set, so if you have that one, you already have it. Thanks!]

94 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 14, 2014

355 people are currently reading
999 people want to read

About the author

Alyssa Day

87 books1,593 followers
ALYSSA DAY is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of romantasy, paranormal romance, and mystery novels whose books have sold more than a million copies and been translated into many languages, although she’s holding out for Klingon. She has lived with and battled chronic depression for her entire life and finally admitted it to her family—and the world—in 2014. Life is better now, because depression lies and tells us we’re alone.

We’re not.

Alyssa (as Alesia Holliday) is a diehard Buckeye from The Ohio State University who graduated summa cum laude from Capital University Law School in Ohio and practiced as a trial lawyer for several years before coming to her senses and letting the voices in her head loose on paper. She has lived all over the country and all over the world, including the Philippines, Turkey, and Japan.

When she’s not traveling to new adventures, she lives in Florida with her Navy Guy husband, spends time with her two amazing kids, and rescues dogs.

Especially pugs.

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5 stars
388 (34%)
4 stars
382 (34%)
3 stars
258 (23%)
2 stars
71 (6%)
1 star
17 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 180 reviews
Profile Image for Marta Cox.
2,859 reviews210 followers
March 21, 2018
Having happily devoured this authors Warriors of Possiden series I thought it was high time I find out what else this author has written. These Cardinal Witches live within the same world but they are a whole lot lighter with quirks and an awful lot of madness and mayhem in their lives. Having Basilisks run riot in their garden might sound scary to some but to Rose and her family it’s just another problem to solve.
Alejandro has survived Vampires and now he’s working for the paranormal division of the FBI. Sent with his partner Mac to help save the local garden witches he has no idea exactly how to deal with the infestation that can turn you to stone. His gun definitely won’t save the day but perhaps the oh so tempting Rose has an idea ? Then again who said anything was easy !
Fast and fun is all I can say. This adorably wacky family stole the show and Rose has such an interesting set of relatives . Yes the romance is extremely fast but for once I didn’t mind. Alejandro might be gorgeous but he’s also someone who has known pain so I’m delighted to say that he gets a very happy ending. Oh there’s a few hiccups along the way but with a little magic and the glorious appearance of old friends this reader is left smiling.
Profile Image for Beth.
844 reviews75 followers
March 16, 2019
I am kinda curious as to who the Pizza guy is. Vamp or shifter?
Profile Image for Melissa.
1,007 reviews35 followers
May 9, 2014
This novella takes place in the world of the Warriors of Poseidon series. I couldn't find a novella number but it is obviously part of that world since it has some of the same Atlantians within the book. I haven't read the series but do have it on my wishlist. This wasn't a hard book to get into if you, like me, haven't read the series yet.

The romance is fast, but it is also cute. I would have liked to spend a bit more time with the couple and get the romance a bit more developed, but even without that, I found that Rose, the garden witch, to be a great character. She is strong and doesn't take crap from the alpha males. I give the story 3 stars and I think it will amp up your interest in the world of Atlantis since we only get a wee peek into that world. There is a short epilogue that had me smiling for the couple in the end.
Profile Image for Kristin L..
Author 1 book17 followers
June 17, 2014
I actually came across this story in a set called Dark and Deadly, and it was by far my favorite. I just love the laugh-out-loud humor in this tale! The characters are funny, but warm and very realistic. I could picture myself having tea with Rose, her mom and sister Astrid.

Alejandro is the mysterious, darkly handsome P-Ops officer who comes to the "rescue" of Rose Cardinal, a garden witch, with a pesky basilisk infestation problem. What ensues is hilarious, with witty dialogue and enough steamy romance to make you melt. I loved meeting the Atlantean characters at the end, and will look into reading their stories as well. I have always been a fan of Alyssa Day's writing, and this fantastic short story reconfirms it!
Profile Image for Laura.
Author 15 books613 followers
December 22, 2015
I've been waiting on this book forever.

This is the start of a new cross-over series with Alyssa Day's Warriors of Poseidon called the Cardinal Witch series. It's a lighter in tone and more of a PNR lite. Alyssa Day's trademark sense of humor shines through as we see one of her warriors dealing with a witch and her kooky family.
Profile Image for Judy Lewis.
1,566 reviews55 followers
January 1, 2018
CUTE, SEXY, & DELIGHTFULLY ENTERTAINING!!!
Title: Alejandro's Sorceress
Series: The Cardinal Witches
Author: Alyssa Day
Designation: Book One of Series, Novella, Standalone, No Cliffhanger, HEA #paranormalromance #magic #witches #shifters
Reading Platform: Kindle Edition
My Rating: Five Magically Delicious Stars*****
Wow! Color me impressed! This was my first time reading the work of Alyssa Day but it certainly won't be my last! I loved Alejandro's Sorceress! There's nothing I enjoy more than a great book and Paranormal/Supernatural/Fantasy Romance has been one of my favorite subgenres for almost 60 years. I'm always on the lookout for a talented new author and Alyssa Day is most definitely gifted. Her charming, lighthearted prose is effortless, skilled, easy-to-follow, and quite captivating. I found myself immediately intrigued by the premise of a Paranormal Operations Division of the FBI and instantly smitten with the two protagonists, sassy garden witch Rose Cardinal and handsome FBI Paranormal Operatives Agent Alejandro Vasquez. The narrative was beautifully written in the third person with clearly discernible his and her perspectives. The dialogue was smart, snappy, well-executed, at times hilarious, and flowed effortlessly. I snickered, snorted, and cackled from the first page till the last, and by the end, I was happy, satisfied, and well entertained. Alejandro's Sorceress may be relatively short, coming in at approximately 70 pages, but it packs quite a punch.
No spoilers from me, but I will say this... Handsome, dedicated P-Ops Agent determined to do his job, save his partner, and never fall in love again-check! Beautiful, independent, garden witch with a big attitude and very little use for government paranormal operatives-check! A wacky family of witches-check! An group of unwelcome magical garden pests-check! A visit from the Atlanteans-check! A surprising mysterious premonition-check! A dash of danger, a pinch of family drama, a barrel of laughs, and a whole lot of instant attraction, steamy passion, and heartwarming romance-You bet! That and a whole more!
Did I like this story? No, I LOVED it! Would I recommend it? You bet, and I am! Will I read this author again? Absolutely! As soon as I finished this story, I raced back to Amazon and purchased the other two books available in this series. And finally, was I entertained? Completely! Fabulous Entertainment and an awesome read!
*Quite honestly, I'm not exactly sure how I got this book, possibly through a newsletter or contest of some kind. I was doing some reorganization for the new year and found it in my library. The cover caught my eye, so I decided to read the first few pages to test the waters and immediately thought, who is Alyssa Day, and why in the world haven't I read this before now, then dove in. I loved it and now an official Alyssa Woods fan! This book was a wonderful way to end 2017 and ring in 2018! Thank you, Alyssa Woods, for a fabulously funny and delightfully entertaining book!
Profile Image for Trish R..
1,772 reviews58 followers
May 6, 2018
About a one and a half read...

So, the king of the Atlanteans put Harold on the couch, magically, then Alejandro picked up Rose and took her to the woods where she proceeded to walk away from him and he follows her back to her cottage where he catches up where he pushes he up against the wall THEN he picks her up and puts her on the COFFEE TABLE. WTF? Number 1 what happened to Mac being on her couch, was he still there? Did they care? And Number 2 how the hell do you pick up someone and put them on a coffee table? I had to go back 3 times and reread that he did what he did.

And the way Alejandro talked to her was just so cheesy: “I love you and need you. Marry me, my witch, my enchantress, my sorceress. Be mine. I will be faithful to you forever, and I will love you for all eternity,” and they only knew each other for a day.

AND there is pretty graphic sex in this book.

The best thing about this book is that it’s about witches and it’s NOT written in the first person. And even though I wasn’t crazy about this one I might give Ms. Day another try.

For now, I think it’s time to go back to murder and mayhem books and away from silly romances.
Profile Image for Elisa.
3,228 reviews40 followers
July 2, 2019
Alejandro and Rose.

This is a short, funny story that ties into the Warriors of Poseidon series and just makes this world grow even further for me in so many good ways.

I seriously enjoyed the witty content, the baby Basilick's invading the Cardinal witches yard was a funny spin, the first meeting of Rose and Alejandro was steamy and that heat just kept rising throughout the book.
Having Justice, Ven and Alaric pop in is always a pleasure.

I can't wait for more from the Cardinal Witches they seem like a quirky and wonderful family.
Profile Image for Lakshmi C.
346 reviews107 followers
July 28, 2017
“The basilisk attacked your cat after you rescued a ninja?

RTC

Profile Image for Heather.
346 reviews5 followers
June 9, 2018
Wonderful

A wonderful story that is quick, lighthearted and funny. A crazy family that happens to be witches and a supernatural fbi agent.
Profile Image for Debrac2014.
2,335 reviews20 followers
July 6, 2018
Crazy family of witches! Pure fluff! Freebie from author!
Profile Image for Alicia Huxtable.
1,904 reviews60 followers
February 23, 2019
A witchy good read

This is one entertainingly crazy witch family. Loved the story from.start to finish as look forward to the rest of the series
Profile Image for Rachel-RN.
2,420 reviews29 followers
May 9, 2019
Rose is a witch, Alejandro is an agent with the paranormal FBI. Alejandro and his partner are tasked with removing a basilisk in Rose's family's garden. After it turns Alejandro's partner to stone, things get interesting.
While I liked the writing and the banter/interplay between the characters (grandma is funny), there was no world building. It mentioned the paranormal were "out" and Atlanteans, but not anything else. I would have liked more on Alejandro's background too.
Profile Image for Angela (Angel's Book Nook).
1,672 reviews972 followers
December 24, 2015
~ 4 Sorceress Stars ~

Alejandro’s Sorceress clearly takes place in the world of the Warriors of Poseidon series, since it has some of the same Atlantans within the book. I have only read book one Atlantis Rising, but have the rest on my list to read. Alejandro’s Sorceress is not a hard book to get into even if you have not read the series yet. It clearly stands on its own. I was laughing, smiling, and having a blast reading this story!

The romance is fast paced, but cute. I prefer to spend more time with a couple, but the humor that Ms. Day added to this story drew me away from it being an insta-love. Rose, the garden witch was a great character. I enjoyed her strength, the crazy family she has, and that she takes no crap from an alpha male. Alejandro, a P-Cop was a fun character. He is alpha, cares about his friends, and wants to protect. I enjoyed seeing him get all alpha when his Atlantan friends show up. The epilogue was great. It had me smiling for the couple. I also liked the little peek we get into the Atlantis world.

Alejandro’s Sorceress is part of the Dark and Deadly box set. This was a fun, humors, and sweet romance. We have magic and fate. With a weird witch family and some hot Atlantans making an appearances. I had a smile on my face throughout this story!

angelsgp-seethisreview-blure
Profile Image for Barb Lie.
2,085 reviews4 followers
April 18, 2014
Alejandro's Sorceress by Alyssa Day is a novella that is part of the Dark and Deadly Anthology. I have been waiting a long time for this story, and was totally surprised. This was a fun, humorous read throughout, and I guess I expected a more serious book, more like her Warriors of Poseidon series.

But this turned out to be a blast, which had be laughing quite a few times. Alejandro is a hardened warrior, who is fights vampires for an FBI type of paranormal law enforcement. Rose is our heroine, who is a witch.

What follows is a story about how the two agents (Alejandro and Mac) come to the Cardinal witches house to fight off little creatures who run around the garden to freeze anyone in their site. We see this pretty quickly, as first the dog, then the cat, and then poor Mac get frozen. Rose is able to unfreeze the two animals. But unfortunately she has problems with Mac.

So Alejandro has to stick around while Rose and her crazy wild family (sister, mother, grandmother) come up with a potion. Along the way, Alejandro falls hard for Rose, as she does him. This was a nice romance, but the bases of the story had so many hysterical scenes. Make no mistake, this is not a serious type of book, but one you can sit back and enjoy.

The best part of the book was that we got to see some of our favorite Atlanteens; Ven, Alaric and Lord Justice, when they stop by to help Alejandro. Ajejandro's Sorceress was a fun, quick paced and enjoyable read. I miss our warriors, and to just get a glimpse was a nice add on.

Barb
The Reading Cafe
Profile Image for Daria.
1,991 reviews42 followers
April 24, 2014

a cute and sweet short story of love and magic. Anytime there is magic there is fate, anytime there is fate... well we just have to play it there way or suffer for it. Smiles.
Alejandro suffered the loss of his family and most of his village to Vampires, as a adult he is always on target as a “paranormal cop”, he and his partner are called in to help some ladies with their Baslik problem. Things go down hill somewhat after that. Rose is witch and one of her gifts beyond witch craft is seeing what people desire most. (which in fact her gift doesnt work on Alejandro) As Rose had tried to work her potion to help Alejandro's partner that seems to be just “standing” around, A wizard older than dirt has to be called in, Rose grandmother comes and foretells a future, her little sister is threating the cops, and the spark between Alejandro and Rose will just be hard to deny.
I liked it, it didnt like floor me. But it was fun and quick.

Part of the Dark and Deadly 8 book set
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Profile Image for Keana.
40 reviews
July 23, 2016
I don't always have a problem with the head-over-heels sudden love syndrome, but this just didn't sit well with me. The writing was overly cheesy and the characters felt shallow. Ms. Day has quite a whimsical world built within the story, but it just wasn't enough for me.

I think that the story is more for the already established fan base that Ms. Day has accumulated. If you are new to the author, I think you'll probably be just as disappointed as I was! However, I might give one of her full-length novels a try; there's definitely potential in the writing.

Check out my more in-depth review at Book Crave Reviews!
Profile Image for Lisa Miller.
97 reviews16 followers
April 17, 2014
Ok, first of all, it is not the great american novel. But it is full of some of the funniest, light-hearted, most whimsical writing I have come across in a while. Nothing about it is based in reality. There are creatures mentioned in here that I have never even heard of. But I laughed so hard!! The cheesiness is just so darn fun!!! Alejandro is so serious and walks into the most hilarious family ever created with a pen, or Word Program, or whatever :) It is a great, short, fun read, and I will search out other work by this author ASAP.
5 Highly Entertaining Stars!!!
Profile Image for Eva Millien.
3,115 reviews45 followers
September 28, 2015
Hardened by years of protecting his town, Alejandro is a warrior that is taken off guard by the garden witch who sees the world in shades of sunshine and delight in this delightfully charming paranormal romance. I was completely and utterly delighted by this offbeat romance and I am glad to know that it is sparking a new series, so I will be enthusiastically looking for the first book in the Cardinal Witches series.

“Copyright Night Owl Reviews”©

4.5 STARS

See my full review at:
https://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Re...
Profile Image for Dallass.
2,233 reviews
February 6, 2023
Not the suave P-Ops guy from Tiger’s Eye series.

I knew of Alejandro thanks to the Tiger’s Eye Mystery series, and was always curious as to his backstory. However, this really didn’t do the character any justice, nor would I be inclined to pick up any of the other Cardinal novella’s as I just didn’t really like the sisters, nor Sue, that much. Enjoyed seeing the basilisk’s at the end, and Bob was feisty, but that’s it.

2.5 ⭐️
700 reviews1 follower
February 9, 2017
This book had me cracking up and the timing was perfect because I was stressed out. I enjoyed meeting the different types of characters the author introduced into this book. Even an alpha male can be thrown off his game. If you need a good laugh, I strongly suggest this book. I will be reading more of this series.
Profile Image for Fran Lucero.
142 reviews4 followers
April 17, 2014
I loved this . Was worth the wait. I laugh out loud many times. Rose was wonderful and loved her crazy family. Truly loved seeing the Atlantean warriors briefly. Really miss and loved this series.
Profile Image for Tammy.
639 reviews7 followers
April 2, 2020
Alejandro and his partner Max work for the P-OP. They get calls to investigate paranormal wrong doings. They get a call to go to the Cardinal witches home where something is turning everything into stone statues...Shortly after they arrive MAx is turned into a stone statue and the witches try to mix a big batch of strong magic potion to pour on him to turn him back.
This story would have had great potential if it would have been longer and with a better foundation. Im not a fan of people meeting falling in love and having hot sex in a days time...It was almost like the author was told... I want you to write a story with a mystery, love, hot sex, paranormal characters, include 8-10 random people, solve the mystery and use the subject " a being turns things to stone" .. oh , and do this in a 1000 words or less..
I really liked Granny and her sass, I wish she would have been a bigger part of the story....
The story and how it was thrown together I give two stars... but with Granny and her sass I will bump it up to three stars...
Profile Image for BookAddict  ✒ La Crimson Femme.
6,917 reviews1,439 followers
May 9, 2021
Ridiculously cute with irreverent witches, this short novella is a quick and fun read. This is in the same universe as Ms. Day's Atlanta series. Alejandro is set to do his job as a newly minted P-Ops agent. His first assignment goes haywire and he meets a snarky witch, Rose.

The characters in this story are hilarious. Rose's sisters, mother and grandmother are all kookie and I love it. Rose's "save the pests" sister is so familiar, she could be my younger sister. If only my mother and grandmother were as funny as Rose's mom and grandma.

This story pretty much takes place in Rose's garden. Or at least the main scene revolves around her garden with the pesky basilisks. If these little buggers didn't turn living things into stone, I wouldn't mind them running around in my garden. Ms. Day creates them to be these ferocious little guys that are too adorable. Like a little kitten roaring with a tiny meow to terrify the neighborhood dogs, these little basilisks are too adorable.

This is a nice start to a series which promises to be lighthearted and fun.
Profile Image for Spinneretta.
2,854 reviews20 followers
November 15, 2022
Good

Alejandro is a rookie agent for the Psy-Ops division of the FBI, meaning he investigates paranormal related events. The first call he and his partner get, is to help get rid of a basilisk infestation in a witch’s garden.
Rose is one of the Cardinal witches, a gifted potion maker and quite determined to fix the issue with the basilisks herself.
Alejandro isn’t what she was expecting, and it’s not long before they start falling for each other.

This is a novella set in the author’s Atlantean world, which means you can expect a few cameos from that series. Alejandro also appears in the Tiger’s Eye mystery series as a guest every so often, and this book tells the tale that is frequently referenced in those books.
It’s a quick and enjoyable read, with a crazy family of witches and a few laugh out loud moments.
Recommended for PNR fans who want a quick read and fans of the author’s Atlantis series.
3,123 reviews
November 5, 2017
Rose is a witch and her mother calls the P-Ops, that’s the paranormal division of the FBI, to take care of an infestation of creatures that turn things to stone. Alejandro and his partner Mac are sent to investigate. Alejandro feels an instant attraction to Rose. But when his partner is turned to stone by one of the creatures, Rose tries to get him out but her potions don’t work. After spending the night, Alejandro calls someone who can help and gets his friend un-stoned. He has fallen for Rose and tries his best to convince her to give them a chance.

First time reading this author and I cracked up. There’s witches, trolls, and all other paranormal beings. Magic and a granny who will tickle you pink. Short but good story. Plus sex.

* Voluntarily read and reviewed this for the publisher *

195 reviews3 followers
July 26, 2017
This was a fun book to read. The heroine, Rose, is a garden witch with a little extra. Her family is kooky. Her grandmother, mother, and little sister are all garden witches. She lives in a small cottage out behind her mother's house. Between the homes is a garden aka. a jungle. In the garden are some lizard-chickens which are causing problems. These lizard-chickens are turning people and animals into stone statues. The hero, Alejandro, is a P-Ops agent. He has special powers and has been sent out to deal with the infestation. The book had action, magic, romance, and humor. It has inspired me to read the rest of this series and her other series as well. I love books like this one as characters from the author's other books put in an appearance.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 180 reviews

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