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Womby's School for Wayward Witches #1-5

Womby's School for Wayward Witches Series, #1-5

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A magical boarding school. Budget cuts. Missing teaches. A not-so-cozy mystery.
You think you know the world of magical boarding schools? Not from a teacher's perspective at a school for at risk youth.


This book bundle includes: Tardy Bells and Witches’ Spells, Hex-Ed, Witches Gone Wicked, A Handful of Hexes, Hexes and Exes, and BONUS MATERIAL. Personal Ads for Witches and Thirteen Ways to Tell if You are a Witch are also included in this bundle.


Book 1: Tardy Bells and Witches’ Spells (A prequel before Clarissa teaches at Womby’s School for Wayward Witches.)


Most of us have faced the fact that an owl will never come with our acceptance letter to Hogwarts. Find out what this teen does to take matters into her own hands. Will she become a witch, even if the price is higher than she expects?


Book 2: Hex-Ed
Consider what would happen if a bumbling character like Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum had been told with the quirky voice of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and she was trying to get a job at Hogwarts.


A gang of evil Fae wants to kidnap and enslave Clarissa for accidentally using magic at the wrong place and the wrong time. Clarissa must escape little old ladies in gingerbread cottages, the evil school district psychologist who has always been out to get her, and a hoard of harpies before she can prove to the Witchkin that the bad apple falls farther from the tree that they’d guessed.


If she can do this, then maybe, just maybe her dreams will come true and she’ll land that job teaching the dark arts and crafts.


Book 3: Witches Gone Wicked


As if being the new "arts and crafts" teacher isn't hard enough at a school for juvenile delinquent witches, budget cuts are just as severe in the magic community, administrators are as unrealistic in their expectations of teachers, and the job is a hazard if the students find out you can't actually do magic.


As if this isn't enough pressure, she has to figure out why teachers are mysteriously disappearing. If she doesn't, she might be next.


Book 4: A Handful of Hexes


When Clarissa finds her mother’s diary outlining her experiments with the Fae Fertility Paradox, she is desperate to uncover the mysteries of her mother’s past that will help with her own magic problems of the present. She suspects this book will solve the feud between Fae and Witchkin.


Either that or it will cause an all-out war.


Book 5: Hexes and Exes



Dear Jezzy: Love Advice for Paranormals

The ghosts of boyfriends past are haunting Clarissa Lawrence, the most unmagical teacher at Womby’s School for Wayward Witches.


When Clarissa’s problems aren’t filled with her exes, they are filled with hexes. Everything in her life revolves around letting go of her past so she can accept her future. Clarissa must save Derrick before the Raven Queen gets him for good, even if it means she must join the dark side to do so.


BONUS MATERIAL
Personal Ads for Witches
Thirteen Ways to Tell if You are a Witch
Dear Jezzy: Love Advice for Paranormals

1611 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 10, 2019

985 people are currently reading
326 people want to read

About the author

Sarina Dorie

245 books213 followers

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
Profile Image for Coco.V.
50k reviews132 followers
Want to read
June 27, 2019
🎁 FREE on Amazon today (6/27/2019)! 🎁
218 reviews4 followers
June 8, 2020
I shook my head and rolled my eyes all the way to the (?) end of this box set

This was an adult Harry Potter type story. Many references were made to Harry Potter, in fact. I loved Harry Potter. I didn't love this. However, something kept me reading to the end. Although it wasn't really the end, because there's more box sets in this series. But it did bring the story to a decent stopping point.

Where to begin? How about the Heroine. She was an adult, but acted like a TTTL YA. I really didn't like her. During the entire story, she never really improved her abilities, and she never grew up. I also think that the book needs further editing. On the other hand, the series premise has potential. I never considered giving up reading, even though my eyes hurt from the above mentioned eyerolling. For me, the supporting characters really redeemed the story. The school was another strong plus, because it was the most dysfunctional learning facility imaginable. There was occasional humor, especially with the Unicorn and the Genie.

Strong language and sexual situations make it an adult read. I'm not sure if I'll read the next boxed set...because for me, this was just OK.

Profile Image for Stan Hutchings.
1,335 reviews21 followers
January 8, 2019
A female Harry Potter wannabe has amazing adventures beyond belief!
I advise anyone planning to read the Womby's School for Wayward Witches to start with Book 1, and then binge read the series sequentially. That's what I did after I got hooked on the first book. Each book gets more outrageous than the last; and as the characters age, hormones start heating up the action, and by the Book 5, some of the graphic scenes overheated my imagination and computer! Be warned - if you are overly modest or religious, this may not be the series for you. But I thoroughly enjoyed the irreverent and humorous writing style. I've read the whole series past Book 6, 'Budget Cuts for the Dark Arts' and just finished a pre-pub Book 7 'Budget Cuts for the Dark Arts and Crafts'. Now I'm looking forward to Book 8. The series is an enjoyable romp, with many memorable characters, and frequent references to Star Trek, Harry Potter, My Little Pony, art and music. Again, it's definitely best to "binge" read the whole series in order.
Clarissa has many interesting adventures, first as a "morty" high-school student, not even fully realizing she is a witch, but hoping she is, and and that she will be accepted to a school for witches like Hogwarts. It turns out she has such powerful potential skills, which she doesn't even realize she has, and that she cannot control, that she is too dangerous to be accepted into Womby's School for Wayward Witches. However, her powers are so strong that she eventually MUST be taken into Womby's for her own safety, the safety of the mortal world, and to keep her powers from the Raven Court, other fae, and even other witches. But not as a student; instead she is drafted as a teacher, despite having fewer witchly capabilities than any of the students she is supposed to be teaching. Her adventures as a teacher without magic in a class of witches are hilarious. Her interactions with her fellow teachers, who are all accomplished witches, and all of whom hate her because of her evil witch mother, are priceless.
In later books, while trying to find her boyfriend and discover the truth about her mother (who seems to be the wickedest witch in history) she has many adventures, each one more fantastic. Several are almost x-rated, so the pure of heart and prudes best not read them. Some of the descriptions of her adventures will tingle your...toes (and maybe other parts - be warned!).
Her interactions include the evil Raven Queen, a boyfriend with blue hair, and a mysterious mentor and tormenter (out secret crush?). In later books, she meets the Crab King of the Pacific, The Singing Stallions (actually unicorns, whose leader looks like Rainbow Dash and adopts her as "his virgin"), a Prince of the Silver Court. She has more adventures and misadventures with her students and teacher colleagues. That's just a taste of the non-stop action! There's lots more - I'm reading Book 12 in the series now.
Profile Image for Sarah Z.
523 reviews7 followers
July 8, 2019
I received a copy of this start to the series from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

As much as I loved the Harry Potter series, I always kind of wished it would have more of a bad ass, sexy element to it. If you felt the same way, then this is a series for you.

When I first picked up this series, I started out of order on book 7. But the beauty of these books is that they can be read out of order and you’ll still know what’s going on. I was hooked and I actually read to book 12 before deciding that I should probably start at the beginning to see what I missed. I’m so glad I did because I learned about how Carissa came to be at Womby’s, the death of her sister, more about her relationship with Thatch, history on her infamous mother, and a glimpse into how her various relationships with friends and family started and ended. I can’t gush enough about how awesome this series is. It’s completely addictive, it’s witty, very funny, emotional, a bit sexually charged, particularly in the later books, the storylines just flow incredibly well, and it’s so easy to get attached to characters.

The books are a good length and you can whip through them quickly. I highly recommend them and I can’t wait to finish them all.
Profile Image for Sheree K.
172 reviews5 followers
March 10, 2019
Which witch is evil and which is not?

This is the first 5 books in the series that follows the life of Clarissa Lawrence. She has odd things happen around her that she can't explain. Then she realizes she is a Witch and her mother has been doing everything possible to keep it from her. She goes through many trials trying to keep herself safe. She goes to college to become an art teacher but can't get through her student teaching to get her license because things keep happening to her. She hears about Womby's School and is thrilled to be able to go there. Not as a student but as an art teacher! The rest is a journey to learn how to control her affinity and learn to use her magic. And, to just fit in especially when she discovers the other teachers don't want her there because she is actually descended from a powerful witch who turned evil.
These are best read in order because they build on each other. Each one also has more sexual content than the last. Kind of an adult version of the Harry Potter series.
Profile Image for Amy.
840 reviews4 followers
July 10, 2020
Fan-freaking-tasting!!!

I haven’t stayed up all night, laughing obnoxiously, and generally being a nuisance to my sleeping household. I originally read book 2, which I received for the purpose of reviewing and enjoyed it so much that I had to get the boxed set. I went back and read the first book in the series and was happy to find that although some spoilers were revealed in the book I had read, it didn’t spoil the story at all. It was completely enchanting and an emotional roller coaster for the nerdiest of us. A quick dinner and then I will be reading the next boxed set (which includes another I received for review).

Profile Image for Lora Shouse.
Author 1 book32 followers
March 29, 2022
This series, Womby’s School for Wayward Witches, is about a girl who is in love with the idea of magic and is convinced that she herself must possess magic because she wants it so badly. It is also about a school for witches, or what is referred to here as Witchkin. Witchkin are people who are half-Fae and half Mortal (here they are called Morties, sort of like Muggles in Harry Potter). But in the first two books, nobody goes to Womby’s School for Wayward Witches. In fact, it is barely mentioned a couple of times, and not in an especially favorable manner.

This was a good story in total. I am glad that I had the first five books together in a bundle because the story flowed well between them and cutting off after one or two books would have felt too incomplete.
Tardy Bells and Witches’ Spells (Book 1)

Clarissa has grown up living a fairly conventional life – aside from her obsession with all things magical – with her mother and father and sister Melissa (Missy). We eventually discover that Clarissa’s mother is a not-very-powerful witch specializing in garden and kitchen magic; she’s a terrific cook. Her father is a Morty, but he loves the idea of magic almost as much as Clarissa does. Clarissa and Missy are very close until the family visits a place known as the Oregon Country Fair, a venue that seems to cater to aging hippies and serves as a cover for several kinds of magical beings. While they are there, a witch kidnaps Missy and convinces her that Clarissa will one day kill her. From then on, Missy makes every effort to kill Clarissa first. She fails.

In high school, Clarissa meets Derrick, a boy with real artistic talent, and a bit of real magic. They seem to be soul mates.

On Prom night, Clarissa and Derrick are making out in her room when their activities trigger a major storm that causes a wall of the house to fall on Missy who is lurking in the yard. At the same time, Derrick is sucked up into the storm and disappears.

Hex Ed (Book 2)

The second book in the series sort of annoyed me. My only real complaint about the series is Clarissa’s conviction that she is somehow missing out on an important part of life because she has never had sex. I can kind of overlook this in the first book because she is so young, and also because, despite that, she seems to really care for her boyfriend, Derrick. But there is a reason her fairy godmother, the woman she knows as her mother, kept her out of sex education classes in high school. Her attempt to have sex with Derrick led to disaster.

In the second book, Clarissa is in college, and her attempts to get together with other men, who she doesn’t care about nearly as much as Derrick, don’t work out much better. Although they are not such epic fails as the incident with Derrick, they are dangerous for the guys, and they are embarrassing for Clarissa. Clarissa assumes, and nobody tells her any different for at least another book after this, that her type of magic is somehow triggered by sex, and for this reason, there is almost no actual sexual content in this series. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of sexual references.

Clarissa still hasn’t had any magical training. She is in a regular Morty college and is training to be a teacher. Her school classes have gone pretty well, but when she attempts student teaching, everything disintegrates rapidly. The worst episode is when she is asked to fill in for another teacher’s sex education class for a single period.

We suddenly see a lot of the character Felix Thatch who appeared a few times in the first book under the pretense of being a school psychologist. Eventually, (although maybe not in book 2) it is revealed that he is an agent of the Womby’s school, although he is evasive about what his real role is. Is he a recruiter for the school? Or is he just trying to keep the Morties from finding out about the Witchkin?

Anyway, he proposes to drain Clarissa of her magic, but Clarissa doesn’t want him to, and her mom won’t let him.

When she finds out that evil Fae from the Raven Court are after her, Clarissa returns to the Oregon Country Fair to find out the truth about herself, and to hide out from all the people trying to harm her. Finally, she meets up with a group of Thatch’s co-workers from Womby’s, including the headmaster, and she is signed up to teach there, even though she hasn’t finished her teacher training.

Witches Gone Wicked (Book 3)
A Handful of Hexes (Book 4)
Hexes and Exes (Book 5)

The adventures of the next three books sort of run together. Clarissa is a little disappointed in the reality of a magical school. In some ways, Womby’s resembles a reform school for Witches. Many of the students have it in for her. And, although there are several nice teachers, many of the teachers are even scarier than the students, including Clarissa’s new roommate, Vega.

Clarissa is supposedly possessed of very powerful magic, which can be deadly if uncontrolled. But nobody seems to be anxious to give her any useful instruction on how to control it, including Thatch, who has been assigned that task. This gets her into all kinds of trouble.

Clarissa has a very confusing relationship with Professor Thatch. Half the time he seems to hate her, but at other times, especially when she has been injured somehow, he seems very attentive and careful of her. Sometimes she thinks he loves her. At another point she wonders if he is her real father; it seems that he was very close to her real mother in some way. At the end of five books, this is never completely cleared up.

In the second book, it is sort of established that Clarissa’s magic is sex-magic and that this is why such disastrous things happen when she attempts to have sex. Later on, it turns out that her magic is more in the nature of touch magic.

Because she is still a virgin after all this time, she draws the attention of a herd of wild unicorns. They make a lot of bawdy jokes, but they manage to save her from a sexual predator who is trying to kidnap her for one of the Fae courts.

It seems the one skill that she does have is that she is a good teacher, despite her incomplete education. They have her teaching art, the one non-magical course that Womby’s is offering (for the time being). Clarissa cares about her students, from the powerful but beginning Witch Imani, who reminds Clarissa of herself, to the truly juvenile delinquent Hailey Achilles. They set up a study group in the art classroom and some of the problem girls actually begin to learn their lessons. And at Christmas, Clarissa takes them home to visit her fairy godmother, where they begin to make real breakthroughs in their relationships.

By the end of the last book, things appear to be looking up for Clarissa and her students. Derrick turns up again. But there are still a lot of unresolved problems and mysteries, so more book bundles are waiting – at least one or two, and maybe more.
Profile Image for Michelle Noble.
178 reviews3 followers
May 27, 2019
This collection of books is about a teenage witch that is living in the mortal world.. She is unable to control her powers especially when she is aroused. She and her best friend come together during prom, and are romantically attracted to each other. The result of their first kiss is traumatic, and they become separated. She must be able to remember what happened, and traverse into world of magic to learn how to master her powers so that she doesn't hurt people by accident. She goes through a series of trials throughout the series. I was transported to a magical realm where all things are possible. I love the hilarious unicorn that reminds me of donkey in Shrek. I wish they had books like this when I was a teenager. The author captures the essence of teenage angst from not fitting in. It reminds us that sometimes being different is better. I can't wait to see what happens next. I do hope the series continues!
342 reviews1 follower
March 9, 2019
I don't do book reviews.....

I don't do book reviews like you keep seeing, as I find that some give too much of the plot away and I personally hate that, as it makes the book not worth reading. I much prefer to take the authors back cover write up as a review as it can either intrigue you enough to read the book of provide you enough information to make you decide that the book is not for you.
My review rules are: The more stars, the more I liked it.
If there are too many typos or errors the less stars I give
If the storyline or plot is poor or contains too many errors, the characters are too weak, the ending lacking something, then the less stars I give.
Simple, uncomplicated and to the point without giving anything away.
Some of the books I read have been given to me by the author as a pre-release copy and this does not bias my reviews in any way.
Profile Image for Barbara Watson.
1 review1 follower
November 1, 2019
Wayward magic-or soft porn?

This is a very long story about a witch seeking to learn about her magic- and finding her true love. The witch exhibits unusual inability to learn from her mistakes -hence the length of the story. There are allusions to the Harry Potter series throughout the tale -which is also an attempt to show that this tale is supposed to be similar to that series.
Just when I'd think I'd had enough of the main character's dumbness and sex-starved fantasies, something would change so I'd read a little further -and then the cycle would repeat itself.
The first three books could have been condensed into one-and same with the last two books-it was that repetitious.
The ending was the culmination of the witch reaching her goals -but it was such an abrupt and quick ending that I could only think: five books led to this? It was very disappointing.
67 reviews2 followers
March 4, 2019
I love this series! I actually read #8 first because I got it free on Amazon and wasn't paying attention to the fact it was a series so I went back and started with the set 1-5. Clarissa wasn't aware she was a witch until she was in high school. She was adopted and raised by a fairy Godmother (a nice witch), as she was the bio daughter of the most wicked witch known. She ends up going to Womby's School for Witches as a teacher. She can't control her power and when she tries to have sex or even kiss a guy she would either electrocute or blow up the guy. So she is taking lessons at the school as she teaches. Omigosh she gets into all kinds of trouble. Recommend this series highly - would make a good TV series. Well I am off to start on Book 6!
170 reviews1 follower
April 23, 2019
The Secrets You Never Knew You Needed to Survive

Our girl is expected to know the rules, even though no one explained, or mentioned them. No, instead she was over-sheltered "to protect her". Well we all know how that usually turns out! This five book Box set is well written, and we get to watch and learn as Clarissa experiences life the hard way. Thankfully she is strong and resilient, growing and becoming sure of herself and her control of her abilities. Mostly. She has a heart of gold and is loyal. She is also a talented art teacher. Every one of the five books is an entertaining read. I do enjoy box sets like this as you can read them in order without the wait between books. Fabulous.
Profile Image for Kimberly.
1,449 reviews13 followers
August 3, 2019
Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

This is the first 5 in a series that I would describe as an adult version of Harry Potter. Maybe not as well written but still a really good series.

Clarissa finds out she is a witch and ends up teaching at a magical school. But she finds out that no one wants her in the school because of her heritage of her descendents being an evil witch.

What I liked best is this is a boxed set so I was able to start at the beginning and continue reading. This is still ongoing so I look forward to continuing the series.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Bonnie Hare.
56 reviews1 follower
August 21, 2019
Clarrisa at Womby's school for wayward witches

Clarrisa knew she was magical as a child. Sibling rivalry began after Clarrisa's sister was kidnapped. After Clarrisa's magic developed she was unable to control it and a strange man always showed up to test her. Eventually when the Qween of Fae showed up to take her Clarrisa outsmarted the Qween and was sent to the School for wayward witches as a student and teacher. Clarrisa must mature control her magic and keep from from being captured by the Fae as well as protect other students. A story of a teen learning to make friends, develop as a person and control her developing sexuality
Profile Image for Mary Barrett.
810 reviews11 followers
September 27, 2019
4.5🌟

What a ride through the magical world of witchcraft. Clarissa and Derrick are high school sweethearts as the magical world exploded around them killing Clarissa 's sister and wisking Derrick away in a tornado. Then the real adventures begin! These books are very enjoyable in a Harry Potter way. Adventures in a magical school with our heroin as an art teacher. Lots of exciting adventures and some romance peppered with a lot of humor to make you lol. The author did a great job. Thanks!
197 reviews
November 2, 2019
Great cast of magical people and animals

I have really enjoyed the stories in this collection. The main characters are a lot of fun, especially clarrissa, her mother, Thatch and Derrick. The fae characters are super awful and so are many of the witchkin. The author is a huge fan of puns, letting rip often(reminiscent of Piers Anthony's Magic Kingdom books that I read a lot of in my youth, though these have a lot of adult content comparatively). Don't miss these if you want some fun escapist reading.
1,280 reviews19 followers
February 19, 2019
I love this series. I love all the characters and the setting in the magical school. I am really getting to love the characters more with each book in the series. The books are well written and so descriptive that you can just picture everything. This set contains the first 5 books in the series. The story just keeps getting better with each book. I highly recommend this book series. It is one of my favorite series of books to read.
264 reviews
March 1, 2019
Accidental witch

Clarissa was an accidental witch,accidental murderer with accidental magic. Follow her journey of discovery. She is accepted at Womby’s school and begins her studies to control her magic. She learns about fae and the unseen realm and the dangers of the Raven Queen. She begins to learn about her birth mother and her history at the school. She makes some unusual friends and has many misadventures. Follow her journey. A great read!
Profile Image for Lily.
3,375 reviews118 followers
November 20, 2020
A more...grown-up (?) version of Harry Potter with a heroine instead of a hero. This is not set in the Harry Potter universe, but it's the closest I can get to describing the vibe this set gives off. Definitely not for the young adult novel, there are some parts of this that skirt the recommended for 18+ line. A great premise but overall I'm left not feeling very strongly about it one way or another. Decent way to spend some time.
Profile Image for Bev.
3,271 reviews98 followers
February 14, 2019
I truly enjoy this series!!! It is not the same as so many of the other 'witches series' are. These are stories about not so nice witches and what can and does happen to them. These stories are great with 'an odd twist' put on them. If your brain has gone numb from the usual witch stories....check these out!!!
Profile Image for Shoshanah Lila.
266 reviews
April 24, 2019
shoshanahlilah·April 11, 2019
4.0 out of 5 starsVerified Purchase
Format: Kindle Edition
Love it; totally hooked!
Great characters and compelling overall storyline. If you enjoyed the Merry Gentry series, but wish it was lighter on the smut, this series is for you. Includes 5-in-one handy bunch for the binge-readers. Looking forward to #6-10 binge-book too. Thanks!
Profile Image for Sandy Van domelen.
143 reviews1 follower
May 5, 2019
Truly A Great Read!!

When I first began reading book one, I found myself getting involved with the characters as well as the story. Each book after that, to book give was great! I loved not being able to guess what would happen. Reading all five books was super! Looking forward to the next set!!
Profile Image for Linda Figueira.
328 reviews3 followers
August 5, 2019
This is one of those stories that are for total pleasure and leisure. This serie captivates not only the cozy stories fans but anyone who likes mystery and fantasy. The main character Clarissa Lawrence is introduced to us since her childhood enabling us growing up with her and all the mystery that surrounds her life.
760 reviews3 followers
August 17, 2019
Not so sweet.

This is Hogwarts for misfits and mischief makers. One witchkin girl child of a infamous headmaster of school is kept an eye on and sheltered in the mortal world for years but not allowed to attend school due to preconceived notion that she will be just like her mother. Fun Read as she grows and matures into adulthood.
Profile Image for Queen Talk Talk.
1,272 reviews3 followers
September 15, 2019
Not young adult.

The first book is all yearning for magic and a boy friend. The second is more adult but still naive. The others are progressively more adult themed. Still more unrequited romance than erotic. They have an amusing theme and are well edited. I can't decide if I like the juvenile tone or not.
3 reviews
January 6, 2020
Hogwarts with budget cuts

This is a fun story all by itself, but throw in all the twisty tributes to fairy tales and other stories with witches in them (like the Wizard of Oz) and it almost feels like this is the realistically messy world that all those stories are based on. Thanks for this gem Sarina Dorie
23 reviews
May 6, 2019
Couldn't sleep had to keep reading

Great read. I binge read the collection this weekend. I couldn't put it down until my eyes were burning and the sun was back up. Story of a bookish girl starting high school who dreams of having magic. Lots of Harry Potter references .
Profile Image for Julie.
114 reviews
May 8, 2019
Definately young adult reading. Not what I was looking for - it delves not only into witches, but the supernatural. Two stars for keeping me reading through the 1st book, 'cause it was exciting. Very much about high school issues.
Profile Image for Barb.
1,034 reviews3 followers
July 2, 2019
Broken curses

Wow! I don't I is where to begin. What a journey for young Clarissa. Fairy godmothers, true love, wicked sisters, Fae, Witchkin, Unicorns (hilarious) and a magic affinity that has all but disappeared. This is an incredible book!
5 reviews
December 11, 2019
Fabulously gripping

I have read both series now and couldn't put them down. When are more coming out. I have to find out, there are a lot of questions and plots that need answering. Fab writer.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews

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