First Time's a Charm

Grimalkin Academy: Kittens #1

by Laura Greenwood

Things might be easier if I could stop conjuring kittens every time I attempt a spell.

I used to be good at magic. That's how I got into Grimalkin Academy in the first place. Then I was dared by my friends to try a spell way above my abilities. Now, the end of year exams are coming up, and I need to find a way to stop my magic going haywire all the time or I'm going to fail.

At least matters of my heart are easy enough...for now.

-

A paranormal academy slow burn reverse harem.

Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Witches, Young Adult, Romance, Urban Fantasy, Amazon

158 pages, ebook

First published June 24, 2019

About the author

Laura is a USA Today Bestselling Author of fantasy romance and urban fantasy. She lives in the UK, where most of her books are set, with her partner. When she's not writing, Laura can be found exploring worldwide cusine with her partner, drinking tea, and reading fantasy books. Laura specialises in quick reads, featuring healthy relationships and consent-positive moments, regardless of whether she's writing light-hearted romance, mythology-inspired modern fantasy, cozy fantasy or anything in between.

Discover one of Laura Greenwood's most popular series:
- The Apprentice of Anubis (mythology inspired modern/urban fantasy)
- Forgotten Gods (mythology inspired fantasy romance)
- Jinx Paranormal Dating Agency (mythology inspired paranormal rom-com)
- House of Blood and Roses (vampire romantasy)
- Amethyst's Wand Shop Mysteries (urban fantasy murder mystery)
- Scales of Justice (mythology inspired modern/urban fantasy)
- Purple Oak Oasis (cozy fantasy romance)
- Falhaven Castle (cozy fantasy romance)

You can find a full book list and more information on her website, or in her Facebook Reader Group.

Happy Reading!

Reviews

[Danielle's · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laura greenwood's academy books are my favourite of her large collection. The audiobooks are really good and this is partly because I like the narrator. The Grimalkin Academy follows two best friends, and each series is a set of stories.

Mona is our leading lady in this series and unlike Daphne, she's having problems with her magic. Since moving to the academy something seems out of sink. Every time she performs a spell the results are unpredictable. Conjuring kittens are cute and all, but not what she's aiming for. With two new guys on campus, can one of them help her with her problem, or will things get complicated with the crush she has on Daphne's brother, Ryan?

First time's a charm is the first book in the series. It doesn't have all the answers but is a great start. I can't wait for more.

ARC in exchange for an honest review. I'm hooked on Laura Greenwood books.

[Renée · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mona’s not your average witch, as she has a few hiccups with her magic, and lets not forget the kittens along the way. Her story is a refreshing and interesting take on this genre, plus I loved the little Harry Potter references as well.

This is a slow burn reverse harem, and development of the characters and their relationship with the FMC - Mona has been perfectly written.

First Time's a Charm is the first book in the Grimalkin Academy series from Laura Greenwood, and can’t wait to read more of Mona’s story.

[Lola · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was in the mood for an academy themed Laura Greenwood book and remembered I bought this series a while ago and decided to start it. First Time's a Charm follows Mona, she just started Grimalkin Academy and struggles with her magic suddenly no longer working. And there is a slow burn romance polyamory romance with 3 guys. I had already read Daphne's books set in this world and was excited to get Mona's story now.

This one started rather suddenly and I had to double check I started with the correct book as it felt like there should've been something before it. Turns out it was the first book indeed and after a chapter or two I felt more settled in the book. Mona is struggling with her magic since she arrived at the academy and now is conjuring kittens every time she does magic. There's a teacher's assistance who wants to help her, a new hot guy she's getting to know and a crush she has on her best friend's brother. So there's a lot going on plot wise and romance wise, but I think it all worked here.

I liked reading about Mona. I thought it made sense how she still wanted to use magic, or had to and sometimes got goaded into using magic even when she knows it isn't working, although sometimes I wnated her to be more careful. Then she starts looking into what is causing her magic not to work with Thomas and there's an interesting reveal at the end of the book already. I like seeing her connection with each of the three guys develop a bit. There's a bit of drama with Caspian already, which I wasn't a fan of, but hopefully that gets resolved soon. I would've liked a bit more of Ryan as I feel he got the least of page time in this book. And I am eager to see how this all turns out romance wise.

The kittens were cute and fun to read about and it just seemed like such a unique set up with her conjuring kittens when she does magic. I liked learning a bit about the magic and the academy and had a fun time reading this one.

To summarize: This was a fun start to this series. It starts rather abruptly and I struggled a bit to get into, but after a chapter or two I felt like I had a better grip on what's going on. I liked reading about Mona, her magic doesn't work anymore since she started at the academy and she's trying to figure out what's wrong with the help of Thomas. There is also a crush on her best friend's brother and a new hot guy who joined the school. I had fun reading this one and seeing a bit of the academy and learning about the magic. The kittens are cute and a fun touch with her conjuring them when she uses magic. And I look forward to continuing the series.

[♥Milica♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever since Mona came to Grimalkin Academy, her magic's been acting weird. Either she can't perform even the simplest of spells, or she can, but she conjures a new kitten each time she attempts to.

No matter how hard she tries, Mona can't wrap her head around what's happening to her and rarely anyone, save Daphne and her twin brother Ryan, wants to be her friend. At least until Caspian, a new student, comes to the academy and is nice to her.

It seems that Mona's crush Ryan found a new rival, or perhaps two. Mr Smith is a doctorate student who's working on magical illnesses. Could he be the cure to Mona's troubles? And is that all he's after?

Mona's series is a lot better than Daphne's. I'm not even sure how? Maybe it's their different perspectives. But here the characters don't seem so immature. They still are, more like 16 than 18 year olds but better that than 14.

And this one is RH too, but it's slower here. She didn't properly date anyone yet and isn't as crazy as Daphne in that regard. I don't have a favourite, I just know I still don't ship her with Ryan. Either one of the other two might grow into my favourite.

I think the kitten idea is original and super cute. I just wish she'd let Daphne have one. You have four Mona, you can share.

Ivy is awful, I want to see what comes of it.

And the Harry Potter references were almost breaking the fourth wall? But I liked it. I didn't expect to see so many in a book about another magical school.

This book definitely succeeded in getting me hooked on the story. I think I'll have to binge the rest now.

[Daisy Sauceda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grimalkin Academy is a good book to read. It has a good plot to it however it was a little hard to follow with some of the abrupt changes as you read further into the story. If definitely needs to be cleaned up and some scenes extended to flow better.

As you read, you meet Mona Black who is attending Grimalkin Academy for magic. Unfortunately she is met with some unforeseen issues. She never thought that her magic would just stop working. So she is trying to focus on her studies and figure out why her magic is messing up and producing kittens. She meets Daphne who becomes her best friend and she has a twin brother Ryan. Mona also meets Caspian and Thomas who she is attracted to as well. She tries to stay clear of everyone since they see her as a walking disaster because her magic does not work properly. She tells that to Caspian and Thomas so they can make a choice to not associate with her. However Thomas wants to help her and possibly more. She is not sure about a relationship with Caspian since something was revealed. Then Thomas finds a way to help her with her magic by using dark magic for an unleashing spell. Also he found out another reason she cannot use magic properly. Which boils down to what route she will take? What will she do about Caspian, Ryan and Thomas?

If you want to know what happens, you need to read the book.

[Elizabeth]

DNF at 13%.
Written way too young for me.

[Brianna Belbin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing start to a new series! Mona has always been great at magic until she came to Grimalkin Academy. Ever since her arrival, her magic hasn’t worked... and now she produces magical kittens every time she tries a spell. I really enjoyed the academy setting that Laura has created and I can’t wait for more to be discovered. I loved Mona and Daphne’s friendship along with her slow burn/ potential relationships with Caspian, Ryan, and Thomas. Her four kittens, Rhubarb, Ginger, Felix, and Isla, were adorable and just picturing them being conjured from thin air puts a smile on my face. This book was filled with humor, mishaps, cute guys, Harry Potter references, and quite a few kittens!
*I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Laura Greenwood]

Grimalkin Academy: Kittens Series:
1. First Time's a Charm: books2read.com/firsttimesacharm
2. Second Time's A Curse: books2read.com/secondtimesacurse
3. Third Time's A Crime: books2read.com/thirdtimesacrime
4. Fourth Time's A Cure: books2read.com/fourthtimesacure
5. Fifth Time's A Crisis: books2read.com/fifthtimesacrisis

Prequel: Curses Start Somewhere: Grimalkin Academy: Kittens Prequel: books2read.com/cursesstartsomewhere
Prequel: Witch Friends Are Forever: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/ya4mv0g55e

You can also join my Goodreads Reader Group for new release alerts, spoiler threads, and more!
==> https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...

[Jennifer G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once upon a time, Mona was good at magic. But when she went to Grimalkin Academy an evil witch put a curse on her. Now her magic no longer works. Now, whenever she tries to perform a spell she conjures adorable kittens. Rhubarb, Ginger, Felix, and Isla. Four adorable little magical fluffballs. This puts her at the mercy of the mean girl Ivy and exposes her to the ridicule of the school. Luckily she has her roomie Daphnie, Daphnie's twin and her crush Ryan, her sorta boyfriend Caspian, and a teaching assistant Mr. Smith (Thomas) there to stand by her. Now Mona just needs to decide how far she is willing to go to find out who put the curse on her and try to remove it.

I always enjoy Laura Greenwood's stories. The can always be depended on for good characters, an original storyline, and a HEA. This may be my favorite book of hers to date. It's adorable. I love Mona, love that Daphne is true, like the guys, and absolutely adore the kittens. Plus, even though Mona's life is a bit of a mess, it's a funny mess. The humor created by her mishaps, Ryan's potion abilities, Daphne's love of learning all make of an amusing read. I can't wait for more.

[Shedevilreads Bookstagram · Rating 5 out of 5]

First Time’s A Charm by Laura Greenwood is a paranormal academy slow burn reverse harem that I listened to on audio narrated by Kate Richardson.

I just love Laura’s books! They always leave me begging for more. The story does end on a cliffhanger but that was no surprise since it’s the first book in the Grimalkin Academy: Kittens series. I cannot wait for the next book in the series Second Time’s A Curse to be released on audible.

Kate did an amazing job on the narration. She really knows how to bring a story to life.

[Susie · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.*

Lots of squee moments!!

The basis of my review for this book can probably be summarised so:
1. Cute kittens!!
2. Harry Potter references!!!
3. MORE cute kittens!!1! Squeeeee!!!11!!

OK, ahem, I’ll calm down a bit now, and try to write my thoughts in a more orderly manner.

This is the first book in a new series, which is roughly based in the broader Paranormal Council Universe. Of course, the whole paranormal school/college/university trope has been used a lot, but I’m lucky to not have read too much of it (aside from Harry Potter, but this was quite gleefully filled with HP references. And, of course, those cute kittens). Ooops, got a bit distracted again but, for me personally, this does bring something new to the table.

We have a young, eighteen-year-old witch, who has been relatively brilliant at magic, until one day, she isn’t. She’s been cursed to reproduce kittens with every spell. Except, she is completely clueless as to what’s going on with her magic. But, despite not really being a cat lover, falls completely in love with these balls of fur that keep appearing with every spell.

You have the class bitch, a “harem” of potential boyfriends, and a brilliant and quirky best friend. Plus, yes, those cute kittens…! Tell me – what more could you ask for?!

A nice, good, fun read, with plenty of mishaps and shenanigans. Considering the language used, it fits quite easily into the young-adult genre, yet I’m not so sure the sequels will be, if our young witch is going to get her men…!

Final rating: ★★★★★ – Loved it/couldn't put it down

[Jamie Bee · Rating 4 out of 5]

On occasion, I read magical academy stories. This is the slightly more grown-up version, a magical university. The book was certainly humorous in parts, as the protagonist, Mona, is definitely having issues with her magic. She can't get it to go right at all. What is she going to do with all the kittens she seems to magically conjure? I loved the references to Harry Potter; nothing was super overt (especially the first line), but if you know your Harry Potter, you will catch the references. I like the other characters in the story as well, and I am interested to see how the characters will continue to interact and evolve in the next installments of the series. While this is supposedly book one of the series, it felt more like a prequel, like it was introducing the story world with little true meat to the story. It is short and ends abruptly. I don't like stories that feel like they stop in the middle of the action unless it is meant to be episodic. That said, I enjoyed the story about Mona, her current and potential men, and of course, the kittens!

I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.

Read my other reviews at https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com.

[Annettesbookbanter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick, easy Urban Fantasy read.

This was a very quick read and felt a little more like a novella. The pace was steady and the plot interesting. I found the characters likeable. There was no major plot arc though which is one of the reasons it felt like a novella rather than a novel. I liked that it was set in a Uni with the characters being that little bit older rather than high school age. There was a little romance (slow burn) with multiple romantic interests for the FMC.

[Nathalie Bookwurm · Rating 5 out of 5]

absolutely loved First Time’s a Charm! From the very first page, I was hooked 😍. Mona is such a lovable and enchanting character 💖, and the way she magically brought the kittens into the story felt whimsical and heartwarming 🐱✨. Every moment with Mona and her magical kittens made me smile and feel cozy inside 😊🌈. Laura Greenwood’s storytelling is charming, vivid, and full of magic — I couldn’t put the book down! Highly recommend for anyone who loves heartwarming, magical tales 📚💫.

[Lissa Hawley · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

OK, not gonna lie, I am sort of over the whole "Academy" craze. They all sort of blur together at this point, so if they're not from an author I've already read and loved I have been giving most of them a pass. This one caught my eye for obvious (to me) reasons, cats, Grimalkin, anyway...
I figured I would give it a try. And, it's OK. Not fabulous, but not terrible. It is super short, and ends rather in the middle of things. There's no monster of the week, no complete story with an overriding Arc for the series. It just cuts off.
The writing is pretty basic, like from a young author. And it is written in British colloquial English. Which is doable, but reads as off to my American brain.

I am intrigued enough that I might try the next one. But I am not desperate for it.

[Kathleen Bradbury (Bulfon) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely Awesome Read, well written, great characters, Awesome story line, easy read to hold you on their journey, this genre might not be for everyone but its a really wonderful story cannot wait for more from this Author.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Nan · Rating 5 out of 5]

First Time's a Charm

Mona is a witch in her first year at magic academy. Unfortunately, the day she set foot there her magic stopped working right and she becomes an outcast. Luckily she has a wonderful best friend and suddenly three men are vying for her attention. Now they just have to figure out why her magic doesn't work and why kittens keep showing up.

[Ashley Hayes · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at 78%. This book was so weird for me. I swear that Mona has split personalities because she goes from poor pitiful me to bitch, die in a fire within two sentences. The guys were forgettable with no distinct personalities. I think the story could've had so much potential but it just fell flat for me. I kept waiting for something to happen and I was over half way in with nothing going on besides kittens popping up whenever Mona tried to do a spell.

[mirba · Rating 1 out of 5]

Short story

Not a book.
Annoying slutty best frient thrope.
Annoying heroine so stupid I don't know how she breathes.
There's 3 guys, but they all speak or move or act the same. So what's the point?

It's like the first 3 chapters of a longer book. It ends in the middle of a dialogue.
You pay 3$ for it.
Thay means that this book in the end will cost m

[Michelle VanDaley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a quick and sometimes confusing read - alot of information in a short amount of pages. I like the overall story and characters and believe that it will be easier to understand the flow as I read and get to know more of the story.

[Cara · Rating 2 out of 5]

All the tension in this book is entirely fabricated from nothing. A student's magic suddenly goes awry: does she go her teachers for help? Does she go to a magical nurse/doctor? Does she tell her parents? Of course not, that would be too...? No idea.

[Natasha Maltman · Rating 2 out of 5]

2

It reads young? And wasn’t my cup of tea.
Not bad just not for me.

[LMR · Rating 5 out of 5]

First Time's A Charm (Grimalkin Academy: Kittens Book 1) By: Laura Greenwood
The "First Time's a Charm" If YOU Want Kittens... If NOT, Her Magic's Wonky NOT Charmed At All!
The "First Time's a Charm," or Sooo they say...
But for this Gal, She's suddenly hav'n Trouble with Each & EVERY Spell...
It Started Right after She came to this School,
That's when Her Magic Turned OFF, Flipped a Switch,
And Suddenly the "First Time's a Charm" didn't WORK AnyMore!
But there's Some Hope com'n Her Way...
As a few Guys Start Sniffing around Her & Her cute Kitties to Play!
There's Even a Teach who's doing some ReSearch,
Try'n to find a Cause... And Maybe a Cure!
'Til then... She can ONLY Hope,
She's not OverRun with Kittens arriving through thin air!
I rarely give Coveted 5 STAR ratings; they're saved for Books/Items that Outshine, Outclass, & Outperform their competition... They've gotta give me something MORE! Laura Greenwood does just THAT In Her WORK. Each book's World Building is Exquisite & Unique... Not to Mention the RoMANce & Drama; She's TRULY Won Distinction as a 5 STAR Author for Her Catalogue of Work, Especially for "First Time's a Charm;" Kudos, Ms. Greenwood, for ALL your Stellar work!!!!!
I was granted, via B00|{$P®0UT, an ARC of Laura Greenwood's "First Time's A Charm (Grimalkin Academy: Kittens Book 1)." I highly recommend this book to others based upon its own merits. All opinions expressed within this review are uniquely my own & freely given!
Until next time... Happy Reading!

[Kristen Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part of me would love being in Mona’s shoes. She’s a witch studying magic and her spells are backfiring, but the only thing bad that happens is every time she casts a spell, she conjures a kitten! But I know that taking care of a bunch of kittens can be a handful. (Sometimes caring for one adult cat is a full-time job, like when she pees on the bed at two am, gets locked into the bathroom, then figures out how to open the bathroom door so she can come back to bed. I hope those magical kittens aren’t smart enough to figure out doorknobs or Mona’s in for some real trouble.)

Mona tries not to use her magic, but she’s in a magic school and that’s not an option. So, she’s getting help from a teacher’s assistant to figure out what’s wrong with her powers. Meanwhile, she also starts dating the new boy at school, but she’s also got a crush on the teacher’s assistant and her best friend’s brother.

I didn’t really care for the other two guys because they didn’t seem to have as much connection to Mona. I liked the boyfriend because he gave her advice with the kittens and seemed genuinely interested in helping her, unlike the TA who is using Mona for his research project. The best friend’s brother was barely there. Maybe we will learn more about the other two guys in future books before she gets involved with them, but right now it seems like there was more time developing the female characters, like Mona’s best friend, and the mean girl/bully character.

But the best part of the story was definitely hearing about the kittens and their antics. I hope they get up to more trouble in future books. If they keep Mona away from stupid dorm parties, even better. I don’t know why she keeps going back when she doesn’t enjoy them and ends up getting bullied.

Overall, the story was a little rushed and choppy but it wasn’t unreadable. I hope the author gets better with future books.

[Emily Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is our short introduction to a new potentially fun series, judging by all the mishaps and craziness!

Mona used to be a talented teenage witch until someone cursed her. So as she starts magic school at Grimalkin Academy, her spells are producing KITTENS instead of what she intended! She’s not sure what’s going on with her wonky magic. Schools can be difficult enough to navigate without the embarrassing failure of simple magic spells. So you know the bullies will come out to play!

One bright spot for Mona is that she has met some potential boyfriends -- Caspian, Ryan and Thomas -- who look like they may be contenders for her “harem” of sweethearts if things go well. She just has to survive the kittens (adorable, but how many pets does one need?), unreliable spells, bullies lurking in the hallways, and oh yeah -- find the witch who cursed her to get the curse removed.

I am definitely ready for the next book which I am assuming will be longer and go deeper into the characters. The story line is enticing and I’ve already picked out my favorite characters. Grab your copy, meet the guys, and get ready for the adventure this author always delivers!

[Billie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Things might be easier if I could stop conjuring kittens every time I attempt a spell.
I used to be good at magic. That's how I got into Grimalkin Academy in the first place. Then I was dared by my friends to try a spell way above my abilities. Now, the end of year exams are coming up, and I need to find a way to stop my magic going haywire all the time or I'm going to fail.
At least matters of my heart are easy enough...for now.
-
A paranormal academy slow burn reverse harem.

This is the first book in the Grimalkin Academy (Kittens) Series, and I loved it.
It's like Harry Potter but for grown ups!!
There were so many laugh out loud moments while reading this.
We have a bit of everything in here.
I love how well written the characters are and I look forward to seeing where the author takes us next.
The plot and story line are amazing and very well written.
I can't wait to read the next one now!
Recommend reading.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Marcia - itsabookthing2021 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went into First Time's A Charm without reading the blurb and all I knew was that the MFC Mona had haywire magic and conjured kittens. That in my opinion is all I need to buy all 11 books. I really enjoyed reading First Time's A Charm, I loved the premise of the story and the characters, I liked how Mona's character was along with the others. The twins Daphne and Ryan are interesting and I can't wait to see how those two develop.
First Time's A Charm in my opinion is a great start to the series, it opens up with our MFC and introduces all the players to the storyline, we get a little mystery as to why Mona's magic is hay wire, we also get 3 potential love interests which I actually really like, who's my favourite - not sure but Capsian is great with the kittens. I love how this is written, it's easy and quick to read. It has the cosy vibes and I'm actually wanting Mona to continue with her cat conjuring. I'm really looking forward to reading more

[Lana · Rating 4 out of 5]

She had been accepted into Grimalkin Academy for the magically gifted, however when she got there she found that her magical abilities were gone. She was being bullied by another student and her cronies, and these dared her to use her magic to cast a spell above her own abilities, and when she attempted to do this she lost her powers, now whenever she cast a spell she ended up with kittens. Admittedly these were cute, but she had no clue what to do with them, had no experience with pets, didn't even know if she was allowed to keep them at the academy, but could do nothing about this problem. Year ending exams where round the corner, and she had to get her abilities back if she was to return for her 2nd year at the academy. This series is meant to be a slowburn reverse harem but so far this is not very obvious, she does have boyfriends however nothing to be termed reverse harem at all!

[Angie Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book about a young woman who is a withch and she has gone to university for magic. Mona is a witch and has been doing magic since she was a child. At university she can't do the spells that she was able to do before. There are a few people who want to help her with her problems and as they look for answers she finds more questions. Mona finds out that a curse has been put on her, but she don't know by who or why.
What will happen between Mona and Caspian? Will she realize she has real feelings for Ryan? Can she slove the mystery of who and why the curse was put on her.
This is a short read but it will leave you with a cliffhanger. It was a short but good read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Nina Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

First Times A Charm by Laura Greenwood is the first book in the Grimalkin Academy series. In this book, a student named Mona attending the Grimalkin Academy has her magic begin malfunctioning within a day of beginning her first terms as a student at the magical university. I loved the way the book focuses on the mystery of Mona’s magical problem while simultaneously building and exciting world to keep the reader interested. This story was intense yet whimsical with a smattering of young romance thrown in. This is the perfect read for anyone who enjoys reading a book full of unique situations that young witches need to deal with while trying to pursue a magic based education. First Times A Charm is an interesting and humorous story about magical mistakes.