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A Witch's Grimoire #1

Clueless Magic

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After a miserable day, Bolivia Seinfeld drowns her sorrows in her stash of much needed beer. Only, someone should slap some warning labels on those things, because when her exploration of the new-to-her home lands her staring at an ancient looking book in a dusty old attic she didn’t know existed, things take a turn towards the unexpected. Even more surprising is finding out that the book is a Grimoire: a witch’s pride and joy… and spellbook.

When a drunken spell goes awry, so does Livvie’s world as she knows it. Wayward spells, uncovered secrets and budding romances sends Livvie’s somewhat normal life flying far and fast out of the window, making room for her new reality. One where demons exist, witches aren’t fictional and monsters are very, very real.

With a harem of demons by her side, Livvie must learn to navigate a world she never thought possible. But when her newly found magic is threatened, her new reality becomes a whole lot more complicated. Livvie must learn to control and harness her magic and embrace a whole new brand of insane… or go crazy trying.

This is a Reverse Harem novel #whychoose
*Recommended 18+ due to mature language and situations.

251 pages, ebook

First published April 30, 2019

374 people are currently reading
382 people want to read

About the author

J.J. Dean

21 books169 followers
JJ resides in her very own land of fantasy created by many a daydream, reality often nothing more than an ancient myth. When she isn't lost inside her own head, she's buying one way tickets to procrastination station, where she stays watching Disney movies, reading amazing books by incredible authors, eating all the food she can get her hands on, and falling down the rabbit hole that is Pinterest, seeking inspiration for her next book. She occasionally adults when the need calls for it, where she looks after her babies, both with and without fur.

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5 stars
222 (42%)
4 stars
149 (28%)
3 stars
113 (21%)
2 stars
25 (4%)
1 star
8 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
Profile Image for 4foxsake.
892 reviews13 followers
May 9, 2019
Not bad.

I liked the book. But just didn’t connect with the FMC. There were certainly funny aspects, a good familial mystery and some steam. But Livvie just kind of irritated me. She was confident and no nonsense with her mates, but she was got piss drunk because her boyfriend of a week broke up with her via text. I dunno. I am probably reading too much into it.
555 reviews
August 12, 2019
I wanted to like this book more. The main character kinda reminded me of the Trickery books, but more annoying. The constant Michael Jackson impersonations got old fast.
Profile Image for cherelle.
15 reviews1 follower
May 19, 2019
So this book was good enough to get through but there are a few things that bothered me ä about it.
Another reviewer commented on this as well. The incessant laughing. Laughing about things that weren't funny. tears streaming down their faces, guffaws, snickers the full shabang. It got tedious to read then if became annoying. I promise you,the book is NOT that funny. Not even if I was generous. It's barely a huff-air-out-of-yout-nose funny. I'm pretty sure I read through the first few "hilarious" scenes with a straight face.

The story has loads of potential but I'm sick of reading books thathave potential. It would be nice to say it was a good book but it wasn't. There was a severe lack of character development. One guy went front being surly and standoffis to sweet andsmiky in a matter if the hours nor days or weeks or even months. I'm pretty sure this book lasted the span of a week with a three day jump at the end.

I want to see what happens next because the plot isn't bad but if the next book is as fuk of fluff as this one jut will ruin the series for me.
Profile Image for TipseyBookReviews.
1,440 reviews52 followers
November 24, 2020
Bolivia/Olivia/Livvie/Liv accidentally summons some demons one night after a few (ok maybe a lot) of drinks, and learns that she is actually a witch. I liked Liv, she has fun with life and I love how she teases and keeps the guys on their toes. The drama is light, and the relationships are steamy. Will definitely be checking out book 2 :)
Profile Image for SJ.
2,354 reviews15 followers
January 9, 2022
This is one of the best books I have read this year and possibly beyond. It’s for a great storyline, a fiesty and strong heroine who is hilarious sweet and a little bit crazy. I loved Bolivia from the get go, and my love for her never waned. The guys are a great mix of sexy and sweet and complement Livvie completely

With multiple POVs which I enjoy, this story has a great mix of laugh out loud humour, sexy steamy times and serious witchiness. The story flows beautifully and I completely lost myself in it and it was such an amazing reading experience, I am in awe of how good this authors writing is and I am a huge fan, cannot wait for book two and to see what else this writer gives us
Profile Image for Jacquie Stewart.
2,616 reviews75 followers
May 13, 2019
2.5 stars
An okay story. Didn't connect with the fmc at all. I actually found a lot of her actions annoying and very immature for a 25yr old. For a girl who didn't really date in about 6 years, she too rapidly accepted a harem of men and fell into a 3 way without batting an eye. The speaking every thought and dancing also 🤦🏻

The guys were okay but we learn very little about them which is a shame. I'd like to think that their back stories would be expanded upon in later books.

The ghouls and how she got her magic were interesting but I'm not sure if that's enough to make me continue with the series
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
81 reviews1 follower
November 4, 2019
I could tell right from the start the MC was going to get irritating and I was right. Although it was funny in some areas, it really got annoying how frazzled this girl was. Some of the situations that gave her a "panic attack" and made her take another nap were pretty lame. Most of the guys seem somewhat hot and sexy, but I was pretty sure her BF was gay in the beginning and Salem, the cat is very hard to see as anything but clingy and needy. I gave it 3 stars because the plot was actually good if you can read through the burrito wrapping to get to it. It left me with no desire to continue the series though.
Profile Image for Rachael.
77 reviews3 followers
October 10, 2020
DNF @ 15%

I couldn't take anymore 'accidental' spoken out loud thoughts
Profile Image for Alyrica.
555 reviews17 followers
May 18, 2019
Good But Sometimes Frustrating ( Slight Spoilers!!!)

I want to preface this review by stating that a 3* rating for me is not a negative review. Recently an author I advance read for informed me that Amazon counts 3*s negatively which only makes sense to me if they are considering averages. For me, this rating means I liked the book but there were several aspects that kept me from loving it.

I apologize for any spoilers but I can't fully critique without possibly going into spoiler territory.

What I Liked:
The main FMC, Livvy. There were some things that bothered me about her character which I will address later in the review but I love what I believe the author intended for the reader to get about her. She is quirky, goofy and free spirited. I love a unique heroine and Livvy definitely was that. She never acted contrary to her initial characterization too which was wonderful.
The premise. It isn't anything new but there is a reason that witch/demon stories are so popular. There was enough difference in the details that this didn't feel like a cookie cutter paranormal romance.
The devotion of the male characters. Even though several of the guys hadn't known Livvy long, I never doubted they were feeling the connection.
The banter and relationship between Rylan and Livvy. It was mostly fun to experience. I love a good friends to lovers relationship.
The technical writing. I am a terrible writer but even I notice when there are many typos. If there were any in this book, I didn't notice.

What I Didn't Like:
There was too much characterization for Livvy. I think based on reviews that I am in the minority with this but there is a point when a character is so goofy and over the top that they become more of a caricature. Some of her actions and reactions started getting in the way of the plot.
This is somewhat in line with the previous comment but there was too much repetition. This included repetitious thoughts, facial expressions, reactions and actions. This is mainly where my frustration came in because while waiting for plot points the characters are moonwalking, sliding down stairs, sleeping, trying to hide smiles, taking pain reliever, showering, wrapping themselves like a burrito. It was just too much of the unnecessary when there were important questions and actions that could have moved the plot forward more quickly.
This is just a small pet peeve of mine but when a character is from a country, region, etc then the vernacular should match. The main character was in the states with no mention of her being from beyond the pond yet she had fanny flutters and mentioned torches. Fanny in the states is the rear end and I am guessing the character wasn't breaking wind so a mention of fanny fluttering really took me out of the story. The torch mention less so since she called it a flashlight a few paragraphs later. This is just a small quibble though since the location wasn't relevant or detailed.

Overall, this book was entertaining. There were definitely a lot of positives. I am looking forward to learning more about the guys in the next installment.
Profile Image for OneDayI'll.
1,589 reviews42 followers
May 13, 2019
Never take life seriously, no one gets out alive

Livvie, in all her goofy ginger glory, has decided to laugh her way through life. Losing her mom as a teen, her aunt (her only other family) before that and being hopelessly- and unrequitedly- in love with her best friend would normally leave people as the epitome of grumpy cat. Not Livvie. Every day is another chance to live, laugh and rock her hideously awful dance moves. The night before her 25th birthday she lets momentary sadness drown her sorrows with more beers than is wise. Her alcohol riddled mind leads her moonwalking self to a door she hadn't noticed before. When a dusty book in a hidden attic started glowing after her lubricated mind mangled the words on the pages, she decided that retreat is the best option. The 3 guys that suddenly appear the next day were a bit of a shock, though. Especially as they claim to be demons. And her consorts. What the hell? Literally!

Spoilers ahead!
I love a plot that can't take itself seriously. JJ Dean has created an interesting world here. Once the cat's out of the bag, the snowball keeps rolling downhill. Finding out about her best friend, the 3 new guys, her cat, why her mom didn't tell her her heritage, and a lot more besides that, leaves the reader feeling overwhelmed on Livvie's behalf. I find it hysterical that she conjures up a blonde, a brunette and a redhead. The bad dance moves, the hideous wailing, em, singing, the thinking out loud, they all create an adorably imperfect character. Not obnoxiously so, though. It isn't beaten into the reader's brain. I really only have a couple complaints about the books because it was so wonderfully derpy at heart:
*If Lathan had fire (hysterical for the redhead to have fire, by the way) why didn't he burn the ghouls?
*In fact, why didn't any of the demons fight the ghouls?
*Was the attic hidden by magic? Because they have to list those kinds of spaces to home buyers. Just saying.
*If ghouls drain witches, when witches die out, wouldn't they starve? Even if brought back, with no "food source" they'd still weaken, at the very least.
*I'm still stuck on why the demons didn't fight. Also, if meeting your partner is supposed to up your power levels, how come the guys didn't level up?
*I'm conflicted on how hell was described.
*If warlock turned ghouls are the banes of witches, wouldn't demons be a little more aggressive about removing them? Since the whole pairing of demons and witches thing?
Ok, those are my thoughts lol. The book was delightful, and maybe I pick things apart too much, but it was too good not to want to know (or fix?) those plot holes.
Profile Image for beth m.
871 reviews
March 15, 2022
I’ll give it another chance later

DNF, I got through a little more than half way and decided to stop. The beginning of this book had a TON of potential, it was hilarious, well written, and had an intriguing enough storyline- I just couldn’t for the life of me stand the constant steady stream of ramble from the FMC. I had a like/hate relationship. I liked her quirky nature, but couldn’t stand the constant ramble, baby-ish persona, and that she couldn’t handle situations without trying to drink it all away. She’s an adult wrapping herself in a burrito blanket sliding down the stairs…. Cool. The first time it was funny. Then it’s like no, this is her morning mode every day of her life. Let’s be real I don’t care how padded the comforter is, your butt is still going to hurt going down … but more importantly it makes her seem like a child. A little goofiness is fun and cute, but it’s just constant makes her seem unreal. Well this is well written it was poorly edited, there were a handful of typos or weird sentence structure issues. Maybe one day I’ll return to give this book another try- but for now there are so many other books out there
Profile Image for Margaux Espinosa.
1,301 reviews21 followers
May 3, 2019
I was really looking forward to this read, I had gotten a sneak peek at the first little bit in an anthology I read a little while back and it got me very excited! I 100% LOVED this book!! I was seriously snort laughing the whole way through, it was definitely worth the wait and I’m so glad I kept an eye out for it! Liv is THE most hilarious character I’ve ever read, she’s easy to relate to and is constantly getting herself into awkward spots, BUT she’s also kind of a badass when she gets her chances to be. The men are off the charts sexy, know how to please a woman and fit perfectly with Liv’s special brand of lady. The steam level is fantastic, the storyline itself is perfect and don’t get me started on the amazingly executed cliffhanger! I am definitely going to be looking out for book two’s release!
Profile Image for Victoria Roy.
271 reviews1 follower
June 5, 2019
Its ok...

This book was ok. Merely ok. It did a good job making me giggle at times because there were parts that were amusing. But honestly? The beginning of the book and other parts of the book were so hard to read because the author focuses so much on describing clothes and the room. Honestly, so much effort was put into room descriptions that it almost detracts from the story. The romance was super insta-love to the point I wanted to roll my eyes. The fmc has her flaws but they are so endearing to everyone she might as well be a Mary sue. The story has potential, but after suffering through everything else I just dont know if I want to continue
Profile Image for Dharia Scarab.
3,255 reviews7 followers
December 28, 2019


1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.

2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.

3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.

4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.

5 stars... I loved this book! It has earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.
Profile Image for Sara Nicholas.
33 reviews
May 8, 2019
That ending though!

Spoiler free!
This book was everything I hoped for from JJ Dean! I loved every moment reading. I was upset when I had to put it down because I couldn't keep my eyes open at 3am.
This amazing creation has everything you could want in a book. It has suspense, romance, and a shit ton of sexy and snarky humor! At least those are my favorite things. The characters are amazingly written, the plot keeps you on your toes.
Honestly just read this book, you love it!!!!!
Profile Image for Missy Brown.
1,740 reviews30 followers
May 9, 2019
What a great start to a new series, and let me tell you if this is how it starts off. I cannot wait to see what happens next. I had such a good laugh throughout the whole book. I love a good funny character, and Liv is one of the funniest I have ever read. She had me laughing out loud. She seems so relatable, and real. She can really shine when she gets the chance, and I loved it. The guys, fit Liv's personality and can handle her just how she needs to be. The steam level is hot, storyline and flow is spot on. There is a cliffhanger at the end, but to me it leads up to book two perfectly.
Profile Image for Aimee.
230 reviews6 followers
May 7, 2019
This was a cute first book in a new series. I liked the storyline and there were some funny/silly bits through out the plot. The insta-love/affection is not my thing but it didn't deter from the story itself. I liked that we got some background info about the different characters but I would be interested in seeing more as the series progresses. Of course that cliffhanger at the end will get you too.
Profile Image for Amber.
47 reviews1 follower
August 5, 2019
Very funny book!!

First all let me just say this book has a great storyline, great characters, I absolutely love this book!! But the absolutely best thing is how funny it is!! I cant tell you how many times I laughed till I almost peed my pants or how many times my boyfriend looked at me like i absolutely lost my mind!! Haha.. i enjoyed this book so much!! I cant wait till the next!!!
Profile Image for Nuance.
52 reviews
September 18, 2019
Way too sweet

Cutesy moments, picture perfect consorts, smelly villains. Unfortunately they did not bind or hold together a story that compelled me to read. I started to skim before deciding that I did not even need to find out if there was an actually ending. It had potential in that the heroine had some endearing quirks, witty dialogue but there was nothing that brought anyone to life or even made you want to know them.
Profile Image for Alisha HS.
335 reviews3 followers
January 22, 2021
Great story and so funny!

Once again my husband looked like he was ready to call the men in white coats. I was laughing so hard at this book! Yes the coming of age and into powers, finding your perfect mates trope has been done over and over. It doesn’t mean this isn’t brilliant though! It’s definitely the humour that makes it shine! I had to keep putting the book down so I could catch my breath!
Profile Image for Ash.
471 reviews15 followers
May 7, 2019
BA Baby Witch Heroine

Paranormal. Rh. 5 demon guys. BA baby Witch heroine. Steamy. Comedic. Livvie makes some pretty questionable decisions while she's wasted leading to 5 very sexy demons being thrown at her. Livvie is one hilariously quirky girl. They story was interesting and thrilling. Very cliche cliffhanger but it fits so well with the overview of the book. It was great.
Profile Image for Samantha.
88 reviews1 follower
May 11, 2019
Liv is hilarious and this story is amazing! I read the debut novel by this author and loved it, so I was really excited to see this new release! And let me tell you, it did not disappoint! Liv’s guys are smokin hot, she’s hilarious and witty and a bit of a bad mamajama! What’s not to love?! I can’t wait for book 2!
69 reviews5 followers
May 14, 2019
Good story, needs another pass through beta and editor

The book was well enough written, but missing words, incorrect use of the various "they're" types, and "too" types make it hard to stay engaged.

I'm also a bit saddened by the fact that it was mostly about the romance, and less about her misadventures with magic.
Profile Image for Rebecca ellis.
96 reviews6 followers
May 27, 2019
Awesome

This is one of the funniest books I've had the pleasure of reading. I don't think I've ever connected to a fmc the way I do with Bolivia. Just when I thought she couldn't get any weirder, I turn the page and am blessed with more of her "he-heeing".
I lost count of how many times I lol'd during this read.
J.J. Dean is absolutely hilarious.
9 reviews
May 31, 2019
Good read and storyline

Really good book and storyline, a few grammar errors but not bad enough that I wasn't able to continue reading through them. Enjoyed the characters and really enjoyed the MC and her quirky personality. Hope to see more character development in future books especially with the MC and her men.
7 reviews
June 23, 2019
Couldn't put this book down. Can't wait for number 2, and hopefully3,4 etc. I am automatically going to read her other book because I have the utmost confidence that the writing will be just as addictive!

Amazing, can't wait for number 2. Really hope this will be a long series because I am addicted. Hope she let'sus know when number 2 is coming out.
Profile Image for Birdie.
25 reviews
October 20, 2019
Do Not Read In Public!

What a wonderful breathe of fresh brain food! This book has some of the funniest scenes I’ve read, I couldn’t put it down. Lore and her guys, well and cat, are definitely on my favorites now. Can’t wait to read what happens next, thank you J.J. For this laugh out loud, while still being sexy read. Well done.
Profile Image for Crazy Bashleexx.
296 reviews
April 30, 2019
Really enjoyed reading this, love Livvie, such a fun character to read about. A great start to a new series, and I’m excited to see where it goes. Love the guys! Some shocking surprises which are awesome and totally unexpected! Can’t wait to read the next book...
1,016 reviews
May 6, 2019
Oh my Gosh! This book had me laughing so hard. It's absolutely hilarious. I love Bolivia she's so cute and funny. The things she does are just the best. Her consorts are also amazing. I couldn't stop reading once I started. I can not wait for the next book.
Profile Image for Kari.
65 reviews1 follower
May 6, 2019
This book was a freaking hoot. I laughed so hard. Livvie is just absolutely hilarious and I think she might be my twin. Lol This book has it all! I can’t wait for the next book. Do yourself favor get this book. You won’t be disappointed!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews

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