The Witches of Canyon Road, Books 1-3: Hidden Gifts / Darker Paths / Mysterious Ways

The Witches of Canyon Road #1-3

by Christine Pope

Miranda McAllister should have inherited unbelievable powers from her witch parents. But the lack of those powers can’t prevent her from fulfilling her destiny, a destiny decided before she was born…or was it?

This boxed set includes the first three books in the Witches of Canyon Road paranormal romance series:

HIDDEN GIFTS

A match decreed by fate. A love awakened by magic…

Life as Rafael Castillo knows it is about to come to an end. Twenty-one years ago, his grandmother, then head witch of the Castillo clan, helped the McAllister clan defeat a dark wizard...for a price. The payment, Miranda McAllister, is now on her way to be his bride. A medieval arrangement, but there’s no naysaying Rafe’s mother, who is intent on carrying out his grandmother’s wishes.

Miranda’s parents tried everything — even revealing her lack of magical gifts — to break this unholy bargain, to no avail. As her Halloween birthday approaches, she journeys to Santa Fe, where the betrothed she’s never seen awaits.

Their first meeting is more like Beauty clashing with Beast than Cinderella dancing away with Prince Charming. But their first kiss is electric, triggering a storm of emotions and odd experiences that make Miranda wonder if her long-dormant magic is finally bursting from its shell.

However, even as Rafe and Miranda begin to grow closer, threads of dark magic are weaving a spell that could destroy their clans’ alliance…and any chance for love.

DARKER PATHS

A love lost in dark magic. A path to redemption obscured by evil…

Cruelly dumped at the altar by the man she loves, Miranda McAllister turns her back on Santa Fe and takes off with Simon Gutierrez, who promises to help her develop her newly awakened magical powers…even though her logical self warns against acting on impulse so soon after her humiliation at Rafe Castillo’s hands.

Under Simon’s patient guidance, Miranda discovers the astounding depth and breadth of her gifts. Yet too many unanswered questions leave her uneasy, especially when Simon indicates he’d like to move them out of the friend zone.

Rafe Castillo still can't figure out what the hell happened the day of his wedding. A powerful spell forced him to spew those spiteful words at Miranda…and whoever cast that spell has covered their tracks so thoroughly, no trace remains — to Rafe's human form, at least. His coyote alter ego can track fainter wisps of magic, magic as dark and hateful as the things he said that fateful day at the church.

Intent on finding Miranda no matter what, Rafe relentlessly follows a twisting, turning, increasingly deadly trail. But by the time he learns the truth, the race to save her from an unspeakable evil may already be lost….

MYSTERIOUS WAYS

A clan caught in an evil web. A witch who must sacrifice everything to save them…

Safe in Rafe’s arms at last, Miranda thinks the worst of the danger is past. She is dead wrong. The Castillo prima is murdered, and the clan is trapped by a hex. No one can leave New Mexico — or even send out a distress call.

Worse, Simon’s evil magic sends dark spells against the clan, targeting the vulnerable new prima herself. Desperate to keep anyone else from being hurt, Miranda has no other choice.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Witches, Paranormal

820 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 13, 2019

About the author

A native of Southern California, Christine Pope has been writing stories ever since she commandeered her family’s Smith-Corona typewriter back in the sixth grade. Many reams of dead trees later, she’s happy to announce that her debut novel, Fringe Benefits,was published by Pink Petal Books on April 8, 2010. Her short fiction has appeared in Astonishing Adventures, Luna Station Quarterly, and the new journal of dark fiction, Dark Valentine. Her paranormal novella, Playing With Fire, was released on August 5, 2010.

While Fringe Benefits is a straight contemporary romance, she writes in a variety of genres, including paranormal romance, fantasy, horror, science fiction, and historical romance. She blames this on being easily distracted by bright, shiny objects, which could also account for the size of her shoe collection.

After spending many years in the magazine publishing industry, she now works as a freelance editor in addition to writing fiction. She lives with her husband and an explosively fluffy Pomeranian mix. Her house is pink, but don’t hold that against her.

Reviews

[CharLena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing Southwestern Romance

I couldn't put this book down or kept me intrigued throughout. I knew from the description that good would of course prevail.
The storytelling felt a bit stilted. I'm not sure why or even how it came off as formal in its telling, but it did. Maybe they're was too much introspection on the part of the two heroines and the hero. Or maybe to much description. One of those two made the book fell a bit draggy, while also hold me as the Reader at a distance.
I think too, I expected more Spanish language. I get that the Prima's children hadn't taken Spanish in school, by maybe one or two words here and there. I'm not of Spanish origins and even I could've dropped a couple of words in.
All-in-all, it was still a good adventurous story with lovely descriptions of New Mexico.

[Jimmy Swanger · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as good as the first two

This one dragged a little for me. It took a little effort to finish but in the end it was still an ok book. One thing that really irritated me was half the book was Miranda getting away from Simon then at the first trouble she got herself right back in the same situation again.

[Donna Van · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good set

I enjoyed this set of 3 books by Christine Pope in the Witches of Canyon Road series. We are introduced to some interesting characters, and get to see the development of the relationships between the main characters, Miranda and Rage and Cat, in these first three books. I give it 4 1/3 stars.

[Daphine S. Douglas-Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

I finished it so that is a big plus. I loved most of it, parts of it sounded unrealistic until the story addressed them. It was well-written. I would read more from this author.

[Lynnette Loud · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed these books.