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The Aloysius Tales #1
Spell Cat
When Killian Barth, history professor, meets Blaine Genneau, quantum physicist, they ignite their own big bang. But Killian can’t pursue a physics professor—or a human. As the most powerful male witch in ten generations, Killian must bolster his dying race by reproducing—despite the fact that he’s gay.
Even a fling with Blaine is out of the question, because Killian has been told sex with humans drains his power. But if that’s true, why can young human Jimmy Janx dissolve spoons with the power of his mind? If Killian can sort through the lies he’s been fed, he’ll still face his biggest obstacle—convincing rational scientist Blaine to believe in magic.
With his ancient and powerful cat familiar, Aloysius, on his shoulder, Killian brings the lightning against deceit and greed to save Blaine from danger and prove love is the greatest power of them all.
Even a fling with Blaine is out of the question, because Killian has been told sex with humans drains his power. But if that’s true, why can young human Jimmy Janx dissolve spoons with the power of his mind? If Killian can sort through the lies he’s been fed, he’ll still face his biggest obstacle—convincing rational scientist Blaine to believe in magic.
With his ancient and powerful cat familiar, Aloysius, on his shoulder, Killian brings the lightning against deceit and greed to save Blaine from danger and prove love is the greatest power of them all.
224 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 19, 2012
92 people are currently reading
902 people want to read
About the author
Tara Lain
97 books1,387 followersTara Lain believes in happy ever afters - and magic. Same thing. In fact, she says, she doesn't believe, she knows. Tara shares this passion in her stories that star her unique, charismatic heroes and adventurous heroines. Quarterbacks and cops, werewolves and witches, blue collar or billionaires, Tara's characters, readers say, love deeply, resolve seemingly insurmountable differences, and ultimately live their lives authentically. After many years living in southern California, Tara, her soulmate honey and her soulmate dog decided they wanted less cars and more trees, prompting a move to Ashland, Oregon where Tara's creating new stories and loving living in a small town with big culture. Likely a Gryffindor or maybe a Ravensclaw but possessed of Parseltongue, Tara loves animals of all kinds, diversity, open minds, coconut crunch ice cream from Zoeys, and her readers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 236 reviews
March 25, 2012
3.5 Stars
Killian and Blaine oh the sparks flew as soon as they set eyes on each other. The instant hard on and bathroom visit I could have done without, eventually I got over that annoyance and all was forgiven because Blaine was irresistible you can't blame Killian for getting all hot under the collar and thrown off balance. It all goes skew whiff for poor Killian his quiet lonely existence is about to change dramatically. Killian is a bit of a weakling he's bored unhappy and apathetic, he needs to man up and eventually he does with a vengeance. Along with his faithful and so helpful furball Al, who is devoted but to Blaine the little traitor. Blaine and Killian were a bit immature and teary at times, understandable as they are young and trying to make a difficult situation work. I loved the guys and the side characters were pretty good too. This was a little bit of magical fun. The standout for me was "Al" crazy, sweet, adorable and a menace. He did not disappoint and practically stole the show. Recommended if you want a sweet, fluffy and fun story.
Killian and Blaine oh the sparks flew as soon as they set eyes on each other. The instant hard on and bathroom visit I could have done without, eventually I got over that annoyance and all was forgiven because Blaine was irresistible you can't blame Killian for getting all hot under the collar and thrown off balance. It all goes skew whiff for poor Killian his quiet lonely existence is about to change dramatically. Killian is a bit of a weakling he's bored unhappy and apathetic, he needs to man up and eventually he does with a vengeance. Along with his faithful and so helpful furball Al, who is devoted but to Blaine the little traitor. Blaine and Killian were a bit immature and teary at times, understandable as they are young and trying to make a difficult situation work. I loved the guys and the side characters were pretty good too. This was a little bit of magical fun. The standout for me was "Al" crazy, sweet, adorable and a menace. He did not disappoint and practically stole the show. Recommended if you want a sweet, fluffy and fun story.
July 14, 2024
I skipped. A lot.
July 9, 2021
Wonderful!
If you're going to read Tara Lain's Spell Cat, do it in audio!
Kirt Graves does a spectacular job with all of these creative characters. The story comes from multiple points of view, and he's crafted it so the narrator's voice is consistent throughout, but when each character is thinking or speaking, he uses that unique voice. I'm so impressed.
Spell Cat is a fun, clever, and fast moving story, and I enjoyed every minute!
If you're going to read Tara Lain's Spell Cat, do it in audio!
Kirt Graves does a spectacular job with all of these creative characters. The story comes from multiple points of view, and he's crafted it so the narrator's voice is consistent throughout, but when each character is thinking or speaking, he uses that unique voice. I'm so impressed.
Spell Cat is a fun, clever, and fast moving story, and I enjoyed every minute!
Want to read
April 12, 2017Kindle freebie 4/11/17!
June 15, 2012
If you want a pat, superficial fantasy-like (think - bad Harry potter) story without too much depth, this is your book. Not my thing.
April 15, 2012
2.5 stars. Ok paranormal m/m romance about a gay pure-blooded wizard who's betrothed to a female pure-blooded wizard and planning to go through with the marriage for the good of wizardkind, until he and his fiancee discover a very big secret indeed. Aloysius the familiar was probably the best part of the book.
May 7, 2012
Loved the cover and loved Al!
The story was good and the little twists of mystery added in were fun!
A nice enjoyable read and I would like to know what Al's next adventure is too!
The story was good and the little twists of mystery added in were fun!
A nice enjoyable read and I would like to know what Al's next adventure is too!
December 18, 2012
I was disappointed in this book. It was a pretty short read and I'm glad of this because if it had been longer, I might have decided to abandon it. I felt that this book had a lot of potential, but the author just made it an ordinary read. I found many of the sex scenes to be repetitive and unimaginative. So, it thundered and lighteninged when Killian and Blaine had sex. I guess the cat Al was supposed to be important, but I honestly don't see that he had any purpose and don't see how the story would have been much different without him. I guess that he liked Blaine and licked Blaine when Killian did that love spell was probably his only purpose.
I didn't think there was much character development. I found some of the dialogue and thoughts of the individual characters to be kind of silly at times.
I would not recommend this book unless all you are looking for is a very light read in which you aren't going to care one way or the other about the outcome of the story.
I didn't think there was much character development. I found some of the dialogue and thoughts of the individual characters to be kind of silly at times.
I would not recommend this book unless all you are looking for is a very light read in which you aren't going to care one way or the other about the outcome of the story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 5, 2023
A decent witchy paranormal.
Great narration by Kirt Graves.
Things were easily wrapped up with a conflict that lasted the entirety of the book.
I’d been waiting years to read this, but now don’t feel like I missed out keeping it at the bottom of my tbr.
Great narration by Kirt Graves.
Things were easily wrapped up with a conflict that lasted the entirety of the book.
I’d been waiting years to read this, but now don’t feel like I missed out keeping it at the bottom of my tbr.
October 23, 2016
3.5 Stars
“Spell Cat” by Tara Lain is a very fun, fluffy read about witches, forbidden romances and passion which generates thunderstorms (literally!!!)
Killian is the “witch master” and his biggest responsibility is to help his race from losing power by marrying a great witch and producing children. The only problem: Killian is gay. He has never known love in his life and marrying a woman will ensure that he never finds one. He has been always warned to never sexually engage with a human because it diminishes a witch’s power but when he meets his colleague, the gorgeous physics professor, Blaine Genneau, Killian can’t resist their overwhelming attraction.
When Killian finds out that the entire witch community has been fed lies and manipulated, he has to stretch his excellent “witch master” powers to right a wrong and get his man if he can convince the logic loving Blaine that magic is real.
This read was entertaining in a minimal-angst magical romcom sort of way. The entire magical/witch part was nicely written with a predictable ending but with enjoyable and satisfying execution. Along with Killian and Blaine’s romance we also get the love story of another couple, Lavender and Jimmy who stand beside Killian in his fight against Lavender’s ruthless father.
The romance between Killian and Blaine is definitely insta-lust/love. There is a lot of push and pull by Killian but he does get his man at the end. Blaine’s reaction to Killian being a witch was a little hurtful but it was dealable.
The main star of the story for me was “Aloysius”. The magical feline had a very lovable and determined personality all on its own. Al is loyal and over protective of Killian and I can’t wait to read what’s his next adventure is gonna be.
Overall, “Spell Cat” is a nice magical story about love and truth with a very special cat/familiar in the center of it all. This story is a little different but enjoyable regardless.
“Spell Cat” by Tara Lain is a very fun, fluffy read about witches, forbidden romances and passion which generates thunderstorms (literally!!!)
Killian is the “witch master” and his biggest responsibility is to help his race from losing power by marrying a great witch and producing children. The only problem: Killian is gay. He has never known love in his life and marrying a woman will ensure that he never finds one. He has been always warned to never sexually engage with a human because it diminishes a witch’s power but when he meets his colleague, the gorgeous physics professor, Blaine Genneau, Killian can’t resist their overwhelming attraction.
When Killian finds out that the entire witch community has been fed lies and manipulated, he has to stretch his excellent “witch master” powers to right a wrong and get his man if he can convince the logic loving Blaine that magic is real.
This read was entertaining in a minimal-angst magical romcom sort of way. The entire magical/witch part was nicely written with a predictable ending but with enjoyable and satisfying execution. Along with Killian and Blaine’s romance we also get the love story of another couple, Lavender and Jimmy who stand beside Killian in his fight against Lavender’s ruthless father.
The romance between Killian and Blaine is definitely insta-lust/love. There is a lot of push and pull by Killian but he does get his man at the end. Blaine’s reaction to Killian being a witch was a little hurtful but it was dealable.
The main star of the story for me was “Aloysius”. The magical feline had a very lovable and determined personality all on its own. Al is loyal and over protective of Killian and I can’t wait to read what’s his next adventure is gonna be.
Overall, “Spell Cat” is a nice magical story about love and truth with a very special cat/familiar in the center of it all. This story is a little different but enjoyable regardless.
May 28, 2012
The hard-on at first sight plus following shower-stall-wank-off-session in the first chapter is well on the way to become my favorite pet-peeve!
An unimaginative and annoying to-be-ticked-off-from-the-list erotic romance story device.
No more willing to put up with it no matter how good the rest of the story might be...
An unimaginative and annoying to-be-ticked-off-from-the-list erotic romance story device.
No more willing to put up with it no matter how good the rest of the story might be...
July 20, 2016
I liked Aloysius. The end.
September 9, 2015
I really enjoyed the story in this one.
I loved Killian. He was sweet and endearing. I loved how both Killian and Blaine were completely smitten from the start. I even enjoyed the side story of Jimmy and Lavender. The mystery was simple but I enjoyed watching it unfold. Al was another great addition.
But the sex stuff was a mood killer for me. I can completely get behind sex being a focus point in power and such, but the way it was written left me cringing. But with lines like Pull those legs up, I'm coming in and the term hungry hole left me wondering if this was supposed to be comedy. Another minor niggle was Blaines reaction to Killian being a witch. Shock and disbelief I totally understood. But the hurtful way he called Killian crazy and wondered how he could love him after just declaring undying love was OTT.
So instead of the full 4 stars this one dropped to 3.5
I loved Killian. He was sweet and endearing. I loved how both Killian and Blaine were completely smitten from the start. I even enjoyed the side story of Jimmy and Lavender. The mystery was simple but I enjoyed watching it unfold. Al was another great addition.
But the sex stuff was a mood killer for me. I can completely get behind sex being a focus point in power and such, but the way it was written left me cringing. But with lines like Pull those legs up, I'm coming in and the term hungry hole left me wondering if this was supposed to be comedy. Another minor niggle was Blaines reaction to Killian being a witch. Shock and disbelief I totally understood. But the hurtful way he called Killian crazy and wondered how he could love him after just declaring undying love was OTT.
So instead of the full 4 stars this one dropped to 3.5
November 30, 2013
2.5 stars rounded up to 3
This book was okay. The dialogue seemed kind of cheezy at times but it was fairly cute. I may read the rest of the series but probably not any time soon.
July 20, 2019
3.5 stars rounded down to 3 because still no 1/2 stars here on GR...full review to follow soonish.
I think maybe I set my expectations to high on this one...
It seems like I've wanted to read this story since forever!!! and something newer and shinier keeps getting in the way so imagine how excited i was when the new and shiny was the audio book for 'Spell Cat'...it was Karma, Fate...I tell you it was my sign from the universe that now was the time...so there I was once again all grabby hands to get a hold of this one and what I was expecting to be amazing and wonderful...because magic and one hella' awesome cat and I do still think the cat is hella' awesome, but the story turned out to just be ok.
I liked it but I wanted to love it and I honestly can't quite put my finger on why I didn't, but still at the end of the day. I did like it.
Killian Barth is a professor of history...specifically he teaches the history of witches and Blaine Genneau is a professor of Quantum Physics...needless to say he does not believe in witches...yep, it was meant to be...lol!!! I loved this.
Both men are gay and attracted to each other...mmm...no problems so far...oh yeah, Killian's not just any witch...he's one of the most powerful witches there is and seems there are not a lot of witches around much less those with power so of course he needs to marry and procreate...but he's gay...so seems his mother and the witches council missed out on this piece of pertinent information...read don't care it's not part of their plan to save the race...yes, witches are not the same as mere mortals they're a separate race and yes, I liked this too a bit of a different concept than we usually get.
Killian tries to ignore his attraction to Blaine because he's human and sex with a human will deplete his powers but when things happen that lay waste to this fabrication...Killian begins to wonder how much of what he's been led to believe about relationships between witches and humans is fact and how much is fiction?
There were a lot of characters in this story that I enjoyed starting with Killian and Blaine but here was also Charlotte the young lady that Killain was betrothed to and Jimmy Janx the young man that she was truly in love with then there was Aloysius, Killian's familiar and one powerful cat with his own opinons...he may not have been able to talk but like any good cat he knew how to express his opinions.
However, I have to say the witches council which included Killian's mother and Charlotte's father were not among my favorite characters and i think they all got off just a bit to easy given what they did...but maybe that's just the witch in me.
K.C. Kelly was the narrator for this story and this was only the third or fourth audio book that I've listened to from this narrator and I admit I'm a little confuddled over this one. Don't get me wrong the narration was solid and for all intents and purposes he did a fine job of things, however, and this is where my confuddlement comes in a couple of the voices that he did for characters didn't quite line up with what my brain was telling me they should have sounded like so not a matter of right or wrong, good or bad...simple a matter of different concepts but setting aside that what I thought and what the narrator did it was a solid performance and I'll definitely be investigating more audio books by this narrator.
As I said back at the beginning I think it was mostly a case of having waited so long to enjoy this story I had ridiculously high expectations, but I did still like the story and I know there are two more installments to this series...'Brush with Catastrophe' which is about Jimmy Janx's best friend Sammy and the third story is 'Cataclysmic Shift' which is about none other than the very opinionated Aloysius and while I may have only liked this one who knows what surprises are in store for me in the final two stories.
*************************
An audio book of 'Spell Cat' was graciously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I think maybe I set my expectations to high on this one...
It seems like I've wanted to read this story since forever!!! and something newer and shinier keeps getting in the way so imagine how excited i was when the new and shiny was the audio book for 'Spell Cat'...it was Karma, Fate...I tell you it was my sign from the universe that now was the time...so there I was once again all grabby hands to get a hold of this one and what I was expecting to be amazing and wonderful...because magic and one hella' awesome cat and I do still think the cat is hella' awesome, but the story turned out to just be ok.
I liked it but I wanted to love it and I honestly can't quite put my finger on why I didn't, but still at the end of the day. I did like it.
Killian Barth is a professor of history...specifically he teaches the history of witches and Blaine Genneau is a professor of Quantum Physics...needless to say he does not believe in witches...yep, it was meant to be...lol!!! I loved this.
Both men are gay and attracted to each other...mmm...no problems so far...oh yeah, Killian's not just any witch...he's one of the most powerful witches there is and seems there are not a lot of witches around much less those with power so of course he needs to marry and procreate...but he's gay...so seems his mother and the witches council missed out on this piece of pertinent information...read don't care it's not part of their plan to save the race...yes, witches are not the same as mere mortals they're a separate race and yes, I liked this too a bit of a different concept than we usually get.
Killian tries to ignore his attraction to Blaine because he's human and sex with a human will deplete his powers but when things happen that lay waste to this fabrication...Killian begins to wonder how much of what he's been led to believe about relationships between witches and humans is fact and how much is fiction?
There were a lot of characters in this story that I enjoyed starting with Killian and Blaine but here was also Charlotte the young lady that Killain was betrothed to and Jimmy Janx the young man that she was truly in love with then there was Aloysius, Killian's familiar and one powerful cat with his own opinons...he may not have been able to talk but like any good cat he knew how to express his opinions.
However, I have to say the witches council which included Killian's mother and Charlotte's father were not among my favorite characters and i think they all got off just a bit to easy given what they did...but maybe that's just the witch in me.
K.C. Kelly was the narrator for this story and this was only the third or fourth audio book that I've listened to from this narrator and I admit I'm a little confuddled over this one. Don't get me wrong the narration was solid and for all intents and purposes he did a fine job of things, however, and this is where my confuddlement comes in a couple of the voices that he did for characters didn't quite line up with what my brain was telling me they should have sounded like so not a matter of right or wrong, good or bad...simple a matter of different concepts but setting aside that what I thought and what the narrator did it was a solid performance and I'll definitely be investigating more audio books by this narrator.
As I said back at the beginning I think it was mostly a case of having waited so long to enjoy this story I had ridiculously high expectations, but I did still like the story and I know there are two more installments to this series...'Brush with Catastrophe' which is about Jimmy Janx's best friend Sammy and the third story is 'Cataclysmic Shift' which is about none other than the very opinionated Aloysius and while I may have only liked this one who knows what surprises are in store for me in the final two stories.
*************************
An audio book of 'Spell Cat' was graciously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
June 16, 2020
Often rules are invented for which, eventually, the reasons are forgotten entirely. Applicable or not, the tenants are followed by future generations until a situation arises which necessitates challenging the edict. More often than not, love which would otherwise be forbidden is involved. In 'Spell Cat' by Tara Lain, the witch population is declining and the excuse given for its depletion is that having sex with humans diminishes a witch's powers. When Witch Master Killian falls in love with a human, Blaine, he disputes this belief; not only does Killian discover the truth, but he also finds out how extensive his abilities truly are.
Killian's gorgeous, sexy, smart, kind, compassionate, and responsible. He's also a very powerful witch. But Killian is not the flashy type and maintains a low profile especially in his extensive contact with humans. He's never had cause to show off his witchy strength and has never truly been put to the test. However, when he falls in love with Blaine, he's willing to risk it all to be with him.
Blaine is totally smitten the first time he meets Killian. His endless declarations of love overwhelm Killian and cause a lot of confusion and angst between them. Blaine is totally befuddled by Killian's reaction because he has no clue Killian is a witch and is obligated to marry a female witch in order to strengthen their witch society. Much to his credit, Blaine hangs in there. He's persistent about his love for Killian and will not give up; he almost ends up paying the ultimate price for his loyalty.
Tara's characters are absolutely delightful, each with his or her unique charm and quirks, but all are very passionate in their endeavors. Her witchy world is creative and imaginative, even if it is a bit unconventional by generally accepted standards. She's done a brilliant job of endearing her hero characters to us and making us detest the malevolent ones, just as it should be in any proper fantasy story. The plot is interesting and entertaining, not to mention complex, and there's a happy ending for our heroes. I thoroughly enjoyed 'Spell Cat' and recommend it, not only to Tara's fans, but to everyone who loves escaping into a fantasy world where magic, witches, and cat familiars exist, and where virtually anything can happen. Thanks, Tara, for the wonderful whirlwind ride.
NOTE: The first edition of this book was provided by the publisher for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Killian's gorgeous, sexy, smart, kind, compassionate, and responsible. He's also a very powerful witch. But Killian is not the flashy type and maintains a low profile especially in his extensive contact with humans. He's never had cause to show off his witchy strength and has never truly been put to the test. However, when he falls in love with Blaine, he's willing to risk it all to be with him.
Blaine is totally smitten the first time he meets Killian. His endless declarations of love overwhelm Killian and cause a lot of confusion and angst between them. Blaine is totally befuddled by Killian's reaction because he has no clue Killian is a witch and is obligated to marry a female witch in order to strengthen their witch society. Much to his credit, Blaine hangs in there. He's persistent about his love for Killian and will not give up; he almost ends up paying the ultimate price for his loyalty.
Tara's characters are absolutely delightful, each with his or her unique charm and quirks, but all are very passionate in their endeavors. Her witchy world is creative and imaginative, even if it is a bit unconventional by generally accepted standards. She's done a brilliant job of endearing her hero characters to us and making us detest the malevolent ones, just as it should be in any proper fantasy story. The plot is interesting and entertaining, not to mention complex, and there's a happy ending for our heroes. I thoroughly enjoyed 'Spell Cat' and recommend it, not only to Tara's fans, but to everyone who loves escaping into a fantasy world where magic, witches, and cat familiars exist, and where virtually anything can happen. Thanks, Tara, for the wonderful whirlwind ride.
NOTE: The first edition of this book was provided by the publisher for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
September 20, 2013
Quirky and quite different for me to read something about witches but I found Killian a bit too blasé about things. He didn't quite come across as a Master Witch to me. I liked the story progression and the secondary characters like Jimmy, Lavendar and Sammy were nicely written and I found Blaine a good match Killian. Alyosius was the scene stealer though.
December 4, 2016
This review was originally posted on (un)Conventional Bookviews
Spell Cat is a light-hearted romance that also deals with some heavier subjects like discrimination and living in hiding.
I knew I'd enjoy Spell Cat as soon as I started reading it, because who doesn't love a history professor who teaches a class on witch craft, and the hot, nerdy physics professor who seemingly falls for him at first sight? Plus, there is a familiar in cat shape, a mystery, and elders who are keeping the truth from the younger witches in New York... Killian and Blaine were great characters, and they weren't the only ones, either.
Spell Cat shows that discriminating based on whether or not people are human, and whether they fall in love with the opposite sex, the same, or both is not a good way to deal with others. Killian seemed shy and a little reserved when it came to showing the world who he loved. But he was incredibly at ease in front of a class, teaching them about history, how women had been exterminated when they became too smart or outspoken in the 15th century...
As always, Ms. Lain manages to have more than one important message in her stories, and Spell Cat is a strong beginning to a series I want to read more in. Written in third person, past tense, mostly from Killian's perspective, the story flowed easily and was a quick read.
Killian went over to the side table where the maid had laid out the coffee and refilled his cup, adding cream and a dash of cinnamon. He preferred tea, but his mother always served coffee.
Blaine sat on a park bench. Killian just wanted to stare at him. So beautiful. Not that perfect kind of beautiful like Moran. Blaine looked... what? Smart as hell, yes. Free, self-actuating, brave. That was a kind of beauty no picture-perfection could match.
Book Links:
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Spell Cat is a light-hearted romance that also deals with some heavier subjects like discrimination and living in hiding.
I knew I'd enjoy Spell Cat as soon as I started reading it, because who doesn't love a history professor who teaches a class on witch craft, and the hot, nerdy physics professor who seemingly falls for him at first sight? Plus, there is a familiar in cat shape, a mystery, and elders who are keeping the truth from the younger witches in New York... Killian and Blaine were great characters, and they weren't the only ones, either.
Spell Cat shows that discriminating based on whether or not people are human, and whether they fall in love with the opposite sex, the same, or both is not a good way to deal with others. Killian seemed shy and a little reserved when it came to showing the world who he loved. But he was incredibly at ease in front of a class, teaching them about history, how women had been exterminated when they became too smart or outspoken in the 15th century...
As always, Ms. Lain manages to have more than one important message in her stories, and Spell Cat is a strong beginning to a series I want to read more in. Written in third person, past tense, mostly from Killian's perspective, the story flowed easily and was a quick read.
Killian went over to the side table where the maid had laid out the coffee and refilled his cup, adding cream and a dash of cinnamon. He preferred tea, but his mother always served coffee.
Blaine sat on a park bench. Killian just wanted to stare at him. So beautiful. Not that perfect kind of beautiful like Moran. Blaine looked... what? Smart as hell, yes. Free, self-actuating, brave. That was a kind of beauty no picture-perfection could match.
Book Links:
Goodreads | Dreamspinner eBook | Dreamspinner Paperback | Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo | All Romance |
Tara Lain writes the Beautiful Boys of Romance in LGBT erotic romance novels that star her unique, charismatic heroes. Her first novel was published in January of 2011 and she’s now somewhere around book 32. Her best-selling novels have garnered awards for Best Series, Best Contemporary Romance, Best Paranormal Romance, Best Ménage, Best LGBT Romance, Best Gay Characters, and Tara has been named Best Writer of the Year in the LRC Awards. In her other job, Tara owns an advertising and public relations firm. She often does workshops on both author promotion and writing craft. She lives with her soul-mate husband and her soul-mate dog near the sea in California where she sets a lot of her books. Passionate about diversity, justice, and new experiences, Tara says on her tombstone it will say “Yes”!
Author Links:
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April 10, 2017FREEBIE for the Kindle, Amazon US.
August 11, 2018
4.25 stars
June 12, 2023
Yes another goodreads reviewers recommendation. Yelp! I am currently on book 3. So! Where did mommy dearest get the cat?
July 15, 2021
What a great surprise! I only finally started this book because I needed it for a challenge and wow, I greatly enjoyed it!
Listened to the audio, fabulously narrated by Kirt Graves!
4.5 stars
Listened to the audio, fabulously narrated by Kirt Graves!
4.5 stars
October 11, 2012
This is my first time reading anything of this author, so I'm not too familiar with this author's style. "Spell Cat" was an interesting story, a little weird at times but definitely interesting. And definitely not what I expected this story to be.
I kind of felt like I was reading a M/M version of 'Sabrina the Teenage Witch'.
Killian, our witch, had his waist length blonde hair and silly, fan-girly antics. He was most definitely a Sabrina.
Killian even has a black cat name Aloysius that didn't talk. (Alas!) This cat really stole the show and was my favorite character of the story.
I was so ready to call him Salem.
And his human male love interest was little goofy and cheesy but cute in a non-threatening way. You know like...Sabrina's Harvey
Seriously you could insert both men into this scene and you wouldn't know the difference:
I'm not kidding. Killian and the other guy (I can't remember his name and don't really feel like looking it up) were just Sabrina and Harvey with penises.
Killian, a witch with super powers, is gay and was told he will need to marry another really strong female witch. Because witches will lose their powers when they have sex with humans. And he and his fellow witch have a duty to the witch community to produce strong full witch children for the better of all witch-kind.
And I could go on and on with tons of questions like if both of the most strongest witches were told they had to marry against their approval, why didn't they turn everyone into toads and dump them in a lake? Or why are they not showing their powers more often? Yadda, yadda, yadda...But I digress. I could break down the major scenes of the book but seriously I'll just be posting a Sabrina episode sans the aunts. *shrug* And I liked the show, great for mindless fluff. So is this book.
Long story short, it's a HEA, the cat didn't talk, Killian and the other guy have quick sex scenes and victims of that thing called insta-love. It was cutesy, cheesy and light. It was a decent read. The witch mythology presented was interesting enough. And...*shrug* you either like "Sabrina" or you don't.
I kind of felt like I was reading a M/M version of 'Sabrina the Teenage Witch'.
Killian, our witch, had his waist length blonde hair and silly, fan-girly antics. He was most definitely a Sabrina.
Killian even has a black cat name Aloysius that didn't talk. (Alas!) This cat really stole the show and was my favorite character of the story.
I was so ready to call him Salem.
And his human male love interest was little goofy and cheesy but cute in a non-threatening way. You know like...Sabrina's Harvey
Seriously you could insert both men into this scene and you wouldn't know the difference:
I'm not kidding. Killian and the other guy (I can't remember his name and don't really feel like looking it up) were just Sabrina and Harvey with penises.
Killian, a witch with super powers, is gay and was told he will need to marry another really strong female witch. Because witches will lose their powers when they have sex with humans. And he and his fellow witch have a duty to the witch community to produce strong full witch children for the better of all witch-kind.
And I could go on and on with tons of questions like if both of the most strongest witches were told they had to marry against their approval, why didn't they turn everyone into toads and dump them in a lake? Or why are they not showing their powers more often? Yadda, yadda, yadda...But I digress. I could break down the major scenes of the book but seriously I'll just be posting a Sabrina episode sans the aunts. *shrug* And I liked the show, great for mindless fluff. So is this book.
Long story short, it's a HEA, the cat didn't talk, Killian and the other guy have quick sex scenes and victims of that thing called insta-love. It was cutesy, cheesy and light. It was a decent read. The witch mythology presented was interesting enough. And...*shrug* you either like "Sabrina" or you don't.
May 1, 2017
Oh I loved this! There are a lot of similarities with Dominion (the first in a series I love): most powerful male witch in forever, mother who seemingly only cares about power, a villain and some rescuing needing doing, academic setting, self-effacing melodrama, etc., but whereas Dominion is serious and dark and full of danger and suspense, for the most part Spell Cat is lighthearted and fun. Dominion has a self-hating main character who can't get close to anyone and his love interest worships the ground he walks on. In Spell Cat, they both worship each other and it's over-the-top instalove-y and passionate and intense adorable mutual love fest.
The supporting characters are great. Jimmy is adorable! I actually liked the cat, and I'm not a huge cat fan. (Rather, I'm not a huge fan of cats ast they are betrayed in popular media. I've loved a number of cats that are much more personable than people say cats can be. The holier-than-though catitude thing is tired and old.) And I love that this powerful cat has crossed eyes.
My nitpicks: Why does he have to get married to accomplish his mother's goal? Why can't he ?
If he thinks their attraction is due to a spell, it's immoral to have sex with him.
Sappy sappy sappy and a little bit of peril makes a delightfully happy Kelly.
The supporting characters are great. Jimmy is adorable! I actually liked the cat, and I'm not a huge cat fan. (Rather, I'm not a huge fan of cats ast they are betrayed in popular media. I've loved a number of cats that are much more personable than people say cats can be. The holier-than-though catitude thing is tired and old.) And I love that this powerful cat has crossed eyes.
My nitpicks: Why does he have to get married to accomplish his mother's goal? Why can't he ?
If he thinks their attraction is due to a spell, it's immoral to have sex with him.
Sappy sappy sappy and a little bit of peril makes a delightfully happy Kelly.
March 29, 2012
3.5 Stars
A mostly fun, light and easy read. I could almost feel the lightning with Killian and Blaine, those two were electric together! Al and his balls made me push this up to a 4 star rating. :D
A mostly fun, light and easy read. I could almost feel the lightning with Killian and Blaine, those two were electric together! Al and his balls made me push this up to a 4 star rating. :D
October 19, 2016
Spell Cat is a light-hearted romance that also deals with some heavier subjects like discrimination and living in hiding.
November 30, 2022
A fun, fluffy and a little bit cheesy MM romantasy with an adorable furball I'd love to have for my own.
Aloysius stole the show. In every single way. That 'purring fur rug' is amazeballs! And if you're wondering why I chose this particular word, you'll find the answer in the book, in a little belly rubbing scene that involves .... Nah! I ain't telling. Read the book if you wanna find out. :D
The premise of the book is downright irresistible for any romantasy fan. A lonely wizard sacrifices his only chance at happiness with a human for the good of his kind and agrees to marry a witch he doesn't love, despite the fact that he is gay. And his longing for someone to love him is one to tug on all the heartstrings.
Add to it a good measure of sizzling chemistry and a powerful quirky and all sorts of adorable furry familiar with an attitude and you got yourself a winner.
The characters were great, and the magic intriguing but, while the plot was good, the pacing felt a tad too slow at times. To the point of making me want to take a break from reading.
All in all this is an entertaining magical tale of love and trust, risks taken and truth revealed. With a fabulous furry familiar at the centre of it all.
Aloysius stole the show. In every single way. That 'purring fur rug' is amazeballs! And if you're wondering why I chose this particular word, you'll find the answer in the book, in a little belly rubbing scene that involves .... Nah! I ain't telling. Read the book if you wanna find out. :D
The premise of the book is downright irresistible for any romantasy fan. A lonely wizard sacrifices his only chance at happiness with a human for the good of his kind and agrees to marry a witch he doesn't love, despite the fact that he is gay. And his longing for someone to love him is one to tug on all the heartstrings.
Add to it a good measure of sizzling chemistry and a powerful quirky and all sorts of adorable furry familiar with an attitude and you got yourself a winner.
The characters were great, and the magic intriguing but, while the plot was good, the pacing felt a tad too slow at times. To the point of making me want to take a break from reading.
All in all this is an entertaining magical tale of love and trust, risks taken and truth revealed. With a fabulous furry familiar at the centre of it all.
April 20, 2017
This was a pretty good book. Killian Barth is a Master Witch. Killian is betrothed to Lavender a woman another powerful witch but he knows he's gay. Their marriage was arranged to ensure the continuation and ongoing power of the Witch species they like each other but Killian is in love with the A Physics professor and Lavender with human man who is a student in Killian's class. The History Of Witchcraft the big gay conflict is more than about being gay it's a deep belief of the Witch community that mating with humans depletes their power and threatens the future of the entire species through the dilution of their gene pool. When Killian and Blaine make love for the first time he discovers it increases his power not diminishes it. This was more like a love story that I thought was really sweet at times. The sex scenes were really hot and sweet at the same time. I have read this author before and I love her writing. This book was well written with no errors in grammar or spelling. I am looking forward to reading more books in this series.
November 1, 2016
Review written for Love Bytes Reviews.
Hailed as the most powerful witch of the last ten generations, Killian Barth just wants to spend his days teaching his students and daydreaming about finding someone to love who’ll love him in return. Unfortunately, magic amongst witches is beginning to wane and in order to facilitate its return to his people, he’ll have to go through an arranged marriage he in no way wants but can’t say no to. Never mind the fact that he’s gay and the young woman in question is in love with another. When one night of selfishly going after what he wants leads to a startling conclusion that’s contrary to everything he’s always been taught, Killian sets off to unravel the threads of the web that that have kept his people from reaching their true potential. And maybe, just maybe, he’ll be able to get a happy ending for himself along the way.
I’ve had this book on my tbr for years and when I saw it was being re-released, I jumped at the chance to read it. I have to say, Spell Cat was different than what I’d been expecting but it was also a really enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours. I loved both main characters though if I had to pick a favorite…it would be Aloysius. :D Seriously though, Killian and Blaine were just perfect for each other even if they each fought the connection in their own ways. Killian needed someone to love him for who he was as a person and not just for what he represented while Blaine needed someone to open up his eyes to the fact that there’s more in the world than just what he can quantify. Aloysius probably was my favorite character, however; it was amazing just how well he communicated what he wanted, thought and felt without the benefit of speech. I thoroughly enjoyed his presence throughout the story.
While I did really enjoy the characters, and did like the story itself quite a bit, until Killian comes to the conclusion that what he’s always been taught is a lie, things moved at a slower pace than I had been expecting or really wanted. Like I said, I did really enjoy the story but there were several points where I just wondered how much longer I’d have to wait for things to really get moving, if that makes sense. When the truth did come to light things moved fairly quickly and I had no complaints from that point forward. The showdown at the end was well worth the wait and was highly entertaining, especially since you finally get to see just what Killian is capable of. Wrapping up with a lovely happy ending and I finished the book on a great note. :)
I really liked this one; the characters were great, both human and feline, and there was a good blending of story with steamy bedroom scenes that kept the book from being bogged down with just one or the other. If you enjoy stories featuring magic, know it all familiars and men that are head over heels for one another, I’d recommend you giving this one a try.
http://lovebytesreviews.com/2016/10/3...
Hailed as the most powerful witch of the last ten generations, Killian Barth just wants to spend his days teaching his students and daydreaming about finding someone to love who’ll love him in return. Unfortunately, magic amongst witches is beginning to wane and in order to facilitate its return to his people, he’ll have to go through an arranged marriage he in no way wants but can’t say no to. Never mind the fact that he’s gay and the young woman in question is in love with another. When one night of selfishly going after what he wants leads to a startling conclusion that’s contrary to everything he’s always been taught, Killian sets off to unravel the threads of the web that that have kept his people from reaching their true potential. And maybe, just maybe, he’ll be able to get a happy ending for himself along the way.
I’ve had this book on my tbr for years and when I saw it was being re-released, I jumped at the chance to read it. I have to say, Spell Cat was different than what I’d been expecting but it was also a really enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours. I loved both main characters though if I had to pick a favorite…it would be Aloysius. :D Seriously though, Killian and Blaine were just perfect for each other even if they each fought the connection in their own ways. Killian needed someone to love him for who he was as a person and not just for what he represented while Blaine needed someone to open up his eyes to the fact that there’s more in the world than just what he can quantify. Aloysius probably was my favorite character, however; it was amazing just how well he communicated what he wanted, thought and felt without the benefit of speech. I thoroughly enjoyed his presence throughout the story.
While I did really enjoy the characters, and did like the story itself quite a bit, until Killian comes to the conclusion that what he’s always been taught is a lie, things moved at a slower pace than I had been expecting or really wanted. Like I said, I did really enjoy the story but there were several points where I just wondered how much longer I’d have to wait for things to really get moving, if that makes sense. When the truth did come to light things moved fairly quickly and I had no complaints from that point forward. The showdown at the end was well worth the wait and was highly entertaining, especially since you finally get to see just what Killian is capable of. Wrapping up with a lovely happy ending and I finished the book on a great note. :)
I really liked this one; the characters were great, both human and feline, and there was a good blending of story with steamy bedroom scenes that kept the book from being bogged down with just one or the other. If you enjoy stories featuring magic, know it all familiars and men that are head over heels for one another, I’d recommend you giving this one a try.
http://lovebytesreviews.com/2016/10/3...
March 27, 2012
When I first read the synopsis of this book I thought it sounded interesting, when I first saw the cover art, I thought it was one of my favorite covers ever!
Now I've read the book and while I thoroughly enjoyed it, I'm sad I'm done!!! Good thing I can reread it any time though!!!
I loved the character of Killian, who is in a tough position in the witch community, as the most powerful male witch, he's expected to marry an equally powerful female and procreate - the fact that he's gay and wants to experience love is apparently irrelevant! He is called a wuss by the witch council as he has no interest in "power" as something to rule over people, he comes across as a gentle and loving man.
Blaine is the man he has a hard time resisting, a regular human and professor of quantum physics - and if there is one science that could probably understand magic, at least eventually, it would be a quantum physicist!!! Blaine is out, open, and clear in his feelings about Killian, and keeps pursuing him no matter how much Killian runs - even when his running is because of a misunderstanding!
Lavender is Killian's intended bride and a strong character in her own right, in love with a supposedly "normal" human, which is Jimmy Janx, a favorite student of both his professors - Killian and Blaine, but all is not as normal as he thought either, and his only stress is not that his girlfriend's father hates him and plans to marry her off to someone else, but he may not be alone in his "freakness", as he thinks it is, after all!
And in the midst of all this, there is Aloysius, a very wise and powerful cat/familiar who is partnered with Killian early on, but is his compass and his friend.
I thought the dynamic of Killian trying to resist Blaine was interesting enough, but the additional plot points of the power struggles of the witch council, the prejudice that is unearthed, not be fearful humans towards witches, but fearful witches to each other, why the council is so adamant Killian and Lavender must be married - not surprisingly, a perceived sense of power and then how Killian, who had been written off as merely a pawn in all this and not as strong in his magic as they think a Witch Master should be, comes into his own when the one person decided to use Blaine as "leverage" to get him to do what they wanted him to do, but the reaction was not what they expected.
And on top of that, Killian is the one who really brings the witch community together with what he discovers of their ancestry.
I loved it, I think this is my favorite Tara Lain book so far! I have a few others of hers to read, but this was a fantastic story!
Now I've read the book and while I thoroughly enjoyed it, I'm sad I'm done!!! Good thing I can reread it any time though!!!
I loved the character of Killian, who is in a tough position in the witch community, as the most powerful male witch, he's expected to marry an equally powerful female and procreate - the fact that he's gay and wants to experience love is apparently irrelevant! He is called a wuss by the witch council as he has no interest in "power" as something to rule over people, he comes across as a gentle and loving man.
Blaine is the man he has a hard time resisting, a regular human and professor of quantum physics - and if there is one science that could probably understand magic, at least eventually, it would be a quantum physicist!!! Blaine is out, open, and clear in his feelings about Killian, and keeps pursuing him no matter how much Killian runs - even when his running is because of a misunderstanding!
Lavender is Killian's intended bride and a strong character in her own right, in love with a supposedly "normal" human, which is Jimmy Janx, a favorite student of both his professors - Killian and Blaine, but all is not as normal as he thought either, and his only stress is not that his girlfriend's father hates him and plans to marry her off to someone else, but he may not be alone in his "freakness", as he thinks it is, after all!
And in the midst of all this, there is Aloysius, a very wise and powerful cat/familiar who is partnered with Killian early on, but is his compass and his friend.
I thought the dynamic of Killian trying to resist Blaine was interesting enough, but the additional plot points of the power struggles of the witch council, the prejudice that is unearthed, not be fearful humans towards witches, but fearful witches to each other, why the council is so adamant Killian and Lavender must be married - not surprisingly, a perceived sense of power and then how Killian, who had been written off as merely a pawn in all this and not as strong in his magic as they think a Witch Master should be, comes into his own when the one person decided to use Blaine as "leverage" to get him to do what they wanted him to do, but the reaction was not what they expected.
And on top of that, Killian is the one who really brings the witch community together with what he discovers of their ancestry.
I loved it, I think this is my favorite Tara Lain book so far! I have a few others of hers to read, but this was a fantastic story!
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