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The Witches of Thistle Grove #3
Back in a Spell
Even though she won’t deny her love for pretty (and pricey) things, Nineve Blackmoore is almost painfully down-to-earth and sensible by Blackmoore standards. But after a year of nursing a broken heart inflicted by the fiancée who all but ditched her at the altar, the powerful witch is sick of feeling low and is ready to try something drastically different: a dating app.
At her best friend’s urging, Nina goes on a date with Morty Gutierrez, the nonbinary, offbeat soul of spontaneity and co-owner of the Shamrock Cauldron. Their date goes about as well as can be expected of most online dates—awkward and terrible. To make matters worse, once Morty discovers Nina’s last name, he’s far from a fan; it turns out that the Blackmoores have been bullishly trying to buy the Shamrock out from under Morty and his family.
But when Morty begins developing magical powers—something that usually only happens to committed romantic partners once they officially join a founding family—at the same time that Nina’s own magic surges beyond her control, Nina must manage Morty’s rude awakening to the hidden magical world, uncover its cause, and face the intensity of their own burgeoning connection. But what happens when that connection is tied to Nina’s power surge, a power she’s finding nearly as addictive as Morty’s presence in her life?
At her best friend’s urging, Nina goes on a date with Morty Gutierrez, the nonbinary, offbeat soul of spontaneity and co-owner of the Shamrock Cauldron. Their date goes about as well as can be expected of most online dates—awkward and terrible. To make matters worse, once Morty discovers Nina’s last name, he’s far from a fan; it turns out that the Blackmoores have been bullishly trying to buy the Shamrock out from under Morty and his family.
But when Morty begins developing magical powers—something that usually only happens to committed romantic partners once they officially join a founding family—at the same time that Nina’s own magic surges beyond her control, Nina must manage Morty’s rude awakening to the hidden magical world, uncover its cause, and face the intensity of their own burgeoning connection. But what happens when that connection is tied to Nina’s power surge, a power she’s finding nearly as addictive as Morty’s presence in her life?
302 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 3, 2023
300 people are currently reading
27626 people want to read
About the author
Lana Harper
11 books1,650 followersLana is the New York Times bestselling author of Payback's A Witch and the forthcoming From Bad to Cursed from Berkley Books. Writing as Lana Popovic, she is also the author of YA novels Wicked Like a Wildfire, Fierce Like a Firestorm, Blood Countess, and Poison Priestess. Lana studied psychology and literature at Yale University, law at Boston University, and is a graduate of the Emerson College publishing and writing master's program. She was born in Serbia and lived in Bulgaria, Hungary, and Romania before moving to the United States, where she now lives in Chicago with her family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,244 reviews
December 28, 2022
Having enjoyed the first two entries in the Witches of Thistle Grove series of romances, I was excited to dive into Back in a Spell—especially because the love interest is a nonbinary character. However, between the extremely disappointing nonbinary representation and other narrative decisions, Back in a Spell ended up leaving me cold instead of cozy.
Back in a Spell centers the story of Nineve Blackmoore, a dutiful Blackmoore family member who is nursing a broken heart from a fiancee who left her at the altar. Trying to get back into the dating scene, Nina decides to accept a date with the most unlikely person she can find on a dating app, which happens to be Morty Gutierrez. The same Morty who owns a bar that Nina’s family—with her help—has been aggressively trying to purchase out from under. Strange events end up fostering a magical connection between Nina and the non-magical Morty, including giving Morty magical power, and bringing them closer than ever expected.
This novel has some of my favourite tropes, including magical empathic soulbonds. Nina’s individual character arc of her strange and mysterious connection with an unknown entity was compelling. The chemistry between Morty and Nina when the two of them were on page together was gripping. Certain aspects of Thistle Grove and the worldbuilding within continued to be charming.
Unfortunately, the positives were by and large overshadowed by my qualms with how Morty was handled. I want to start with a disclaimer that nonbinary covers a WIDE range of identities and presentations. There’s no one right way to be nonbinary; many nonbinary folks are comfortable with and even prefer binary pronouns.
However: When you take the time to include a scene where the protagonist says he uses and welcomes BOTH he and they pronouns, it’s a kick in the teeth to not see a single, solitary instance of ‘they/them’ used to refer to Morty.
Seriously.
The entire novel, including every character and all of Nina’s internal thoughts, default Morty to ‘he’. Morty does say that they default to ‘he’ at the bar and at home for various reasons, which makes total sense; many nonbinary folks have to navigate a certain degree of fluidity depending on their comfort and safety levels in various situations. But nonbinary and/or genderfluid folks who use pronoun sets like ‘she/they’, ‘he/they’, or ‘she/he/they’ often cite their struggle with everyone defaulting to the binary ones. This is information a cursory Google search could provide.
In fact, aside from the initial pronoun and gender scene/discussion and one very short scene later with Morty’s family… it feels like this novel was conceptualized and drafted as a queer M/F romance and amended to be nonbinary in retrospect. A novel does not need to be an identity story to have respectful inclusion of someone’s identity in meaningful ways. What would have really helped is having chapters from Morty to get some of their perspective, though I understand the decision was probably made to follow the single POV format of the other Thistle Grove novels.
There’re also some inclusions that rung my gender essentialist bell. Aside from multiple casual usages of “guy”, “dude”, “boyish face”, and “boyishly delighted grin” throughout the text—none of which Morty specifically okays—it gets even more uncomfortable during sexual encounters.
During the first sex scene, Nina intuits that Morty feels a “distinctly male undercurrent” of pride in the fact that he’s well-endowed, which pulls a double whammy of misgendering Morty and disregarding trans men who may or may not even have the same genitals at all. Later, Nina is about to perform oral sex on Morty and thinks to herself that it’s been a while since she’s been with a man. Again, Morty clearly states he is fluid and does not ever say they think of themself as a man. Furthermore, not all men have penises, so we have some light transphobia on the side.
All the issues with the nonbinary representation aside, the side characters and family plot of this novel didn’t work for me. Gareth plays a prominent role in this novel and an attempt is made at a redemption arc for him. While I can appreciate that we are more than our mistakes as human, unfortunately, I didn’t buy Gareth’s arc and felt it detracted from the novel. He’s still a jerk, and not a loveable one at that.
There’s also an undercurrent of a familial abuse plotline that ends up being somehow both deeply underdeveloped and cartoonishly evil at the same time. The resolution of this plotline feels random and unearned for how little space it is given on page and how little it is discussed or referenced throughout the novel.
All that being said, I can respect that in all likelihood, Morty’s character was a sincere, earnest attempt at inclusivity. I also firmly believe it falls incredibly short in many ways and could have benefited from one or more sensitivity reads. The copy I received was an advance copy and not final, so it is also possible some of these items will have been changed or amended in the final, published copies.
But between Morty’s representation and the lackluster character arcs and plot resolutions, I can’t recommend Back in a Spell, and I will not be continuing with the Witches of Thistle Grove series.
Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for an advance review copy. All opinions are my own.
Back in a Spell centers the story of Nineve Blackmoore, a dutiful Blackmoore family member who is nursing a broken heart from a fiancee who left her at the altar. Trying to get back into the dating scene, Nina decides to accept a date with the most unlikely person she can find on a dating app, which happens to be Morty Gutierrez. The same Morty who owns a bar that Nina’s family—with her help—has been aggressively trying to purchase out from under. Strange events end up fostering a magical connection between Nina and the non-magical Morty, including giving Morty magical power, and bringing them closer than ever expected.
This novel has some of my favourite tropes, including magical empathic soulbonds. Nina’s individual character arc of her strange and mysterious connection with an unknown entity was compelling. The chemistry between Morty and Nina when the two of them were on page together was gripping. Certain aspects of Thistle Grove and the worldbuilding within continued to be charming.
Unfortunately, the positives were by and large overshadowed by my qualms with how Morty was handled. I want to start with a disclaimer that nonbinary covers a WIDE range of identities and presentations. There’s no one right way to be nonbinary; many nonbinary folks are comfortable with and even prefer binary pronouns.
However: When you take the time to include a scene where the protagonist says he uses and welcomes BOTH he and they pronouns, it’s a kick in the teeth to not see a single, solitary instance of ‘they/them’ used to refer to Morty.
Seriously.
The entire novel, including every character and all of Nina’s internal thoughts, default Morty to ‘he’. Morty does say that they default to ‘he’ at the bar and at home for various reasons, which makes total sense; many nonbinary folks have to navigate a certain degree of fluidity depending on their comfort and safety levels in various situations. But nonbinary and/or genderfluid folks who use pronoun sets like ‘she/they’, ‘he/they’, or ‘she/he/they’ often cite their struggle with everyone defaulting to the binary ones. This is information a cursory Google search could provide.
In fact, aside from the initial pronoun and gender scene/discussion and one very short scene later with Morty’s family… it feels like this novel was conceptualized and drafted as a queer M/F romance and amended to be nonbinary in retrospect. A novel does not need to be an identity story to have respectful inclusion of someone’s identity in meaningful ways. What would have really helped is having chapters from Morty to get some of their perspective, though I understand the decision was probably made to follow the single POV format of the other Thistle Grove novels.
There’re also some inclusions that rung my gender essentialist bell. Aside from multiple casual usages of “guy”, “dude”, “boyish face”, and “boyishly delighted grin” throughout the text—none of which Morty specifically okays—it gets even more uncomfortable during sexual encounters.
During the first sex scene, Nina intuits that Morty feels a “distinctly male undercurrent” of pride in the fact that he’s well-endowed, which pulls a double whammy of misgendering Morty and disregarding trans men who may or may not even have the same genitals at all. Later, Nina is about to perform oral sex on Morty and thinks to herself that it’s been a while since she’s been with a man. Again, Morty clearly states he is fluid and does not ever say they think of themself as a man. Furthermore, not all men have penises, so we have some light transphobia on the side.
All the issues with the nonbinary representation aside, the side characters and family plot of this novel didn’t work for me. Gareth plays a prominent role in this novel and an attempt is made at a redemption arc for him. While I can appreciate that we are more than our mistakes as human, unfortunately, I didn’t buy Gareth’s arc and felt it detracted from the novel. He’s still a jerk, and not a loveable one at that.
There’s also an undercurrent of a familial abuse plotline that ends up being somehow both deeply underdeveloped and cartoonishly evil at the same time. The resolution of this plotline feels random and unearned for how little space it is given on page and how little it is discussed or referenced throughout the novel.
All that being said, I can respect that in all likelihood, Morty’s character was a sincere, earnest attempt at inclusivity. I also firmly believe it falls incredibly short in many ways and could have benefited from one or more sensitivity reads. The copy I received was an advance copy and not final, so it is also possible some of these items will have been changed or amended in the final, published copies.
But between Morty’s representation and the lackluster character arcs and plot resolutions, I can’t recommend Back in a Spell, and I will not be continuing with the Witches of Thistle Grove series.
Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for an advance review copy. All opinions are my own.
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June 10, 2022“the non-binary, offbeat soul”
Proceeds to assign gendered pronouns to this character throughout the remainder of the summary?
Proceeds to assign gendered pronouns to this character throughout the remainder of the summary?
December 28, 2022
Lana Harper knows how to draw readers into a story with great characterization and world-building.
Back in a Spell
is the third book in The Witches of Thistle Grove series. It meshes bits of several subgenres including paranormal romance, supernatural suspense, and a mystery. Nina Blackmoore is second in line to the most powerful witch dynasty in Thistle Grove, Illinois. Her best friend Jessa knows nothing about witches or magic. Only long-term bound partners are permitted to know about that. A year after Sydney broke up with her Nina is still broken-hearted and no longer has a positive, upbeat attitude.
Jessa selects an online date that is the total opposite of who Nina usually selects. It turns out that Morty Gutierrez is the co-owner of the Shamrock Cauldron, a bar that the Blackmoores have been trying to buy. While their date starts out okay, it quickly goes downhill. However, as Morty starts developing magical powers and Nina’s magic surges, they find they have a connection. How did this happen?
Nina is brilliant, generous, and considerate, likes order, and is a science fiction and fantasy fan. Morty is perceptive, kind, and a bit of a risk taker. Despite their differences, they find they have things in common. Both experience growth over time. It was good to visit with some characters from prior books as well.
The plot is solid, absorbing, and intriguing with a storyline that definitely packed a punch. The diverse characterization and great world-building details provide insight into the town’s inhabitants and their differences. With the brisk pace, readers can feel the angst of the two main characters as they try to make sense of the circumstances they find themselves in, with perplexing clues and surprising feelings. The ending has some surprises. Themes include family, friendship, power, family dynamics, emotional abuse, romance, and much more.
Overall, this engaging novel unleashes wit, suspense, action, and romance that make it entertaining. If you enjoy excellent paranormal romances, then I recommend that you check out this series. I am looking forward to finding out what happens next in Thistle Grove. This novel works as a standalone novel, but readers will get more background if they start with book one.
Berkley Publishing Group and Lana Harper provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for January 3, 2023.
------------------------------------------
My 3.7 rounded to 4 stars review is coming soon.
Jessa selects an online date that is the total opposite of who Nina usually selects. It turns out that Morty Gutierrez is the co-owner of the Shamrock Cauldron, a bar that the Blackmoores have been trying to buy. While their date starts out okay, it quickly goes downhill. However, as Morty starts developing magical powers and Nina’s magic surges, they find they have a connection. How did this happen?
Nina is brilliant, generous, and considerate, likes order, and is a science fiction and fantasy fan. Morty is perceptive, kind, and a bit of a risk taker. Despite their differences, they find they have things in common. Both experience growth over time. It was good to visit with some characters from prior books as well.
The plot is solid, absorbing, and intriguing with a storyline that definitely packed a punch. The diverse characterization and great world-building details provide insight into the town’s inhabitants and their differences. With the brisk pace, readers can feel the angst of the two main characters as they try to make sense of the circumstances they find themselves in, with perplexing clues and surprising feelings. The ending has some surprises. Themes include family, friendship, power, family dynamics, emotional abuse, romance, and much more.
Overall, this engaging novel unleashes wit, suspense, action, and romance that make it entertaining. If you enjoy excellent paranormal romances, then I recommend that you check out this series. I am looking forward to finding out what happens next in Thistle Grove. This novel works as a standalone novel, but readers will get more background if they start with book one.
Berkley Publishing Group and Lana Harper provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for January 3, 2023.
------------------------------------------
My 3.7 rounded to 4 stars review is coming soon.
June 6, 2024
**3.5-stars rounded up**
Back in a Spell is the third book in The Witches of Thistle Grove series by Lana Harper. The fourth book, In Charm's Way, is set to releases on August 22, 2023.
For those unfamiliar with the series, the books are companion novels. They take place in the small, magical town of Thistle Grove, following the same timeline, but each book focuses on different main characters.
In this installment, we follow Nina Blackmoore and Morty Gutierrez. Nina comes from one of Thistle Groves founding families, so it is through her perspective where we initially get the magic in this story.
A year ago, Nina's engagement was broken off. Her fiance left her, but not before leaving her with an ear-full of her faults first. Traumatized by this break-up, Nina hasn't yet started dating again.
With encouragement from her best friend, Jessa, though, Nina decides maybe now is the time. Jessa helps her create a dating profile on a well-known site and they sift through potential matches.
After Nina connects with someone, Morty, they decide to meet up for a drink. Nina is impressed with Morty's forwardness and looks forward to meeting in person.
The date ends up being a disaster though. They have nothing in common, but end up connected nevertheless after that fateful night when Morty begins developing magical powers.
I thought this was super cute and it was exactly what I was in the mood for. I listened to the audiobook in a day and definitely recommend that format. It was engaging and kept me entertained throughout.
I liked the set-up of this one. It has that classic enemies-to-lovers feel, but the failed date at the beginning added a little something extra. It seemed so promising at first, but I loved how they both ended up being annoyed by one another.
I love when people toss sharp barbs back and forth, all over the barely contained sexual tension. Witty banter pleases me to no end. It's how I live my life.
I also liked how this tied in more of the lore of the town. We learned additional background surrounding the founding families, the Blackmoores especially. I am really looking forward to continuing on with this series.
For me, this was actually my favorite of the series as far as my engagement level is concerned. I think Morty and Nina are probably my favorite of the couples. I loved their chemistry and watching their relationship evolve.
I would recommend The Witches of Thistle Grove series to anyone who enjoys whimsical, low-stakes romance stories with a solid level of steam. Also, as mentioned above, I definitely recommend the audiobooks. I have listened to them all and really enjoyed the narration.
I am hoping to start the fourth book very soon!!
Back in a Spell is the third book in The Witches of Thistle Grove series by Lana Harper. The fourth book, In Charm's Way, is set to releases on August 22, 2023.
For those unfamiliar with the series, the books are companion novels. They take place in the small, magical town of Thistle Grove, following the same timeline, but each book focuses on different main characters.
In this installment, we follow Nina Blackmoore and Morty Gutierrez. Nina comes from one of Thistle Groves founding families, so it is through her perspective where we initially get the magic in this story.
A year ago, Nina's engagement was broken off. Her fiance left her, but not before leaving her with an ear-full of her faults first. Traumatized by this break-up, Nina hasn't yet started dating again.
With encouragement from her best friend, Jessa, though, Nina decides maybe now is the time. Jessa helps her create a dating profile on a well-known site and they sift through potential matches.
After Nina connects with someone, Morty, they decide to meet up for a drink. Nina is impressed with Morty's forwardness and looks forward to meeting in person.
The date ends up being a disaster though. They have nothing in common, but end up connected nevertheless after that fateful night when Morty begins developing magical powers.
I thought this was super cute and it was exactly what I was in the mood for. I listened to the audiobook in a day and definitely recommend that format. It was engaging and kept me entertained throughout.
I liked the set-up of this one. It has that classic enemies-to-lovers feel, but the failed date at the beginning added a little something extra. It seemed so promising at first, but I loved how they both ended up being annoyed by one another.
I love when people toss sharp barbs back and forth, all over the barely contained sexual tension. Witty banter pleases me to no end. It's how I live my life.
I also liked how this tied in more of the lore of the town. We learned additional background surrounding the founding families, the Blackmoores especially. I am really looking forward to continuing on with this series.
For me, this was actually my favorite of the series as far as my engagement level is concerned. I think Morty and Nina are probably my favorite of the couples. I loved their chemistry and watching their relationship evolve.
I would recommend The Witches of Thistle Grove series to anyone who enjoys whimsical, low-stakes romance stories with a solid level of steam. Also, as mentioned above, I definitely recommend the audiobooks. I have listened to them all and really enjoyed the narration.
I am hoping to start the fourth book very soon!!
December 20, 2022
I was deeply, deeply disappointed by this book and gave up at 50%.
At the beginning, it's mentioned that Morty is nonbinary and uses he/they pronouns. As readers, we are used to he/him pronouns so I would have been able to ignore how he is solely referred to with he/him pronouns throughout the book and that there isn't even a single instance when the heroine uses "they" while talking about Morty.
But then there are all the many times Morty is referred to as "guy", "dude", or described as having a "boyish smile". Without any reference that maybe that is not okay for Morty.
On top of that, he treats the heroine like some dudebro. Honestly, I don't buy it that sometime later in the book he should turn into some sweet squishy person. He hates the heroine's family, he thinks she's some shallow girly girl which read as quite misogynistic. And there is literally nothing queer about their interactions or sexy times.
This book might be fine as an M/F Romance, it might be fine for readers going in basically expecting an M/F Romance.
But for me, it was not okay and I'm extremely annoyed.
Nonbinary identities aren't something you throw in in chapter 2 to make your character look more edgy. Being nonbinary has an influence on the entire character. On the way they interact with people, the way they think, the way they are. It's part of a person, not an edgy accessory.
At the beginning, it's mentioned that Morty is nonbinary and uses he/they pronouns. As readers, we are used to he/him pronouns so I would have been able to ignore how he is solely referred to with he/him pronouns throughout the book and that there isn't even a single instance when the heroine uses "they" while talking about Morty.
But then there are all the many times Morty is referred to as "guy", "dude", or described as having a "boyish smile". Without any reference that maybe that is not okay for Morty.
On top of that, he treats the heroine like some dudebro. Honestly, I don't buy it that sometime later in the book he should turn into some sweet squishy person. He hates the heroine's family, he thinks she's some shallow girly girl which read as quite misogynistic. And there is literally nothing queer about their interactions or sexy times.
This book might be fine as an M/F Romance, it might be fine for readers going in basically expecting an M/F Romance.
But for me, it was not okay and I'm extremely annoyed.
Nonbinary identities aren't something you throw in in chapter 2 to make your character look more edgy. Being nonbinary has an influence on the entire character. On the way they interact with people, the way they think, the way they are. It's part of a person, not an edgy accessory.
January 3, 2023
thank you Berkeley romance for sending me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! 🫶
rating: 4✨
spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
I enjoyed reading this one, as well as the two previous books in the series; this book can be read as a standalone, but I recommend starting at the beginning to get more background and world-building. Now, for this book, I adored Nina and Morty's characters, as well as the overall plot. I found it very interesting and finished it in a few hours as well. Nina was much more relatable to me than I expected. Along with connecting with the characters, I liked how the plot included a family dynamic; it made me more interested in how the book would end.
I must admit that I was a little disappointed in Morty's non-binary representation; as a nonbinary person, I was excited to see a nonbinary character, but the use of Morty's pronouns, he/they, and how he was described using only masculine terms throughout the book took away from the nb rep. There is a scene in the book where Nina asks Morty about his pronouns and they say how they mostly use "he/him" because of his family but use "they/them" at bars and with friends. What disappoints me is that not a single character uses they/them pronouns for Morty throughout the entire book and all revert to he/him which take away from Morty's he/they pronouns. I understand that not all nonbinary people use "they/them" pronouns and that some prefer binary pronouns, but Morty stated that his pronouns were "he/they," implying that the fmc and other characters should have switched between using he/him and they/them. There are also many points where Nina refers to Morty as a man, so overall I felt like the nb rep was just thrown in there to be used as added diversity. I just felt like it could have been handled very differently, so I deducted a star from my rating.
aside from that overall, I enjoyed the characters, and the plot, I also liked the fact that because of their new witchy bond they’re able to feel each other’s emotions. I feel like that added to the development of their relationship. the spice, which was a little more than past books, was also great!
Overall, I had a great time, and I'll be reading the next book, in charms way, when it comes out.
again, thank you so much Berkeley romance for sending me a free copy of this book.
little note: I’m sorry if this review contains any spelling errors, I try to read through my reviews a few times before posting but since I’m dyslexic I still, sometimes, manage to miss spelling errors.
rating: 4✨
spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
I enjoyed reading this one, as well as the two previous books in the series; this book can be read as a standalone, but I recommend starting at the beginning to get more background and world-building. Now, for this book, I adored Nina and Morty's characters, as well as the overall plot. I found it very interesting and finished it in a few hours as well. Nina was much more relatable to me than I expected. Along with connecting with the characters, I liked how the plot included a family dynamic; it made me more interested in how the book would end.
I must admit that I was a little disappointed in Morty's non-binary representation; as a nonbinary person, I was excited to see a nonbinary character, but the use of Morty's pronouns, he/they, and how he was described using only masculine terms throughout the book took away from the nb rep. There is a scene in the book where Nina asks Morty about his pronouns and they say how they mostly use "he/him" because of his family but use "they/them" at bars and with friends. What disappoints me is that not a single character uses they/them pronouns for Morty throughout the entire book and all revert to he/him which take away from Morty's he/they pronouns. I understand that not all nonbinary people use "they/them" pronouns and that some prefer binary pronouns, but Morty stated that his pronouns were "he/they," implying that the fmc and other characters should have switched between using he/him and they/them. There are also many points where Nina refers to Morty as a man, so overall I felt like the nb rep was just thrown in there to be used as added diversity. I just felt like it could have been handled very differently, so I deducted a star from my rating.
aside from that overall, I enjoyed the characters, and the plot, I also liked the fact that because of their new witchy bond they’re able to feel each other’s emotions. I feel like that added to the development of their relationship. the spice, which was a little more than past books, was also great!
Overall, I had a great time, and I'll be reading the next book, in charms way, when it comes out.
again, thank you so much Berkeley romance for sending me a free copy of this book.
little note: I’m sorry if this review contains any spelling errors, I try to read through my reviews a few times before posting but since I’m dyslexic I still, sometimes, manage to miss spelling errors.
January 18, 2023
I found Back in a Spell supremely frustrating. I keep expecting Lana Harper's books to recapture the magic (heh) of Payback's a Witch, but these sequels have fallen short.
The nonbinary rep irritated me for a few reasons, the biggest of which is the amount of focus on the character's penis. If he's genderfluid (he/him pronouns are used though he's fine with they/them as well) why are we using his dick as a character trait? (I mean, why do that literally ever...) Of *course* he's bigger than she expected. Of *course* he's smug about it.
Maybe I would be less irritated if I felt he was a full character in the book, but he and the romance are definitely secondary. The romance itself felt forced and mostly reliant on physical attraction and the mating bond. I wanted them to have a connection built on something more.
I was also really frustrated by the redemption arc I can see coming for the "bad guy" of the first book.
I love that queer witches are having their day in this series, but I really hope future books in the series have the same balance as Payback's a Witch. I can't love a book on tropes and identity alone.
*
I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review.
The nonbinary rep irritated me for a few reasons, the biggest of which is the amount of focus on the character's penis. If he's genderfluid (he/him pronouns are used though he's fine with they/them as well) why are we using his dick as a character trait? (I mean, why do that literally ever...) Of *course* he's bigger than she expected. Of *course* he's smug about it.
Maybe I would be less irritated if I felt he was a full character in the book, but he and the romance are definitely secondary. The romance itself felt forced and mostly reliant on physical attraction and the mating bond. I wanted them to have a connection built on something more.
I was also really frustrated by the redemption arc I can see coming for the "bad guy" of the first book.
I love that queer witches are having their day in this series, but I really hope future books in the series have the same balance as Payback's a Witch. I can't love a book on tropes and identity alone.
*
I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review.
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June 7, 2023
I'd kinda hoped it would be better than it actually was.
I dunno. The sexy scenes were hot, I liked that Nina was the child of a narcissistic parent (and how she had protected herself from that situation while also being ensnared in her shenanigans), but overall it was mostly a miss.
After reading some more reviews, I found a lot more of what was really bothering me with this book. I fully acknowledge that there are many different kinds of gender expression, however, Morty explicitly said they use he/them pronouns interchangeably (save for when in public/around family they're not out to, which...understandable), and yet except for one (maybe two) instances, Nina consistently calls him by he/him/his pronouns. Additionally, she continuously brings up their "maleness" and their boyish grin and whatnot. This was never mentioned as anything other than fine, which I felt weird about? An attempt was made at inclusivity, but it really felt like this was originally a M/F romance that was changed to F/NB at the last minute to add spiciness.
I dunno. The sexy scenes were hot, I liked that Nina was the child of a narcissistic parent (and how she had protected herself from that situation while also being ensnared in her shenanigans), but overall it was mostly a miss.
After reading some more reviews, I found a lot more of what was really bothering me with this book. I fully acknowledge that there are many different kinds of gender expression, however, Morty explicitly said they use he/them pronouns interchangeably (save for when in public/around family they're not out to, which...understandable), and yet except for one (maybe two) instances, Nina consistently calls him by he/him/his pronouns. Additionally, she continuously brings up their "maleness" and their boyish grin and whatnot. This was never mentioned as anything other than fine, which I felt weird about? An attempt was made at inclusivity, but it really felt like this was originally a M/F romance that was changed to F/NB at the last minute to add spiciness.
May 24, 2023
Well ooops, I read book 3 instead of book 2. But the charm of a series like this is in the self-contained novels (for the most part - there were a couple of references to past events here and there that I thought I didn't remember, but nothing story-mangling); you can absolutely accidentally skip a book and still be absolutely able to follow the story.
It's a little more heavy on the romance, this one, and while I still liked it very much it didn't have the same oomph of loving it that the first one gave me. Nina is an impressive protagonist - she's not always likeable, and in fact makes a couple of pretty objectively awful decisions. She's spiky and self-controlled - and then gets paired with the wonderful Morty, who despite having he/they pronouns is he throughout the book. The two of them are a good pair - but I preferred when we had a little more intrigue to balance out the romance.
I will definitely go back and catch up on book two, as well as continue the series when the next one is out. Even if this wasn't ideal for me, it's one of those series where the next book could be - and overall I still love this magical town.
It's a little more heavy on the romance, this one, and while I still liked it very much it didn't have the same oomph of loving it that the first one gave me. Nina is an impressive protagonist - she's not always likeable, and in fact makes a couple of pretty objectively awful decisions. She's spiky and self-controlled - and then gets paired with the wonderful Morty, who despite having he/they pronouns is he throughout the book. The two of them are a good pair - but I preferred when we had a little more intrigue to balance out the romance.
I will definitely go back and catch up on book two, as well as continue the series when the next one is out. Even if this wasn't ideal for me, it's one of those series where the next book could be - and overall I still love this magical town.
August 16, 2023
I liked the overall story and really enjoyed seeing the Blackmoore family from the inside. Unfortunately the Nonbinary "representation" hurt.
The complete lack of using they/them pronouns, especially before having a conversation with Morty about it, really hits hard for me (in a bad way). As someone who uses they/he pronouns (the they is listed first in the hopes that someone will actual use it, most don't) completely ignoring the nongenderd pronouns hurts. If Morty exclusively used he/him pronouns he would not have listed they as an option. Even if they tend to default to he, it's incredibly disrespectful to just throw away a whole section of their identity. This was something I worried about when I read the sneak peak at the end of From Bad to Cursed, and unfortunately it was worse than I thought it would be. If Morty was supposed to be a cis man with a fashion sense and slightly "feminine" characteristics then let him be that without throwing in Nonbinary. It felt like the they/them pronouns were tagged on as some sort of decoration or something and not a part of his identity. There was no respect for Morty's gender in this book and thats was deeply disappointing.
The complete lack of using they/them pronouns, especially before having a conversation with Morty about it, really hits hard for me (in a bad way). As someone who uses they/he pronouns (the they is listed first in the hopes that someone will actual use it, most don't) completely ignoring the nongenderd pronouns hurts. If Morty exclusively used he/him pronouns he would not have listed they as an option. Even if they tend to default to he, it's incredibly disrespectful to just throw away a whole section of their identity. This was something I worried about when I read the sneak peak at the end of From Bad to Cursed, and unfortunately it was worse than I thought it would be. If Morty was supposed to be a cis man with a fashion sense and slightly "feminine" characteristics then let him be that without throwing in Nonbinary. It felt like the they/them pronouns were tagged on as some sort of decoration or something and not a part of his identity. There was no respect for Morty's gender in this book and thats was deeply disappointing.
January 5, 2023
Well, this is definitely my favorite of the series.
I love love loved Nina. She's a squishy marshmallow underneath her crunchy exterior and I looooooved reading her relax and truth become the strong person she is. Morty has been an enigma in the background and I was legit thrilled to see he was the MC. Oh, and he's a damn delight, just as I expected.
Plot wise, it's so good. I loved the magic and magical bond aspect and (of course) the romance. Reading the difference between Nina and Morty's families was fun as was Jessa, Nina's BFF (I'll just be over here hoping she gets a story).
Overall, I feel like I don't have the right words for this review, but it was like getting a hug. I really hope there's a million more books to this series because I'm going to read all of them.
**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
I love love loved Nina. She's a squishy marshmallow underneath her crunchy exterior and I looooooved reading her relax and truth become the strong person she is. Morty has been an enigma in the background and I was legit thrilled to see he was the MC. Oh, and he's a damn delight, just as I expected.
Plot wise, it's so good. I loved the magic and magical bond aspect and (of course) the romance. Reading the difference between Nina and Morty's families was fun as was Jessa, Nina's BFF (I'll just be over here hoping she gets a story).
Overall, I feel like I don't have the right words for this review, but it was like getting a hug. I really hope there's a million more books to this series because I'm going to read all of them.
**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**
dnf
April 7, 2023DNF at 40%.
[TW for this review for some discussion of transphobia/a potentially upsetting depiction of a non-binary person.]
I was really excited for this book after loving Payback’s a Witch, especially seeing that it had a non-binary love interest. I was really disappointed, though, with the way the book talks about the LI. Just a few examples: Nina’s friend says Morty is “maybe not entirely a man” (??) when viewing their dating app profile, which clearly describes them as non-binary; Nina and others only ever use he/him pronouns for Morty, despite him saying he uses *both* he and they without a preference between the two; Nina doesn’t correct her brother when he calls Morty “that guy” or “a dude,” etc. There’s just an overwhelming sense that Lana sees them as essentially a man, just a bit edgier. I really hoped that this all was setting the MC up to learn more about gender & non-binary identity, even though I don’t always love a character being forced to do that education in a relationship, but from the first 40% and other ppl’s reviews, I don’t think that’s going to be the case. I can see that some effort was put in here, and there were some moments I liked, like their initial conversation about gender and identity, but having read some reviews, I think I’m going to dip out before I get to the sex scenes, which sound like they just compound these issues.
Some positives: I still like Lana’s writing a lot, the audiobook narration was enjoyable, the setting is very fun, the law stuff is well-done (you can tell Lana is an actual lawyer lol), I love a good magical bond, and the magic stuff in general keeps things interesting and fun.
Thanks to LibroFM for the ALC!
[TW for this review for some discussion of transphobia/a potentially upsetting depiction of a non-binary person.]
I was really excited for this book after loving Payback’s a Witch, especially seeing that it had a non-binary love interest. I was really disappointed, though, with the way the book talks about the LI. Just a few examples: Nina’s friend says Morty is “maybe not entirely a man” (??) when viewing their dating app profile, which clearly describes them as non-binary; Nina and others only ever use he/him pronouns for Morty, despite him saying he uses *both* he and they without a preference between the two; Nina doesn’t correct her brother when he calls Morty “that guy” or “a dude,” etc. There’s just an overwhelming sense that Lana sees them as essentially a man, just a bit edgier. I really hoped that this all was setting the MC up to learn more about gender & non-binary identity, even though I don’t always love a character being forced to do that education in a relationship, but from the first 40% and other ppl’s reviews, I don’t think that’s going to be the case. I can see that some effort was put in here, and there were some moments I liked, like their initial conversation about gender and identity, but having read some reviews, I think I’m going to dip out before I get to the sex scenes, which sound like they just compound these issues.
Some positives: I still like Lana’s writing a lot, the audiobook narration was enjoyable, the setting is very fun, the law stuff is well-done (you can tell Lana is an actual lawyer lol), I love a good magical bond, and the magic stuff in general keeps things interesting and fun.
Thanks to LibroFM for the ALC!
July 16, 2023
shut up with the “he” bro we literally were introduced to morty as he/they and did not ONCE get a single they pronoun
January 23, 2023
I will happily be one of the first to tell you that being nonbinary doesn't mean a person uses they/them and that pronouns in general do not equal gender. We are told that the nonbinary love interest in this book uses he/they (meaning that both he/him and they/them can be used). But, unless I just missed it, this character is NEVER referred to with they/them. And the only way we actually know this character is nonbinary is that they briefly mentioned it twice and alluded to it once. Everything said about this character uses male terms: he/him, boyish, male, etc.
And then on top of that, I didn't feel that the plot of this book lived up to the previous two books in the series.
Also, for the sake of context, I am nonbinary and I was really excited for this book.
And then on top of that, I didn't feel that the plot of this book lived up to the previous two books in the series.
Also, for the sake of context, I am nonbinary and I was really excited for this book.
January 16, 2023
This is the 3rd book in the Thistle Grove series. The chemistry between Nina & Morty was 🔥. This one moved faster than book 2 for me and I was definitely invested in the overall storyline.
I enjoyed Nina's character & seeing her grow and desire to make better decisions than her mother and grandmother. It's fun to get different witch family perspectives with each book. The community is an interesting one and it's entertaining to see how they are connected, the feuds between them and how the younger generations are blurring those lines.
I enjoyed Nina's character & seeing her grow and desire to make better decisions than her mother and grandmother. It's fun to get different witch family perspectives with each book. The community is an interesting one and it's entertaining to see how they are connected, the feuds between them and how the younger generations are blurring those lines.
June 17, 2022
My favorite Thistle Grove novel yet, and only partly because I relate to Nina's need for control and structure in her chaotic emotional life. This story was SPICY (they can feel each other's physical senstations....) and had a deeper emotional depth than the previous stories. Also, Morty was amazingly sexy and emotionally mature and I adore him.
October 27, 2023
The way this starts off I thought it was gonna be a sapphic romance.
Sadly, it was not.
The book is good and the characters are interesting, this just suffers from one major problem.
Book 1 in this series was sooo good that the other books just can't live up.
I will still read In Charm's Way, but I have come to terms that it will not be as good as Payback's A Witch.
Sadly, it was not.
The book is good and the characters are interesting, this just suffers from one major problem.
Book 1 in this series was sooo good that the other books just can't live up.
I will still read In Charm's Way, but I have come to terms that it will not be as good as Payback's A Witch.
dnf
January 5, 2023DNF @ 10%
Thank you so much to Berkley Romance and Netgalley for providing an advanced copy of this. All thoughts and opinions are still my own.
I was so excited for this 3rd book in the Thistle Grove series. This series runs more fantasy than romance I loved the setting and character explorations in the previous books.
However I had some major issues with this 3rd installment that have caused me to put this down and no longer continue with the series.
Mainly the way that the nonbinary rep was handled.
This book pitches itself as a Pansexual/Nonbinary romance and I don't think it was handled well at all. When Morty is introduced, via their online dating profile, they list their pronouns as he/they. And the heroine states that since 'he' is listed first, she will refer to them as 'he'. And apparently he only...
The heroine and her best friend continue to go on using exclusively gendered language. And after looking at reviews, it appears as though this language is CONTINUED throughout the book.
And I think that is disrespectful and potentially harmful/triggering.
I'm just confused as to why this book promoted a nonbinary character if they were only going to gender the MC as 'dude', 'boyish', and 'he' throughout the entire novel? And completely ignore the 'they' portion of their identity...
So sadly I will not be continuing with this book or series...
Thank you so much to Berkley Romance and Netgalley for providing an advanced copy of this. All thoughts and opinions are still my own.
I was so excited for this 3rd book in the Thistle Grove series. This series runs more fantasy than romance I loved the setting and character explorations in the previous books.
However I had some major issues with this 3rd installment that have caused me to put this down and no longer continue with the series.
Mainly the way that the nonbinary rep was handled.
This book pitches itself as a Pansexual/Nonbinary romance and I don't think it was handled well at all. When Morty is introduced, via their online dating profile, they list their pronouns as he/they. And the heroine states that since 'he' is listed first, she will refer to them as 'he'. And apparently he only...
The heroine and her best friend continue to go on using exclusively gendered language. And after looking at reviews, it appears as though this language is CONTINUED throughout the book.
And I think that is disrespectful and potentially harmful/triggering.
I'm just confused as to why this book promoted a nonbinary character if they were only going to gender the MC as 'dude', 'boyish', and 'he' throughout the entire novel? And completely ignore the 'they' portion of their identity...
So sadly I will not be continuing with this book or series...
March 26, 2023
I liked it but didn't love it. Just an okay read for me if I'm completely honest. I enjoyed the small town, paranormal romance with great nonbinary rep but I felt it was overly long and had trouble totally getting invested in the romance between witch Nina and mortal with new powers Morty. Good on audio narrated by Carlotta Brentan. Much thanks to @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC and Berkley romance for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review. Recommended for fans of the Fix-it witches series by Ann Aguirre.
September 25, 2024
i loved the magic in this one. i also feel for the blackmoores (some of them) more
January 4, 2023
Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for this eARC
I really wanted to like this. I loved the first book in the Thistle Grove series, but DNF'd the 2nd one, and really hoped for a return to form with this one, but it never really grabbed me and demanded I get through it. In the end it was a struggle to finish and then it was just...fine.
I think a big problem is that I just really don't like the Blackmoore family, and focusing so much on them in the book was not a selling point. I loathed Gareth in the first book, and so having him being a big part of narrative wasn't all that appealing (supposedly Gareth is trying to be better by this point, and yeah, I guess, but the bar isn't exactly high), and while Nina was an improvement over him, she didn't really grab me. Normally I'm a fan of geek trivia dropping characters, and while there were some good bits said, both common and more obscure, it felt like it was trying to give her a character trait apart from 'evil lawyer'. But you cannot tell me that a woman that steeped in geek culture cannot recognize that if Thistle Grove were Star Wars, her family would be the Empire....hell, her grandmother essentially gives a variation of the Emperor's 'unlimited power' rant. Sure, she does the right thing eventually, but it feels like pulling teeth to get her to do it.
Morty I liked, but I wish Lana would write these books from dual perspectives because I wanted more from their perspective. First, obviously non-binary people do not owe anyone androgyny or they/them pronouns. That said, when the story is told by a cis protagonist and written by (as far as I know) a cis writer, not getting to see how Morty interacts and experiences the world as a non-binary person, apart from Nina's view of things, it kinda comes off like Lana wanted this book to be a m/f romance (but not a straight one, obviously) and wrote Morty just as a guy who was more sensitive than the borderline sociopathic dudes that usually end up being the LI in romance books, and then decided he would be non-binary in revisions. Lana's certainly more comfortable with that type of relationship, if you go by the number of sex scenes compared to 'Payback' as any indicator. I do like the pan rep of both Morty and Nina though, and their chemistry together was legitimately great. If I'm honest, though, the nature of the witch bond, Nina always knowing what Morty's feeling and what have you, felt a bit lazy...there's less drama when you just know what they want, and so everything is the greatest ever.
The mystery of Nina's leveled up magic was handled well, but I had trouble remaining investing as much as I wanted to because I had trouble connecting to Nina. I found myself skimming through pages more than I like to in books.
As evidence from other reviews, I'm sure this book will be a huge hit with others, it just wasn't for me. Fingers crossed for a book about the Thorn's being closer to Payback's a Witch. Seeing the snippet of In Charm's Way sounds like it'll be Delilah's story, dealing with the aftermath of what she goes through in this one, and I have to say, my hopes are high. Fingers crossed.
I really wanted to like this. I loved the first book in the Thistle Grove series, but DNF'd the 2nd one, and really hoped for a return to form with this one, but it never really grabbed me and demanded I get through it. In the end it was a struggle to finish and then it was just...fine.
I think a big problem is that I just really don't like the Blackmoore family, and focusing so much on them in the book was not a selling point. I loathed Gareth in the first book, and so having him being a big part of narrative wasn't all that appealing (supposedly Gareth is trying to be better by this point, and yeah, I guess, but the bar isn't exactly high), and while Nina was an improvement over him, she didn't really grab me. Normally I'm a fan of geek trivia dropping characters, and while there were some good bits said, both common and more obscure, it felt like it was trying to give her a character trait apart from 'evil lawyer'. But you cannot tell me that a woman that steeped in geek culture cannot recognize that if Thistle Grove were Star Wars, her family would be the Empire....hell, her grandmother essentially gives a variation of the Emperor's 'unlimited power' rant. Sure, she does the right thing eventually, but it feels like pulling teeth to get her to do it.
Morty I liked, but I wish Lana would write these books from dual perspectives because I wanted more from their perspective. First, obviously non-binary people do not owe anyone androgyny or they/them pronouns. That said, when the story is told by a cis protagonist and written by (as far as I know) a cis writer, not getting to see how Morty interacts and experiences the world as a non-binary person, apart from Nina's view of things, it kinda comes off like Lana wanted this book to be a m/f romance (but not a straight one, obviously) and wrote Morty just as a guy who was more sensitive than the borderline sociopathic dudes that usually end up being the LI in romance books, and then decided he would be non-binary in revisions. Lana's certainly more comfortable with that type of relationship, if you go by the number of sex scenes compared to 'Payback' as any indicator. I do like the pan rep of both Morty and Nina though, and their chemistry together was legitimately great. If I'm honest, though, the nature of the witch bond, Nina always knowing what Morty's feeling and what have you, felt a bit lazy...there's less drama when you just know what they want, and so everything is the greatest ever.
The mystery of Nina's leveled up magic was handled well, but I had trouble remaining investing as much as I wanted to because I had trouble connecting to Nina. I found myself skimming through pages more than I like to in books.
As evidence from other reviews, I'm sure this book will be a huge hit with others, it just wasn't for me. Fingers crossed for a book about the Thorn's being closer to Payback's a Witch. Seeing the snippet of In Charm's Way sounds like it'll be Delilah's story, dealing with the aftermath of what she goes through in this one, and I have to say, my hopes are high. Fingers crossed.
August 28, 2023
this is the most transphobic book marketed as "queer representation" i've ever fucking read. fuck you, lana harper.
before i even begin this review, i am nonbinary. this book boasts a nonbinary love interest.
nina just got out of a shitty relationship so she goes on a dating app to find someone she's not even remotely interested in to pass the time and get over her ex. she stumbles upon morty. morty's profile shows that they are a nonbinary persona and they use he/they pronouns; this is explicitly said in the novel. they message for a bit, nina lies and makes fun of the clothes morty wears behind their back. nina is getting off on being a fucking cunt to a nonbinary person. then, nina meets with morty and can't stand them. then, somehow, morty is "witchbound" to nina. like a forced mate. a forced marriage. nina's brother gareth hates morty and talks shit on them, which feels so fucking racist. gareth (whitest name ever) hates morty because they look like some kind of asshole "guy" and they prioritize consent in their bar. oh, and gareth makes fun of morty's fluidity and explicitly refers to them as a man.
the rest of the story goes like this: nina ONLY uses they/he pronouns for morty and ignores their nonbinary identity ENTIRELY. she treats them like a cishet man, which they are not. nina loves morty's dick and can't stop thinking about fucking them. morty has no agency and never stands up for themself and lets nina walk all over them and treat them like shit. as a nonbinary person, if someone ONLY used a certain pronoun for me, treated me like my assigned gender at birth, and made fun of my fluidity all the time, i would fuckin drop their ass.
this book is SO TRANSPHOBIC. do not fucking brag about you're so cool that you made a nonbinary character in your book and then IGNORE their identity and let your stupid ass bitch ass main character be the most transphobic asswipe on the planet. i am beside myself with rage. this is the dumbest fucking book on earth. fuck nina and her transphobic, racist ass. and fuck lana harper too. great job on your transphobic book, sis! eat shit!
THIS IS NOT REPRESENTATION.
before i even begin this review, i am nonbinary. this book boasts a nonbinary love interest.
nina just got out of a shitty relationship so she goes on a dating app to find someone she's not even remotely interested in to pass the time and get over her ex. she stumbles upon morty. morty's profile shows that they are a nonbinary persona and they use he/they pronouns; this is explicitly said in the novel. they message for a bit, nina lies and makes fun of the clothes morty wears behind their back. nina is getting off on being a fucking cunt to a nonbinary person. then, nina meets with morty and can't stand them. then, somehow, morty is "witchbound" to nina. like a forced mate. a forced marriage. nina's brother gareth hates morty and talks shit on them, which feels so fucking racist. gareth (whitest name ever) hates morty because they look like some kind of asshole "guy" and they prioritize consent in their bar. oh, and gareth makes fun of morty's fluidity and explicitly refers to them as a man.
the rest of the story goes like this: nina ONLY uses they/he pronouns for morty and ignores their nonbinary identity ENTIRELY. she treats them like a cishet man, which they are not. nina loves morty's dick and can't stop thinking about fucking them. morty has no agency and never stands up for themself and lets nina walk all over them and treat them like shit. as a nonbinary person, if someone ONLY used a certain pronoun for me, treated me like my assigned gender at birth, and made fun of my fluidity all the time, i would fuckin drop their ass.
this book is SO TRANSPHOBIC. do not fucking brag about you're so cool that you made a nonbinary character in your book and then IGNORE their identity and let your stupid ass bitch ass main character be the most transphobic asswipe on the planet. i am beside myself with rage. this is the dumbest fucking book on earth. fuck nina and her transphobic, racist ass. and fuck lana harper too. great job on your transphobic book, sis! eat shit!
THIS IS NOT REPRESENTATION.
April 9, 2023
None of the books in this series have quite hit for me the way the first one did and the first one was, by far, my favorite of the witchy books that all came out at once. But I liked some of the ideas in this and I liked Nina quite a lot. I have questions about the quality of some of the rep in this book, but gender identity and expression are such personal and individual things that maybe looking for really quality rep is a fool's errand? I don't know. Curious how many more entries in this the author intends--obviously at least one more with Linden and Gareth, but I'd be curious if they want to do even more.
August 22, 2023
Hmm… I enjoyed the first two books in the The Witches of Thistle Grove series (I devoured them) so I was excited to dive into this book. But I was quickly disappointed in the story being instant love with seemingly no genuine connection between the characters. In fact, their first date was absolutely dreadful causing the MC to wind up home alone drinking away her bad date woes. Then boom—in a surge of divine intervention the pair are linked and begin the late stages of falling in love. The thing that made this most unbelievable is the constant use of phrases like “I know you” even when followed by “or I’m starting to”. And the divulging of immense family secrets and traumas from two seemingly guarded individuals.
But worst of all I fear, was the performative nature of writing Morty as non binary for a few beginning chapters, only then to completely disregard it for the rest of the book. I, myself, am a bisexual, non binary person (she/they) and was incredibly excited for the representation of a he/they nb person on page. But my excitement dulled as quickly as the representation seemed to. While I understand I am only one nb person, and I don’t speak for the trees, it would have been nice to add it to the narrative in a fuller format rather than seeming to check off a box on the lgbtqia2s+ checklist.
Morty was a cardboard cutout of a character that the author seemed to decide was Hispanic, pan, and nb—not for inclusivity’s sake, but instead as an afterthought. After Nina learns that Morty goes by he/they and masks as male presenting for their family’s comfort, she [Nina] proceeds to use strictly he/him pronouns and descriptions for the rest of the book. This is especially seen in their spicy encounters but even while fully clothed Nina regularly remarks on Morty’s appearance and vibes as masculine. This is repetitive throughout, using phrases like: “boyishly delighted”, “nerdboy”, “distinctly male undercurrent” (the last one referring specifically to Morty’s pride in the size of their p a c k a g e).
These things only made Nina seem much worse in comparison and far less likable to read than the characters that came before her. She is a privileged, white fmc who only goes out with Morty because they’re so far out of the usual person she would date and in order to avoid growing an attachment to a person. We then learn she dislikes Morty because she/her family has been trying to buy up properties in the area to strengthen their holdings and Morty’s family hasn’t/won’t agree to it following the privileged mindset of “everyone has a price”.
We even get an evil villain-esque moment where she (a Cis white female) is teaching Morty (a Hispanic, non-binary person) magic and ᴍᴏʀᴛʏ ꜱᴀʏꜱ, “I had no idea it would feel this way. To have that kind of power. To have it rushing around inside of you like that.”
ᴛᴏ ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ɴɪɴᴀ ʀᴇꜱᴘᴏɴᴅꜱ, “believe me, I know. There’s nothing more intoxicating. Why do you think my family are the way that they are? At least, in part. Because we’ve been like this—this kind of strong for centuries. It’s hard not to let it get to you. To keep things in perspective. When you feel a little like you could rule the world. Like the world should submit and let you rule it.” And instead of her partner or anyone grounding her, Morty only agrees. The entire interaction gave me hives.
Later, when she and her family get caught doing something horrible that is affecting countless other witches, we are supposed to sympathize with her not having known the scope of the damage she was causing. But we know—because we are in her head—that what they did know was that they had more power than everyone else and they wanted to use it to their advantage. When she’s caught she uses all of her growth (there wasn’t any) to harm an innocent witch to coverup her and her family’s misdeeds and only comes clean when she is literally forced to and because Morty is (rightly) disgusted by her.
We finish off Nina’s story with her literally having the bare minimum of growth and only because she doesn’t want to lose Morty. She gets a light slap on the wrist and only one of the four family members (accomplices) are properly punished, leaving a Cis het white guy (who has been an absolute knob for three books) to take over charge of her family’s dealings. Cool.
I’ll read the next book because I preordered it, and because I was looking forward to Delilah’s story. I’m hoping it doesn’t fall prey to whatever lack of sensitivity readers this book had and that Harper has taken the critique from the negative reviews and time to grow through it.
But worst of all I fear, was the performative nature of writing Morty as non binary for a few beginning chapters, only then to completely disregard it for the rest of the book. I, myself, am a bisexual, non binary person (she/they) and was incredibly excited for the representation of a he/they nb person on page. But my excitement dulled as quickly as the representation seemed to. While I understand I am only one nb person, and I don’t speak for the trees, it would have been nice to add it to the narrative in a fuller format rather than seeming to check off a box on the lgbtqia2s+ checklist.
Morty was a cardboard cutout of a character that the author seemed to decide was Hispanic, pan, and nb—not for inclusivity’s sake, but instead as an afterthought. After Nina learns that Morty goes by he/they and masks as male presenting for their family’s comfort, she [Nina] proceeds to use strictly he/him pronouns and descriptions for the rest of the book. This is especially seen in their spicy encounters but even while fully clothed Nina regularly remarks on Morty’s appearance and vibes as masculine. This is repetitive throughout, using phrases like: “boyishly delighted”, “nerdboy”, “distinctly male undercurrent” (the last one referring specifically to Morty’s pride in the size of their p a c k a g e).
These things only made Nina seem much worse in comparison and far less likable to read than the characters that came before her. She is a privileged, white fmc who only goes out with Morty because they’re so far out of the usual person she would date and in order to avoid growing an attachment to a person. We then learn she dislikes Morty because she/her family has been trying to buy up properties in the area to strengthen their holdings and Morty’s family hasn’t/won’t agree to it following the privileged mindset of “everyone has a price”.
We even get an evil villain-esque moment where she (a Cis white female) is teaching Morty (a Hispanic, non-binary person) magic and ᴍᴏʀᴛʏ ꜱᴀʏꜱ, “I had no idea it would feel this way. To have that kind of power. To have it rushing around inside of you like that.”
ᴛᴏ ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ɴɪɴᴀ ʀᴇꜱᴘᴏɴᴅꜱ, “believe me, I know. There’s nothing more intoxicating. Why do you think my family are the way that they are? At least, in part. Because we’ve been like this—this kind of strong for centuries. It’s hard not to let it get to you. To keep things in perspective. When you feel a little like you could rule the world. Like the world should submit and let you rule it.” And instead of her partner or anyone grounding her, Morty only agrees. The entire interaction gave me hives.
Later, when she and her family get caught doing something horrible that is affecting countless other witches, we are supposed to sympathize with her not having known the scope of the damage she was causing. But we know—because we are in her head—that what they did know was that they had more power than everyone else and they wanted to use it to their advantage. When she’s caught she uses all of her growth (there wasn’t any) to harm an innocent witch to coverup her and her family’s misdeeds and only comes clean when she is literally forced to and because Morty is (rightly) disgusted by her.
We finish off Nina’s story with her literally having the bare minimum of growth and only because she doesn’t want to lose Morty. She gets a light slap on the wrist and only one of the four family members (accomplices) are properly punished, leaving a Cis het white guy (who has been an absolute knob for three books) to take over charge of her family’s dealings. Cool.
I’ll read the next book because I preordered it, and because I was looking forward to Delilah’s story. I’m hoping it doesn’t fall prey to whatever lack of sensitivity readers this book had and that Harper has taken the critique from the negative reviews and time to grow through it.
September 5, 2023
I really liked the story and the bond between Nina and Morty, but I do agree with other readers about the non-binary representation.
It did feel more like F/M to me, nothing wrong with it, but it was sometimes confusing.
Nevetheless, Thistle Grove is a magnet to me. I wish a TV series would come out of it. It would be awesome!
It did feel more like F/M to me, nothing wrong with it, but it was sometimes confusing.
Nevetheless, Thistle Grove is a magnet to me. I wish a TV series would come out of it. It would be awesome!
Read
January 7, 2023this book did not disappoint, i love this series. can’t wait for the next one.
April 20, 2024
This book was frustrating. Why would they punish Nina so severely? Also, why did everyone act like Nina had to give up all her magic? Not everything is black and white like the book portrays. Oversimplified, boring, and trite. The rushed romance was annoying.
January 6, 2023
Nineve Blackmore is the sensible one. Buttoned up...
Dependable...
Pearls and sweater sets classic...
And...
Ready for love?
Ìt seems so.
After a year of recovering from the broken heart that her ex-fiancèe, Sydney, left behind.
It seems that her bestie (non magical...btw.) Is determined to find the perfect mate to free her most buttoned up buddy.
Enter one Morty Gutierrez.
Decidedly non magical. At least in the spells and charms sense of the word.
But that does little to stop this beautiful, non binary person being absolutely "magically delicious" in every other respect.
Back In A Spell is the third offering in the Witches Of Thistle Grove series. And shows readers a softer and more emotional side of magic.
Most of which is brought to the fore by Morty.
But things really get interesting when the previously 'normie' Morty, is getting more magical. The closer he/they get to their lady love.
This book is a wonderful addition to the WOTG stable.
The sensitivity, humor, romance, and magic make the hours spent reading pass faster then one can say ABBRACADABBRA.
In short...
This book is wonderful!
Now...
Where's the next one? Lol!
Reviewer's Caveat
There has been much unnecessary ado about the use of Morty's pronouns within the scope of his and Nineve's relationship.
To this, as a card carrying member of the rainbow squad.
I say PLEASE STOP!
He said that his pronouns were he / they. Giving her a CHOICE of which to use.
If you would rather sit and debate proper pronoun usage in fiction. Rather than enjoy a great story. Knock yourself out.
I'm sure Merriem Webster would be proud.
As for the rest of us...
We'll be reading and loving the book.
Reviewer's Note
The opinions expressed in this critique are those of WTF Are You Reading?
And have not been influenced by Berkley or any third-party.
Many thanks to Berkley and Netgalley for providing the review copy on which said review is based.
Back In A Spell can be read alone. But is best enjoyed as part of its intended series.
Dependable...
Pearls and sweater sets classic...
And...
Ready for love?
Ìt seems so.
After a year of recovering from the broken heart that her ex-fiancèe, Sydney, left behind.
It seems that her bestie (non magical...btw.) Is determined to find the perfect mate to free her most buttoned up buddy.
Enter one Morty Gutierrez.
Decidedly non magical. At least in the spells and charms sense of the word.
But that does little to stop this beautiful, non binary person being absolutely "magically delicious" in every other respect.
Back In A Spell is the third offering in the Witches Of Thistle Grove series. And shows readers a softer and more emotional side of magic.
Most of which is brought to the fore by Morty.
But things really get interesting when the previously 'normie' Morty, is getting more magical. The closer he/they get to their lady love.
This book is a wonderful addition to the WOTG stable.
The sensitivity, humor, romance, and magic make the hours spent reading pass faster then one can say ABBRACADABBRA.
In short...
This book is wonderful!
Now...
Where's the next one? Lol!
Reviewer's Caveat
There has been much unnecessary ado about the use of Morty's pronouns within the scope of his and Nineve's relationship.
To this, as a card carrying member of the rainbow squad.
I say PLEASE STOP!
He said that his pronouns were he / they. Giving her a CHOICE of which to use.
If you would rather sit and debate proper pronoun usage in fiction. Rather than enjoy a great story. Knock yourself out.
I'm sure Merriem Webster would be proud.
As for the rest of us...
We'll be reading and loving the book.
Reviewer's Note
The opinions expressed in this critique are those of WTF Are You Reading?
And have not been influenced by Berkley or any third-party.
Many thanks to Berkley and Netgalley for providing the review copy on which said review is based.
Back In A Spell can be read alone. But is best enjoyed as part of its intended series.
January 25, 2023
3.25⭐️
January 16, 2023
Really liked this next edition in this witchy series.
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