Thanks to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC. It hasn’t affected the content of my review.
This is the third book in the Witches of Thistle Grove series, full of witchy goodness, small town shenanigans, a surprisingly intricate magic system, and queer people falling in love. I keep saying this, but Back in a Spell is my favorite of these books yet.
Nineve Blackmore, of the infamous Blackmores, is the first half of our couple here, and the second is Morty Gutierrez, owner of the Shamrock bar. They go on a disastrous first date, after Nineve’s best friend set it up for her in an attempt to get her over her post-breakup malaise (her ex-girlfriend was an asshole). Despite how badly the night ended, Morty ends up with magical powers, something that is only supposed to happen when a magical person meets their perfect match. Both of them agree they are not perfect matches, and yet Nineve finds herself introducing Morty to the magical world and helping them navigate the weird dynamics of Thistle Grove witches, all while dealing with a somewhat scary boost in power that their bond seems to have given her.
I honestly might have given this book five stars if not for two things: First, the nonbinary representation in this book was a little bit iffy. Morty goes by he/they pronouns, but it seems like the author leans on the “he” most of the time, and Morty is also portrayed as being on the more masculine side. I’m very certain that someone like Morty exists in real life, I just think there was s huge missed opportunity here for a character with a lot more androgyny to be featured, since nonbinary people in romances are still so rare.
And second, this author is obsessed with perfume and I HATE IT SO MUCH. There’s even a part in this book where one of her characters brags about the way her scent follows her into a room and I’m just like YOU ARE AN ASSHOLE. Do you know how many people cringe as soon as you enter a room? And then spend the next ten minutes trying to clear your stench from their nostrils? I don’t like perfume at all, but heavy perfume use is tyranny. Just don’t mention smell at all in your books if you can’t handle this. Thank you for coming to my TED talk.