What’s a Witch To Do? By Jennifer Harlow
Paranormal Romance
March 8, 2013
Midnight Ink
Reviewed by Tori
Favorite Quote: “I like my men brainy and cultured, which are not qualities prevalent in the men of Goodnight. One of the many reasons I haven’t been on a date in years. That and I’m related to a large portion of the male population.“
Mona McGregor may never have wanted to be the High Priestess but she takes her responsibilities very serious. With raising her two nieces, running her magical shop, and leading her large coven, Mona is a one woman machine with no time for anything or anyone extra in her life. That is, until sexy werewolf Adam Blue appears on her porch and tells her that someone has placed a hit on her. Suddenly, Mona is eyeballing everyone in her town, friend and family alike, trying to figure out who wants her dead. Mona and Adam team up to smoke out the killer and when the flames spark between the two of them, Mona is left trying to figure out how to put out the flames….and if she even wants to.
I love Ms. Harlow’s F.R.E.A.K. Squad series and was excited to see she was developing a new series within the same world. What’s A Witch To Do is filled with dry humor, steamy romance, and a well plotted mystery. We are taken on a fast light-hearted journey that leaves you laughing out loud while giving you a couple mysteries to solve. Bedlam reigns supreme as Mona tries to figure out who wants her dead and why she suddenly has two suitors after a fifteen year dry spell. Eccentric down to earth characters round out the story and give us insight into small town mentality and future storylines.
Mona, our heroine, is a woman whose life plays on your sympathy. Her inner dialogue and bouts of self deprecation will leave you chuckling. Cheerful and resilient, she is doing the work of ten people. Taking on the responsibilities of others has left her without a life of her own. Currently raising her two nieces after her rebellious younger sister abandoned them, leading and caring for a large coven, planning a wedding of another sister she raised, making spells and potions to help feed her family- you can’t help but root for her to find someone who wants her for herself, not for what she can do for them.
Adam, our hero, is a delightful beta in all sense of the word. He appears at the worst time in Mona’s life but settles in like a champ and gives her some much needed help. I enjoyed watching Mona and Adam become friends first then slowly move to a more enjoyable status as they try to find out who is trying to kill her. Adam has all the literary markings of a werewolf but Ms. Harlow develops his character from a human standpoint. He’s kind, considerate, helpful, and his chemistry with Mona is apparent from the start.
The secondary characters are all well fleshed out as they add delish snarkiness and humor to the story. Ms. Harlow does a good job of developing them in relation to the story line and the series. Mona’s nieces are adorable and I’m looking forward to learning more about their lives before coming to live with Mona. Her sister Debbie is fierce in her love for Mona and her bff’s, Tamara and Clay, are great in that they always have her back, even when she didn’t ask.
There were a few things that dampened my enjoyment of the story. At times I found Mona’s reactions to Adam a bit overwhelming as she places her own fears and issues on him but at the same time I understood where she was coming from. I also never understood why Mona didn’t ask for help or why no one in the town offered to help her. She had A LOT going on. And the last problem; the weight issue. Mona repeatedly refers to herself as fat and unattractive and when she goes out on a date, we are told it basically takes an army of makeup and acres of spanx to make her look good. I understand why Ms. Harlow does it; it goes far in explaining Mona’s self esteem issues, but when a few of the town residents call her a “fat bitch” it got my back up. It felt over dramatic and cheap in terms of plot devices.
The ending is predictable but excellent in how it plays out. What’s a Witch To Do? is a lighthearted and engaging paranormal romance with a mystery whose twists and turns will leave you laughing and guessing to the very end.
Overall Rating: C+
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