American Witch
by Thea Harrison
I really enjoyed this book from the very beginning. Molly is a wonderful mature female lead who discovers that her husband of twenty years has been cheating on her, again. The scene at the dinner party was hilarious; I was cheering Molly on the whole time! In addition to discovering her witchy powers, she meets Josiah who begins to help her and becomes her lover. Molly grows throughout this novel and so does Josiah. Great read.

Molly Sullivan has devoted her entire adult life to her husband and his career, but his latest affair is more than she can take. Leaving him will finally allow her to explore the magical powers she seems to be developing. For months, she’s been seeing electrical problems and other strange occurrences when she gets emotional. But when she takes a safe-full of her husband’s financial documents on her way out the door, she becomes the target of his unscrupulous employers.

Josiah Mason witnessed Molly’s fight with her husband and recognized the blast of magic that accompanied it. As Atlanta’s new District Attorney and a powerful coven leader, he’s in a unique position to help her with both of her problems. But even though he’s intrigued by Molly, Josiah’s on a quest for vengeance and won’t be distracted. In fact, he’s so single-minded in his obsession that at first I thought he was the villain.

Molly and Josiah’s relationship is a tumultuous one, with both of them determined to put their own needs first. But they both grow so much over the course of the story, Molly in terms of magic and self-reliance and Josiah in learning to let people in. He becomes much more likable by the end of the book.

American Witch is set in the world of Harrison’s Elder Races series, but doesn’t mention specific characters or events in that series. You could easily pick it up without having read the earlier books. (I’ve only read the first two books of the original series myself.) It also has a much more personal and relatable feel. As someone who got divorced in her 30’s, parts of Molly’s story hit pretty close to home, which made it even more rewarding to watch her find her strength.

It’s also the first in a trilogy, so I’m excited to see which of the many interesting supporting characters will take the lead next. The Big Bad is also a familiar figure that I’ve seen reimagined as a paranormal character before, and I’m intrigued by Harrison’s version. The stage is set for a big showdown later in the series so I look forward to finding out what happens next.

I volunteered to give my honest opinion in exchange for a free copy of the book pre-publication. Molly has been married for 20 years. She discovers that her husband has been cheating on her in her own home. They get into a huge fight, and she leaves taking all of the contents of their safe. She discovers by accident that she is a witch, and that she doesn't know how to control her powers. She meets another witch, and they have great chemistry. The male witch Josiah is trying to track someone down, but he doesn't want to involve Molly, because it could be dangerous. They separate, but their attraction is strong. They may have to combine their powers to stay safe. There's a lot of action in this book, it was exciting to discover how it all ends.

Molly Sullivan has had the strangest things happening lately. Lights have been fizzling out, her car keeps breaking down, and when she’s angry she see’s little white sparks in her vision. That last gets tested when she finds out her husband has cheated on her… again. When she confronts him, she let’s her anger take reign and her power manifests. Josiah Mason, local DA and a powerful witch in his own right, witnesses this manifestation and offers his help to Molly, which she begrudgingly takes. When she finds something hinky in her husbands finances she turns to Josiah for help.

American Witch is set in the world of the Elder demesne and Thea Harrison’s previous series the Elder Races. Being totally familiar with this realm, I eagerly anticipated reading this novel. I liked Molly’s character a lot. She is getting out of marriage that ends up having a few more surprises than her own manifesting magic. The mystery of her marriage and what her husband was up to was interesting, but I’ll admit that I was disappointed in the lack of focus on Molly’s magic. If I learned that I was turning into a witch and had this amazing power I would have wanted to know everything about it! I thought she was a little disinterested in the beginning and that made it hard for me to connect with her character.

Josiah Mason is driven by revenge. Not the best attribute of a leading male but he could’ve overcome that flaw if he had been a little more empathetic towards Molly. I didn’t believe their connection and didn’t really like how long and more importantly why it took him so long to put her first. Thea Harrison is a great storyteller but I thought she should have pulled the trigger on his emotions a little sooner when it came to his feelings for Molly.

I fought against my ambivalence and really wanted to love this book. I didn’t hate it at all, but thought it could’ve been so much better with only a few tweaks. It’s because of this that I’m giving this novel a 3.5 rating. ❤️❤️❤️❣️

I received a free ARC of this book through NetGalley for my honest review and it was honest!

Molly Sullivan has just met with one of the most upsetting life changes, she discovers her husband has cheated on her again. Fed up she confronts her husband, initiating an even bigger life change…her magical witchy power. She had no idea magic existed, but she is confronted by one of her husband’s co-workers, Josiah Mason, a powerful witch in his own right.

While divorcing her husband, she uncovers papers that put a target on her life but might actually lead to what Josiah has spent centuries trying to accomplish…REVENGE.

Romantic chemistry ignites between Josiah and Molly, but she is no push over, willing to take a back seat to his revenge. Molly is strong, resourceful and an emerging powerhouse in her own right. The clock is counting down as the evil that has plagued Josiah and his coven continue to hunt them down.

Its like Christmas morning when Thea Harrison releases another book! To say I’m a fan girl would be an understatement but there you go… I loved it.

I received this ARC copy of American Witch from Victory Editing NetGalley Co-Op. This is my honest and voluntary review. American Witch is set for publication April 29, 2019.

My Rating: 5 stars
Written by: Thea Harrison
Print Length: 420 pages
Publisher: Teddy Harrison LLC
Publication Date: April 29, 2019
Genre: Fantasy Romance

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A advance copy was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first Thea Harrison book, and now I have joined her legion of fans. Her writing style is engaging, the plot is unpredictable, the dialogue is witty, and the relationship is believable.

Molly's outrage at her husband's infidelity and disrespect is extremely relatable. Her determination to stand on her own, and avoid entanglement and the possibility of future betrayal, adds depth and breadth to her character. Her attraction to Josiah is inconvenient and unwanted, and she denies it to the best of her ability. But acceptance of the lightning rod between them is inevitable.

I loved this book because Harrison took the time to craft a slow-burn romance with characters that I could easily connect with.

This was 4.5 star read for me.

I'm happy i requested this book because I discovered an interesting author and a very good series.
This book is enjoyable, entertaining and well written. I liked the characters and the world building.
I look forward to reading the next installment in this series.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

A book with a witch as the lead character isn't something that I usually go for. I recently read a different series that really captured my attention, so when I saw this one on Netgalley, I thought it might be worth checking out. Of course, as with all genre's the writer always brings something different to a story and I wasn't really sure what to expect with this one.
Like many 'paranormal romances' that I have read, the lead character is someone who is just discovering what they are and what their power is. Indeed much of this book is about that change and coming to terms with it and what it means, as much as it is a romance. What makes this book a little different to other similar stories, is that the lead, in this case, is a slightly older (not old) woman. She has a strength of character that is often missing and while she may be new to being a witch she is a woman who knows fundamentally who she is.
It was this part of the story that appealed to me most of all. Possibly as a woman of a similar age myself, I could relate to her slightly more than the teenagers and early twenties that often appear in this type of story.
I think that it also added a different element to the romance. Although our two lead characters Molly and Josiah are strongly attracted to one another, the fact that she isn't a wet behind the ears young thing means that she doesn't let him push her around. They are on a much more equal footing than you often read and I enjoyed that refreshing approach.
Overall this was a good read, there was some world building, but not too much. For the most part, the book was set in modern day America, but with people being aware that some people have magic, even if they have no involvement in it themselves. I believe that this is the first of a trilogy and I'd certainly be interested to see where the story will go next.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I received an e-ARC of American Witch by Thea Harrison from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is the first book in a new trilogy and it’s set in the Elder Races universe. I loved Dragon Bound so much so I was glad to be in that world again. However, this was in an entirely different part of the country and I didn’t see any characters I recognized from the three Elder Races books I’ve read, but I think there were mentions of some characters from her other books.

Molly Sullivan is in an unhappy marriage to an asshole lawyer. She discovers he’s cheating on her and she leaves him in spectacular fashion. She also discovers she has awakening Powers. She meets Josiah, a very old witch, and he gives her some training. Molly is extremely powerful and learns quickly. There is a mystery involving some shady business dealings of her ex-husband’s and a centuries-old feud between Josiah and an ancient witch. Molly and Josiah don’t hit it off right away but there’s an attraction and they develop a relationship. Magical and mundane stuff happens. It’s all very enjoyable and drove me to devour the book in one day.

I enjoyed Molly’s journey of self-discovery. She is a strong woman who had let herself be beaten down by a bad relationship and getting free from her husband opens her up to explore a positive future for herself. Josiah is controlling and overbearing, but somehow still likable to me. I think what I appreciated the most was that Molly stood up to him and he respected her for it. He acknowledged when he was being a jerk, and he really grew to care for her. When he drops the first “I love you,” I believed it. And I liked that he was willing to (mostly) abandon his quest for revenge to be the guy that Molly deserved.

I give this book Five Big Magical Stars, and I can’t wait for the next one in the trilogy. This book reminded me how much I enjoy Thea Harrison’s world building and characterization and just her writing in general. I wonder which of the secondary characters will be featured. This book introduced lots of people but didn’t give a strong hint to any other relationships. Which I appreciated. I hate it when there’s a big neon sign pointing to the next book. It feels like an advertisement.

This review will be posted to my blog HEA or GTFO (www.heaorgtfo.com) on April 29, 2019.

I have loved the author's other works and I was thrilled to find out about her new series.

Molly and Josiah were great characters, I enjoyed seeing them deal with their respective issues and while I would have liked more backstory in Molly's magic it didn't detract from the story. I'm hoping it'll be expanded on in the upcoming books, which I'm already looking forward to reading.

Thanks to the publisher for an ARC to review and give my honest opinion.

It's been too long since I picked up a book by this author and it seems I have missed much. Molly Sullivan is in her forties when the call of becoming a witch hits. She has no idea though what is going on and thinks she's going crazy. Josiah Mason recognizes what is going on with her and her huge amounts of power tantalize him. Josiah is on his own mission to right wrongs though. It becomes evident she needs tutelage to control her power.

What did I like? The book is a delight as we watch Molly go through her husband cheating on her, while her power becomes more evident. Her hook up with Josiah is panty combustible, as she starts to take her life into her hands. I hope we get more books from these characters, as they track down a powerful witch that has been siphoning power from captured witches.

Would I buy this book? Yes, it was a delight. I hope we get more of this story. I was a tiny bit lost toward the end because the police tested some stuff for magic, so I feel this is a spin off of the elder series. I didn't know that going into the book.

Thoughts for the author? Loved it! Definitely want more. Really loved the sparks between Josiah and Molly. Four huge stars of entertainment!!

American Witch, American Witch: Book 1, Thea Harrison

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: Romance, Sci-fi and Fantasy

I love Thea's writing, have read many ( but not all) of the Elder Races series, and I loved the tie in here. Its very subtle, not a direct link, more a reference to the world setting.
I enjoyed the story, had me hooked very quickly and loved Molly and Josiah separately, but I wasn't so convinced about them as a couple. There was certainly intense lust, but they seemed to flow from that to a full fledged relationship very quickly, and it just didn't feel right. I felt cheated of the relationship growth, especially as for much of the time they were separated, for Molly's safety.
The dangers facing Molly were twofold, first externally via her cheating husband and his machinations and secondly from her newly emerged and totally unexpected witch power. I loved Molly as a person, and cheered her on when she announced at the party just what Austin had been doing. He really was a typical selfish cheating husband. I had my thoughts early on about who the other party ( this time) was, and really felt for Molly when she discovered who it was.
Josiah seemed pretty cold, single minded about his quest when we first meet him, and he doesn't realise Molly is unaware of her Powers. There are some terrific scenes between them, and TBH he was a character I thought I'd dislike. Sometimes its more interesting that way, than having the main leads be wonderful, likable characters right from the start. When I discovered his history, the reasons behind his quest I understood it. Its bring him and those around him into danger though, and I was full of respect for Molly when she said – for specific reasons) that she couldn't be around that danger, and removed herself temporarily until he'd sorted it, even though it was heartbreaking for both of them. That brings me back to the turnaround in feelings though, where they've gone from 0-60, from disliking each other intensely to full on togetherness. It was just too quick, and I felt a bit cheated.
Its an interesting story, with some great characters. I couldn't recall if it was a standalone or the start of new series as I was reading, but am so pleased it is a series. This book ends completely but leaves lots of threads open for more stories, and I'll be lining up to read them.

Stars: four, a great start, just a few small reservations that stopped it from being a five.

Arc via Netgalley

Thea Harrison's new series in the World of the Elder Races is American Witch. It is an excellent beginning to a new series. We meet Molly, just has she has found out that her husband has been cheating on her with another woman. This is the catalyst that Molly needs, she has been feeling different about her life and now she is going to start something new. This novel is about the growth of a woman, not just about discovering new paranormal powers, but about the internal strength and wisdom Molly has and the potential of using those to become a stronger individual. She meets Josiah Mason, the new DA in Atlanta, at the dinner party she and her husband, Austin were having. Molly announces to the quests Austin's infidelity and then leaves her house, after unknowingly shattering a vase with her power. Josiah recognizes that Molly is a powerful witch and begins to plot how to meet her and find out what she knows about her new found power. The reader finds out about a powerful enemy in Josiah's life and how he will do almost anything to get revenge for the actions his enemy has done throughout the years. This is a wonderfully exciting read and the growing relationship between Molly and Josiah is fantastic. Highly recommended.

Thea Harrison is known for her paranormal badness and the Heroes that she can create. Dragon Bound is one of my favourite reads of all time.

When going into this I should have checked my expectations at the door, word of advice here, leave the Elder Races & the Moonlight Trilogy behind as this is something completely different.

I also can’t quite say if I am on board with this series or not, it has everything to make it a fantastic paranormal series as one can tell by the high ratings but I am in the minority here with some of the other very few here.

I felt no connection with the main characters of the book and neither what these two really had with one another, the plot was interesting but in a way also drawn out too long for my liking.

This is just me so take my review with a pinch of salt.

I liked this book a lot and I am really happy that, even if it is set in the world of the Elder Races, it is not about them. This is a very feminist novel in a way, I mean it is still a love story of course but it is also the story of a new beginning for a not so young woman. I was happy about that. All the rest is the usual witchcraft story ;)

Questo libro mi é piaciuto molto sia perché pur essendo ambientato nel mondo delle Elder races, non li prevede nella trama, ma anche perché l'ho trovato piuttosto "femminista" in un certo senso, pur restando comunque una storia d'amore, ma anche di un nuovo inizio per una donna non piú tanto giovane, il che mi ha resto piuttosto felice. Tutto il resto ha a che fare con la stregoneria.

THANKS NETGALLEY FOR THE PREVIEW!

You know what this book had that most paranormal romance novels don’t? A lead female character who is her late 30s. Every once and a while it’s nice to read about characters who are close to my age.

It grabbed me from the start. Molly discovers that her husband is cheating on her again. The way it was written I really felt her pain. While going through her emotional turmoil, she starts to exhibit weird powers. It turns out that she is a late blooming witch. Josiah takes notice of her and realizes she could ruin his plans to get revenge.

Molly and Josiah’s relationship evolves quicker than I would have liked, but they were really good together. Josiah is an old, powerful witch, and he tries to help Molly learn how to deal with her own power before she endangers herself or someone else. I would have liked it better if Molly hadn’t been quite so powerful.

I liked Josiah a lot. He was an alpha male but was more than willing to respect other people’s boundaries. He wasn’t quite the jerk that Molly made him out to be. Molly was a strong woman who didn’t put up with crap from other people. She did annoy me at times because I felt like she was quick to judge Josiah without really trying to understand him.

Some things were left open ended, but most things were wrapped up in this. Based on the way it ended, I’m guessing the next book will be about different characters, possibly one of the other people in Josiah’s coven.

I first learned of Thea Harrison when Patti Briggs said I should read her books. Sadly I was slow to get around to that, but discovered I love her writing very much. Still, with so much going on, I didn’t get to read very many of her books, though they remain waiting in the TBR mountain.

American Witch is her upcoming release, and you can get your hands on a copy on April 29th. I suggest you preorder.
So first, what it’s about. From the back cover copy:

Power can change a person…

For months Molly Sullivan endures the inexplicable: electrical surges, car breakdowns, visions. She even wonders if she might be the cause… and wonders if she might be crazy. Then she discovers her husband has cheated on her. Again. Now Molly realizes she is a newly awakening witch and a woman pushed over the edge.

Revenge can shape a person…

Josiah Mason is a Powerful witch and the leader of a secret coven with a shared goal: to destroy an ancient enemy who has ruined many lives. Josiah lost years to this man, and his sole focus is revenge. He’s prepared for every contingency—except encountering a beautiful new witch who understands nothing of the immense Power building within her or the attraction she wields over him.

Danger can bring them together…

When divorcing her husband, Molly uncovers a dangerous secret he’s willing to kill to protect. She turns to Josiah for help, and they discover a connection between Molly’s husband and Josiah’s enemy.

As they work together, a spark ignites between them that threatens to become an inferno. But Molly is done compromising herself for any man, and Josiah’s mission is his top priority. And the enemy is cunning, cruel, and drawing ever closer.

As the danger escalates, so does the tension between them. Is a lasting relationship possible? Will either of them live long enough to try?
My thoughts:

I loved this book. Found it hard to put down, in fact, which says a lot since I’ve been having trouble reading through to the ends of books for awhile now. This was a compelling read for me.

Molly was an amazing character. Strong, stubborn, flawed, and wholly likeable. She wasn’t a doormat. She’s sharp as hell and brave as well.

Josiah wasn’t your typical asshole. He came off as focused and an ends-justifies-the-means sort of guy. He’d suppressed most of his emotions and to a large extent his humanity over years of seeking his end goal.

Also, neither are super young. They have scars and have earned those scars.

Then he runs into Molly. At first he sees her as a tool, but she doesn’t let him view her that way. She thinks and she argues and she refuses to put up with his habits of being in charge and telling people what to do. This startles him into looking at himself and he doesn’t like what he sees. Their relationship isn’t easy and grows out of respect and admiration. It’s very organic.

The path to their HEA isn’t an easy one and both are willing to walk away at various times, and then they feel compelled to do so for very good reasons. You don’t read the situation and roll your eyes and say oh, please, this could be solved with a simple conversation. No, the obstacles are real and require them both to find ways to bend if they are going to work things out.

I love the magic of the world and the intrigue of the story. There’s more to it to come in future novels. That’s clear. A struggle that will be ongoing and building toward a crescendo at some point. I’m totally planning on being on board for that ride.

I also love the descriptions of their attraction and the sex because its so very emotional. It’s not about the sex and not so much graphic as powerfully written, if that makes any sense.

I highly recommend this book and hope everyone out there will go grab a copy because it’s just that good.

American Witch is a rich, layered, complex tapestry of words strung together into an incredible story. The relationship between Molly and Josiah is nuanced, complicated, and throbbing with passion.

Thea Harrison is one of my favorite authors and even as much as I love her, this story caught me off guard. For starters, it's unconventional in the way it starts. Molly is still married to her husband at the time though that changes quickly, and Molly's life becomes fraught with drama. Josiah is a man with a mission and he's not let anything stand in his way for a long time. Their relationship is wary, contentious, and humming with desire as they kick off with a rocky start. A very rocky start. I wasn't expecting that. But then their relationship bloomed while two strong personalities butted heads and the beauty and complexity of what Ms Harrison have woven into her words took hold and swept me away. It's breathtakingly beautiful.

Quote, She still wasn’t sure she liked him. But she was beginning to understand how difficult events had shaped his nature, and when push came to shove, he had been there for her multiple times. Astonishingly so.

Quote, She had quickly exploded into such a large presence in his life. He needed her gone to keep his head in a dangerous game. More than that, he wanted her gone, for her sake. But in privacy, he was forced to admit she would leave a big hole behind when she went.

This is the start of a new trilogy and while at first I was wondering if the entire trilogy focused on Molly and Josiah because of the way their relationship was evolving, it's not. I think subsequent books will focus on different couples but there is an overarching theme which I think will be present in the other books. This story is still set in the world of the Elder Races but it focuses most specifically on witches.

As I said before, when we meet Molly her life is about to undergo a monumental upheaval. Despite everything happening around her, Molly is clear thinking, strategic, and aware. And later on, as she's had time to catch her breath, we see Molly become the person she always was. Strong, kind, compassionate. In the face of Josiah's overwhelming personality Molly stands her ground. She's not cowed by is presence or his dominance, and she fights for what she believes is right for herself. I am amazed by her strength considering what's happened around her. The hurt, the betrayal. Molly's strength is like a shining beacon.

Quote, It would know her deep, abiding sense of loyalty, decency, and her affection, and he wanted to claim it more badly than he had wanted almost anything else in a very long time.

Ah Josiah. Dark, brooding, single-minded Josiah. He didn't count on Molly and the disruption her presence has on his life and his goals. Josiah has been pursuing his one goal for a very long time and he has not let anyone or anything get in his way until Molly. With Molly, his priorities change. He sees a life beyond one filled with vengeance. I love Josiah's determination and perseverance, but also his sense of loyalty to the people who are committed to the same cause. Yes, he's often high-handed and demanding but he's working through the curve ball that is Molly and balancing it with a life and goal that has been his single companion for uncountable years. I like that he's shaken by Molly and that he's had to re-examine his priorities. What I like even more is that he's a man who comes to realise what's most important in his life and goes after that instead.

Quote, “You’re hard and single-minded, and you can be thoughtless, but you’re not crazy,” she said with certainty.

Quote, He was a morose son of a bitch. He didn’t know how to be anything other than cold, brooding, and driven.

Quote, He was a difficult man, but she knew a few things about him now, and he had a strong, good heart. Underneath it, his Power shone dark and smooth like the depths of a bottomless lake. After starting to wrestle with her own unruly Power, she had begun to understand a little of what he must have gone through to achieve that even, polished balance.

This is a stunningly well-written book and I can't wait to see what's next.

Very good start to another spin off in the Elder Races world. Excellent read and looking forward to more in the series.

This was so good. It had action, passion, strong characters and the story wasn’t rushed at all. It happened slowly and the characters took their time, which was nice. Now the book itself was a fast read; I had a hard time putting it down. The conflict was strong and well developed. It takes place in the Elder Races universe, but I don't know if this is going to be a spinoff series, or if this is a stand alone story.  I hope there will be more books because I want more from Josiah and Molly and I want them to kick more butt and defeat the villain.