Member Reviews
The Christmas Witch was my very first paranormal romance so I wasn't sure if it was something I'd actually enjoy or not, But, luckily, I thought this was a really fun romantic comedy with a little mystery thrown in that left me feeling warm and fuzzy, which was exactly what I was looking for. I didn't feel this was especially Christmas-y, but it was still a good time!
Overall a good story, but expected a bit more Christmas romance, which is there, but didn’t care much for the evil undertones. I liked the Italian background, as not my usual read, and would recommend this one. First I’ve read by this author but wouldn’t be my last.
The Christmas Witch, by Carla Caruso, is a Christmas rom-com with paranormal elements thrown in, and is an easy-to-read story set in Adelaide. The main character, Mina, works in an antique store and everything’s going fine for this young witch until her boss’ son, Jadon, arrives to take over the management of the store, which throws Mina for a curveball. Jadon is smart, successful and attractive and its not long before Mina begins to fall for him - which is a problem, because her Italian witch heritage means she’s always unlucky in love.
There were a lot of things I really enjoyed about The Christmas Witch - the Italian heritage that’s woven through the story, the Adelaide setting (which just made me want to travel there) and the beginnings of the mystery as people Mina sells small spells to begin to end up in bizarre situations. I also very much enjoyed the characterisation of Mina’s family - her mother and grandmother - who provided a lot of laughs. It was, however, a bit over-the-top at times - which, given it’s a witchy-style story, is not to be unexpected - but there were just times when I was pulled out of the story. At other times, the writing seemed choppy and I had trouble falling into the flow of it.
Overall, it was a decent read and I’m happy to have found a new author to potentially explore in the future.
The Christmas Witch is a delightful, frothy fantasy romantic comedy, which is perfect for those moments when you just want to smile or laugh without taking your reading too seriously.
Set in the Adelaide hills, this story features Mina, a white witch, who doesn’t believe she’ll ever be able to have a happy ever after because she’s witch. She’s jealous of her sister, who isn’t, and who is getting married as the story opens. Min is utterly endearing. She talks to plants, sees auras, and thanks the salad in her sandwich for feeding her “because, hey, vegetables were plants too.” With a mother whose fashion sense is questionable at best and who is inclined to flirt with anyone in pants, Mina has plenty to deal with. Her grandmother, who suffers slightly from dementia and gets her spells confused, also lives with Mina and her mother so there’s plenty to laugh about in Mina’s world and laugh I did.
Jadon, son of the owner of the furniture store where Mina works, enters the page as a strict, no-nonsense man and one who gets under Mina’s skin from the start. While I liked her right away, it took me a while to warm to Jadon, but I got there and before long I was sitting on the sidelines cheering these two along as they slowly discovered their love for each other.
This story moves fast, is packed with humour, and is utterly endearing. It’s perfect reading for the Christmas holiday period no matter which part of the world you live in.
I tried to download this twice and ended up with corrupted files so I cannot review this book, it is only 1 Star because Netgalley would not allow me to submit without a rating, it should be zero stars since I could not read the book
Douglas C. Meeks - Amazon Top 50 VINE Reviewer, Goodreads Top 1% Reviewer, Reviewer for Paranormal Romance Guild, Wicked Scribes and Kindle Book Review
Very cute. It is like a very slightly saucier version of The Good Witch but set in Australia. A little light on the plot side of things, but perfect if you are looking for a slice of life romance with a dash of magic.
This book has a sprinkle of Christmas magic in with some plant witchery to make for an interesting twist on your typical paranormal romance.
Mina is a plant witch and comes from a line of very quirky and strange witches. They blend with their neighbors as much as some very interesting folks could, but they are forever making mistakes and having to cover their powers. A group of evil witches in town, however, are blending in some bad and very wrong ways. Mina, as ever the peacekeeper, is working at a local antique store, planning bridal activities for her sister's upcoming wedding, and trying to hide her attraction to her new temporary boss, Jadon.
This story had some hints of real romance, but was more of a mystery than anything else. Some bad things are happening in Mina's town, and she has somehow become the only person who can stop them. She's got to do this, of course, while still being in her sister's non-magical wedding, keeping her job, and balancing good and evil. No big deal, right? Ultimately, we get a Christmas miracle that saves the town and he relationship.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Highly recommend this book to everyone. Can't wat to read more from this author.
Highly entertaining, emotionally thrilling, action packed and engaging adventure filled with intriguing charters, witty banter, exciting twists and turns..... was a great read from beginning to end. Really enjoyed this journey!
The Christmas Witch by Carla Caruso is a magical holiday read that is full of mystery, drama, and lots of spells. Can the magic of the season bring everyone together or will misfiring spells ruin everything? A fascinating story that you will not want to put down.
I couldn't resist picking this up. The title, the cover, the summary. Sounds perfect.
The story follows Mina who is a witch and it is Xmas season. She is cursed to be forever unlucky in love. Her plan is to keep low and spread the goodwill. Well...with the arrival of her boss's son, Jadon will toss all plans array. He is a hottie, but he has arrogant plans to overhaul her antique shop.
This was a fun story. Short, cute, and fun. A little topping of cheesy. A perfect quick read for the season.
Poor Mina. I rooted for her!
Not 100% a fan of Jadon.
The ending was good. It made me want more! There were some lulls here and there, but overall I was hooked. I was curious to see how it was all going to end.
That cover is suppppper pretty. The colors and I feel the lady they got looks like how I envisioned Mina.
Overall, this was a quick, cute read. I would read more by this author for sure. I'll stamp this with 3 stars.
The Christmas Witch was an enjoyable story, even though the title is somewhat misleading, as there is very little Christmassy about this book. That said, I liked the characters, the overall world building and the fun and light-hearted moments throughout the plot. This was my first read by Carla Caruso, but I would definitely read another of her books.
I really enjoyed this book! The writing was fresh and vibrant, I loved the witchy/magical aspect, and the characters were great. Definitely looking forward to more titles by this author!
I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley, but the opinions expressed are my own.
I laughed, I cried, I got mad, but I really liked this book. The characters were well thought out, they meshed together. I think the Christmas theme was great. If you want to read a good Christmas read, this is your story.
The Christmas Witch was a good story, not so much Christmassy as the title suggests. The plot line was good and the characters were funny. At times the world was robust and full of color and at other times it was a bit one dimensional and monochromatic. It was hard for me to really connect with the characters but I enjoyed them and the plot line enough to finish.
An unusual Christmas story, well written and engrossing.
I liked the plot, the cast of characters and the setting.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.