3.5 stars rounded.

Black Witch Magic is a story about a young bookish witch, Selene Blackstone, who suffers from a family curse. As she struggles to make a living in a town that pretty much hates her guts, she meets the sarcastic Aiden O’Hare, and the connection between them is undeniable. When mysterious and dangerous events start occurring around town, people are quick to point the finger at Selene, but Aiden is determined to help clear her name.

This book wasn’t exactly my cup of tea–though I love paranormal romance–mostly due to the writing-style and the side characters. The book struck me as very YA-esque and since there weren’t many steamy scenes (though I did appreciate the first one as it was something I’ve never seen in a romance before), I think it could have been easily adapted to that age group. There were also a few instances where the writing was either repetitive or lacked continuity. Since I read the eARC version of the novel, things like this are expected and I’m hoping they got fixed for the final print.

In regards to the characters, I was actually very happy with Selene and Aiden. I thought they were a good amount of mature (aside from the insta-love that occurs between them) and that they handled conflict fairly well. My problem lay in the side characters, particularly Eddie (Aiden’s best friend and fellow paranormal investigator) and his family. The whole lot of them was almost unbearable. I couldn’t understand how they could all be so inconsiderate, and it seemed to only get worse as the book progressed. I kept hoping to see some character growth, but I feel like instead I saw the complete opposite. It’s something that continued to bother me even after I finished the book.

Although Black Witch Magic is labeled as a romance, I think the fantasy-side of the story was definitely the best part. As I said previously, there aren’t very many “steamy” scenes and most of the book follows Selene as she attempts to connect with her inner-witch without being discovered by a town that is desperate to vilify her. Because of how much I enjoyed reading about her craft, I wish there were more scenes of her and her fellow witches actually using it. There are mentions of several potions and spells, and I think the book could have benefited a lot from showing more of this. It is the first book in a series so maybe the next installments will be more involved.

Overall I’d recommend this book if you’re looking for a cute, easy, and relatively quick read. I’m interested in seeing what direction this series is headed (and what characters Mila Nicks will decide to follow) so hopefully I can get my hand on the next book at some point!

This is my first BWWM book I’ve ever read, and I’ve seen those books on Wattpad, but...but not like this.

A paranormal investigator who doesn’t believe in the paranormal, and a witch who’s cursed to never leave town?

I’m here for it. All of it.

I was skeptical in reading this book for many reasons: one, because I thought I was going to be reading a bunch of sex scenes that don’t make sense whenever I see book like this. But the more I read this book, the more I loved the characters, including the relationship between Selene and Aiden that bloomed because she had a date that ghosted her, but then Aiden shows her how to be in a relationship? Even though he freaked out because she revealed to him that she was a witch one night after she saved him from a car accident that nearly happened.

But the one thing that made me mad throughout this whole entire book is how they treated Selene. Yes she’s a Blackstone, yes she’s a witch, and yes, she can’t do things like normal people can. But to just downright shun her like that because of what happened to her grandmother and such...I’m sorry, but that’s complete and utter booty to me. Unless she does dark magic, which she hasn’t, then she’ll be fine, no shunning at all.

And Aiden...poor boy really doesn’t like Christmas, huh? I can understand why, because of his family and stuff, but good lord son, all they want is to have some quality family time. And also his friend, Eddie, reminds me of the two from the Buzzfeed: Unsolved guys, Ryan and Shane, or the Winchesters (yes I said the Winchesters) but for Eddie to try and force the issue on doing the story on the Blackstone curse...I’m glad Aiden said that he’s not going to to do it, because it meant exposing Selene and her being a witch, and that wasn’t going to happen.

I have to say, my favorite characters throughout this book has to be Selene and Aiden, but also Noelle and her auntie, Bibi. I love those two so much, especially Noelle, Selene’s friend. She reminds me so much of some of my friends, and also I can see myself in Selene, mostly because she reads, works in a library, lives in a big house and has a cute dog. And she’s a LUNAR WITCH, and yes, I squealed because I played a Lunar Witch once in a ttrpg (but she was a worthian and they were baby.)

But I have to say, I can see Selene as me, which I loved so, so much. We love to read, we wear glasses, and we’re bloody different from anyone else (but sadly I’m not a witch. Which sucks. Wish I was, though. This is a really, really good book and I wish more people can read it so, so much.

This book did have a lot of good points to it,it jus wasn’t for me. The story was good and fun. Simple enough in witches and magic for anyone to enjoy, while having enough out of this world feel to make the inner nerd on everyone’s happy. The love story was cute and typical and totally expected.

It was a little simplistic in its story and quite predictable.

Black Witch Magic follows lunar witch, Selene Blackstone, cursed and stuck in her hometown of Brimrock and Aiden, an investigative member of a hit show called Paranormal Hunters in the vein of Buzzfeed Unsolved. They are drawn to each other at first sight, but problems arise when Aiden starts investigating Selene’s grandmother, which might put a stopper to their budding romance.

This was such an enjoyable, fast-paced read! It makes for a perfect transitional novel from Halloween to Christmas. I was pretty surprised the novel mostly took place around the holidays, but I enjoyed that. I enjoy books that are set in a small town and this was no exception. The feeling of coziness coupled with Christmas really put me into a wholesome and celebratory mood.

The pacing of the book was slightly too slow for me and there was not a lot of paranormal investigating until the halfway mark. The romance took up most of the novel but this did not deter me from enjoying it. The paranormal element was really light because the book was technically a romance. So if you’re looking for a book that’s not too heavy on the world-building, this is the one for you.

I liked the chemistry and witty banter between Selene and Aiden. The communication between the characters was a breath of fresh air and I liked that I didn’t have to scream in frustration over miscommunication that is pretty common in romance novels. However, I did find their romance to be a bit insta-lovey. They only knew each other for less than a month and Aiden was willing to choose Selene over his best friend of many years. I found that to be unrealistic.

I recommend it if you’re looking for a light, fast read with a sweet romance.

I honestly could not get through this book. I always struggle with books where the relationship is built on lies, to me that just negates the whole romance. The storyline was great and the plot moved along smoothly, I just couldn't move past the deceptions both of them played on each other.

This was a fun enough read, though the writing style didn't fully grab me nor did the characters. I appreciated the blend of Halloween/Christmas in the book, insofar as it's a paranormal witchy romance set in the lead up to Christmas, though I do wish the cover signaled this a bit more (I'd assumed it was a more straightforward Halloween-type romance).

I liked this book for the most part. It was a perfect Halloween to Holiday transition read. The romance was sweet and funny, although a little to quick for me timeline wise. I liked the mystery element aspect, it got spooky real good! The witch elements were really interesting, but I wanted more from it. I wanted to read about more rituals and see more magic happen and find out more about the family's history with magic beyond the curse. There are still a lot of unanswered questions and I don't know if they'll be answered in book 2 because of where the ending is leading us. The characters were alright. I didn't find them all that spectacular, but they kept me entertained for the most part. My biggest critique is that I felt like the story dragged after the climax. It took a while to get to an end I already knew was coming.

So yes a solid read, but I would have liked it to have a little more substance to the witch and romance factors.

It's been a while since I read a Cozy Paranormal romance. Add in a holiday. The undertones of this book is something that everyone should read.

Selena, our heroine is a curvy black beauty living in a small town working as a librarian but secretly a witch with lots of problems. The hero, is a skeptical hottie who hates Christmas intent on doing a paranormal investigation that brings him in the vicinity of the heroine.

There are many undertones on racism but that shouldn't deter you from read this little gem. You can read it at face value and feel the parallels into real social and economic divides. This did not bother me as I'm sure it would to some. I think we should be reading more from authors of color about POC characters. There are several arcs or instances that will stick with you and make you think about the world around you. And the different perspective it can give you.

It is also just an smart engaging paranormal romance that you can just read for fun.

I want to thank Netgalley and the Publisher.

Selene Blackstone is a librarian and a witch living in a small New England town of Brimrock that’s she cursed to never leave. Despite her town’s mistreatment of her family for reasons that had nothing to do with her she’s determined to keep her head down and live her life quietly with little complication. She has her dog Yukie and her bestie Noelle and her Aunt Bibi (the only other witches she knows of in town).

Aiden O’ Hare is a paranormal investigator for an online show with his best friend Eddie. Aiden is a sarcastic skeptic who doesn’t believe in anything supernatural while Eddie is enthusiastic and believes it all. They get more than they bargain for when they schedule their next investigation during a Christmas visit with Eddie’s family. Aiden isn’t excited to spend time with anybody’s family during the holidays as he actively avoids his own family. But he sucks it up so they can do some work looking into the mystery of Luna Blackstone and the strange goings on in the town of Brimrock.

Luna Blackstone being Selene’s long dead grandmother who people believe has been haunting the town for years. Little do they know that Luna really was a witch and so was her daughter and granddaughter. But cursed by a wicked witch things haven’t gone well for the Blackstones. Selene is the last member of her family left in town with no hope of escaping this place that brings her only misery.

Against her will Selene heads out for a blind date and though some technological glitches ends up having to share a ride with Aiden some stranger she wants nothing to do with. Though his kindness to her after she’d stood up touched her. The next day she finds that her date didn’t exactly plan to stand her up he’s in the hospital with a mysterious unknown ailment. In Brimrock everybody loves to blame the Blackstones for any weird thing that happens so Selene knows the police are looking in her direction. And finding that the guy who asked her out for coffee is a paranormal investigator in town to investigate her family, doesn’t make her happy.

Eventually the two end up working together and falling for each other and Selene’s secret comes out. Even so Aiden is determined to get to the bottom of all this mess because he still doesn’t believe it’s a ghost even when he’s dating a witch. Something sinister is going on in Brimrock and it puts Selene in danger. Is this a problem if the past or a more present concern? Because if it’s not the ghost of Luna haunting the town then who is it?

I liked the story and I liked Selene and Aiden and Noelle and Bibi, didn’t much care for Eddie especially at the end. It’s very well written but the story did feel a bit overly long and at times tedious. Also there were a few odd repetitive things like always referring to Selene’s house by the address for no reason and maybe it’s just me but I found the repeated use of “bold frame glasses” a bit odd. Do people really say things like that? Even so it was a good story though it did leave a lot of questions because the whole thing with Luna was never really explained. Like yeah you know why she was cursed but was there not more to that story? And what actually happened to her? Also I find it weird/interesting that Selene’s father was never mentioned or a father for her mother and uncle. Anyway I excited to read the next one.

Black Witch Magic by Mila Nicks is a paranormal romance and mystery, and the start of a series. Selene Blackstone spends her days camped out in library corners with her nose glued to books. In a town like Brimrock, where she’s an outcast, she prefers her book friends to her real-life enemies. They’re a lot less judgmental. The rest of town believes she descends from a family of witches—including her evil witch grandma, Luna. In this case, the truth is stranger than fiction. She is a witch, and she’s cursed for all of eternity. Good thing her to-be-read list is pretty long. Prickly Paranormal Investigator Aiden O’Hare speaks two languages: sarcasm and more sarcasm. He travels the country—and sometimes even the world—investigating strange phenomena with his best friend, Eddie. Their investigations bring them to a cozy New England town called Brimrock, home to fabled evil witch Luna Blackstone. Armed with his dry wit, his bibliophilic love for books, and far too much free time, he’s determined to find out just what happened to Luna. When Aiden meets Selene, he decides he must get to know her. When Selene learns Aiden is in town investigating her grandma, she knows she must stop him. He’s out to expose the truth. She’s out to keep it a secret. Neither expects to fall under each other’s spell, but sometimes love is supernatural.

Black Witch Magic is a good example or a paranormal romance that has a good balance of danger and mystery along side the getting to know the characters as they get to know each other. I really liked Aiden's character, and his self awareness of his social awkwardness and introverted nature. He is well aware of how his bookish tendencies and sarcastic replies can come across and does his best to be himself without causing hurt feelings or misunderstandings. I felt for him as he tried to avoid the holiday festivities without causing problems or making himself miserable. Selene is just trying to get by in a town that hates her for no other reason than the family she was born into and things outside her control. I was frustrated on her behalf and so glad that she did have a support system to help her deal with it all. I liked both characters and found their interactions to be fun and sweet. I really liked the mystery set up, and I honestly thought someone else would be the culprit when the big reveal was made. I thought the build up was well done, and the world building for that little town was complete. I rather hope that as the series continues that we get to see some of the characters play a role, particularly the friends that were such a big part of both Aiden and Selene's live before they met.

Black Witch Magic is as much about the magical mystery as it is about the romance between Selene and Aiden. I am interested to see where the series goes next.

I received this book from NetGalley as an eARC in exchange for a review.

Black Withc Magic follow Selene and Aiden. Selene is a witch in a small New England town. Aiden is a paranormal investigator. And wouldn't you know it, love ensues.

I really enjoyed this story. The characters were relatable and fun to read. The sexy scenes were a bit out of left field and didn't really seem to fit the plot BUT I really had a fun time with this book. I highly recommend it and will definitely be picking up more books by this author.

This book is a great introduction to the quirky and sarcastic relationship that is Selene and Aiden. These two strangers at the start of the book quickly become a wonderful duo.

Selene has lived in a small town her entire life. Curse by a real witches curse to be unlucky in love and unable to leave, she's also cursed by being known as "evil" by her fellow townsfolk. Ironically, it's this "urban legend" that has Aiden spending the holidays in town. He's the Scully to a Mulder character in a semi-popular show with a general distaste for the holidays, so has agreed to spend them with his friend's family. This series of events puts Aiden and Selene on a collision course (sometimes literally).

There's magic and witches and lots of evil people (both magical and "normal") that conspire to make this holiday memorable. Ultimately, the story is about Selene and her ability to overcome the odds to free her family of the curse. Some highlights of this book were the "coven" that Selene belongs in. I was sad to say goodbye to them, but hope they pop up in future installments. Here's hoping Selene goes on a grand adventure!

This book is so cute, and even a little scary (in a good, paranormal way!) I love the atmosphere Nicks creates with her small town, it's incredibly cozy. I love the relationship between the two main characters, and there's something to heartwarming about finding a great romance that you can read any time between Halloween and Christmas. It's a lovely debut.

Black Witch Magic was a fun read. Since I am a big fan of Scooby- Doo, I love the idea of paranormal investigator having a relationship with a witch. Selene and Aiden are great characters. The romance was satisfying. I am looking forward to more in the series. Thanks Mila Nicks and NetGalley for the ARC of this title.

Just couldn't get into this one. Didn't care about the characters, the magic was pretty boring, and the mystery really didn't get interesting until the very end. I like the premise of hidden magic in a small town, but it didn't pull me in.

I was writing a review for another Netgalley ARC when I stumbled upon Black Witch Magic and boy am I happy I was approved for this one. This was a cute, fun read for this time of year. The book gives off major Halloween vibes, but the story actually takes place during Christmas and New Years, so we're getting all the holidays.

Selene comes from a family of cursed witches and can never leave her hometown of Brimrock. She spends her days stacking books in the local library and hanging out with her witch best friend, Noelle. Everyone in the town treats Selene as an outcast due to rumors of her being a witch.

Enter the male romantic interest, Aiden, who is visiting Brimrock for the holidays to film an episode for his online show, Paranormal Hunters with his best friend Eddie. Selene and Aiden fall for each other quick and have a lot of cute moments together. I loved the banter between these two characters and the fact that they are both awkward people, but worked perfectly together.

I wish there was a bit more steamy romance between Selene and Aiden. A large portion of the book was focused on the mystery aspect of the book, so parts of the story were slow for me as the mystery wasn't that complex. But, I overall really enjoyed this and will be picking up the second book when it is released!

*Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an early eARC copy of Black Witch Magic*

3.5 stars This was such a sweet book. The plot was adorable and I really liked the two leads. Selene and Aiden are super cute together. Unfortunately the secondary characters suffered from a lack of solidity. Bibi and Noelle are the best of the bunch. I got a solid sense of their personalities and character from Selene’s interactions with them. Eddie and his family felt like paper dolls in contrast. I didn’t connect with any of them or understand their motivations. It was frustrating because otherwise the story was so charming. I would absolutely read the next book in the series to see if the author improves as she hones her craft.

*An ARC of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review* #netgalley

I really enjoyed this book! I loved the enemies to lovers style romance and how realistic it was. Nicks did not paint the perfect relationship and I loved that. The romance between Selene and Aiden showcased the ups and downs of a real relationship. I also really enjoyed most of the characters, they were all loveable and relatable. I also loved that the main character was a mid-sized girl who loved herself. As a mid-sized girl myself, who rarely sees any representation in media, I was so happy to be able to see myself in a character in terms of body type. This was a cute magical read that I thoroughly enjoyed. Witchy books have been my new obsession and this one certainly met the mark!

An entertaining book to read for fall. I definitely prefer my romance on the steamier side, and paranormal romance isn't my go-to subgenre, but I think this is probably a great read for people whose preferences are different from mine.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and am providing an honest review.

This book started off super cute! I really liked Selene and Noelle and Aunt Bibi. I enjoyed the development of Selene and Aiden's relationship and found them adorable together. You don't often see a guy depicted as visibly nervous or embarrassed (he often turned pink or red), which made things feel more genuine. I also really liked the set up for the mystery.

Unfortunately, somewhere along the way things got a bit boring and then unexpectedly farcical -- the antagonist cackled and gave speeches on why they were upset during the big showdown like a Disney villain. It felt pretty out of place with the story leading up to that point.

Overall, it was a decent read, but not sure I would continue on with the series.