Thank you much to @berkleyromance for my free copy of Payback’s a Witch!

I should have loved this book. I expected to. It has witches, revenge and a sapphic romance, all things I love in a book, but alas I did not.

The writing was overly detailed, almost patronizing and definitely grandiose. I have a good vocabulary but some of the paragraphs I had to stop and look things up multiple times. What is a vesper martini? Vespers are prayers? Gimlet eye? Gimlet is either a boozy drink or a drill. What the heck was I reading? There was so much of this kind of thing that I lost interest.

The revenge stuff was totally trite as well. The author herself made Gareth Blackmoore super bland and constantly said “he wasn’t intentionally a bully, he wasn’t that much of a bad guy”. Well then why do you care after 9 years? Lol

I did enjoy the magic system and the family vs. family set up. That was very well written.

I hate to give negative feedback like this, I was just very disappointed. Hopefully this one finds it’s audience and is a great success, I’m sorry to say it wasn’t my style.

Lana Harper’s Payback’s A Witch is much more than a fun title. It tells the story of Emmy Harlow, a 20-something woman coming home to Thistle Grove. She fled to Chicago five years ago to make a life for herself away from the guy that broke her heart and the town’s expectations of her.

But this isn’t just a coming home story. It’s so much more. Thistle Grove is not just an ordinary town. It is filled with magic and witches. Emmy is a witch but lost most of her magic when she left Thistle Grove. Now that she’s back, she can feel the magic coursing back into her veins.

The big question is why is she coming back now? Well, every year, the four witch families of Thistle Grove have a competition. The Gauntlet. It’s three rounds. Best two out three takes it all. Emmy is there to be the Arbiter. But after that, she’s gone. Back to Chicago (or so she thinks).

More at: https://culturess.com/2021/10/04/paybacks-a-witch/

4 Stars!

If you enjoyed The Ex Hex and are the mood for a witchy, sapphic, revenge plot, Payback’s A Witch needs to be your next read!

Reading this in October was the perfect environment. The setting was described and developed wonderfully. Nods to fall and spooky decorations made me excited to put up my own decorations. The atmosphere Lana Harper creates for the reader is nostalgic, cozy, and sets you up for the witchy romance that unravels in the story.

Harper’s writing style is super easy to follow and makes you flip from one chapter to the next. I sat down and finished the book in the day because of its fast pace and my investment in seeing the revenge plot executed. Her writing style really makes it the perfect quick read to keep you in a spooky mood and carry you out of a reading slump.

As for the actual plot, there were a lot of similarities with The Ex Hex for me, but also loads of differences that made this book stand on its own. While a predictable romance in some ways, the witchy plot and tournament were developed in a way that I couldn’t fully predict how things were going to play out. I don’t believe the book aims to be action-focused, but you are kept on your toes at some point.

Lastly, the characters are fun, relatable, and easy to love. Emmy’s battle with her home life and her new life is something we can all relate to as college or our jobs take us away from what we love. Talia’s charm had me hooked from the second she entered the book. And Linden’s friendship is wholesome and heartwarming. You’ll definitely find yourself smiling, among other emotions, as you read how their lives entangle.

Basically, it’s October. It’s a witchy love story. What are you doing? Go read it!

Special thank you to Netgalley, Berkley Publishing Group, and Lana Harper for providing with me an e-arc.

Lana Harper is a pseudonym for Lana Popovic, a Serbian born author of YA fantasies, that now lives is the USA. This new novel is the first of a new romance series (The Witches of Thistle Grove) and features witches. romance and a bisexual main character named Emmy. Emmy returns to her hometown to be an arbitrer for a competition between several witch families, after being away for nine years. She reunites with old friends and foes all of whom are witches, including her best friend Lin, the beautiful Talia and the ex-boyfriend Gareth who was the reason she left town. This is a fun, light read that is a great suggestion for someone looking for a Halloween themed escape. I enjoyed it.

This was a super fun, small town witchy sapphic romance with some revenge elements and a Harry Potter esque magical tournament. Emmy Harlow returns to her home town of Thistle Grove after being away for nine years.

Tasked with acting as the arbitor for the annual magic tournament, she reunites with her childhood friend, ex-boyfriend and discovers an undeniable attraction to fellow home town witch, Talia Aramov. The two bond over revenge schemes and ultimately discover that coming home again isn't always the worse thing.

I really enjoyed this supernatural love story and recommend it for fans of Practical magic or The ex-hex looking for their next Halloween season read. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copy!

Give me a story about witches taking revenge on the man who wronged them, set in a magical small town and then throw in a sapphic love story, and I am sold immediately. This book was fun and cute, and the perfect read to fit all the fall vibes. The romance between Emmy and Talia was fantastic, although I wish there was more of a slow-burn to their story. Watching them, along with Emmy's best friend Linden, scheme to take down the top-dog witch Gareth was fun and satisfying, but something that would have made the story even better would have been if the trio amped up their sabotage. Throughout the competition, Talia and Rowan teamed up to hinder Gareth's progress, but if that was taken to the outside of the stage of the games, and into their every day life, it would have been so entertaining. Throw in some mischief and hexes merely to annoy Gareth. It would have been a great opportunity for further bonding for Talia and Emmy, therefore turning their romance into more of a slow-burn. I truly loved seeing Emmy reconnect with her town, and realize how important the town was to her, but I wish her self-worth was not so closely tied to the level of her abilities as a witch. If Emmy had come to realize that her standing as a Harlow did not hold so much control over her and the love for her town on her own, only then to realize that she had more power than she was raised to believe, therefore making that realization icing on the cake, her arc in relation to self-love would have been more powerful. Granted, I understand her desire to dismantle the caste system in her town, and the power connected to her name plays a big part in her ability to do that, but I would have felt more satisfied with her story if she had more clearly come to love herself and her limited abilities by the end of the story before realizing just how important Harlows are. Regardless, I truly enjoyed this book, and look forward to future trips to Thistle Grove as this series expands.

Thank you Netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!!

This was kind of a middle of the road read for me. I enjoyed it, especially the beginning but my interest gave way at the end. I feel like it was dead in the middle of creepy/witchy book and a romance book and it had to tilt either one way or the other to be more impactful. Either make it full of romance with a hint of witch or full witch with a hint of romance. I’m sure a lot of people will disagree with me but just my preference to have more emphasis on one or the other!

Thank you to Berkley for sending me an advanced copy of the book.

Payback’s a Witch is the first book in a new series by Lana Harper- great for fans of The Orphan Witch and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina!

The book follows Emmy, a witch who must serve as arbiter for the traditional spell casting tournament of Thistle Grove. But she’s seriously out of her element, having abandoned her magical hometown years ago for a normal life in the city. When she returns, Emmy must come face-to-face with a former flame, familiar friends, and a deliciously devious plot for revenge.

I most enjoyed the magic system in this book. Every founding family has their own specialty of magic, and they have to find a way to co-exist in harmony despite their differences. Lana Harper does an excellent job incorporating the logistics of the magic system into the plot of the story. There isn’t a discernible exposition or world-building phase of the novel because it’s interwoven so effortlessly.

I also enjoyed the vivid imagery conveyed in the prose and dialogue. There were countless moments where I felt “seen” as the characters poetically expose thoughts and feelings from various, universal life experiences I once believed were unique to me. The care taken in both the precision and delicacy of each scene is truly remarkable.

My only critique is the pacing felt odd in certain places; most notably, climax of the story felt rushed. It’s difficult to label this book as either a slow-burn or a page-turner because the pacing fluctuated throughout.

Overall, this is an excellent first installment in Lana Harper’s new series, and I’ll definitely keep an eye out for Book Two!

4.0/5.0

I was so, so pleased when I was reached out to to give a review of this amazing, wonderful, perfect book, and I cannot thank the publishers more for allowing me too! Payback's a Witch is everything I dreamed it would be (and more).

Set in the magical town of Thistle Grove, we follow Emmy Harlow as she returns home to take her family's ancestral place as Arbiter during the Gauntlet, a spellcasting tournament in which the other three witching families compete. Emmy hasn't returned in four years, and left in the first place all because of her ex Gareth, scion of the stuck-up Blackmoore family, who own almost every bit of Thistle Grove and everyone in it. They are the most powerful of all the families, and haven't lost a tournament in years and are expected to win again like clockwork. Only Gareth screwed with the wrong witches.

Upon returning, Emmy learns it's not only her heart that he's broke -- he also hurt her bestfriend, Linden Thorne, and the darkly beautiful Talia Avramov's. Together, they devise a devilishly sweet scheme: work together during the games to bring down Gareth -- and the Blackmoores -- once and for all. The only thing Emmy doesn't expect is to fall head over heels for Talia.

I adored everything about this book, from the history of the families, which wove in some Arthurian myth along with the Russian Baba Yaga, to the charmingly witchy town, to the romance between Emmy and Talia, which was equal parts sweet and sexy. The writing was gorgeous, so incredibly evocative I could actually picture the haunted woods, to the dusty little shop (cleverly named "Tomes and Omens") to the verdant Honeycake orchards. Payback's a Witch is the perfect romance for #SpookySzn, and let's be real, for every season after!

Just finished reading this quirky, queer romance! Many thanks to Penguin Random House International #partner and Berkley for the gifted e-ARC of Payback's A Witch!

I want to start my review by saying that I have been incredibly lucky while choosing my spooky reads for October! First, it was The Ex Hex, and now this..... I am so obsessed with all the witchy vibes right now, ya'll. Thistle Grove was such an exciting place to be in, so many thanks to Lana Harper for transporting me to such an amazing fictional place. The atmospheric vibes in this book were immaculate! :')

Payback's a Witch has such a fun premise, and I adored reading the book with my whole heart! Our main character, Emmy is such a clever, fun character. I loved reading about her so much. The whole "revenge plot" she came up with was incredible, The magical system was properly fleshed out, without just being talked about on the surface, and I really appreciated that. The author's description of Thistle Grove along with the portrayal of magic was so well-written.

Now, about the romance - it was soooo good! I am not a fan of the insta-love trope, but Emmy and Talia's relationship kind of worked out. I can't explain why - maybe it was their chemistry, but I became a huge fan of their blooming relationship! 🧡 The relatable characters, banter, dialogue, and the magical system made reading Payback's A Witch such an enchanting ride. Can't recommend it enough!

I loved this sizzling rom-com! It was full of heart, heat, charming characters, and laugh out loud scenarios. The setting was perfect! I loved the town of Thistle Grove and it's uproarious cast of characters. This witchy read is perfect for the month of October and will give you all the Halloween vibes. The sexual tension between Emmie and Talia was *chef's kiss*. I highly recommend picking this book up for your next spooky read. It's the perfect companion for a Fall evening of reading.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Berkley, and the author for this book in exchange for an honest review! This was the perfect book to get me in the witchy mood. It has everything you want for a way to get into the Halloween spirit, if you love Halloween, but don’t need to have a heartache from screaming.

First of all, let me start by saying that the setting is absolutely amazing and CAN I MOVE TO THE TOWN OF THISTLE GROVE PLEASE!?!?!

Omg this setting sounded absolutely amazing, like Salem, but without the spooky vibes..... witch vibes and autumn vibes were the only things present here. I loved all the shops, the restaurants, and the bars that they mentioned in the book. I just kept wishing that I was a part of this fabulosity and never had to leave. Don’t even get me started on the Harlow family bookstore.... Why would anyone want to leave this amazing place, I mean I know why, but I refuse to acknowledge it in my fantasy....

The story follows the character, Emmy Harlow and her journey back to her childhood home after a long absence. Emmy comes to town for one purpose and plans on leaving again, but one thing leads to another and she questions whether she can truly leave her past behind.

Based on the title and the description of the book, I thought the read would have some hilarious one liners and even more hilarious antics. However, the plot told a much deeper and meaningful story. Although I liked the way the story went, I was expecting more funny from a romantic comedy. I really didn’t get the funny. I was expecting more pranks, but they kept it more serious. I mean it doesn’t negate from the story or the characters, but this book just wasn’t what I signed up for.

BUT.... this book’s concept was so cool! I loved learning about the witch families, their different magics, and the history of the town. I loved the action and the suspense from the spellcasting tournament that took place and I LOVED THE CHARACTERS. They were all so well developed, entertaining, and friends that I wish I had.

I LOVED the romance between Emmy and Talia so much and their scenes were SOOOO STEAMYYY omggggg... I loved them together so much.

Overall, I loved this witchy book and I can’t wait for more stories from the witches of Thistle Grove.

I might have given this five stars if the author hadn't kept mentioning the characters' perfume and what they smelled like (authors, don't do this!!!). Anyway this was otherwise great. Supremely fun witchy read.

I loved so much about this book, not least the actual writing. Maybe other people won't find it as funny as I did, but I actually laughed out loud at many bits of narrative and dialogue. Most lighthearted romances aren't actually funny, but this one is. I also loved the worldbuilding so much. Harper clearly put a lot of thought into the plot and the worldbuilding for such a fun, fluffy story, and I very much appreciated that. Usually with these books the magic is an afterthought and the romance is the focus, but here it's the opposite.

This book centers on a witchy tournament that's held every fifty years in the witchy town of Thistle Grove, which was founded by four powerful witch families. Whoever wins the tournament gets to be the sort of witch mayor for the next fifty years. Our main character, Emmy Harlow, has been gone from her hometown for about nine years because of a terrible breakup with town heartthrob (and scion of one of the four families) Gareth Blackmoore, but she is drawn back because as the scion of the Harlow family, it's her job to be magical arbiter for the tournament (and her parents miss her a lot, which is adorable). Practically as soon as she's back in town she accidentally runs into both Gareth (who doesn't even recognize her) and the scion of the Avramov family, Talia, who is extremely hot and funny and extremely available. When she learns that Gareth has fucked with both Talia and Emmy's best friend Linden, they hatch plans to make sure anyone but Gareth wins the tournament. Plus there is smooching.

This was cozy and funny and charming, and I want to live in Thistle Grove, even if I don't have powers. At the moment, this is the frontrunner of all my witchy seasonal reads, and it would take quite a bit to unseat it from that position. I'm going to buy a hard copy of this today.

[4.5 stars]

3 stars

You can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.

This was a fun contemporary fantasy romance about witches in a small Illinois town vying to win a spellcasting tournament among the town's founder families.

Emmy Harlow is a witch with very little powers who left her small witchy town of Thistle Grove, Illinois to make her way in Chicago. Although she's been gone for 9 years, she relents to her parent's wishes and returns to town to fulfill her family's duty to be the arbiter of the spellcasting tournament. Once in town, she's confronted with Gareth, the boy that broke her heart and caused her to leave town, but also meets Talia, a powerful bad-ass witch who is fresh off a break-up with Gareth as well.

Three founder families vie for the spellcaster crown. Emmy's best friend Linden belongs to one family, Talia belongs to the second family, and Gareth belongs to the third family. Talia and Linden's family decide to band together to defeat Gareth. Emmy must remain neutral in the tournament, despite the growing attraction between her and Talia.

This was a fun book about Emmy's journey to make peace with herself and her hometown. The author does a pretty good job of depicting Emmy's struggle, especially when she has to confront harsh truths about her role in deciding to run away from her problems. The supporting characters weren't fleshed out too much and were there mainly to react to Emmy. The story was pretty typical scorned girls get revenge on mean boy, but it was fun to see how the author got there.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group. All opinions are my own.

"Payback's a Witch" by Lana Harper has been one of my most anticipated reads of this year and I was very fortunate to be a part of the blog blitz appreciation for its release today.

This novel is about Emmy, a witch, who has lost most of her power due to not coming back to her home town in years. Gareth, casual breaker of hearts, might be one of the reasons for that...

But when Emmy is forced to come back for a spellcasting tournament, she runs into wickedly gorgeous Talia - who is fresh off a bad breakup with ... Gareth. Talia had let herself be charmed, only to discover that Gareth was also seeing Emmy's best friend. And now they want revenge...

There was nothing I didn't love about this book. The female representation in this book is awesome. Emmy is quite the loveable main character. She's 26, queer, and thinks she has figured her life out until she realises she really hasn't. That seems very relatable to me.

Talia is a great love interest and I enjoyed her and Emmy working together with Emmy's best friend Lin a lot. It was interesting to read about how Emmy's relationship had changed with Lin throughout the years, especially when they hadn't seen each other for such a long time before.

The writing style is truly immaculate. It's quite descriptive, but still easy to read. It gives off all the autumn and Halloween vibes. Imagine vivid descriptions of magical forests, pumpkin patches, drinking cider and cozy cold nights spent together.

At last, the revenge plan and the growing relationship between Emmy and Talia kept me on my toes for the whole time I was reading. I genuinely enjoyed learning more about each family's magical history. The magic system wasn't hard to understand either.

"Payback's a Witch" feels like a cozy autumn contemporary read with a nice amount of spellwork, witchy shenanigans and a romance worth remembering.

Thank you Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

I know this book was described as the L Word meets Witches of Eastwick, but to me it feels a lot like John Tucker Must Die meets Harry Potter and the Gauntlet of Fire. And trust me, that’s a good thing.

Emmy Harlow grew up in the magical small town of Thistle Grove, but left her community and her magic after a bad breakup to move to Chicago and live in the “normie” world. She has to go back, 9 years later, to take her place as her family’s head of the magical competition to determine which family will lead thistle grove. She catches up with exes, old friends, and attractive old acquaintance Talia (who I’m convinced is at least partially based off Natasha Romanov from Marvel.)

I give this book 4.5 stars because I loved almost everything about it. The quaint and magical town of thistle grove, Emmy’s fun childhood friends, the magic competition, and of course wickedly sexy romance with Talia were all pretty much perfect. The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars is because the symbolism of Emmy’s changes like her hair was a little too in your face for my preference and I thought some parts were slow. But overall I loved this book and will recommend it to alll the people who want a witchy Halloween sapphic read (I mean who wouldn’t!?)

Thanks to PRH and Berkley for the ARC!!

Payback's a Witch is PERFECT for an October read! Bookstagram is buzzing about it and it deserves the hype! Fun, quirky, read!

I really enjoyed this story. Everything from the cover to the writing had me drawn in. I already know of several patrons who will love this one so I've ordered a couple copies. Thank you.

I’m not sure what’s going on with this recent trend of books about small-town witches, with a distinct spooky season vibe, but can I just say I am here for it?

Payback’s A Witch follows Emmy Harlow, the eldest child of one of Thistle Grove’s four magical founding families. Despite moving away to Chicago, she is returning home to act as the Arbiter in the Gauntlet, a traditional competition held between the remaining three families.

On her first night back, she bumps into Gareth Blackmoore, the guy who broke her heart almost a decade ago. The guy who, it turns out, also broke the hearts of Emmy’s best friend Linden, and the effortlessly badass Talia. With Talia facing off against Gareth and Linden’s brother Rowan in the upcoming gauntlet, the three women hatch a plan: work against Gareth to knock him down a few pegs and stop his family from winning the competition yet again.

Payback’s A Witch turned out to be so much more than what the premise suggested it would be. Any cynical preconceived notion I had going in was banished in spectacular fashion. Author Lana Harper intricately weaves the world’s magic system together with an almost Hallmark-like story of a witch who needs to return home to her small town from the big city and learn to love magic again. And as someone who watches dozens of those kinds of movies every year, please know I mean this with utmost praise.

That said, the budding romance between Emmy and Talia is much steamier than anything you’ll find in movies like that. Beyond their chemistry, both witches approach their family legacies through very different perspectives, which has also impacted what they feel they want for themselves. Like any good romance, their way forward is found through remaining true to their own desires without ever asking the other to sacrifice their own wants.

A true surprise with the book is the balance struck between the magical side of the story and the romantic one. While, it’s true, neither would function without the other, it’s also worth noting that neither of them overshadows the other. Both are given equal importance and weight, and the story is as much about Emmy falling in love with her powers, and herself as it is about Emmy falling in love with Talia.

The setting of Thistle Grove is so damn cozy. Fall is my favourite time of year, and there is nothing quite like experiencing it somewhere with crisp air and beautiful foliage, but perhaps I’m a bit biased. The connection of the families who live there feels very lived in. It’s not easy to convey a sense of genuine history in writing, but Harper does so beautifully.

My lone complaint by the end of the book was that I wanted more from Gareth and Linden. I got the sense that their breakup was not quite as simple as all that, and I kept expecting to circle back to it, which never happened. That said, Payback’s A Witch is only the first book in a series about Thistle Grove, which means more is coming down the line, and I personally cannot wait.

Payback’s A Witch is available now.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the advance copy for review purposes.

So, for starters, there were some things I liked about this book and things I didn't. I'm still not sure what rating to give it because this book teetered on the edge of being more fantasy at times and then more romance at times and it's hard for me to judge when the balance kept changing. But for the sake of my sanity, and yours, we're going to say this book is primarily a romance novel with a subplot of fantasy to keep things simple. 

So looking at this from a romance way, I have to say, I hate the instant love trope. Talia and Emmy have an instant connection and are immediately attracted to each other, which I can understand attraction, but the instant connection made my eyes roll a little bit. Thank goodness they don't immediately jump into each other's arms claiming their love - they take things somewhat slow. I thought Emmy and Talia's relationship, once established, was really cute. It's clear that opposites attract and I loved that there was some history between them already as they grew up in the same town and went to school together. 

One thing that I hated though was the reason Emmy left. I mean, boys sucks, but even after a horrible break up I cannot imagine packing up everything and leaving town to get away. Like what? After only dating for a few months, this boys rejection wounded her ego so bad she stayed away for TEN YEARS!? I MEAN SERIOUSLY. I refuse to believe that anyone at 18 has done this or thought about doing this after a summer fling ended and then stayed away for so long. Especially with a person everyone knows to be a player and a jerk.

Though, I could relate to Emmy's low self esteem. She constantly puts her value in other people's hands, which I will say I do too often too, and can't find her self worth. Even after going to school and starting a successful career, she still places too much emphasis on other people's opinions and it made me so sad. It was nice to see this change over time though as Emmy went from seeking approval to accepting herself.

As for the magic, I thought it was really cool. The magical games were really intense and certain moments made me chuckle as I read through them. It really broke up the story and added some pizzazz to the plot and the world. Especially regarding the powers each family possesses. I like how they're all distinguishable and have somewhat clear origins - it was really interesting and I want to learn more about them. 

By the end of the book, I was happy with the outcome. I felt like the journey was more internal for Emmy and it made me happy to see her work through her negative feelings of herself and her hometown. Especially if it meant ending up with Talia who seems like a great partner for her. 

But what got me the most excited was the preview of the sequel/spin off following Talia's sister. I read those few chapters and was hooked! While this book was good, I'm interested to see if I like the next book even more.