Laura's writing never fails me, and I'm always blown away by how she creates and builds worlds, characters and beautiful chemistry. The whole book was shrouded in mystery and suspense and i felt really drawn into the world as a result. The chemistry and tension was off the charts and i was DYING waiting for it to unfold. It was dark, with possessive soulmates and enemies to lovers, and i devoured every second of it. i am (im)patiently waiting for book 2!!

As per usual, one of the best books ever. Laura is a phenomenal author and everything she writes is fantastic. This is engaging and spicy and the world building is WONDERFUL. I can not wait to read more books from her.

Stunning. I really enjoyed this skillfully crafted plot.
Many thanks to SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book was not for me. I enjoyed the creative premise, however the lack of character development and predictability brought it down for me. Although the writing style was easy to read, I wish it was more focused on fleshing out the characters and story rather than the smut.

I had to DNF this one. The main character's inner monologue was juvenile and irritating to me. The beginning of the story seemed rushed - so convenient that she just happens to book a trip and save the plane and magically find her animal right after and then boom it's suddenly almost a completely different story.

Another hit by Laura Thalassa! Loved the tension and pacing and the characters. And can we talk about this gorgeous cover?!!!! So stunning!

A solid read.

I will say that this book is very much for a reader who is willing to leave several qualms at the door. You must be ready to accept the character and her lack of a spine as fact.

This is also not for someone who hates insta-love.

That being said, if those elements haven't scared you away, give this a shot, it was a fun, short read.

Absolutely loved this! I can't wait for book 2! Laura Thalassa has me hooked again, but that is to be expected! She is an autubuy author for me.
I love being back in the Bargainers world again and I love the new characters. The magic system, supernatural characters and fast-paced, yet, detailed storyline is so captivating!

In terms of LT's other series, I'm already enjoying this more than 'The Four Horsemen' series, but not as much as 'The Bargainer.'

I really liked the atmosphere/setting and the vast cast of different paranormal people/communities make for a diverse world. Both main characters are interesting and easy to like. And the prose is the kind of writing that is so dang easy to binge read. One second you're on the first page and suddenly it's two hours later and nearly 200 pages have flown by.

But I will say this book does a really good job at giving the reader more questions than answers. It follows the trend of leaving little bread crumbs but never the actual piece of bread, so I did get frustrated with that at times. Buuuuut it's very effective at making me eagerly wait for the next book so I can satisfy my dying curiosity.

So let's hope the next year goes by quickly!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book. Because, much like always, I took too long getting to this book, I went out an purchased a physical copy which is what I ended up reading.

Let me start by saying that I've spent the last month or so on a Laura Thalassa binge. My best friend and I decided to first read the Four Horsemen series and then we moved on to The Bargainer books in preparation for this new release. I hated the Four Horsemen series. Every single book. I think that somehow they managed to get worse and worse each book. The Bargainer series was better, but truly, not by much. So I went into this with very low expectations and I was pleasantly surprised.

I feel like I need to point out however, with that being said, that maybe it was the writing that got marginally better, or maybe it was that the cheesy sex scenes were mostly oral and all dreams, but it felt like more of a fantasy this time than a romance. And I think that's what I'd been wanting from The Bargainer series in particular. It seemed like Thalassa had used our world but with a lot of supernatural beings, conflicts, and intrigue, and I was always wanting more of that and less "young girl instantly horny for some ancient guy" kind of vibe we repeatedly got.

And while we get that here, ACTUALLY now that I'm writing that, wow... This book is nearly identical to The Bargainer in so many ways. Young girl needs to help ancient man. At some point, girl relies on guy's magic to save her because god forbid, both of these women are powerful yet neither can save themselves with their own magic. Therefore girl becomes in some way "indebted" to said guy, where ancient asshole will then use his overbearing magic and influence to force this woman that he "loves" to do whatever it is that he wants. Gross. I wish that just ONE time, we would get a story in this world where the girl chooses to love the guy freely and willingly and that her power doesn't become dependent on taking his. Give me a strong female main character and not always one that needs this old, hot, buff man to come to her rescue.

<<<<SPOILERS HERE>>>>>>

And for the love of all things holy, let her be strong enough and self aware enough JUST ONCE that she doesn't need to take his mating bond to feel like she is powerful. It was gross and overdone in The Bargainer, it was unnecessary here. Here Selene is a witch. She isn't just a supernatural sometimes or when she feels like it. She doesn't hide it like Calli. So why couldn't she just be badass because she IS. Because she's worked hard. Because she is strong and powerful and even though it's old magic, it's HER magic. I don't know, that's what I would have wanted to see here personally.

And speaking of mating bond, FOR FUCK'S SAKE, can we not? Can we just get one book, PLEASE, that isn't the dreaded "fated mates" trope. Can we get one single story where the couple chooses one another? Where they fight for each other because of love and not simply because destiny says so? I just want one time where it's consensual and they choose their relationship day in and day out and work for it, and not just that it's a bond and it's what's expected. It feels overdone and cheesy and this point. It was in all the Horsemen books. It was in The Bargainer books. It's here. I just need something different. You want me to believe this bond is rare, yet it's been so overdone in this world that I can't imagine a character appearing who didn't Awaken with a damn mating bond at this point. I'm just over it.

Another compliant that I had with this story is that while it was definitely more fantasy than the others, it was all too fast and too convenient. For example, by page forty, Selene has already started both and even completed one task to be accepted into the Henbane Coven. All conflict felt meaningless when a problem was presented, yet by the very next page, it had already been resolved. Everything just felt so rushed and as a result, none of it is memorable. When instead, it could have created tension and characters conflict if we were able to sit with it longer as readers. By page seventy, not only are both of those tasks now completed, she has also solved the mystery of the voice that had caused the plane to crash, got put into a state of sleep like the man she woke up, but she's also managed to escape said warded tomb and make it back from South America to America already. I would just say, for me personally, we just needed more time to sit with these events to make it seem more challenging, to show her growth, and to really make us care.

I will also say that I read a physical copy not the ebook and there was definitely quite a few errors still present. There are a couple cases of words missing completely, one instance that I can recall off the top of my head with something misspelled, and even one time where "exist" is spelt "exis:,". "E X I S ; ," Excuse me, what?! How did no one notice this?

I feel like I could keep being nitpicky (like Selene being twenty and telling her panther she wants to get with "boys". Ew. Or the "my panther" and "my familiar" dragging me back to the horrible overuse of "my siren" constantly), but I feel like I've said enough.

I feel like I've complained so much at this point that it's going to be hard to believe that I actually rather liked this book. I truly do think overall this book was better than all eight of the others that I have read by this author. It was fast paced and it read easily enough that once I picked it up, I was finished with it rather quickly. It also does end with an intriguing cliff hanger which has ensured that I will definitely be picking up the next book in this series.

First, I would like to acknowledge the sheer eloquence with which this book was penned. Ms. Thalassa is a master of words and a professor of the soul. I love their writing style. It's crisp enough to have you hooked since the very beginning. and, I so loved the storyline. However, without spoiling it all I can say is that there are not enough words in the english to describe how much I loved and enjoyed this book. The forbidden aspect of it makes it so angsty and entertaining. However, the cliffhanger was brutal!!
I loved it, and I just know that I will want to read it over and over again in the near future. Can’t wait for the next instalment already!

*Arc provided by Netgalley and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review.*

Disclaimer: I would read Laura's grocery receipts so I already went into this with good expectations.

Bewitched is about a young witch named Selene who loses her memory every time she uses magic. In an attempt to get into a well known coven she must go on a quest and write about the experience as part of her admissions requirements. She books a trip to South America and gets way more than she bargains for. After using her magic to survive a plane crash she accidentally awakes Memnon the Cursed. That would be bad normally except she has the added misfortune of being mistaken for his dead wife who betrayed him. Returning home she's accepted into the coven, but her position is tenuous as Memnon follows her back and witches keep showing up dead.

I loved this book. It was a super fast read and I'm so ready for the next book.

3/5 Stars

I have mixed feelings about this book. While I liked the writing ( just as I have with Laura Thalassas previous books) I found that I just couldn't fall in love with this book. I really wanted to because again the writing is good and the plot and characters were good. However this really just falls down to personal preference. I am not the biggest fan of memory loss or memory issues as part of the story. I'll admit this is my fault as I didn't really know too much going into this novel. But due to personal reasons I generally tend to avoid books that include this. That being said even with memory issues being a big part of this book I did overall enjoy myself and would absolutely recommend giving this a read,

This book had me in its grip from the get and then didn’t let up! Selene and the mystery surrounding her was enthralling and then bring in Memnon and that compounded exponentially! Sexy, mysterious, thrilling, and just a wild ride, this book was so good! I cannot wait for the next to see what the revelation at the end really meant!

Thalassa did it again, she made me fall in love with yet another series of hers. This book feels so refreshing, with the real world aspects meeting fantasy I couldn’t put it down. This story follows an immersive supernatural journey with interesting characters and even more interesting plot points. I can’t wait to see what supernatural mystery Selene is going to face next!

Selene is a witch who will do anything to enter Henbane Coven, even if it means losing your memories. With trying to get in she goes on a drinking benge, winds up in South Africa because of a crash. She is drawn to a magic presence and is thrown into situation where she meets Memnon, who thinks Selene is his wife. He becomes stalkersish and this eventually turns into an enemies to lovers book.

This wasn't the great book by Laura, the Bargainer series is a lot better. I think what threw me off the most about this book is how Memnon is able to do all this stuff, but he's been contained for thousands of years. I don't even wanna know what 2000 yr I the future would be and I would be so lost.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and author for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Holy Moly! This book took a second to get into but once it picked up I was hooked.

The story focuses on Selene, a witch who unfortunately as she uses her powers loses various memories as the price for her magic. The story kicks off with her trying to join a coven and she is forced to take trip which leads her to accidentally letting Memnon out on the world. From there chaos ensues, with Selene getting into the coven but suddenly witches start being murdered.

This book does end on a cliffhanger and I can’t wait for the next novel and novella in the series to come out.

An interesting read, but it struggles to connect both worlds. The love interest/villain doesn't seem to fit in the modern world and while this is somewhat the point, it seems like the author is deliberately leaving things out to write a male POV later on.

Witchy romance with the ultimate bad boy love interest. Selene is a young witch, longing to become part of a coven. Magic comes at a cost for all witches, but Selene has the unique problem that her magic eats her memories. Therefore, the coven questions her ability to succeed in witchcraft. She's given one shot: if she can complete a magical journey and find her familiar, she will earn her spot in the Henbane coven. On her way to South America to hopefully complete these requirements, she begins hearing a man's voice calling to her, and she's immediately drawn to him. She follows traces of his magic through the jungle, finds her familiar along the way, and ends up at a magically warded ruin. There she discovers a sarcophagus and just can't help but break it open, releasing a powerful sorcerer, Memnon. He's been asleep for centuries, and somehow thinks Selene is his queen, and the one who cursed him. Uh oh! She has earned her place in the coven, but Memnon claims that he will get his revenge. What has she set free? Who knows what form his revenge will take, and if Selene can fight it off, or if she even wants to.

Hoo boy, this was a fun one. Memnon is insanely sexy and just as evil. Selene is so drawn to him, and you can understand why, despite the absolutely terrible things he puts her through. Selene is a powerful witch, determined to use her magic no matter what it costs her. But even she's weak in the knees when it comes to love. A very hot slow burn romance ensues. I also love her relationship with her familiar Nero, and her friendship with Sybil. I'm so interested in the magic of this world, as well as Selene and Memnon's past. This ends on quite the cliffhanger, and I for one am raring for more. I will be picking up Laura Thalassa's other books for sure.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

please note that the trigger warnings and topes/themes may contain spoilers
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
FMC: Selene- a witch who has made it her life goal to be accepted into Henbane Coven. Every time she uses her magic, she loses random memories, so she needs to add an extra oomph to get the Coven to want her. To make her resume more exciting, she decides to take a last-minute trip to South America where she finds an unlikely friend, has an epic magical adventure, and follows an ethereal voice who happens to lead her to a tomb with the hottest guy she’s ever seen. The biggest problem? He wakes up and is convinced she’s his wife and is pissed at her for curing him.
MMC: Memnon- after being encased in a tomb for who-knows-how-long he is finally awoken only to find his wife to be the one who freed him and now he is set on revenge. Memnon tries to convince Selene of who she is and how they are connected but she is positive they’ve never met and have no history together. He’ll make her remember him, fall back in love, and get his revenge for cursing him.
POV: 1st person, single POV
HEA: no, cliffhanger
spice: several open-door spicy scenes and so much steam
TWs: place crash (nonfatal), memory loss, murder, using dark magic, sacrifice, kidnapping, attempted murder, mental/emotional abuse, technically non-consent vibes but I’m squinting here
standalone: book 1 in the Bewitched series
final thoughts: Oh. My. Gods. This book was so great and had me hooked from start to finish. Perfect murder mystery with an unreliable narrator and the cliffhanger left me NEEDING MORE. Book 2 is very anticipated for me. Usually, I don’t love a cliffhanger, but I do think this ended exactly how it should and leaves the next book wide open to answer so many remaining questions. This was a wonderful book with great world building, interesting characters, a strong FMC, and an absolutely swoonworthy alphahole MMC.
Not me (and the FMC) losing all sense of feminism when Memnon walks in a room…..

read this book if you love

😬 angst
🌀 plot twists
💓 kinda slowburn
💏 fated mates
💞 lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers
🧑‍🤝‍🧑 great side characters
🥰 nicknames
🫡 big MMC
🌍 world building
🤫 hidden truth/keeping secrets
🤔 very morally grey MMC
🔮 supernatural creatures- werewolves and witches
🪄 magic
💖 paranormal romance
⁉️ murder mystery
❤️‍🩹 reincarnation
🔪 touch her and die
😳 who did this to you