I need only one word to describe this book: cringe.

It feels like this book was written in 2005, and not in a good way. The POV is written from Gwendolyn's perspective (the FMC) which is trying way too hard to be cutesy and quirky. And then Graham Graves the main love interest is possessive, demanding, and overbearing. All characteristics that romance readers usually like in a broody morally gray hero, but in this book, just no. I eye-rolled, grimaced, and skimmed my way through this book, the "flirty-fight" scenes were so bad.

This witchy romance is at once trying to be magical and romantic but populated with men who literally stalk their "women", don't understand consent, treat women like objects, and speak about women as if they have no will or agency for themselves.

In some romances, the above attributes are par for the course and make sense for the characters and the context of the story (think mafia or dark romances). But this book is set in modern-day Salem and with a main character who prides herself on her capabilities and independence. So why does she let Graham literally prevent her from leaving his apartment or physically touch her when she said with no consequences? Or when they fight and she makes legitimate comments about his sketchy behavior, she gives in at the end?

The answer: because the characters are badly written. Which is a huge disappointment because this story has a lot going for it. The plot of the mystery is interesting and Gwen has hang-ups that make sense to work through in order to be in a relationship with Graham, but Graham is such a brute and Gwen has no spine that reading about their relationship is actual torture.

I can only hope the next book in the series is better, but I doubt it.

Bad Luck Charm by Julie Johnson
Book 1 of 2
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Mystery/Thriller/Witchy/Romance/Fast-Paced

arc read
pub date 8/8/2023

When this book publishes, y’all need to add it to the top of your tbr for a quick read.

Enemies to lovers full of witty banter and ✨steamy✨ romance.

The perfect romance + mystery story. Our mc Gwen is so witty and head strong, who owns a little witchy shop in Salem MA. Unfortunately someone is taking the whole Salem witchy voo-doo seriously and there’s a string of sacrificial rituals going on and Gwen ends up in the middle of it somehow.

Graham who use to be a childhood crush and is now a thriving enemy to Gwen, gets out right in the middle with her as he runs his very own private investigator company. So when I tell y’all the banter that follows up with this opposite duo, it was definitely bantering.

Even more excited with the way this story ended and we will get book 2 this winter so we can check off a few more of the plot twist!

It's not often a start a book and chuckle from start to finish!
Julie Johnson does an amazing job with Bad Luck Charm.

I was pulled right into the story and loved the witchy mystery tied in with a Romcom story. The tension and banter Between Gwen and Graham was perfect.

Gwen has her own past trauma and strives to create a life that helps her be comfortable and secure, and Graham is not something that fits in plan. In fact she avoids him as much as possible. Graham is an arrogant PI set on protecting Gwen when Salem is hit with some animal sacrifice that seems aimed at Gwen and her Occult shop.

I love me a alphahole and a snarky female lead and Johnon hit it out of the park! I can't wait for book two and our next couple that you will get a sneak peek at in the epiloge

overall a charming and witchy read albeit a little lacking in development on the romantic end, but a perfect spooky vibes read to pick up particularly around fall!

Thank you Net Galley and Johnson Ink for providing me with a copy of this book for a honest review.

“Bad Luck Charm” follows Gwen, a young woman who owns a occult shop in Salem. Following an animal sacrifice that seemed aimed at her Graham, a police consultant swears to protect her, even if they don’t like each other, or do they?

I really enjoyed the flow and writing style of this book, it was super easy to get through and engaging in a way that made me read this book in one sitting.

I enjoyed Gwen as a main character quite a bit. She’s trying her best to get through life by following a strict routine that ends up working totally against her; but she’s trying and I found her way of thinking and presenting herself super relatable. Graham on the other hand wasn’t really for me, he got on my nerves several times, but male love interest do that most times. I did find him a bit too arrogant, but his attitude and personality made the couple work for me. Honestly if Graham wasn’t like this the relationship between the two wouldn’t have been believable, so even if he’s not my cup of tea I can get behind his attitude when it comes down to Gwen’s insecurities.

The rest of the cast was quite good, too; and mysterious enough to create interest for the next books that I can’t personally can’t wait for (especially for two characters). Without spoiling anything I really liked the epilogue for this specific reason.

The ending was crazy. the plot and the turns that it takes you on were crazy. Just when I thought things were settling down, everything exploded again. It was super engaging and fun to try to figure out who’s who. I did manage to discover the big plot twist before it happened but it was still just as good.


I definitely recommend this if you’re into bossy love interests, sassy main characters, spice (medium level) and found family.

Huge thank you to Netgalley & Johnson Ink, Inc for an advanced copy of this spooky read.

For lovers of Alice Hoffman and Stephen King this is definitely for you. The story follows Gwen, a 24 year old firecracker running her late aunt’s mystic oddities shop turned half book/coffee spot. Growing up, Gwen had a rough childhood and the only escape was visiting her Aunt in the summers in Salem, Massachusetts. There she would thrive in her environment, learn the history of the town and different occult studies, as well as ride her bike down to the beach to catch the eye of “godlike” lifeguard Graham Graves. While there’s an age difference between the two, she spends her formidable teen years pining after the boy-until it all came crashing down. Now in her twenties running the shop she loathes him, only problem is that they share a set of bestfriends, so of course they’re bound to be around each other. We love a good enemies to lovers trope. Along with a whirlwind of problems and a murderer on the loose Gwen is beginning to realize not all is what she thought it was, and maybe Mr. Arrogant-Handyman- fixer Graham Graves is just what she needs to navigate her way through.

Julie Johnson is a phenomenal writer, the amount of imagery and detail she paid this book really shines through, I felt like I was in Salem, drinking a PSL at The Gallows. There was an even mix of toe curling spice & heart wrenching moments that I felt balanced out well. Not to mention the copious amounts of pop culture references that I ate up. I only deducted a partial star because I felt like at times it was incredibly cheesy, but I loved it non the less. Graham and Gwen were such a fun couple to read about, the push and pull was such a hook. I'm very glad we got the flash backs of Gwen's childhood to really understand the depth of feelings she associated with Graham and how he was a beacon of hope for her and her early years, it really made the shock of her hatred for him all the more impactful while reading. I can not wait for book two expected to print late winder 2023.

This was incredible. I loved every second of this book. It was crazy from start to finish. This is a witchy romance and murder mystery. Gwen is a occult store owner who gets roped into a murder investigation against her will, and the person she happens to be roped in by is her old childhood crush Graham Graves. Graham is a private investigator and owner of the private investigator business Gravewatch. The sexual tension and banter between Graham and Gwen was everything. The way that man chased her melted me. 😫 He never gave up on her even when he had every right to. And Gwen precious Gwen 🥹girl is going through hell and has been going through hell all her life. So happy with her happily ever after. Can’t wait for the next book in the series. Can’t recommend this book enough.

I received this book as a ARC on Netgalley and absolutely loved this book. It was so addicting I swear they coated the pages with something. I seriously could not stop reading it! Filled with so much mystery, sitting on the edge of your seat I intensity, and a slow-burn romance to beat all this book will have you hooked from page one. The chemistry between Gwen and Grahm is to die for and wish more books were like this. Though frustrating it was that it took so long for them to get together it was all so worth the wait for when they finally did. I loved all the characters, it was fun and exciting, and though a romance the story had way more to it then that. If you love grumpy sunshine, witchy reads, opposites attract, and a bit of murder mystery then this book is definitely for you!

This was such a fun and charming cozy mystery and romance. This was very well balanced between the mystery and the romance, where neither one overpowered or detracted from the other, which was very nice.

We are following Gwen who returned to Salem, MA two years ago when she inherited her aunt’s house and business, a charming occult store playing into the witchy vibes of the town. Gwen grew up in an unpleasant home with an abusive mother, but every summer growing up she would head to Salem to spend a few wonderful months with her aunt. Things seem to be going well until a gruesome crime is committed outside her store that points to more crimes to come. To make matters worth, her first crush and current enemy, Graham is investigating the crime.

Filled with cozy northeastern charm, found family, enemies to lovers, and humor, this book had me hooked from the first page. I was as invested in figuring out the crimes as I was in the romance. Gwen and Graham may be my favorite literary couple this year and I did not want this story to end because I could not get enough.

I COULD NOT PUT THIS DOWN. I read it in one evening because it was that good.

This was such a fun rom com with the perfect mix of witchy mystery added in. Gwen was so easy to love, the banter between her and Graham *swoon* and the spice by the end of the book 🤌🏻 I was surprised by the amount of action there was but I absolutely loved every second of it.

Ahhh I really liked this one.

Some paranormal romances are around 300 pages, cute yet spicy but short and sweet.

This one on the other hand, was around 500 pages and had such a deeply flushed out story that it is definitely a force of nature. And did I still find myself wanting to read this whole book in one sitting? I probably would have it I could! It was definitely hard to put down.

Also, there is a quote from Gwen at the beginning of each chapter and I pretty much highlighted all of them 🤣

From Gwen and the Gallows to the infamous Graham Graves, the characters in this book were just really fun to get to know.

I loved that they had this connection from childhood that reared its ugly head as adults, I love those sort of stories. And Graham’s badass protecter side was just swoon worthy.

I will 100% be reading the next standalone in this world ❤️

Graham was a little much, but I did really like Gwen and her sass and defiance. They kind of match each others stubbornness. Supernatural, witchy, and romantic. I enjoyed the small town setting. Great banter in the book. It is a tad on the longer side in overall page count.
I will post to Amazon and my instagram on release day!

What a great story! It kept you guessing guessing throughout and the spin at the end was unexpected! Looking forward to the second instalment in the series.

Some editing needed, inconsistent spelling of espresso/expresso. The writing a times was a little hard to follow with a bit of back story in the middle of the present story but it was easy enough to follow.

Overall I enjoyed the story and can't wait to see what happens next with Detective Hightower 😍

3.5 rounded up for the Gwenisms at the start of each chapter.

This is going to be a perfect romance/mystery with a smidge of supernatural read for a lot of people this year.

It's funny, Gwen is sassy and headstrong, and it has some great spooky season vibes. Graham unfortunately, is too much. Dude needs some lessons on boundaries and consent.

While I overall enjoyed the book and was entertained, this is one that wasn't written for me. Everyone has their preferences and ultra alpha, possessive, controlling men isn't one of mine.

another solid 4 stars. it was surprisingly good. with (obviously) witchy aspects plus the romance, i liked it. i wish the word “baby” was used about 50 times less but it’s fine. and the alpha maleness of graham got to be too much at times i think. overall, i really liked it and look forward to the next book.

thanks to NetGalley and publishers for this ARC.

Gwendolyn Goode is the owner of an occult shop in Salem, Massachusetts, she’s friendly, sunshine and sweetness personified.... unless it comes to Graham Graves, the attractive private investigator who Gwen had a crush on since she was 10 until she overhears him telling her best friend he thinks girls like her were freaks and didn’t want to be set up on a blind date with her and now they treat each other but ice. Gwen goes out of her way to avoid him as much as possible, but it’s kind of hard when his best friend is dating her best friend. Graham suddenly comes into her life again when she becomes the main target in a case, and this time it seems Graham is not backing down or letting her bolt from him like she normally does. Graham is here to stay and to make her finally acknowledge the chemistry between them, if she’d just give him the time or day. Gwen believes she can’t be in a long term relationship, she can’t have a serious one after her childhood, but somehow Graham wants nothing more than to prove to her that he’s here to stay, and he’s been hers since the moment he met her... he’ll just have to find a way to not only convince and prove it to Gwen but to also help her catch whoever is killing animals and people and is targeting her. This was a really sweet romance mystery story and I liked how much Graham worked towards proving Gwen that he was going to be there for her and how serious he was about their relationship. He really won her over and I thought it was really cute how hard he tried and how he did call her out on her tendencies to push people away and withholding herself from having serious relationships because of her fear of getting hurt. He really went above and beyond in getting Gwen to realize that he was very serious about her and that he cared so much. Overall, really cute!

*Thanks Netgalley and Johnson Ink, Inc. for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Bad Luck Charm is the witchy/fall read everyone has been waiting for. It’s taken its place among my favorites such as Practical Magic. The atmosphere the author brings to the town of Salem, and even Gwyn’s occult shop The Gallows. I found myself instantly transported into the setting. The imagery was rich enough to where I could picture even the last details of Gwyn’s Colonial style home. Despite the witty banter and anecdotes that Gwyn provides, it does explore some darker themes so beware. But do to the lightheartedness of our characters it definitely keeps our book more balanced.
Let’s get into our characters. Gwyn is one of my favorite main characters. She’s strong and defiant in the best possible way. Even more than this, she has jokes for days. If you are looking for a main character packed with sarcasm and sass, she’s your girl. On top of all of this she’s the most stubborn and fearless heroine in all of Salem. Despite all of this she has a penchant for keeping her walls up, thus causing every single page to be another layer of her peeling back to expose more.
When it comes to Graham Graves there is a lot to be said. I found myself blushing and kicking my feet like a little girl throughout the whole novel. The man knows how to make a girl swoon. He is the typical protective guy in a romance but it’s not unflattering in this story. If you think Gwyn is stubborn then Graham is her perfect counterpart. He doesn’t know how to take no for an answer and will not be cast aside. On top of being a swoon worthy romantic, he is dedicated to those he cares about. You are guaranteed to be drooling over him by the end of the novel.
Bad Luck Charm is a funny witchy mystery that will do nothing short of taking you for every twist and turn. You will fall in love with the town of Salem and its atmospheric setting. If you add any book to your fall reads list this year it needs to be this one!

Bad Luck Charm is a delightful blend of romance, mystery, and supernatural elements that had me captivated from beginning to end. The author's skill in character building is evident, as the backstory of the characters is compelling and adds depth to the narrative. The small-town setting creates an enchanting atmosphere that further immerses the reader into the story.

The slow-burn romance was exceptionally well-done, keeping me hooked and unable to put the book down. The chemistry between the characters was palpable, and their journey towards love was both satisfying and heartwarming.

The pacing of the story was fantastic, with a perfect balance of suspense and humor. There were moments that genuinely made me laugh out loud, thanks to the clever writing and the entertaining antics of the characters. The blend of humor, suspense, and romance created a fast-paced narrative that held my attention throughout.

Overall, Bad Luck Charm is an absolutely adorable book that effortlessly combines romance, mystery, and the supernatural. It's a quick and enjoyable read that had me hooked from the very first chapter. I highly recommend it to anyone in search of a fun and entertaining story that will leave you with a smile on your face.

*Arc provided by netgalley*

5⭐️
3🌶

- witchy mystery (no actual paranormal activity)
- enemies to lovers (kind of)
- he falls first
- single pov
- First person

I am in love with this book! Set in Salem, so you know its got all the aesthetic witchy vibes going on. The writing is very descriptive, and now Salem has been added to my bucket list.
There was a great mix of spice, romance, and plot, and I already cannot wait for more from this series.

Bad Luck Charm was such a delight. Our main character, Gwendolyn, is feisty, loyal, a little bit broken, and a businessowner with impeccable fashion sense. I love her relationship with her Aunt and wished we could've gotten more scenes with them together. FLo her best friend sounds amazing and I love her and Des. Where is that book Julie?? I need to find out more about them ASAP.

Our hero is Graham, and it took me a while to warm up to him. He's kinda obnoxious, totally arrogant and very pushy. There were a couple times, that I thought he needed to back off and leave Gwen alone, but he eventually won me over...mostly. I want a book about the guys who work for Graham's PI office. They seem very interesting!

The characters did feel very realistic to me. Once I was further into the book I could see how they operated as friends, family, coworkers, and a community. Y'all the banter in this book is top notch, and the characters development and building is really admirable. I've read a few other JJ books before and this one might be my fave!

This book takes place in Salem, MA and contains a lot of witchy elements without any actual magic. Gwen runs a occult shop that she inherited but isn't a true believer in all the witchy woo-woo. Aiden is a private invetigator who is looking into some ritualistic animal sacrifices and believes the next victim will be Gwen. The mystery here is the perfect background for Gwen and Graham to move from enemies to lovers. As Halloween approaches, tensions rise as Graham tries to protect Gwen and Gwen tries to survive.