I received an eARC of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is like a life-raft to me right now. I seem to be sliding into a book slump and this book is such a comforting read that I had no choice but to give it 5 stars. I love the town of Thistle Grove and have ever since book one. The Avramov family is honestly my favorite in this universe so I am so happy to revisit their family in this book with Dasha Avramov. I will say that the reunion of Dasha and Ivy felt a bit rushed, which I get but I also feel like there was more growth we could've seen there. I am very intrigued with Dasha's niece Kira and her abilities as they pertain to Maya. We learn more about Belisama in this book and her counterpart. '"Toxic relationships," Emmy quipped, arching an eyebrow. "Even the gods have them."' I hope we get more books from this series because it feels like each one I read leaves me with questions about different characters at the end and their potential future relationships.

This book is the last one in the Witches of Thistle Grove series, featuring the four founding families we’ve gotten to know over the years, the Harlows, the Abramovs, the Thorns, and the Blackmoores.

Dasha is a member of both the Abramov and Harlow families. She’s a devil eater who must go from her world to the one across the veil. It’s a dangerous place for her, it appeals to her dark side and the depression and grief Dasha has lived with since her mother’s death.

When a demon threatens both the town, and the Lady of the Lake that holds the town’s magic, Dasha must save them by taking another trip across the veil, not knowing what she might find.

I enjoyed the second chance romance sub plot with Dasha and Ivy. Their chemistry is strong and I was rooting for their HEA. Ivy is the sunshine to Dasha’s darkness.

I’m going to miss this series but I’m sure there Lana Harper has exciting books to come!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley, I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you so much to Berkley for the widget for Rise and Divine! These are all my honest thoughts and opinions on the e-arc that I read!

*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚

Oh my goodness! What a fun and emotional read! I've been slowly stepping into the world of Rom-Coms and witchy/paranormal Rom-Coms have been my entryway to the genre. This one did not disappoint and if anything, its given me a high bar of expectation for the rest of the genre! I'm definitely going to need to go back now and pick up all the other The Witches of Thistle Grove titles.

Overall, this was a delightful story that pulled me in very quickly. Lana does a wonderful job setting the atmosphere of her town and this story—cozy Fall vibes with a slightly spooky undertone. It's got me itching HARD for Fall to roll in! As someone who is currently going through the grief of loss, I related incredibly hard to Dasha. I thought she was excellently written. Her themes of grief, trauma, and addiction were handled with exquisite care.

The overarching plot of the story had me—hook, line, and sinker. Any time I had to put the book down, the story ended up staying with me, hanging over me like the ectoplasm Dasha and her family works with. It had me rushing to get back to the story to find out more of what exactly is going on in Thistle Grove. Lana Harper really knows how to tease you with just the right amount of almost answers so that when the reveals hit, they are spine-tingling shocking.

I adored with re-discovery of Ivy and Dasha's relationship. It never really felt all that forced, but I do have a feeling that if the supernatural forces that threatened Thistle Grove never appeared, the two may have never reconnected or it would have taken a much longer period of time. This wasn't the super swoony kind of romance I expected from a Rom-Com. It was... just real. Full of hard conversations, impulsive decisions, and sweet moments of rediscovering each other.

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄:
☆ "Third-time's-a-charm" Romance
☆ Grief, Trauma, and Addiction Representation
☆ Excellent Banter
☆ Witches galore!
☆ Cozy beginning-of-Fall vibes
☆ Small Town vibes
☆ Sapphic Romance

Overall, this was a fabulous story and I would like 100 more please. Highly recommend!

I’m just not ready to say goodbye to Thistle Grove.

Ever since the release of Payback is a Witch, back in 2021, I have looked forward to the next book in this series. They have all the coziness of a Hallmark holiday movie. The witchy vibes are off the charts - obviously, it’s a series about witches - and all the romances were distinct, even though they were mostly happening in and among the town’s four prominent magical families. That all comes to an end, though, with the release of Rise and Divine, the fifth and final book in Lana Harper’s series.

Though all the books are related by virtue of sharing a location and a supporting cast. Rise and Divine feels like a direct sequel to In Charm’s Way, leaning more heavily on the events of that book where Delilah’s best friend Ivy is concerned, and the nature of her relationship with Dasha Aramov, who also played a prominent role there.

Dasha and Ivy’s story is a second chance romance, and a delightful one at that, but Rise and Divine feels so much bigger than the small-town romance the Thistle Grove series used to be. The stakes are unbelievably, supernaturally high, but not in a way that feels unnatural for the series. In retrospect, you can see the story getting bigger and bigger, growing to the point where this conclusion feels like a completely natural one.

I’m going to miss this series. I’m going to miss these characters. But if you have to go out, you might as well go out on a high like Rise and Divine.

Rise and Divine hits shelves on August 20. Special thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the advance copy for review purposes

“… ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ᴄᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴄʜᴇᴇsʏ sʜɪᴛ ᴏᴜᴛ, ɪ’ᴍ ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴋɪss ɪᴛ ʀɪɢʜᴛ ᴏғғ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴄᴏʀɴʏ ᴍᴏᴜᴛʜ,”

Q: Are you ready for fall/Halloween?
This book has me craving fall and all things Halloween! This was such a fun read but it also tackled some pretty heavy topics. So a huge shout out to @lanalyte for writing a book that was both comforting and healing.

Dasha was such a sympathetic character, I’ve been through a grief that was absolutely debilitating so I very much resonated with certain aspects of her. Also! She is super sarcastic and funny and the relationship she has with her sister and stepmom made me kick my feet in pure joy. Watching Dasha take accountability for her actions and try to win back Ivy was just 🥹❤️

I also gotta say I liked Ivy. She didn’t just go running back to Dasha but really made her work for it and I think it was good for both of them!!

I’d definitely recommend this to my witchy, Halloween romance lovers!!

A big thank you to the author, @netgalley and @berkleypub for a copy of this book! I thoroughly enjoyed it!!

The fifth and final addition to the Thistle Grove witches does not disappoint. Dasha Avramov is a devil-eater, someone who can swallow demons whole and negate their abilities. Despite her unique and supportive family, she feels drawn to the other side, where all the life she has feels like a drug. When Ivy Thorn returns in her path, Dasha must figure out of she wants to be in the land of the living or the land of the dead. Not to mention, a weird apparition has starting showing up at the major town events, and Dasha may be the only one able to stop them.

This whole series has been both the comfort of a small town and several families and a wild ride of romance, magic, and mischief. I adored this final part in the series, the culminating factor. After meeting Ivy and Dasha in several other of our series, it was wonderful to get to meet and really delve deep into them. Their third chance romance is really lovely, albeit a smidge rushed.

Overall, a stunning read and an amazing ending to the series.

Rise and Divine is the fifth and final novel in Lana Harper's Witches of Thistle Grove Series. I had previously read the others in the series and enjoyed them all. They each feature a romance centered around a woman who is part of one of the four witch family's that settled Thistle Grove and draw power from the magical lake that is found there. The books can be enjoyed individually, but since there are parts of the overall back story revealed over time, I would recommend reading them in order.

The books feature many LGBTQ characters and in this case focuses on the relationship between two women one, Ivy, from the Thorn family whose magic comes from nature and life and the other Dasha, who is a "devil eater" from the necromancing Avramov family. The novel picks up after a previous romance between the two failed after Dasha's depression led her to pull away into a limbo other realm. Now an ancient menace is growing in strength and Dasha may be the only one to be able to save Thistle Grove, but who will save Dasha?

This is good, deep, heartfelt, dark in some areas.
It’s a well rounded book.
You are entertained the entire time, and you will definitely enjoy it if you have enjoyed the others! ◡̈

A fun, cozy, witchy romance. The perfect read for fall as we get into the Halloween season. This was my first read in the Witches of Thistle Grove series, but I'll definitely be going back for more. Empathetic characters draw you right into this paranormal romance story.

I can’t believe I read this series backward, but I realized it was too late. I usually avoid diving too deep into researching books because I want to fully enjoy and be surprised by them. I was intrigued after reading the excerpt of Rise and Divine. It screamed cozy and witchy for me, perfect for the fall. I own Payback is a Witch, but I haven’t read it yet. I was hoping to get around to it towards the fall since it gave me a sense of a cozy read with a warm cup of hot chocolate or tea on my side. However, when I came across this book by the same author on Netgalley, I immediately jumped in for an opportunity to read this. I am immensely grateful to the author and Netgalley for providing me with an opportunity to read and review this ARC.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, even though it pains me to know I read the last book first. Knowing that now I must start over, fall in love with all the characters, the town Thistle Grove, and the magic all over again, knowing how it all ties together at the end. Even knowing that I must do all of this, it doesn’t lessen my love to the story.

The story remains significant even if you don’t read it in order. I believe it can still be enjoyed as a standalone, with its characters, town, and magic standing out regardless.

Moving past my mistake, Dasha emerges as an exceptional character. The author creates such a striking symbolism between Dasha’s unique power, which is devouring demons versus depression and grief. Depression and grief are both profound emotional states that manifest differently but are intertwined. Dasha is constantly fighting with both emotions, in other words, fighting with her demons. Every time she uses her gift, she relives her pain, the loss of her parents, and the loss of the love of her life.

Every time she passes the vail between her world and the beyond, it is a very dangerously balanced symbolism that captures the essence of suicidal ideation. Dasha’s power is depicted as a consuming force and an overwhelming burden that mirrors the internal struggle faced by those experiencing suicidal thoughts. Maybe I am reading too much into this, but that’s how I imagined Dasha in my mind, a balance of intense emotional pain and a desire for relief.

It was amazing how, through it all, she managed to move forward. Despite the heavy burden she carried, it was with the presence and encouragement of those around her that provided the lifeline she needed. Somehow, Rise and Divine provides a powerful reflection on the nature of suffering and the complex path toward asking for help and healing.

I am sad this has ended, but I am ecstatic that now I can relive it all over again, starting the series as intended.

Saying goodbye to Thistle Grove is shockingly difficult. This world has been one of my favorites to explore. Dasha and Ivy's second chance romance felt kind of rushed and like I had no reason to root for them. My favorite part of a romance is the yearning and there's just none of that here. One minute they're broken up, the next they're back together and in love. That just wasn't it for me. It's fine if a romantic subplot doesn't work but, in my opinion, since this is a romance it should be better and I'd have liked more reason for the characters to get back together

I loved Dasha and the parallels between her struggle with wanting to return to the otherside of the veil paralleled with addiction. Ivy I felt like I hardly knew and this made it hard for me to root for the romance. The whole concept of devil eating was super cool.

The world continues to be my favorite part of this series and I'm truly sad to see it go. The witchy vibes are perfect and reading this series during spooky season is a great idea. Just set expectations for the romance. If you're here for cute magical small town and witchy vibes, you'll enjoy it

In the fifth and final book in the Thistle Grove series, Rise and Divine, Lana Harper continues her ability to create enthralling and complex romances that combine magic and adventure. The story, much like the rest of the series, is immediately engaging and invests the reader into Dasha’s love life with Ivy, despite the mistakes she’s made in the past.
One of the reasons the romance is so enjoyable is that it is complex, complicated and heartbreaking at moments as you get to see how and why Dasha struggles with the relationship. While Dasha wants to revive the relationship, it’s hard for Ivy to trust her, completely reasonable and authentic. But the narrative gives a reason for the pair to work together despite their past and the story is genuinely thrilling, continuing the threads of narratives from the previous books and bringing the series to a stunning conclusion.
If you like magical witch romances of a sapphic nature, this book is a lovely read with a genuine relationship, fun adventure, and an interesting solution to the threat that Thistle Grove faces. The characters are engaging and fun with an enthralling and complex romance that will make you fall in love with the world once again. I truly love the ending to the series but wish there was more so I could continue to visit Thistle Grove

Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC!

I really love Payback’s a Witch and From Bad to Cursed. I didn’t like the next two books in this series nearly as much, and unfortunately, I did not enjoy Rise and Divine at all. I wanted so much more from the romance, and the writing style of this book made it a slog to get through.

Developing the romance was not a main focus of the book, which is not inherently bad, but this is a genre romance book and very different from the rest of the series in this way. Dasha is very concerned with getting Ivy back until she does, then her focus goes elsewhere. The reconciliation between Ivy and Dasha happens very quickly and doesn’t feel earned– it seems like they go from having extremely little to no contact with each other to a very steamy reunion. However, I felt that the chemistry between Dasha and the male demon was given more attention than Dasha and Ivy’s. I do understand that Dasha’s being attracted to the demon was a metaphor for suicidal ideation (representation which I appreciate), but I was disappointed with how much it distracted from the sapphic romance.

This may come off as a grammar-obsessed rant, so feel free to skip this section if that’s not your thing. One of the main reasons I loved Payback’s a Witch so much was Harper’s imagery and ability to stimulate every one of my senses reading about the magical town of Thistle Grove; I feel as though this quality was lost in Rise and Divine and instead get the impression that the author was just trying to meet a word count. My big issue is that if you removed every phrase beginning with the word “like,” the book would be half as short, maybe even more. In Payback’s a Witch, Harper’s use of figurative language was incredibly evocative and added to the witchy fantasy vibe, but in this book it’s distracting and repetitive past the point of overkill. Basically every other sentence excluding dialogue ends in a “like” comparison, which may not bother some but was annoying to me. Here are some examples from the uncorrected eARC:
“Her eyes had flashed mutinously between the two of us like a rebellious teen”
“trapped between the lightning strikes like prison bars”
“[the demon] paused, the smile dropping away like a husk, an awful darkness falling like a curtain across his face”
“his flawless face intoxicating and deathly as a draught of some hemlock-touched wine, those green eyes bright like emeralds. A smile curling the corners of his lips, one hand outstretched to me like a cavalier’s.”
The first part of the sentence is often descriptive enough to paint a clear picture of what is happening, so most of these piled-on comparisons are unnecessary, annoyingly repetitive, and made me lose track of what was actually happening.

Also at one point the big bad demon says the word “mille-feuille” which is absolutely bonkers.

The most memorable part of this book for me was a hilarious interaction between Emmy, Talia, and Gareth, which got me thinking that it’s about time for a reread of Payback’s a Witch.

The Thistle Grove series is one of my all time favorites, and I was beyond thrilled to get to read and review an early copy of Rise and Divine! Lana Harper has created and expanded upon a vibrant world full of cozy magic and unforgettable characters. The established lore was a perfect gateway to lead into this series finale, but much like its predecessors, Rise and Divine can be consumed as a standalone.

This was a far more introspective story than the previous Thistle Grove novels. Dasha’s grief after losing both of her parents played a huge part in her self discovery journey and her inner monologues are tinged with intense reflections on family, psyche, and love. Her coping mechanisms (or occasionally, lack thereof) are on full display, as are some of her darkest, most private thoughts. I think Harper handled these sensitive topics in a respectful and realistic manner and I held a vast amount of sympathy for Dasha. When it came to Dasha’s magical abilities, the concept of being a “devil eater” was something we had not yet encountered in the world of Thistle Grove. It sets Dasha apart from the other protagonists we’ve followed and proved to produce some of the most mystical scenes of the series. Dasha’s hypersensitivity to the other side of the veil and the demonic evils intent on ravaging Thistle Grove made for an exhilarating reading experience that kept me on the edge of my seat.

My only gripe is that while I consider this a second chance romance, it didn’t take much for Dasha and Ivy to rekindle their old flame. From the novel’s start, we are aware of Dasha and Ivy’s previous breakup and the spectacular way in which Dasha self-sabotaged their relationship. Because of this, I thought there was going to be more conflict before Ivy decided to reconcile, but she seemed to put her trust in Dasha again fairly quickly. I wanted to see a little more groveling on Dasha’s part to prove to Ivy (and readers) that she’d grown. I do adore how Lana Harper incorporates all manners of love and identity into her books and Rise and Divine is a great addition to the sapphic witchy zeitgeist. Dasha and Ivy’s spicy scenes were off the charts and I enjoyed watching them claw their way towards happiness.

I am sad to see the Thistle Grove series come to an end but it was such a pleasure to revisit the world one more time in Rise and Divine. Harper’s town of four founding witch families and their chaotic, paranormal adventures feels like curling up under a blanket on a cozy, autumn afternoon. I highly recommend adding Rise and Divine as well as the previous Thistle Grove books to your fall TBR!

Thank you Berkley Romance and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This was a fun and easy witchy read perfect for the upcoming spooky season. I enjoyed the various types of magic in the families, and the mystery and love story kept me engaged. The sapphic love story was sweet, I loved the “second chance romance” and how they openly communicated what went wrong the first time. It is always refreshing to see a love story that shows us what went wrong and how they communicated to fix it, and no pesky miscommunication trope. This is book five in a series; it is definitely better to read this if you have read the other books. Often it felt a little overwhelming with the information dumps, it was a lot of names, families, and locations to try to keep up with, which would distract me from the story. Overall it is still a good option for anyone wanting a witchy read but read the rest of the series first.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for the eARC!

I'm feeling very mixed about this addition to the Thistle Grove series, especially as the series ending. On the one hand, I still want to move to Thistle Grove. On the other hand, I did not care all that much about Dasha and Ivy...so much so that I skimmed through portions of this book in the middle. Maybe it would have benefitted from a dual POV, because Ivy seemed very one-dimensional, and Dasha is quite a heavy character to read about. I could have done with a little lightness in this book, especially since it's closing out the series.

I also wish the big baddie was introduced earlier in the series. There have been allusions to something coming - seemingly just weather-related issues, but to introduce and then resolve what seems like such a large conflict in one book made it feel not entirely fleshed out. It almost felt like Lana Harper was coming up with ideas as she went along, but looking back, it makes the series seem slightly all over the place. It felt to me like she wanted to change lore as she wrote each book, and had to cut corners to find the logic.

All in all, this was a fun series, I give so much credit to Lana Harper for creating such a lovely world that I know a lot of people would love to be made real!

I’m bias but the Avramov family are my favorite and when I read that Ms. Dasha Avramov was a D E V I L!!! E A T E R!!!! No way. No freaking way.

Dasha is a true Avramov and everything that comes with the family’s “reputation” (I mean, they are necromancers…). She has her own struggles with the events that have happened to her but she is determined to keep herself grounded to the world of the living.

Even without the love from the beautiful Ivy Thorn. But even promising to stop asking for another chance, the urge to repair what was broken between them is harder to contain as they’re forced to be partners in the festivity planning.

Hey! Remember how I mentioned devils? And eating them and all that cool sh*t? Yeah bro, that’s insane but that’s not even the best part and while I loveeeeeeee a good romance witchy book, this one was also GIVVVVVING action and chaos and hold on to your butt energy.

Ahhhhhhh a bittersweet ending to the Thistle Grove series. I freaking love these books 😭 I will have a completed set on my shelf here in the near future. I’m determined.

Thank you @lanalyte @berkleypub and @netgalley for the ARC 🥹 I absolutely voluntarily read and reviewed this book and everything is my own opinion 💖

A witch haunted by her pasts tries to save both her relationship and her town from the demons closing in. Daria "Dasha" Avramo v is a devil eater: a rare necromatic witch who can banish demons and travel through the veil. Dasha has been mourning the loss of her parents and obsessed with the world beyond the veil. She guards herself, yet she can't resist Ivy Thorn, the beautiful and wise woman who just happens to be the love of her life... that she's broken up with twice. Yet when they have to come together to work on the month long festival, Dasha is hoping to win Ivy back. You know what they say, third times the charm. But Dasha will have to finally let Ivy in and they must also stop the evil that is threatening their beloved town of Thistle Grove. This book was a nice end to the series, it dealt with a lot of grief and the characters grew. I had fun reading the series and loved meeting all the characters throughout the books. This particular book focused on grief and healing, and I liked the overall ending of it all. I'e enjoyed all the rep that Lana has written and I can't wait to see what Lana writes in the future!

Release Date: August 20,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I love the Witches of Thistle Grove series and this latest paranormal sapphic romance was no exception!! A demon eater witch who is battling an addiction to the dark side is tasked with saving her town and friends from an evil God. Great on audio narrated by Bailey Carr, this book had spice, heart and depth plus great mental health rep. HIGHLY recommended for fans of Hazel Beck and Erin Sterling. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!

*Received as a free ARC*
A bit darker than the rest of the series, but just as good! Very surprised that it was the last book. I thought for sure there was a Gareth redemption plot incoming. Nope. Oh well. It wrapped up some lose ends and touched back in with all the other pairings. A fitting conclusion.