this was even better than the first book which i didn’t know was possible. so cute, funny, and creative.

Reluctant Witch by Melissa Marr is a fast-paced, magical adventure filled with suspense, romance, and supernatural intrigue. The story follows a young woman forced to embrace her hidden powers while navigating dangerous foes and unexpected alliances. Perfect for fans of modern witchy tales with a mix of action and emotion.

Well this is perfect. A perfect follow-up. A perfectly magical read. A perfect example of representation! I devoured this book and cannot wait to buy it myself!

This just went...nowhere. I loved the first book, Crenshaw was an amazing setting but the memory loss just fizzled out of importance and it made everything else suffer.

While I enjoyed the first one a bit more, this final installment was still very good and wrapped the story up nicely. I liked how it picked up directly where it left off and felt more like a continuation of the first rather than a standalone. The characters were likeable and funny and I was rooting for them to figure it out. I enjoy the fact that the characters are diverse and that there is LGBTQ representation.

Thanks for allowing me to read it early.

Thank you, NetGalley and Bramble, for the ARC of this book. The second in the series by Melissa Marr picks up right after the dramatic ending of the first book, Remedial Magic. I found the first book was interesting because of the development of the world the characters were thrown into. There was a lot of action and magical development. There was strong tension and drama. Unfortunately, I just didn't feel the same about the second book, Reluctant Witch.

The opening scene was a bit confusing because I don't think the motivation was clear. The main conflict throughout the story seemed to be focused on whether Ellie and Maggie would remember the memories stolen from them and, I suppose, how that would influence their current relationships. But that was never a big enough pull to carry all the way through the storyline. Also the biggest issue of the first book was like no big deal in the second one. I considered DNF-ing this but wanted to see it through to the end in case the final conflict was worth the time. Sadly is wasn't. Kind of a let down.

Having said that, it's clear Melissa Marr is good at creating worlds and dialog and character development. I think this one could have benefited from a good developmental edit, however.

I’m not sure who the target audience is for this but it isn’t me. Pacing was off, characters seemed a little shallow for my taste. Oh well, worth a shot!

Reluctant Witch picks up right where Remedial Magic left off in this second installment of a duology. We follow Ellie and Maggie as their memories have been erased and are trying to settle into married life in Crenshaw. Crenshaw is still in great distress though, due to an ever-widening rift. As Ellie and Maggie work on getting back their memories and reconciling differences in their respective budding relationships, they get pulled even further into the midst of the fight between witches and even turn out to be key players in the resolution of all this chaos.
This book, much like its predecessor, was a bit of a miss for me. Much of the plot and conflict is based on ideas of consent, and the author seems to take a clear stance on how necessary informed consent is in all situations but then places most of her characters in very contrived-feeling instances of dubious consent. Because of this, the messaging felt a little muddled for me. The cast of characters is fun and diverse, and I enjoyed how fleshed out all of these side characters felt to the reader. The setting is also very cozy and gives academia vibes, which will appeal to a wide array of readers. Overall, there is a specific type of reader I would recommend this novel to, and I would be sure to give trigger warnings.

I think this will be a great title for the LGBTQ readers. It has interesting characters and a good storyline. I would definitely read the first book before this but it's worth the read for those who would enjoy this series.

This was an interesting continuation of their stories. As they navigate their fake marriage and realize that it isn't at all what it seems, so many secrets are revealed in a dark and magical way.