Blog Tour - Review, Nail Art, & Giveaway: The Babysitters Coven by Kate Williams

Title: The Babysitters Coven

Series: The Babysitters Coven #1

Author: Kate Williams

Publication date: September 17th 2019

Published by: Delacorte Press

Source: eARC from publisher for blog tour

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Read an excerpt HERE!

Synopsis:

Adventures in Babysitting meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer in this funny, action-packed novel about a coven of witchy babysitters who realize their calling to protect the innocent and save the world from an onslaught of evil.

Seventeen-year-old Esme Pearl has a babysitters club. She knows it's kinda lame, but what else is she supposed to do? Get a job? Gross. Besides, Esme likes babysitting, and she's good at it.

And lately Esme needs all the cash she can get, because it seems like destruction follows her wherever she goes. Let's just say she owes some people a new tree.

Enter Cassandra Heaven. She's Instagram-model hot, dresses like she found her clothes in a dumpster, and has a rebellious streak as gnarly as the cafeteria food. So why is Cassandra willing to do anything, even take on a potty-training two-year-old, to join Esme's babysitters club?

The answer lies in a mysterious note Cassandra's mother left her: "Find the babysitters. Love, Mom."

Turns out, Esme and Cassandra have more in common than they think, and they're about to discover what being a babysitter really means: a heroic lineage of superpowers, magic rituals, and saving the innocent from seriously terrifying evil. And all before the parents get home.

My rating: ★★★★★
As soon as I came across this book and read the synopsis I knew I needed to have it in my brain asap! I mean, magical, protective, babysitters? Umm, yes please! And it did not disappoint! It was so much fun!

Review: You May Now Kill the Bride (Return to Fear Street #1) by R.L. Stine

Title: You May Now Kill the Bride

Series: Return to Fear Street #1

Author: R.L. Stine

Publication date: July 2018

Published by: HarperTeen

Source: Paperback won in giveaway

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Synopsis: Two sisters, divided by time. Each with a terrible resentment she can barely contain.

Two Fear family weddings, decades apart... Each bride will find that the ancient curse that haunts the Fears LIVES ON. It feeds off the evil that courses through their blood. It takes its toll in unexpected ways, and allows dark history to repeat itself.

In this all-new Fear Street story, family ties bind sisters together—till DEATH do they part.

My rating: ★★★★★
So I actually really, really loved this! I say this because that last Fear Street series, the Fear Street Relaunch, was, overall underwhelming. I loved the original Fear Street series so I was looking forward to that relaunch, but it was just... okay. This book however, it was good! This is looking to be a very promising reboot!

Literary Nails: The Book of Shadows from Charmed!

We're getting a little witchy in today's bookish nail art which was inspired by an actual (fictional) book! The Book of Shadows from the TV show Charmed!



Is that cheating, since these posts are dedicated to nail art inspired by, well, books I read? No, not really 😉 I mean, there are Charmed books (novelizations I believe is the term. Lol). I've read one and I have another that I haven't read yet.

Anyway, I LOVE Charmed! It's one of my favorite TV shows and I re-watch it ALL the time! And if you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it! Especially for this time of year, and especially if you're not into horror. There's a lot of magic and girl power and it's just so much fun!

Review: Hocus Pocus & The All New Sequel by A.W. Jantha

Title: Hocus Pocus & The All New Sequel

Author: A.W. Jantha

Publication date: July 10th 2018

Published by: Freeform

Source: e-ARC from publishers via Netgalley

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Buy it: Amazon

Synopsis:

Hocus Pocus is beloved by Halloween enthusiasts all over the world. Diving once more into the world of witches, this electrifying two-part young adult novel, released on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the 1993 film, marks a new era of Hocus Pocus. Fans will be spellbound by a fresh retelling of the original film, followed by the all-new sequel that continues the story with the next generation of Salem teens.

Shortly after moving from California to Salem, Massachusetts, Max Dennison finds himself in hot water when he accidentally releases a coven of witches, the Sanderson sisters, from the afterlife. Max, his sister, and his new friends (human and otherwise) must find a way to stop the witches from carrying out their evil plan and remaining on earth to torment Salem for all eternity.

Twenty-five years later, Max and Allison's seventeen-year-old daughter, Poppy, finds herself face-to-face with the Sanderson sisters in all their sinister glory. When Halloween celebrations don't quite go as planned, it's a race against time as Poppy and her friends fight to save her family and all of Salem from the witches' latest death-defying scheme.

My rating: ★★★☆☆
I absolutely adore the Hocus Pocus movie! It is such a classic Halloween movie and you bet I watch it every single year!

So, because of this, I was super excited to read this book! Unfortunately it fell kind of... flat.

Review: How I Magically Messed Up My Life in Four Friggin' Days (The Tale of Bryant Adams #1) by Megan O'Russell

Title: How I Magically Messed Up My Life in Four Friggin' Days

Series: The Tale of Bryant Adams #1

Author: Megan O'Russell

Publication date: August 2017

Published by: Curiosity Quills Press

Source: For review from Xpresso Book Tours

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Buy it: Amazon

Synopsis:

Ever wanted to grow a five-story tall flower in central park? How about fight a deadly battle under the subway tunnels of Manhattan?

Don't worry. I never wanted to either. But if you're ever being chased by ladies made of mist and you have to save the girl with the sparkly eyes you've never had the guts to say actual words to, there's an app for that.

I found a magic cell phone, opened an app I shouldn't have, burned down the set shop for my high school's theatre, and it was all downhill from there. A drag queen seer who lives under a bridge is my only hope for keeping my mom alive, and I think the cops might be after me for destroying my dad's penthouse.

But it gets better! Now I'm stuck being the sidekick to the guy who got me into this mess in the first place. It'll be a miracle if I survive until Monday.

My rating: ★★★★☆
The title of this book is what initially caught my attention, obviously, but it also sounded really fun! I loved the idea of a magical phone, and someone who knows zero about magic finds it and inadvertently uses it. It made for some pretty funny, magical situations. I really liked the magic usage in this book, and I just love magic in general! And it was an interesting story, too! All this craziness happens because Bryant found a cellphone, and he’s suddenly thrust into a magical world and is being stalked by an evil wizard trying to kill him for “stealing” his phone.

Review: Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices #3) by Cassandra Clare

Title: Clockwork Princess

Series: The Infernal Devices #3

Previous books in this series: Clockwork Angel #1 | Clockwork Prince #2

Author: Cassandra Clare

Publication date: March 2013

Published by: Margaret K. McElderry

Source: Own hardcover

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Synopsis:

Danger and betrayal, secrets and enchantment in the breathtaking conclusion to the Infernal Devices trilogy.

Tessa Gray should be happy - aren't all brides happy?
Yet as she prepares for her wedding, a net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute.
A new demon appears, one linked by blood and secrecy to Mortmain, the man who plans to use his army of pitiless automatons, the Infernal Devices, to destroy the Shadowhunters. Mortmain needs only one last item to complete his plan. He needs Tessa. And Jem and Will, the boys who lay equal claim to Tessa's heart, will do anything to save her.

My rating: ★★★★★
This book—it just broke my heart and soul... but I still loved it! Not the hurting... the book. Lol. It just broke my heart so many times, and yet, I still love it... and I also still feel like crying everytime I think about it 😢 If I had to describe this book with one gif this is literally it:

Review: Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices #2) by Cassandra Clare

Title: Clockwork Prince

Series: The Infernal Devices #2

Previous book in this series: Clockwork Angel

Author: Cassandra Clare

Publication date: December 2011

Published by: Margaret K. McElderry

Source: Own Hardcover

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Synopsis:

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street—and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa’s powers for his own dark ends.

With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister’s war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move—and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, but her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will—the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?

As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

My rating: ★★★★★

Tessa’s brother, Nate, had once promised her everything in London—a new beginning, a wonderful place to live, a city of soaring buildings and gorgeous parks. What Tessa had found instead was horror and betrayal, and danger beyond anything she could have imagined.

The Shadowhunters of London are still out looking for Mortmain and stop him from achieving his plan with the Internal Devices. However, what they have found is even more betrayal.

I love this series, but the love triangle just hurts my soul so much! You all know how much I despise love triangles, they are messy, and the one in this one..

Review: Pink Lock Picks and Sequined Witch Hats by Carla Rehse

Title: Pink Lock Picks and Sequined Witch Hats

Series: Pink Lock Picks and Sequined Witch Hats #1

Author: Carla Rehse

Publication date: July 2017

Published by: Carla Rehse

Source: E-ARC for review from author via Netgalley

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Buy it: Amazon

Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old homecoming queen, Gracie Mason, is a budding burglar.

While attempting her inaugural break-in, Gracie blacks out and wakes up far away from the scene. It turns out she accidentally intruded on a male witch’s “circle of power,” and now she’s bonded to him for life.

Gracie quickly learns that dissolving the bond with Asher, admittedly a very handsome and charming witch, is more complicated than she initially thought. To break the bond, Gracie must delve deeper into a society of witches that involves a secret club, a shadowy council, and all sorts of magical mischief. And right when it seems things can’t get any worse, witches start turning up dead.

It’s clear that Gracie is out of her depth as her quest to sever the bond magically turns into a murder investigation. But if Gracie and Asher don’t quickly uncover the killer, they might be next on the list.

My rating: ★★★★☆

“Just boy troubles.”
That sounds far simpler than the truth that I've had a crush on my almost stepbrother for several months, which led me to try to commit burglary, but instead I've somehow become shackled to an honest-to-goodness witch.

We all know how much I love magic and witches. And this book—I really liked!

Review: Roar (Stormheart #1) by Cora Carmack

Title: Roar

Series: Stormheart #1

Author: Cora Carmack

Publication date: June 2017

Published by: Tor Teen

Source: Library book

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Buy it: Amazon

Synopsis:

In a land ruled and shaped by violent magical storms, power lies with those who control them.

Aurora Pavan comes from one of the oldest Stormling families in existence. Long ago, the ungifted pledged fealty and service to her family in exchange for safe haven, and a kingdom was carved out from the wildlands and sustained by magic capable of repelling the world’s deadliest foes. As the sole heir of Pavan, Aurora’s been groomed to be the perfect queen. She’s intelligent and brave and honorable. But she’s yet to show any trace of the magic she’ll need to protect her people.

To keep her secret and save her crown, Aurora’s mother arranges for her to marry a dark and brooding Stormling prince from another kingdom. At first, the prince seems like the perfect solution to all her problems. He’ll guarantee her spot as the next queen and be the champion her people need to remain safe. But the more secrets Aurora uncovers about him, the more a future with him frightens her. When she dons a disguise and sneaks out of the palace one night to spy on him, she stumbles upon a black market dealing in the very thing she lacks—storm magic. And the people selling it? They’re not Stormlings. They’re storm hunters.

Legend says that her ancestors first gained their magic by facing a storm and stealing part of its essence. And when a handsome young storm hunter reveals he was born without magic, but possesses it now, Aurora realizes there’s a third option for her future besides ruin or marriage.

She might not have magic now, but she can steal it if she’s brave enough.

Challenge a tempest. Survive it. And you become its master.

My rating: ★★☆☆☆
I really wanted to like you Roar, I really did. But gods, you were just not for me. I admit, Fantasy is not really my thing to start with, but I do enjoy a good Fantasy novel on the rare occasion. This particular book was a group read for a Goodreads group I’m part of, and this one did sound interesting to me! I loved the premise of storms ravaging the lands and demigod-like, superpowered humans able to dissipate said storms. These people are usually royalty, but our protagonist, who is a princess, actually has no signs of having any abilities! Sign me up for that, please! But, um, no. While I did enjoy some aspects of the book, overall I ended up just not liking it as much as I was hoping. So prepare yourselves, grab yourself some popcorn and have a seat, because this is gonna be a long one!

Cover Reveal: Spell Book & Scandal by Jen McConnel

Today I've got a witchy cover reveal for you! Enjoy!

Review: Spirit and Dust (Goodnight Family #2) by Rosemary Clement-Moore

Title: Spirit and Dust

Series: Goodnight Family #2

Previous book in this series: Texas Gothic

Author: Rosemary Clement-Moore

Publication date: May 2013

Published by: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Source: Owned paperback

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Synopsis:

Daisy Goodnight can speak to the dead. It’s not the result of a head injury or some near-death experience. She was just born that way. And she’s really good at it. Good enough to help the police solve the occasional homicide.

But helping the local authorities clear cold cases is one thing. Being whisked out of chemistry class by the FBI and flown to the scene of a murder/kidnapping in Minnesota? That’s the real deal.

Before the promotion can go to Daisy’s head, she’s up to her neck in trouble. The spirits are talking, and they’re terrified. There’s a real living girl in danger. And when Daisy is kidnapped by a crime boss with no scruples about using magic—and Daisy—to get what he wants, it looks like hers is the next soul on the line.

My rating: ★★★★☆
Cousin Daisy is back, and this time in her own book! We saw a bit of her and her awesome ghost-related powers in Texas Gothic, and we a lot more of that in this one!

Review: Texas Gothic (Goodnight Family #1) by Rosemary Clement-Moore

Title: Texas Gothic

Series: Goodnight Family #1

Author: Rosemary Clement-Moore

Publication date: July 2011

Published by: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Source: Owned paperback

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Synopsis:

Amy Goodnight knows that the world isn't as simple as it seems—she grew up surrounded by household spells and benevolent ghosts. But she also understands that "normal" doesn't mix with magic, and she's worked hard to build a wall between the two worlds. Not only to protect any hope of ever having a normal life.

Ranch-sitting for her aunt in Texas should be exactly that. Good old ordinary, uneventful hard work. Only, Amy and her sister, Phin, aren't alone. There's someone in the house with them—and it's not the living, breathing, amazingly hot cowboy from the ranch next door.

It's a ghost, and it's more powerful than the Goodnights and all their protective spells combined. It wants something from Amy, and none of her carefully built defenses can hold it back.

This is the summer when the wall between Amy's worlds is going to come crashing down.

My rating: ★★★★☆
Amy and her older sister Phin are ranch-sitting for one of their aunts. However, they soon find themselves being haunted by a ghost in the house—and it’s not their late Uncle Burt. But not only that, the girls are also thrown into the middle of a potential murder AND a treasure hunt! Believe it or not, all of this is connected, and it was really fun to see how it all fit together.

Review: Seriously Wicked by Tina Connolly

Title: Seriously Wicked

Series: Seriously Wicked #1

Author: Tina Connolly

Publication date: May 2015

Published by: Tor Teen

Source: Own Hardcover

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Synopsis:

The only thing worse than being a witch is living with one.

Camellia’s adopted mother wants Cam to grow up to be just like her. Problem is, Mom’s a seriously wicked witch.

Cam’s used to stopping the witch’s crazy schemes for world domination. But when the witch summons a demon, he gets loose—and into Devon, the cute new boy at school.

Now Cam’s suddenly got bigger problems than passing Algebra. Her friends are getting zombiefied. Their dragon is tired of hiding in the RV garage. For being a shy boy-band boy, Devon is sure kissing a bunch of girls. And a phoenix hidden in the school is going to explode on the night of the Halloween Dance.

To stop the demon before he destroys Devon’s soul, Cam might have to try a spell of her own. But if she’s willing to work spells like the witch...will that mean she’s wicked too?

My rating: ★★★★☆
Seriously Wicked was a fun, light-hearted, cute, quirky read with a good dose of magic thrown in! And you all know how much I love me some magical, witchy reads! I loved this book’s take on witches—the whole magical aspect was really cool and well explained. Plus, it has a super cute cover that is actually what caught my attention in the first place!

Review: Enchantment (Channie #1) by Charlotte Abel

Title: Enchantment

Series: Channie #1

Author: Charlotte Abel

Publication date: June 2011

Published by: Charlotte Abel

Source: Amazon Freebie

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Synopsis:

While other girls are wearing push-up bras, Channie Belks is trying to hide the fact she's a witch.

Sorta hard to do after her parents slap a chastity curse on her for flirting with "dirty-minded, non-magical, city-boys." She can't even walk by a hot guy without zapping him.

There's a way to break the curse; but one mistake could kill her. It's not worth the risk ... until she meets Josh.

Suddenly, the threat of death isn't such a deal-breaker.

My rating: ★☆☆☆☆
Channie grew up in a magical community, up until her father’s gambling problem forces them to flee and live among the “Magically Disabled,” that is. And now Channie must hide the fact that she is a witch.

Review: Glimmer by Phoebe Kitanidis

Title: Glimmer

Author: Phoebe Kitanidis

Publication date: April 2012

Published by: Balzer + Bray

Source: Own Hardcover

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Synopsis:

When Marshall King and Elyse Alton suddenly wake up tangled in each other's arms with zero memory of how they got there or even who they are, it's the start of a long journey through their separate pasts and shared future.

Terrified by their amnesia, Marshall and Elyse make a pact to work together to find the answers that could restore their missing memories. As they piece together clues about their lives, they discover that they're in the idyllic mountain resort town of Summer Falls. Everyone seems happy there, but as Marshall and Elyse quickly learn, darkness lurks beneath the town's perfect facade. Not only is the town haunted by sinister ghosts, but none of its living inhabitants retain bad memories of anything—not the death of Marshall's mom, not the hidden violence in Elyse's family, not even the day-to-day anguish of being a high schooler.

Lonely in this world of happy zombies, Marshall and Elyse fall into an intense relationship founded on their mutual quest for truth. But the secrets they're trying to uncover could be the death of this budding love affair—and of everyone, and everything, they love in Summer Falls.

My rating: ★★★★☆
Two strangers wake up naked in bed with no recollection of how they got there. In fact, they don’t even know who they are! As they unravel the mystery, they figure out that they live in the picture perfect town of Summer Falls.

...general laid-back vacation culture has led to tourists comparing visiting the town to being high on a pleasant and relaxing drug...

DNF Reviews: Book of Shadows (Sweep #1) by Cate Tiernan + Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk

Title: Book of Shadows

Series: Sweep #1

Author: Cate Tiernan

Publication date: March 2007

Published by: Speak

Source: Borrowed

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Synopsis:

Morgan and her best friend, Bree, are introduced to Wicca when a gorgeous senior named Cal invites them to join his new coven. Morgan falls for Cal immediately and discovers that she has strong, inexplicable powers.

My rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
For some reason I don't remember this book keeping my attention, so I never finished it... that and because I was borrowing it from my friend who had checked it out of the library and it was due soon, lol.

Review: Spell Bound (Hex Hall #3) by Rachel Hawkins

Title: Spell Bound

Series: Hex Hall #3

Previous books in this series: Hex Hall (#1) | Demonglass (#2)

Author: Rachel Hawkins

Publication date: March 2012

Published by: Disney Hyperion

Source: Library book

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Synopsis:

Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away. Now Sophie is defenseless, alone, and at the mercy of her sworn enemies—the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down the Prodigium. Or at least that’s what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery. The Brannicks know an epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful enough to stop the world from ending. But without her magic, Sophie isn’t as confident.

Sophie’s bound for one hell of a ride—can she get her powers back before it’s too late?

My rating: ★★★★☆
I love anything witchy and magical, and Spell Bound was just a fun read! This whole series was amazing! Snarky Sophie and swoon-worthy Archer... LOVE! There were a lot of surprising twists and turns in the story, which I loved. And it was just a fantastic ending to the series, but it makes me sad! *cries*

Review: The Dead Boyfriend (Fear Street Relaunch #5) by R.L. Stine

Title: The Dead Boyfriend

Series: Fear Street Relaunch #5

Previous books in the relaunch: Party Games (#1) | Don't Stay Up Late (#2) | The Lost Girl (#3) | Can You Keep a Secret? (#4) (can be read as standalones)

Author: R.L. Stine

Publication date: September 2016

Published by: St. Martin's Griffin

Source: For review from publishers via Netgalley

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Synopsis:

R.L. Stine's Fear Street series is back, and in The Dead Boyfriend, he tells the frightening tale of teenage love - and how it can go terribly, murderously wrong.

Caitlin has never had a real boyfriend before. When she starts seeing Colin, she throws herself into the relationship with fervor. She ignores her friends who warn her that Colin may be a phony and that she is taking the whole thing too seriously. Caitlin is smitten. She doesn't care if she loses her friends. All she wants is Colin. When Caitlin approaches Colin with another girl, she completely loses it. She snaps. Everything goes red. When she comes back to her senses, she realizes that Colin is dead - and she has killed him.

But if Colin is dead, how is he staring at her across a crowded party?

My rating: ★★★☆☆
The Dead Boyfriend has such a gorgeous cover and when I first heard about it, I thought it sounded amazing! Plus, it’s freaking Fear Street! I had high hopes for this one, though I don’t know why since the relaunch, overall, has been pretty meh.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #71

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Book Journey.

[Images take you to books' Goodreads page!]

Blog Tour - Review + Giveaway: Blackheath by Gabriella Lepore

Title: Blackheath

Series: Blackheath #1

Author: Gabriella Lepore

Publication date: December 2015

Published by: Of Tomes Publishing

Source: For review from Xpresso Book Tours

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Buy it: Amazon

Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Maggie Ellmes is dogged by a case of chronic bad luck. She figures that’s just her lot in life—that is, until the psychic at Blackheath’s annual carnival reveals that Maggie’s problems are caused by more than just ordinary misfortune; she’s actually been cursed.

Desperate to shake the hex, Maggie has no choice but to seek out the help of Joel Tomlins, a rebellious classmate who’s descended from Blackheath’s most powerful line of witches. After breaking all of his coven’s conventions to help her, Joel discovers that the curse isn’t as bad as Maggie fears. In fact, it’s much, much worse.

My rating: ★★★★★
I love witchy, magical books, so this was right up my alley. And Blackheath--words cannot describe how much I loved this book!