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Bewitched #1
Bewitched
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Romantasy (2023)Come to me, Empress …
At age twenty, Selene Bowers desperately hopes to be accepted into Henbane Coven, an academy for young witches. Since one of the requirements for entry is to connect with her powers via a quest through the wilderness, Selene books a trip to South America. When a nefarious supernatural force tries to drag her plane from the sky, Selene's magic awakens to save her life―at a cost. Using her powers devours her memories, one by one.
Worse, when Selene braves the jungle and discovers the source of the attack, she finds herself awakening an ancient evil, Memnon the Cursed, who mistakes Selene for his long-dead wife. The wife who betrayed him. Selene manages to escape and begin her studies at Henbane, but when Memnon turns up at the coven and witches are found dead across campus, Selene becomes entangled in a dangerous plot. Accused of the murders on the basis of her memory loss, Selene must rely on Memnon's help for answers―and his plans for her will change everything.
At age twenty, Selene Bowers desperately hopes to be accepted into Henbane Coven, an academy for young witches. Since one of the requirements for entry is to connect with her powers via a quest through the wilderness, Selene books a trip to South America. When a nefarious supernatural force tries to drag her plane from the sky, Selene's magic awakens to save her life―at a cost. Using her powers devours her memories, one by one.
Worse, when Selene braves the jungle and discovers the source of the attack, she finds herself awakening an ancient evil, Memnon the Cursed, who mistakes Selene for his long-dead wife. The wife who betrayed him. Selene manages to escape and begin her studies at Henbane, but when Memnon turns up at the coven and witches are found dead across campus, Selene becomes entangled in a dangerous plot. Accused of the murders on the basis of her memory loss, Selene must rely on Memnon's help for answers―and his plans for her will change everything.
443 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 18, 2023
About the author
Laura Thalassa
49 books21.2k followersFound in the forest when she was young, Laura Thalassa was raised by fairies, kidnapped by werewolves, and given over to vampires as repayment for a hundred year debt. She’s been brought back to life twice, and, with a single kiss, she woke her true love from eternal sleep. She now lives happily ever after with her undead prince in a castle in the woods.
… or something like that anyway.
When not writing, Laura can be found scarfing down guacamole, hoarding chocolate for the apocalypse, or curled up on the couch with a good book.
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… or something like that anyway.
When not writing, Laura can be found scarfing down guacamole, hoarding chocolate for the apocalypse, or curled up on the couch with a good book.
Never want to miss a release? Sign up for my newsletter HERE
Like to discuss my books? Join my Facebook fan page HERE
Official Site: http://www.laurathalassa.com/
Newsletter:
https://laurathalassa.myflodesk.com/newsletter
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LauraThalassa/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LauraThalassa
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurathalassa/
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Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Laura-Thalassa/e/B00DN9YA3S/
Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/user/LauraThalassa
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,683 reviews
April 16, 2023
*slow clap* Laura has done is again. 🎉
Me: I’m a feminist 💅🏼
Me, when Memnon is on the page: what is feminism? 💀
Me: I’m a feminist 💅🏼
Me, when Memnon is on the page: what is feminism? 💀
July 8, 2023
in terms of LTs other series, im 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 youre on the first page and suddenly its 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 its very effective at making me eagerly wait for the next book so i can satisfy my dying curiosity.
so lets hope the next year goes by quickly!
thank you for the ARC, sourcebooks / bloom books.
↠ 4 stars
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 youre on the first page and suddenly its 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 its very effective at making me eagerly wait for the next book so i can satisfy my dying curiosity.
so lets hope the next year goes by quickly!
thank you for the ARC, sourcebooks / bloom books.
↠ 4 stars
May 15, 2023
I might regret this later, but man did I really enjoy this.
I have read five other books from this author and I either loved them (Rhapsodic, A Strange Hymn, and Pestilence) or I hated them (Dark Harmony and War). If you notice, there is a trend - her book series starts off really strong for me and then my enjoyment at some point plummets over a cliff. But obviously I am sucker, because here I am starting a new series by this author, and once again I am loving it. Will history repeat itself or will I be pleasantly surprised by the end of this series? Only time will tell!
One of the things I enjoyed most about this was the premise - that Selene has these magical powers, but she loses some of her memories whenever she uses magic. Now you may be thinking - why doesn't she just stop using her magic then? Well, fair question, but in her instance she doesn't get to pick which memories she loses, and because she has no way of knowing which memories she is losing in exchange for using magic, she really isn't able to mourn the loss of something she doesn't remember having in the first place. I mean, would you stop using magic powers if maybe it just meant forgetting a boring conversation you had last week? Besides, she has a simple but clever system of writing basically everything down so she will have a way to remember what is important to her, so I surprisingly sympathized with her choice to continue using magic.
There were some downsides to this book for me:
- The beginning part where Selene 'awakens' Memnon (that's not a spoiler, it's in the blurb) felt a bit rushed and disjointed from the rest of the book.
- I do wish some more secondary characters were built up beyond just the best friend, Sybil.
- I will warn you that this book ends in a cliffhanger, but it's one that makes sense, given the storyline, so I am not even really mad about it.
I have read five other books from this author and I either loved them (Rhapsodic, A Strange Hymn, and Pestilence) or I hated them (Dark Harmony and War). If you notice, there is a trend - her book series starts off really strong for me and then my enjoyment at some point plummets over a cliff. But obviously I am sucker, because here I am starting a new series by this author, and once again I am loving it. Will history repeat itself or will I be pleasantly surprised by the end of this series? Only time will tell!
One of the things I enjoyed most about this was the premise - that Selene has these magical powers, but she loses some of her memories whenever she uses magic. Now you may be thinking - why doesn't she just stop using her magic then? Well, fair question, but in her instance she doesn't get to pick which memories she loses, and because she has no way of knowing which memories she is losing in exchange for using magic, she really isn't able to mourn the loss of something she doesn't remember having in the first place. I mean, would you stop using magic powers if maybe it just meant forgetting a boring conversation you had last week? Besides, she has a simple but clever system of writing basically everything down so she will have a way to remember what is important to her, so I surprisingly sympathized with her choice to continue using magic.
There were some downsides to this book for me:
- The beginning part where Selene 'awakens' Memnon (that's not a spoiler, it's in the blurb) felt a bit rushed and disjointed from the rest of the book.
- I do wish some more secondary characters were built up beyond just the best friend, Sybil.
- I will warn you that this book ends in a cliffhanger, but it's one that makes sense, given the storyline, so I am not even really mad about it.
March 16, 2023
if a spell was needed for making it through this book, one of the ingredients would be:
"tears from a broken heart (using mine-hope they work)"
I badly wanted to like this. I mean I adore this author so of course it's a no brainer. . . Needless to say, I am disappointed. I can't even begin to tell you the emotions I've had throughout this book and the ending cliffhanger brought on something completely indescribable. Some of which is frustration, that is for sure.
I mean the blurb says it all. I don't have the capacity to summarize this book, so my recommendation is: just read the blurb.
The main characters are entirely unlikeable. Selene is naive, easily coerced, has very little self-respect, and not the most memorable character. Memnon is probably one of the worst MMC ever written. You know how in an enemies to lovers romance, when one of them does something bad, its usually redeemable? THAT IS NOT THE CASE HERE. I have read plenty enemies to lovers books and I feel like I've read it all. Different levels of groveling can usually do the trick in any one of them. Here? There is no going back from the things Memnon put Selene through. He is legitimately the definition of an asshole.
Meanwhile Selene:
"What are you doing?" I demand. I should rip his hand away. The ugly truth, however, is that I like his touch, even after all the shit he just pulled.
Um excuse me. Have some backbone, Selene! I mean the girl legitimately suffers from Stockholm syndrome nearly within a few days. This book would've been better if it was slow burn because with the amount of repetitive spice and kissing it is entirely unreasonable for the timeline and relationship status. Also, Memnon is very - touch her you die. Which for anyone that loves a possessive MMC, that is entirely acceptable and wanted. But he nearly kills the most genuine character in the book, and I just wanted to scream. If the victim was unlikeable, okay, but he was probably the best character in the book other than Selene's best friend and familiar.
A lot happens and very fast, your kind of just left hanging on throughout the ride wondering which direction its headed. There are a few scene jumps and the timeline feels rushed.
The two MCs also spend 80% of the entire book in disagreement. Selene finally gains common sense around the 84% point, then immediately loses it after seeing Memnon in a tux. . . I'm once again speechless. The switch flip between Memnon's moods. Holy gods, I could not grasp it. Talk about whiplash. Selene will no doubt have to see a therapist by the end of this series. I would've liked to see a tougher FMC.
Also, most of the spice and kissing is non-consensual but still somehow consensual that I couldn't wrap my mind around it. The number of times I asked myself, how are we supposed to even like him at this point? And if you're looking for a love confession that sets your soul on fire. You're not getting that either.
The best parts of this book are:
1. Selene's familiar.
2. Selene's best friend because she is genuinely funny and a great friend.
3. Kane. The love interest that we all would've actually liked.
The cliffhanger was shocking only because I was so wrapped up in the events of the last chapter that I was sitting there in silent shock. All I could think was, why? This book gets two stars because I am just barely hooked enough to skim read the next one to see how any of this is resolved.
"tears from a broken heart (using mine-hope they work)"
I badly wanted to like this. I mean I adore this author so of course it's a no brainer. . . Needless to say, I am disappointed. I can't even begin to tell you the emotions I've had throughout this book and the ending cliffhanger brought on something completely indescribable. Some of which is frustration, that is for sure.
I mean the blurb says it all. I don't have the capacity to summarize this book, so my recommendation is: just read the blurb.
The main characters are entirely unlikeable. Selene is naive, easily coerced, has very little self-respect, and not the most memorable character. Memnon is probably one of the worst MMC ever written. You know how in an enemies to lovers romance, when one of them does something bad, its usually redeemable? THAT IS NOT THE CASE HERE. I have read plenty enemies to lovers books and I feel like I've read it all. Different levels of groveling can usually do the trick in any one of them. Here? There is no going back from the things Memnon put Selene through. He is legitimately the definition of an asshole.
Meanwhile Selene:
"What are you doing?" I demand. I should rip his hand away. The ugly truth, however, is that I like his touch, even after all the shit he just pulled.
Um excuse me. Have some backbone, Selene! I mean the girl legitimately suffers from Stockholm syndrome nearly within a few days. This book would've been better if it was slow burn because with the amount of repetitive spice and kissing it is entirely unreasonable for the timeline and relationship status. Also, Memnon is very - touch her you die. Which for anyone that loves a possessive MMC, that is entirely acceptable and wanted. But he nearly kills the most genuine character in the book, and I just wanted to scream. If the victim was unlikeable, okay, but he was probably the best character in the book other than Selene's best friend and familiar.
A lot happens and very fast, your kind of just left hanging on throughout the ride wondering which direction its headed. There are a few scene jumps and the timeline feels rushed.
The two MCs also spend 80% of the entire book in disagreement. Selene finally gains common sense around the 84% point, then immediately loses it after seeing Memnon in a tux. . . I'm once again speechless. The switch flip between Memnon's moods. Holy gods, I could not grasp it. Talk about whiplash. Selene will no doubt have to see a therapist by the end of this series. I would've liked to see a tougher FMC.
Also, most of the spice and kissing is non-consensual but still somehow consensual that I couldn't wrap my mind around it. The number of times I asked myself, how are we supposed to even like him at this point? And if you're looking for a love confession that sets your soul on fire. You're not getting that either.
The best parts of this book are:
1. Selene's familiar.
2. Selene's best friend because she is genuinely funny and a great friend.
3. Kane. The love interest that we all would've actually liked.
The cliffhanger was shocking only because I was so wrapped up in the events of the last chapter that I was sitting there in silent shock. All I could think was, why? This book gets two stars because I am just barely hooked enough to skim read the next one to see how any of this is resolved.
June 4, 2024
this book had so much potential, sadly, it was poorly executed. I don’t like modern slang in books, especially in fantasy and this one didn’t do it for me. the writing was just a big NO.
I think the writing also made me dislike the main character; she was a bit insufferable and very annoying! please shut up in the most respectful way possible <3 I cannot count how many times I heavily sighed when she opened her mouth and said something, and her dialogue/narration did not help one bit I just had the biggest ick. I did like her friendship with sybil though, she’s a real one!
the mmc? EW. that is the only word that pops into my mind when thinking of him. he was so overly possessive in a bad way and ugh I didn’t like him! he would not leave the fmc alone and mans does not know the meaning of the word no, LEAVE HER ALONE GOSH! you are there at every waking moment of this girls life bothering her and yet when she gets attacked your whining in her mind worried about what’s going on LIKE SERIOUSLY ugh he just was not it! don’t even get me started on what he did at the end, this guy deserves to get cursed into deep sleep again and never wake up BYE.
another thing, the fmc constantly said to herself she hated this guys guts but all of that stops when he decides to kiss her and she’s all googoo eyes for him LIKE GIRL STAND UP ARE YOU FREAKING STUPID WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! there was more smut than plot. speaking of plot… where was it?
“I would rather spend a thousand lifetimes forgetting my past than spend one remembering yours.”
I think this is the only thing she said that I liked in this entire book, I’m glad she stood up for herself in this moment, the mmc had to get humbled.
I was originally going to give this one star, but I actually started enjoying the last 30% of the book so I’ll give it two and that’s me being generous mwah <3
I think the writing also made me dislike the main character; she was a bit insufferable and very annoying! please shut up in the most respectful way possible <3 I cannot count how many times I heavily sighed when she opened her mouth and said something, and her dialogue/narration did not help one bit I just had the biggest ick. I did like her friendship with sybil though, she’s a real one!
the mmc? EW. that is the only word that pops into my mind when thinking of him. he was so overly possessive in a bad way and ugh I didn’t like him! he would not leave the fmc alone and mans does not know the meaning of the word no, LEAVE HER ALONE GOSH! you are there at every waking moment of this girls life bothering her and yet when she gets attacked your whining in her mind worried about what’s going on LIKE SERIOUSLY ugh he just was not it! don’t even get me started on what he did at the end, this guy deserves to get cursed into deep sleep again and never wake up BYE.
another thing, the fmc constantly said to herself she hated this guys guts but all of that stops when he decides to kiss her and she’s all googoo eyes for him LIKE GIRL STAND UP ARE YOU FREAKING STUPID WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! there was more smut than plot. speaking of plot… where was it?
“I would rather spend a thousand lifetimes forgetting my past than spend one remembering yours.”
I think this is the only thing she said that I liked in this entire book, I’m glad she stood up for herself in this moment, the mmc had to get humbled.
I was originally going to give this one star, but I actually started enjoying the last 30% of the book so I’ll give it two and that’s me being generous mwah <3
May 7, 2023
Hell. Fuckin. Yes.
Bewitched is everything I wanted, hoped, and needed it to be! Despite trying to hold myself back, I had seriously high expectations for this book. Expectations like that are usually a recipe for disaster, but thank fuck, Laura Thalassa came through and met and exceeded those bitches!
Selene is such a fun character to follow, especially because of the fact that using magic costs her in a significant way and forces her to adjust her way of life in kind. Her determination, adaptability, and resiliency are admirable, but her sense of humor and internal dialogue are what I enjoy most about her character. I also love the way she constantly anthropomorphizes her familiar and tries to decipher what he's thinking/trying to convey during any given interaction.
Memory loss is a trope I'm a sucker for, so I enjoyed trying to figure out why Selene (possibly) did what she did in regards to her love interest, Memnon. It kept me guessing and made me ponder not just what Memnon could have done to her or others, but what she herself may be guilty of. The possibilities are endless!
If you're curious about the romance between Selene and Memnon, prepare yourself for a slowburn! There's a great reason for it, but there won't be any banging in this book. I felt compelled to share that little detail, so you know what to expect beforehand. That being said, Memnon loves the taste of both sets of Selene's lips, so you won't be completely deprived.
I don't want to say too much else about Memnon. He needs to be experienced! I've seen some controversial opinions where he's concerned, but I'm still all in when it comes to him being Selene's love interest. I'm an asshole hero/anti-hero kind of girl, so I wasn't phased by anything he did in the slightest. I can't wait to find out even more about him, his power, and his dynamic/history with Roxilana.
Speaking of love interests, Kane is a sexy, werewolf side character that plays a small role in this story, but I'm already enamored with him. I seriously need Kane to get his own book or something! I mean, I would have been down if this was MFM. That's all I'm saying.
Characters aside, my absolute favorite thing about reading this story is the feeling being in this world gave me. The witchy, magical vibes are immaculate. The setting, the atmosphere, the magic system, they're all just so fucking perfect! It totally gave me the warm and fuzzies.
Overall, Bewitched is a fantastic start to what I'm sure will be an incredible series. I'm devastated the next full length installment doesn't come out until 2024, but at least, we're getting a novella in the winter of this year. I just hope the anticipation doesn't kill me in the meantime.
Paranormal romance fans, this one's for you!
P.S. I haven't read The Unearthly or The Bargainer series, but I found out in the author's note that this book is set in the same world. Just an FYI if you're a fan of those books. I'd already planned on reading The Bargainer series, but now, I'm even more excited, and I added The Unearthly series to my TBR postmotherfuckinghaste.
Bewitched is everything I wanted, hoped, and needed it to be! Despite trying to hold myself back, I had seriously high expectations for this book. Expectations like that are usually a recipe for disaster, but thank fuck, Laura Thalassa came through and met and exceeded those bitches!
Selene is such a fun character to follow, especially because of the fact that using magic costs her in a significant way and forces her to adjust her way of life in kind. Her determination, adaptability, and resiliency are admirable, but her sense of humor and internal dialogue are what I enjoy most about her character. I also love the way she constantly anthropomorphizes her familiar and tries to decipher what he's thinking/trying to convey during any given interaction.
Memory loss is a trope I'm a sucker for, so I enjoyed trying to figure out why Selene (possibly) did what she did in regards to her love interest, Memnon. It kept me guessing and made me ponder not just what Memnon could have done to her or others, but what she herself may be guilty of. The possibilities are endless!
If you're curious about the romance between Selene and Memnon, prepare yourself for a slowburn! There's a great reason for it, but there won't be any banging in this book. I felt compelled to share that little detail, so you know what to expect beforehand. That being said, Memnon loves the taste of both sets of Selene's lips, so you won't be completely deprived.
I don't want to say too much else about Memnon. He needs to be experienced! I've seen some controversial opinions where he's concerned, but I'm still all in when it comes to him being Selene's love interest. I'm an asshole hero/anti-hero kind of girl, so I wasn't phased by anything he did in the slightest. I can't wait to find out even more about him, his power, and his dynamic/history with Roxilana.
Speaking of love interests, Kane is a sexy, werewolf side character that plays a small role in this story, but I'm already enamored with him. I seriously need Kane to get his own book or something! I mean, I would have been down if this was MFM. That's all I'm saying.
Characters aside, my absolute favorite thing about reading this story is the feeling being in this world gave me. The witchy, magical vibes are immaculate. The setting, the atmosphere, the magic system, they're all just so fucking perfect! It totally gave me the warm and fuzzies.
Overall, Bewitched is a fantastic start to what I'm sure will be an incredible series. I'm devastated the next full length installment doesn't come out until 2024, but at least, we're getting a novella in the winter of this year. I just hope the anticipation doesn't kill me in the meantime.
Paranormal romance fans, this one's for you!
P.S. I haven't read The Unearthly or The Bargainer series, but I found out in the author's note that this book is set in the same world. Just an FYI if you're a fan of those books. I'd already planned on reading The Bargainer series, but now, I'm even more excited, and I added The Unearthly series to my TBR postmotherfuckinghaste.
March 16, 2023
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC of this book for an honest review.
… Yes. This book is what I’m talking about. Laura Thalassa understood the assignment.
Picture this:
You are a beautiful, talented witch in your early twenties. You can do incredible magic, but it comes at the cost of your memories, so you have uncountable gaps in your brain and can never fully trust yourself.
You really want to join a coven, so, at their recommendation, you consider going on a trip so you can be a part of a «quest» in the wilderness. You fall asleep thinking about it, and, when you wake up the next day, you have inexplicably booked a trip to Galapagos.
On your way there, your plane is invaded by the voice of a man which only you can hear. The voice calls you an Empress, demands that you come to him and starts pulling the plane down.
You use an incredible amount of magic to safely land the plane, which means that, when you wake up after hitting your head, you have no memory of doing so.
The voice continues to call you, so you and your recently acquired familiar, a panther named Nero – no, I will not be taking questions at this time – go after it. You end up at an old mausoleum in the middle of the woods, where you find a casket.
Inside the casket, you find the body of a man who looks like he is just sleeping, but cannot wake up without magic.
So you wake him up.
Turns out, he is Memnon, a warrior king who was apparently cursed into eternal sleep by his wife, Roxilana, who he believes to be you. So, while he loves you more than anything, he will also get his revenge. One way or the other.
This is the story of Selene Bowers, the main character of Bewitched. Are you sold yet?! Because if you’re not, I feel like you might need a hug.
This book was very dark, sexy and action-packed, while also having that trademark Laura Thalassa snark and humor. As all of her main female characters, Selene was incredibly strong, confident and sure of herself. As all of her main male characters, Memnon was obstinate, manipulative and completely gone for her (even though he did also hate her).
The plot had so many moving parts, and, just when I felt like I had my bearings and I knew where this was going, the ending completely threw me off. I was so surprised and it made me so much more excited for the next book in the series.
This was very much my id book and I can’t wait to see what else this author has up her sleeve!
… Yes. This book is what I’m talking about. Laura Thalassa understood the assignment.
Picture this:
You are a beautiful, talented witch in your early twenties. You can do incredible magic, but it comes at the cost of your memories, so you have uncountable gaps in your brain and can never fully trust yourself.
You really want to join a coven, so, at their recommendation, you consider going on a trip so you can be a part of a «quest» in the wilderness. You fall asleep thinking about it, and, when you wake up the next day, you have inexplicably booked a trip to Galapagos.
On your way there, your plane is invaded by the voice of a man which only you can hear. The voice calls you an Empress, demands that you come to him and starts pulling the plane down.
You use an incredible amount of magic to safely land the plane, which means that, when you wake up after hitting your head, you have no memory of doing so.
The voice continues to call you, so you and your recently acquired familiar, a panther named Nero – no, I will not be taking questions at this time – go after it. You end up at an old mausoleum in the middle of the woods, where you find a casket.
Inside the casket, you find the body of a man who looks like he is just sleeping, but cannot wake up without magic.
So you wake him up.
Turns out, he is Memnon, a warrior king who was apparently cursed into eternal sleep by his wife, Roxilana, who he believes to be you. So, while he loves you more than anything, he will also get his revenge. One way or the other.
This is the story of Selene Bowers, the main character of Bewitched. Are you sold yet?! Because if you’re not, I feel like you might need a hug.
This book was very dark, sexy and action-packed, while also having that trademark Laura Thalassa snark and humor. As all of her main female characters, Selene was incredibly strong, confident and sure of herself. As all of her main male characters, Memnon was obstinate, manipulative and completely gone for her (even though he did also hate her).
The plot had so many moving parts, and, just when I felt like I had my bearings and I knew where this was going, the ending completely threw me off. I was so surprised and it made me so much more excited for the next book in the series.
This was very much my id book and I can’t wait to see what else this author has up her sleeve!
May 8, 2024
4.5 My Queen Stars ⭐️
Spicy Level 🌶️🌶️/5
I was really into this book for its Memento-like vibes with the notes, post-its, and overall theme of memory loss. Since Memento is one of my favourite movies because of how clever the plot twist was and how everything has to piece together I was excited to see how this similarity could be brought into this story...and oh boy was it brought because this book was exciting and I voraciously devoured it.
This follows Selene, a witch with a unique condition that feasts on her memories whenever she uses magic. So TOTAL PROBLEM when every little spell might make her forget what she ate for breakfast or how to ride a bike. It is Selene's dream to be accepted into the prestigious Henbane coven, and when her third attempt is denied she loses hope. However one of the admission witches gives her a task, if she can complete an epic magical quest and return with a witch familiar - they will let her join. Selene then embarks on a quest that involves saving a plane from a deadly crash, collecting a panther as a familiar, and mistakenly waking Memnon, a sorcerer who has been asleep for 2000 years and insists Selene is his long-lost wife and queen, the one responsible for his millennial slumber.
I love Selene's sense of humour and her internal dialogue. She had me giggling at her little observations of her environment, whether is was her mentioning cute things or thriving ecosystems in puddles of water. I also liked that at times she was a little vulgar. It was interesting how she didn't let her memory loss be seen as some debilitating condition that made her inferior and her optimism and persistence to succeed were definite drivers in her motivation to achieve what she wanted.
She felt like a person that I could talk to, a person I would love to have as a friend who would be there when needed. However, she is a little too stupid to live. It did bother me a lot that she didn't raise anything to the authorities. She just pretends nothing happens like it's all normal. There are also numerous times she could have approached them. She should have said something when she went to the crypt, but nope! Let's act like hearing voices in the Witch world is normal... (spoiler if you haven't watched Harry Potter - EVEN IN THE WIZARDING WORLD THAT'S NOT A GOOD THING) I wanted her to research Memnon to see if she could find anything about him or the supposed Roxilana. I wanted the plot to reinforce the fact that he really has been erased from everything and anything and not just believe this taken as fact because he said it.
So it felt like she was just too stubborn in her ways and because of her insistence to prove she could do anything a normal witch could do(without memory loss), she let this be detrimental as she never asks for help. At some point, it felt like we were going in circles, in circles and circles.
The relationship between Selene and Memnon plays a very fine line between insta love and instant lust. But the underlying hate does slowly grow to "love". They have extreme sexual tension and a pull that Selene keeps fighting even though it is destined in fate. She does seem to almost trust him too quickly though and doesn't seem too bothered by his extreme obsession with her and rocking up in her room randomly (I mean stalker much?).
Memnon is a delicious monster. He is dangerous, but riotously sexually appealing and knows how to lay it on thick and lay it on so perfectly. Just imagining him will make your toes curl and your hair tick up on the back of your neck as shivers take over your whole body as you feel him whispering in your ear. He was just amazing power and confidence in sexy human form.
The side characters in this were amazing, especially Nero and Sybil. Sybil was fantastic and is so special. She is totally everything you want in a best friend. Because she was able to push Selene to be brave and didn't hold her memory loss against her. She just embraces who Selene is with all her foibles and eccentricities. Nero is just sass and attitude in a grumpy little big feline butt and I WANNA SQUISH HIS FACE (and hope he doesn't bite it off).
I'm hoping we get a little bit more action in the next book. I also didn't like that so many unknowns were not answered in this book. While I know cliffhangers and unanswered questions entice a person to read the next instalment - I feel like almost everything was left unanswered and hanging.
Trope Summary:
▶ Enemies to Lovers
▶ Ancient Curses
▶ Witches, Werewolves and Sorcerers
▶ Touch her and Die
▶ Sassy Animal familiars
▶ Soul Mates
▶ Love Triangle
▶ Memento Vibes
▶ Mine
▶ Burn the World for You
Overall I had a great time and can’t wait to dive into book 2 (which I may already have started because I got the ARC)
Also I am still giggling thinking about my husband’s alternative name for this cover… 🖤
Spicy Level 🌶️🌶️/5
I was really into this book for its Memento-like vibes with the notes, post-its, and overall theme of memory loss. Since Memento is one of my favourite movies because of how clever the plot twist was and how everything has to piece together I was excited to see how this similarity could be brought into this story...and oh boy was it brought because this book was exciting and I voraciously devoured it.
This follows Selene, a witch with a unique condition that feasts on her memories whenever she uses magic. So TOTAL PROBLEM when every little spell might make her forget what she ate for breakfast or how to ride a bike. It is Selene's dream to be accepted into the prestigious Henbane coven, and when her third attempt is denied she loses hope. However one of the admission witches gives her a task, if she can complete an epic magical quest and return with a witch familiar - they will let her join. Selene then embarks on a quest that involves saving a plane from a deadly crash, collecting a panther as a familiar, and mistakenly waking Memnon, a sorcerer who has been asleep for 2000 years and insists Selene is his long-lost wife and queen, the one responsible for his millennial slumber.
I love Selene's sense of humour and her internal dialogue. She had me giggling at her little observations of her environment, whether is was her mentioning cute things or thriving ecosystems in puddles of water. I also liked that at times she was a little vulgar. It was interesting how she didn't let her memory loss be seen as some debilitating condition that made her inferior and her optimism and persistence to succeed were definite drivers in her motivation to achieve what she wanted.
She felt like a person that I could talk to, a person I would love to have as a friend who would be there when needed. However, she is a little too stupid to live. It did bother me a lot that she didn't raise anything to the authorities. She just pretends nothing happens like it's all normal. There are also numerous times she could have approached them. She should have said something when she went to the crypt, but nope! Let's act like hearing voices in the Witch world is normal... (spoiler if you haven't watched Harry Potter - EVEN IN THE WIZARDING WORLD THAT'S NOT A GOOD THING) I wanted her to research Memnon to see if she could find anything about him or the supposed Roxilana. I wanted the plot to reinforce the fact that he really has been erased from everything and anything and not just believe this taken as fact because he said it.
So it felt like she was just too stubborn in her ways and because of her insistence to prove she could do anything a normal witch could do(without memory loss), she let this be detrimental as she never asks for help. At some point, it felt like we were going in circles, in circles and circles.
The relationship between Selene and Memnon plays a very fine line between insta love and instant lust. But the underlying hate does slowly grow to "love". They have extreme sexual tension and a pull that Selene keeps fighting even though it is destined in fate. She does seem to almost trust him too quickly though and doesn't seem too bothered by his extreme obsession with her and rocking up in her room randomly (I mean stalker much?).
Memnon is a delicious monster. He is dangerous, but riotously sexually appealing and knows how to lay it on thick and lay it on so perfectly. Just imagining him will make your toes curl and your hair tick up on the back of your neck as shivers take over your whole body as you feel him whispering in your ear. He was just amazing power and confidence in sexy human form.
The side characters in this were amazing, especially Nero and Sybil. Sybil was fantastic and is so special. She is totally everything you want in a best friend. Because she was able to push Selene to be brave and didn't hold her memory loss against her. She just embraces who Selene is with all her foibles and eccentricities. Nero is just sass and attitude in a grumpy little big feline butt and I WANNA SQUISH HIS FACE (and hope he doesn't bite it off).
I'm hoping we get a little bit more action in the next book. I also didn't like that so many unknowns were not answered in this book. While I know cliffhangers and unanswered questions entice a person to read the next instalment - I feel like almost everything was left unanswered and hanging.
Trope Summary:
▶ Enemies to Lovers
▶ Ancient Curses
▶ Witches, Werewolves and Sorcerers
▶ Touch her and Die
▶ Sassy Animal familiars
▶ Soul Mates
▶ Love Triangle
▶ Memento Vibes
▶ Mine
▶ Burn the World for You
Overall I had a great time and can’t wait to dive into book 2 (which I may already have started because I got the ARC)
Also I am still giggling thinking about my husband’s alternative name for this cover… 🖤
July 29, 2024
“I have been inside you more times than there are stars to count. I am no more a stranger to you than your own skin is.”
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Laura Thalassa’s books have a special place in my heart; this one was no different. I had no doubts that I would enjoy it as much as I did. You can never go wrong with some good old-fashioned witches and witchcraft, especially when the lore is this good. It was that classic witchy style, with spells, potions, curses, etc. It’s been a while since I’ve read about witches like that, I missed it. I also liked its connection to Thalassa’s The Bargainer series, although, I doubt we’ll see any fan favorites in this series. However, as fun and interesting as this book was, it was also incredibly cringe, which is not at all surprising if you’ve read a Laura Thalassa book before. Her dialogues tend to be a little too much sometimes. Fortunately for me, I find cringe dialogue hilarious (although not hilarious enough not to give the book four stars instead of five 😂).
As for the characters, Selene was the typical Laura Thalassa female protagonist. Sassy, attractive, compassionate to a fault, stupidly brave, and with an all-powerful, very sexy, very ancient, very morally gray dude who’s obsessed with her. This literally applies to every single one of Thalassa’s series I’ve read so far (I haven’t read all of them, yet). Even though Selene was no different from any of Thalassa’s female main characters, she was still lovable and relatable (embarrassingly so at times 😂).
Moreover, Memnon, the aforementioned all-powerful, sexy, ancient, morally gray dude, was also your typicalLaura Thalassa male love interest (if that wasn’t already obvious by the attributes I’ve just mentioned). Naturally, I loved him. What I liked most about him was that he was no misunderstood bad guy but well and truly a villain, who also happens to be head over heels in love. He did not pretend to be anything else. That’s my favorite thing about male love interests: being unapologetically villainous, yet they are total simps for their girls.
Additionally, I really liked Selene and Memnon’s romance. Those who know me know what a sucker I am for enemies-to-lovers, especially enemies-to-lovers with a past and a lot of passion. Even though their dialogue was often cringe, they had unbelievable chemistry, and the tension between them drove me insane. I am wholly obsessed with their love for each other, which may or may not be just a little toxic at the moment).
Lastly, out of every secondary character in this book, the only one who stood out to me was Selene’s panther familiar, Nero. I adore four-legged sidekicks more than anything else in literature. It only gets better when said sidekick is a giant, grumpy black cat. I love cats so much, especially the oversized ones that hate people. It infuriates me that I can’t have one of my own or even be one myself, that’d be so cool. What makes Nero even more adorable is that even though he is a grumpy diva, he is also incredibly loyal and a total mother hen. What’s more, there were other likable characters such as Sybil, Selene’s cute bestie, and Kane, the unfortunate werewolf with the blue balls, but none of them were developed enough for me to show any real interest in them just yet.
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Laura Thalassa’s books have a special place in my heart; this one was no different. I had no doubts that I would enjoy it as much as I did. You can never go wrong with some good old-fashioned witches and witchcraft, especially when the lore is this good. It was that classic witchy style, with spells, potions, curses, etc. It’s been a while since I’ve read about witches like that, I missed it. I also liked its connection to Thalassa’s The Bargainer series, although, I doubt we’ll see any fan favorites in this series. However, as fun and interesting as this book was, it was also incredibly cringe, which is not at all surprising if you’ve read a Laura Thalassa book before. Her dialogues tend to be a little too much sometimes. Fortunately for me, I find cringe dialogue hilarious (although not hilarious enough not to give the book four stars instead of five 😂).
As for the characters, Selene was the typical Laura Thalassa female protagonist. Sassy, attractive, compassionate to a fault, stupidly brave, and with an all-powerful, very sexy, very ancient, very morally gray dude who’s obsessed with her. This literally applies to every single one of Thalassa’s series I’ve read so far (I haven’t read all of them, yet). Even though Selene was no different from any of Thalassa’s female main characters, she was still lovable and relatable (embarrassingly so at times 😂).
Moreover, Memnon, the aforementioned all-powerful, sexy, ancient, morally gray dude, was also your typical
Additionally, I really liked Selene and Memnon’s romance. Those who know me know what a sucker I am for enemies-to-lovers, especially enemies-to-lovers with a past and a lot of passion. Even though their dialogue was often cringe, they had unbelievable chemistry, and the tension between them drove me insane. I am wholly obsessed with their love for each other, which may or may not be just a little toxic at the moment).
Lastly, out of every secondary character in this book, the only one who stood out to me was Selene’s panther familiar, Nero. I adore four-legged sidekicks more than anything else in literature. It only gets better when said sidekick is a giant, grumpy black cat. I love cats so much, especially the oversized ones that hate people. It infuriates me that I can’t have one of my own or even be one myself, that’d be so cool. What makes Nero even more adorable is that even though he is a grumpy diva, he is also incredibly loyal and a total mother hen. What’s more, there were other likable characters such as Sybil, Selene’s cute bestie, and Kane, the unfortunate werewolf with the blue balls, but none of them were developed enough for me to show any real interest in them just yet.
February 24, 2023
I was engulfed in a world of magic and soul mates. The story is written in a way that it compels you to keep reading. A magical masterpiece that I couldn't put down with a witch whose magic feeds off of her memories and a powerful handsome being in a coffin.
It's Dark
It's Spicy
There's a Possessive Soulmate &
A killer.
It's Dark
It's Spicy
There's a Possessive Soulmate &
A killer.
April 27, 2023
“Bewitched” by Laura Thalassa
2⭐️/5⭐️
2.5🌶/5🌶
Selene Bowers is a witch who loses memories every time she uses magic. While traveling on a magic quest, she finds herself inexplicably drawn to ancient ruins. A voice calls out to her. What follows is a bizarre series of events leading to life changing revelations.
-I am a huge fan of Laura Thalassa’s Four Horsemen series. I recommend those books any time I get the chance, and reread them often. I was so excited for her new book, but it was a huge miss and quite disappointing.
-The book starts with Selene attempting to gain admission to Henbane Academy, a school for witches. She is told if she goes on a magical quest and finds a familiar (an animal companion), then she will be admitted. She gets drunk and decides to go to the Galapagos Islands, but on the way there she encounters some intrusive magic on the plane ride. Even though her magic steals memories, she uses her magic to safely land the plane. After the plane lands she hears a voice calling to her in the rainforest, and she follows the voice to some ruins. She eventually discovers a tomb in the ruins, and somehow awakens Memnon, an ancient king who was cursed by his wife. Selene makes it back to the academy, and Memnon starts showing up. He claims she is his wife, Roxilana, and that she has betrayed him. She is the reason why he was entombed, and he wants revenge. There are also mysterious murders happening, witches are turning up dead. So now Selene has to figure out how to convince Memnon that she isn’t Roxilana, but also avoid getting murdered by whoever is harming the witches.
-This book had amazing potential, it includes so many interesting plot points: fated mates, dream lovers, seduction via magic, memory loss via magic, reincarnation, curses, etc. But none of them were executed very well.
There were honestly so many things that annoyed me, I’ll just list them:
-The pacing for this book is ridiculous. Giant leaps in time and locations happen within the span of sentences, and it felt off. For example, when Selene brings Nero back to the states it’s presented as a ‘whatever’ situation. Yet, he’s a panther…a panther she’s taking an international flight.
-I didn’t understand anything about how the academy worked. Is she starting at the beginning of the school year? How does the grading system work? She rarely mentions homework, what is she even studying? It’s almost like the school aspect of the plot was an afterthought.
-The magical system made absolutely no sense, and by the end of the book I was still confused. I don’t understand anything about the spells, what constitutes magic vs. nonmagic, why certain objects have magical properties. There are no explanations, everything is rushed. Some of the spells rhyme, some don’t, and I don’t know the difference between the two.
-Selene is too quirky for my taste. And when she’s given the chance to regain her memories, she turns it down! Why?? Her logic made no sense. She agonized over her memory loss so many times in the story, it makes no sense that she would turn down the opportunity to get her memory back.
-There’s a huge scene where Selene takes part in a magic circle, deep under the residence hall where she lives. She escapes, and there’s a ton of injuries inflicted on her and her opponents. What does she do? She just…goes back to her room. I don’t understand. Her assailants know who she is, they chased her, and she just goes back to her room? And then she doesn’t even wonder where Kasey, the witch who invited her to the magic circle, is until days later. WHAT.
-The romance aspect was essentially nonexistent. I think this book had amazing potential, but Memnon (the MMC) didn’t try to woo Selene at all. Memnon believes Selene is his long lost wife, Roxilana. He was so stubborn throughout the entire book, he acted so mean on several occasions. By the end of the book he was using abusive tactics to get Selene to do whatever he wanted, which was really gross to read. I think the author relied too heavily on Selene and Memnon being soulmates to actually give them a proper romance.
-This isn’t a very spicy book. Yeah, there’s some physical intimacy between Selene and Memnon, but 99% of the time it was via her dream and she never finished. And it was all oral, no PIV.
-The story ends on a big cliffhanger, which really irritates me. I figured I’d get some answers, maybe everything would finally make sense at the end, but that never happened. I doubt I’ll pick up any sequels.
2⭐️/5⭐️
2.5🌶/5🌶
Selene Bowers is a witch who loses memories every time she uses magic. While traveling on a magic quest, she finds herself inexplicably drawn to ancient ruins. A voice calls out to her. What follows is a bizarre series of events leading to life changing revelations.
-I am a huge fan of Laura Thalassa’s Four Horsemen series. I recommend those books any time I get the chance, and reread them often. I was so excited for her new book, but it was a huge miss and quite disappointing.
-The book starts with Selene attempting to gain admission to Henbane Academy, a school for witches. She is told if she goes on a magical quest and finds a familiar (an animal companion), then she will be admitted. She gets drunk and decides to go to the Galapagos Islands, but on the way there she encounters some intrusive magic on the plane ride. Even though her magic steals memories, she uses her magic to safely land the plane. After the plane lands she hears a voice calling to her in the rainforest, and she follows the voice to some ruins. She eventually discovers a tomb in the ruins, and somehow awakens Memnon, an ancient king who was cursed by his wife. Selene makes it back to the academy, and Memnon starts showing up. He claims she is his wife, Roxilana, and that she has betrayed him. She is the reason why he was entombed, and he wants revenge. There are also mysterious murders happening, witches are turning up dead. So now Selene has to figure out how to convince Memnon that she isn’t Roxilana, but also avoid getting murdered by whoever is harming the witches.
-This book had amazing potential, it includes so many interesting plot points: fated mates, dream lovers, seduction via magic, memory loss via magic, reincarnation, curses, etc. But none of them were executed very well.
There were honestly so many things that annoyed me, I’ll just list them:
-The pacing for this book is ridiculous. Giant leaps in time and locations happen within the span of sentences, and it felt off. For example, when Selene brings Nero back to the states it’s presented as a ‘whatever’ situation. Yet, he’s a panther…a panther she’s taking an international flight.
-I didn’t understand anything about how the academy worked. Is she starting at the beginning of the school year? How does the grading system work? She rarely mentions homework, what is she even studying? It’s almost like the school aspect of the plot was an afterthought.
-The magical system made absolutely no sense, and by the end of the book I was still confused. I don’t understand anything about the spells, what constitutes magic vs. nonmagic, why certain objects have magical properties. There are no explanations, everything is rushed. Some of the spells rhyme, some don’t, and I don’t know the difference between the two.
-Selene is too quirky for my taste. And when she’s given the chance to regain her memories, she turns it down! Why?? Her logic made no sense. She agonized over her memory loss so many times in the story, it makes no sense that she would turn down the opportunity to get her memory back.
-There’s a huge scene where Selene takes part in a magic circle, deep under the residence hall where she lives. She escapes, and there’s a ton of injuries inflicted on her and her opponents. What does she do? She just…goes back to her room. I don’t understand. Her assailants know who she is, they chased her, and she just goes back to her room? And then she doesn’t even wonder where Kasey, the witch who invited her to the magic circle, is until days later. WHAT.
-The romance aspect was essentially nonexistent. I think this book had amazing potential, but Memnon (the MMC) didn’t try to woo Selene at all. Memnon believes Selene is his long lost wife, Roxilana. He was so stubborn throughout the entire book, he acted so mean on several occasions. By the end of the book he was using abusive tactics to get Selene to do whatever he wanted, which was really gross to read. I think the author relied too heavily on Selene and Memnon being soulmates to actually give them a proper romance.
-This isn’t a very spicy book. Yeah, there’s some physical intimacy between Selene and Memnon, but 99% of the time it was via her dream and she never finished. And it was all oral, no PIV.
-The story ends on a big cliffhanger, which really irritates me. I figured I’d get some answers, maybe everything would finally make sense at the end, but that never happened. I doubt I’ll pick up any sequels.
April 21, 2023
Laura Thalassa is an author one can depend one for creative, intense and always readable stories! And this one is no exception. Unlike so many of her books, however, this one holds a few reading challenges. The largest being the lack of current backstory that would help a reader understand the world and the characters so much better. Although much of the plot centers around not knowing Selene's overall background and connections, it is in the basic, present-day things that one needs for a foundation in order to begin a book and/or series. Why is Selene so determined to attend only Henbane Coven? Where are her parents and why does she never have any contact with them? What was her previous school like and why she attended? How did the deep relationship with her best friend develop? The questions are many but with no real answers that would add depth and meaning. Subsequently the reader flounders trying to ground themselves in Selene's world enough to buy into her premise.
That light dusting over continues throughout most of the book. We know what is happening but not the motivations behind so many small things that would deepen our understanding and make the large plot-points much more believable.
Still, those large plot-points are awesome and keep one engaged and enthusiastically turning the pages! Because of this, the book would still have rated higher if not for the HUGE full-stop ending. Not just a cliffhanger, but a complete stop right in the middle of the climax! No threads at all settled, everything mid-fight, the end. Now, I understand cliff-hangers can be good for future sales, but don't agree with those that are so huge that one MUST purchase the next book because this one just quit in the middle without even knowing if anyone lives.
SO... good and bad. Even with the downsides, I would recommend the book for the sole reason that the story, itself, holds so much awesome potential ..... Some might just want to wait until after the next installment publishes.
That light dusting over continues throughout most of the book. We know what is happening but not the motivations behind so many small things that would deepen our understanding and make the large plot-points much more believable.
Still, those large plot-points are awesome and keep one engaged and enthusiastically turning the pages! Because of this, the book would still have rated higher if not for the HUGE full-stop ending. Not just a cliffhanger, but a complete stop right in the middle of the climax! No threads at all settled, everything mid-fight, the end. Now, I understand cliff-hangers can be good for future sales, but don't agree with those that are so huge that one MUST purchase the next book because this one just quit in the middle without even knowing if anyone lives.
SO... good and bad. Even with the downsides, I would recommend the book for the sole reason that the story, itself, holds so much awesome potential ..... Some might just want to wait until after the next installment publishes.
September 15, 2023
I have been SO excited for a new Laura Thalassa series ever since the Four Horsemen series finished up, and now we have one! Bewitched is the first in a new paranormal romance series about witches and magic, and I loved it so much. It’s new adult, set at this college for witches, and the heroine is hilarious. I adored Selene, and am so intrigued by Memnon, the hero. Though, he's more like an antihero at this point, with him being slightly evil. Anyway, if you love PNR, some fun world-building, then you need to read Bewitched!
Selene is struggling in college, because she can't seem to get accepted into any of the witch covens. She has the unfortunate witchy ability where anytime she uses her magic, she loses a memory, which causes her a lot of problems. But she finally gets her chance at joining a coven and has to do two things in order to be accepted: find herself a familiar and go on a great quest.
She travels all the way to the Galápagos Islands and bonds with a panther (which is just the coolest familiar you can have) and she hears this voice calling her 'empress.' She follows the voice, and accidentally awakens Memnon, an ancient warrior king who was cursed to sleep forever by his wife. And now HE thinks that Selene is that same wife, so he’s not happy to see her. He still loves her, but he wants revenge against her too. But is she actually that wife or someone else??
The romance is slow burn but sooo good. It's slightly dark, just because Memnon has that evil side to him. When he uses magic, he loses his morality, so he gets more evil and powerful throughout the book. We don’t get to see much of the hero here sadly, but every time Memnon and Selene are together, sparks fly. There’s a ton of banter, with Selene always mouthing off at Memnon, but the romance itself is slow moving. I personally don't mind that though and do love when a romance develops throughout an entire series. Memnon is a fascinating character, but Selene stole the show here for me! She’s hilarious and sassy and a simple girl trying to make the most of her magic and college career. She just unfortunately gets a huge wrench in all that with an evil warlock who’s obsessed with her and thinks she’s his wife.
4.5 stars! This was a fantastic start to a new series and I already can’t wait for more!
Selene is struggling in college, because she can't seem to get accepted into any of the witch covens. She has the unfortunate witchy ability where anytime she uses her magic, she loses a memory, which causes her a lot of problems. But she finally gets her chance at joining a coven and has to do two things in order to be accepted: find herself a familiar and go on a great quest.
She travels all the way to the Galápagos Islands and bonds with a panther (which is just the coolest familiar you can have) and she hears this voice calling her 'empress.' She follows the voice, and accidentally awakens Memnon, an ancient warrior king who was cursed to sleep forever by his wife. And now HE thinks that Selene is that same wife, so he’s not happy to see her. He still loves her, but he wants revenge against her too. But is she actually that wife or someone else??
The romance is slow burn but sooo good. It's slightly dark, just because Memnon has that evil side to him. When he uses magic, he loses his morality, so he gets more evil and powerful throughout the book. We don’t get to see much of the hero here sadly, but every time Memnon and Selene are together, sparks fly. There’s a ton of banter, with Selene always mouthing off at Memnon, but the romance itself is slow moving. I personally don't mind that though and do love when a romance develops throughout an entire series. Memnon is a fascinating character, but Selene stole the show here for me! She’s hilarious and sassy and a simple girl trying to make the most of her magic and college career. She just unfortunately gets a huge wrench in all that with an evil warlock who’s obsessed with her and thinks she’s his wife.
4.5 stars! This was a fantastic start to a new series and I already can’t wait for more!
August 11, 2024
Not at all what I expected in the best way
This was so refreshingly different from the popular romantasy books out right now.
I loved the witchy dark academia vibes and the real world setting. But I wasn’t expecting the deep dual lifetime history between our MMC and FMC while they were also strangers at the same time.
Definitely spicy, I’d say it’s about a 2.5 out of 5 and seems like it will only increase.
This is such a fast paced and fun adventure. I can’t wait to read bespelled!
This was so refreshingly different from the popular romantasy books out right now.
I loved the witchy dark academia vibes and the real world setting. But I wasn’t expecting the deep dual lifetime history between our MMC and FMC while they were also strangers at the same time.
Definitely spicy, I’d say it’s about a 2.5 out of 5 and seems like it will only increase.
This is such a fast paced and fun adventure. I can’t wait to read bespelled!
Want to read
June 21, 2024This book is free on Amazon (Canada) today (06/21/2024). 🙂
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April 5, 2023
Wow! I was not expecting this!
I loved Selene! She’s the type of heroine I can totally get behind. Strong, confident and feisty, she’s also struggling due to an issue with her magic. I was constantly worrying about her each time she cast a spell. I wanted to mother her into reconsidering when she used it. I couldn’t help but try to predict what was going to happen next in the story and each time I was completely wrong. She’s definitely a unique heroine.
Memnon gave me shivers. He was a dark and dangerous presence before he was fully embodied and looking for revenge. Built like a dark god and with immense power, he’s a force to be reckoned with. There was no way Selene could hold her own against him. He really knows how to woo a girl though, despite her determination to keep him away. He kept me on edge as to what his next actions were going to be.
This is layered with so many smaller storylines that pulled me in and kept me engaged. I loved all the mystery, the uncertainty, and the overall feel of impending doom that effortlessly flowed through the story. It’s a longer book but was over way too fast and ended with a cliffhanger, dang it! How did I not know that? Nevertheless, I’m in it for the duration!
Heroine POV
Safe
Triggers
Steam
I loved Selene! She’s the type of heroine I can totally get behind. Strong, confident and feisty, she’s also struggling due to an issue with her magic. I was constantly worrying about her each time she cast a spell. I wanted to mother her into reconsidering when she used it. I couldn’t help but try to predict what was going to happen next in the story and each time I was completely wrong. She’s definitely a unique heroine.
Memnon gave me shivers. He was a dark and dangerous presence before he was fully embodied and looking for revenge. Built like a dark god and with immense power, he’s a force to be reckoned with. There was no way Selene could hold her own against him. He really knows how to woo a girl though, despite her determination to keep him away. He kept me on edge as to what his next actions were going to be.
This is layered with so many smaller storylines that pulled me in and kept me engaged. I loved all the mystery, the uncertainty, and the overall feel of impending doom that effortlessly flowed through the story. It’s a longer book but was over way too fast and ended with a cliffhanger, dang it! How did I not know that? Nevertheless, I’m in it for the duration!
Heroine POV
Safe
Triggers
Steam
February 10, 2023
This book is magic.
I loved everything about BEWITCHED, from the premise to the characters. How could anyone not root for the heroic witch with memory problems, a wild cat familiar, and an extremely 🔥 and vengeful ex-husband?
Brilliant characters aside, that pulse-pounding plot! Laura managed to combine Tomb Raider, CSI, and Ninth House, and make the resulting storyline ultra-steamy.
Mark your calendars, because you are going to LOVE this story when it releases in the spring!
I loved everything about BEWITCHED, from the premise to the characters. How could anyone not root for the heroic witch with memory problems, a wild cat familiar, and an extremely 🔥 and vengeful ex-husband?
Brilliant characters aside, that pulse-pounding plot! Laura managed to combine Tomb Raider, CSI, and Ninth House, and make the resulting storyline ultra-steamy.
Mark your calendars, because you are going to LOVE this story when it releases in the spring!
May 25, 2024
This was a fun book about a witch and an ancient sorcerer! I had a few personal pet peeves with the characters that might not bother other readers, but I had to slap my forehead a few times, lol. It's low key an ick to me when the MMC can't say a single sentence without using a pet name. For instance, I don't think Memnon said a single sentence without saying, "My queen" a dozen times, and it got low-key annoying to me, lol. There were some other character/plot points that disappointed me, so I took off a star. But I'm jumping into book two to see how the story continues!
March 6, 2023
A beautiful, witchy story from Laura Thalassa. I always love her writing, and this one swept me up into a magical world. I loved the fact that the MC is an unreliable narrator with memory issues, because it added another layer of mystery. And of course, I always love a proper villain romance...
April 19, 2023
Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this book. The main character felt very lack luster and was not likeable. She had very little personality so there was little for the reader to connect with her on. Regarding characters, it felt like there was no attention to creating dynamic characters at all. The love interest was boring and kept repeating the same sentence a million times throughout the book. All other side characters were completely irrelevant to the plot.
For the plot, it was not interesting or constructed to the point where it felt like there was any build up. One of the primary obstacles the main characters names is that by using her magic, she loses memories. You’d think this would be a great plot point that gets her into trouble and wrecks havoc on the story. But no, there are never actually any real consequences to the plot because of her memory loss. I was shocked that the opportunity to create some real conflict was just dropped. Like, why not make her secretly a villain, but she doesn’t even know it or something??
Note: ARC received from NetGalley
For the plot, it was not interesting or constructed to the point where it felt like there was any build up. One of the primary obstacles the main characters names is that by using her magic, she loses memories. You’d think this would be a great plot point that gets her into trouble and wrecks havoc on the story. But no, there are never actually any real consequences to the plot because of her memory loss. I was shocked that the opportunity to create some real conflict was just dropped. Like, why not make her secretly a villain, but she doesn’t even know it or something??
Note: ARC received from NetGalley
May 8, 2023
I really loved the world building in this book and the overall vibe in it. Very nice!
April 25, 2023
ᴛᴡᴏ + ᴀ ᴄᴏᴜᴘʟᴇ ᴏꜰ ꜱᴛᴀʀꜱ
the best part of, bewitched?
memnon explaining what he did to the dude who gave him the gnarly scar on his face:
the way i died laughing at both his deadpan explanation / selene's reaction. like, hon, this is the same man who fucking YEETED your potential boyfriend out your damn window … why are you so shocked and surprised?
the best part of, bewitched?
memnon explaining what he did to the dude who gave him the gnarly scar on his face:
“What happened to the king who did this to you?”
“I ran him through with my sword. And then I made his skull into a wine chalice.”
What? “You’re lying,” I say.
“I’m not. It was one of my favorites.”
the way i died laughing at both his deadpan explanation / selene's reaction. like, hon, this is the same man who fucking YEETED your potential boyfriend out your damn window … why are you so shocked and surprised?
April 28, 2024
2nd read [April 27, 2024]: 4.5⭐
genuinely dying to know what memnon did??? also memnon being unhinged and hot as always >>> absolutely cannot wait for the groveling !! AHH BESPELLED HERE I COME
1st read [May 13, 2023]: 5⭐
every time I keep telling myself that I will stop starting incomplete series and save myself from the pain of waiting yearly for the rest of the series to release but like the masochist I am I still decided to read this AND I WAS EVEN WARNED ABOUT THE CLIFFHANGER why do I do this to myself😀
THIS BOOK THOUGH. Another case of me having an unhealthy obsession with everything in here and even more concerning with memnon😭 memnon is the literal of definition of "if evil why so hot???" Bye I feel like ive truly gone insane for loving this guy so much but at least selene and I can be insane together!!
anyways selene! I adore this girl SM. She has to deal with memory loss whenever she uses her magic and because of that she has a lot of holes in her mind but the way shes just so optimistic, sweet and determined to not allow this to get in the way of dreams she has and wants!! Selene's pov was SUCH a fun experience and even more so because she's an MC we dont know much abt her past??? I still have so many questions
And theres memnon!! An unhinged manipulative but sweet and romantic sorcerer😭 hes so insane with the things he did but I swear even after everything I adore him... Idk what that says abt me help. but you cant read the healing scene and NOT be affected. Also his endearments for selene were SO SWEET my heart melted into a puddle every time😩
Also memnon and selene are soulmates and it makes their relationship with one another a thousand times more interesting with all the complications they have with one another. They're literally made for each other but also not (yes that's the only way to describe their relationship) AND WITH THAT ENDING I HAVR SO MANY QUESTIONS I NEED ANSWERED ASAP
The side characters were kinda just there but I dont even care because all I wanted was more of memnon and selene. This almost 500 paged book honestly felt like one of the shortest books I've read it went by so fast?? Towards the end when I checked the page number I was so shocked and sad when I saw I was almost done 😭 can it be 2024 already???
genuinely dying to know what memnon did??? also memnon being unhinged and hot as always >>> absolutely cannot wait for the groveling !! AHH BESPELLED HERE I COME
1st read [May 13, 2023]: 5⭐
"All magic comes at a cost. For sorcerers, it’s their conscience. For shape-shifters, it’s their physical form. For me, it’s my memory."
every time I keep telling myself that I will stop starting incomplete series and save myself from the pain of waiting yearly for the rest of the series to release but like the masochist I am I still decided to read this AND I WAS EVEN WARNED ABOUT THE CLIFFHANGER why do I do this to myself😀
THIS BOOK THOUGH. Another case of me having an unhealthy obsession with everything in here and even more concerning with memnon😭 memnon is the literal of definition of "if evil why so hot???" Bye I feel like ive truly gone insane for loving this guy so much but at least selene and I can be insane together!!
anyways selene! I adore this girl SM. She has to deal with memory loss whenever she uses her magic and because of that she has a lot of holes in her mind but the way shes just so optimistic, sweet and determined to not allow this to get in the way of dreams she has and wants!! Selene's pov was SUCH a fun experience and even more so because she's an MC we dont know much abt her past??? I still have so many questions
And theres memnon!! An unhinged manipulative but sweet and romantic sorcerer😭 hes so insane with the things he did but I swear even after everything I adore him... Idk what that says abt me help. but you cant read the healing scene and NOT be affected. Also his endearments for selene were SO SWEET my heart melted into a puddle every time😩
Also memnon and selene are soulmates and it makes their relationship with one another a thousand times more interesting with all the complications they have with one another. They're literally made for each other but also not (yes that's the only way to describe their relationship) AND WITH THAT ENDING I HAVR SO MANY QUESTIONS I NEED ANSWERED ASAP
The side characters were kinda just there but I dont even care because all I wanted was more of memnon and selene. This almost 500 paged book honestly felt like one of the shortest books I've read it went by so fast?? Towards the end when I checked the page number I was so shocked and sad when I saw I was almost done 😭 can it be 2024 already???
May 3, 2023
Excellent new paranormal romance!!!! I loved this book from start to finish! Memnon is my new obsession! He checks all my bad boy dark scary paranormal boyfriend boxes! He's breathtaking with a big huge body covered in tattoos and eyes like warm whiskey and even a scarred face he's still every witches dream. So what if he's a bit of a stalkerish and has promised to make you pay for cursing him! He still wants you and will do whatever it takes to get you back. He is your forgotten soul mate and nobody will stand in his way,not even a hot sexy werewolf that you've had a crush on forever. And while he might have his faults, worshipping at your altar and mind blowing kisses and oral isn't one of those them. All Selena Bowers wanted was to be a member of the Henbane coven but after repeated denials because her magic when used causes her to lose her memories she is finally given a lifeline by one of the witches.Selena must not only find a familiar but she also has to go on a magic quest. Easy peasy right? Wrong! She does find a familiar, its a panther with a major attitude who doesn't listen for shit!( type cat behavior!) And the quest leads her to a cursed king named Memnon who has a bigger attitude problem and stalks her all the way from South America to Henbane! And between having him breathing down her neck and him invading her wet dreams and trying to learn everything she can to become a great witch and oh! Ya! Lets not forget somebody is killing witches and all fingers start pointing to Selena and with not being able to remember shit its hard to defend yourself. The one bright spot a hot sexy werewolf she's had the hots for is showing interest but why then does Memnon still keep taking up all her thoughts. I loved both characters and the chemistry and dirty talking and steam was hot!!! It ended on a big cliffhanger and I can't wait for more!!! Laura Thalassa is a wonderful storyteller and her men are so delish!!! And I loved the whole dark fanged sorcerer meets smart beautiful spunky witch vibe!! And the panther was a great touch as well.Until next time Luv's💕💋
May 1, 2023
Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would rank it this low
I’m kind of bewildered by this book. I admit I haven’t read all of Laura Thalassa’s books but the ones that I have read, have been fantastic. So I did have a certain high expectations with Bewitched but alast I didn’t enjoy the experience
I’m kind of bewildered by this book. I admit I haven’t read all of Laura Thalassa’s books but the ones that I have read, have been fantastic. So I did have a certain high expectations with Bewitched but alast I didn’t enjoy the experience
April 6, 2024
Honestly, I don't even know HOW Laura Thalassa writes these egomaniacal, bloodthirsty warlords who are both totally unbearable and YET so easy to root for... but here we are again (*side-eyes War*).
Review coming!
Buddy read with Misty ♥
Review coming!
Buddy read with Misty ♥
April 21, 2023
I'm currently 20% of the way through this and I'm really hoping it gets better. I really don't like Selene. She makes dumb choices and isn't even apologetic. Not going to tell anyone you released some crazy evil sorcerer, that could I don't know, kill everyone you know and love? Nope, just going to lay there while he eats you out instead and get drunk with your friends? Ok, that's fine. Tbh Serenity Freeman from The Queen of All That Dies (also written by Laura) would have taken this guy out and saved her family all in the first 50 pages. I can't believe these FMCs were written by the same person. Pray for me y'all that I don't have to dnf this bc I was really looking forward to it.
I mean I thought the Mary Sue that was Lazarus from Death's book was annoying, but believe me Selene takes the cake.
Also a few things to note:
This is book 1 out of 3, with 2 novellas planned to be released between books 1 and 2 and then 2 and 3. So 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, and 3 are all going to be released over the next couple of years.
This is based in Laura's Bargainer series world. She mentioned that you don't have to read that series in order to understand this book, but you really may want to read them to understand the world better. As there is very little explanation of Peel academy and the fae ect. so far. Tbh it will enrich the reading experience of this book if you read her Bargainer series. Also I kind of like Callie from those books better than Selene so far.
Full review to come if I'm able to finish. Which I probably will. If not I'll update my final thoughts on why I dnf'd. This is most likely shaping up to be a 2.5 to 3 star read based off of the first 100-ish pages.
Update 4/20/2023
Ok, so I finished it (barely). Ngl this felt like Laura poured all of her other books into a meat grinder and then used whatever came out of it to write this book. She used elements of her MMCs from her Four Horseman and The Fallen World novels to make Memnon. He's pretty much War mixed with Montes with elements of Famine. I don't think I could last one more page with him yelling "MA QUEEN" every time he saw/heard Selene or him eating her out every other page of the book. I mean if you add in a murder or two and some of Selene's abysmal commentary you pretty much have this entire book.
I think what really ruined this book for me though was how badly written Selene was. I think Laura meant for her to come off as a big goof-ball, but it didn't make sense with how serious this book was. Her moments of goofiness come off as annoying. Like people are being murdered violently throughout this entire book and all she does is get drunk and get eaten out by Memnon. I know I keep mentioning that, but it happens multiple times throughout this book, it pretty much became the plot.
I feel like the worst part of this book was when Memnon was going to give Selene her memories back and she told him that it made her more clever that she forgot things right after she uses magic. It didn't make any sense, because throughout this entire book we see how her memory loss is a big problem for her, to the point that she is a wanted murder suspect because of it. Also can someone please tell me why she keeps all of her memories written down in journals to be conveniently tampered with or burned and doesn't have a back up digital copy? Computers/phones exist in this universe.
Selene pretty much only cared about getting drunk and partying it up throughout this entire book. Her entire life's goal is to get into Henbane Coven, but we barley ever see her studying or working hard once she gets in. All she cares about after she gets into the Coven is going to parties. Like I get going to one or two parties through out the book, but it made up most of the plot (again besides her getting eaten out and Memnon yelling "MA QUUUUUEEEENNNN"). I think Laura would have been better off showing how hard working Selene is and how she has to work harder to make up for her memory loss aspect of her magic. I think also having a more "cat and mouse" dynamic between her and Memnon would have been better too. Like showing how Selene is "outsmarting" him ect.
I will most likely read the next installment in this series since I like Laura's writing style in her other books. It will be interesting to see how if Selene gets smarter and if Memnon develops more of a personality out side of lusting after Selene 24/7. I think there is potential for a good story here, but this book was not a strong start to this series.
I mean I thought the Mary Sue that was Lazarus from Death's book was annoying, but believe me Selene takes the cake.
Also a few things to note:
This is book 1 out of 3, with 2 novellas planned to be released between books 1 and 2 and then 2 and 3. So 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, and 3 are all going to be released over the next couple of years.
This is based in Laura's Bargainer series world. She mentioned that you don't have to read that series in order to understand this book, but you really may want to read them to understand the world better. As there is very little explanation of Peel academy and the fae ect. so far. Tbh it will enrich the reading experience of this book if you read her Bargainer series. Also I kind of like Callie from those books better than Selene so far.
Full review to come if I'm able to finish. Which I probably will. If not I'll update my final thoughts on why I dnf'd. This is most likely shaping up to be a 2.5 to 3 star read based off of the first 100-ish pages.
Update 4/20/2023
Ok, so I finished it (barely). Ngl this felt like Laura poured all of her other books into a meat grinder and then used whatever came out of it to write this book. She used elements of her MMCs from her Four Horseman and The Fallen World novels to make Memnon. He's pretty much War mixed with Montes with elements of Famine. I don't think I could last one more page with him yelling "MA QUEEN" every time he saw/heard Selene or him eating her out every other page of the book. I mean if you add in a murder or two and some of Selene's abysmal commentary you pretty much have this entire book.
I think what really ruined this book for me though was how badly written Selene was. I think Laura meant for her to come off as a big goof-ball, but it didn't make sense with how serious this book was. Her moments of goofiness come off as annoying. Like people are being murdered violently throughout this entire book and all she does is get drunk and get eaten out by Memnon. I know I keep mentioning that, but it happens multiple times throughout this book, it pretty much became the plot.
I feel like the worst part of this book was when Memnon was going to give Selene her memories back and she told him that it made her more clever that she forgot things right after she uses magic. It didn't make any sense, because throughout this entire book we see how her memory loss is a big problem for her, to the point that she is a wanted murder suspect because of it. Also can someone please tell me why she keeps all of her memories written down in journals to be conveniently tampered with or burned and doesn't have a back up digital copy? Computers/phones exist in this universe.
Selene pretty much only cared about getting drunk and partying it up throughout this entire book. Her entire life's goal is to get into Henbane Coven, but we barley ever see her studying or working hard once she gets in. All she cares about after she gets into the Coven is going to parties. Like I get going to one or two parties through out the book, but it made up most of the plot (again besides her getting eaten out and Memnon yelling "MA QUUUUUEEEENNNN"). I think Laura would have been better off showing how hard working Selene is and how she has to work harder to make up for her memory loss aspect of her magic. I think also having a more "cat and mouse" dynamic between her and Memnon would have been better too. Like showing how Selene is "outsmarting" him ect.
I will most likely read the next installment in this series since I like Laura's writing style in her other books. It will be interesting to see how if Selene gets smarter and if Memnon develops more of a personality out side of lusting after Selene 24/7. I think there is potential for a good story here, but this book was not a strong start to this series.
January 3, 2024
1,5/5
A ver… para leer este libro tienes que saber perfectamente donde te estás metiendo y es que este libro NO es Fantasía, es un Romance Paranormal de los de toda la vida y bastante adulto, con escenas sexuales explicitas, por lo que estamos ante un libro +18.
Y como propósito de año nuevo me dije que tenía que ser más abierta con este tipo de libros así que aquí estoy intentando ser lo más positiva posible...
PUNTOS POSITIVOS
-Yo con este libro iba con las expectativas por los suelos y creo que es por eso que no me ha parecido TAN malo. A ver, es malo pero disfrutable. Es de esos placeres culpables que sabes que están mal pero te gustan. O no te disgustan del todo.
-Se puede describir perfectamente como un libro medio erótico con un montón de criaturas paranormales en escena, sobre todo brujas, magos, hechiceros, hombres lobo...
-Como bien dice la protagonista en la novela, para disfrutar de este libro tienes que tirar tu feminismo y dignidad femenina por la ventana porque madre mía las Red Flags… pero si te quitas las gafas violetas y haces la vista gorda…bueno. Tenemos al típico tío malote, buenísimo, atractivo, lleno de tatuajes y músculos que no puede ser más imbecil, pesado y posesivo con la protagonista. Vamos, que en la vida real estaría en la cárcel o con una orden de alejamiento. Pero es ficción y hay que separar las cosas, ¿no? (estoy siendo sarcástica)
-La trama no ha estado mal, el tema de las brujas , aquelarres y almas gemelas siempre me ha gustado. Hay rituales de magia negra, hay grimorios... Mucha magia en general.
-El spicy…bueno, podría haber sido peor. Él se comporta como un neandertal de las cavernas en celo (y ella también) pero tiene su lógica debido al contexto (ESTOY INTENTANDO CONVENCERME A MI MISMA)
Y si esto era lo bueno…
PUNTOS NEGATIVOS:
-Llevo una racha de protagonistas FEMENINAS sin neuronas impresionante. Entre Violet DE ALAS DE SANGRE y esta mujer…que suplicio. Es que SelenE es TONTÍSIMA. La típica mujer que pierde toda su personalidad y su inteligencia al ver a un malote y que solo piensa en tirárselo. Que mal me ha caído. De verdad que es muy tonta. Quería que se muriese en cada capítulo de este libro.
EN
CADA
CAPÍTULO.
-Pero es que él es peor. Si, es posible. No para de repetir las mismas frases todo el rato, tiene la personalidad de un cromañon, es posesivamente terrorífico, es abusivo y trata fatal al supuestamente amor de su vida. Nada justifica lo que le hace. A mí me ha parecido repulsivo. QUE TÍO MAS PESADO, POR FAVOR.
Selene y memnon son una pareja totalmente tóxica y representan justamente lo que no es el amor y si una obsesión totalmente malsana.
-El final es abrupto, apresurado y bastante anticlimático. Me ha enfadado mucho que haya terminado así.
En conclusión, un libro que no tiene lógica alguna, con un romance y personajes tóxicos y abusivos pero que tiene un algo que te engancha. No sé si leeré el segundo ya que muchas cosas tienen que cambiar para que esto mejore.
Ah, y esto se vende en juvenil. Eso es lo más grave de todo.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C1pqu_srE...
A ver… para leer este libro tienes que saber perfectamente donde te estás metiendo y es que este libro NO es Fantasía, es un Romance Paranormal de los de toda la vida y bastante adulto, con escenas sexuales explicitas, por lo que estamos ante un libro +18.
Y como propósito de año nuevo me dije que tenía que ser más abierta con este tipo de libros así que aquí estoy intentando ser lo más positiva posible...
PUNTOS POSITIVOS
-Yo con este libro iba con las expectativas por los suelos y creo que es por eso que no me ha parecido TAN malo. A ver, es malo pero disfrutable. Es de esos placeres culpables que sabes que están mal pero te gustan. O no te disgustan del todo.
-Se puede describir perfectamente como un libro medio erótico con un montón de criaturas paranormales en escena, sobre todo brujas, magos, hechiceros, hombres lobo...
-Como bien dice la protagonista en la novela, para disfrutar de este libro tienes que tirar tu feminismo y dignidad femenina por la ventana porque madre mía las Red Flags… pero si te quitas las gafas violetas y haces la vista gorda…bueno. Tenemos al típico tío malote, buenísimo, atractivo, lleno de tatuajes y músculos que no puede ser más imbecil, pesado y posesivo con la protagonista. Vamos, que en la vida real estaría en la cárcel o con una orden de alejamiento. Pero es ficción y hay que separar las cosas, ¿no? (estoy siendo sarcástica)
-La trama no ha estado mal, el tema de las brujas , aquelarres y almas gemelas siempre me ha gustado. Hay rituales de magia negra, hay grimorios... Mucha magia en general.
-El spicy…bueno, podría haber sido peor. Él se comporta como un neandertal de las cavernas en celo (y ella también) pero tiene su lógica debido al contexto (ESTOY INTENTANDO CONVENCERME A MI MISMA)
Y si esto era lo bueno…
PUNTOS NEGATIVOS:
-Llevo una racha de protagonistas FEMENINAS sin neuronas impresionante. Entre Violet DE ALAS DE SANGRE y esta mujer…que suplicio. Es que SelenE es TONTÍSIMA. La típica mujer que pierde toda su personalidad y su inteligencia al ver a un malote y que solo piensa en tirárselo. Que mal me ha caído. De verdad que es muy tonta. Quería que se muriese en cada capítulo de este libro.
EN
CADA
CAPÍTULO.
-Pero es que él es peor. Si, es posible. No para de repetir las mismas frases todo el rato, tiene la personalidad de un cromañon, es posesivamente terrorífico, es abusivo y trata fatal al supuestamente amor de su vida. Nada justifica lo que le hace. A mí me ha parecido repulsivo. QUE TÍO MAS PESADO, POR FAVOR.
Selene y memnon son una pareja totalmente tóxica y representan justamente lo que no es el amor y si una obsesión totalmente malsana.
-El final es abrupto, apresurado y bastante anticlimático. Me ha enfadado mucho que haya terminado así.
En conclusión, un libro que no tiene lógica alguna, con un romance y personajes tóxicos y abusivos pero que tiene un algo que te engancha. No sé si leeré el segundo ya que muchas cosas tienen que cambiar para que esto mejore.
Ah, y esto se vende en juvenil. Eso es lo más grave de todo.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C1pqu_srE...
April 10, 2023
As with every Laura Thalassa book I've read, I flew through this in a matter of days. It would have been faster, but hey, a girl has to work. While I did enjoy it, because Thalassa's writing style is one of my favorites, I found myself feeling a little let-down by the ending. It is a cliffhanger, which I knew going in, but the book descended into chaos so fast that I felt a little whiplash. The first half was strong, introducing the setting, building the world, introducing all the characters that would be important in this story...but then the romance actually got in the way of plot development. Which is odd, because I so rarely say that in romance novels. The romance IS the plot, typically. However, in this case, things felt forced in order to further the romance, and eventually the FMC started to act in a manner I would have expected in a YA novel. Granted, she is young, but this felt a bit like Twilight deja vu. Right down to the werewolf love interest who would have been a much better option. #TeamJacob
Some things I liked...
- The worldbuilding - Laura Thalassa is a master at this, and it's absolutely no surprise to me that this was strong here. It also helped that the setting is the San Francisco Bay Area, where I grew up. I could easily picture the surroundings, the society instilled with magic, and the rules by which that society lived. It made sense.
- The magic - I loved the entire magic quest sequence. It was brilliant. The way the FMC meets her familiar was so cute, and then the whole "horror movie" style scene where she descends into a dark crypt (hello - never do this!) and awakens something that may or may not be evil. This just was the highlight of the book, really. I also loved the heroine's memory loss issue, it was fascinating, and I thought her way of managing through it was well thought out.
What I didn't like...
- The FMC's character deterioration - she essentially lost all her wits upon seeing the MMC's abs, and folks, I just can't with this entire thing. The MMC has choked her, keeps going hot and cold acting like he wants to kill her and f*ck her. It makes little sense, since it takes a long time for context to build around the why. And we actually still don't have a solid understanding of the why by the end of the book. He actually does something absolutely heinous about 2/3 of the way through, making my blood boil, and the FMC still can't help but be attracted to him and have a hate makeout session with him. He threatens to kill people, physically injures many, and even then...she is still commenting on how hot he is. I expect this in dark romance - people fall in love with sadistic killers all the time in those thing. But this guy? His only redeeming qualities are his muscles and tattoos, and I gotta tell you - I still prefer the squeaky clean werewolf. And I like muscular tatted guys.
- The mystery - there is a lot of chaos around multiple murders in the book. That's fine, I love a good murder mystery. But the author kept us in the dark for way too long, and it became very jumbled in the telling. I felt like she was trying to add too many elements in book one, when things could have been paced better. It's like she needed to get to book two faster, so she shoved in more in book one than she really needed to.
All I can say right now is that the author better pull a Sarah J. Maas and give us the werewolf guy as the real love interest. Or really anyone but this psychotic irredeemable MMC who treats the heroine like a yo-yo and has a very unhealthy obsession with her. It's creepy. It was hot at first but it wasn't by the end, and I think if he is endgame, it's not going to work for me unless his personality undergoes serious transformation.
**I received a free copy via NetGalley and this is my honest review.**
Some things I liked...
- The worldbuilding - Laura Thalassa is a master at this, and it's absolutely no surprise to me that this was strong here. It also helped that the setting is the San Francisco Bay Area, where I grew up. I could easily picture the surroundings, the society instilled with magic, and the rules by which that society lived. It made sense.
- The magic - I loved the entire magic quest sequence. It was brilliant. The way the FMC meets her familiar was so cute, and then the whole "horror movie" style scene where she descends into a dark crypt (hello - never do this!) and awakens something that may or may not be evil. This just was the highlight of the book, really. I also loved the heroine's memory loss issue, it was fascinating, and I thought her way of managing through it was well thought out.
What I didn't like...
- The FMC's character deterioration - she essentially lost all her wits upon seeing the MMC's abs, and folks, I just can't with this entire thing. The MMC has choked her, keeps going hot and cold acting like he wants to kill her and f*ck her. It makes little sense, since it takes a long time for context to build around the why. And we actually still don't have a solid understanding of the why by the end of the book. He actually does something absolutely heinous about 2/3 of the way through, making my blood boil, and the FMC still can't help but be attracted to him and have a hate makeout session with him. He threatens to kill people, physically injures many, and even then...she is still commenting on how hot he is. I expect this in dark romance - people fall in love with sadistic killers all the time in those thing. But this guy? His only redeeming qualities are his muscles and tattoos, and I gotta tell you - I still prefer the squeaky clean werewolf. And I like muscular tatted guys.
- The mystery - there is a lot of chaos around multiple murders in the book. That's fine, I love a good murder mystery. But the author kept us in the dark for way too long, and it became very jumbled in the telling. I felt like she was trying to add too many elements in book one, when things could have been paced better. It's like she needed to get to book two faster, so she shoved in more in book one than she really needed to.
All I can say right now is that the author better pull a Sarah J. Maas and give us the werewolf guy as the real love interest. Or really anyone but this psychotic irredeemable MMC who treats the heroine like a yo-yo and has a very unhealthy obsession with her. It's creepy. It was hot at first but it wasn't by the end, and I think if he is endgame, it's not going to work for me unless his personality undergoes serious transformation.
**I received a free copy via NetGalley and this is my honest review.**
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January 27, 2022Bitch, this is HAPPENING!
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