Gretchen Galway

Ya know, I really love it when I get surprised by a book.

I am going through books on my Kindle that I have just downloaded over the years because they were FREE or CHEAP. I have deleted a number of them just a couple of pages in. And since that is really why I am going through them, dumping the trash, I have actually enjoyed doing it.

But this book, I started reading right before bed one night, thinking I could quickly delete and go to sleep. Big mistake.

What a lovely surprise. A big woman show more with confidence and no problem getting dates. Well, maybe not as confident as she makes herself out to be in public, but still, not the stay-at-home-and-eat-more-cookies-until-Prince-Charming-happens-to-knock-on-my-door-to-borrow-sugar-and-intuits-how-fabulous-I-am type.

And how great is it to read a book where the female protag's legs don't go all the way to heaven, her waist is wasp thin, and, oh, gosh, she is just a darn good person. She wears thigh high boots, dresses to emphasize her boobage, and gosh, she really is a darn good person and doesn't have to be a size 2 to have a man who adores her.

Nope. This a good book with mature people and interesting situations. Okay, so the male protag is a reclusive, rich, computer geek who is a good person, has a great body and loves to pleasure a woman. While not totally believable, it is definitely a fantasy I can enjoy without too much guilt.

Well written, well edited. A couple of typos or just plain wrong words, but just delightful. Really, really delightful. Trying to hold off from doing a glom because those never end well, but my goodness, I am fighting the need to one click my little heart out.

The story has depth, humor, and humanity. There is some hot sex, but you have to wait for it. There are real world concerns and real world situations (excluding that whole secret millionaire situation) that are dealt with in believable, interesting language.

It is weird, but I found this book to be evocative of Attachments by Rainbow Rowell and Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie, two of my all-time-favorite books. show less

This one almost-but-not-quite manages to escape the chicklit genre, but is dragged back down by an over-reliance on hot-monkey-love sex scenes and a cardboard villainess.

Beverly Lewis is surprised, to say the least, when her estranged grandfather unexpectedly leaves his sportswear company to her, thoroughly pissing off her evil aunt and the hunky executive VP, each of whom expected to be named as the heir. Originally planning sell out quickly, her plans are trashed by unexpectedly losing her show more job, so she decides to give it a shot until a new buyer can be found. Someone, however, is trying very hard to upset the applecart, and suspicion falls on several people in turn, most especially on Hunky EVP. Unfortunately, he seems torn between whether he wants to snatch the company or ... No, I'm not going to go there.

Galway, however, has no such reticence, and that's the book's biggest flaw. She draws these two intelligent, mature, rational adults as helpless puppets of their own sexual urges who spend most of the second half of the book ripping each other's clothes off whenever (and wherever) they happen to find themselves alone together.

Seriously?

Come on. Chicklit is notorious for 125 pages of lust-at-first-sight-even-though-I-hate-you teasers, followed by The Consummation, followed by The Misunderstanding, followed by The Explanation and happily-ever-after.

Galway manages to hold off for 150 pages before every sweaty moment of The Consummation is lovingly and minutely detailed, but has trouble getting past that part. To her credit, The Misunderstanding isn't some silly thing that could be explained in 25 words or less if the Other Person would just Listen. It's a deep mismatch of ambition and goals between these two people which proceeds to make both of them (and pretty well everybody else in the book) miserable for another hundred pages and six or eight sex scenes, give or take.

The revelation of who has actually been trying to sabotage the company, and what their motive was, makes for a nice twist, even if the about-face of the more viperous of Bev's relatives is a tad unbelievable.

All things considered, the grade on this one averages out only to a "C". Fans of the genre will find too many tropes missing; non-fans will find too many of them present. show less

A fun cozy with witches

A Spell to Die For is the third installment in the Sonoma Witches series and although it can be read as a stand-alone, I urge you to read them in order.

Well crafted, layered characters, even the supporting cast

The main character, Alma Belrose is a witch with an incurable inability to kill demons. She has been honorably discharged from the Protectorate and although she’s no longer an agent (the official name of a demon-hunter witch) the Protectorate often enlists show more her help solving murders. They don’t ask nicely, not that she would agree if they did, they leverage her to do the work for them.

I love how Gretchen Galway has developed Alma’s character gradually over the course of three books and I look forward to seeing the character developed further in the series. Some of Alma’s mysteries are unknown even to herself. Having been raised by a single father with questionable morals, an infamous thief who refused to talk about her dead mother, Alma discovers her true nature bit by bit.

A Spell to Die for reveals more about Alma’s past, her strained relationship with her father, and the mystery surrounding her mother.
The supporting characters are endearing and their story blends well with Alma’s story arc. I love both Birdie and Seth. Birdie didn’t know she was a witch until the previous book, Hex at a House Party and now, Alma teaches her how to control her power and do magic. At this point, her magic is still weak but Birdie is getting better.
Seth is another of my favorite characters. He’s a changeling, and according to the Protectorate he should die but Alma’s inability to kill prevented his demise. He is now Alma’s neighbor and friend. She worries about him often and even goes to great length to hide his existence and keep him alive.

He shrugged.
“You’re doing that thing you do again.”
His nonchalance annoyed me. “Keeping you alive?”
“Suffering in a future that may never come.”

Another awesome side character is Willy, the gnome living in the redwood tree in front of Alma’s house. He is always polite and well-mannered but more powerful than anyone realizes, including Alma. He is fond of her and protects her by threatening anyone who tries to harm her. Alma offers him treats and springwater (with magical properties).

We don’t know much about his magic powers but it’s hinted that witches fear him. When two Protectorate agents come to her house acting aggressively he sets them in their place instantly.

That was an unexpected show of force but very satisfying to read.
Read the full review with reference to the other books one the series here: https://www.summonfantasy.com/book-reviews/a-spell-to-die-for-by-gretchen-galway....

Merged review:

A fun cozy with witches

A Spell to Die For is the third installment in the Sonoma Witches series and although it can be read as a stand-alone, I urge you to read them in order.

Well crafted, layered characters, even the supporting cast

The main character, Alma Belrose is a witch with an incurable inability to kill demons. She has been honorably discharged from the Protectorate and although she’s no longer an agent (the official name of a demon-hunter witch) the Protectorate often enlists her help solving murders. They don’t ask nicely, not that she would agree if they did, they leverage her to do the work for them.

I love how Gretchen Galway has developed Alma’s character gradually over the course of three books and I look forward to seeing the character developed further in the series. Some of Alma’s mysteries are unknown even to herself. Having been raised by a single father with questionable morals, an infamous thief who refused to talk about her dead mother, Alma discovers her true nature bit by bit.

A Spell to Die for reveals more about Alma’s past, her strained relationship with her father, and the mystery surrounding her mother.
The supporting characters are endearing and their story blends well with Alma’s story arc. I love both Birdie and Seth. Birdie didn’t know she was a witch until the previous book, Hex at a House Party and now, Alma teaches her how to control her power and do magic. At this point, her magic is still weak but Birdie is getting better.
Seth is another of my favorite characters. He’s a changeling, and according to the Protectorate he should die but Alma’s inability to kill prevented his demise. He is now Alma’s neighbor and friend. She worries about him often and even goes to great length to hide his existence and keep him alive.

He shrugged.
“You’re doing that thing you do again.”
His nonchalance annoyed me. “Keeping you alive?”
“Suffering in a future that may never come.”

Another awesome side character is Willy, the gnome living in the redwood tree in front of Alma’s house. He is always polite and well-mannered but more powerful than anyone realizes, including Alma. He is fond of her and protects her by threatening anyone who tries to harm her. Alma offers him treats and springwater (with magical properties).

We don’t know much about his magic powers but it’s hinted that witches fear him. When two Protectorate agents come to her house acting aggressively he sets them in their place instantly.

That was an unexpected show of force but very satisfying to read.
Read the full review with reference to the other books one the series here: https://www.summonfantasy.com/book-reviews/a-spell-to-die-for-by-gretchen-galway.... show less

This is the second book in the Sonoma Witches series and continues where it left off in Dead Witch on A Bridge.

Without giving away too many spoilers, this book has it all: friendship, chemistry, tension, blackmail, and murder.

I loved to see the friendship between Alma and Birdie deepen while Birdie learns to explore and control her magic. To everyone’s relief, the friendly neighborhood changeling, Seth has survived his touch and go situation from the end of book one ( no spoilers for show more those who have yet to read it!). His survival though came at a steep price that’ll keep him close to Alma. He’s alive as long as he doesn’t go too far from his home. I can’t complain, and I hope to see more of him in the next book. The chemistry between the characters is undeniable strong, and we get a glimpse of the reason behind it. I also think the banter between him and Alma is endearing and makes me want to read more. Here’s a taste:

I got as far as San Francisco before I began to die a slow, painful death.”
“Are you sure it wasn’t the high cost of living?” I laughed nervously. He didn’t join in. “Sorry.

You can read more here: https://www.summonfantasy.com/book-reviews/book-review-hex-at-a-house-party-by-g....

Merged review:

This is the second book in the Sonoma Witches series and continues where it left off in Dead Witch on A Bridge.

Without giving away too many spoilers, this book has it all: friendship, chemistry, tension, blackmail, and murder.

I loved to see the friendship between Alma and Birdie deepen while Birdie learns to explore and control her magic. To everyone’s relief, the friendly neighborhood changeling, Seth has survived his touch and go situation from the end of book one ( no spoilers for those who have yet to read it!). His survival though came at a steep price that’ll keep him close to Alma. He’s alive as long as he doesn’t go too far from his home. I can’t complain, and I hope to see more of him in the next book. The chemistry between the characters is undeniable strong, and we get a glimpse of the reason behind it. I also think the banter between him and Alma is endearing and makes me want to read more. Here’s a taste:

I got as far as San Francisco before I began to die a slow, painful death.”
“Are you sure it wasn’t the high cost of living?” I laughed nervously. He didn’t join in. “Sorry.

You can read more here: https://www.summonfantasy.com/book-reviews/book-review-hex-at-a-house-party-by-g.... show less