Bewitched

Come to me, Empress...

HOLY MOLEY this book was hotter than the sun! I devoured this book within a few short hours. Honestly, I think I beat the record with this book because I could not put it down. If I had to get up for something, my Kindle went right with me. Seriously, this book is such a delicious read.

The world-building was just amazing. I loved how it blended beautifully with our world and with Selene's world. It was seamless. It was perfect. It was everything I thought Selene's world would be.

The characters were beautiful. Selene was not made out to be perfect. She was flawed. She had magic but the magic had a weakness. I also love the fact that she would not bend to Memnon. She fought against him. She refused everything he show more offered her and she was not some damsel in distress. She was desperately trying to make a name for herself in the witching world but the murders of witches have quite put a dent into it.

Memnon, on the other hand, had just awakened and I could understand his rage. He had been put to sleep by the woman he loved and he had really no reason behind it. Yet, when Selene awakened him all he thought of her was his queen. I could understand that confusion. You wake up and you think you are still in the past, but you are not, and the rage within you awakens. Memnon has a hard time really believing that Selene is not his queen. Not when there is so much of her likeness within Selene. He is dangerous. He is gorgeous. And he is absolutely possessive.

All the red flags in which tell us to avoid him and yet we cannot. Such a sinful man that I would love to be in Selene's shoes.

And let us not forget Nero. I love him. I have cats and they have all sorts of attitudes and this is just how I expect Nero to be.

The one thing I would love (and I am hoping to see in the next book) is the past between Memnon and his Empress Roxilana. I mean we get some clues but that is about all. I am curious here, Ms. Thalassa. You cannot dangle a carrot in front of me and expect me not to want to know everything here. xD

But seriously, I loved this book. It makes me want to pick up her other books and re-read them. I have them and have read them a long time ago, but I never managed to review them as I should have. I am definitely adding her books to my TBR for 2023. show less

When I found out that Laura Thalassa was releasing a new series, I was beyond thrilled. I adored the Bargainer Series, and immediately started counting down the days until the release of Bewitched. So imagine my excitement when I found the ARC on Netgalley.

Bewitched follows a 20 year old witch named Selene Bowers whose magic has the inconvenient consequence of stealing her memories. As a result, she has had difficulty getting into a coven. However, when her dream coven tells her to go on another magical quest and find a familiar--she somehow finds herself crash-landed in a Peruvian forest. While there, she gets her familiar, but also mistakenly awakes a 2000 year old warlock who is convinced Selene is his wife. Although that would lead show more to its own set of complications, this is made worse because the warlock's wife is the one who trapped him in the ruins 2000 years ago. Accordingly, he wants revenge on Selene. Selene escapes and returns home before he can exact his revenge, but sadly the warlock followed her back and has no problem making his presence known. Once again, Selene life is made more complicated when witches start getting murdered shortly after they arrive. Selene soon becomes a suspect, and, as her memories keep disappearing, she looks more and more guilty. Selene is forced to hunt for answers, all while trying to avoid the wrath of the warlock and their undeniable connection.

The relationship between Selene and the warlock Memnon reminds me a bit of the relationship between the main characters in The Fallen World. At first this took me by surprise, because I had not expected such an evil alphahole male lead. (Totally my oversight. Looking back, I should not have been surprised) However, the characters were both so complex, and I need to know more about the evil that is Memnon. Why is he the way he is! And why did his wife lock him up! I need answers.

The twists were perfect; the reveals giving just enough to tantalize but still leaving much to be discovered in the coming books. I have so many questions after reading Bewitched, and I cannot wait to get the answers in the books to come. The only bad part about receiving an ARC copy of this book is that it makes my wait that much longer for book two. All in all, this book takes all of my favorite elements of past Laura Thalassa books and combines them in a unique and oh so interesting new story. Book two can't come soon enough.

Read if you like:
💔Alphaholes
💔Dark(ish) fantasy romance
💔urban (witchy) fantasy
💔murder mysteries
💔enemies to lovers
💔(possible) second-chance romance
💔irredeemable characters show less

A new book by one of my favorite authors, and I have to say I absolutely LOVED it! Like... really, really loved it, and I need the next one asap *ahem* pretty please *puppy eyes*

Worldbuilding:
It's the world as we know it in the present day. Humans don't know about the supernatural, or maybe if they did once, they have forgotten about it. In this book, we have witches, mages, and shifters. Oh, and not to forget the witches' familiars (sorry, Nero, please don't eat me).
While we stay close to home (the Henbane Coven) for most of the book, we start the story with a quest that takes us to South America, a plane crash, and an ancient tomb. Then seemingly random witches are getting killed, and the timer starts to discover who is behind show more everything.
We learn as we go about the different factions and what defines them, and while this is the first book in a series, there is no information overload. Excellent writing!
The scenes and environments were well described and clear enough to fully enjoy the story.

Character development:
Selene has been working towards one goal for the past year, and that is getting into the Henbane Coven and being able to study magic. Even though every spell she casts takes away a memory, she is steadfast in getting in.
She is very driven, and you have never met anyone as organized as her, I mean, I like lists and post-its, but it's very different for her. She has notebooks galore and post-its all over the place as she desperately needs them in case her magic takes one of those memories.
I liked Selene from the start, trying to overcome her limitations, reaching for her dream, and doing everything possible to get there. She is kindhearted but no pushover, and while she knows the price of using her magic, she's not shy to do just that when the situation demands it.

And then we have Memnom... I can't describe him better than "hot and cold" wrapped in a very yummy package. He gives and takes, and it is seriously hard to get a read on him. I won't say much more, as I do not want to spoil anything, but I'm balancing between hate and love, and that in itself is so so wickedly good :D
Then we have our side characters: Sybil, the best friend, and Kane, a shifter Selene has a crush on *swoon*.
As we've come to expect from the author, all characters have great depth. They have their hopes and fears and reasons for doing what they do. They feel so alive. I love it!

Pacing and flow:
We get thrown into it from the get-go. Selene goes on her quest, and boy, does she find adventure! And Nero! :D There wasn't a moment in the book where it was too much action or the pacing was too slow. I just couldn't put the book down, reading it during every break I could at work and then well into the night. I had to know what would happen!

The book:
The book was well written with no (noticeable) errors. There are some sexual scenes described (I would rate it show less

I really enjoyed reading Bewitched! As a big fan of Laura Thalassa's previous books, I was excited to dive into this new series set in the same world. The main character, Selene, is a witch who's determined to join a coven, even though she loses her memories every time she uses her magic. To gain acceptance, she sets out on a quest to find a familiar, but things take an interesting turn when she crashes into the jungles of Peru and awakens an ancient evil named Memnon.

Although the story started off a bit slow, I was completely hooked once Selene freed Memnon. There's plenty of action, danger, and even a bit of romance in this book. I'm already looking forward to the next book in the series, as the ending left me wanting more.

This book show more is a great choice for anyone who loves a unique paranormal romance. The story is intense and a bit spicy, but also well-written and creative. The only drawback is that there's not much backstory, but the plot more than makes up for it. If you're a fan of witches, magical schools, and supernatural elements, I definitely recommend checking out this book. show less

A very well written book. I found this a slow burn to start with, then its all drama. I found the internal monologue vey entertaining. I do love an anti-hero. With his almost obsessive love/hate for his queen. Filled with action, drama, a bit of very steamy sex. The only downside is the fact it’s a cliffhanger.

Interesting portrayal of the meaning of soulmates. I'm eager to read the next book. It ends in a cliffhanger, so I was glad I had the second book already. I am intrigued to see where the author will take this.

3.5