Payback's a Witch

This is a very cute entry witchy romance. It is very similar to Ex Hex in terms of set up, but it plays out differently. Personally I prefer this version. There is lady team ups and REVENGE. The main reason I'm not giving it 5 stars is A) some of characters didn't feel fleshed out to me and B) some of the plot points just felt too convenient and pat to me. The: “Well of course that's going to happen so we can have a happy ending.” affect. I'm all for HEA, the way this one was reached just didn't fully land for me. It's a very fun cute ready that I absolutely burned through.
Read this if:
-You want more queer romance that's bi-friendly
-You enjoy small towns
-Witches are your jam.
- You enjoy multi-part competitions
Do not read:
-If the revenge aspect is way more important to you than the romance part. Revenge plotting does happen but this book definitely leans into romance territory.
-If soft magic is going to annoy you
- If you've just read Ex Hex. They are similar and you will spend the entire time comparing. Luckily, while I have read Ex Hex it was several months ago
Enjoy and be merry!

I really enjoyed this book, I feel like it's perfect for the spooky Halloween season, thanks to all of the witchy vibes. Set in Thistle Grove, a town governated by witches, this book follows the story of Emmy Harlow and her old and new friends. If you like the competition trope in your reads, you're going to enjoy this one! Oh, and it's also an LGBTQ+ book - with a great relationship between ouyr main character, Emmy, and the gorgeous Talia Avramov.

Overall, the book was really enjoyable and I recommend it to everyone who likes witchy books.

3.5 rounded up!

I thought this was pretty good. The writing personally worked for me, I liked the town, and the background on the founding families. The actual tournament details were a bit boring to me though and the conflict in the romance seemed to go from 0 to 100 really quickly and I didn't quite buy that. Felt very out of character and just thrown in for drama.

Still, this was a fun ride and felt like a quick read which is a good sign

“Payback's a Witch” unfortunately falls short in delivering an engaging narrative, primarily due to its sluggish pacing. From the outset, the story struggles to build momentum, making it increasingly difficult to stay invested in the plot and characters. Despite the promising premise, the slow development and lack of compelling action led to a lackluster reading experience, to the point where I was unable to finish the book. The pacing issues overshadowed any potential intrigue the story might have offered, resulting in a disappointing read that failed to capture and maintain my interest.