Molly's life changes forever when she decides to divorce her unfaithful husband after 20 years of marriage. Somehow she finds a force in her that is unknown, in more than one sense, because she discovers in this way that she is a witch. But not everything is spells and herbs in that world, because there are powerful individuals willing to do everything to obtain more power.

The only one who seems to know what is happening to Molly with a sort of psychokinetic power is Josiah, so she makes a deal with him to help her control her power in a basic way, more than anything to cover herself and not attract the villain of the story, a warlock who steals magic/power from other witches.

Josiah Mason is the ultimate alpha with bad temper and with a grudge againts the villain. Revenge is his goal.

Molly is presented as a woman almost in her forties, practical and strong, who no longer wants to accept rubbish from anyone.

A younger, softer Molly might have listened. She would have been eager to please and anxious to smooth things over. But she wasn’t that younger, softer Molly anymore. She felt no need to contort herself into another shape just to fit other people’s desires or expectations.
So she interrupted. “I don’t care what you would like. I don’t want to hear from you. I don’t want to think about you. I don’t want to be manipulated by you anymore. If I have something to say to you, I’ll call. Otherwise, leave me the hell alone.”


They clash, fight, and end up in bed.

I like Molly , I like her interaction with Josiah.

quote:

Don’t hang up.”
“Why? What are we trying to do here — sort of carry on a relationship but not really, while you get to be in danger and embrace a vendetta, or sometimes not, and I can’t know about any of it? I already told you once. I can’t be the mistress to your wife.”

quote:

If she’d thought she’d seen Josiah angry before, it was nothing compared to the rage that transformed his face now. He snapped, “The hell you will!”
“Yes. I will.” She stopped to consider him. “Did you really think this was all about you — your coven, your needs, your enemy, your transformation, your timetable? Oh, bless.”


I like how she can make plans and stick with it /SPOILER--->though the stupid mistake of calling her friend to came to her room when she knows her life is in danger is so intended to push the plot. Also I knew the friend did it, was really obvious<---SPOILER/

I like even how is depicted Josiah. Poweful, and tormented for the past.

There are some things that remind me of Charmed, like the house, the powers, potions, pendulum, etc but it's ok.

I will read the next book of this series.


---------------------------------------------

A pesar de que se menciona aqui a los demesnes y las razas de Wyrd, elfos y djins que aparecen en las novelas de Thea Harrison de las razas Elder, este libro tiene un sabor diferente. El inicio es como una novela muy moderna con Molly Sullivan la esposa perfecta del abogado ambicioso, en el dia que un hecho más se convierte en la proverbial 'gota que rebasó el vaso' de su esposo infiel, justo cuando hay una fiesta en su casa y manda todo a la punta del cerro. Y , coincidencia, como uno de los testigos hay un hombre que es el nuevo fiscal de distrito: Josiah Mason, y resulta ser que sabe más de la fuerza que ha despertado en ella.

Aprendemos entonces que en este universo ficticio, las brujas y brujos (o hechiceros) despiertan a sus poderes a diferentes edades, por un hecho traumatico, un accidente, o por la menopausia (?) . Asi que deben aprender desde cero con ayuda de otros brujos o aquelarres.

La novela quiere presentar el crecimiento personal de Molly desde cuando decide divorciarse, y como enfrenta el desafio de quedarse sin amigos. Me gusta que ella luche por conseguir lo suyo, aunque parezca de repente que es bastante apegada al dinero, en el fondo es bastante práctico todo lo que hace. Con excepción de ponerse a limpiar la casa cuando va el agente de bienes raices y no buscar a alguien que lo haga por ella (incluso podria haberle pedido a la misma agente un servicio y pedirle que le buscara las fotos) . Por otra parte como ella separa su relación con el fiscal y su ayuda magica con lo que necesita hacer para mantenerse a salvo, incluido alejarse de este tipo empecinado en una venganza peligrosa que desea encontrar y matar a su enemigo es bastante sensato pese a toda la lujuria que la embarga.

Eso del superpoder , bueno es asunto de novela de fantasia que presenta heroina superpoderosas. Es agradable la mentora que encuentra y el lugar que habla mucho y recuerda a las famosas "Charmed" o Encantadas de la serie de brujas hasta con casa victoriana incluida.

Josiah tiene un pasado que le hace perseguir una venganza y ha juntado a otros como él. Pero debe tomar una decision si seguir con eso o cambiar por una relacion.

Sí la novela tiene cliches, la pareja convence, hay sexo, no hay triángulo a la vista, pero igual entretiene, y me leeria la novela siguiente. Y hay bastante sexo.
...
I have a separate comment: It strikes me is that I have recently found in books published recently, which still shows that the perfect happiness of couples is when a woman becomes pregnant ... even when she is forty or fifty years old. Excuse me, but WTF! (And I thought that I only could found this in fanfiction by teenagers who like to put that the couple has twins.)

Thea Harrison is a new author to me. I have seen her name pop up here or there over the course of the years, but I hadn’t been compelled to pick up one of her books until I saw American Witch. I have to admit I honestly didn’t know what to think about this story going into it. The blurb had me intrigued. The cover even more so. In a time in my life where I am struggling to find anything to hold my attention past a few chapters, I was scared to dive into a new author’s book.

That was until I started reading American Witch. The story sucked me in almost immediately. While an unconventional and almost normal contemporary romance beginning to the story with Molly catching her husband cheating on her, I had my doubts about moving back that, but I am glad that I did. You see that discovery is what unlocks her own magic, and takes her down a road of self-discovery, passion, and adventure. Add in Josiah who sees her as an opportunity to not only further his own personal vendetta against an ancient foe, and you’ve got a pretty good storyline. My only gripe is that the way that the way Molly’s character is written in the beginning made me see her as older than the woman featured on the cover. In my mind, Molly was mid to late forties, not late twenties if my guess is correct. Other than that, I really enjoyed this story, and look forward to what’s to come in the next book.

Fantastic beginning to a new series! Thea Harrison is one of my favorite authors. I adore her writing style and I am so looking forward to the next book in this series.

A really strong start to a new series by Thea Harrison and I'm looking forward to seeing where this goes.

Molly is an instantly likable heroine - pragmatic, intelligent, brave, kick ass, human. I love a storyline that follows a woman discovering her powers (whether magical or not) and it was great seeing Molly into her strengths and independence. The same goes for Josiah, who initially I was concerned would be an over-the-top alpha hero, but who learns to tone it down through the story (thank god, because he was a mega jerk to begin with).

Interesting and intricate world building combined with a cast of varied characters to inject some additional spice into the book/series - excited for book 2 already!

I enjoyed the world Harrison created here and I love the idea of the witch world mingled with the human world. The long history of witches, politics, and feuds between covens was intriguing and interesting. What I enjoyed most is seeing Molly stand up for herself from a bad marriage. It cool to see her embracing the world of magic as she came upon her awakening. Of course, Josiah was pretty awesome. He is a powerful man both in the magic and human world seeking revenge but also has a good heart. You can’t ignore that this powerful man is also sexy.

Unfortunately, there were a few things I wasn’t crazy about. Though Molly is generally a strong character, there were a few times where Molly was “unsure”. She was indecisive and threw out ultimatums that she didn’t follow through on. Because of this, I didn’t connect with her well.

It was also mentioned that “American Witch is the first in a new trilogy set within the world of the Elder Races”. I honestly don’t think, this book needed to be attached to that series at all. As far as world-building, it can carry its own weight. Since there was only a hint of the Elder Races mentioned, I felt it was a moot point. I’m not sure if this was done for selling strategy purposes but it was not needed. It just set expectations that were not met. I’m rating this book at 2.5-3 stars out of 5. Though it has an overall good start to a trilogy/series, I’m undecided if I will read the next book.

This book started off so strong, I just couldn’t put it down.

I loved how the book starts off as a contemporary, but quickly turns paranormal.

The author kept me invested not only in the story, but the characters as well

What I liked: American Witch was engaging from the start. Mary was easy to identify with, and her decisions were reasonable. I liked that the main couple had a moment of passion, but did not immediately disclose eternal love for each other. They recognized their shared desire did not guarantee a relationship would be the best for them under current circumstances.

Experiencing Mary coming into her witch powers was tense and exciting. The big battle at the end of the story shows Mary, Josiah, and other coven members are going to be a formidable force. I cannot wait to see where the rest of the American Witch series goes.

What I didn't like: Honestly, the plot mechanics used to get Mary out of her current life was predictable to a point. The conflict with her husband, and the repercussions of their break up, I saw coming. I will say that in the end, that predictability did not matter. Watching the characters develop, and their priorities change overshadowed what little I didn't like.

Review excerpted from my blog post over at FanSciHist (https://fanscihist.wordpress.com/2019/05/20/american-witch-by-thea-harrison/)

My Rating:  3.5 stars

Library recommendation: Recommended for public library Romance, Urban Fantasy, and/or Paranormal Romance collections.

Warning: Hereafter, you chance spoilers. I will try never to reveal major plot points, but to review any book, you must reveal some parts of the story.


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Number of titles I have read by this author: 1

Love story speed: Fast and intense

Relationship dynamics: The Mature Awakening Witch (h) / The Powerful Magical Mentor (H)

Sexual content: Some; sex between H and h is "onscreen" and explicit, not always romantic. 

Triggers:  Some intense violence against women (not by H); graphic murder; descriptions of abuse.

Grammar/Editing: This ARC had a couple of typos, but no major grammatical errors

Review: The pacing in this novel is a tad uneven - some parts are fast and others are quite slow. The premise of the novel is very interesting, but some of the twists were a bit over-obvious. The fantasy setting is urban and clearly resides within a world built throughout other books. This novel can be read as a standalone, but it certainly seems as if clear understanding of the setting would be enriched by reading other books set in this world to gain a better understanding of the world's dynamics.

Molly, our awakening heroine, is a bit of a walking contradiction. The author seems to believe that she has written a low maintenance, reasonable character, but Molly is really a high maintenance character with a low maintenance veneer that is easily cracked. Josiah, our hero, is impatient, prone to angry outbursts and, while not shown to be violent, can be a bit aggressive, particularly sexually (though not aggressive enough to warrant a trigger warning). To say that their relationship is volatile and intense would be an understatement. The progression of their relationship is a bit start-and-stop and I was not left convinced of its ability to stand the tests of time. I probably would have enjoyed the book more if the romance weren't part of the story. With the exception of Sarah, the supporting characters were largely unmemorable. The revelation of the villain's identity was groan-inducing, particularly as using this figure as a villain is a bit of an over-used trope. Although this was not my favourite book by any stretch of the imagination, I will give the next book in the series a go. 



Spell Version: 

Incantation: Fracture and twirl; ground and swirl; spin the tale and spell unfurl.

Notes: Of fair to middling efficacy. May cause tale to be cliché in places and romance to be volatile. Not for use by witches seeking gentleness in a narrative. 



Full disclosure: I received a free advance review copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The perfect trophy wife, the best hostess, the perfect daughter-Molly. That is until she discovers that her husband has cheated, the same day that they are hosting an important gathering for the law firm he works at. She was busy making the house perfect when she found the evidence. Shellshocked, she leaves only to come back in the middle of the dinner party. She sure does make an entrance. As she leaves her cheating husband she is smart enough to clean out the safe and the bank account. Josiah, the recently elected District Attorney is there and witnesses her entrance, declaration, and escape.

Molly is interesting in that she starts off as a woman scorned again, yet she doesn’t rain down balefire on her cheating husband. Instead as cool as a cucumber she walked away, with everything. She is calm, cool and collective. Her only debating with her inner self comes when they concern Josiah. Which makes sense, he is the one that tells her about her powers. She stumbled upon the illegal activities of her husband’s firm and is in danger. She could have gotten into the fetal position to rock back and forth, nah she puts on her big girl panties and decides to use it to her advantage. Molly is not naïve, or a doormat. She calls Josiah out when he needs to be.

Josiah has an agenda, it isn’t hidden from Molly. He embraces his need for revenge and allows it to rule who he is. He and his coven plan on taking down a big baddie- a plan that has been years in the making. He is not above using his magic to get what he wants. Too bad Molly is way to powerful to be manipulated. He does not treat Molly as if her marriage of 20 some odd years just crumbled before his eyes. He knows she is hot and he is shocked when he starts to feel things for her.

The chemistry between these Josiah and Molly runs hot sometimes and then cold. Both of them have a lot of baggage when it comes to previous relationships, so I understood the need for them to pull back. The tension between them though was pulled as tight as it could be pulled without breaking.

I liked this story and am looking forward to more in the series. The action and romance was balanced, the pacing good. I have no clue who the next couple will be, other people may have figured it out but I am hoping that Richard falls next.

My Rating 4 out of 5 stars

Favorite Quote “I don’t like confusion in any state, not mentally or emotionally, and certainly not physically.”

Other People
Sarah- Molly’s mentor
Anson- member of Josiah’s coven
Henry- member of Josiah’s coven
Richard- member of Josiah’s coven
Maria- member of Josiah’s coven

Thea Harrison’s paranormal romance pits a newly awakened witch and a powerful warlock into passionate conflict as they battle an ancient evil in this entertaining if uneven first in a planned trilogy. Molly Sullivan is a 40-year old woman who finds herself coming into extraordinary powers as a witch. On the cusp of escaping an abusive and loveless marriage, she meets Josiah Mason, a handsome witch with a singular focus: revenge against an evil that could destroy them both. The story follows Molly’s awakening as both a witch and a woman and Josiah’s conflict as their affair makes him question his revenge. I found the plot twist used to motivate these characters a bit conventional (not a fan of this trope), as was Molly’s transformation into a stereotypical West Coast hippie. The heat between the MCs was nicely done on the page, but the final conflict against the Big Bad felt anticlimactic after so much build up. The final chapter ended heavy on the exposition to wrap up loose narrative threads. This was a fun read, but its unsure where it will go from here and whether if I’ll be invested enough to follow.

Thea Harrison is well known for her titles and I think that many of her fans will be happy with this title. I admit that I have not read any of her past works so I am going into this new series blind. What I loved about this title was the main character. I loved that she was not the typical 18 or 25 year old. She was older and more mature. What hated is the cliché woman who “gave up” her wants and dreams to be the “prefect wife.” Oh, no. This is my own biases speaking but as a 30something woman today I would never give up my wants, dreams, hopes for my future just to play out society’s belief of what a woman’s role is. Moving on, so after you get past what was always going to be a big disappointment and waste of her life we get to the real story. I loved the story from this point on. The empowerment was so uplifting but at the same time, I did still keep thinking that this woman should have discovered herself much earlier but again I digress. So, my overall thoughts is that the story was action and fast paced enough that I did enjoy it and the inner strength that comes out of Molly is beautiful to read and envision.

Always a fan of this genre, Thea managed to come up with a fresh twist to an old theme - a witch coming into her own "late" in life. I'm intrigued and enthralled and can't wait for the next book!

I had a hard time writing this review. I expected an alpha hero who was rough, gruff and a total alpha-hole which is what I got in the beginning. But this turned out to be a tease. Josiah went form a strong, capable alpha to a benchwarmer who muddled through.

On the other hand, Molly went from a clueless housewife who had just figured out she had a backbone, to this unbelievably strong magical badass who could save the day. Don't get me wrong, I loved strong, badass heroines, but I need my heroes not to be gelded in the process. Why can't they both be strong?

It wasn't just the characters I struggled with. It was the huge things they missed along the way while they went through their personality changes. For instance, the huge target put on Molly and her lawyer. Instead of finessing things, they waved their findings around like a huge red cape in front of a bull.

As with any Thea Harrison book, there was a lot to like here, but not enough to overcome my issues. That doesn't mean I won't be picking up the next one. Ms. Harrison usually delivers stories that I fall in love with, and I expect no less in the future.

I LOVED this book! I found it compelling right away. It starts off with a fire and bang. Thea has you rooting for the two of them the who time. Even the mystery of who is behind everything is exciting and has you on the edge of the seat.
The only thing I didn't agree with was the arguing that happened everytime to two main characters got together. Other than that, I adored the story. Nothing like magic, and passion!

Molly is coming into her witchy powers, and she will be one powerful lady. I really liked her, she was strong and kick ass lady. Then we have Josiah a powerful witch, he has a secret coven and hes been looking for Molly. he can help her become more. it has been a few years since i read this author and i liked this book a lot, i can recommend it to all and look forward to more.

Molly Sullivan has been pushed over the edge by her cheating husband and suddenly all the inexplicable things that has been happening around her: electrical surges, car breakdowns, visions start to make more sense as she realizes that she has power and it is awakening. A powerful witch, Josiah Mason is the leader of a secret coven with a shared goal, to destroy an ancient enemy. He prepared for every contingency – except encountering a beautiful witch with not understanding of the immense Power building inside of her. Uncovering a dangerous secret has someone wanting to Molly dead so she turns to Josiah for help which has a spark igniting between them but with danger escalating will either one of them live long enough to give being in a relationship a try?

This new Elder Race story is an enthralling and empowering read that readers find impossible to put down. The characters are strong, convincing and easily demand attention with the heroine overcoming a lot and finally coming into her own as she learns to control her burgeoning powers and regain the confidence in herself that she lost. The hero has let revenge shape his life and turned him cold which makes this read an emotionally gripping read and readers can’t help but become caught up in the changes that happen to couple throughout this story. The chemistry between Molly and Josiah splendidly electrical and as powerful as the magic flowing through their veins and readers can practically feel the burn as this combustible romance takes off.

The fast paced plot is full of thrilling events that steadily builds suspense throughout the story ensuring that readers don’t want to miss a second of what is happening and unexpected twists ensures that they can’t possibly predict the outcome and an adrenaline pumping magical battle which makes this one magical, thrilling and empowering reading experience.

Unfortunately not the book for me. The writing style is quite good, and the blurb certainly piqued my interest, but unfortunately the story just wasn’t to my taste, that being said I can see how others would love it!

A fun reading featuring a character with some life under her belt. So even though she was thrust into a new world she had much better tools to cope. I look forward to future installments from this series.

4.5 Hearts
SJ, Romance Junkies

For a huge fan of Thea Harrison's The Elder Races series, this departure from her Wyr characters is...fascinating! I admit I had some trepidation upon learning that AMERICAN WITCH would be the first in a trilogy of stories about witches (humans), as her Wyr characters are so incredibly well-crafted and fun, but Harrison, as usual, does not disappoint!

In AMERICAN WITCH, Molly Sullivan is a new witch coming into her powers. Unfortunately, she's also going through a major life event--divorcing her terrible husband. Josiah Mason just happens to be nearby to offer help...with strings attached. He's intent on bringing down an evil witch, and Molly just happens to land in his cross-hairs with ties to danger she knows nothing about.

While in the middle of her divorce, she stumbles across some incriminating documents with far-ranging consequences that some powerful people will kill to protect. In the process, she goes into hiding while learning about her powers from Josiah. Despite themselves, both Molly and Josiah begin to fall for each other.

The characters have depth. There is no instant happily ever after, and the gravitas of their situations strikes true as the characters react honestly to danger and to each other. I liked that they didn't exactly care for each other at first. Molly is a wonderful heroine, learning as she goes and not afraid to make a mistake. Josiah has some rough edges that smooth considerably as he begins to open up and the story progresses.

A wonderfully plotted and character driven story, AMERICAN WITCH delivers danger, witchcraft, and passion between stubborn protagonists you can't help but root for. I can't wait for the next two books in this series. Well done, Ms. Harrison! And thanks for a book I'll be reading over and over again.

The “American Witch” was an intriguing story. It was the type of book that willed you to turn to the next page and find out what was going to happen next.

Not a coming of age story, but rather a coming into magical abilities. It takes a new spin on the latter and people awakening this magic through a “traumatic” event or occurrence.

Molly Sullivan traumatic event comes in the form of finding out her husband cheated on her, again. This single event changes her life from a newly awoken witch to finding the love of her life and getting mixed up in a plan to destroy an ultimate evil.

Josiah Mason is a powerful witch. He is also the leader of a secret coven of witches who have all lost something or someone to the ancient evil.

On the eve of Molly finding out about her husband, she confronts him in front of their dinner party guests. Josiah is in attendance and witnesses Molly exploding a vase with a magic power. He seeks her out and offers guidance to which she refuses.

Molly unknowingly stumbles upon important documentation when filing for a divorce, which puts her in more than enough danger. She contacts Josiah for assistance and protection.

“What do people call you?” she asked. “Are you a witch or a warlock?”

He shrugged, finished his beer, and took a second bottle. “Either or both. Sometimes sorcerer. Occasionally asshole. Personally, I’m not in love with labels.”

My Favorite Quote
Romance sparks between Josiah and Molly, but with the ever increasing dangers and the coven’s mission becoming more of a priority, tensions are high. Molly gives Josiah an time limit ultimatum.

Action, Magic and a Romance packed into 420 pages! What more can one ask for?

Although I finished this book on a high, I ultimately struggled with the review for this particular book. And so, I determinedly sit and try sort through my mommy brain thoughts.

** I received a copy of “ American Witch ” by Thea Harrison via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

#AmericanWitch #NetGalley