i enjoyed reading this book, i loved going through the light witch vs dark witches. I really like Cyan and Liam as characters and felt invested in their story.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

3.5 stars
I liked the book, but I wasn't completely enthralled. I generally like this type of fantasy but I just couldn't connect with the characters very well. Good writing on the author's part, I think this just wasn't for me.

Hero having a girlfriend is a hard no for me, unfortunately. I have no reason to invest in the drama surrounding that.

A fated battle between light and dark magic with the fate of the world hanging in the balance?  Add in a little romance and pedigreed Southern witches and you have the definition of my jam.  Unfortunately, the pacing, character develop, and aspects of the romance didn't work for me.  

Cyan Burroughs, who comes from two lines of famous witches, is prophecized to be the Loach — a light witch who will take down the Dorcha (a dark witch) in a battle for the fate of the world.  Her loving witchy family runs a bookstore in Charleston, South Carolina.  The novel starts just before Cyan's powers begin to awaken after she finally meets her fated love, Liam, who unfortunately is in love with another woman.  From here, Cyan with the help of her family scramble to identify the Dorcha and save the world.

On a positive note, I loved the concept of these ancient witch lineages and the family dynamics. The plot twist made it interesting.  I felt that the ideas here are  promising. 

At the same time, it was hard for me to follow the choppy dialogue and quick transitions.  Overall, there was also a lot more telling than showing and  the story felt a bit rushed for my tastes.  I also got hung up on the inconsistencies.  For instance, in one scene Liam is worried about meeting Charleston’s “poshest” even though we’ve already heard that he has an expensive wardrobe designed specifically to charm and impress guests at one of Charleston’s high-end restaurants (and he also comes from money).

I can forgive a lot for a good romance, but it was also tough to root for this couple.  Liam’s first impression of Cyan — again, his fated love —  is that “she had the tight little body of a woman who’d be fun in bed.”  I’m all for fun in bed, but it felt out of place.  It is a bold move to have the hero start the story very much in love — even proposing marriage — to another woman.  Within 20 pages, the fiancé falls into a coma after an accident and much of Cyan and Liam’s early interaction takes place at her bedside.  There is also what feels like a random interlude with another woman.  I’m not even in the majority of romance readers who refuse to read books with any form of cheating, but it was a tough sell for me.  

Thanks for the advanced copy to review.

I liked this book but didn’t really love it. I generally like stories about magic but this one had a silly premise. Cyan, who comes from a long line of light witches, according to an ancient prophecy, is supposed to save the world from destruction by the dark side. Her aunt, a seer, has been painting pictures of Cyan’s  one and only true love since Cyan was a baby. Because of this, Cyan is basically waiting for her magic to manifest so she can fight a war and has not dated because she’s waiting for true love. Her family is overbearing and quirky. Her mom is always barefoot and speaks abrasively. Her dad is powerful and a little on the dark side. Her aunt is constantly painting pics of Cyan’s future lover boy while singing Cinderella’s song, “One day my price will come” and it’s just creepy. When her chosen one, Liam, does show up, he’s already in love with someone else.  Having said all that, I think this book has potential to be better. The dialogue is not smooth and the connection between characters could be a bit more believable. Cyan often visits her grandmother’s grave for advice but doesn’t really get any from her. Her grandmother left her a protective amulet but she is not careful with it. Liam’s story is a bit vague and is unbelievable, too. I think with a little polish, this could be a better story.  Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Cyan is a white witch. Liam is a dark witch but he doesn’t know it. But they aren’t just any ole witches. They are THE witches. Read their story and find out if a dark witch and a white witch can be together witches. 

I Voluntarily reviewed an advanced complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley

A lovely and interesting tale minus the foul language, I’m not a big fan of that. The characters are great and the storyline is an intriguing one. Cyan and Liam had an interesting interlude which led to the great prophecy coming to be. Their pathway to their destiny was filled with pitfalls of magic, deceit, prejudice, and love. This book makes an entertaining and somewhat captivating read.

On paper this should be a perfect read for me because I love books about magic and add in some romance and I'm in book heaven. Sadly for whatever reason this particular book just wasn't a fit . The main characters Cyan and Liam are prophesied to come together which will trigger Cyans latent power to defeat a dark sorcerer but when they meet Liam is already in love with someone else. The author does have a way that makes sense in order for the couple to become involved but I just didn't truly connect in any way with either of them. Perhaps the meddling family distracted me and I can see that perhaps they are supposed to be quirky with bare foot mom and quick to act dad. I very nearly put this down but persevered and there is a happy ending which initially was doubtful but unfortunately this was not a book that I particularly enjoyed.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

I enjoyed this book. I am a fan of paranormal books and this one did not disappoint. I liked the characters and the  storylines, and it's always nice to have some romance...
Thanks NetGalley and publisher for this arc.

DESTINY’S DARK LIGHT by Sara Dobie Bauer can be classified as a paranormal romance, an urban fantasy, or a supernatural suspense novel. It is set in Charleston, South Carolina and is suspenseful, enjoyable and entertaining.

Cyan Burroughs is a light witch prophesied to battle the dark sorcerer Dorcha. Unfortunately, Cyan’s powers are still dormant until a witch flips a trolley in downtown Charleston killing and injuring many. Cyan drags Liam Cody from the wreckage and helps him extract his girlfriend from his car. When Cyan sees Liam’s face, she knows that he is the man that she is destined to love. 

Who caused the accident and why? Who is the Dorcha? Will Cyan’s powers fully awaken or will they sputter? Will the dark witches or the light witches end up winning the ultimate battle? Will Cyan survive? Will Liam survive? Will Liam and Cyan love each other or will it be one-sided?

Both Cyan’s and Liam’s characters had significant depth for such a short novel. Some of the supporting characters were mildly quirky and made the book even more enjoyable.

While this is the first book I have read by Sara Dobie Bauer, I look forward to reading more of her novels. Overall, I was immediately drawn into the story line and enjoyed unraveling the mystery of who the Dorcha was. The cover was perfect for this novel.

Many thanks to Pen and Kink Publishing, Sara Dobie Bauer and Net Galley for a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.