I have ordered book 1, which should arrive by the 4th. After reading that I will be reading For Better or Curse. I am really, really excited. Rating is based upon concept alone and is subject to change when I finish reading and update the review.

This book is even better than the previous one! I loved the way the author increased the tension in the story, and in all the characters. The plot is darker and we don't know who to trust with. Esme is still my favorite character, with her great and unique sense of humor, her strenght and determination, and strong friendship bonds! I am excited to read the next book in this series!

Once again @favouritepagesclub did it, giving me an amazing book when I thought my last readings of the year would go unnoticed. @heykatewilliams' quick, resourceful and talented pen is something you just can't pass up. For this tour I have read The Babysitters Coven and For Better or Cursed and I can say without fear that they are one of the best books I have read about a magical adventure starring a female character.

We meet Esme and Cassandra, two sitters in training who have saved our plane and the kid in their care. After being temporarily trapped in the Negative Cassandra experiences the consequences of the trauma. Even though she cannot remember exactly what happened in there. Their town’s coven will host a Summit which generates endless problems that Cass and Esme will have to solve. Won't someone think of the children?!

I want to emphasize that Esme can be hilarious and that I've really laughed out loud. This book awakens in me the nostalgia of my childhood and adolescence and I firmly believe that it is the kind of reading that should be promoted in Schools. Not only does Kate keep you hooked but she also knows how to make you empathize with the characters. I can't wait to see what else Kate brings us in the next book.♥

You know the TV commercial for Geico that shows a group of teens trying to escape from a Michael Myers-esque killer and they choose to get behind the chainsaws instead of getting in the running car? I must have seen it a gazillion times and I still always chuckle, point being, this book’s description somehow made me think of that commercial. I was primed for some good, snarky laughs and Ms. Williams did not disappoint. Now, granted, some of the language is a bit rough but not excessively so especially when you consider that this is teens defending humanity from demons.

As you might expect when it comes to fighting evil, things don’t always go well and Cassandra is suffering some pretty important amnesia, leaving Esme not exactly on her own but definitely with a partner who’s not on top of her game. The timing for that isn’t great since their coven has to host the upcoming Summit and we all know that trouble is likely to ensue. It does, of course, but this is a fun read although I wish Esme were more aware of behavior that’s somewhat dismissive of Cassandra’s LGBTQ concerns; still, I have to remind myself that, as unenlightened as we might be today, it was worse in the 1990’s when this is set. Having said that, Cassandra has developed her own unpleasant ways so neither girl is entirely likeable. The pacing in this book is also a little slower than I like and, in fact, I think the plot takes a back seat to the characters.

Although I’m rarely bothered by not reading books in order, I do think it probably would have been best in this case and I recommend that anyone wanting to try this series start with the first one, The Babysitters Coven, to have a better understanding of how Esme and Cassandra came to be Sitters. After all, being a witch, even a good one, isn’t exactly “typical teenage stuff” 😉

Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, November 2020.

In all honesty, I was so incredibly excited to finally get my hands on this book! I read the first one last year and it was one of my favorites of 2019. This one also didn’t disappoint. Nothing beats a good witchy teen novel. 
Williams is so great at writing relatable characters. Even the characters who you are suppose to hate have a wonderful human quality to them. Among a huge group of teenage girls with magic, she did a great job of making sure everyone stood out and had their own clear personality.
Personally, I enjoyed the storyline of learning about this whole universe from the first book, and that was still my favorite part of this one. This one also had a funny Christmas vibe to it that I wasn’t expecting, but was so refreshing to see. 
If you are in the mood for a quirky series featuring badass girls with powers who save the world from demons (heavy Buffy vibes) then this is the perfect series for you! Can’t wait for the third book!!

DNF. It got off to such a slow start that it sort of killed any residual interest I had coming off of book one. Too much back and forth about party planning. Not enough magic and demons.

**I received an ARC from the publisher on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.


Ahhhh!! I loved this sequel to The Babysitter's Coven as much as I loved the first book. I didn't think I could get any more invested in the characters but I was wrong. The continuing story will suck you in and it will be hard to not read it in one day. And when you're finished, you'll want to re-read it. It's just as exciting and fast paced as the first one but with a twist you won't believe.


Now I'm (im)patiently waiting for the third book to come out fall 2021.

I received this book as an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher! :) 

First of all, I *may* have squealed when I found out that I was chosen to receive an arc of this book. I was SO excited. I was not disappointed. After reading The Babysitters Coven, I was hoping a sequel would come and after reading For Better or Cursed, I am SO glad that it did. I love how this book delves more into the lives of Esme and Cassandra and transitions nicely into the ripple effects of the events in TBC. I must say, I was not fond of what felt like overly in-depth descriptions of outfits, which I also noticed in the first book, but this was easy to forgive given the engaging plot. This is definitely a lighter read but nonetheless engaging and entertaining! I would definitely recommend to anyone and everyone who enjoys supernatural YA fiction. 

You can find my goodreads review here: 
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3661472344

I had such high hopes for this sequel but I was left disappointed.

Esme and Cassandra are protecting their town and continuing their training with Brian when he informs them that there will be a babysitter symposium held in their town. Now, the girls have to pull together a party in record time and meet with other sitters. That is essentially the story until more than halfway through, when you get a tiny bit of plot progression when Esme realizes the portals won't open but there are still monsters in town.

The characters I love in the first one seem to be presented in a new light, and it's one I do not appreciate. Cassandra has essentially enslaved her brother and feels zero guilt for it, and she and Esme constantly undermine Brian's best efforts to put on a good party. I was so frustrated with their refusal to seek help. I did enjoy some of the new characters, mostly the sitters. There is a new love interest character for Esme, but he's barely there so I don't have enough of a read on him. 

The story was lackluster. As said before, it's basically a work convention for teens through the book. There was a bit of mystery about where Cassandra's dad is and how they can break the curse on Esme's mom, but those are quickly dropped in favor of more workshops. The climax felt forced. The driving force for the big bad was so ridiculous, I almost DNF, but I was already close to the end. I was left disappointed. I truly enjoyed the first book, and I feel like this book was just filler to get the one or two pieces of plot set up for the third book. I will still read the third one, but this one was just a let down.

**Thank you to Random House Childrens and Delacorte Press for giving me an Advanced Reader’s Copy of For Better or For Cursed via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

I loved reading THE BABYSITTER’S COVEN and the sequel FOR BETTER OR FOR CURSED did not disappoint. This series is so quirky and cool, a unique twist on the “teenage witch” trope. Esme and Cassandra, our two main characters, are Sitters -- a coven of witches whose hobbies include throwing demons back into the Negative Realm and making sure that the children that they babysit get to dance lessons on time. In this sequel, we see Esme and Cassandra grow into their identities as Sitters, and meet other Sitters like them. 

Esme Pearl is a hilarious narrator to the story, mixing in teenage angst, 90s music, and sarcasm that makes this story an absolute gem to read. I love when YA fiction actually makes their teenage characters act like teenagers, and Kate William is so good at creating believable teenage characters.

To put it simply, this book is just so. Fun. A great escape into a hilarious, witchy, modern world. I can’t wait until Fall 2021 when book 3 comes out!

I actually ended up liking For Better or Cursed more than The Babysitter's Coven.  That surprised me since I rarely like a book two more.  This was a fun, quick read.

Esme and Cassandra are still dealing with the after effects of Halloween.  Cassandra is losing time and acting weird during it.  She has no idea what she's done when she snaps out of it.  Esme's dad isn't paying bills and that's been stressful for Esme.  Brain tells them that the Synod is going to have a summit for Sitter's and they need to plan the party.  The Synod seals the portal during this time.

The girls meet some other sitters that they got close to.  I ended up loving all the new characters.  Each girl has a different kinesis.  There's a lot of talk about Red Magic and why it can't be used.  The Sitter's magic is about protecting the innocent and not for personal gain like Red Magic.  Esme meets a boy there, Adrian, that she starts to connect to.  It's hard for her after what happened with Dion.  Janis and Pig are back, too.  They are probably always going to be my favorites.  During the summit, Esme sees a demon outside and can't figure out how it got out with the portal sealed.  

Like the first book, there is a lot of pop culture and fashion, which made the book fun. Esme and Cassandra learned a bit more about their parents, but they still have more questions than answers.  Esme is determined to break her mom's curse.  The ending has a bit of a cliffhanger and I'm just hoping for the best in the third book.

I gave this book 4 stars.  Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my review copy.

Warnings for blood/cutting, parent in a nursing home type place, demons and dark magic.

After the events on Halloween in The Babysitters Coven, Esme and Cassandra have started to get the hang of Sitter life: Fighting demons, protecting the innocent, and training with Brian, their counsel. However, after being trapped in the Negative, Cassandra isn't quite herself, unable to remember exactly what happened in the Negative and having crazed episodes. To top it off, Esme's dad is having money trouble AND their coven is hosting the next Summit for all sitters. The Summit should be a time for training, networking, and fun, but Esme and Cassandra can't seem to shake all their troubles. Will Esme find a way to break her mom's curse? Can Cassandra finally remember what happened in the Negative?

I feel like this is a solid second book, but I definitely have just as many questions as I did at the end of the first. I really enjoyed finding out what exactly a Sitter's summit consists of, and the shenanigans that Esme and Cassandra get into. It was also fun to see a lot of the pop culture references used, especially the ones related to babysitters. It was also fun to meet new Sitters and learn about Sitter history. I do wish it could have been a little faster pacing, but overall it was a fun, easy read.

This plot was so insane and all over the place with useless information that even the Esme points it out. Much like the first book, we have endless paragraphs of descriptions of outfits. This would be fine if there was a more sensible plot, but alas, that was not the case. My secondary gripe was this quote here: 

	“We are,” she said, “After we go to Chik-Fil-A.”
	“You know they’re homophobes, right?” I asked.
	Janis grimaced and nodded. “I know, I know,” she said, “but…”
	We finished the sentence together: “Waffle fries.” 

You may not recall from the first book, but Esme’s partner in Sitter Coven is queer. Cassandra likes girls. Esme said, I know they hate your fundamental human rights, but those fries, though! This was in the first 12% of the book, and for it to be a young YA book, I don’t like the lesson that that line teaches. It seems like an innocent joke, but it’s really telling that Esme does not care about any struggles Cassandra may go through. 

Too much of this plot focused on hiding things from people who needed to know what was going on. Instead of focusing on that, the story takes a drastic turn to something entirely different. This book ended on a cliffhanger, but I found the characters so infuriating that I don’t care to read the third one. The only characters in this story who deserve rights are Janis and Pig. No one else. I don’t care about anyone else in this book, and I don’t care what happens to them. Needless to say, this was a 2-star read.

I fell in love with Kate Williams somewhere on row W in the middle of Books A Million. The cashier and I bonded over the cover and we squeed about how witchy it was. 

Imagine my delight when I saw book two up for grabs to read and I had to jump on it. I think I enjoyed this book even more than the first one. It seems darker, more sinister which is right up my alley. 

I love the way Kate works her magic-literally! It’s so fun in these books and the way her characters use it is over the top and I am here for it! 

It’s fun and very YA but here I am 29 and loved it all the same. I can’t wait for another babysitter book!

3.25 stars

Esme & Cassandra are finally getting the hang of being witchy babysitters- protecting innocent children from evil and doom.  Sure, Esme's dad & best friend had their brains fried so they wouldn't remember anything that happened on Halloween, and now she has to lie to them.  And, okay, Cassandra is treating her brother like a servant to do her bidding, as well as acting really strange ever since coming back from The Negative.  That's ok, they have this.  That is they had it.  Until the Snyod- The Sisterhood governing body- decides now is the time to throw a surprise Summit in their town. Oh- and Esme & Cassandra are in charge of the big party.  With all the sitters under one roof, the children will be exposed.  Just how much could possibly go wrong in one weekend?

A lot.  A lot went wrong in one weekend, and it was so fun! This was a pretty strong follow up to The Babysitter's Coven.  In this book we learn that the Sisterhood it not all it's cracked up to be.  Cassandra and Esme are essentially outsiders, new to the Sisterhood and realize all the other sitter's have been involved with their families all along.  It was really great to see the other sitter's, their magic, and get more back story on the Sisterhood in general.

The writing is strong with loads of fun pop culture references (though sometimes it did feel a bit much).  I especially liked the references to the original Babysitter's Club, and Claudia Kishi! Such a style icon. 

I was continuously eager to see how the drama in this book would unfold.  There are a few twists thrown in, and one of them had me rolling my eyes and laughing at myself for not having seen it (once you see for yourself you'll understand my feeling).  The author kept me engaged and wanting more the entire time.  I look forward to book 3.

The first book in this series was an unexpected surprise. With this second book I had some expectations. It was still fun. I still love Esme and Janis and Brian really. Cassandra is just not my favorite. I just don't like her. I don't even know at this point if I'm even supposed to like her. In book 1 I appreciated that a world was being built, but it could also be a stand alone. I think this one tried, but it honestly didn't make much sense to me. The Synod, Red Magic, Beanie Babies? I mean....it was kind of ridiculous. Nothing was really explained to my satisfaction and I feel like more mysteries were just added rather than anything really being explained. I did love the introduction of other Babysitters and other powers. I really liked the group of girls added to Esme's friend group. I like the premise and Esme enough to stick with the series for some future books, but this was not my favorite.

After the ending in The Babysitters Coven, I couldn't wait to dive back into Esme and Cassandra's world in For Better or Cursed. I loved that we got a deeper look into the history of the Sitter's in this book when the Synod decide to call a Summit and gather a bunch of supernaturally-gifted teens together for training. I enjoyed getting to know the new characters introduced in this book. The new Sitters fit right in among all the chaos, and I can't wait to see what everyone is up to in Book 3!

DNF @ 30%

I can't do it.

These covers are so gorgeous and I love the premise but I can't deal with the execution of the story.

The plot is not for me. There are too many variables of lying to everyone around you, hiding BIG things from the people who could help, and characters who are basically pointless. Throw in a shady love interested and you've got this book.

Oh yeah, don't forget that everyone is in danger of dying but they're planning a huge party? I just . . . it's so ridiculous I can't stand it.

The book may turn around at the end, it may at some point be worth it, but I can't sit through another mediocre book.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange of a honest review.  For Better or Cursed starts out after the events of The Babysitters Coven.. The babysitters are back in their net adventure and what a ride it is. 
When Esme and Cassandra return home they start to understand their role in the world and how important they are to the safety and quality of life for the rest of us. There is magic here, action, compassion, heart, and humor. It all mixes together to create a satisfying sequel to book one. 
Overall this story is a great one and I enjoyed it as much as book one.  Can’t wait for book 3

I really enjoyed the first babysitter’s coven book and was really looking forward to this book. It definitely delivered! I really enjoyed learning more about the sitters and meeting more sitters. The new sitters that were introduced are a lot of fun and I am really looking forward to seeing more of them in the next book. I also thought the book had a good balance of answering some of the questions raised in the last book while also deepening the mystery for the next book. I was satisfying to get some answers and I am now really excited to see if some of my theories about what is going on with the over arching plot will be correct. While the story does still leave mysteries it still felt like a complete adventure on its own. Overall I really enjoyed this book and this series.