When you need happy reading I definitely think you should pick up Lana Harper’s Thistle Grove Books: Payback’s a Witch, From Bad to Cursed and Back in a Spell – you have time to read all three before In Charm’s Way comes out this fall! The romances are sweet, the magic is exciting and each book gave me a little bit more than I was expecting. Definitely books I’d read again for fun.

Payback’s a Witch (Thistle Grove Witches #1)

Lana Harper

Independent twenty-something Emmy Harlow has forged a private and professional life for herself in Chicago, a virtual world away from her mystical hometown of Thistle Grove. Yearning to be something more than a Harlow witch, Emmy has rejected her magical heritage for years. When her father beckons her home to temporarily resume her position as Harlow scion, her sense of duty ignites. Emmy’s role as arbiter in the town’s sacred, high-stakes magical tournament is quickly complicated when she joins forces with a couple old friends to tip the scales away from a shared nemesis Gareth Blackmoore. Emmy, her best friend Linden Thorn, and edgy/sexy/cool Talia Avramov round out a trio of women scorned by privileged pretty boy Gareth. Soon, Emmy is forced to confront her abandonment of friends and family as well as a burgeoning attraction to elusive Talia.

Payback’s a Witch is full of sumptuous descriptions of a quaint town steeped in magical tradition. Harper’s writing is sensual and stylish. I loved the abundant descriptions of fashion, food, drinks, and local establishments. Readers will enjoy a vivid sense of Thistle Grove and its varied residents. The book reads like a primer to hipster millennial culture, especially in dialogue. As an older reader, I found this less appealing and didn’t quite connect with Emmy as a main character. Overall, however, the story is an easy read with a perfect balance of action, intrigue, and romance. It’s a great fall weekend read.

Payback’s a Witch is the first in the Thistle Grove Witches series. From Bad to Cursed, book two in the series, is previewed at the end of the book and has a 2022 publication date.

John Tucker Must Die meets Practical Magic meets love story and female friendship. The perfect Halloween read. The worldbuilding was super fun too.

Unfortunately this one was that I did not finish. It just didn't suck me in. I can see how and why it would be enticing to others, and I appreciate the inclusion of more genres within the romance world, this one just wasn't for me!

I love this almost Hallmark vibe and series of tropes. The romance was great and the magic was very fun. Can't wait to read the next book.

There's something about witchy rom-coms. I want to like them, but they never quite get there for me. Such is the case with Payback's a Witch, by Lana Harper, previously Lana Popovic of YA books Wicked Like a Wildfire, etc. There is something deeply YA about Payback's a Witch, which is not much of a problem given the twenty-something characters, but their problems are all quite surface level and the plot itself couldn't really keep me interested.

This was such a fun witchy read! I really loved the entire town and all the characters (I'm looking forward to reading the next two books in the series).

The competition was interesting and I loved how it was a central part of the story but not the only plot point.

Delightful, spooky, and well-written with great characters and world building.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

This is a great book to read during the spooky season. It was a cozy sapphic story about witches and I really enjoyed it. I thought the characters were great and the plot was also very intriguing. It was a fun story and if you like witches and tournaments then this book is for you.

I liked the diversity of the characters and how they all came together with one common goal. I also really enjoyed the world build and the writing was excellent. I could always picture what was going on and I never lost track of where i was. I would sneak read it at work and it took me a little over a month to get through but it was very easy to fall back into the world even though i would a few pages here and there. I think it is hard for authors to write that way but Lana Harper kill it.

Definitely pick it up for a fall read.

I liked the witchy tournament aspect of this novel, but wasn't super into the romance.

I did enjoy the small-town, witchy fall vibes, so that was great.

I'm curious to see where the series goes from here.

A cute and cozy read that would def get anyone into a fall mood. Plot is exciting without distracting from the character relationships/romance.

Oh this book was a lot of fun! It took me a minute to get into it, but once I did, I ended up reading it in a day.

When Emmy came home to Thistle Grove she was not looking forward to seeing her ex again; and she was not expecting to fall in love. But both happened.

I enjoyed the story, the concept, everything except there was not enough about Emmy's dog! It was a cute story and I am looking forward to the next one following a different set of Thistle Grove witches.

First of all, thanks to Berkley Publishing for the free copy.

I was really curious about this book, but I'm starting to feel that the author's style isn't completely my cup of tea.
As I've said before I really like the worldbuilding Lana Harper's created (and I'm a fan of witch's books) but for me this story hasn't the power to go after that. The plot is a little bit flat and predictable, so I ended it quite disappointed.

Payback’s a Witch is the first book in the Thistle Grove Witches series and can be described as John Tucker Must Die meets Sabrina the Teenage Witch. The book follows the POV of Emmy Harlow who has returned home to represent her family in a spell casting tournament but as well as the stress of THAT, she’s quickly pulled into a plot against her ex-boyfriend. What ensues is DELIGHTFUL.
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Payback’s a Witch was so much fun to read- while I did have one or two minor issues- overall, the book was exciting and the characters refreshing. Emmy is pulled into this plot by her best friend, Linden, and a girl she’s always crushed on, Talía. Get your popcorn ready because the drama that follows is so entertaining.
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In addition to the main plot we have a f/f romantic subplot and like Emmy, I was so gone for Talía- her family basically terrifies the town of Thistle Groove(not on purpose) due to their darker magic and YES PLEASE! The tension was real between these two and I loved their developed romance.
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I really enjoyed the magic system in this book, and I’m impressed with how detailed and enjoyable it was to read about. The spell casting tournament was so FUN. It was detailed without info dumping and I enjoyed how much of its own character the town was.
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In terms of the issues- my main erk with the story involved Emmy’s motivations for leaving Thistle Groove in the first place. No spoilers but while the leave made sense I didn’t get the prolonged absence. Which of course is a personal preference. Lastly, even though this was adult and the characters in their 20’s it read very juvenile at times. Sometimes it felt like I was reading a YA. Which is just a pet peeve of mine.
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Despite my issues, I did really like the book and I cannot wait to move onto book 2.

A fun paranormal challenge set in the Midwest with a dash of romance. I’m happy that the publisher decided to reframe its marketing because while there is romance in it, it’s primarily paranormal fiction first.

This book was so much fun to read. I found that the characters were likable and the relationships they formed were sweet. I did think that the book could have used a little more character depth and a slower pace of plot but it was overall a fun sweet romance book.

A cute, fun, fresh take on a wonderful witchy novel!

This book was a lot of fun to read and put me right into the autumn mood with its quirky characters and just the right amount of "cheese". It's almost like a hallmark movie if hallmark was actually cool and didn't shy away from a little steam. Overall such a fun read and I would absolutely recommend!

This is the perfect cozy autumn read! I love a good magical town and a slow burn romance, but I especially appreciated the bisexual rep in this book. It's a great one to recommend to folks who love Halloween-y books.

A super fun read with John Tucker Must Die vibes mixed with the high stakes competition of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. This story had a great balance of romance and magic and is a fantastic, witchy Fall/Halloween read. The writing style is also addictive and and lush. Definitely will be looking forward to more in this series!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for review

This was a fun and spooky read! A dash of witchcraft with a little bit of Hallmark movie vibes, Lana Harper delivers a fun story about love and heartbreak - perfect for the fall season.