This was a pretty solid start to a promising series (I hope!). Considering the cliffhanger at the end I know we can expect at least one more. I'm eager to explore more of this lush witchy world!

I always dig some dark academia vibes and I feel like we got some of that here. I'm pretty sure we just scratched the surface of all that Henbane Coven has going on and I'm into it.

LOVE the addition of familiars. Nero is a hero and must outlive us all! I love that while he is definitely team Selene he is a panther with big cat energy.

Selene and Memnon are great leads. There's a lot of mystery between them along with loads of heat and I am a suckered for the push-and-pull enemies to lovers flippity-flop.

Selene has an immaturity/innocence about her and I think that plays well with the memory loss that accompanies the use of her powers. I love the way Selene looks at this as a part of what makes her who she is and adjusts accordingly as much as she can. Although I believe Selene's lost chunks of memories was done well, I do wish we would have got to see more layers to her. We see at the beginning how dedicated she was to get into Henbane Coven but we don't really get to find out why. It seemed such a big thing for her and I would have liked to understand better what the driving force behind that was. I'm hoping as the story continues her past and more about her will come into play a lot more.

Memnon was SPICY and FRUSTRATING and MYSTERIOUS af. I really felt in-line with Selene, there's so much about him that draws you in but man you definitely want to fight his face at times. The arrogance alone. But GD if he didn't back it up every time. I think that made me more upset at times! I love a good anti-hero/morally grey character and right now I think he falls into that category. There's still a lot of mystery around him even after the end though. I'm really looking forward to knowing which side of the fence I land on with him. I can't help but root for these crazy kids (or ancient beings) figure it out and make it work. I'm really looking forward to seeing what happens next!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC of this book for an honest review.

… Yes. This book is what I’m talking about. Laura Thalassa understood the assignment.

Picture this:

You are a beautiful, talented witch in your early twenties. You can do incredible magic, but it comes at the cost of your memories, so you have uncountable gaps in your brain and can never fully trust yourself.

You really want to join a coven, so, at their recommendation, you consider going on a trip so you can be a part of a «quest» in the wilderness. You fall asleep thinking about it, and, when you wake up the next day, you have inexplicably booked a trip to Galapagos.

On your way there, your plane is invaded by the voice of a man which only you can hear. The voice calls you an Empress, demands that you come to him and starts pulling the plane down.

You use an incredible amount of magic to safely land the plane, which means that, when you wake up after hitting your head, you have no memory of doing so.

The voice continues to call you, so you and your recently acquired familiar, a panther named Nero – no, I will not be taking questions at this time – go after it. You end up at an old mausoleum in the middle of the woods, where you find a casket.

Inside the casket, you find the body of a man who looks like he is just sleeping, but cannot wake up without magic.

So you wake him up.

Turns out, he is Memnon, a warrior king who was apparently cursed into eternal sleep by his wife, Roxilana, who he believes to be you. So, while he loves you more than anything, he will also get his revenge. One way or the other.

This is the story of Selene Bowers, the main character of Bewitched. Are you sold yet?! Because if you’re not, I feel like you might need a hug.

This book was very dark, sexy and action-packed, while also having that trademark Laura Thalassa snark and humor. As all of her main female characters, Selene was incredibly strong, confident and sure of herself. As all of her main male characters, Memnon was obstinate, manipulative and completely gone for her (even though he did also hate her).

The plot had so many moving parts, and, just when I felt like I had my bearings and I knew where this was going, the ending completely threw me off. I was so surprised and it made me so much more excited for the next book in the series.

This was very much my id book and I can’t wait to see what else this author has up her sleeve!

such a good book. i hate books ending in cliff hangers especially when there is no indication when the second book will come but it was worth the read. i enjoyed these characters even if on a darker side of romance.

Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC of Bewitched in exchange for an honest review.

Frankly speaking, this was very underwhelming and terrible. It felt less like a whole book and more like a collection of cliches.

There wasn't any plot at all. The description of the book is all the plot it actually has. There was no world-building and I was fairly confused for the most part. Also, the supporting charters were hardly there and had no personality.

As for the lovely leads, they were, well, there. They didn't do anything and remained very passive.

Selene was okay, I guess. She was really naive and stupid. All she wanted was Memnon. All her thoughts were about Memnon.

As for Memnon, I hated him. All he ever said was - Empress. This word was repeated so many bloody times, it gave me a headache. He spent the book controlling and gaslighting Selene.

The ending made me very angry and I wanted to slap some sense into Selene. She needs to stay away from Memnon.

I received a free ARC, but this review is my honest opinion of the book
Rating: 5 stars
Perfect for anyone who loves: enemies to lovers, witches, fierce heroines, magic academies, antiheros
Bewitched is definitely one of my favorite books of 2023! The characters are awesome, and I can’t wait for the next book to come out.
Selene was likable, determined, and fierce. She made a few dumb choices, but overall, she was a brave, funny, and relatable person whom you could root for. Similar to the characters in some of Laura Thalassa’s other books, the characters are morally grey. Memnon is certainly a complex character, and I am hoping to learn more about him in future books. Memnon was definitely my favorite part of the book, as I am always a sucker for a villain romance.
I appreciated that there were rules to the established magic and that there was an actual cost to using power. The premise of the main character losing her memories was unique and was executed well. At a few points, the pacing felt a little rushed and I would like some more world-building in future books. Regardless, this book was amazing and I couldn’t put it down!

Wow this was so good! I loved the setup with Selene’s magic being tied to her memories. And Memnon! Let me tell you, my feminism left my body completely whenever he was on the page. The ultimate bad boy, morally dark grey, kind of unhinged, devious, but completely devoted to his queen. (Also I need someone to call me Empress). Add in werewolves, a murder mystery, lots of “touch her and die”, lots of steam, a panther for a familiar, and magical battles! This was highly entertaining and I CANNOT WAIT for the next book.

4.5 stars

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a requested copy for review. All opinions are my own.

*Thank you to NetGalley & Lavabrook Publishing for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.*

I was very excited to start this book because I really enjoyed Laura Thalassa's Four Horsemen books. I understood that is was going to be a different type of story (obviously) but I was looking forward to starting a new series by her. However I did not make it very far in this book. I was intrigued by the unreliable narrator, the magic and the love interest but from the beginning I felt apathetic about it all. There were even scenes that I just glazed over because I was not into it. The plane scene at the very beginning was especially rough for me to read...something about it I really found rather irritating. It seemed a little dumb.

I know A LOT of people are liking this book and maybe I will give it another chance in the future...but at this point it is not for me.

Bewitched by Laura Thalassa
Wooo! A start to a new series! I love it! The back stories, the new settings, new characters! Yes! The only sadness comes when the story ends and you have to wait for the next one.

Selene is a witch. When she uses her magic, she loses her memories.

She ends up in a jungle, enchanted by someone else's magic. It calls to her, on a very deep level. She finds something, she frees it.

Menmon is an ancient being. A powerful sorcerer. And thoroughly believes Selene is his soul mate. He is cruel, villainous, kind, and loving. He is so many things and that pushes and pulls at Selene.

I can't wait to read what happens next!

I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Selene is a modern day witch, trying to earn a place in the local coven, which she has yet to impress. The coven is reluctant to let Selene in their community because every time she uses her magic she loses a memory. Selene has to prove herself by completing a magical quest and finding her familiar. Upon doing so, she impresses the coven; however, along the way she also unearths a powerful sorcerer who believes Selene to be both his soul mate and the bane of his existence. Their interactions are passionate yet volatile and Selene has to figure out how to move forward while being blinded from many of her past experiences.

This was a great start to a series! I’m eager to see some character development from Memnon in book 2.

I loved the bargainer series so i thought i’d have another go at Laura Thalassa. This book did not disappoint, it was a little slow at the beginning but once the story started, it was hard to put down.

Laura Thalassa is a hit or miss writer for me. I loved her Four Horsemen series but DNF her Bargainer series. That's why I was so excited for her new series. The Cover and the blurb immediately aroused my curiosity and I was very happy and lucky to get an e-ARC.

Laura has a great writing style that really grabbed me. The plot is very exciting and I was immediately drawn into the story. I really liked the idea of ​​Selens Memory loss and Laura implemented it very well. Although it was exciting most of the time, especially when it came to investigating the murders, there were still lengths that bored me from time to time.

I liked Selene from the beginning and it was fun to accompany her. Although life isn't easy for her, she doesn't give up and has found very good solutions to her problems. She is also not shy about speaking her mind and standing up for herself. Unfortunately, the love story didn't grab me. I couldn't understand the intense feelings. That wasn't due to Selene, but rather to Memnon. At the beginning I was enthusiastic about Memnon and you could tell that the chemistry between the two was hot. But as the story progressed, Memnon just got on my nerves with his mood swings. I absolutely didn't understand why Selene was so attracted to him. I found all of this to be a pity and sadly took some of the fun out the book.

„Bewitched“ in itself was a good start to Lauras new series and the Cliffhanger at the end makes you curious about the second book. Although I've lowered my expectations, I'll still give the second part a chance.

I wanted to love this one but I felt like I was missing part of the story. I loved the characters and the story overall. But during the entire thing I just think it was lacking in character reasoning and story explanation.

I loved the author's Bargainer and Four Horseman series, so I quickly jumped on this ARC as soon as I saw it was available on NetGalley.  I wasn't disappointed.

This paranormal romance has an anti-hero that I often times wanted to do bodily harm to as often as I wanted to love him.  Memnom has some issues...specifically with poor unsuspecting Selene.  Selene, unfortunately, releases Memnon from the curse keeping him entombed and then has to deal with him popping up and wreaking havoc with the life she's trying to build in her new coven.  Sadly, Selene joining the coven coincides with bad things happening, putting her in the middle of that along with Memnon's shenanigans.

Selene has a lot on her plate and the drama with Memnon tends to tip her over the edge.  But she never truly lets that beat her down, even when it seems like it will.  She has a fight in her that has her standing up to the biggest obstacles and I think as we move onto the next book in the series, it's clear Memnon is going to be the biggest one.

I LOVED THIS! I have read so many titles by this author and they are typically romance driven. I adored this fantasy title and need the entire series asap. This was wonderful mates, spells, witches, romance - what more could you want!

Bewitched is a paranormal fantasy and soulmates romance written in a wonderful style that made it so difficult to put it down. You have adventures, laughs, spice and mystery.

Selene is a peculiar witch. Each time she uses magic, it takes a short term memory. She went to find her familiar and complete a quest and she comes back with a panther and a possessive and powerful king who thinks she is his wife.

"𝒮ℴ 𝓎ℴ𝓊 𝒶𝓇ℯ 𝓌𝓇ℴ𝓃𝑔, 𝓁𝒾𝓉𝓉𝓁ℯ 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒸𝒽. 𝒴ℴ𝓊 𝒶𝓇ℯ 𝓂𝒶𝓃𝓎 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓈 𝓉ℴ 𝓂ℯ.
𝒴ℴ𝓊 𝒶𝓇ℯ 𝓂𝓎 𝓆𝓊ℯℯ𝓃. 𝓂𝓎 ℯ𝓂𝓅𝓇ℯ𝓈𝓈, 𝓂𝓎 𝓌𝒾𝒻ℯ. 𝒴ℴ𝓊 𝒶𝓇ℯ 𝓂𝓎 ℛℴ𝓍𝒾𝓁𝒶𝓃𝒶, 𝓉𝒽ℯ 𝓌ℴ𝓂𝒶𝓃 𝓌𝒽ℴ 𝒶𝓌ℴ𝓀ℯ 𝓂𝓎 𝓂𝒶𝑔𝒾𝒸 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓈𝓅ℴ𝓀ℯ 𝓉ℴ 𝓂𝓎 𝓂𝒾𝓃𝒹 𝒷ℯ𝒻ℴ𝓇ℯ 𝓌ℯ ℯ𝓋ℯ𝓇 𝓂ℯ𝓉. 𝒴ℴ𝓊 𝒶𝓇ℯ 𝓂𝓎 𝓃ℯ𝓂ℯ𝓈𝒾𝓈. 𝓌𝒽ℴ 𝒸𝓊𝓇𝓈ℯ𝒹 𝓂ℯ 𝓉ℴ ℯ𝓃𝒹𝓁ℯ𝓈𝓈 𝓈𝓁ℯℯ𝓅.
ℳℯ𝓂𝓃ℴ𝓃'𝓈 𝒽𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒸𝓊𝓅𝓈 𝓂𝓎 𝒸𝒽ℯℯ𝓀. "𝒜𝓃𝒹 𝓎ℴ𝓊 𝒶𝓇ℯ 𝓂𝓎 𝒮ℯ𝓁ℯ𝓃ℯ, 𝓂𝓎 ℯ𝓉ℯ𝓇𝓃𝒶𝓁 𝓈ℴ𝓊𝓁 𝓂𝒶𝓉ℯ, 𝓌𝒽ℴ 𝓌ℴ𝓀ℯ 𝓂ℯ 𝒻𝓇ℴ𝓂 𝒾𝓉.”

If I did not convince you yet…in this book you will find:

🖤Obsessed and possessive alphahole
🖤Witches, sorcerers, familiars and werewolves
🖤Enemies to lovers
🖤Steamy scenes
🖤Soulmates
🖤Magic battles
🖤Touch her and you 💀
🖤Mystery and murders
🖤”My queen, my empress, little witch”

I really enjoyed the story but the ending…I was not ready for it. Can I have the next book now? Thank you!

⚜️Selene is kind, brave, fights for what she thinks is right and is so funny. Her amnesia is a key point in the story but I love how she does not act as a victim.
⚜️Nero is the best sassy animal companion and I want one.
⚜️Memnon, is a kind of evil and possessive alphahole.
⚜️Kane is kind of cute and interesting and I wouldn’t mind more of him.

You won’t find a lot a world building and I missed it a it but I think it makes it easier to connect with Selene and her amnesia as you know as much as she can remember.

Bewitched by Laura Thalassa is one of the greatest witch fantasies I’ve ever read.

Thalassa spins a high fantasy adventure that grabs your attention and doesn't let go.
I love how she gives us realistic, lovable characters and how she weaves this story together with a compelling and intricate plot.
The action was fun and the plot and pacing were so good.
An outstanding read with phenomenal magic, romance, and the epic start of a riveting fantasy series.
I can’t wait to see what book two has in store for us.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Bloom Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

I absolutely adored this book. The magic was fabulous. Riveting plot. Characters with rich development and of course, some spice. The memory loss aspect was also fascinating, it added an extra layer of mystery which made this book even better.

I couldn't put this book down and highly recommend it.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was so good. Wow. With witches and werewolves, bonds and soulmates, this was magic pure! The book immediately had me hooked and it never got boring. I read this in nearly one sitting. Selene is relatable, funny and strong. I relate to her a lot because I too struggle with my memory, even though mine isn’t as magical as hers. I loved the friendship between Sybill and Selene. This book has everything: riveting mysteries, wonderful characters and an enchanting plot.
This was great. I hope there’s going to be a second book!

For me, this author paranormal books do not disappoint, and this book was no different. I loved it. The beginning was a little slow for me but once the story picked up, I devoured it, and it was not a short story. I enjoyed Selene and Memnon characters a lot. I'm invested in their story and excited to read what journey the next book will take them on. Selene was lovable in every way and even if she couldn't remember what she did; she always tried to do what was right, at least in this book. The past is still a mystery. Memnon was everything; protective, loving, sweet, funny and charming but he was also so much more. There's a lot more to him than what meets the eyes. There were times when I wanted to dislike him, but others when I couldn't help but love him. There were times where I felt sorry for him but I'm hoping that my feelings aren't' misplaced, there's still a lot of unanswered questions. I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next book in this series as this one ends with a major cliffhanger. I want to know why Memnon was locked up for years. I want to know not only Memnon and Selene's past but also their future I believe there are some hidden enemies at play. I'm excited to know who they are and when they will be revealed. This story was intense, with mystery, suspense, betrayal, murder and action. However, it also has it's funny, steamy, touching and heartfelt moments. I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next book and will be recommending this one to my paranormal book loving friends.

Dark, twisted and full of turmoil, Bewitched is a bewitching read.

With a riveting plotline, enchanting characters and a devastating cliffhanger, this story had me under it's spell. Full of magic, secrets, betrayals and heartache, this spellbinding book left me reeling, gasping and aching for more.

5 stars and a memory