Perfect for fans of : witchy, romance, romcom vibes, fantasy vibe in an urban setting, second chance romance.

I was pretty intrigued by this because it seemed similar to Not the Witch You Wed. At first it almost read like a fanfic of that book but it does get better and develop into its own. Unfortunately, I think the pace was way too slow. The FMC was hard to like and on top of that, hard to stay engaged with. I just wasn’t invested in her story.

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Five stars! I love this! This somehow managed to be a light romantic comedy with a lot of dark secrets. There was a twist that I didn’t see coming. I became truly invested in each of these characters and their growth. Miss Emmaline comes from a rough family life, and Bastion comes from a loving family; the way that has influenced who they are made for a compelling read in and of itself,. They were childhood besties in an arranged marriage. Emmaline was left at the altar, but not for the reason she thinks. I love that we get to see how each of these characters has grown, and we get to see them growing, even as we read and getting to know each other better and getting to know themselves and their motivations better. Excellent character development! I want to purchase this book because I know I’m gonna want to read it again and I would like a physical copy. I also hope that the two bffs Tia and Leah get their own books because I adore them as well. I think we might because I think we met their potential future love interests in this book. Also, there is some spice in this book, but it is not spice centric. I’d say just the right amount of spice.

Overall I really enjoyed this book!
I love the witchy rom-com with magic thrown in here or there. I will post a lengthier more detailed review on my Book Insta account one month prior to the august release date as requested on the publisher page.
Would read more from this author!

Such a charming witchy read, perfect for springtime! Featuring forced engagement, opposites-attract, and second chance romance. The cast of characters are delightful. The character growth amidst witch family dynamics was intriguing. This contemporary fantasy romance is perfect for those looking for something light and sweet!

Thank you Harlequin and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this story!

This book fell short for me. Inundated with new witch romance books, this one did not make the cut. It felt overdone and I've read this content in other books but done better by other authors.

I never thought I’d enjoy witchy romances, but this book with its engaging characters - and a dog and a cat - was thoroughly enjoyable. It has all the twists and complications you’d expect from a romance and some magic.

Loved this magical witchy romcom! It was an easy read. Full of fun and entertaining characters. Emma’s character development made me happy. I loved it when she finally stood up for her self!
I really hope there’s a sequel for Tia, Leah, Sloane, and Kole. As well one for Emma and Bastian. I don’t feel like their story is complete.
I’d recommend this book to other witchy romance readers!

“It was like holding fire and he considered himself lucky to be burned."

Bastian is a powerful warlock from a wealthy and influential family. Emma is a shy witch from a family just on the edge of society. They have had a marriage contract in place since they were kids, but Bastian leaves. Leaves Emma, their marriage, his family, and society life. 7 years later he shows up in the bar Emma owns and begs her to marry him.

This is romance story that also deals with grieving of past relationships, abuse from a family member, and rebuilding of trust. Emma has also been treated like she is less than, while Bastian is praised for being perfect in every aspect. Emma struggled to feel like she was good enough for Bastian 7 years ago and now she isn’t interested in having a real relationship with him. Emma built fortress level walls to protect herself from Bastian and he slowly chips away at them with his love, kindness, and understanding. Bastian longs for Emma and truly desires to love her, but he is scared of her secrets.

I am so obsessed with their story. Second-chance romances always work for me. I love seeing the longing (especially from the MMC)!!!!!! The spicy scenes were amazing and emotional, but there could always be more🤷🏼‍♀️🌶️ I am excited to see what is next from this author. I would love a story about Sloane when she’s older and maybe a warlock?!?!?!

The Witch is Back is such an excellent book, and I truly enjoyed reading it. I was hoping for a book with themes of character growth, second chance romance, action and adventure and this books did not disappoint. Sophie wrote an amazing book where the characters grow and develop all the way through instead of all at once. The romance at the heart of this story is slow burning but strong, and I couldn't stop the smile on my face whenever Emma and Bastian came together a little bit more, whether through circumstance or with a little push.

The characters are the heart of the story, and each one shines in different ways; we watch Emma struggle to come to terms with Bastian back in her life and how she can trust him, her family issues and her personal strength. Bastian has to take responsibility after running from it his entire life. Tia, Sloane, and Leah all had growth of their own (and honestly I'm really hoping they each get their own stories!), which made them interesting secondary characters that didn't fade into the background.

All considered, I would rate this book a solid 4 out of 5 stars, and I am so excited to see what Sophie writes next!

This was a really adorable rom com about second chances.
Tropes to look out for
Second chances
Forced proximity
Friends to lovers
Opposite attracts

Great steamy romance

This book was so adorable. There is nothing more that I love then a witchy rom com. The world and word building in this book was perfect. I loved every minute that I read this book.

This was a very fun book and one that surprised me! The opening was not very strong, but as the plot got going I got increasingly invested in the characters, their relationships, and the mystery at the core of their backstory. As someone who gets deeply annoyed by unnecessary misunderstandings plots, I appreciated that the major miscommunication couldn't be cleared up because of a literal magical hex on one side and some very understandable trauma on the other.

The life that Emma built outside of the bounds of magical high society is wonderful -- I loved the sections showing her interacting with her friends and those of her siblings who are on her side -- and the reader can understand the lengths she'd go to to protect it. Likewise, Bastian's love for his parents and his turmoil around the curse he's under and his erstwhile friendship with Emma make his POV sections particularly tasty to read.

And the way the problem with their marriage contract is solved is very satisfying!

All in all, I do recommend this book. You might just need to give it a couple chapter to really get going.

What a great fun read. I really liked the romance, the story arc, the side characters, and the wit. All of it. It was a fun romance with a great story to relax to. I have several patrons in mind already, so we will be purchasing for the collection.

This is a book filled with lots of charming and witty characters. There is also romance and family and learning to trust again.
This is a fun book that I would read others set here about these characters again.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

I really loved the way the story and romance between Emma and Bastian unfolded. The supporting characters enhanced their journey to get over their past. The details about the magic system and witch society were also really interesting and I would be interested in learning more about it.

This was a great little romance. Engaging characters. I really like the MFC - she was spunky and funny. You cheered for her when she finally stood up for herself with her overbearing mother. Her two best friends makes you wish you had friends like that that always had your back. Loved the interaction between the MFC and MMC - watching them realize they had deep feelings for each other. Would love it if there was a sequel to see what else happens with Tia, Leah, Sloane, Kole, Emma and Bastian. Would definitely recommend.

This book has a lot of my favorite tropes, second chance romance, forced proximity, and marriage of convenience.

Emma and Bastian had an arranged marriage of sorts planned from the time they were kids. Emma was the shy, quiet type while Bastian was not, she was in love with him but never really knew how he felt for her. When it came time to start planning the wedding, something happens and Bastian flees town saying he can't go through with it. Emma is devastated but uses the pain as an opportunity to make changes in her life. Years later Bastian returns and wants to move forward with the marriage for reasons that would be a spoiler to explain. The story then follows the two of them trying to rebuild a friendship and go from there.

There are so many good moments in this book. I loved the relationship between Emma and her friends, I imagine we might get books for them next. I loved Emma and her brother together, you could tell that they were just two people trying to make it in a family of assholes. I also enjoyed Bastian's relationship with his family and seeing how much they loved each other. Bastian being into archaeology was really cool, I'm dying for a good love story based on a dig site.

The only thing I disliked about this book was that the whole time you are reading it, you know what the conflict is. But when the conflict actually came, I was surprised by a part of it because it did have a nice twist in it.

Overall, this was a really fun book to read. The characters and their growth are worth picking this one up.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sophie Morgan, and HARLEQUIN - Romance (U.S. & Canada), for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Witch is Back is not your typical fake relationship rom com. To me this one was a little heavier in that the relationship with our MCs was so complicated. That being said, I did enjoy this book very much. I went from strongly disliking Bastian to absolutely loving him! And man, did my heart break for him a couple of times in this story. Emma was a little more difficult for me. But I’m not a huge fan of characters that hold onto past grudges so rigidly. But her character was so complex and well written, and her mother’s abuse made her personality make complete sense. These two together were perfect. Where she is stiff and boring, Bastian is determined to get her out of her comfort zone and try new things. She causes him to look at things more seriously. There’s some wit and banter, drama and angst, and spice! I would definitely recommend this book!

This book made my heart happy! It was full of charming characters, flirty banter, surprising plot twists, and all of the witchy goodness that I was hoping to get. I really enjoyed the world building and getting to learn about the magic system and politics.

This was a fun witchy read. I very much enjoyed the journey with these characters looking forward to more books from this author