3.5 ⭐️/5
2.0🌶️/5

This is a magical world where in one moment you can sip a pint of beer at a bar in Chicago and in the next open a portal to step into an archeological dig site in Egypt, or a stuffy society party in New Orleans.

Emmaline Bluewater, born into witch high society, grew up always struggling to overcome shyness and please her SUPER verbal, magically abusive crap mother. Witch high society marriages were not about love matches but merging powerful families, and as a child she was contracted to marry her childhood friend (and puppy love crush), Bastian Truenote.

Emma’s days of trying to fit into this rigid society ends when golden-boy warlock Bastian abandons not only society but Emma, without even leaving her a note. Shunned by society, Emma moves to Chicago and opens up a bar with two of her friends (one human and one bestie witch). She is content to live an ordinary human life… until seven years after leaving Bastian shows up without explanation and declares he’s ready to marry her.

Bastian had his reasons for leaving, and even though he cannot tell anyone why he left and stayed away for seven years, he’s determined to fulfill the marriage contract. Except his sweet, meek childhood friend found her voice and backbone. He’s stunned to find out Emma’s not the same young woman he remembered.

Emma and Bastian both have their secrets but find that their childhood friendship has evolved into something ✨magical ✨.

Dual POV which I love. Each witch has varying levels of power, and each specializes in something different like manipulation of plants or mind reading. I loved the magical witch world that was created. I was hooked from the start and could not wait to find out the reason Bastian left and what were the secrets Emma kept and why. The joy Bastian and Emma shared when they decided to live in the moment was fun for me to read.

If this is a setup to the start of a new series I would come back to read. Would definitely recommend if you like modern day rom com combined with magic, adorable pupper & kitty familiars, and witches & warlocks. Tropes friends to lovers, miscommunication.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Romance for the advanced copy. My review is provided voluntarily, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

⚠️🚨‼️ SPOILERY TERRITORY ‼️🚨⚠️

What disappointed me was the cleanup after the 3rd act breakup. I felt that after Emma struggled to find her inner strength plus her determination to no longer live as a doormat, she deserved a groveling Bastian. To me it felt out of character for her to chase him down and beg for forgiveness when he was just as guilty of shadiness and untruths. The ending was so abrupt. After the obligatory reconciliation, one that very much disappointed me, there was a 7 or so paragraph ending. No epilogue. It was sudden stop that I felt the storyline wasn’t satisfactorily tied up.

80% of the story I had fun. But the last 20% was not to my liking so the mini-icks I got during the 80% weren’t as easy to overlook. I don’t understand why we still need virgin MCs in a modern day romance where the MCs are mid to late 20something adults. I didn’t like how the MCs weren’t more honest with each other, miscommunication admittedly is one of my least favorite tropes, but it was getting frustrating to read. Lastly, I felt Emma was so beaten down by her mom, witch society, herself, that she needed that extra bit of lifting up and being chased after.

Oof, there was not much here I enjoyed. I usually really enjoyed second chance romances and fake dating, especially when they’re combined as they are here, but between the unlikeable characters (side and main) and the rushed rekindling of their romance with very little explanation or elaboration, this was not for me but also not particularly good.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Witch is Back by Sophie H. Morgan is a fun witchy romcom with layers and layers of deep human-type issues. It’s a childhood friends turned enemies to lovers story that entertained me from start to finish and issues that hurt my heart for the main character Emma. With several family themes that magic could never repair, the story takes on darker, more severe tones the further I got into it but still with a delightful touch of magic.

I enjoyed the relationship between Bastian and Emma. They were meant to be together, which is evident starting with the scene where they see each other again for the first time in years. The romance has a bit of steam to it, but not overly much. The miscommunication adds plenty of tension to the story. It keeps it from becoming dull, as does the magical, witchy elements, which I just adored. As a matter of fact, I would have loved to see more magic. Still, with a main character determined to live in the human world as a human, it definitely cuts into how much magic can be done.

I also enjoyed Emma’s human bar named Toil and Trouble. What a fun name for a bar that made me want to open a coffee shop with the same name. And I loved that she owned it with her two friends, who were like family to her and supported her at every turn. It’s a wonderful place for support, love, and even to bring Emma’s dog familiar.

The family themes are so sad but also uplifting. Even though Emma’s mother is the worst of the worst, her relationship with her brother and her friends is a bright light in the weighty dark atmosphere her mother creates. The story moves a bit slower than I would have liked. Still, overall it was a lovely witchy romcom with just enough magic to hold my attention until the end.

THE WITCH IS BACK – Sophie H. Morgan
Harlequin
ISBN: 978-1-335-47604-3
August 15, 2023
Fantasy Romance

Chicago, Illinois – Present Day

Emmaline “Emma” Bluewater is a modern-day witch who doesn’t abide by the rules. She owns a bar in Chicago and regularly interacts with humans. She is considered a wallflower by witch standards and that was cemented seven years ago after the warlock who had been betrothed to her since they were children ran off, refusing to marry Emma. To say the least, Emma’s mother blames her for what happened. Not that she can ever do right in her mother’s eyes. But Emma is happy, especially now that she is far away from her mother.

One night while working in the bar, a blast from her past reappears. Her former fiancé, Bastian Truenote, is back—and he insists that they marry. Why should Emma marry the man who once embarrassed her? However, Bastian has a reason why they should marry. Because he broke off the engagement, his mother is now cursed and likely to die unless he marries Emma. She agrees but wonders how things have changed. He didn’t want her then, why should he want her now?

THE WITCH IS BACK is a cute and funny tale about witches, warlocks, and the world of magic. Emma on the outside looks like any other person but she’s really a witch. Her mother wants to merge with Bastian’s family because it would give her greater power and influence. Emma’s late father drew up the contract and apparently, the conditions are tricky. Can Emma and Bastian find a way to break it, including the curse put on his mother? Because they need to make it appear that their planned marriage is on the up and up, he moves into Emma’s apartment. Of course, being under the same roof only creates tension, and that includes the sexual kind.

Bastian gives off playboy vibes, but he really wants to do what is best for his family—and for Emma. When they were first engaged, neither was ready for marriage. Has that now changed, or will he stray from their marriage vows once they are married? Does Emma really want to get married after being embarrassed once? She isn’t the prettiest looking witch, and her self-esteem takes a hit at times. But she has one thing going for her: she cares about people, including her secret half-sister, Sloane, the result of her father’s dalliance with a human. Mating with a human is frowned upon and Emma fears that if her mother finds out, Sloane will be harmed.

Meanwhile, Emma and Bastian go toe-to-toe over their planned marriage. She doesn’t think he’s serious about it and she only wants a marriage that involves love. Yet, there’s no denying the serious lusting that is going on between them. A few hot kisses soon turn into more. Has Emma given her heart to a dastardly wicked warlock? Will the secrets they’re carrying come out? Can the marriage contract be broken, and if so, do Emma and Bastian really want that to happen? A silly and sizzling tale of witchery and love that readers don’t want to miss in THE WITCH IS BACK.

Patti Fischer
Romance Reviews Today

The Witch Is Back is a very adorable witchy read. It took me a while to get into the book, but once I got into it, I enjoyed it. It reminded me of a quirky fairy tale featuring witches, an evil mother, a binding contract, and a second-chance romance. I loved Emma and Bastian and the history they have together. They both had growth, and the ending had me sobbing. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who needs a cute and quirky witchy romance read. Bonus points for adding a cute doggo and a three-legged cat to the story! I am hoping this will turn into a series because there is an excellent opportunity to develop Emma’s friends more and see where Emma and Bastian relationship goes.


Thank you to NetGallery and Harlequin Publishing for giving me a copy of the book.

This book was not really what I was hoping for.

There were definitely some cute parts that poked through, but it was not enough to push past everything else.

I raged through about the first 30% of the book. I wanted to DNF, but decided to stick with it. I’m still not sure if it was worth it. After that, I down shifted into annoyance with the occasional rage spike. It did get a bit cute closer to the end, but it just wasn’t enough.

I cannot stand when a character gets beaten down by everyone (including the author) for just being who they are. Even Bastian’s mother, who was for the most part, a delight, could not escape making a few digs at Emma. I get that it’s a rough high society world they are living in, but it was too much. Especially when it came to the negative self-talk. It hurts me when characters do this. I know Emma had been through a lot, but even within those first few pages where she was dumping on herself AND her dog, that is not how I want to be introduced to a character.

The world building was kind of all over the place. I had no idea that Emma and Bastian were from New Orleans until they mentioned a party or even what or who the High Family is/are, and yet there were like 4 pages in which Emma’s ugly dog was discussed. Emma is also meant to not be as powerful as other witches and magical families. I wish this was shown more. I think it came up one time that she had a difficult time keeping up with someone else.

Tia (witch bff) and Kole (brother) were my favorite characters, by far. They weren’t there to take anyone’s BS, including Emma’s. I didn’t really connect with any other character. Not even Emma or Bastian.

This was an arranged engagement story about childhood best friends. Not a marriage of convenience or fake relationship between childhood sweethearts.

This just could have been so much more.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harelquin for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

2.5/5 Stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin for providing me with an arc.

I wanna start this off by saying I’m still not fully sure how I feel about this book. I did really like bits of it but overall I felt unsatisfied with it. I love witchy books and this one just felt lackluster on that front.

Emma Bluewater has always been told what she does wrong and how she doesn’t fit into witch society except for her one friend growing up Bastion Truenote, so when they were engaged at a young age it didn’t seem like the end of the world. But then before they were supposed to get married he walked out of her life without explaining why. So when he walks back into her life after years she is rightfully pissed at him. But when he asks her to marry him to fulfill the contract there are so many things that can and will go wrong when she agrees.

I wanted so much more magic from this book. We didn’t learn almost anything about the magic system in this book other than they can do magic. I wanted to know how they can and what the limits are but instead it is barely mentioned other than a few situations. It seems like there weren't really limits on how much magic they can do.

I still can’t really process my feelings about this book even though I finished it a few days ago. I feel like there is an audience for it but I’m not it.

If you want to get ready for spooky season, but you don’t like dark and scary books, then this one is for you!

The Witch is Back by Sophie H. Morgan is such a fun and magical read. This is a feel-good story that also touches on some important issues. Emma is a character who is trying to work through trauma, and the author writes about this topic in such a caring and realistic way. The characters were well developed and I could not help cheering them on and hoping they would get their happily ever after. Bastian is a character who is trying to work through some secrets and his privilege. This topic on privilege I felt was addressed carefully without shaming this character. You definitely see growth with the characters, and Morgan’s writing style is really engaging.

I am a person who does not like the miscommunication trope; however, Morgan took this trope and turned it on its head where the characters were both physically and psychologically unable to discuss their feelings. This was such a cute romance that I could not put down. I found the magic system easy to follow and I loved to see some of these characters in careers that utilize their magic in fun ways.

To keep in mind: This book deals with a lot of difficult topics mostly related to family dynamics. I found the topics were addressed appropriately in regards to the mood of the story, but please evaluate if this is the right book for you.

Rating: I absolutely loved this book and will be recommending it. It was a fun book that made reading about witches fun again!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, The Witch is Back is out August 15!

Thank you @harlequinbooks @netgalley for the review copy!

📖Emma has never really fit in with witch society. When her fiancé, Bastian, left her seven years ago, she moved to Chicago, opened a bar, and loved living a normal human life. When Bastian returns and claims he wants her back, he has his work cut out for him convincing her to marry him and Emma must face the witch society she left behind.

💭This was a super cute witchy romance. I don’t know if it’s the cover that deceived me, but it was also more spicy than I was expecting, which I loved! I liked the friendship between Bastian and Emma. Not so much when they were kids, but I liked seeing how their adult relationship matured. This book has put me in the mood to start my fall reading. I want all the cozy and witchy reads now!

📚Read this if you like…
Childhood friends to lovers
Second chance romance
Marriage of convenience
Witchy vibes
Spicy romance
Romcoms
Fun banter

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Harlequin—thank for the opportunity to read THE WITCH IS BACK. I'm voluntarily leaving a review, and all opinions are my own.

Genre: Romance, Paranormal Romance, Witchy Romance
Spice Level: Medium (one scene with an open door)
Tropes: Second Chance, R & R vibes, Enemies to Lovers, Forced Engagement

I loved the premise of this book!
Two families: one from the barely magical side and the other is powerful with an alliance for two children to marry. But when the time comes, HE does a runner.

Why?
Well, it's a convoluted mix of reasons that is central to the plot.
But Bastion really does have a solid reason for his reaction.

And the fallout for Emmaline? Terrible! Witches are the worst gossips in the paranormal world.
How could she ever forgive him or consider getting married? No way. No how. Even if he's hot and even if he's charming—it's a solid NO!
But then...there's more to the story that Emma learns.
Mind you, she's not about to fall in love with him again—it's just not possible.

I love how the families make matters worse—especially hers. And I love how she's actively trying to change her life and not be a doormat for her mom. Both Emma and Bastion grow through the story.

This is a refreshing romance that I think you'll love.

Yes! I recommend this book.

Happy reading!

Love this story!
Our two main characters are both witches; Emmaline Bluewater is weak, while Bastian Truenote is strong. Nearly a decade ago they were engaged, but Bastian left Emma with no explanation and hasn’t been back. He was cursed, bat can’t tell her. Heartbroken, Emma moves to a new town and starts to put her life back together. Now Bastian is back, and wants them to marry, because of the curse.
I enjoyed this book; even thought I’d like to slap some sense into these two characters. They have chemistry which makes this a fun read. Sophie Morgan has done a wonderful job on the two main characters, and some of the secondary ones have potential-maybe sequels in the future? Hope so for this engaging author and the world she’s created.
I was given an ARC of the book through NetGalley, and this is my honest opinion.

I generally love the trope of marriage/engagement/relationship of convenience since it *always* ends in real feelings and you get to watch the characters figure out how the feel while trying to keep their emotional distance. Emma and Bastian's relationship had higher stakes than many that fall into this category, which created more angst, especially when paired with the trauma they both carried with them from their backstories. Where the story shone was in the secondary characters and their relationships and interactions with Emma and Bastian. His parents are wonderful, as are the friendships Emma has with Leah, Tia, and Sloane. I hope to see more of those characters - I would bet on Tia being the next one to get a story, but I would love to see Leah and Kole come together in the future, too! One other thing - I would have liked a bit more world-building, especially highlighting the structure of witch society and types of magic. While some forms - especially telekinesis - were fairly prominent and not needing much explanation, there were hints of other forms that were far more interesting to me but weren't fully explained. This is a fun read that opens up the possibilities for a series that could be something really wonderful. I hope to see more!

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for the opportunity to read The Witch is Back early in exchange for a review.

This was adorable. Loved the paranormal rom-com. It was witchy and cute and so full of the feels. I would love more stories by this author. Perfect for the summer and spooky season.

Acknowledgments & Disclaimers
✨ Thank you, NetGalley and Harlequin Press, for providing an ARC and the opportunity to share an honest review of this book.
✨ All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
✨ My reviews and ratings strive to evaluate books within their own age-demographic and genre.

Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
In The Witch is Back, self-proclaimed wallflower Emmaline Bluewater finally feels settled in the life she built in Chicago, far away from the witch society she grew up in but where she never fit in. Everything is upended when her ex-fiancee, Bastian Truenote, shows up after suddenly vanishing 7 years ago and wants to pick up where they left off—impending marriage and all. While Bastian is the golden boy of witch society, taking him back means returning to a world that rejected her and invites her social-climbing, and power-hungry mother to try and control her again. Even if Bastian has good reasons for asking her to resume their marriage and have a fake relationship to help his family, can Emmaline protect herself from getting hurt again?

Bottom line, this book just worked for me. I was invested in the whole cast of characters, the setting (my hometown, Chicago!) and the plot, found myself rooting for everyone to find their happy ending in this second-chance romance. The romance was definitely the star of this book, with the magical world playing a fun secondary role. It can be tricky to incorporate a magical world as a setting, but I found this fantasy setting to be very accessible and easy to grasp, which let the character relationships remain the focus. While dealing with some intense issues like self-confidence, forgiveness, heartbreak, and family drama, the book manages to maintain a light-hearted and heartfelt tone. I do wish there was a little more of a reckoning for Emmaline and the abuse her mother had enacted on her for most of her life, which I think was glossed over a bit. Emmaline is also not the type of heroine that typically resonates with me (she’s almost frustrating self-deprecating sort of revels in her “wallflower” status), but I think her journey of self-discovery throughout the book was well-done.

I would recommend this book to adults who like romcoms with a side of magic, or those who like stories of finding one’s strength and second chances. Fans of Erin Sterling’s The Ex Hex series or Lana Harper’s The Witches of Thistle Grove series will find something fun to love here as well!

I had such high hopes for The Witch is Back but it just wasn't my cup of tea.

Emmaline was a total pushover, Bastian was annoying, and don't even get me started on her mother. I struggled to finish this book. As much as I love witchy books, this one was not for me.

Thanks to Harlequin and NetGalley for providing with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a cute witchy romance! The plot itself was rather simple but I really enjoyed the characters in this book. From the start, we can see Bastian and Emma's history lurking and the author did a great job showing how their relationship slowly mends while uncovering their secrets and seeming betrayals. There was a level of vulnerability that I think each of them had and it was very engaging to see how they started to trust each other again. Personally, I don't read many second chance romance books because I feel it's difficult for characters to rekindle their relationships in a natural way but this book does a really good job showing how each character has grown individually but they still have that bond despite everything that happened years ago. Their banter was very fun to read and each character was charming in their own way. The story was a little plain but I did enjoy the witchy aspects of this book and there were some really good twists at the end that I didn't see coming. I was also really satisfied with how this story ended because of how each character grew.

This book was so cute!!

The marriage of convenience trope is one of my favourites and the magical twist on it was delightful. It was so fun to see Bastian and Emma get to know each other as adults after growing up together and then not seeing each other for 7 years. They’re such a sweet couple and they had amazing chemistry.

I also loved all of Emma’s friends and I hope this will turn into a series so I can read their stories as well.

I would definitely recommend this for fans of "Not the Witch You Wed" or anyone who loves witchy romance, second chance, forced proximity, or marriage of convenience.

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Emma has always been content being a wallflower, especially in a power-hungry, cruel witch society. When she befriends Bastian, the perfect-in-every-way warlock, she's thrilled to have someone to confide in and trust. It helps knowing that they are betrothed and that she has a guaranteed friend for life.

When the time comes to actually tie the knot, Bastian leaves town without a word.

Imagine Emma's shock when he comes back into her life asking for another chance.

I loved seeing the growth in both of these characters; you get to see Emma learn how to be independent and fierce, and you see Bastian learn how to trust others. Their slow-burn romance was *chef's kiss.*

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy of this review in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a sweet (sometimes spicy) childhood friends to lovers/second chance romance with magic and a touch of secrets and treachery. Emma’s found family was integral to this book and I loved their banter and the mischief they got up to together.

Emma is painfully shy and has grown up not being “enough.” Bastian is charming and part of the High Family (basically royalty of the witch world). A marriage contract and a lot of history binds them; will duty be the only thing between them, or will their friendship and love grow?

Please please please tell me Leah and Kole are getting a book next?!

❤️Favorite Quotes❤️
✨“I like this mouth, Emma.” His voice was raw. “I really like this mouth.”
✨“Imperfect,” she said. “But perfect for me.”

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Sophie H. Morgan, and Harlequin Books for the ARC of this book!

This is a cute witchy romance read featuring the 2nd chance romance trope. Emma has always been in love w/ Bastian and was even contracted between their 2 covens to marry him. But he broke the engagement, leaving Emma high and dry. She leaves witchcraft, opens a bar and generally tries to forget about Bastian. But he comes back into her life 7 years later and announces he wants her back. Bastian had his reasons for leaving (even if Emma isn't aware of them), and he now must win Emma back.
Now, if these 2 had just communicated in the first place, I guess it wouldn't have been much of a novel. But it was cute and I'm glad I got to read it early.

*Special thankst to NetGalley and Harlequin for this e-arc.*