Season of the Witch delivers a charming, magical romance that keeps you enchanted from start to finish. Tia Hightower and Henry Pearlmatter’s chemistry sizzles, even through the complications of lost memories and a fake-relationship plot, making every stolen glance and accidental spell feel both tense and heartwarming. The festive winter setting and playful holiday magic add a cozy, immersive layer to their story, while the witty banter and slow-burn tension give the romance plenty of spark. My only quibble is that a few plot points felt slightly predictable, but overall, it’s a delightful, entertaining read that balances humor, magic, and romance beautifully.

3 Stars Season of the Witch is the third and final book in Sophie H. Morgan's Toil and Trouble series and is a second chance, fake dating, witchy romance.

I really enjoyed the first two books of this series, but Season of the Witch was my least favorite of the series, mostly because the main characters aggravated me. I get why the two characters did what they did throughout the book, but I was annoyed that it went on so long. Tia and Henry are both stubborn and Tia especially won't let go of her grudge against Henry. The book could've been much shorter with a lot less of this lack of communication between the two. Plus, the story was just a bit lackluster compared to the first two books and I couldn't really get into it.

Thanks Harlequin for the ARC! Season of the Witch releases September 2nd.

🎧 Audiobook +📗 E-book: Season of the Witch- Toil and Trouble #3

✍🏾 Author: Sophie H. Morgan- I've read The Witch Is Back and De-Witched- both 4 ⭐reads

📃Page Count: 368

📅Publication date: 9-2-25 | Read: 8-30-25

🏃🏾‍➡️Run Time: 12:07

🌎 Setting: NOLA and England

👆🏾POV: 3rd person multiple

Genre: PNR, Fantasy, Adult Fic, Christmas

Tropes: magical amnesia, 2nd chance romance, forced proximity, witches/warlocks, magic, fake-dating, workplace romance, same room/1 bed, family drama, hidden identity

⚠️TW: toxic/overbearing parents

🗣️Narrator: Natalie Duke voices all the characters with standouts from Tia, Henry, Lord Siddeley, and Gloria. The reading style brought the text to life, and the author and narrator worked together perfectly. The pacing and flow allowed me to get lost in the story. The narrator paused and announced new chapters and there was a table of contents which helped me follow along.


Summary: Tia and Henry dated 8 years ago and are currently working together at their families merged potion company- PH Inc. Their potion and research company wants a European client-Lord Archibald Siddeley. Henry and Tia each create a Dionysus potion, and whoever makes the best one will pitch their investment plan to Siddeley. When Henry takes Tia's potion, he loses his memories including their whole relationship. Siddeley believes they are dating and decides to have them spend the month in England to discuss the business deal.

👩🏾 Heroine: Celestia "Tia" Hightower-29, an alchemist who works at Toil & Trouble bar

👨🏾 Hero: Henry Pearlmatter- 30, warlock with fire magic. Does a lot at work to get his father's approval.

🎭 Side Characters:
*Richard + Maybelline Pearlmatter- Henry's parents
*Gloria + Peter Hightower-Tia's parents, Nana-Tia's grandmother
*Emma and Leah-Tia's BFFs/ Emma + Bastian- getting married, Leah + Gabriel
*Isabella-The High daughter, part of the overseer family of all witches in North America, witch royalty
* Lord Archibald Siddeley- British potential account for their PH Inc
*Lady Mildred Siddeley-Archie's mother, has a gift for glamouring

🤔 My Thoughts: I loved Lord Siddeley's interest in Henry and Tia and his team building activities with the other warlocks. The snowy backdrop of the Silkwood Estate got me thinking about the coming holidays. I enjoyed the other warlocks and their special powers, but Damon was my MVP!

*Spice: 5/5 🌶️
*Emotion: 4/5 🥲
*Couple: 4/5 🧑‍🤝‍🧑
*Rating: 4/5 ⭐

🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin-Romance |Harlequin, Harlequin Audio, and Sophie H. Morgan for this ARC & ALC! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions are my own.

The correct way to do a second chance romance, to not remember the romance in the first place!

I liked the strong personalities of both characters and loved that our FMC had friends. The competition aspect was a really fun concept.

Didn’t mean to sign myself up for a three book series, but I’m sure not disappointed that I did. Tia and Henry have incredibly chemistry from the start. Their workplace banter and inability to see the love right in front of them reminded me of The Hating Game by Sally Thorne.

A more extended review to be posted to Goodreads on pub day

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for the complimentary ARC of Season of the Witch by Sophie H. Morgan. All thoughts are my own.

I’ve enjoyed the first two books in the Toil and Trouble series, so I was eager to dive into book three—and it did not disappoint. This time we finally get Tia Hightower and Henry Pearlmatter’s story, and it’s every bit as messy, emotional, and entertaining as readers have been anticipating.

Eight years after their disastrous breakup, Tia and Henry are forced back into each other’s orbit when their families’ potion companies merge. A potion mishap leaves Henry without his memories of their past, and a wealthy warlock investor mistakenly believes the two are still together. Cue a month-long Christmas house party filled with fake dating, magical stakes, and plenty of second-chance tension.

The fake-dating setup worked especially well here because of Henry’s amnesia—he genuinely doesn’t know what drove them apart, yet his instincts tell him that no one in their right mind would let Tia go. I really enjoyed watching him piece together the past while also seeing things from her perspective.

Morgan continues to shine at building a lively, well-rounded cast of family and friends who add humor and heart to the story. I especially appreciated the deeper look at both Tia and Henry’s families in this installment. And if you love a romance where the hero goes all in with a big, heartfelt gesture, you’ll definitely find it here.

I flew through this book in one sitting and had such a fun time with it. A strong addition to the series—I’ll be watching eagerly to see what Sophie H. Morgan does next.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

SEASON OF THE WITCH – Sophie H. Morgan
Toil and Trouble, Book 3
Harlequin
ISBN: 978-1335016386
September 2, 2025
Contemporary Fantasy

Chicago & London – Present Day

Tia is a witch, and Henry is a warlock. When they were younger, they were lovers, but it ended when she thought he’d turned into a jerk. Their families own a company together, so they force Tia and Henry to be around each other, despite their being enemies. One day, Tia has had enough of Henry and gives him a potion. But it backfires, with him unable to remember part of his past, including his time with Tia. He’s trying to be charming to her, and she is trying to figure out how to fix what she did. However, a visiting warlock, who is important to their family’s business dealings, thinks Tia and Henry are romantically involved with each other and invites them to his castle in London, and their going hinges on whether their company gets his business. They are caught in a bind. If they tell the truth, their families lose the man’s investment in their company. Against Tia’s better judgment, she agrees to go to London with Henry, pretending to be in love with him. Things will soon turn into a mess, right?

Get ready for a fantasy tale mixed with a contemporary romance in SEASON OF THE WITCH. Tia and her two best friends, Emma and Leah, run a bar in Chicago. She is known as the strongest of the trio, as she is not afraid to let those around her know when she is not pleased. Henry has been in her life since they were children, but their union as a couple ended badly. Since then, Tia has tried to make Henry’s life miserable, while he continues to torment her. She had hoped to temporarily silence him when she discreetly gave him a magic potion. She didn’t mean to make him forget her! Nor did she expect him to suddenly be sweet on her again, which led to the mistake that they’re back together, and witnessed by their potential investor.

But off to England they go. It’s the Christmas season, and her host loves to decorate for the holiday. Because he thought Tia and Henry were lovers, he set them up in a room together, with one bed. Will they end up making the most of that one bed? Can Tia resolve Henry’s memory problem? Will they win over their prospective investor? SEASON OF THE WITCH is a hoot and more about the brewing romance between Tia and Henry than about magic. Along the way, Tia learns a lot about herself and her feelings for Henry. By the end of this tale, her life changes in ways that she never expected. There are a few laugh-out-loud scenes, plenty of other witches and warlocks to keep readers amused, and a sizzling hot romance to keep one reading while drinking a cold drink. Don’t miss the fun in SEASON OF THE WITCH.

Patti Fischer
Romance Reviews Today

I won't lie, this is the first book I picked up in this series. However, it won't be the last. As soon as I finished this book, I went online and ordered the others! I love a good witchy romance, I love a holiday romance, I love adults realizing their mistakes and making up for them, and I love watching a couple grow together, so I really was the perfect reader for this ARC! The banter was fun, and the arguments were realistic. You completely understand on both sides why they broke up, and you completely understand how on both sides they were being a bit immature-but that immaturity made sense for their characters! No character did anything crazy to move the plot along, the quirkiness all stayed within reasonable non-annoying levels, and I am left counting the days until the first book in the series arrives so I can read more of this world!
10/10 cozy winter romance, 2nd chance, sometimes the characters are stupid but love makes you stupid so it all works out <3

Intro/synopsis:
“Season of the Witch” was a a fun way to end a really enjoyable series. I honestly didn’t know how Sophie Morgan would bring Tia and Henry together considering how they couldn’t be in the same room together for the first two books in the series. They dated each other as High School sweethearts after being friends. Then they separated for reasons unknown but it was not amicable and now they are forced to work together in their families company while competing to become CEO. Enter a potions competition, some amnesia for Henry, a steamy kiss because he can’t remember why they are fighting and suddenly the investor they are fighting over thinks they are dating. He invites them to his house over the holidays to learn more about their company and Tia can’t say no. Question is can she continue saying no to Henry when he can’t remember why they broke up?

My thoughts:
There were some huge twists and turns in this novel that made the plot really enjoyable. I loved the comic relief of the snowball fights, the grumpy baker and the dog Rudy as they were much needed especially with the anger and frustration of Tia. I got why she was angry, she had been really hurt, but the lashing out at everyone was a bit hard to read at times. The story was well written, flowed nicely and had all of my favorite tropes minus the second chance part but Morgan even managed to make that semi enjoyable overall. A good way to end the series and I must say I am sad to see it end. I’m hope some spinoffs may be in the works.

📖 ARC REVIEW 📖

“Season of the Witch” by Sophie H. Morgan

Tia Highwater is absolutely over her ex, Legacy warlock Henry Pearlmatter…isn’t she? Forced to work together as their family businesses merge, they compete for the opportunity to pitch their business plans to Lord Siddeley, an investor with deep pockets. When their rivalry goes too far, a potion causes Henry to lose any memory tied to Tia. This doesn’t seem to be a problem for Tia until Siddeley wants to discuss their investment further and invites Tia and Henry to spend the month of December with him, under the guise that they’re in a relationship. Tia vows to remain professional, so what could go wrong? One bed at the inn, (exes to) enemies to lovers, holiday-themed competition, and lots of spice, this witchy Christmas read is the perfect foray into seasonal reading.

4 ⭐️

For a witch, Tia is a very real and likeable character. The conversations between her and Henry - pre-memory loss - are very aggravating, reeking of sexual tension and unfinished business. I love a good fake-dating trope, but can’t say I’ve come across fake dating an amnesia stricken ex story before, and this did not disappoint! I also enjoyed the alternating POVs between Tia and Henry.

I love this series and world. I was afraid this was the last one in the series but there is a set up for at least two more books in this story so fingers crossed we get more!

I was really looking forward to Tia’s story. I love that she is prickly and always wants her way and she’s not afraid to hex a bitch. I liked Henry, he grew on me, I do think he’s at fault for the breakup in the first place but glad Tia and him got their HEA. The book tossed in a jumble of tropes that I wasn’t sure if they would work together but they did! Great read for end of Halloween season to get you pumped for Christmas.

I’m a sucker for a good friends-to lovers-to-exes-to-enemies-to lovers romance, especially when the reason for the break-up was something akin to a misunderstanding or immaturity. This absolutely delivered! I felt for Tia tremendously and honestly? Shed a few tears toward the end when things bubble over. She is so incredibly relatable. All she wants is to be loved and accepted and a priority in life. All she ever feels, however, is passed over and second best - the perennial disappointment to her parents and family. That is just the biggest mood. Henry was interesting. I love that we did get his POV as well as Tia’s because I don’t think I would’ve been rooting for him as much as I did otherwise. Knowing how he yearns for her with or without his memories is just the angst I need. When he finally learns what went wrong straight from the horse’s mouth, my heart dropped. How foolish and immature of him to not realize what he’d done, but of course, he was foolish and immature back then. The ending? Super sweet! It made me so happy and giddy! It was just the perfect way to bridge the ways they both messed up. The tension was great, as was the pacing and spice. This was also full of so much holiday cheer, I wish it were November already so I could get into the holiday spirit. I think it would make for the perfect holiday read or gift for romance lovers that appreciate a good second-chance romance with a bit of amnesia and witchiness thrown in.

Season of the Witch by Sophie Morgan is the much-anticipated third book in the Toil and Trouble series, and oh my goodness—it was absolutely worth the wait! This time, we get Tia’s story, and she’s every bit the sarcastic, sassy witch we’ve come to adore.

The dynamic between Tia and Henry had me hooked from page one. Their sparring is sharp, witty, and endlessly entertaining, perfectly capturing the enemies-to-lovers trope in a way that feels fresh and delightful. And the twist? A potion competition gone wrong where Henry forgets all of his memories of Tia. It was clever, unexpected, and added such a fun layer to their relationship.

I adored the forced proximity moments, the sprinkle of fake dating, and, of course, the cozy magic woven throughout. Sophie Morgan juggles multiple tropes here, but instead of feeling overstuffed, they blend together seamlessly, creating a story that’s pure, enchanting fun.

And let’s talk about the setting—Christmas! I loved the twist of having this magical, witchy romance take place during the holidays instead of the usual Halloween vibes. It gave the story such a cozy, twinkling backdrop that made me want to curl up with hot cocoa and keep reading late into the night.

Full of banter, sparks, and holiday magic, Season of the Witch is easily my favorite of the series so far. If you love romance tropes, a feisty heroine, and a hero who doesn’t stand a chance against her, you’re in for a treat.

I really enjoy this series. Each young lady in this series is so dynamic and they just jump off of the page. I also really enjoyed Henry. This book is such a lovely enemy to lover’s story. There is so much growth and development that both characters go through while trying to navigate if they should be together or is better for them to stay apart. Every book in this series is just so enjoyable and I know that readers are going to fall in love with this book just as much as they did the last two.
Thank you so much to Harlequin-Romance and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

Season of the Witch is the final book in the Toil & Trouble Series, and I loved it!

Tia and Henry are exes who are now working together after their family potion companies merged together. An investment opportunity has opened up, and Tia and Henry fake-date in order to impress the investor. They must go to England for a holiday getaway at the investor's property to compete with other hopeful witches to win the investment.

This was also a Christmas holiday romance, which are my favorites, so it was no chore to read this fun fantasy romantic comedy. Besides the fake-dating trope, there is also forced proximity and only one bed as well. The MMC Henry was the sweetest in his pursuit to try and win back his one true love, FMC, Tia. The spice was just right, and the romance was cute. I also really enjoyed the side characters in the story as well, which provide some great entertainment.

Overall, I found this to be a super enjoyable, medium paced read. And of course, I loved that the book is set during Christmas!

Expected Publication Date: September 2nd, 2025.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin, and the author for the opportunity to read this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I went into Season of the Witch without having read the first two books in the Toil and Trouble series, and I never once felt lost. Everything I needed was woven in naturally, and instead of feeling like I missed out, it actually made me want to go back and pick up the earlier books right away.

The writing is so smooth and engaging. I loved the whole idea of exes forced back together, fake dating, and a dash of magic and holiday cheer. It’s such a fun combination, and Sophie H. Morgan made it feel fresh and full of nostalgia at the same time.

Henry completely stole my heart. The way he was with Tia was patient, charming, and so clearly still in love. It made him absolute book boyfriend material. Their banter, their tension, and the slow rebuild of their relationship had me falling for them the entire time.

This was such a well-written, cozy, and romantic read. I adored it, and now I can’t wait to go back and see how the first two books in this series play out.

(4.5 Stars) Thank you, @HTP_Hive @htpbooks @htpbooks_audio and @harlequinbooks for the #gifted digital and audio copies!

Henry Pearlmatter was once Tia Hightower’s boyfriend. But that was eight years ago, and Tia has been avoiding and despising him in equal measure ever since - an attitude made all the more challenging when her two best friends are involved with his two closest friends. But now the Pearlmatter and Hightower family businesses are merging, and suddenly Tia is stuck working alongside her ex, competing against him for leadership, and pretending to be his girlfriend during a holiday getaway to woo a wealthy potential investor. Oh, and there’s only one bed. What could possibly go wrong?

I adore all three books in this series! The quirky, magical world full of political maneuvering, magical hierarchies, and intrigue is balanced with deep friendships, swoon-worthy romances, and tons of humor. I’d been anxiously awaiting Henry and Tia’s story because you could just tell it was going to be fantastic - and it absolutely did not disappoint. Henry and Tia push all of each other’s buttons, but they also begin to begrudgingly understand what went wrong the first time around. I definitely recommend reading these in order - and we’re about to embark on spooky season, so please put these on your TBR!

🎧 Audiobook Thoughts: Natalie Duke is back to narrate book three, and she does just as wonderful a job here giving unique voices to a wide variety of characters as she did in the first two books. (12h 28m)

I received an advanced copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own. Thanks to Harlequin for the ARC!

I have loved this series, and it's been driving me CRAZY to know what happened between Tia and Henry, and we finally know! There's always been this blatant hostility between them in the previous two books, but it's the kind where you just know it'll be explosive when they finally get back together.

AND IT'S A CHRISTMAS BOOK. I am NOT (repeat NOT) a Christmas girlie, okay? My Christmas tree is always wonky, I don't like carols, I don't do lights. HOWEVER. I am a HUUUUGE fan of [winter holiday of your choosing] stories. And this delivers! Snowman building devolves into all-out war. There are Christmas jumpers. It's fantastic!

And the whole enemies to amnesia to lovers trope is probably a little niche, but I love it so much!

This is perfect for fans of Sarah Hawley and Erin Sterling.

This book hit all the tropes for me! I wish I could have connected with it a bit more. It was a slow starter for me and ai had trouble connecting with Tia and Henry. It’s a nice festive read, perhaps you’ll like the characters more than I did.

FFake dating your ex... what could possibly go wrong?
Season of the Witch by Sophie H. Morgan is everything I want in a paranormal rom-com: magic, mayhem, and a sizzling second-chance romance wrapped up in a delightfully chaotic fake dating setup. Let me preface this by saying that I have not read book 1 and 2 of Toil & Trouble series. I wish I had because at times I did feel a tad "lost" but I caught on very quickly.

Tia is a fierce, fabulous witch who has zero intention of getting tangled up with her ex again—until a magical situation influences her to fake a another relationship with him. Cue the bad B banter, unresolved feelings, magical mishaps, and some seriously delicious & ZESTY tension. Their dynamic is equal parts messy and magnetic, and watching them work through this all is blissfully fun. .
Morgan nails the balance between humor and heart, giving us laugh-out-loud moments alongside genuine emotional depth. Tia is strong and unapologetically herself, and her journey is empowering and fun to follow. And her ex? Well, that is for you to find out. What are you waiting for?

Sophie H. Morgan has brewed up a witty, wickedly fun romance that left me smiling long after the last page. She has found a new fan in her writing. I received this as an advanced reader copy from NetGalley and have voluntarily left my honest review.