Back in a Spell (The Witches of Thistle Grove)

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Nina’s brother, Gareth, is the antagonist of Payback’s a Witch and while Nina isn’t as hated as him, the family is all painted with a pretty negative brush throughout the series thus far. Morty uses he/they pronouns in his dating profile, but when asked preferred pronouns, he says he/him and describes himself as fluid, and the book uses exclusively male pronouns and terms for him. When she is not obsessing over her fur babies, you can find her at the beach reading or staying up late to embroider while watching the latest true crime docuseries. We even get an evil villain-esque moment where she (a Cis white female) is teaching Morty (a Hispanic, non-binary person) magic and ᴍᴏʀᴛʏ ꜱᴀʏꜱ, “I had no idea it would feel this way.

I'm just confused as to why this book promoted a nonbinary character if they were only going to gender the MC as 'dude', 'boyish', and 'he' throughout the entire novel? I had a somewhat love/hate relationship with her mainly because, due to her family and their fortune, she comes off as being a bit stiff and judgemental at times. This set-up feels like two people are forced to be together without consenting to the relationship (because if a spell/hex/unknown power is causing you to do something, can you really say yes or no? Instead, they might be the first person to help her move on from the pressure of being a Blackmoore witch.Besides the romance, there is a lot of family drama in the story, with the extended Blackmore family and the feuds with the other witch families in Thistle Grove which gives the story some added depth. Strange events end up fostering a magical connection between Nina and the non-magical Morty, including giving Morty magical power, and bringing them closer than ever expected. If he's genderfluid (he/him pronouns are used though he's fine with they/them as well) why are we using his dick as a character trait? So Nina’s best friend encourages Nina to go on a dating app and choose someone who is not likely to be a long-term fit, someone she can just have fun with, without any pressure about making it all work. Nina and Morty thought they ended the night by parting ways forever, but, when Morty discovers that he has gained magical powers they are brought back together.

But between Morty’s representation and the lackluster character arcs and plot resolutions, I can’t recommend Back in a Spell, and I will not be continuing with the Witches of Thistle Grove series. There’s still the expected diverse romance, but, instead of something like a tournament or a mystery where our couple of the book needs to work together, this one is more of a personal journey. I will still read In Charm's Way, but I have come to terms that it will not be as good as Payback's A Witch. She’s incredible and powerful and diplomatic, and, my goodness, Emmy has really matured into a force. An awkward first date leads to a sparkling romance between one of the most powerful witches in town and a magical newbie in this rom-com by Lana Harper, New York Times bestselling author of Payback’s a Witch.

Star Reads, A Witchy Read, Berkley, Cozy Mystery, Fantasy Series, Find Something to Read, Genres, Most Anticipated, Publisher, Read These When. Overall, I do think this series is well done in terms of incorporating a variety of orientations (both Morty and Nina are pansexual, and Nina had a female fiance) and there is just a nice inclusion of diversity throughout. Back in a Spell is the third in the Witches of Thistle Grove series, and it’s a bit different from the first two.