Tag: Dreamspinner Press

4 out of 5 stars

E-book. 227 pages. Published October 19th 2021 by Dreamspinner Press

Blurb:

A month ago, Jordan Bryne and his coven of hedge witches cast a spell that went hideously wrong and captured two of their number in a pocket of space and time. The magic is beyond their capabilities to unravel so, in desperation, they send up a beacon for supernatural aid.

They don’t mean to yank someone to their doorstep from hundreds of miles away.

Once Macklin Quintero gets past his irritation, he accepts the challenge. The tiny coven in the Sierra foothills is a group of the sweetest people he’s ever met, and he’s worried—the forces they’ve awakened won’t go back in their bottle without a fight.

But he also wants to get closer to Jordan. Mack’s been playing the field for years, but he’s never before encountered somebody so intense and dedicated.

Jordan might quietly yearn for love, but right now he’s got other priorities. The magic in the cul-de-sac doesn’t care about Jordan’s priorities, though. Apparently the only way for the hedge witches to fix what they broke is to confront their hearts’ desires head-on.

Likes:

• Jordan is the kid from Bewitching Bella’s Brother.
• Jordan and Mack were both interesting guys.
• Story starts off right where the last book ended.
• I was already hooked from last book’s cliffhanger.
• Everyone’s emotions at the start of the story were justified.
• Mack realizes that the coven is good people quickly.
• Jordan is neurodivergent.
• Cameo by Asa and Sebastian.
• Mack’s foreboding feelings kept the tension high.
• Good ending.

Dislikes:

• Mack ignoring Jordan’s comments that he didn’t have time for romance multiple times.
• The attraction felt poorly timed.
• Took me a while to get into the romance.
• So much going on with the plot it felt a little chaotic at times.
• Wizards seem like assholes.
• Alistair.

I was glad to be able to start this book right away after finishing Pentacles and Pelting Plants, since there was a cliffhanger. And I was also glad to see that this book picks up right where the last book ended. The coven asked for help, and the magic delivers Mack.

Needless to say, Mack’s not exactly thrilled at having been kidnapped by the magic. His feelings felt justified, so despite the fact that he came off as an asshole, I didn’t mind. I’d be pissed too. I was glad that Jordan stood up for his coven, and that it didn’t take Mack long to realize that the coven was full of good people who were just trying to fix their mistake.

Mack agrees to help, which is good because the situation with Dante and Cully is getting dire. This puts everyone in the coven under a lot of stress, Jordan most of all. He’s the leader, he was the one who brought them all into magic, and he was the one who wanted to cast the spell because of his own hurt feelings. He’s not in a good headspace, which is why the attraction between him and Mack felt ill-timed.

Both men feel the attraction, but Jordan wants to stay focused on helping his friends. He tells Mack multiple times that he doesn’t have time for romance right now, and Mack ignores him, going so far as to shush Jordan the third time. That really pissed me off, and significantly lowered my opinion of Mack. Plus, it made it hard for me to get into the romance until much later into the book.

There’s a lot going on plot-wise, which made the story feel a little chaotic at times. It was all interesting, but there was a lot of time skips and single paragraphs glossing over large chunks of time to fit everything in without dragging out the boring parts. Luckily, Mack’s foreboding feeling kept the tension high.

I was so excited to realize that Jordan is the kid from Bewitching Bella’s Brother, and that Asa and Sebastian got a cameo appearance. Talk about connected stories! I liked that Jordan’s childhood love of bugs ended with him becoming an entomologist. I also liked that Jordan is neurodivergent but that there’s no discrimination or stigma that takes place on-page.

Mack’s family issues were an interesting addition to the story. His father’s an asshole, and it seems like most wizards are as well. I liked that Mack was able to get some resolution with his family. It’s far from perfect, but it ended on a hopeful note.

In fact, the book’s overall ending was hopeful, but a lot of things still need to be dealt with. I’m definitely looking forward to Dante and Cully’s story. There’s a lot of unknowns about them and their situation. Hopefully, the next book will have less of a hectic feel to it than this one, and will wrap up the series well.

Be sure to check out my reviews for the rest of the series – Shortbread and Shadows (Hedge Witches Lonely Hearts Club #1), and Portals and Puppy Dogs (Hedge Witches Lonely Hearts Club #2)

5 out of 5 stars

E-book. 165 pages. Published February 16th 2021 by Dreamspinner Press

Blurb:

Sometimes love is flashier than magic.

On the surface, Alex Kennedy is unremarkable: average looks, boring accounting job, predictable crush on his handsome playboy boss, Simon Reddick.

But he’s also a witch.

Business powerhouse Simon goes for flash and glamour… most of the time. But something about Alex makes Simon wonder what’s underneath that sweet, gentle exterior.

Alex could probably dance around their attraction forever… if not for the spell gone wrong tearing apart his haunted cul-de-sac. When a portal through time and space swallows the dog he’s petsitting, only for the pampered pooch to appear in the next instant on Simon’s doorstep, Alex and Simon must confront not only the rogue magic trying to take over Alex’s coven, but the long-buried passion they’ve been harboring for each other. 

Likes:

• Alec and Simon, together and separately.
• Cute and fluffy story.
• Hooked me fast.
• I got into this book easier than I did the first.
• How Simon accepts Alec’s witchy side.
• Adorkableness made me smile.
• Good smut.
• Subplot with Simon’s friend’s divorce.
• How everyone in the office loved Alec.
• Alec bikes to work.

Dislikes:

• Not the most exciting book out there.
• Ended on a cliffhanger.

I’m a little surprised to be giving this book a 5 star rating when the first book was a ‘just okay’ 3.5 stars. But at the same time, it’s because I wasn’t super impressed by Shortbread and Shadows that I came to this book with somewhat subdued expectations. Which meant that I was pleasantly surprised when this book hooked me fast and was filled with angst-free fluff and awkwardly adorkable characters.

Another reviewer called this book “harmless fantasy romance fluff” like that’s a bad thing, and I disagree. This book might not be the most exciting thing I’ve ever read, but I wasn’t expecting explosions and gun fights. I was in the mood for a book that was a fun, easy read, and Puppy Dogs and Portals hit the spot.

Alec is the least magical member of the coven, and he knows it. He doesn’t have the best self-esteem, but he’s a good friend, a hard worker, and was easy to like. His crush on his boss Simon made sense. Simon is a handsome, successful, take-charge kind of guy. He definitely puts his foot in his mouth a few times, especially when it comes to learning about magic. But he admitted when he was wrong and apologized when his careless comments ended up being hurtful. Best of all, he was able to offer the coven some really useful advice.

Compared to Shortbread and Shadows, I felt like the plot of this book was much more cohesive. The romantic and non-romantic plots are woven together well. The romance is pushed forward when a rogue portal takes Glinda, the dog Alec’s been pet sitting for his two missing friends, and she ends up on Simon’s doorstep. This causes Simon to come to the cul-de-sac and learn that magic is real when he sees all the weird things happening.

I liked the progression of Alec and Simon’s relationship. They’re both a little awkward at times, but it was in an endearing way. Simon was respectful that Alec didn’t have much experience with romance and sex. The smut was good and deepened the relationship. I liked that Simon was open with his colleagues about his relationship with Alec. Simon’s friendship with his co-owners, and his desire to help his friend with his divorce, was a nice side plot. It was easy to see that everyone at the office liked Alec. And Alec got bonus points for cycling to work.

The cliffhanger at the end made me really glad that the next book, Pentacles and Pelting Plants, is already out. I’m excited for Jordan’s story, and glad that I stuck with this series despite my less than stellar thoughts on the first book.

Be sure to check out my reviews for the rest of the series – Shortbread and Shadows (Hedge Witches Lonely Hearts Club #1), and Pentacles and Pelting Plants (Hedge Witches Lonely Hearts Club #3)