Kamillia does not know she is a witch. One day as she is working on her book, Luca appears at her front door saying she must go with him, so the Mastema does not kill her. Luca takes her to her grandfather's where she starts to learn the truth about herself and her parents' deaths. While there she is attacked by a dark force. It is through her grandfather and Luca abilities that she is saved. Luca receives a sign, and they must go to Italy. This is not a place that Kamillia wants to go. When they arrive, she learns why they were sent here. Can she help? Can they defeat the darkness?

I am not sure I can say wholeheartedly that I enjoyed this story. It is dark. Yes, Luca and Kamillia love each other but the ending was unsatisfying for me. After all they went through to have it end like that is a letdown. I would have preferred a more positive ending, especially for Kamillia. I liked Kamillia and Luca. I liked that they had a back story, but their present story was more positive. I wish Ahti (kind of Luca's "boss") would have been able to make some changes to their present and future.

This was not a HEA in the way I am used to in romances. I would say it's an as good as it can be romance.

Edited by Laura Perry

I enjoyed this collection very much. It's a compilation of fantasy short stories and poems about magical settings or characters written by writers involved in Wicca or Paganism in some form. I won't comment on the poems because I've never been a fan of poetry, but the stories were well worth the nominal price I paid and all proceeds go to a literary charity, Books for Africa, so I bought it on pre-order, only recognising a couple of the authors, knowing my money was well spent whether the stories held up or not.

I would say only three stories were really professional quality, but there were no duds. All of the stories were reasonably well-written and the editing was pristine. There was just a certain self-indulgence in the plotting of some of them that is common with Pagan writers turning to fiction, though thankfully not universal.

Overall the really good stories made it worth far more than I paid, so I can't complain. At least I've discovered at least one new good author and the first story, by one of the names I recognised (Nils Visser), has piqued my interest in a series connected to his story. A good result as indie anthologies go.

For more reviews, check out my blog: Craft-Cycle

Despite the fact that I was nearly halfway through the book before I realized someone had ripped out two pages from my secondhand copy (thankfully I was able to read them online), I enjoyed this book. It is a fun and twisted story about a dark wizard looking for the most sinister witch to marry.

As the book was originally published in 1979, there are some things that wouldn't quite fly in modern children's literature. There is a large emphasis on physical appearance, which is often portrayed in a humorous way, but perhaps does not provide the best message. As with other books I've read by Ibbotson (Island of the Aunts), the premise is a bit creepy in seeking out a dark witch in order to produce a dark wizard. There is also a good bit of violence, both described and implied (stories about murdering wives, The Symphony of Death). Still, it was overall an enjoyable read.

I did like the story on the whole. Good description. There are certainly very dark moments (as any search for the darkest witch should), many in a rather Roald Dahl-ish way. Interesting read. I enjoyed the characters. The ending was fairly predictable but in no way took away from the fun reading experience for me.

Reviewed for Wit and Sin

Every story in the Brimstone Inc. series has been wholly addictive and Bait N' Witch is no exception. The third magical outing features Rowan, a witch of incredible power who has been taught not to trust her own kind. Rowan also possesses a strong vulnerability, one that a powerful werewolf used to force her to do something horrible. Now Rowan has to hide from the judgment of the Covens Syndicate. And what better place to hide than right under the nose of the hunter sent to bring her in?

Greyson Masters may be the Syndicate’s best hunter, but he’s also a widowed father of preteen triplets who have a power no one can quite figure out. The triplets need a new nanny and Brimstone, Inc. has sent over Rowan, a witch of supposedly little power. Rowan is the first person who has been able to bring peace to Greyson’s household, but there’s something about her that makes him restless. The pull between them is strong, but what will happen when Rowan’s secrets are revealed?

As individuals, Rowan and Greyson are wonderful characters. Rowan is a powerful witch who has survived more than most could deal with and she’s retained her strength and kindness through it all. I loved watching her bond with Greyson’s daughters from the first. Preteens can be scary enough but add in magic? Yikes. Rowan is more than up to the challenge, though. She slides easily into the Masters household and into the hearts of the family itself. Greyson is the best at his job but he’s slightly in over his head in his household. He’s a loving father who is doing his best and it’s easy to adore him. As a couple, he and Rowan click from the start. I loved watching how they seamlessly became a couple, almost without realizing it. But Rowan can’t hide who she is and how powerful her magic is for forever, not from Greyson and not from the werewolves that are hunting her.

Bait N' Witch is just plain fun to read. It has romance, magic, action, and even a small mystery featuring the triplets’ abilities. I was hooked from the beginning and didn’t want to put the book down. I love how author Abigail Owen weaves together all different magical and mythical beings to create a fascinating world. If you don’t mind spoilers for the first book in the series, The Demigod Complex, then you can read Rowan and Greyson’s story as a standalone. I enjoyed everything about Bait N' Witch and I cannot wait to see what happens next in the Brimstone Inc. series.


FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I also purchased a copy of this book. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Loved this addition to the Brimstone Inc series! It may just be favorite of the series so far. Bait N' Witch pulled me out of a bad reading slump and I'm so grateful for it. I was up till 3am finishing this one, I read it all in one sitting. The characters were interesting and fun and the romance was perfectly paced with the length of the book. Though these are more novellas than full length Owen always manages to make them feel like they are full length in the best way. It's complete and enriches the whole world created each step of the way. I also love that we get peeks at the previous characters we've come to love.

Rowan was fabulous! I loved the nanny plot line and her relationship with the triplets. It was just as enjoyable to me as the blossoming romance between Rowan and Grey. I can't wait to see what happens next!

I received an arc of this book from Entangled: Amara via Netgalley and this is my honest review.