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Magic Lessons: The Prequel to Practical Magic
Magic Lessons: The Prequel to Practical Magic
Alice Hoffman | 2020 | Fiction & Poetry, History & Politics, Science Fiction/Fantasy
6
7.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
27 of 230
Book
Magic Lessons (practical Magic book 1 )
By Alice Hoffman

In this “ bewitching” (The New York Times Book Review) novel that traces a centuries-old curse to its source, beloved author Alice Hoffman unveils the story of Maria Owens, accused of witchcraft in Salem, and matriarch of a line of the amazing Owens women and men featured in Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic.

Where does the story of the Owens bloodline begin? With Maria Owens, in the 1600s, when she’s abandoned in a snowy field in rural England as a baby. Under the care of Hannah Owens, Maria learns about the “Nameless Arts.” Hannah recognizes that Maria has a gift and she teaches the girl all she knows. It is here that she learns her first important lesson: Always love someone who will love you back.

When Maria is abandoned by the man who has declared his love for her, she follows him to Salem, Massachusetts. Here she invokes the curse that will haunt her family. And it’s here that she learns the rules of magic and the lesson that she will carry with her for the rest of her life. Love is the only thing that matters.

Magic Lessons is a “heartbreaking and heart-healing” (BookPage) celebration of life and love and a showcase of Alice Hoffman’s masterful storytelling.

It was ok. I struggled to keep my focus in some parts as it didn’t seem necessary but I ploughed through. Hopefully I’ll enjoy Practical magic more as I loved the film.
  
TM
The More you Ignore me
Jo Brand | 2022
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
31 of 230
Book
The more you ignore me
By Jo Brand
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Celebrity obsession, coming of age and cow shit - an hilarious, poignant and darkly comic novel by the Queen of Comedy.

Alice is a young girl growing up in a dysfunctional family in Herefordshire in the 1980s. Her mother is suffering a mental illness - she is on medication, is put away in an institution, but constantly escapes - while her father, Keith, very sweetly, tries to keep everything together. His in-laws, the Wildgooses, are a bunch of reckless, lawless country bumpkins and can offer very little help or sensible advice, preferring instead to remain in the pub or to use a shotgun to solve life's little problems. The only thing that gives meaning and hope to Alice as she makes her way through childhood, school and teenage trauma is her obsession with the singer Morrissey of The Smiths. She is desperate to see The Smiths at a live gig, but somehow her family always manages to derail her plans. Gradually her mother begins to share her fascination with the rock god and his presence in their lives goes someway to healing her and repairing her relationship with her long-suffering daughter.

This was really good! It was funny and darkly so. It follows the life of a young girl dealing with the effects her mothers mental illness has on her and her father. It’s has a dark underlay that as someone who struggles mentally I can relate too. So much better than I was expecting.
  
Rogue's Passion (Iron Portal #2)
Rogue's Passion (Iron Portal #2)
Laurie London | 2013 | Paranormal, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Asher and Olivia actually make a very good couple, although Asher does come across as a bit of a tool to begin. In his defence, he is injured and worried about his dog... but still. Olivia is traumatised as a bomb has just exploded nearby and people are injured and dying. The ability to control her healing talent is hard at the best of times but in circumstances like this, near impossible.

Due to Asher toning down his attitude, Olivia realises that he isn't actually as bad as she originally thought. Just in time too, as two Army Investigative Unit officers arrive on the scene. An unregistered Healer talent and a Cascadian barbarian would not go down well. Luckily they help each other and are able to leave. Things heat up pretty quickly after that although they both agree that it is only for a week, to begin with. They both have a history that makes them wary of the thought of commitment.

Cameo appearances are made by Neyla and Rickert as well as a few others from Book 1.

Well-written and fast-paced, Olivia and Asher work well and play hard. This is an intense and sometimes steamy novella which carries on perfectly with the Iron Portal series. Definitely recommended and looking forward to the next one.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jun 21, 2015
  
WO
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
94 of 235
Kindle
Wings of Stone ( The Dragons of Ascavar 1)
By J.D. Monroe
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Doctor Gabrielle Rojas knows her Jane Doe patient shouldn’t heal this fast, or have a blood type that doesn’t exist. She also knows that Tarek, the sexy stranger who claims he’s her next of kin, is out of his damned mind.

But she can’t deny her own eyes when she watches him turn into a dragon and fly out the window with her patient. There’s no mistaking his gleaming scales and massive wings, and her day only gets weirder when he calls her to dig a couple of bullets out of his delicious backside.

Meddling in the affairs of dragons lands Gabrielle in a dungeon in the magical land of Ascavar, where dragons rule and magic burns bright.

With war on the horizon for his people, Tarek swears to take Gabrielle home to her safe, normal life. But her healing touch soothes his wounded heart, and he soon realizes that this is one promise he can’t keep.

As passion binds them together, both dragon and doctor must ask…can they ever go back?

I enjoy this a lot more than I expected to for the first quarter of the book I was a bit weary but I ended up really enjoying it. It was one of those reads that catches you by surprise. The story line was good, the characters were good and it had some grit. Definitely surprised me.
  
The Rebellious Pet (Alien Slave Masters #2)
The Rebellious Pet (Alien Slave Masters #2)
Samantha Cayto | 2016 | Erotica, LGBTQ+, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
We first met Joel in The Captain's Pet, where the story involved Wid and Captain Kell. This time, Joel has gone to a space station with his Master as Firth has become ill. They are hoping that the healing waters of the station will enable him to recover. Lalith, the ruling matriarch of the space station, decrees that Arath is in charge of Joel. He is thus passed from one Master to another, with everything that goes with that. Arath is a strong character, with his own set of standards and foibles. These two come to an understanding, and Joel also makes friends with a cadet called Wen. Just as he thinks his life is bearable, he uncovers a plot which could change everything.

This was exceedingly well-written, with a fast but smooth pace that builds up to a climactic ending. There was a twist with the females that literally had me laughing out loud. Joel and Arath have a satisfying ending to their story, but I hope to see more of them in the future. With no editing or grammatical errors that I found, this is a wonderful addition to the Alien Slave Masters series. These books come with a Reader's Advisory - please take note of it as these are not to everyone's taste!

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Apr 19, 2016