Back in a Spell (The Witches of Thistle Grove)

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The sequel to It Ends With Us (2016) shows the aftermath of domestic violence through the eyes of a single mother. Nineve finds Morty Gutierrez on the dating app and they meet for drinks, but it’s awkward and uncomfortable. Jordy began her professional career as an officer in the Coast Guard but has recently transitioned into the civilian world.

The provocative opening takes a dark turn when Lily receives a warning about Ryle’s intentions from his sister, who becomes Lily’s employee and close friend. It felt like the they/them pronouns were tagged on as some sort of decoration or something and not a part of his identity. During the first sex scene, Nina intuits that Morty feels a “distinctly male undercurrent” of pride in the fact that he’s well-endowed, which pulls a double whammy of misgendering Morty and disregarding trans men who may or may not even have the same genitals at all.

It was nice to get the perspective of someone not from the witch community to give the book a different slant than the first two, as well as exploring new aspects of the world building.

Even if they tend to default to he, it's incredibly disrespectful to just throw away a whole section of their identity. It’s rooted in a traditional society with people on the fringes who are pushing for something different. Industrial action and public holidays can significantly delay deliveries which is out of our control.

He also is able to offer some perspective as someone not caught up in all the family politics and is able to help Nina sort through things when she is struggling. Through palpable tension balanced with glimmers of hope, Hoover beautifully captures the heartbreak and joy of starting over. Morty’s support and confidence in her help Nina find her way when she gets a bit lost, and I found them sexy and fun together. However *SLIGHT SPOILER* in the end Nina and Morty do decide to stay together without the help of their magical love connection. She gets a light slap on the wrist and only one of the four family members (accomplices) are properly punished, leaving a Cis het white guy (who has been an absolute knob for three books) to take over charge of her family’s dealings.

Olivia and Bennett, having grown up in mixed families, are still learning the traditions themselves, just like I am. This series runs more fantasy than romance I loved the setting and character explorations in the previous books. This is especially seen in their spicy encounters but even while fully clothed Nina regularly remarks on Morty’s appearance and vibes as masculine. When Nina meets up with her date, Morty Gutierrez, she is totally attracted to him, though Morty is definitely not like the people Nina usually dates.

I appreciate how Harper was able to portray these dynamics while ensuring the characters stayed true to who they are and who they are supposed to be. Lana's certainly more comfortable with that type of relationship, if you go by the number of sex scenes compared to 'Payback' as any indicator.