Witchy Romance

Do you enjoy a little magic with your romance? We've got a list of recs featuring magical FMCs (female main characters). 

• Contemporary Witches
• Folklore Magic
• Witches Fighting the Patriarchy
• Magical Realism
• Romcom Witches
• Dark Magic
• Feel Good Magic
• Curse Breakers
• Blood Magic
• Mortal Enemies

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Episode Transcript

Devonnie (00:03):
Welcome to romance Recs where book besties explore
the world of romance novels andencourage you to expand your
TBR.
Join us as we dive into thehottest releases and hidden gems
of the genre.
You can find us on IG and TikTOK and discord.
At romance Recs pod, just giveus a little search.
Give us a little, you know,google and you'll find us Hey

(00:26):
guys, this is dev.
I'm sure you guessed that.
Hi You know what?
I feel like it's been so long.
Sorry.
Just I just want to say hi toyou guys I feel like I haven't

Jordan (00:34):
This every other week thing,

Devonnie (00:36):
Yeah, it feels so much longer.
Yeah but hi Yeah, this is dev.
I'm, not gonna lie to you.
I don't even know where to starttelling you what books i'm
reading right now I Couldn'tbegin.
Let me tell you something.
I'm in five books right now, andthat's what I'm gonna say

Jordan (00:52):
my

Devonnie (00:52):
But I'm yes, but I'm only listening.
Well six, you know, why I'm techit's tech.
It's five Kindle five ebooks,but one audio book.
Let's talk about the audio bookcuz I know what that is I'm only
listening to one it is onchildren of anarchy and anguish
or anguish and anarchy by TomiAdeyemi, which is the third book

(01:14):
in the Orisha series that shehas.
And it's the third and finalbook.
I'm about 70 percent in.
I'm enjoying it so far.
I'm enjoying it so far.

Jordan (01:23):
Oh.

Devonnie (01:25):
I know.
I'm shocked.
Let me tell you, I, when thefirst two books were like, Oh my
gosh.
And to be fair, the message inthis set in this third book is
still good, but it feels likeI'm reading a different series
because the villain, yeah, thevillain in this book was not
really played up in the first orsecond book.

(01:45):
I can't even remember them beinglike focused on.
And so it just feels verydifferent.
However, with that being said,like the message, what I'm
pulling from the book as beingpart of a diaspora that has been
misplaced.
It is, it's very heartwarming tosee an author tackle that
experience with fantasy andmagic.

(02:08):
That's been nice.
However, I wish, yeah, we'll seehow it ends.

Jordan (02:12):
look at we're getting reviews in the intro.
This is like we're you're

Devonnie (02:16):
just, I'm going rogue guys.
I just wanted to talk about it.
But yeah, and that's all becauselike I said, I'm reading too
many books at once.
And yeah, so that's the one i'mlistening to on Libby.

Jordan (02:28):
Well, hi, I'm Jordan.
Nice to be here.
I will highlight a few that I'mreading because I think devs
tendencies have rubbed off onme.
So I am reading on KU, KindleUnlimited, Priceless by Devon
Sinclair.
I am on a Devon Sinclair kickright now.
Love her Omega verse stuff.
I am listening.

(02:48):
I started listening to Bewitchedby Laura.
SSEs.
Oh, sorry.
Laura.
Thea.
Thea.

Devonnie (02:59):
Read that.

Jordan (03:00):
One of my favorite.
Most trusted bookstagram peoplerecommended it.
And the way she talked about it,I'm like, Oh, I'm going to love
it.
Like the way she talks about allmy favorites.
I'm excited to see where itgoes.
It's not what I was expecting.

Devonnie (03:13):
Okay, we'll take it.

Jordan (03:16):
I'm still early on.
I just received today an arc forA Dark and Secret Magic by
Wallis Kinney.
That should be out October 7th,2024.
So I'm excited for that one.
And I'm re listening to FromBlood and Ash because I am
excited to re listen to itbecause I just finished the last

(03:40):
book.
In the prequel series that cameout a few months ago.

Devonnie (03:46):
Oh, okay.

Jordan (03:47):
I loved that series because that series actually
tells you the background of allthese characters.
I can't really get into it.
It's not the background of them,but it's like the setup for the
world and the gods.
So you follow the primals andthe gods and not like from blood
and ashes, like the world andthe results of the prequel.

(04:07):
So you learn a lot of.
Big things at the end of thatlast book and I read it and I
was like, Shit, I gotta listento this

Devonnie (04:15):
gotta go listen

Jordan (04:15):
I gotta I have to So i'm hyped up again from blood and
ash Jennifer L.
Armintrout and that's our introlook it only took five minutes

Devonnie (04:25):
Love

Jordan (04:25):
what we read

Devonnie (04:27):
Yes.
It really should have taken like30 seconds each cause we only
should be reading one book.

Jordan (04:34):
and there's only two of us today because christina's
still in the middle of yetanother move.

Devonnie (04:38):
Yeah.

Jordan (04:39):
Love you, christina.
I can't wait to see you on hereagain.
You So let's just get right,okay, first of all, before we do
our quotes, we, this is a witchyepisode.
We're doing a witchy episode.
We haven't even said that yet.
We're almost six minutes in.
It's all about the witchestoday.
Witch

Devonnie (04:53):
Love me a good witch.

Jordan (04:55):
need love too.

Devonnie (04:57):
I just want to show you that I'm on theme today

Jordan (04:59):
Oh, witch please!

Devonnie (05:01):
Cup.

Jordan (05:02):
I love it.

Devonnie (05:03):
I did want to stay on

Jordan (05:05):
I have a gin and tonic and a wine glass, so I am not on
brand, but I should have madesome tea or something.

Devonnie (05:12):
I had decaf English breakfast, so I think your drink
wins.

Jordan (05:17):
I think so too.
I'm going to start out, I'm justgoing to go for it with the
quotes.
Mine is from a book we bothloved and we will be talking
about later.
Mine is from Heartless Hunter byKristen sicarelli?

Devonnie (05:33):
yeah.

Jordan (05:34):
Sicarelli.
Kristen Sicarelli.
Gideon was her perfect rival.
A deadly enemy to outwit.
Without him, Rune could only behalf of her full potential.
It was why, deep down, shewanted him to come for her.
She ached for that challenge ofhim.
She needed to finish what layunfinished between them.

Devonnie (05:57):
I love that.

Jordan (05:59):
She needed the challen like, this wasn't even talking
about their rela

Devonnie (06:02):
No, yeah, this is

Jordan (06:04):
Their relationship!

Devonnie (06:06):
right?

Jordan (06:06):
But

Devonnie (06:07):
Yeah,

Jordan (06:07):
enemies were still enemies.
Or the, nevermind, that's aspoiler.
Yeah, it just, she knew eventhen she needed that

Devonnie (06:15):
Right.
What she was basically sayingwas that everybody around her
was trash and she needed someoneto step up to her level to
really test her, you know, sothat she could really feel alive
and no one was delivering.
And so Gideon was going to dothat

Jordan (06:32):
Well, you would be all for being chased.
The

Devonnie (06:35):
Yeah, of course.

Jordan (06:36):
wouldn't you?

Devonnie (06:37):
Absolutely.
Immediately.
Yes.

Jordan (06:42):
Literally, figuratively,

Devonnie (06:45):
Yes.
Love it all.

Jordan (06:50):
Oh, I'm sorry.
What podcast are you on?

Devonnie (06:54):
Natural out of my business as if the business
hasn't been discussed inprevious episodes.
Now y'all got to go back to findwhich ones.
Let me know if you do.
Yeah, moving on to my quote isactually from the witch
collector series.
It's from the first book of thewitch collector.
By Sharisa Weeks and book four,I think it's trying to come out.
There's, there are plans,there's holdups, but right now

(07:16):
all three books are available.
I'm pretty sure you can listento them immediately if you have
Libby.
And I guess if your librarysupplies it, but also I think
the books are in KindleUnlimited.
So check there as well if youwant to read all of the books
that are out and you don't youknow, I want to wait too long.
Okay.
Here's the quote.
What are you scared of?

(07:36):
He asks his voice so soft Whatis it you fear when it comes to
me?
I look up at him and a thousandanswers chase through my mind
the truth boils down to onething though a truth I can't
hold inside anymore that I willnever let myself know what it is
to be yours That I will denymyself this, deny myself you out

(07:57):
of fear.
I pat his chest beforecontinuing because I am so
scared of losing anyone else.
That was like a very tendermoment.
I'm not going to tell y'all whathappens immediately after this,
but I'm sure you can guess.
Yeah.
But I, yeah, I really love thatquote from, oh, it's, I

Jordan (08:25):
What is this mood tonight?

Devonnie (08:27):
cannot confirm nor deny the tenderness of what
happens after this scene becauseyeah.
But yeah that's one of my recsfor today and so I wanted to
share that quote.

Jordan (08:39):
Thanks.
It was really cute.
It was very, okay, well, I'mjust going to get into it.
Cause there's one book I'mreally, okay.
I'm excited about a lot ofthese, but there's one in
particular that I read recently

Devonnie (08:49):
Let's hear it.

Jordan (08:50):
that I still am thinking about it.
It gave me chills.
It, I was listening, I listenedto this on audible, not audible.
Excuse me.
I listened to an audio versionof this.
I was given a version of itthrough NetGalley.
It's The Last Witch in Edinburghby Marielle Thompson.
And It was labeled as romance,and it is romance.

(09:14):
There is romance.
But I was just blown away bythis book.
And I don't think it was quitewhat I expected, but it's what I
needed.
And I saw that someone elsewrote that too in their comment.
And I'm like, that's exactly howI feel.
On Goodreads, that was theirit's not what they expected, but
it's what they needed.
In an alternate 1824 Edinburgh,Women throughout the city fear

(09:38):
that any wrong move may resultin accusations of witchcraft
from using their left hand foranything to denying male
advancement in an offensive way.
Nellie Duncan, she's beautiful,unwed, she keeps to herself for

(09:58):
fear and because she's trying totake care of her younger
brother, Cause her mother passedaway and her dad is too busy out
drinking.
So she's just trying to keep toherself, right?
She's trying to survive in thisworld, in this town where
everyone is after women forbeing witches.
She keeps to herself until sheencounters the Rey women's

(10:19):
apothecary, where she meets Jeanand other women who help her
discover true magic.
They call that The Kaelic, iswhat they call their magic,
Kaelic.
A sense of self and community.
An evil is sweeping the town,and it isn't the first time in
its history that this hashappened.

(10:40):
When Nellie finds herself aloneand afraid, she runs from
Edinburgh, intending to neverreturn.
And for the next two centuries,She runs and hides from the
Calyx enemy.
He has hunted witches for yearsthrough the patriarchy for their
service to the goddess.
When she encounters him againand the stakes are even higher
for her personally, will she runor will she stand and fight?

(11:03):
So the magic in this comesstraight from Scottish folklore.
And basically in this, any womancould become a witch.
That is not common knowledgethough.
Okay.
People don't just know that youhave to be taught the ways of
the Kaelic and everyone has avery unique, it's almost like a
gift, not necessarily a magic,but you can learn potions and

(11:24):
spells, but everyone has adifferent kind of, it's almost
like a calling, right?
And it does give them longlives.
So she was, you know, this storyspans two centuries

Devonnie (11:35):
Oh,

Jordan (11:35):
and it is so beautifully written.
This is a queer romance

Devonnie (11:40):
Ooh, a little sapphic action.

Jordan (11:42):
yeah, so being, for having it start in 1824, a lot
of her discovering.
The Kalec is her discovering whoshe really is because being
Kalec means being true toyourself.
You do not receive your magic orbecome a witch until you are

(12:03):
true to yourself.

Devonnie (12:05):
love that.

Jordan (12:05):
So whether that's like for her, part of that is
admitting to who she's attractedto and who she's interested in
and her own confidence and whatshe's capable of.
And it's so moving because thebig enemy is the patriarchy in
this book.
That is how the enemy of theCalic fights witches, is through

(12:28):
patriarchy specifically.
They motivate, this enemy isable to instill anger into men,
and they use that to bolsterBecause the enemy knows only
females can be Kalec, But it'snot common knowledge.
So he uses this widespread fearto keep women down, to fear

(12:49):
their own bodies, to do To feartheir own voices, to and it is
to read it in this way.
It was like a religiousexperience for me.
It was, I was listening to itand I just would find myself
stopping in the middle of what Iwas doing and just really be
introspective.
I would have to pause sometimesand really think about it.

(13:11):
I'd be like, Whoa, that hitreally hard.
Or this instance really remindedme of something.
So it's, this book is full ofemotional storytelling and it's
hauntingly beautiful.
And.
It's used to help, give women avoice and stand against the
patriarchy.
And I just, I left this bookfeeling empowered and reflective
because it ends in our presentday.

(13:32):
So it's still very much.
enemy that they were trying toface,

Devonnie (13:36):
yeah.

Jordan (13:37):
And the romance is very moving.
The romance is veryintrospective and I would say
it's very meaningful andintentional and it's just, it's
beautiful.

Devonnie (13:48):
I love that.

Jordan (13:49):
Love this book.

Devonnie (13:50):
Is it already out?

Jordan (13:52):
Yes, it's already out.
The Last Witch in Edinburgh.
Go read it.

Devonnie (13:55):
Love that.

Jordan (13:56):
So good.

Devonnie (13:57):
Yes.
Oh, wait.
I have a question.
Did you like the narrators?

Jordan (14:01):
I love the narrators, please listen to it.
So it's only one because it'sone POV not just because, but
it's one POV and it's Scottish.

Devonnie (14:08):
Love that.

Jordan (14:09):
it's, yeah, it's

Devonnie (14:10):
That'll get me.
That'll do Do it for me.

Jordan (14:13):
Yeah.
Listen to it if you can.

Devonnie (14:17):
Okay.
I am going to start with, Iguess something completely
opposite on that spectrum.
Also about.
Some witches, very muchlighthearted, very lighthearted,
very funny.
So no introspection necessaryfor listening to this

Jordan (14:35):
Oh, good.

Devonnie (14:36):
This is Hot Hex Boyfriend by Carly Bloom, and
this book actually just came outabout a week ago.
I think it's live now.
I did receive a audio copy fromNetgalley.
I can't remember if this waslike readily available, listen
now, or if it was something Ilike had to request and wait
for.

Jordan (14:56):
Shout out to NetGalley for not sponsoring this episode,
but maybe you should.

Devonnie (15:03):
Netgalley, if you're listening.
Libby, if you're listening.

Jordan (15:06):
do some episodes for you.

Devonnie (15:08):
Babe we use these services, K.
U.

Jordan (15:12):
you.
Please.

Devonnie (15:15):
Okay, so hot hex boyfriend is about Delia
Merriweather and her family ofchaos like and I mean that in
the most literal sense Deliadoesn't believe in witches But
the rest of her family mostdefinitely do and they also
believe that they are witchesand that they're like a coven
who Has lost their magic Andbecause of a silly little

(15:35):
birthmark on delia's tush hercoven family Lacks magic believe
that she is like the what theycall a blue witch She is the
witch who's going to break thecurse on their coven and finally
release their suppressed magic.
And so every year They have thislittle ritual To Basically call

(15:58):
forth Delia's magic as a bluewitch and every year it fails
But Delia is so sweet.
Yeah.
No, it fails every year

Jordan (16:06):
Because of her booty mark.
Awww.

Devonnie (16:12):
yeah, so they do this every year and like her grandma
is like really into it they runlike a little shop where they
have crystals and twigs that aresupposed to be wands and brooms
and teas and herbs.
Like it is the most chaotic funI have listened to in so long.
And she has two, two, two of heraunts are like they're twins, I

(16:32):
think.
And so you have like twinwitches who are like doing that.
Oh, and also Delia's mother alsodoes not believe in these
witches.
So it's Delia and her momagainst the rest of the family.
But when I, it is, Okay, maybe alittle introspection because one
thing I did learn about thisstory, Delia and her mom don't
believe that their family arewitches, right?

(16:53):
The rest of the family doesbelieve this information and
actively acts on it, vocalizesit out to the public that they
believe this information,

Jordan (17:02):
Okay, wait.
Can I ask a quick question?
Sorry.
When you're ready, I have aquestion.

Devonnie (17:06):
No, what was the

Jordan (17:07):
they're, Why do they think they're witches, then?
If they've never had magic.
Why?

Devonnie (17:11):
so grandma, cause you know, talk to your grandparents,
they are your librarians, right?
They are the time keepers inyour

Jordan (17:17):
Oh, yeah.

Devonnie (17:17):
Grandma was told.
Through her lineage through hermother and her mother and her
mother and whatever that theyare witches We have not

Jordan (17:26):
be

Devonnie (17:27):
it's been passed down Grandma

Jordan (17:29):
thank you.
I

Devonnie (17:30):
a lick of marriage a lick of magic.
Yeah, but grandma telling herkids we're witches So anyway, I
love that you have theseopposing beliefs, but they love
each other so hard.
This book is so reminiscent ofpractical magic.
So if you love practical magic,it is, I could taste practical
magic on this.
Sabrina, the teenage witch, itjust give, it gave me.

(17:51):
Such a mix of some of myfavorite like coming of age teen
stories, but they're adults Weare just accepting who you are
and just loving your family likethe love this family shares Even
with their opposing beliefs wasso hilarious.
The narrator did such aphenomenal job But there is also
a male love interest, right?
So here's where this the plotactually goes again I just want

(18:14):
to reiterate Delia does notbelieve her family is a coven of
Witches who are just waiting fortheir magic to

Jordan (18:20):
Coven, can you

Devonnie (18:21):
Yeah, Coven Merriweather at that.
And, oh my gosh, I left out thebest part.
Y'all, they're in the South.
So they talk like this.
Delia talks like this and shesays, yeah, honey.
And they got Southernhospitality.
A witch from the south?
I ate it up.
With an accent like that?
I, okay.
But I loved it.
I just really loved it.

(18:41):
Basically something happens andtheir next door neighbor dies.
When the next door neighbor dieshis nephew comes in to kinda
deal with the estate, planning,and whatever.
But also to keep an eye on theblue witch because Delia's
family is in fact a coven ofwitches who have lost their
magic plot twist granny wasright, but yeah, so all these

(19:08):
things happen.
It's just snafu after snafuDelia is an interior designer.
Her mom's a real estate agent.
There's like hexes.
It's like the entire town knowsthis information, but.
But gaslight the Meriwethercoven into believing that they
aren't witches as well, andostracizing them even though the

(19:29):
entire town knows that they are.

Jordan (19:32):
Wait.
So are there other witchesaround?

Devonnie (19:35):
The whole town is witch

Jordan (19:37):
Shut the fuck up!

Devonnie (19:38):
But, they gaslight

Jordan (19:39):
the opposite of

Devonnie (19:41):
Yes, they gaslight the family and treat them like shit.
Because, a lot there's a reasonwhy,

Jordan (19:49):
Yeah, don't tell me.

Devonnie (19:50):
Yeah, I'm not gonna tell you, but there's a reason.
The plot is just, it is sofunny.
Honestly, there were times I wascrack, I was crackin up.
If you can, I would listen toit.
I'm sure reading it would be thesame, but listening to it, just
really, I was crackin up,because I was like, what is
happening here?
Yeah, and there's a cat whoturns into a human, and that's
all I'ma say, listen for that,because it's given Sebastian,
okay?
But yeah there's cauldrons, akaa hot tub.

Jordan (20:14):
No.
I just can't get over that thewhole town knows.
But then,

Devonnie (20:22):
But they don't say anything.

Jordan (20:23):
So they're calling themselves witches, but everyone
knows that they don't havemagic, and they're pretending
like they do.

Devonnie (20:29):
yeah.

Jordan (20:31):
I'm sorry.
Okay, you sold me.
I saw this on NetGalley,

Devonnie (20:34):
one more thing.
Yes.

Jordan (20:35):
This could go either way, but this

Devonnie (20:37):
please.
It's so cozy, but so funny.
Spice is very low.
I think there's two scenes ofspice and it's like nice, but
you know, it's not a super spicybook,

Jordan (20:46):
like a cracked door.

Devonnie (20:48):
No, it was very open.
The door was wide open, baby.
I'm just saying it didn't like,it wasn't like super explicit
spice, you know,

Jordan (20:54):
Okay, I'm watching from the doorway.

Devonnie (20:57):
for

Jordan (20:58):
I'm just not on the bed with them.
I'm not on the bed with them,but I'm in the doorway

Devonnie (21:01):
Yeah.
And maybe you're also on the gymfloor.
I don't know.
Anyway whenever they, I justwant to mention that whenever
they try to make this concoctionto turn the powers every year
that fails Delia calls it soup.
So her grandma be slaving overthis cauldron to make the potion
that's supposed to unleash theMeriwether Coven's powers and

(21:21):
Delia'll cause it.
Oh, yeah, we're just making souptonight.
I just had grandma's soup! Shemakes it every year on my
birthday!

Jordan (21:30):
my god,

Devonnie (21:32):
Anyway, y'all, I don't know if I Carly, girl, you sent
me into a tizzy with hot hexboyfriend.
So thank you for that.
Yeah, that was a really goodread.
Or listen.

Jordan (21:43):
Oh, that's so good.
I love it.
My next Sorry, I'm stilllaughing because I'm just
imagining this like socialdynamic of the town and them
It's this big game of chicken.
I feel like

Devonnie (21:57):
Yeah,

Jordan (21:58):
It's what's the movie the truman show?

Devonnie (22:01):
Yeah.

Jordan (22:01):
It's almost like the truman show

Devonnie (22:03):
Because everybody's in on it.

Jordan (22:05):
yeah Okay.
All right.
The Cursed and the Broken byChloe Hodge.
This one I'm going to read thedescription from Goodreads only
because of the The magic systemin the world, I don't want to
give too much away and I want toaccurately portray it.

(22:26):
Years ago, the dark queen wasexecuted by witches.
Her cultists hunted down likerats and forced into hiding
their black magic buried and putto rest all was well in the
world Or so we thought KatarniWitch and shepherd of her flock
has always been differentThere's a darkness in her blood

(22:46):
and a destiny beyond the borderof her small village.
So in this world different likeThere are different villages,
and the covens are in differentvillages, and they don't
intermix.
Corruption is spreading, and thewhispers of cultists stir
through the woods once again.
Betrothed to the heir of theWolfblood Clan, She risks not
only her life, but her heart.

(23:08):
United, they must stand againstthe cultists or watch the
kingdom of Hungary fall.
Cursed by death.
Death is an actual character inthis.
Also, she's visited by death.
It's in the very first chapter.
And controlled by fate.
Fate is another character.
Katarni is forced to meet herdemons.
or die by them.
This is really interesting.

(23:29):
Katarni has a different powerthan the rest of her coven.
And so she's kind of been anoutcast because of that, but
she's super close to their momand her younger sister.
She becomes cursed by death atthe beginning of this book every
year on the same night, deathstalks the village and comes
through.
So everyone is boarded upbecause he can't cross the
thresholds.
Her sister darts out when shehears their animals being hurt.

(23:53):
And she just is Soft heart.
And so Katarni goes after herand through that exchange, she's
not taken, but she's, she iscursed by him and marked.
She finds out that she'sbetrothed to the Wolf Blood Clan
heir and so in this village, if.
The witches have boys.

(24:14):
They are with their, they staywith their father.
There are no men in thisvillage.
The men have their own, they'rein separate villages.
So they will either go out andmarry and stay with them, or
they will liaise with men.
But if they have sons, they goand live with their father

Devonnie (24:30):
Interesting.

Jordan (24:31):
the women, the girls stay in the village.
It's really interesting dynamicsand it is based in Hungary.
And I don't really know.
I the folklore of Hungary andhow closely related this is, but
it is fascinating and it makessense for the time period and
the location.

(24:52):
The magic to me is interestingin the world.
When I first started this book,I was blowing through it.
I loved the tension between herand her betrothed, because she
doesn't quite trust him, becausehe's from this other village
that she's heard things about,but she's never really left her
village much, so she doesn'tknow.
There's also a mystery happeningbecause of the dark magic in
the, that's stalking the woods,and while it went really fast at

(25:15):
the beginning of this, For somereason I got distracted by other
stuff and I like at 80 percentstopped.

Devonnie (25:22):
Oh my gosh.

Jordan (25:24):
So I went back and had to finish it.
So I feel like it got a littlebit slower at 70, 75%.
But the way it ends, I am, Ireally need to go to the next
one.
Like I really need to move on tothe next one.
There is a next one and Ihaven't read it yet.
The Fated and the Damned.
So I am really interested to seewhere this goes because she is

(25:45):
toying with death.
She is bartering with him.
And fate is, it's just.
It's, it got messy by the end.
It wasn't messy.
And then by the end yourealized, Oh, this was messy the
whole time.
And we had no idea what wasreally happening.
So I don't know.
It's I like, I love the world.
I love the new, take ondifferent folklore and that

(26:06):
death is involved, but at a bitof a distance.
It's really fun.

Devonnie (26:10):
interesting.
I do like when there's, whendeath is a character in books,
cause it's always so interestingto see what the author's
interpretation of death and likehow they are in the story.
Yeah.
So that's interesting.

Jordan (26:23):
Yeah, it's really cool.
And I really like.
I like the main character.
She's strong.
She learned to fight from youngage, you know, it's really
uncommon in fantasy.
I know when the female maincharacter knows how to fight and
wield a sword, but I love it.
Can't get enough of it.
So I definitely recommend, and Ithink I just got distracted by

(26:43):
other stuff.

Devonnie (26:44):
Yeah,

Jordan (26:46):
but it was cute.
Spicy was good at the beginning,their declarations towards each
other, and was so cute, and I'mscared to see what happens next,
but we'll see.

Devonnie (26:57):
Okay, don't fight me about my next wreck because
technically is not a witch, butI'm going to explain

Jordan (27:06):
she's a muggle?

Devonnie (27:08):
this, she's a muggle.
She's very much muggly.
Muggle ish.
This is Do Your Worst by RosieDanen.
Danen?
Danen.
Danen.
Rosie.
Is the author's first name.

Jordan (27:22):
Rosie D.

Devonnie (27:24):
Rosie.
I don't, I just don't know ifit's Danen or Danen.
Either way, it's Do Your Worst.
The cover's so cute.
It's so cute.
FMC is having a steer down withthe MMC on the cover and I just
love that.
But the reason I'm adding thisto our witchy Recs and she's not
a witch is this.
She, our female main character,Riley Rhodes, is an occult

(27:46):
expert.
Okay.
I know you're losing.
I know I'm

Jordan (27:50):
no, I'm not.
No, I love Colts.
I love Colts.
Yeah, no, give me

Devonnie (27:53):
She's an occult expert.
She has, she's a regular humanbeing.
They have internet and regularphones and cars.

Jordan (28:01):
Okay.
She's me.

Devonnie (28:02):
She breaks curses.

Jordan (28:06):
Okay.

Devonnie (28:07):
saying?
Okay.
So

Jordan (28:09):
Give me more Tell me more

Devonnie (28:13):
I'm just in my head saying how wild of a wreck this
is for the

Jordan (28:16):
No, I almost I had one and then I realized it was just
fey Magic and not witches and Iwas like, oh I gotta take this
out.
So but this is good.
No, I hear it.
There's magic involved.
You're good.

Devonnie (28:26):
right.
She's breaking curses.
So I think it's witchy.
Okay.
So basically sparks fly when ourlittle occult expert links up
with a disgraced archeologist.
This is Goodreads words.
Not mine.
You know, I don't want to callhim disgraced, but he is

Jordan (28:42):
character.
You're afraid of

Devonnie (28:44):
yeah.
So his name is Clark.
He, Clark Edgewear has a, youknow, I'm not gonna lie to you.
When I first, when you firstread Edgewear, to be fair, he is
a British man.
It's giving David Attenboroughis his dad.
That's the vibe.
That's the vibe.
Anyway, and Riley's from likeConnecticut or something.

(29:05):
She's from the

Jordan (29:06):
Okay.

Devonnie (29:08):
This takes place It's in the Scottish Highlands?
Is it Scotland or is it Ireland?
I actually can't remember.

Jordan (29:16):
Oh, don't offend.
You need to,

Devonnie (29:18):
Oh no, I know.
It is, okay, Scottish, butbecause it's a Scottish castle,
that's where they, that's wherethey go.
Basically, Riley is raised byher grandmother who, Believed
that places can harbor magic andenergy and not necessarily that
people have to be magicians orwitches or wizards, but that

(29:41):
places and things can harborenergy from whatever the dying
wish of whoever, was there,whatever they put out in the
universe, that energy.
And as a scientist, if youbelieve that energy never dies,
that it exists, then it's kindof that same application to like
things, right?
So when people start having youknow, weird things happening in

(30:06):
their house, when a doll showsup in a baby's crib in the
middle of the night and theparents don't know what to do,
they're calling Riley who'strying to get her curse breaking
business off the ground.
She has business cards.

Jordan (30:17):
what is the name of this

Devonnie (30:18):
a website.
This is do your worst.
So you have this like woman whobelieves in energy and places
holding it and she's trying tobreak this curse at the Scottish
castle.
She gets brought on by a team tohelp it because like the people
in the neighborhood We'll swearup and down that yes this castle
is cursed.
There's no other explanation.

(30:39):
Things die.
People move out.
No one can hold the lead.
There's, we need the cleanse.
So now they're calling in Rileywhen Riley gets there.
To the Scottish Highlands.
She walks into a bar, ends upmeeting this guy who like, so
charming, so handsome, Amazing.
He like pretty much tells herthat he's an archaeologist.
She doesn't recognize him.

(30:59):
He's very famous and currentlydisgraced because of some
actions that happened previouslyand basically he's been brought
on for Archeology reasons rightto dig up artifacts and look up
stuff and try to understand whatelse is going on in this castle
so they meet that first night.
I think they share a kiss likeit is very cute You could tell
the vibe is vibing and then theyOh for sure.

(31:21):
They don't see each other againuntil riley gets to work.
She goes to the Castle and she'si'm here to break some curses
and she hears two people talkingright?
And as soon as she walks in sherealizes That the guy she met
last night.
Is the archeologist.
And he's also talking to the, Iguess the person who's running

(31:42):
the whole show about why she's acrack.
And like, why would you hiresomeone?
So you have that's his energy.
He does not believe a thing.
He doesn't believe a thingRiley's talking about.
Right.
Okay, here's the plot.
Things start happening in thecastle that Clark cannot
explain.
He just, he doesn't know, he'sapplying science, the way Riley
explains things is scientific innature, even though she's

(32:06):
talking about curses andbreaking them, but she
approaches things from research,right?
She's looking at artifacts, shewants to dial back to when these
things started, who were thecharacters in play?
Why would there even be a curse?
What was the situation thatsomeone with their dying breath
would say something That wouldtrap this energy and make it so
negative for people, right?
So it becomes like trying tosolve this or race against the

(32:28):
time he needs this.
He needs this project to go wellto kind of renew his his stature
in his career.
And she needs this because she'strying to get her curse breaking
business off the ground.
She needs a win.
Our girl Riley needs a win.
This turns into a steamy, verysteamy enemies with benefits.
Y'all, I have never read enemieswith benefits, not friends with,

(32:52):
because I mean, to be fair, whenthey first met, they were
friends.
Right.
But then after he's talking shitabout our girl she's sick of
him.
Yeah.
She's sick of him.
So there are enemies and alsocannot deny the fact that they
want to touch each other.
And they're just like, you knowwhat?

Jordan (33:07):
I need to read this.
I

Devonnie (33:09):
Yeah, it's like hate but whatever we're gonna do it.
Obviously it does have a happyever after like towards the end
So you get that classic romancefeels but it is comedic gold the
things that happen to these twopeople The way Clark has to
change his like mindset aroundthings and even by the end of
the book I don't think he fullyagrees with her career and what

(33:30):
she's doing, but he doesn't denyit He's like he believes in her,
you know?
So I thought it was really good.
I think the spice out out offive chili peppers, I would
probably maybe a four justbecause I think Clark has a
mouth and you know, we love themwith a mouth.
Yeah, so I think I would givethe spice maybe a 3.

(33:51):
5, four, but it was reallyfunny.
And she may not be a witch, butif you're out here breaking
curses, I feel like I'm a lumpyou in with the curse.
All the other witches, you knowwhat I'm saying?
So contemporary romance, verycute.
Do your worst Rosie Danen.

Jordan (34:07):
Love it.
Actually, I'm really interestedin that.
My next one is The Very SecretSociety of Irregular Witches.
This one's been around for a few

Devonnie (34:17):
Ooh, I've heard this one.
Yeah.
I never got to read

Jordan (34:20):
I think it actually won a prize.
It won the Goodreads choiceaward.
It was a nominee for bestfantasy in 2022.
Didn't say the author.
Sengu Mandana, yeah, S A N G U,

Devonnie (34:33):
'cause I don't know.
Yeah,

Jordan (34:36):
so this one is very witchy.
Witches in this world cannot bein close proximity to each other
for long periods of time, ortheir magic will kind of clash
and they will, it will build andgather attention or weird things
will happen or catastrophes willhappen.

(34:56):
And on top of that, witches whogive birth to.
Another witch, so they have agirl, they always die, like
within the first year as a, so

Devonnie (35:10):
The witch or the girl?
Oh the.
Okay.
Oh no,

Jordan (35:14):
it's a very isolating life.
So Mika Moon is our FMC here.
Our main character Mika Moon.
How cute is it?

Devonnie (35:24):
I love that name.

Jordan (35:26):
also, if I'm remembering correctly, this takes place in
England.
She is Indian, Because of allthese different layers of
isolation.
She wasn't raised typically.
She was raised by nannies and itwas like a revolving door of
nannies at that because weirdthings would happen around her

(35:47):
as a child with magic, she wastaken in by an older witch,
which is usually what happens.
But she left her basically onthe estate with nannies and
would only come aroundsometimes.
So Mika Moon has led a verylonely life because of all of
this.
She does quote unquote magic onher social media for fun.
So people just think it'sspecial effects they can't be

(36:08):
known to the regular worldObviously because witch trials
as we learned in the last witchin Edinburgh.
Duh.
Yeah she does these Tricks andpotions and stuff on her socials
and that's one of her favoritethings and because of all this
stuff She moves regularly everycouple years.
So she doesn't really haveattachments.

(36:28):
She has no real relationshipsEvery I think it's a few months
or a year The witches of thearea or the country will gather
for a day to check in with eachother and then that's like all
they can do, and celebrate eachother, but they're not really
close because that's really allthey get.
Through her socials, all of asudden, one day she gets this

(36:49):
email from someone that she'snever met asking her if she
could come teach magic to threeyoung witches.
At this strange place calledNowhere House.
Now she finds this reallypeculiar because there should
never be three witches living ina place together.
And they're young.
They're obviously not, there'snot an official register, but

(37:12):
there's few enough of them whereshe wouldn't like, no, they
don't have a quote unquotepatron or like witch taking care
of so she's like kind of scaredcause she feels like she's been
found out cause she's I don'tknow what you're talking about.
These are just.

Devonnie (37:28):
right.

Jordan (37:28):
they're like, well, then just come over and talk to us
anyways.
So she goes out there, which bythe way, she gets in her little
car and she can use magic tolike basically fast travel.
And it's so

Devonnie (37:39):
Oh my god.

Jordan (37:40):
this magic is so cool.
It's just fun.
So the children have been keptsecret, even though they
shouldn't be kept together.
Mika gives in.
goes there, there's, there's ahousekeeper two men that live
together on the estate whohelped take care of the estate
and do groundskeeping and thingslike that.
And then there's Jamie.

(38:01):
He's a grumpy librarian.
He takes care of the personallibrary of this estate and he
tutors the girls and he isbasically like their surrogate
father.
Now, the person who owns thisestate is not there when she
gets there.
And the person who owns thisestate is a witch, but she's
apparently always traveling andshe's doing excavations.
And that's like her main thing.

(38:22):
So she's never there, but shetook it.
Apparently, she took in these 3girls.
They're all obviously notsisters, but they are basically
adopted sisters and they've beentogether for most of their
lives, but their magic isgetting to a point where they
need someone who understands themagic to come in.
Now, the people who work thereknow about magic, not only
because they're employer.
She didn't necessarily share itwith them, but one of the

(38:44):
groundskeepers mother, like hismother was a witch.
So he's familiar with this andhe knows the basic rules, but he
doesn't understand a lot.
Anyways, it takes her a while tofind her place there because
Jamie does not trust her.
Jamie does not want her there.
He is.

(39:04):
You know, he's the grumpy to hercalm sunshine.
She's a calm sunshine.
Do you know what I mean?
Like she's very much just like acalm presence

Devonnie (39:12):
I love that.

Jordan (39:13):
She's trying to find her place in this house.
She sees these girls and inthese girls She also sees like
what she's always seen Mistbeing so alone and so it's very
she has moments where she's veryreflective of her own childhood
and like the hurts She wentthrough and so she's trying to
teach these girls and the oldestone Of course is in this phase

(39:35):
where she's obstinate likewhatever you what do you mean?
I can float up on the ceiling Idon't tell me what to do.
I'm gonna go do this and I'mgonna so it's like magic going
Hey, why are her trying to teachlessons and stay calm her
finding common ground withJamie?
But she still doesn't know whatto do because her Patron, or
person who basically raised her,is the leader.

(39:56):
She's like the head witch ofthis area, and so she's if
anyone finds these girls, theywill be separated.

Devonnie (40:03):
Yeah.

Jordan (40:03):
But also, based on their magic, they maybe should.
So anyways, as she finds herplace in the new home, new
threats arise.
A few threats arise, and she hasto decide what side she's gonna
take, and who she's gonna standwith, and who she's gonna trust.
There's definitely a twist inthere that I was not expecting.

Devonnie (40:23):
Ooh, we love a twist.

Jordan (40:24):
Yeah, there's, I love the tension between Jamie and
Mika.
Jamie and Mika, I didn't even, Ihaven't even talked about the
romance much because I, okay, Ihaven't even talked about this.
I love witches.
I love magic.
I love everything about it somuch.
But their romance is very slowburn.
It's very much about they'rereluctant to give in, but it's,

(40:46):
but they have these deepfeelings because they get to
know each other on a deeperlevel.
Yes, they're both attracted tothe other, but it's not this big
boiling they're notuncontrollable adults.
They're older adults who knowthemselves, but they also know
what they want.
And it's.

Devonnie (41:04):
They're just not

Jordan (41:04):
It's just, it's beautiful the way they get to
know each other and the way theyhave to let their guards down
and I just really, I reallyenjoyed reading that, that
relationship come to light.

Devonnie (41:16):
do we get his POV?

Jordan (41:18):
No.

Devonnie (41:19):
No, we don't.

Jordan (41:20):
Ooh! Maybe you do it near the end.

Devonnie (41:23):
Okay.

Jordan (41:23):
Maybe you do later on.
Maybe you do Sorry, it's been alittle while since I've read
this.
I read this six months ago.
And that's a long time forThat's a lot of

Devonnie (41:32):
So many books can be read.
Yeah, I was just curious

Jordan (41:38):
I read it in March.
Yeah.
Beginning of March.
That's a lot of books.
That was like a hundred booksago.
I think maybe you do get hiseventually.
Yeah, I just love the magic.
I love her teaching the girl.
I don't know.
It's a really moving, meaningIt's not as serious as my first
one,

Devonnie (41:52):
yeah,

Jordan (41:54):
But it's a Crumpy Sunshine.
And it's an adult.
A true adult Crumpy Sunshine.
They both lived lives and arenow finding each other.

Devonnie (42:03):
Yeah.
Oh, I

Jordan (42:04):
And found family.
Lots of found family.

Devonnie (42:07):
Oh Love that.
I know it sound like thegroundskeepers and stuff like

Jordan (42:11):
Oh, yeah, they're so cute because they're cute.
They always try to push Jamieand Mika together, too They
always

Devonnie (42:18):
Oh, are they meddling?

Jordan (42:19):
They meddle from the very beginning, which is the
best part.

Devonnie (42:23):
I love meddling

Jordan (42:24):
Oh, I'm going to town.
Yeah, me too.
So we all get there.
Well, I'm sorry.
I can't go now I guess it's justyou two with the kids.
Okay.
Bye

Devonnie (42:30):
Bye.
Yeah.
No, I love meddling foundfamily.
Absolutely.

Jordan (42:36):
you're great

Devonnie (42:37):
So my last rec is actually the book that I spoke
about earlier in the episodewhere I took that quote from,
which is the witch collectorfrom the witch walker series.
This is the first book andthey're currently.
All three, like I said, allthree books, three out of five
books are out.
So I think there's supposed tobe five, three of them are out.

(42:58):
One we know of that's likecoming out.
We have the title andeverything.
And the fifth one, I think allwe have is the title.

Jordan (43:04):
Okay,

Devonnie (43:05):
Either way, this true, which is

Jordan (43:07):
I like how you have to just say

Devonnie (43:08):
yeah, I have to say that because the last one, maybe
Riley, not my curse breaker,babe.
Yeah, we have magic in this.
It is set in a fantasy world aswell.
So it's fantasy and which is itfollows Raina Bloodgood, who is
our female main character.
And yeah, we One thing that Ireally do love about this, which

(43:30):
I don't know if it's a spoilerbecause it's not, when I look up
the descriptions for this book,no one mentions it, but I think
it's such an interesting thingto add.
So Reina Bloodgood, as you know,which is some, not all, which is
just say incantations in theirhead or just wave your hands.
Like sometimes you have to saythings out loud, this specific

(43:51):
brand of which that they aresing their magic.
So they sing and that's how theyweave their magic.

Jordan (43:57):
huh.

Devonnie (43:58):
was born without the ability to speak and she's a
witch.
And so her mother teaches herwhat we would know as BSL or
ASL.
In this world it's called S E,which is signed exact English.
So basically Raina learns to useher signs.

(44:21):
In a way that sings the way herwitchy counterparts can.
And I think that's so magicalbecause she's a witch and she be
witching, but she's also silent.
You know, she's not the same asher counterparts.
So I think just that likedifference in, in her journey as
a witch is.
Share that that's amazing.
Can't imagine all the people whocan see themselves in her

(44:43):
Anyway, this in this particularstory so it's called a witch
collector because there is agentleman who comes around
collecting witches as you wouldexpect and Obviously, he has
bypassed Reina because Reinacannot speak.
So She's can't speak.
She can't sing.
No one really knows that she's awitch on top of that Her mother
has actually been hiding thatshe is a witch because they are

(45:06):
covered in runes So their runesand their witches marks clearly
will let you know who's a witchor her mother has been
protecting her sister gets takenthe year before or so and so
Raina is like Pumped she's likethis is my year.
He's gonna collect me and I'mgonna save my sister and I need
to figure out a way the witchcollectors name is Alexis and He

(45:30):
is like a couple hundred yearsold.
First of all,

Jordan (45:33):
Oh

Devonnie (45:35):
Reyna is like 25 I think 24 25, but Alexis is a
couple hundred years old He isbasically doing this witch
collecting on behalf of theFrost King who I'm not gonna lie
to y'all I'm not gonna lie toy'all don't love the Frost Kings
name.
His name is coldin

Jordan (45:52):
in okay.

Devonnie (45:54):
He, I know.
It's not my favorite.
Yeah.

Jordan (45:57):
It's okay You got to have a little plan words.
I could do cold in it's justlike I feel like the first name
and last name don't

Devonnie (46:04):
They don't vibe and I, everyone calls them cold and
Moeshka.
So

Jordan (46:11):
Okay, so I was just playing with some of the way
what else I like

Devonnie (46:14):
But yeah, so basically we go on a hero's journey of
trying to get to her sister,finding out the world about
witches, and then everythinggets turned upside down when I'm
trying to think if this is aspoiler.
Sorry.
One second.
It might be a spoiler.
There's something that happens,but in, in this happening, she
ends up with Alexis and now theyhave to be teamed together,

(46:35):
especially because Alexismentions her sister and her
sister is perfectly fine.
Alexis was actually sent to goget Reina this time and he was
specifically looking for her.
So she gets to go off on ajourney with him, but there is a
villain the Prince of the East.
This is what he's labeled as andBasically gods are gods come

(46:58):
into play old gods dead gods whohave had yeah, like there are
old

Jordan (47:02):
a lot going on.

Devonnie (47:03):
So much going on in this world and it's a real like
quest and journey We spend 95 ofour time in the forest.
I just It's real heroes journeystuff here but of course we have
a relationship that starts tospark between reina and alexis
And of course, Reina's sistertaught Alexis sign and he could

(47:26):
communicate with her when no oneelse can.

Jordan (47:29):
Oh.

Devonnie (47:30):
first, let me tell you something.
At the beginning, you hateAlexis because you have no
context.
So you're like, not youcollecting widgets.

Jordan (47:38):
I love those so

Devonnie (47:39):
I hated that man.
I hate, I was like, I was sickof him.
I was sick of him.
And then you start to see who heis.
Obviously he's not the villainof the story, you know?
And once that changes, you startto realize just how much he
cares for Raina.
So that was really nice.
But also, yeah, there's a huge,there's a God's knife.
There are gods who are likewhispering things.

(47:59):
Everyone seems to, as far as Ican see, cause I'm also almost
done with book two now, everyoneseems to be a pawn in what the
gods have in store and nobodyseems to realize it.
So I'm waiting for everyone torealize.
because I'm like, are y'all notseeing what I'm seeing?
Maybe I can't because y'all arein it.
Either way, like I said, I thinkit's a good story if you want

(48:20):
like witches in a fantasy worldwith Typical fantasy things.
A big quest.
If you're a quest person, you'lllove this.
Spice?
Miss Charissa, don't hold backon the spice.

Jordan (48:32):
Oh,

Devonnie (48:33):
think it ramps up.
Like the first book, I, you haveto wait pretty much until the
end of the book.
The second book.
And from what I've heard, thethird book, there are some
things.
So my, one of my best friends,Glenn, She read the third book
and she called me or shelistened to it.
One of them, she loves thisseries by the way.
Hey Glenn.

(48:53):
She said, Hey, she called meafter she read a certain scene.
She was like, I need you to getto book three already because I
almost.
She said she almost DNF'd orstopped reading because of the
type of spice that was happeningin I said sign me up because I
know that it was probablynormal.
Well, not normal, but like Iknew for me

Jordan (49:14):
Yeah.

Devonnie (49:14):
be reading, you know, I was just like, okay good glad
to hear it.
Glad to hear it Can't

Jordan (49:18):
this episode is really missing is the really hot spice,
I'll

Devonnie (49:21):
the really hot.
Yeah.
So book three, if you're intothat, apparently there's
something in book three thatGlenn said she almost DNF cause
it was too much spice.
So I can't wait to get there.
I'll be there soon.
I'll update you guys on anotherepisode on what that exact scene
was, but yeah, which collectorseries I'm into it.

Jordan (49:40):
Okay.
I've seen it.
I've downloaded it on Libby liketwice.

Devonnie (49:45):
Yeah.

Jordan (49:46):
I didn't even get hardly anywhere in it, but for some
reason, I don't know if I justwasn't in the mood for it.
I just couldn't get it.
But

Devonnie (49:53):
I think

Jordan (49:54):
okay, hearing the whole thing, I feel like I could be
invested.
Okay.

Devonnie (49:57):
Yeah, and you do have to pay attention because there
is so much happening and thereis a good decent Portion of it
spent on world building and Ijust understanding.
Yeah, you have to be in theright mindset

Jordan (50:09):
Yeah.
Okay.
Good to know.
Especially if I know Spice iscoming.
And I also, I love when I hatethe male main character in the
beginning.

Devonnie (50:20):
Absolutely

Jordan (50:21):
that is a true enemies to lovers.
Don't give me this rivals

Devonnie (50:25):
Yeah, like you guys don't hate each other for a

Jordan (50:28):
no.
I want

Devonnie (50:29):
a

Jordan (50:30):
I need, give me rook status.
I think, speaking about theultimate witch,

Devonnie (50:37):
right?
I miss them I miss ruck and

Jordan (50:42):
Give me Soren.
I even now, I'm team Soren, butI'm also, still, I don't know if
I fully forgive you 100

Devonnie (50:48):
Yeah, I don't forgive

Jordan (50:49):
I don't, we can move forward, but it's gonna take me
a bit.
We'll get there, but, Oh, Rookand Soren.

Devonnie (50:58):
y'all already know Rook is our ultimate witch.

Jordan (51:01):
Rook is our number one witch.
Number one witch, and I thinkour second witch would be Coven
of Bones cities, or, oh, Rune isgreat from Heartless Hunter.
We'll talk about HeartlessHunter.
I do want to say Coven of Bonesseries.

Devonnie (51:18):
Love

Jordan (51:18):
So good.
You want which that's a reallygreat, which one we've talked
about it before, but I justwanted to mention it.

Devonnie (51:26):
Good

Jordan (51:26):
Those are good.
Those it's amazing spice,especially once that second book
hits

Devonnie (51:31):
Yeah.
It really takes off in thesecond book.

Jordan (51:35):
so hot, it's good in the first spice.
And the second one is just likefan myself

Devonnie (51:43):
Right.

Jordan (51:44):
That mouth.
But yeah, you, okay.
Rune in The Heartless Hunter.
Well, we want to talk about thatone.
We both loved that one.
Is a witch in a time where youcan't be a witch again.
When she was, it was like a fewyears ago in order to save

(52:06):
herself, she basically had toturn in her grandma.

Devonnie (52:09):
Yes.

Jordan (52:10):
And she was like, To this basically turn her into the
state to the Queens

Devonnie (52:15):
Right.

Jordan (52:15):
But she has to turn her grandma in by her grandma's
command

Devonnie (52:19):
Her, yes.

Jordan (52:20):
And in this world Witches get, they're blood
witches essentially.
So they gain their magic throughbloodletting.
And when they bloodlet, itleaves scars,

Devonnie (52:31):
silver scars.

Jordan (52:32):
scars.
So it's easy to identify awitch.
She doesn't have any scars causeshe hadn't hit that point yet
when this all happened.
But her praises are sung by therulers and by the land, and she
is considered herself.
A witch hunter, essentially, Ahero.

Devonnie (52:53):
to the crown

Jordan (52:54):
Yeah, and high society knows her so she gets her magic
because she can't be cuttingherself.
And if you cut someone elsethat's not willing, that's
considered dark magic.
It's a different kind of magicthat you're going to Bring into
the world.
And also if you do it andthey're willing, it's still
going to leave a mark and youdon't want to do that to other

(53:14):
people.
And so tricky situation.
But her workaround is like myfeminist favorite.
She uses her menstrual cycleblood To power her magic.
So she only has limited amountfor the month.

Devonnie (53:32):
Right

Jordan (53:33):
And the fresher it is, the stronger the magic.

Devonnie (53:37):
the magic

Jordan (53:38):
I'm just like, this is, so if you don't like blood, this
is not for you.
Because they talk about, I mean,she uses,

Devonnie (53:47):
significant amount of blood.
Yeah

Jordan (53:48):
yeah, but our main character is a witch hunter.
And this is an enemy's, oh, hedoes, yeah, he blames witches
for a lot of his lot in life andrightfully

Devonnie (54:00):
rightfully so right

Jordan (54:02):
Not the whole of witches, but what happened to
him, very

Devonnie (54:06):
very yes, very traumatic and that would change
anyone.

Jordan (54:09):
It's listed as young adult, and I don't know if
that's because the spice, thereisn't a ton of spice in this
first one.
But there's some dark stuff thathappens in this, and some dark
trauma.
I, when I read this, it did notnecessarily read young adult to
me.

Devonnie (54:24):
same

Jordan (54:25):
It's just, and it's this big, of course, game of who to
trust, and can I trust him?
I feel like I can, but I know Ishouldn't am I gonna listen to
my head or my heart, and how faram I gonna trust him, and,

Devonnie (54:37):
Yeah, especially because rune with her, her being
in high society is a mask.
It is a cover because her realwork is the fact that she is a
vigilante and she is trying tobasically save witches and get
them out of the Republic, getthem out of the government.
So

Jordan (54:57):
is known as the Crimson Moth.

Devonnie (54:59):
Yes, she is known as the Crimson Moth and it's this
game of cat and mouse between,you know, talking about the
Crimson Moth disparagingly andtalking about witches horribly
so that people can continue tobelieve her ruse and like this
image that she's selling of thisditzy high society girl who
loves to buy dresses.
So yeah, it's just reallyinteresting to see her

(55:22):
friendships and relationships.

Jordan (55:23):
Yeah, because I was gonna say, her best friend is A
male, I mean, because which isdiscovered, they have magic the
first time that they have theirperiod.
And he discovered her rightafter she first bled for the
first time.
So he knows she's a witch, Buthe helped her through this, but
it's his older brother, Gideon,that is

Devonnie (55:43):
the witch

Jordan (55:44):
Witch hunter.
So there is this close.
So like this close friendship,like web.
Right.
And so it's so interesting.
She has two people that shetrusts, essentially, two
friends, and it's, ugh.

Devonnie (56:01):
It's heartbreaking at some points it's so
heartbreaking, but also I willsay that when the plots be
twisting, they will twist.
This book has some serious plottwists.
So be prepared and cliffhanger.

Jordan (56:14):
Yeah, I'm,

Devonnie (56:15):
not come out until next year.

Jordan (56:16):
yeah, I cannot wait until the next book.

Devonnie (56:19):
The next book is called Rebel Witch.
Yeah.
Rebel Witch.
So I cannot wait because it wasso good.
It went viral for, it was viralfor a while

Jordan (56:29):
like right after it came out,

Devonnie (56:31):
Right.
It was super viral.
So you've honestly probably seenit around and maybe you've
thought to yourself, Oh, I don'tknow.
Do it, read it.
Like it is very good.
So good.
Definitely worth it, especiallyfor supporting our bloodletting
witches.

Jordan (56:46):
Oh, I just love that.
It's so feminine metal.
It was just

Devonnie (56:52):
Yes.
And I sorry, not to bring up myfriend Glenn again, but Glenn is
the one who told me to readthis, cause she, yeah, hey
Glenn, she loved this book.
Right?
She loved this book, but KristenCiccarelli also has tons of
books out, and Glenn went down arabbit hole of Kristen books.
Yes.
And there are so many Glennloves to talk about like the

(57:12):
characters and the worldbuilding and just that Christian
books are so good.
There's another series she hasthe last num Sarah.
Yeah.
They're she,

Jordan (57:22):
Without being

Devonnie (57:23):
is an author, right.
They just like really good,beautiful language thick, deep,

Jordan (57:30):
meaningful?

Devonnie (57:32):
Meaningful characters, thick, deep

Jordan (57:36):
They have layers.

Devonnie (57:38):
Yeah Chris Siccarelli is definitely an author you
should add to your list.
Because she has more than thisCrimson Moth series.
But yeah that's all I had to sayabout that.

Jordan (57:50):
I have so and I will give a special nod to a couple
that I was debating whether Ishould do it, but I just want to
say these are I have two specialnoms that are I call my hallmark
vibes.
So my hallmark, which is, whichthere's spice, but I'm like,
this is very much like rom comesque.
Hallmark Witch.

(58:11):
The X Hex by Aaron Sterling,I've seen so many places.
I just finally got it on Libbyand I decided to listen to it
for this episode.
I didn't feature it, but I justthink it is summarized with
Hallmark vibes.
So if you're looking for that ina witch, that one also a demon's
guide to wooing a witch by SarahHowley, it was fun.

(58:35):
Whimsical involves demons andwitches and adventuring.
It's just like Hallmark whimsy.

Devonnie (58:45):
Love that.
Cozy.

Jordan (58:47):
I'd say the X Hex is cozy.
A demon's guide to wooing awitch maybe is more like the CW.
I should say not like Hallmark.
It's more like CW vibes, butmore like.
More I'd say One Tree Hillversus, oh no, I guess it's like
Vampire Diaries, maybe.
But more comedy vibes.
It's interesting.
It's interesting, it's fun, ifthat's the kind of vibe you're

(59:08):
going for.
A demon's guide to wooing awitch.
Sarah Howley.
A controlling mother that shehas to overcome.

Devonnie (59:16):
of course,

Jordan (59:17):
But I love him, mother.
I don't care if he's a demon.

Devonnie (59:20):
right?

Jordan (59:21):
The demons need us.
We're gonna go help theirrebellion.
Kind of a thing.
So

Devonnie (59:25):
God.

Jordan (59:25):
it's so interesting.
I mean, witches.
Witches.
Run the gambit of there's somuch I love seeing magic
represented in different ways.
I just,

Devonnie (59:36):
Yes.
And please make sure y'all readmy new favorite witch, Delia, in
Hot Hex Boyfriend, please.
I love her.

Jordan (59:44):
oh, yeah.

Devonnie (59:45):
witch.
And the Meriwether coven,

Jordan (59:48):
Love

Devonnie (59:48):
aka not coven.

Jordan (59:53):
Let us know if you have any good witch reads because I
actually would love more.
I'm realizing that I had quite abit and I want more.
As we head into the Halloweenseason.

Devonnie (01:00:02):
Ooh, spooky.

Jordan (01:00:03):
Thanks for listening to us ramble about witchy romance
books.
If you're looking for moreromance Recs, be sure to follow
us on TOK at romance Recs pod,or hop on over to our discord.
Romance Recs is the name of ourserver.
You can find our favorite bookRecs from our episodes as well
as behind the scenes contentagain, that's at romance Recs

(01:00:26):
pod.
So make sure to give us a followand we'll be back next week with
another episode by witches.

Devonnie (01:00:34):
Bye.
Peace out, witches.
Bye, witches.
Bye.