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It’s Witchy Season
October and witches go hand-in-hand. I mean, is there a Halloween season without Hocus Pocus or Halloweentown or even Harry Potter?
That’s a rhetorical question, obviously.
I love getting into the Halloween spirit and taking part in all the fun fall festivities. Part of that yearly routine is joining in with all the other basic people on Instagram and returning to the old Halloween favorites of my childhood. I love rewatching the old Disney Halloween movies to get in the spirit. So this year I figured I’d also try to find books that fit the bill as well.
(sidenote: Jacob and I can’t get over how many times the like 14 year old kid gets called a virgin as an insult? Hilarious.)
Now, normally, I don’t read books with witches in them. This is obviously not including Harry Potter because I reread that often. Anyways, I’m just not drawn to the fantasy, world-building genre. I made two exceptions this Halloween season for The Ex Hex and Payback’s a Witch (you can briefly read about The Ex Hex here). These novels were granted an exception because they’re essentially romcoms with witches, combined with all the best elements of the Disney Halloween movies and Sabrina The Teenage Witch.
I know, right? Sold.
I LOVED the Ex Hex, though this one has mixed reviews all over the internet. I picked up Payback’s a Witch after I saw the Emily Henry stamp of approval (read Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation reviews to understand), and I’m here to tell you now my thoughts on Payback’s a Witch.
Synopsis
Three witches in the town of Thistle Grove have been scorned by Gareth Blackmoore, and they want revenge. It just so happens that this Halloween season is the scion where the eligible descendants of the founding witches of Thistle Grove will compete for power over the town (and riches and special privileges to go with it). The Blackmoore’s have had control of the town for as far back as they can remember. As the three women prepare for their roles in the scion, they figure this is the perfect time for payback.
What I Liked
The author spent a lot of time worldbuilding and acquanting the reader with Thistle Grove. This is one area that readers generally think The Ex Hex lacked, and I have to agree that Payback’s a Witch did this better. I like the idea behind the magic and the town.
There were enough characters to keep the story interesting, and most of them experienced change throughout. None of the characters really let me down, though I wasn’t terribly connected to any of the characters either.
What I Didn’t Like
I was originally drawn to this novel because of the plot that so absolutely sounds like John Tucker Must Die, a staple in the teenage Kellie movie rotation. I’m sad to say I felt let down. The part of the plot that I purchased the book for took up maybe six chapters of the entire novel. And, that part of the plot was extremely predictable.
The novel also wasn’t as festive as I was hoping for (The Ex Hex nails this part on the head). While Halloween is mentioned, I don’t the descriptions draw the reader in; I never felt like I was there, in the town.
Truthfully, I was bored throughout much of the read. I ended up skimming the last half of the novel because I really just wanted to move onto my next read.
Overall
Earlier in October I recommended The Ex Hex for a spooky season read. I didn’t want it to end; I wanted to curl up in the festivity and stay awhile. To that end, I sought out more witchy romance halloween reads and found Payback’s a Witch. This novel is essentially Sabrina meets John Tucker Must Die. Or…….at least it was supposed to be? This book let me down a little. I found the main plot to be predictable, stale, and stretched too thin. Ultimately, the plot described in the synopsis saw a total of roughly six chapters. The book spent maybe two of those chapters focusing on the John Tucker of the book. Honestly, I skimmed the last half so I could hurry up and get to my next read. Not a bad read, but I preferred The Ex Hex. If you want to give it a go, grab it on Bookshop!
Kelliemarie Mash 