kblincoln's review
5.0
4.5 actually
In Things She's Seen we get Em, a recovering alcoholic and child medium (and abuse experiencer) who is trying to turn herself around by attending AA meetings and living with the Northern Circle Coven in Vermont in the meantime.
You might remember her as one of the initiates to the Coven in the first book, along with Chloe, who had minor presence in this book (although plays a pivotal plot role as she gets into trouble with the Big Bad. Always cool to see how different authors handle main characters from prior books, and Chloe felt just fleshed out enough and true to herself in this one. But you could read this and enjoy without reading the first, I would just say you understand deeper backstory and emotional depth if you've read the first).
Em comes home from a meeting one night and rescues a bunch of abandoned kittens as well as discovers that the witch Council has sent an investigator-- Gar Remillard-- to investigate all the murders, flying monkeys, and claims about Merlin's Shade resulting from the first book. And he seems entirely bent on being suspicious about the Coven because of past bad history.
Despite Gar's antagonism, there is an undeniable spark between Gar and Em...and despite being in a place of recovery, Em goes for it. Esden has shown in her prior books that she writes fun, teasing couples with no false fabricated (or unbelievable misunderstanding) angst who definitely give off sparks. I think of her as mid-steam level. (not safe for young YA, but not over the top, either. Definitely plot is more important).
For those who love witches, Hecate, spells, and Wicca, this is a fun romp. There's a lot of neat spells (like a "pick-a-roo" that opens doors) and the Big Bad's reason for kidnapping high priestesses is pretty unique and disturbing.
I feel like the bad guy didn't quite get enough time for me to understand, and his name made me roll my eyes every time I came across it (Magus Dux) in a thought sentence from one of the characters, but as I said, his big bad plan was satisfyingly unique so I mostly forgave the bit of hoky -ness surrounding him.
It looks like we get to follow Chandler in the third book, and as I love UF and paranormal romance that includes older women...and a child or children...I'm looking forward to what happens in the next one!
In Things She's Seen we get Em, a recovering alcoholic and child medium (and abuse experiencer) who is trying to turn herself around by attending AA meetings and living with the Northern Circle Coven in Vermont in the meantime.
You might remember her as one of the initiates to the Coven in the first book, along with Chloe, who had minor presence in this book (although plays a pivotal plot role as she gets into trouble with the Big Bad. Always cool to see how different authors handle main characters from prior books, and Chloe felt just fleshed out enough and true to herself in this one. But you could read this and enjoy without reading the first, I would just say you understand deeper backstory and emotional depth if you've read the first).
Em comes home from a meeting one night and rescues a bunch of abandoned kittens as well as discovers that the witch Council has sent an investigator-- Gar Remillard-- to investigate all the murders, flying monkeys, and claims about Merlin's Shade resulting from the first book. And he seems entirely bent on being suspicious about the Coven because of past bad history.
Despite Gar's antagonism, there is an undeniable spark between Gar and Em...and despite being in a place of recovery, Em goes for it. Esden has shown in her prior books that she writes fun, teasing couples with no false fabricated (or unbelievable misunderstanding) angst who definitely give off sparks. I think of her as mid-steam level. (not safe for young YA, but not over the top, either. Definitely plot is more important).
For those who love witches, Hecate, spells, and Wicca, this is a fun romp. There's a lot of neat spells (like a "pick-a-roo" that opens doors) and the Big Bad's reason for kidnapping high priestesses is pretty unique and disturbing.
I feel like the bad guy didn't quite get enough time for me to understand, and his name made me roll my eyes every time I came across it (Magus Dux) in a thought sentence from one of the characters, but as I said, his big bad plan was satisfyingly unique so I mostly forgave the bit of hoky -ness surrounding him.
It looks like we get to follow Chandler in the third book, and as I love UF and paranormal romance that includes older women...and a child or children...I'm looking forward to what happens in the next one!
mermaidmomma's review against another edition
4.0
I wasn't sure what to expect with this book, since I found myself again in a position where I was coming into a series without having read the book that came before it. That being said, though characters are mentioned from the previous book in the series, you can read this as a stand alone no problem, though I plan on going back to read the book that came before this one.
The premise of this book was something that I found very interesting going in. Being a Louisiana native, the idea of mediums was something I grew up surrounded by, Add to that a recovering alcoholic, a tragic past, a redemption arch, and a hot "stranger", I could not help but to be pulled into the book. I was taken in by the premise and that plot made it to where I stayed up to 3 am in order to finish it in one sitting. The action and intrigue kept me turning pages and the romantic elements did not hurt things at all, though I wished there were more romantic scenes, but that is personal preference.
The premise of this book was something that I found very interesting going in. Being a Louisiana native, the idea of mediums was something I grew up surrounded by, Add to that a recovering alcoholic, a tragic past, a redemption arch, and a hot "stranger", I could not help but to be pulled into the book. I was taken in by the premise and that plot made it to where I stayed up to 3 am in order to finish it in one sitting. The action and intrigue kept me turning pages and the romantic elements did not hurt things at all, though I wished there were more romantic scenes, but that is personal preference.
mommasaystoread's review against another edition
3.0
Thing's She's Seen is suitably named. Our heroine has certainly seen more than her fair share between an abusive aunt and her ability to see ghosts. This story starts with Em returning home from an AA meeting, and off we go. What follows is one bit of excitement after another without much chance to take it all in plus a romance for our two main players. The story is fast-paced, which I always like, but I would've liked a bit more on the world-building. As this is the second in the series, I'm assuming that some of that probably happened in the first book. Sadly, I didn't realize this was the second book until I started reading. Nevertheless, other than the backstory and world-building, this one stands very well on its own. And honestly, the backstory isn't a dealbreaker. It's just always nice to know a little more when it comes to a series. The story is well-written, and this author knows her stuff when it comes to pacing. This is my first read from Pat Esden, but it won't be my last. She is quite talented, and I want to know more about this world.
lianareadsblog's review
4.0
A new to me Author and a new to me story plot because I’ve never read anything similar to be honest.
I enjoyed it maybe more than I’ve expected.
There’s a lot going on and at times I felt lost but it picked up again and I got more and more interested in the story.
Overall, it’s a great book and I’ll definitely recommend it.
I enjoyed it maybe more than I’ve expected.
There’s a lot going on and at times I felt lost but it picked up again and I got more and more interested in the story.
Overall, it’s a great book and I’ll definitely recommend it.
thewoollygeek's review against another edition
4.0
Didn’t realise this was the second book when requesting, so although I really enjoyed this I felt a bit lost at times, definitely not a book you can jump into, read the first book first (my own fault) . But I absolutely loved the writing style, the characters are just wonderful and I will definitely be doing a reread of this after I go back and buy/read the first.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
bananatricky's review
4.0
This is the second book in the Northern Circle Coven series, it can be read stand-alone (as I did) but there is quite a lot of back story.
Emily Adams can see and talk to ghosts. As a child she was exploited and abused by her aunt and mother, tied up and left alone for hours at a time until she was rescued by the police. After hitting rock bottom she joined the Northern Circle coven and has slowly started to feel accepted. After the events of the last novel the coven is under investigation by the High Council of Witches and the investigator is none other than her childhood friend, and secret crush, Gar Remillard.
The source of all their woes, rogue witch Rhianna, is stirring up trouble with the Witches Council and Gar is haunted by the wraith of his aunt Saille, an aunt he believes was murdered by one of the Northern Circle witches.
This is not a cosy paranormal romance. Rhianna impersonated one of the coven members by creating a necklace of the other woman's skin (yeuch!). There are gruesome murders and the abuse Emily suffered from her aunt is gut-churning. It was gritty and scary, and okay Emily is a special snowflake, but it was fast-paced and intriguing.
I immediately bought the first book in the series on the strength of how much I enjoyed this one.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Bumped for release.
Emily Adams can see and talk to ghosts. As a child she was exploited and abused by her aunt and mother, tied up and left alone for hours at a time until she was rescued by the police. After hitting rock bottom she joined the Northern Circle coven and has slowly started to feel accepted. After the events of the last novel the coven is under investigation by the High Council of Witches and the investigator is none other than her childhood friend, and secret crush, Gar Remillard.
The source of all their woes, rogue witch Rhianna, is stirring up trouble with the Witches Council and Gar is haunted by the wraith of his aunt Saille, an aunt he believes was murdered by one of the Northern Circle witches.
This is not a cosy paranormal romance. Rhianna impersonated one of the coven members by creating a necklace of the other woman's skin (yeuch!). There are gruesome murders and the abuse Emily suffered from her aunt is gut-churning. It was gritty and scary, and okay Emily is a special snowflake, but it was fast-paced and intriguing.
I immediately bought the first book in the series on the strength of how much I enjoyed this one.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Bumped for release.
catsluvcoffee's review
4.0
Things She's Seen is the second book in the Northern Circle Coven Series. I would highly recommend reading the first in the series, His Dark Magic, before jumping into this one. While I wasn't completely lost, I think it would have furthered my enjoyment of Things She's Seen to have known what happened before. Some books do a good enough job of rehashing everything that happened before but I just didn't get that as much here. Now, on to the book...
Emily Adams is a psychic who was exploited by family and those she trusted as a child. She's managed to get away from all that by joining up with the Northen Circle Coven, however temporarily. It's provided her a safe haven to get on her feet. When Gar, a loup garou, shows up to investigate what previously happened at the coven, Emily is torn between protecting the coven and helping Gar escape his own haunting past.
Things She's Seen is more of a paranormal romance/mystery than anything. There's a good deal of piecing together everything that needs to happen. The characters are a lot of fun as is the world building. I enjoyed the magical aspects, including some less than latin spell names like pick-a-roo for lock picking. The will they/won't they relationship of Em and Gar was a bit predictable but aren't most in paranormal books? There's a lot going on in this book, and while I would have gotten a better grasp by reading book one, the pacing was good and I enjoyed the read!
If you are looking for a witchy good time and like a little bit of romance thrown in with your magic, Things She's Seen is worth your time. Just start with His Dark Magic so you don't have to find your bearings midstory!
Website | Twitter | Pinterest
Emily Adams is a psychic who was exploited by family and those she trusted as a child. She's managed to get away from all that by joining up with the Northen Circle Coven, however temporarily. It's provided her a safe haven to get on her feet. When Gar, a loup garou, shows up to investigate what previously happened at the coven, Emily is torn between protecting the coven and helping Gar escape his own haunting past.
Things She's Seen is more of a paranormal romance/mystery than anything. There's a good deal of piecing together everything that needs to happen. The characters are a lot of fun as is the world building. I enjoyed the magical aspects, including some less than latin spell names like pick-a-roo for lock picking. The will they/won't they relationship of Em and Gar was a bit predictable but aren't most in paranormal books? There's a lot going on in this book, and while I would have gotten a better grasp by reading book one, the pacing was good and I enjoyed the read!
If you are looking for a witchy good time and like a little bit of romance thrown in with your magic, Things She's Seen is worth your time. Just start with His Dark Magic so you don't have to find your bearings midstory!
Website | Twitter | Pinterest
rdebner's review
3.0
Really more like a 3.5 rating. I haven't read the first book of this series, but this book (the second) is a real page-turner. The main character, Em, is a bisexual, psychic medium witch, long exploited by her aunt and her mother for her abilities. She's found a new home with a coven in Vermont, and now the coven's under investigation (for events that appear to have happened in book one). It turns out that Em's powers are ideally suited to get to the bottom of things...
thenaptimewriter's review against another edition
3.0
I received a complimentary ARC of this book via Netgalley but all opinions provided are my own.
Pat Esden’s Things She’s Seen is a compelling fantasy-romance read with a strong heroine who gets stronger every day, largely because she refuses to buckle under the weight of every sad event she’s experienced in her life.
Em Adams is a medium once known as Violet Grace. As Violet, Em was exploited by her aunt and mother, literally imprisoned and tortured by them while they used her gifts to their advantage. She escaped and turned to alcohol for solace. Years later, she’s sober and living in a Coven of witches under investigation for crimes committed by an evil witch who took on the disguise of the former High Priestess of their coven and used it as an opportunity to do a lot of damage.
The investigator is none other than Gar Remillard, a man that Em knew in another life, under her other name and under his other name. Sparks fly between them, but now isn’t the best time for that, as he investigates the Coven that’s given Em so much and they all become embroiled in something bigger and more dangerous than they expected…
Em’s characterization is the stand-out for me in Things She’s Seen, and Esden sensitively and thoughtfully portrays what happened to Em in her past via flashbacks and journal excerpts and how those memories still affect her. Em experienced so much loss and heartbreak in her life, and she’s trying to rise above it throughout the book. To me, that makes her a character to root for.
While Gar is a fascinating character with a lot of potential, I wish that there had been more done to develop his life story. He’s a brave, honorable man, but he doesn’t exhibit much growth throughout the book and overall seems somewhat static.
The romance between Em and Gar, however, is lively and sweet, and the ending is particularly strong.
There's quite a lot going on in this book, and it would have probably been helpful to have read the first book in the series to give me more of a foundation for the world Esden creates. But overall, I was invested in this story and the premise Esden sets up, and I’d be interested to see where she takes it in further books in the series.
Pat Esden’s Things She’s Seen is a compelling fantasy-romance read with a strong heroine who gets stronger every day, largely because she refuses to buckle under the weight of every sad event she’s experienced in her life.
Em Adams is a medium once known as Violet Grace. As Violet, Em was exploited by her aunt and mother, literally imprisoned and tortured by them while they used her gifts to their advantage. She escaped and turned to alcohol for solace. Years later, she’s sober and living in a Coven of witches under investigation for crimes committed by an evil witch who took on the disguise of the former High Priestess of their coven and used it as an opportunity to do a lot of damage.
The investigator is none other than Gar Remillard, a man that Em knew in another life, under her other name and under his other name. Sparks fly between them, but now isn’t the best time for that, as he investigates the Coven that’s given Em so much and they all become embroiled in something bigger and more dangerous than they expected…
Em’s characterization is the stand-out for me in Things She’s Seen, and Esden sensitively and thoughtfully portrays what happened to Em in her past via flashbacks and journal excerpts and how those memories still affect her. Em experienced so much loss and heartbreak in her life, and she’s trying to rise above it throughout the book. To me, that makes her a character to root for.
While Gar is a fascinating character with a lot of potential, I wish that there had been more done to develop his life story. He’s a brave, honorable man, but he doesn’t exhibit much growth throughout the book and overall seems somewhat static.
The romance between Em and Gar, however, is lively and sweet, and the ending is particularly strong.
There's quite a lot going on in this book, and it would have probably been helpful to have read the first book in the series to give me more of a foundation for the world Esden creates. But overall, I was invested in this story and the premise Esden sets up, and I’d be interested to see where she takes it in further books in the series.
annarella's review against another edition
5.0
An excellent paranormal romance, well written and entertaining.
i liked the fleshed out cast of characters, the engrossing plot and the excellent world building.
This is the second instalment in a series and even if it can be read without great issues it would be better to read the previous novel.
It was a good and entertaining read, highly recommended.
Many thanks to Kensington Books and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
i liked the fleshed out cast of characters, the engrossing plot and the excellent world building.
This is the second instalment in a series and even if it can be read without great issues it would be better to read the previous novel.
It was a good and entertaining read, highly recommended.
Many thanks to Kensington Books and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.