Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Payback's a Witch by Lana Harper

18 reviews

froyobaggns's review

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adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

this is a really fun read. it's not like, a literary masterpiece, but it is witty and the characters are sassy and badass. emmy as the main character is overdramatic, a bit of an asshole and an unreliable narrator, but it's definitely a lot of fun. and it really leans into witchy tropes. 
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unwise_samwise's review

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adventurous emotional mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

A cute book and a fun read but I feel like some of the references will make it dated very quickly
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starry's review

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emotional lighthearted mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

I really wanted to like this book, but it lost me a few chapters in and never got me back. It took me over a month if daily reading to finish this book, because it just failed to grip me. My main problems with this one stem from the faults of the main character, Emmy Harlow. Emmy is a witch who left her hometown (and her magic) behind ten years ago after a traumatic breakup, but heads home to the witchy, autumnal Thistle Grove for a once-per-generation magical tournament at the request of her father. Payback’s a Witch is one of those Emma-like stories, where the main character starts off self-absorbed, pretentious, and largely tuned out to the consequences their actions have on others. Over the course of the book, they’re supposed to learn, face consequences, and make amends. The thing with this one is, Emmy realizes she’s been unfair to her family and her friends, but readers don’t ever really see her change. At the end of the novel, Emmy is still self-absorbed, unthinking of how her actions will affect her family and her friends, and she gets everything she wants, without having to sacrifice anything. Usually in a romance novel, that’s exactly what I would want. But with Emmy, it felt too easy, and undeserved. 
The romance was lackluster to me, relying on sultry looks and banter that failed to evoke any reaction. I wanted more witchy autumnal town, and less of… whatever this ended up being. 
Side characters were criminally underdeveloped and one dimensional, which was extra frustrating because there was so much potential for nuance in these characters and this narrative. 
This was one of my most anticipated romance reads from 2021, and I’m sad to say I will not be rereading or recommending it to anyone. 
One star for fun bisexual rep, and another half-star for Emmy’s dad, whose bookish stoic personality really charmed me. 
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emmasbookshelf27's review

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lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

A good romance book. Nothing ground-breaking but good. Would recommend to anyone looking for a romance. 
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moeckles's review

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lighthearted relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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linesiunderline's review

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funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Such fun! Witchy, magic-packed, an ode to Fall and small town life, romantic, sexy, funny a strong sense of place… I love all the things about this book. What else could there possibly be to love? It’s the first in a series! Yay! The only way I could’ve been more delighted would be if it had been a touch longer and some of the secondary characters had more face time so they could be more developed. A new October favourite for me. 
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carolinebrooks's review

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adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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decklededgess's review

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adventurous funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

trigger warnings: alcohol, sexual harassment, infidelity, physical harm, sexual content

Sapphic revenge covennnnnnnnnnnn. This book was absolute fire. I loved the characters, the friendship, the badassery, competition aspect, the ballroom dances, the soft caresses and tender words. This book made me so soft but also had me hollering about no nonsense badassery in the same breath.

I look forward to inhaling all the rest of the books in what's looking to be a trilogy or more of romances hehehehhe
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