Boss Witch
Grade : B+

Witch Please by Ann Aguirre was the introduction to the author's Fix-It Witches series, a fun romp into a paranormal world where cousins Danica and Clem run a repair shop using their witchy powers to fix equipment. While that story focused on Danica and mundane human baker Titus, there's a point in the story where a witch hunter comes to town and Clem says she's going to handle the situation. Danica and Titus get their HEA and the reader is left to wonder what Clem and the witch hunter get up to. Well, the time for their story is here with Boss Witch.

The afore-mentioned witch hunter, Gavin, does not make a very favorable impression upon his introduction. In fact, he seems like a big, scary jerk. But as the old adage says - 'never judge a book by its cover'. We quickly learn that when he'd first rolled into town it had been a combination of exhaustion, frustration, and too many energy drinks that had resulted in an ill-conceived show of temper.  But it was exactly his ranting about trying to find witches that pinged the coven's radar and brought Clem into the picture. In fact, Gavin hates his job as a hunter but he's been under his controlling father's thumb his whole life, a father who runs an order of witch hunters whose mission is to find all witches and sever them from their powers. A trail of witch energy led to the assignment in America, a relief for Gavin, as it means he’s a continent away from his father in England. He's going to do his duty and find out if there are any witches in the area, but he's hoping for a little respite, too.

Clem knows the danger that she and her coven are facing in having a witch hunter in their quiet town. They always take great pains to shield their magic but Danica's romance with Titus has resulted in some energy leaking out and drawing Gavin to their home town. When Clem tells her coven that she'll handle the situation, what she intends to do is lull Gavin into a fun, flirty relationship while distracting him from his hunt. With any luck, she'll convince him there's nothing to find here and send him quickly on his merry way. A chance encounter (perfectly planned on her end) has Gavin picking her up at the local pub. While nothing happens between them, the sparks of attraction definitely flow both ways and a couple of fun dates later, they're hitting the sheets big time in some steamy love scenes. Gavin has told Clem he's on sabbatical from his job as a history teacher (a partial truth), and is only planning to be in town for a short time. Clem makes it clear she's not looking for any commitment and just wants to enjoy their time together (which she hopes will be short). With both having ulterior motives, is there any chance this couple can get an HEA?

Despite not being able to reveal to each other who they really are, Gavin and Clem share a surprising amount of personal information (which definitely complicates their intention to keep their relationship from getting serious). Gavin has an emotionally (and physically) abusive father, an estranged mother, and a grandfather who has recently reached out to him after being absent for decades, and he can talk about some of these things with Clem without revealing his 'other' occupation. Clem is the caretaker in her family and she finds herself wanting to help Gavin, who she can tell is lonely. She arranges for him to have a pet mouse that he can travel with and shows him how to take care of it (with a little help from some vivimancer magic).

Clem has her own troubles, with her matchmaking and controlling grandmother trying to reconcile her parents (long divorced and both remarried), and her cousin Danica's relationship leaving Clem more and more on her own to handle the repair business. Gavin is able to offer a comforting shoulder to her in return. Both of them would like to turn the world off and stay secluded together, but things come to a head when a group of enforcers, sent by Gavin's father, shows up.

Without giving away any spoilers, let's just say that the latter part of the story ratchets up the tension and makes Clem and Gavin choose sides. I was most impressed with Gavin's character arc from beginning to end; his dangerous biker dude persona is a front for a man with a big heart. As for Clem, her relationship with Gavin sets a few things into perspective and helps her make some decisions to benefit not just herself but her family, too.  What seemed impossible at the start comes to fruition with some surprising twists and turns, and Clem and Gavin get their well-deserved happy ending. There are threads in this series that will lead to book three with a new couple and I'm reserving a reading date for that one now!

Buy it at: Amazon, Audible or your local independent retailer

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Reviewed by Maria Rose
Grade : B+

Sensuality: Warm

Review Date : April 13, 2022

Publication Date: 04/2022

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Maria Rose

I'm a biochemist and a married mother of two. Reading has been my hobby since grade school, and I've been a fan of the romance genre since I was a teenager. Sharing my love of good books by writing reviews is a recent passion of mine, but one which is richly rewarding.
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