Sex and the Psychic Witch
Grade : C+

Annette Blair's new series introduces the Cartwright sisters, triplets, witches, and all round sassy heroines destined to bring a lot of trouble to anything they touch.

Sex and the Psychic Witch is Harmony’s story. She is the buyer for her sisters' vintage curio shop, but has unique talents. She can read objects and learn of their former owners, and occasionally read minds. When she discovers a Celtic ring in an old gown, she is struck by her psychic mandate – a quest that she must follow to its completion. This mandate leads her to a castle on the coast of Massachusetts...and King Paxton.

King Paxton's castle has been in the family for generations. And generations of Paxtons have attempted to get rid of it. All have failed, but King is determined to get the money-pit off his hands as soon as possible; the only things in his way are an angry ghost, a disgruntled renovation crew, and an interfering vintage clothes buyer who won’t go away.

The second that Harmony walks into the castle, everyone notices. Not just because our heroine is incredibly good-looking - she is - but because she makes the ghost stop screaming. So even though she embodies everything that King doesn’t want in his life right now - or ever - he hires her on as a consultant just to keep the darn thing quiet and let him get on with getting rid of the castle. Of course, matters aren’t helped by the fact that he can’t seem to get her out of his mind, and finds himself chasing her around the castle instead of working.

The overall story is light-hearted, with some funny parts, and a very realistic heroine who, apart from her perfect size-10 body, speaks and acts like a modern twenty-something. The story of Paxton castle adds some depth and poignancy, and the witchcraft is presented in a very topical manner.

This story is a prime example of why reviews are one person’s opinion. I can pinpoint certain parts of the story that didn’t work for me: triplets (enough said), the info-dump via contrived conversation in the first couple of pages, the use of "Not!" to denote sassiness, a precocious child so far advanced for his years that Mensa should be on the phone at any minute, the rhyming chants, etc.

But none of these things were bad. Blair shows a real touch for using familiar romance plotlines and elements without becoming derivative. The info-dump was contrived, but really, how else to let us know the back history? Harmony’s sassiness was, apart from that one little quibble, well-established and true to life. The child? Well the child was a bit much, but then again, some people love children in romance. Even the rhyming chants weren’t overly abused.

Everything could work within the context of the story. Unfortunately, Sex and the Psychic Witch just didn’t work for me.

Reviewed by Kate Cuthbert
Grade : C+

Sensuality: Hot

Review Date : August 31, 2007

Publication Date: 2007

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Kate Cuthbert

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