Sweetwater and the Witch
Jayne Castle brings fans back to the playful fantasy universe she created with her Ghost Hunters universe in Sweetwater and the Witch. The quirky home of living Dust Bunnies and unexpected magic, it’s a lot of fun to delve into, but this definitely isn’t the kind of series one picks up midstream, so if you’re a newbie, expect to get lost.
Ravenna Chastain is looking to start her life over again (as anyone would do after being accused of witchcraft and nearly executed). She decides to set up shop in the charming town of Illusion, where she figures she can pay her way as a matchmaker. Unfortunately, her first prominent client is completely impossible to match with anyone.
Ethan Sweetwater is set up on nine different dates by Ravenna, and each date is a total failure. In desperation, the two of them strike a bargain; they’ll pretend to be each other’s fake significant others for a business function (his) and grandparents’ anniversary party (hers). But Ethan’s motives are secretly much more complicated than they appear, and while Ravenna is willing to help him commit industrial espionage to favor the town’s fortunes, she doesn’t know he’s the latest in a long, long line of monster hunters. But it does come in handy when her life is threatened. Now, if he can only convince her to break the rules and get together with him…
Fun, spicy, fast-moving and action-packed, Sweetwater and the Witch combines all of Jayne Castle’s skills into a single package. As I said before, this is not the book for series newbies; it’s one of those books that won’t make sense unless you’ve read at least some of the other titles in the series, including the mythology behind the (delightfully fun) Dust Bunnies. I haven’t read them all, but I know enough lore for the universe that I wasn’t lost.
Ravenna is the right kind of fiery and Ethan the right kind of grouchy. Their chemistry is fun and their romance a wonderful push-pull one. If you like Castle (or Castle writing as Amanda Quick and Jayne Ann Krentz) you’ll enjoy this book.
Sweetwater and the Witch sings with its own kind of magical joy.
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Recent Comments
The dust bunnies make very strong secondary characters. They’re fun. They’re also a brilliant deus ex machina, making a wide range of plot twists possible. If you like the Krentz/Quick/Castle writing style and won’t get bogged down by analyzing too closely, the writing can pull you along for a great fun read.
Because I like the author’s sense of humor, I enjoy these books. If you are looking for meticulous world-building, this is not the series for you. And yes, readers need to begin at or near the start of the series.
Yep, it’s super charming and fans of the series are gonna adore it; had to mark it down to a B+ (still a high mark) because folks coming into the series without previous knowledge will probably be a little lost.
Yay! Glad to hear people are liking it. I am a big fan of the series so I’m excited to read this.