Regina's Reads

It is no secret that I am a fan of Molly Harper’s books. Her books make me laugh, give me a great escape – and well make me smile in between laughs. Mixed in with the laughs (and maybe wants her books so funny), are quirky family members and a young woman trying to figure out her next life choice. A Witch’s Handbook (I won’t be writing out the full name as it is just way too long) is very similar to Ms. Harper’s other books that I have read by her. The Naked Werewolf series was full of off-beat family members, a woman needing a change in her life and lots of humor. And One Last Thing has a similar set up. Molly Harper definitely has found her gift — to write humor that involves families and women on the verge of …. something. But that is not to say any of her books (that I have read by her) are formulaic. They are not, she has an ability to make them unique but very comfortable at the same time. I typically listen to the audio version of Ms. Harper’s books. Amanda Ronconi narrates each of these books and she gets the atmosphere and style of these stories perfectly. But I because I received a copy of A Witch’s Handbook as an early review copy, I read it instead of listening. I can definitively say that Molly Harper is just as enjoyable in print as she is in audio.

A Witch’s Handbook is #2 in the Half Moon Hollow series and is a cross-over with Molly’s Jane Jameson series. I haven’t read the Jane Jameson series, but I am guessing by reading Half Moon Hollow first there are spoilers for the main series. But somehow, I think that might be okay and won’t take away from the enjoyment of the books.

Half Moon Hollow is a small town in Kentucky with a strong paranormal presence; vampires are in business and the general public knows this. Nora (the book’s main character) is a witch with a problem, she is on the hunt for family relics in an effort to save the world from evil witches.

Are you telling me there’s a real Volemort?

When Nora arrives in Half Moon Hollow, she rents a half of one house, the other half is rented to Jed. Nora and Jed immediately hit it off with sparks. Jed is a hottie, Nora can’t stop looking and together they are pretty funny.

You invited me to dinner, and I end up cooking? What sort of swindle is this?

I turned to offer a rude response, only to find him wearing another pair of arse-cupping jeans and a t-shirt that showcased his indecently large biceps. I was standing in the presence of living, breathing arm porn.

Because she is looking for ancient relics in a place that she is not familiar with, Nora relies on locals to help her. In the process, Nora becomes friends with some of the vamps introduced in the Jane Jameson series and much of the humor and the storyline revolves around Nora’s friendships and family relationships. The rich cast of characters and the developing friendship are what make this book so fun. It isn’t my favorite Molly Harper book but it did not disappoint.

Harper is not below acknowledging her other book series, I love it when authors name drop or hint at their other books — and she does that in A Witch’s Handbook. I don’t want to spoil it, but see if you can catch it. Harper is also not below poking fun at Twilight and Edward’s often-times creepy behavior – again, I don’t want to spoil your discovery of this super funny part.

There are some not-so-surprising supernatural twists and the ending is what I expected but still, it is very satisfying and rewarding. Sometimes, I just need to slip into a world that will make me laugh, keep me smiling and is definitely sweet and sexy. But I want to do it without roll-my-eyes stereotypes. I prefer to read a book with rich friendships and texture beyond just the heroine and the hot guy she is focused on. Molly Harper delivers that. Paranormal romance is hard for me. I don’t like the trope of the the tiny virgin needing a man and I really don’t like the fated-to-be-mated storyline. I can’t stand scary stalkerish behavior that would be arrested in normal life and I want the storyline to go beyond just the “hero” and the “heroine’s” romance. Molly Harper writes her paranormal romance books without all of that and with so much more. If you want a laugh, a light read then I recommend Molly Harper. It won’t change your life but it will make you smile.

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