The writing has very strong thesaurus vibes, there are similes for days, and the descriptors for certain people/places/things went on forever or were completely unnecessary. I feel like this book left a lot to be desired. Finally, the Harlows have Tomes & Omens, an indie bookstore specializing in rare and arcane books, which I based on Salem’s many occult bookstores.' – Lana Harper, writer of

The Thorns have Honeycake Orchards, which might just be an enchanted version of the Honey Pot Hill Orchards in Stow, Massachusetts.

The Avramovs have the Arcane Emporium and its adjoining haunted house, which is modeled after immersive theater experiences like The Blackmoores have Castle Camelot, which is meant to be a cross between a medieval manor and a renaissance faire, but make it massive. The four family demesnes are also based on some of my favorite things. There, I got to experience things like vampire balls, casting circles, haunted houses, hot chocolate shops, and natural perfume and herbalism stores owned by real witches. Thistle Grove is loosely modeled after the infamous Salem, Massachusetts-a charming, witchy tourist trap of a town that I used to visit nearly every weekend back when I lived a stone’s throw away in Marblehead. Payback’s a Witch came straight from the heart, it was diving into the magical town of Thistle Grove and bringing it to life that brought me the most joy. Only one question stands: Is Emmy in?īut most concerning of all: Why can't she stop thinking about the terrifyingly competent, devastatingly gorgeous, wickedly charming Talia Avramov? Talia had let herself be charmed, only to discover that Gareth was also seeing Linden - unbeknownst to either of them. On her first night home, Emmy runs into Talia Avramov - an all-around badass adept in the darker magical arts - who is fresh off a bad breakup.with Gareth Blackmoore. She's determined to do her familial duty spend some quality time with her best friend, Linden Thorn and get back to her real life in Chicago.

Her self-imposed exile has a lot to do with a complicated family history and a desire to forge her own way in the world, and only the very tiniest bit to do with Gareth Blackmoore, heir to the most powerful magical family in town and casual breaker of hearts and destroyer of dreams.īut when a spellcasting tournament that her family serves as arbiters for approaches, it turns out the pull of tradition (or the truly impressive parental guilt trip that comes with it) is strong enough to bring Emmy back. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina meets The L Word in this fresh, sizzling New York Times best-selling rom-com by Lana Harper.Įmmy Harlow is a witch but not a very powerful one - in part because she hasn't been home to the magical town of Thistle Grove in years.

Payback's a Witch by Lana Harper