REVIEW: Dial Witch (Dial Witch Trilogy Book 1) – Jo-Ann Carson

Dial Witch Book Cover Dial Witch
Dial Witch Trilogy Book 1
Jo-Ann Carson
Paranormal Romance/Vampire/Psychic/Suspense/Humor
JRT Publications
September 7, 2021
245

Trouble brews when a psychic enchantress shares her magic.
When the sorceress Jane Black offers spells, potions, and tarot card readings to the regular folk in her small town, she finds herself in a cauldron of hot water. Despite her good intentions, spells spiral out of control, potions backfire, and people turn against her. As Jane’s problems multiply, a drool-worthy dragon enforcer, arrives on her doorstep and gives her an ultimatum. While the universe stacks impossible odds against her, a hot dragon breathes down her neck, and Vixen, her snarky familiar, harangues her every move, Jane refuses to give up. She’s determined to make things better for everyone, or die trying. Is Jane’s magic strong enough to heal the town’s problems? Will her full-service sorcery store, survive? And what exactly will Leos the dragon set on fire? Dial Witch is the first book in the Dial Witch trilogy, set in the Mystic Keep world. It chronologically follows The Perfect Brew trilogy, but can easily be read as a standalone story.
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What readers are saying:
"This is the beginning of a super fun new series.. It just tickles my funny bone! It's sweet and mysterious, with a bit of steam and a whole cauldron of charm.. Can't wait for more!" ~Marianne on BookBub
"I really enjoyed reading this story and escaping from reality for awhile and getting lost in this fantasy. So many enjoyable characters and descriptive writing that only Jo-Ann Carson does so well."~ Barb on Bookbub

Reviewed By S.C. Principale

Member of the Paranormal Romance Guild Review Team

Jane Black is a psychic enchantress, a witch with a good heart who wants to bring the magic users in the town of Mystic Keep together with the so-called regulars, humans without magical abilities. This goes against centuries of secrecy, not to mention sorcery! With her chatty cat, Vixen, at her side, she’s sure Dial Witch, a full-service sorcery will be a great help to the people of her town. She can heal the broken relationships and rifts plaguing both the regulars and magic-users around her.

Unfortunately, it seems no one wants that to happen. Her mother threatens to disown her. Her sisters tell her she’s endangering their children. Mysterious magic-users are pouring out of the woodwork to warn her off. Jane handles them all with sweet goodwill and determination, until Leos, a dragon shifter and enforcer shows up. She’s still determined to keep her store open, but she also has to deal with burgeoning feelings for the man who will give her one week to close it.

While the steamy heat between Leos and Jane is wonderful, there is a tangle of sub-plots thriving and wriggling in this tale. A bounty has been placed on both the children in Jane’s family as they are children of warlocks. Who’s behind that? The family must come together to find out and stop it. Jane is also reliving the time when she was kidnapped as a child. She blocks most of it out, but the connection could be a truly important one. And what’s with all the regulars in town wanting their husbands dead or altered via potion? Is Jane’s business really the boon she thinks it is? Oh, and what’s up with Vixen? Has her fluffy orange kitty secretly developed a taste for dragon-meat? Toss in a vampire-ex-brother-in-law and some mutant-cyborgs from another realm, and you’ll see why Jane needs her family more than ever— even when they put her down at every turn.

Thank goodness for Leos. Though he entered Jane’s life as a threat, he’s soon on her side. His taste for fairness and his brave heart have gotten him in trouble before. So has his taste for the ladies. There’s something special about Jane Black. He knows a pure heart and a helpful one when he sees it. He doesn’t believe mages and humans can ever reconcile… but he can’t help but fall in love with Jane’s spirit and refusal to give up. Before long, her spirit isn’t the only thing that he’s in love with….

Dial Witch by Jo-Ann Carson is a wonderful read, but you’ll need to stay on your toes to keep track of all the subplots and the multitude of characters. The use of magical puns wore on this reader a bit, but others may laugh along. Perhaps most frustrating— we don’t know how it ends! This is book one of a trilogy and boy, does it end on a cliffhanger! To paraphrase Carson’s characters, this book will impress the hex out of you. You’ll read it cover to cover and be hungry for more.

 

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