Payback's a Witch

This book by Lana Harper was just pure entertainment. Harper (pseudonymn for Lana Popović) has written several YA witchy novels, but this is her first novel targeted to adults. Emmy Harlow is a witch coming home to fulfill familial obligations in the magical town of Thistle Grove, IL (near Carbondale!!). She has been living in Chicago for the last 9 years, ever since the handsome scion of the Blackmoore family seduced her and then dumped her when they were in high school.  Moving away from the town meant that she eventually lost her magical powers, which emanate from Lady Lake on a hill outside Thistle Grove. The town was founded by four powerful witches, who are also the ancestors of the four magical families that still live there: the Harlows, the Blackmoores, the Thorns, and the Avramovs. Once a generation, the scions from each family--except the Harlows-- come together to compete in a series of magical challenges, the Gauntlet of the Grove. The winning family of the Gauntlet, for which the Harlows have traditionally served as Arbiters and record keepers, not only get the trophy, but accrue greater magic, wealth and influence. The Blackmoores have won so many times that they are now the richest family in town with an entertainment empire pandering to tourists seeking supernatural and horror thrills. The fortunes of the remaining families, especially the Thorns and Avramovs, are waning. Add to that, the  man who broke Emmy's heart, did the same to her best friend Linden Thorn and to the scion of the Avramovs, gorgeously dangerous Talia. Talia and Linden come to Emmy with a proposition; they want to make sure the Blackmoores do not win this tournament. As Arbiter, Emmy cannot be partial, but she can guide them to stay within the Guidelines of the The Grimoire, which controls the behavior of the magical families. Emmy and Talia ignite a passionate sexual relationship as Emmy continues to struggle with whether or not she wants to return to her "real life" in Chicago or re-embrace her magic, her family, her friends, and her home. Some sexually explicit descriptions are included.  

Publishers Weekly calls this "a queer rom-com that bewitches from the very first page...[the]magical joyride manages to feel both vibrantly current and timelessly mystical while avoiding the typical queer rom-com stereotypes."
Kirkus also raves, "the author’s writing shines in the small moments, particularly in the lush language used to capture the enchanting, autumnal atmosphere of quaint Thistle Grove and its supernatural allure. Readers are sure to fall under the magic spell of Thistle Grove and its inhabitants."