*This review was first posted to Goodreads in December 2022*

TL;DR: You know how I said that Always Practice Safe Hex was my favourite book in this series? Well, I lied, cos it’s just been ousted by Resting Witch Face (sorry Gareth and Livvy, you’ll always be faves though)! Ruben and Jules are E V E R Y T H I N G!!! These two were so incredibly precious and sweet and beyond deserving of their HEA—what a journey they went through to get to where they are in this book. I loved their story so much!

On a side note, I’m also super sad that I now have to wait until May 2023 for the next book and it’s also the final one too cos this series is a new fave! 🥺

Cross has been building up their tension-filled back story from the first book and the mystery surrounding their history continued to intrigue me with every interaction they were “forced” to endure in subsequent books. I should’ve expected that by the time I picked this up those emotions would simply be exploding off the pages because that’s exactly what happened. No, seriously, because holy mother of sexual tension! The burning intensity was woven through every word exchanged and interaction they had, starting with the heart-pounding declaration that Ruben made at the family wedding at the start. I didn’t know I wasn’t gonna be ready for the level of swoon I was about to experience cos Ruben did not hold back and it was totally wow! 🔥

What I’ve come to really appreciate about the author’s writing is how well she conveys the emotions of her characters and her ability to make me, as a reader, feel every single one alongside them. Perhaps it’s also because these characters have come to feel like good friends over the course of the series but I felt every big and small push and pull of emotion between Ruben and Jules so viscerally that it had my stomach in knots as I read. There’s so much heartache, intense longing, regret, hurt and frustration between them at the start but as they spend more time together and finally address their past, there’s also forgiveness, hope, acceptance and so much love and devotion that permeates these pages and it left me feeling buoyant! 🥹

The conflict between them was not what I expected but I really loved the maturity of their romance, and that didn’t make it any less steamy or swoontastic; in fact, I thought it made it more so! Jules is the oldest sister and a chef at the family pub in addition to her role as the Enforcer of New Orleans. She carries a lot of responsibility on her shoulders and although she’s often underestimated due to her petite stature (*cue eye rolling*), she has a regalness to her bearing that exudes power and determination. She’s so kind-hearted and caring and I loved her! Ruben holds a similar position of power to vampires in addition to owning several lucrative businesses including the very popular Green Lantern vampire den. He’s got this grace and power to him that’s wickedly alluring and let’s just say that once Jules is onboard with giving them another chance, the man doesn’t hold back and it is WILD. The way this man dotes on and worships her, and treats her like the queen she is was empowering and honestly, incendiary! 🥵 This was next-level simp-hood, my friends, and it was accompanied by a deep respect for her power and strength, and it was SWOONTASTIC!

Another thing that I really enjoyed was that although we don’t get to experience what their younger selves were like, we still get to see how much their characters have evolved through their reflections and when they hash out their past. It was refreshing to see them be “all in” when they said they were, with none of that wishy-washy stuff holding them back or getting in the way. There was so much growth and it was heartwarming to see them acknowledge and appreciate it in each other. They were just so perfect–*sobs in utter joy!*

If there’s anything that I wish had been done differently it’d be the focus on the werewolf plot and how everything wrapped up. The werewolf aspect was really interesting but there was so much that went on in the last few chapters and with how fast it all happened, there wasn’t enough time to process it. Don’t get me wrong—the ending was satisfying but with how much happens from the 50% mark until the end, I think that we could’ve done with one or two more chapters to wrap everything up properly! I wish more time had been spent addressing the ramifications of what happened rather than just having it all be glossed over and blended into this one giant HEA moment. That said, it didn’t affect my overall feelings about the book so I didn’t remove any stars for how rushed it felt because it was ultimately still satisfying to me.

Check out the author’s playlist for Jules and Ruben! 😍

Have you read Resting Witch Face or is it on your TBR?

• Follow me on Goodreads!
• Follow me on Twitter!
• Follow me on Instagram!