Title: Resting Witch Face (Stay a Spell #5)
Author: Juliette Cross
Published: October 31, 2022
Publisher: Independently Published
Readership: Adult
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Rating: ★★★★★
Content warnings: Kidnapping, torture, violence, gore
I received a copy of Resting Witch Face from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Twelve years ago, Jules Savoie ended her relationship with the vampire overlord of New Orleans, Ruben Dubois. For good reasons. A woman in power must often make sacrifices to protect others. She knows the truth of it down to her aching heart.
When Ruben watches his best friend Devraj get married, a stinging realization hits him hard…he’s done waiting. They say time heals all wounds. In this case, it merely sharpened the pain and made one fact crystal clear. Jules Savoie is his soulmate, and nothing would keep her from him. Not anymore.
Forced to work side by side to fight for the werewolf cause, they campaign together at covens from New Orleans to London. The reignited spark burns hotter than ever before. But when a power-hungry vampire sets his predatory sights on Jules, will their love be strong enough against black magic? Or will he lose her again? And this time, maybe…for good.
It’s here! (Well, nearly… it’s not too long until October 31st!)
I’ve been hooked on the Stay a Spell series since I first picked up Wolf Gone Wild back when it was first released and I feel like I haven’t stopped talking about it/recommending it since. And you better believe there was some extremely happy sounds when I received an early copy for review.
Resting Witch Face is the 5th book in a series that follows a 6 sisters in a family of witches. These are paranormal romance books set in New Orleans featuring all kinds of supernatural beings, from witches and vampires to grims and wolf shifters. Juliette Cross has crafter a fantastic world that has it’s own rules, ruling hierarchy and more that makes it a really immersive experience. (Also, food plays a big part in all the books and so I’m constantly hungry whenever I’m reading them!)
In this book we’re following the oldest sister, Jules – she’s the Enforcer for New Orleans, the most powerful magical being in her area, making her the leader of the supernatural community in her region – and Ruben, the overlord for the vampires of New Orleans. 12 years ago they were in a relationship until something happened and it ended, making this book a second chance romance. Now, these are hard to pull off because authors have to make the re-connection believable, and oh boy, did Juliette pull it off.
Jules and Ruben have to work together to convince the covens of the US and UK to make reforms that lift prejudice against wolf shifters and give them a seat at the table with the other major supernatural communities. This forces them together and to confront their past, the way they’ve both grown, and to identify how they can move forward because there’s still an incredible attraction between them both. And best of all, the conflict in the third act is external – and a rollercoaster of a ride, so be warned – but it makes their reconciliation all the more powerful for what they’ve overcome.
As always, these books are full of light, hilarious moments (such as them stumbling into an only one bed situation at a spiritual sexuality retreat), a whole lot of heart from the family/found family elements and bucket loads of steam. This one does come with content warnings for kidnapping, torture and a whole lot of violence/gore, so be aware of that before you pick it up.
I could go on and on about how much I enjoyed this book, but let me just end with how excited I am to see Jules and Ruben get their HEA. Every second was a ride and I loved it.
Noveltea Corner 