The Hedge Witch

Delaney (Stealing His Mate) casts a spell with the first in her Witches of Star Island paranormal series. Hedge witch and tarot card reader Laurel Bay lives on magical Star Island with her four witchy sisters, Verbena, Lavender, Rosemary, and Sage. Their ability to see the future means all five sisters are aware that they will soon meet their soulmates, starting with Laurel. As a “sonofawitch,” Owen Davies is aware of the supernatural but his own powers are limited to being able to tell if a storm is rolling in. Now fate is pushing Owen to Star Island—where Laurel eagerly awaits him. Owen and Laurel have spent past lives together, and have visited each other in other realms—but there’s a major roadblock to their destined happy ending. In a past life, spiteful witch Morana incited a mob to burn Laurel at the stake—and, in her final moments, Laurel placed a curse on Morana in retribution. As Laurel and Owen reunite in the present day, vengeful Morana also reappears. The love story is endearing and the supernatural twists propel the story forward at an exciting clip. The ending leaves many questions unanswered and is sure to annoy those who hate cliffhangers, but Delaney’s sturdy worldbuilding ensures this series has plenty of places to go. This is a strong start. (May)