♥ Desert Rose Word Candy ♫: The Witches of Auburn: The Gifts of Our Mothers

Hiya peeps! I've got a new release for you today, along with two giveaways! Check out my review below the book & author info, and enter for your chance to win some awesome prizes!

The Gifts of Our Mothers

(The Witches of Auburn, #1)

~Released: October 2nd, 2017

~Publisher: Brunswick House

~Length: 423 Pages

~Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult, Romance

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*The next two installments of The Witches of Auburn are releasing the same day!

In the dark woods I’m forbidden to go into, lying on top of the one person I swore I’d stay away from, and hiding from the men who chased him, I hold still as Ike Kennedy whispers in my ear, “Don’t leave me.”

The questions of why my mother packed up our lives and moved us to Auburn, New Jersey when she, herself, fled here twenty years ago, plague me every day. Her past and the people in this town loom over our family with a haunting understanding of the coven I was born into, but realize I know nothing about. The enemies I heard stories about as a child attack without warning or regard for human life, but I don’t know who they are.

I’m Ever Ayars. I can fly. I can disappear. I can move things with my mind, but my gifts are my only clarity. Lost within a new school, new friends, and a new life, there is only one thing I know for sure.

I’m not leaving Ike Kennedy.

Hazel Black graduated from Rutgers University and returned to her hometown in rural South Jersey. Her mother encouraged her to take some time and find herself. After three months of searching, she began to bounce checks, her neighbors began to talk, and her mother told her to find a job.

She settled into corporate America, learning systems and practices and the bureaucracy that slows them. Hazel quickly discovered her creativity and gift for story telling as a corporate trainer and spent years perfecting her presentation skills and studying diversity. It was during this time she became an avid observer of the characters she met and the heartaches they endured. Her years of study taught her that laughter, even the completely inappropriate kind, was the key to survival.

She currently lives in New Jersey with her family and a misbehaving beagle named Odin. As an avid swimmer, if Hazel is not with her family and friends, she’d rather be underwater. While she enjoys many genres, she is, and always has been, a sucker for a love story…the more screwed up the better.

Hazel Black writes contemporary romance as Eliza Freed. To keep up with all new releases and giveaways, sign up for her newsletter here.

~ Connect with Hazel Online ~

Website ~ Goodreads ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

All roads lead to Auburn.

Stories about witches have always been an area I've felt conflicted. Mainly, because I'm enormously picky about them, and tend to get irritated at stories created with ridiculous superstitions and stereotypes. The synopsis for this book caught me quickly, and luckily, this book is amazing.

I haven't encountered a story of witches quite like this one before, and haven't enjoyed a story about witches as much as this one. Between the completely tragic family dynamic and circumstance, to the fierce personalities of all the characters, there is so much depth to get lost in.

There were many main characters, especially with the rotating POV between the mother and daughter duo the story ultimately centers around. While they are the main women telling the story, they aren't the complete focus, which was refreshing. The story revolves around all seven of the mothers and daughters group, and eventually all eight. They each had strong bonds to all the other women, and together, made a group strong enough to take on anything they came up against.

The men were also tremendously important, even ones who weren't actually in the story any more. Really, none of the story could have happened without them, and their strength added a bit of grit to the otherwise women-dominated story. I enjoyed the male characters quite a bit, and was glad they were each given such diverse personalities.

First and foremost the story is definitely a romance, although it is free of explicit content, which I loved. The paranormal aspect is a close second, and a major element, but the focus definitely seemed to be one several layers and threads of romance going on. It did get quite messy at some points, and wondering when all hell would break lose is a big part of what kept the story going.

The pace was set fairly well, although at times it seemed as though we were sped through important junctions, that could have used more color and focus. Overall though, the story was good, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. I can't wait to see what happens in the second book, and hope to read it soon. Either way, I will definitely be reading the rest of the series as soon as I am able to. If you enjoy paranormal romance, this is definitely a series for you.

*I was given a complimentary ARC eCopy of this book, from the author via Xpresso Book Tours, to read in exchange for an honest review.