#Review: His Lawful Wedded Witch (The Witches of Castle Clair Book 5) by Sharon Booth @Sharon_Booth1 #newrelease #paranormalromance #witchlit #RespectRomFic #TheWitchesofCastleClair

I’m really delighted today to share my review of the fifth book in Sharon Booth’s wonderful series about the witches of Castle Clair, His Lawful Wedded Witch. It was independently published for kindle (free via Kindle Unlimited) on 24th January – eagerly awaited, preordered, and started straight away! – with the paperback now available too.

Witches, fae, magic, familiars, the worlds of myth and legend… now that’s not territory you’ll find me in very often, but I have to say that I’m absolutely loving this series. I’ll admit I was drawn to the first book in the series, Belle, Book and Candle, by the Knaresborough connection (one of my favourite places, and the inspiration for Castle Clair) – but also, of course, by Sharon’s lovely writing which I’ve enjoyed so many times before. And with one book (and you’ll find my review of it here) I was hooked – and went on to thoroughly enjoy My Favourite Witch and To Catch a Witch too (those links are to my reviews – you’ll find the purchase links in the posts).

And, for a while, it looked like that might be the end of the series – but I couldn’t have been more thrilled when she announced that there would be three more, introducing another branch of the family as their focus. And the fourth book, Will of the Witch, was even better than I could have possibly hoped for – I loved the characters, and was totally blown away by both the originality of the story and the imagination and obvious depth of research behind it (you’ll find my review here – and you’ll find it on my 2022 Books of the Year list). So I’m sure you can guess how excited I was about this one…

Divided they fall…

 

The St Clairs have been invited to Ballydraiocht, to the grand home of the O’Briens. Upon arrival, Harley is shocked to bump into Killian Ryan, the man who broke her heart in the spring. Despite his best efforts, she vows to keep her distance from him.

 

But with all attention on Lowen Ericson, her twin sister’s boyfriend, Harley finds herself drawn once again to the charming fae, even though it soon becomes clear their relationship can go nowhere.

 

Not only is her own family opposed to the match, but Killian’s people have no intention of allowing him to be with a witch. And when an ill-advised outburst from Castor results in a shocking discovery about Killian’s true identity, their romance seems even less likely to succeed.

 

As tensions simmer in the magical world, Harley and Killian join Lowen and Keely in their search for answers. As they travel from Ireland to Glastonbury, and one discovery follows another, they realise that soon they may be forced to take sides.

 

If Lowen can’t gather what he needs to bring reassurance to the magical community, his enemies might succeed in turning the fae against witches again, tearing Killian and Harley apart forever.

 

With so many obstacles to overcome, can true love really find a way?

It’s always a bit of a challenge to review a book that’s very much part of a series – and maybe that’s as good a place as any to start. I wouldn’t recommend picking this one up as a standalone – I think the cast of characters would be quite difficult to grasp, it begins from the point that the last book ended, and it really would be best to have some understanding of the world the book is set in. The author is quite clear that the series “should be read in order for your best reading experience”, and I’d certainly agree – or at least, do read the previous book, Will of the Witch, first. And I’ll share too that this book does end on rather a cliffhanger – but that only made me immediately preorder the next book, because I thought this one was simply wonderful.

And because it’s very much an instalment in a continuing story, I need to avoid telling too much of the story too – but I’m incredibly impressed by the way the author wholly successfully draws together romance, humour, drama, mysticism, history, and myth and legend. And she then includes a large helping of magic – and the world she creates is one I entirely believed in. The characterisation is so excellent – poor Lowen entirely out of his depth with the new role he needs to assume, Harley and Killian’s mutual attraction with all its many barriers, and a wonderfully quirky and unusual wider cast of characters (yes, even a leprechaun, and a few ancient gods who all play their part in the story).

I’m not well versed in Arthurian legend, but I found the supporting detail – there must have been some pretty intensive research needed – simply fascinating, and beautifully woven into the fabric of this tale of present day magic. The whole history of the enmity between the fae and the witches is deliciously convoluted – it might be the product of the author’s imagination (well, I think it is!) but it certainly captured mine too. The various locations in this book are wonderful too – a return to Castle Clair (which delighted me) and to the Cornish island, but Ballydraiocht in Ireland too for an encounter with the legendary and powerful O’Briens. And there’s an unexpected – by everyone – visit to Glastonbury, together with a distinctly otherworldly experience that had me on the edge of my seat.

If romance is what you enjoy, there’s plenty here to make you happy – Keely coming to terms with the fact that her partner is rather more than the family solicitor she fell for, and Harley and Killian battling against the odds to have their happy ending. And I know I’ve already mentioned the humour, but the author’s really excelled herself with this one – there are all the usual family shenanigans (their exchanges are just wonderful…) with the usual suspects behaving badly, but wait until you encounter the new familiars! And the drama’s so well wrought too – and on a considerable scale, with far greater potential consequences than any squabble within the council of witches.

There is a conclusion – and a particularly satisfying one – to some of the story’s threads, and I thoroughly enjoyed the way that was handled. But the ending is very much “to be continued”, with a few intriguing clues to the story that might unfold, along with its key players – and I’m so caught up in the story that I’m not sure how I can wait until October. The author’s imagination and creativity are stunning – but so is her unique style of storytelling. I really loved this book, and recommend it really highly – and you do have time to catch up on the full story before that long-awaited conclusion!

The sixth book in the series, Destiny of the Witch, will be published for kindle on 31st October (available for preorder), with the paperback to follow.

About the author

Sharon Booth writes about the lighter side of life, love, magic, and mystery. Her characters may be flawed, but whether they’re casting a spell, solving a mystery, or dealing with the ups and downs of family life or romance, they do it with kindness and humour.

Sharon is a member of the Society of Authors and the Romantic Novelists’ Association, and an Authorpreneur member of the Alliance of Independent Authors. She has been a KDP All-Star Author on several occasions.

She likes reading, researching her family tree, and watching Doctor Who, and Cary Grant movies. She loves horses and hares and enjoys nothing more than strolling around harbours and old buildings. Take her to a castle, an abbey, or a stately home and she’ll be happy for hours. She admits to being shamefully prone to crushes on fictional heroes.

Her stories of love, community, family, and friendship are set in pretty villages and quirky market towns, by the sea or in the countryside, and a happy ending is guaranteed.

If you love heroes and heroines who do the best they can no matter what sort of challenges they face, beautiful locations, and warm, feelgood stories, you’ll love Sharon’s books.

Find out more about Sharon on her website, or sign up for her newsletter and get all the latest news, book updates, the chance to win a prize every month, and your copy of an exclusive novella. You’ll also find her on Facebook (paranormal romance and urban fantasy here, women’s fiction and contemporary romance here), Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.