Title: Wicked by Any Other Name
Author: Linda Wisdom
Published in March 2009 by Casablanca Romances at SourceBooks
Genre: Paranormal Romance
ISBN: 978-1-4022-1773-9
Related Books: Hex Appeal 50 Ways to Hex your Lover
There is nothing like a good Samhain get-together with friends, and that is exactly the thing to which Anastasia Romanov is looking forward. Moonstone Lake has been home for her, and her best friend Blair Fitzpatrick, too, for the past several hundred years. Oh, they have had to leave the small town off and on, but there is no other place which calls to them or even reminds them anything like a true home. They came here in the very early days of the Gold Rush, and stayed on, making a life for themselves, buying property, making friends, then temporarily leaving to come back as a daughter or granddaughter. While the rest of the areas were threatened with development, Stasi and Blair kept small spells in place to discourage developers. They protected the town, and it flourished. Life was good here, and she was always glad to welcome her friends. Stasi was looking forward to this Samhain in particular. Power would be especially strong this year with in Mercury retrograde and a lunar eclipse occurring at the same time. Samhain is a time she loved to share with her classmates, and those who could come for the holiday, did.
This year, their ranks would be scarce, but Jazz and her entourage would be coming, and that was all so important. Stasi felt as though they were family, as unconventional as it was, it was also true. The only thing to upset her was this darned lawsuit, brought by Carrie for “Alienation of Affections” in regard to her husband suing for divorce. Why Carrie settled on Stasi as the cause was unknown, and for her to have gone to the Wizard’s Court was even a bigger puzzle. She had also gone to one Trevor Barnes, Wizard’s Lawyer, and big time nemesis of witches in general, and now Stasi in particular. She knew what was coming, he would be all pumped up with righteousness and all superior, lecturing her on why it was wrong to set such a spell on an innocent, which everyone knew was not the case with Carrie. What she was not expecting was the tall, blond, handsome and very virile man who walked into her boutique with a charming smile, and red hearts zipping and throbbing around his head. What exactly was going on here, and when would it end? But then, if the fates had their way, there are some things that are just meant to be...
Trevor Barnes did not like witches. He had never met one he liked, and that transferred to all the rest. He was tired, and wanted something simple to keep him occupied between his other more difficult cases. The petition put forward to the court by the human Carrie Anderson, accusing one Anastasia Romanov of be-spelling her husband into leaving her and thus charging her with “Alienation of Affections” seemed to be a slam dunk. He would head up to Moonstone Lake, speak to the witch, get her to settle, and then be on his way with yet another “win” under his belt. Trevor went to Moonstone Lake with his mind set, his plan ready, but was totally unprepared for what he found there. The witch in question did not appear to fit the mold he had expected from the woman’s description. She was pleasant until she realized who he was, but the coolness with which she greeted him was only to be expected. He was not ready to like her, but against his better judgment, he did like her very much. She was a petite handful of snarling cuteness, and for some reason she stayed on his mind long after he returned home with her rejection of settlement.
Wizard that he is, Trevor is uncertain about what he felt during his visit. There was a lot more going on up there in Moonstone Lake than just the lawsuit, but he couldn’t put a finger on the cause, or sense a direction in which to look. He only knew he felt compelled to return, and figure out what was so unsettling to him, besides the witchling. Going back, meeting with Stasi, and with her best friend Blair was eye-opening. The lake was surrounded by a barrier, and there was evil in the air. It was not so over powering you could track it, but it manifested itself as a feeling of heaviness, a feeling of disquiet, and wrongness. Not even Trevor’s powerful spells could free the lake, and as they soon found out, even some of his strongest were shattered like so much glass. There was trouble brewing, and it was all too clear to Trevor his help was needed, and whether they wanted it or not, he was going to assist them. There was no way he was going to leave Stasi and Blair on their own, and when Jazz Tremaine and Nick Gregorivich show up with their entourage of friends and ghosts, Trevor knows even then it may not be enough to fight the darkness they all feel descending on the little town...
Wicked by Any Other Name by Linda Wisdom gives us a look into the lives of Stasi and Blair, and into the personality of the one everyone thought of as the nice witch. Her classmates all had their own quirks of personality, and yet for Stasi, she was always known as the calmest, or even one could say, the most timid of the 13 young witches in her class. She is a witchling who has survived some pretty awful times, but was made strong in spite of it all. Now that strength will be tested by Trevor, the law suit, and the rest of the danger none of them can pinpoint. For Trevor Barnes, the old adage that witches and wizards can’t mix is proving to be false. He is drawn to Stasi, and when the time comes, he is willing to defend her with his very life. That is not something your usual wizard would do, but then this has not been your usual case. There is more going on here than meets the eye, but neither Stasi nor Trevor can recognize the source. They know it is old magick, but even a trip to The Library leaves them nowhere, or so they think.
The third book in the series, Wicked by Any Other Name by Linda Wisdom is once again a fun filled romp. With danger in the background, it is still full of lighthearted shenanigans, heavy with romance, and yes, that very special touch of magick. This time the story is around Stasi Romanoff, but that doesn’t count the others out, and you will still find old friends as well as new ones, to meet and greet. Make no mistake, Stasi IS in trouble, but having the tall blonde, and handsome wizard named Trevor Barnes on your side really can’t be a bad thing. It is really a great read, and it can be found at Amazon, or in a bookstore near you. It is also available from Amazon, SourceBooks, Inc. and it is a book I highly recommend. While you are there, also look for her books, Hex Appeal, and 50 Ways to Hex Your Lover. I know you will love the antics of Horace the gargoyle and the bunny slippers Fluff and Puff, shiver at the suspense, laugh, sigh, and enjoy the ride of your life! I really hope there are more to come, and will look forward to seeing if the rest of the witches have stories to tell.
Yours in good reading,
Rose!
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