A review by just_one_more_paige
In Charm's Way by Lana Harper

adventurous emotional hopeful lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

 
The fourth book in The Witches of Thistle Grove and I am, again, nothing less than thrilled to be back in this magical little town. I love Thistle Grove. And even for the romances in this series that aren't my favorite of the bunch - though to be clear, none of them are bad, there are just some I enjoy more than others - I love every second of being in this world. (If you're curious, to date, the first, Payback's a Witch, and third, Back in a Spell, are top notch. The second, From Bad to Cursed, is a solid second tier.) 
 
In Charm's Way is Delilah Harlow's story. If you'll recall, she was the kind of annoying cousin to Emmy (a first book MC), who wanted nothing more than to take over the running of the Harlow book store, the central knowledge base and magical reference point for Thistle Grove. And she was happily doing that when, in the last book, she ended up on the wrong side of a powerful memory spell gone a bit too far, and as we meet her here, she's still working on recovering the fragments of herself after that. She's nursing quite a bit of (well deserved and understandable) anger and grudge as a result of that spell and has lost her way in those emotions to the point that she attempts a dangerous spell of her own to get back to her old self. Naturally, there are unintended consequences, onces that put not just herself, but all of Thistle Grove, in danger. Luckily, a stranger in town, Catriona Quinn, just happens to be the exact right person to help Delilah protect herself and the town against the supernatural creatures her spell has summoned. And as they spend time together, the pull between them starts to get stronger, deeper, and both have to make some difficult decisions about who to trust, how to stop the power of the spell Delilah's cast, and whether or not to try and make their relationship something real. 
 
This was a second tier romance of the series for me. I enjoyed it though, of course. There was a lot of potential from the start, as the arcane magical botany and books(!) Delilah has a special interest in is definitely a vibe I'm into, as is Catriona (phew - big yes to Cat!). Plus, supernatural creatures joined the world-building and I am alwayyyyys down for that. So, bear in mind that whatever I say next about the parts I'm lukewarm on, all those parts remain highlights and I loved reading all of those aspects. 
 
The thing is...I just never really got into Delilah as an MC. I don't know if it's a build-up of the way her character was incorporated in the series to date and it just isn't one I really care about, or if it was just something about her in general that never really clicked for me, but something wasn't "it." This note I jotted down while reading really sums it up: "This is a tough one because of Delilah’s personality and recent history of trauma/loss. It’s totally reasonable, and I love that Delilah has space and room to be angry and act out well deserved rage and then be protected and helped getting out of it, and she deserves love and happiness in her personal resolution, but she’s just not my favorite MC." 
 
Perhaps part of my lukewarm reaction to Delilah is that, overall, there is a lot less focus on the romance in this installation. I mean, don't get me wrong, Delilah and Cat are absolutely central - everything very much revolves around them - and they do get some very steamy scenes. But the balance between the plot and Delilah's personal internal and emotional journey, and the traditional romance vibes of the novel, feel unequal. I'm not sure I could put my finger on how or why exactly, though perhaps it was the way the third act break-up/betrayal played out that really did it for me. The way it's written here fits the plot well (and the way it ends, kinda happy with the “maybe hope for the future” finale as opposed to full-on HEA, is spot on), but it was a tough one for me to swallow. 
 
Regardless, this was a solid and deserved entry in the Thistle Grove series. I was happy to watch Delilah's growth and thought the way Cat was brought in did a lovely job introducing the concepts of other magical realities/communities to the series, which totally makes sense, but didn't overly break the comfort bubble of Thistle Grove itself. The story made so much sense within the world that's been built and I was totally on board for the ride this fourth book took me on. Plus, the cameos from previous book's characters are always a part of romance series that I love, so those were great here. It was a fast read, just like the others, because once I started, I didn't want to put it down. I don't know if Harper plans to write any more books in this series, but I remain absolutely invested in reading them all. 
 
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