Review: Deceiving the Witch Next Door by Melissa Bourbon Ramirez

Storie Bell has a little secret—she’s a witch. But magic hasn’t exactly kept her life from being a complete mess—her love life is non-existent and the town thinks she’s a total nutter. Plus there’s her neighbor Reid Malone who runs hot one minute and cold the next.

Reid Malone can’t wait to escape Bloomington, Texas. Unfortunately, he’s stuck where he is unless he helps his father hide a very illegal secret. The only key to Reid’s freedom lies with the eccentric Storie…and he’ll do whatever it takes to get the information he needs from her.

But Reid’s holding something back. Something big. And if he’s not careful, he’ll find out exactly what happens when you try to deceive a witch…

My thoughts:  Did I ever tell you how much I like southern stories? No? Silly me… How could I not mention that?

Well, I LOVE southern stories. They are all so out of this world in a non supernatural kind of way…or more like out of time… There’s something sweet and kind in them that makes me dream of beautiful dresses and a long forgotten chivalry. The southern chivalry. I always enjoy a book like this. Add in the fact that this book is about magic, and you’ll know why I enjoyed it so much.

Storie Bell is a sweetheart, a real southern girl…but she has a little secret: she’s a witch. This hidden part of her life has brought a lot of trouble in the past because, well, she can’t actually keep it that hidden. Strange things always happen around her and all her neighbors think she’s crazy. That’s why she kept moving a lot. But now she has some amazing friends and she’s determined to settle down in his father’s old house in Bloomington, start over, have the life that she always wanted. That also means to keep her magic under control, a thing she can’t actually do. Her magic is tricky: it escapes if it’s suppressed too much, but if she uses it, it drains her. And there’s also Reid Malone, a bad but oh! so sweet memory from her youth. He keeps interfering in her business making things even worse.

she didn’t trust a Malone any farther than she could throw him.

Well, given that she had her witchcraft and could hurl him halfway across town, she revised her sentiment.

Reid’s always wanted to escape the little town of Bloomington. He has a great career in a big city and all he needs to do is help his father to be happy, find his peace, and he’s done here for good. The only problem if that the key to his father’s happiness hides somewhere in Storie’s new home. Storie…the only good memory he has in this boring little town… He has to enter her home and find what he needs to get his freedom, even if that means breaking her heart in the process.

Deceiving Storie might not be honorable, but it was fun. And truthfully, he was trying to protect her and Harper. Probable deniability. What they didn’t know couldn’t hurt them.

One thing I liked about Reid, besides his looks, is the fact that he tries, he really tries to be ruthless, but he fails miserably. He’s a good man, a real southern character, and can’t hide it. I also enjoyed the chemistry between him and Storie. I’d love to find out more about them in a future book. 

Misa Ramirez builds a nice plot, full of romance and spiced with mystery, magic and fun. I recommend this book to those who enjoy a light, sweet summer read. 

“I thought you were drowning.”
“I wasn’t.”
“Next time you’re not drowning,” he said with a low growl, “I’ll just leave you to it.”

Happy Reading!