Payback's a Witch

3.75/5

I enjoyed it but didn't love it. I liked the Thistle Grove and the witchy vibes and Talia and Emmy's relationship, but I had a few problems with this book.

First of all, why would Lin even entertain Gareth, knowing how he fucked her friend up. Secondly, it's been a decade, Emmy, you don't need to get into the pissing contest with him anymore. Also, the way they justified their means - saving Thistle Grove and Thorn's and Avramov's business from the Blackmoores - but it's not like Blackmoores were doing this maliciously, you know? They weren't winning only to destroy the competition and ruin the other families. They probably didn't even know that this was a side effect, seeing how self-centered they seemed to be.

IF The Blackmoores were doing this on purpose, it would have been very different.

Also, as much as I love Slavic representation in American books, I beg the authors to do some reachers. What was grating for me was Talia's last name Avramov. WRONG! In Russia, the female last names end with -va. So while her brother is Avramov, Talia, her mother, and her sisters are Avramova. It's as simple as that. And so seeing it spelled as “Talia Avramov” made my jaw clench.

Please, do some research first! Even Marvel did it with Black Widow. They anglicized her name to Romanoff, but every time someone said her full name, she was called Natalia Alianovna Romanova. Her Russian name, as you can see, ends with “ova” which is a correct term for women. So truly, Talia should have been called Avramova instead.

And tiny little thing since it was only mentioned twice when Emmy talks about Chicago and how she loves “pierogies”. OH MY GOD JUST GOOGLE IT THE NEXT TIME! Pierogi is a correct term! Pierogi is already plural (like ravioli), you don't need to add “-es”! And since pierogi is a Polish food, I, as a Pole, am annoyed by that.

Also, I'd love to read more about Harlow's family. I didn't even know Emmy had so many aunts and uncles until they all congratulated her for her win at the very end. I honestly thought it was only Emmy, her parents, Delilah, and Nana, since nobody else was mentioned throughout the book. I'd love to read more about Emmy and Delilah's friendship and Emmy's relationship with her whole family before she left and after. Like come on, show me some familial love too! Hopefully, it will be actually present in Delilah's book, but I'd rather have it here first.

Also, is Lin going to end up with someone? Hopefully, Rowan's book will shed light on her happily ever after!

It's nitpicky, perhaps, but it affected my reading experience.