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Witch's Bite #1
Borrowed Magic
A witch with a troubled past and a dangerous secret...
And bills to pay.
Peddling legal potions isn’t enough, so Olivia Carter works for the vampires now. She heals the people they feed on and does her best to avoid any trouble. She has a new boyfriend, a place to live (pay no mind to the rats living under the porch), and a cauldron for every occasion. Building a life in a new town isn’t easy, but Olivia is doing alright.
When the police show up at her door trying to pin a murder on her employer, and then her, she’ll have to risk everything to save her only friend and her future.
All magic has a price. Are you willing to pay it?
Borrowed Magic is the first book in the Witch’s Bite urban fantasy series. It features an ass-kicking, potion slinging heroine in a fast-paced, dangerous tale full of magic and murder. Perfect for fans of McKenzie Hunter, Ilona Andrews, Patricia Briggs, and Kim Harrison.
And bills to pay.
Peddling legal potions isn’t enough, so Olivia Carter works for the vampires now. She heals the people they feed on and does her best to avoid any trouble. She has a new boyfriend, a place to live (pay no mind to the rats living under the porch), and a cauldron for every occasion. Building a life in a new town isn’t easy, but Olivia is doing alright.
When the police show up at her door trying to pin a murder on her employer, and then her, she’ll have to risk everything to save her only friend and her future.
All magic has a price. Are you willing to pay it?
Borrowed Magic is the first book in the Witch’s Bite urban fantasy series. It features an ass-kicking, potion slinging heroine in a fast-paced, dangerous tale full of magic and murder. Perfect for fans of McKenzie Hunter, Ilona Andrews, Patricia Briggs, and Kim Harrison.
96 pages, ebook
First published October 1, 2017
791 people are currently reading
777 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
December 5, 2017
This is super short but surprisingly satisfying for all that. It's a straight-up, no-nonsense Urban Fantasy that relies on the reader knowing mostly how vampires and weres work and we learn as we go about the witches (as our protagonist is one). It's bare-bones world building but I found it worked pretty well for the fast-paced story Foxe has to tell.
I really liked Olivia and her determination and preparation were fascinating. She does most of her work through potions and that means planning and foresight and contingencies and I really liked how that panned out in this story. And I love that the story was both unpredictable and still made sense in the end (I'm sure it helps that it's so short, but even so).
The only discord I had was that the action scene at the end was a bit loose with some rather convenient moments that set things up a bit too perfectly for the bad guys. This felt like it was part author convenience and part fuzzy details in a fast-moving action sequence.
Anyway, I'm rounding this 4½ up to five stars just for the unexpected pleasure of a tight tale told well-enough and a new author with some surprisingly good writing chops.
I really liked Olivia and her determination and preparation were fascinating. She does most of her work through potions and that means planning and foresight and contingencies and I really liked how that panned out in this story. And I love that the story was both unpredictable and still made sense in the end (I'm sure it helps that it's so short, but even so).
The only discord I had was that the action scene at the end was a bit loose with some rather convenient moments that set things up a bit too perfectly for the bad guys. This felt like it was part author convenience and part fuzzy details in a fast-moving action sequence.
Anyway, I'm rounding this 4½ up to five stars just for the unexpected pleasure of a tight tale told well-enough and a new author with some surprisingly good writing chops.
December 5, 2017
Thanks to Jacob I discovered this little gem, here's his review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
January 11, 2018
I am not a big fan of a 96 page book being published as a novel.
It would have made for a better story if the author had spent the time and effort into expanding this plot out over a full sized novel and not separate novels.
It would have made for a better story if the author had spent the time and effort into expanding this plot out over a full sized novel and not separate novels.
May 4, 2022
3.5
I'm liking this so far, and I'm down for a morally grey female lead.
This was a pretty quick read so I think I will go on to the next book!
I'm liking this so far, and I'm down for a morally grey female lead.
This was a pretty quick read so I think I will go on to the next book!
May 17, 2021
This book was surprisingly short, ending at 9 chapters- but it was still a good read. The pacing was well done and the characters personalities shined through. There was plenty of action and intrigue that kept me so invested i didn't realize I was nearing the end of the book!
June 6, 2018
I don't want to be too harsh with this review, because there's a good story buried in this book, and I think the author shows a lot of potential. This is an urban fantasy novella about a witch, Olivia, who has to work for vampires (healing the girls who like to get bitten when things go too far). She is just trying to mind her own business and make ends meet, when she gets sucked up into an investigation about dead girls. The police are convinced the vampires killed them, but Olivia is convinced that something else is afoot. There are tons of characters making a brief appearance, including several vampires, bartenders, cafe owners, werewolves, policemen, an ex-boyfriend, and many more.
Maybe you are wondering how the author managed to squeeze all of this into 96 pages. The answer is: not well. Things feel too rushed and neither the world-building nor the characterization gets the attention it should; this could easily have been a much longer novel, and probably would have been better off for the additional length. And yet, despite the book's brevity, there were still several passages that bogged down with irrelevant details about Olivia's day to day habits, such as what time her favorite restaurant opens and how many sugars she takes in her coffee.
Worse than these faults, in my opinion, is the fact that Borrowed Magic contains two of my own pet peeves as a reader. One is a lot (and I do mean a LOT) of punctuation errors and several weirdly constructed sentences. The author seems to have a particular problem with comma splices, and I found it very distracting. (I used to be a grammar and composition teacher for EFL students, so these mistakes really jump out at me and make me long for my red pen. Yes, I am one of those people.) The other is that it ends on a cliffhanger. I really hate that.
I've decided to rate this two stars because it was readable, but I probably would have been less lenient if I had paid the $2.99 instead of borrowing it with kindle unlimited. I wish the author well, and maybe I'll check back with her in a few years to see how she has improved, but as for now, I won't be continuing with the series.
Maybe you are wondering how the author managed to squeeze all of this into 96 pages. The answer is: not well. Things feel too rushed and neither the world-building nor the characterization gets the attention it should; this could easily have been a much longer novel, and probably would have been better off for the additional length. And yet, despite the book's brevity, there were still several passages that bogged down with irrelevant details about Olivia's day to day habits, such as what time her favorite restaurant opens and how many sugars she takes in her coffee.
Worse than these faults, in my opinion, is the fact that Borrowed Magic contains two of my own pet peeves as a reader. One is a lot (and I do mean a LOT) of punctuation errors and several weirdly constructed sentences. The author seems to have a particular problem with comma splices, and I found it very distracting. (I used to be a grammar and composition teacher for EFL students, so these mistakes really jump out at me and make me long for my red pen. Yes, I am one of those people.) The other is that it ends on a cliffhanger. I really hate that.
I've decided to rate this two stars because it was readable, but I probably would have been less lenient if I had paid the $2.99 instead of borrowing it with kindle unlimited. I wish the author well, and maybe I'll check back with her in a few years to see how she has improved, but as for now, I won't be continuing with the series.
March 12, 2019
Wow for such a short start this pulled me in hook line and sinker, an Author i will definitely look out for in the future!
The Author paints a picture of a unique world where witches,vamps and were's are out of the closet so far.... The story focuses on supposed sole hedge witch Olivia as she works as a healer for the local Vamps, the plot thickens when people start disappearing one being Olivia's good friend Patrick.
The Author teases not only on characters but on the world in this book as i think we only are getting a glimpse at what is to come, no real romance per se, but chemistry building between characters, i think if the Author had of put real romantic interactions in this short edition it would have ruined it as there was just enough to make it an incredible read.
Cant wait to read next book!!!!!!!
The Author paints a picture of a unique world where witches,vamps and were's are out of the closet so far.... The story focuses on supposed sole hedge witch Olivia as she works as a healer for the local Vamps, the plot thickens when people start disappearing one being Olivia's good friend Patrick.
The Author teases not only on characters but on the world in this book as i think we only are getting a glimpse at what is to come, no real romance per se, but chemistry building between characters, i think if the Author had of put real romantic interactions in this short edition it would have ruined it as there was just enough to make it an incredible read.
Cant wait to read next book!!!!!!!
December 10, 2017
Magical
This is a great new addition to the paranormal crimes genre including magic, vampires and werewolves. I like the characters which have a decent amount of realism that manages to give a paranormal novel an air of credibility. This is a reasonably short read and I would have preferred something longer. There isn't a true cliffhanger but it is always a bonus to be able to head straight onto book two.
I definitely recommend this to lovers of paranormal crime and it's good to not have a novel where the protagonist is part of a formal agency.
This is a great new addition to the paranormal crimes genre including magic, vampires and werewolves. I like the characters which have a decent amount of realism that manages to give a paranormal novel an air of credibility. This is a reasonably short read and I would have preferred something longer. There isn't a true cliffhanger but it is always a bonus to be able to head straight onto book two.
I definitely recommend this to lovers of paranormal crime and it's good to not have a novel where the protagonist is part of a formal agency.
December 16, 2021
About 3.8-9 ish
March 11, 2019
Full review in the last book
October 19, 2024
Feels very novella-ish, a little bit more fleshing of the story out and it could have been really fun. I’m not really sure what to make of the h.
Overall: 2.5, just not enough time was taken to build anything so it’s hard as the reader to connect to anything. It’s really just words on a page.
Overall: 2.5, just not enough time was taken to build anything so it’s hard as the reader to connect to anything. It’s really just words on a page.
December 3, 2018
This was a cute book. It was first taste of an Urban Fantasy novel and I enjoyed it. I think it's wasn't as thrilling and exciting as I would've hoped for, but it may just be because this is a new genre outside of my comfort zone. The beginning was very slow, but it picked up in certain parts.
May 19, 2018
Excellent fast moving urban fantasy book
This book is a great start to a series. As a stand alone book it has a few weaknesses but because I know there is a full series I can overlook those weaknesses and simply enjoy the ride.
The focus of this story is a hedgewitch called Olivia. She is not within the organised structure of coven life because she made some mistakes in her youth. She works patching up vampire victims with her meagre healing magic. Her main strengths lie in potion brewing.
The small town where Olivia lives and works has come under a cloud. People and vampires are going missing and no one seems to know why. The town coven want Olivia to lie to the police to blame the vampires to stop any further investigation but Olivia isn’t that kind of witch.
The main weakness with this book was it’s brevity. There were several interesting characters introduced but they weren’t fully explored, however as it is a series, I’m hoping this will be rectified.
That aside, this was a fast moving book, with and interesting plot and creative world building.
I’m looking forward to the next book.
This book is a great start to a series. As a stand alone book it has a few weaknesses but because I know there is a full series I can overlook those weaknesses and simply enjoy the ride.
The focus of this story is a hedgewitch called Olivia. She is not within the organised structure of coven life because she made some mistakes in her youth. She works patching up vampire victims with her meagre healing magic. Her main strengths lie in potion brewing.
The small town where Olivia lives and works has come under a cloud. People and vampires are going missing and no one seems to know why. The town coven want Olivia to lie to the police to blame the vampires to stop any further investigation but Olivia isn’t that kind of witch.
The main weakness with this book was it’s brevity. There were several interesting characters introduced but they weren’t fully explored, however as it is a series, I’m hoping this will be rectified.
That aside, this was a fast moving book, with and interesting plot and creative world building.
I’m looking forward to the next book.
January 30, 2018
When i saw the length of the book I was a bit hesitant because I was afraid that the author would rush the story so it fit in the short time frame. However I quite enjoyed this book and found the story to not only be well written but complete. I found the main character Olivia to be truly awesome in her fearlessness to find the truth and her refusal to back down even if it meant her life was on the line.
Olivia is also very unique and I have never come upon a witch with her power in the many witchy reads I have read. I think the author was really creative and original with both the story line and all its stand out characters.
I really enjoy the world of magic and the paranormal under belly the author is able to build and look forward to the next installment of this series.
Olivia is also very unique and I have never come upon a witch with her power in the many witchy reads I have read. I think the author was really creative and original with both the story line and all its stand out characters.
I really enjoy the world of magic and the paranormal under belly the author is able to build and look forward to the next installment of this series.
August 25, 2018
Scraping a living
Awesome but please note that this is only 90% of the page count. Her magic is the strongest. She is a healer and brewer. When she was dumped on the streets, it was a police chief that kept her on the straight and narrow and with his death the head of the local vampires. She heals their living donors. Now some girls have died and two vampires and more girls are missing. The local coven wants her to finger the head vampire, the local police want her charged. Can she find the missing, maybe? With her ability to take magic from others she tracks them. Will the rescue go as planned? Is there a traitor in the mix? A great, fast read with characters that are still slightly two dimensional but this should hopefully be remedied in further books.
Awesome but please note that this is only 90% of the page count. Her magic is the strongest. She is a healer and brewer. When she was dumped on the streets, it was a police chief that kept her on the straight and narrow and with his death the head of the local vampires. She heals their living donors. Now some girls have died and two vampires and more girls are missing. The local coven wants her to finger the head vampire, the local police want her charged. Can she find the missing, maybe? With her ability to take magic from others she tracks them. Will the rescue go as planned? Is there a traitor in the mix? A great, fast read with characters that are still slightly two dimensional but this should hopefully be remedied in further books.
November 23, 2017
I'm not sure how I feel about the protagonist and her voice, but the book was enjoyable. It's a quick read with an interesting world. There wasn't a huge deal of worldbuilding but it's book one so there's plenty there to flesh out the plot. The plot itself is reasonably generic but still entertaining and I didn't skip any bits. I'll definitely read the next one.
December 10, 2021
3.0 this book
2.5 for series
I was disappointed with this, especially compared to the misfit series. The first two books were short. I lost interest in the story during the third book.
Some things didn't make sense to me. Her confrontation with Zach was odd. He just strolled up to her after the meeting and got mad because she wouldn't say how she is getting extra magic. Then he was whining about her possibly hurting other members of the team with no basis for that concern. And he was making wild statements about finding the goblins and running away with them. That made no sense at all. If she wanted to run she could run like she did before. Why would he think she needed the goblins?
The task force was weird too. The vampire council gave them money and one guy so then they could go on the offensive and eliminate the bad guy group. They gave up the element of surprise by starting with the people who don't know anything about the leaders/organization. It felt random. Like the task leader threw a bunch of files on the table with known activists and just told the finder to pick one and they would raid their place the next day. It came across as uninformed and rushed for no reason.
2.5 for series
I was disappointed with this, especially compared to the misfit series. The first two books were short. I lost interest in the story during the third book.
Some things didn't make sense to me. Her confrontation with Zach was odd. He just strolled up to her after the meeting and got mad because she wouldn't say how she is getting extra magic. Then he was whining about her possibly hurting other members of the team with no basis for that concern. And he was making wild statements about finding the goblins and running away with them. That made no sense at all. If she wanted to run she could run like she did before. Why would he think she needed the goblins?
The task force was weird too. The vampire council gave them money and one guy so then they could go on the offensive and eliminate the bad guy group. They gave up the element of surprise by starting with the people who don't know anything about the leaders/organization. It felt random. Like the task leader threw a bunch of files on the table with known activists and just told the finder to pick one and they would raid their place the next day. It came across as uninformed and rushed for no reason.
January 10, 2024
I tried this book as an audible as apart of a complete set and instantly regretted. The story seems interesting but the narrator was just horrible!!! I really should have read through more of the reviews so I really only have myself to blame. Maybe I’ll try to read it on my kindle but honestly, that narrators voice might be stuck in my head as the fmc 🤢
September 23, 2023
3.5 stars
The writing had some quirks (for example the author has a habit of combining two sentences with a comma which is super annoying) but overall I found the story lots of fun. Too short to get a good feel for where the series is going but enough to get me interested, so I'm moving on to book 2!
The writing had some quirks (for example the author has a habit of combining two sentences with a comma which is super annoying) but overall I found the story lots of fun. Too short to get a good feel for where the series is going but enough to get me interested, so I'm moving on to book 2!
October 19, 2017
This isn't rating higher only b/c it felt more like an introduction than a full story; that made it so I was hooked to the world Stephanie Foxe created and its characters, but wasn't moved by any of it.
HIGHLIGHTS
All the supernaturals are shown in a realistic manner. I especially liked the characterization of the vampires.
Olivia isn't terribly impulsive, while also recognizing when it is necessary to take action despite the consequences. Her loyalty to the vampires even in the face of adversity is another positive. Also, her magic is the most impressive of all(<--- master key, anyone?)
The ending surprised me, and -- thankfully-- it wasn't something that happened just to include the shock factor: it was true to the storyline.
Although the length is short and left me wanting more, the next book in the series will come out in a month so I'm not complaining.
HIGHLIGHTS
All the supernaturals are shown in a realistic manner. I especially liked the characterization of the vampires.
Olivia isn't terribly impulsive, while also recognizing when it is necessary to take action despite the consequences. Her loyalty to the vampires even in the face of adversity is another positive. Also, her magic is the most impressive of all(<--- master key, anyone?)
The ending surprised me, and -- thankfully-- it wasn't something that happened just to include the shock factor: it was true to the storyline.
Although the length is short and left me wanting more, the next book in the series will come out in a month so I'm not complaining.
May 22, 2019
Very nice
A bit light on the world-building, but nothing that got in the way of enjoying the book. The pace is quite brisk and the end comes quicker than I expected. The final scene ends with a cliff-hanger, but to be fair, it simply sets up the plot of the next book, it doesn’t leave unresolved issues.
I guess the only issue is that the MC is the only *real* character. The others are little more than a name, description, and a mannerism or two. Stock characters that haven’t moved their identity beyond the surface. Like a movie with NAME actor, and everyone else is central casting. Still good, but not *amazing*.
I will buy the next book. Best recommendation I can give.
A bit light on the world-building, but nothing that got in the way of enjoying the book. The pace is quite brisk and the end comes quicker than I expected. The final scene ends with a cliff-hanger, but to be fair, it simply sets up the plot of the next book, it doesn’t leave unresolved issues.
I guess the only issue is that the MC is the only *real* character. The others are little more than a name, description, and a mannerism or two. Stock characters that haven’t moved their identity beyond the surface. Like a movie with NAME actor, and everyone else is central casting. Still good, but not *amazing*.
I will buy the next book. Best recommendation I can give.
May 27, 2019
Book review of Borrowed Magic by Stephanie Foxe ...
I won this book in an Author Contest and decided to give it a try. I had never read anything by Stephanie Foxe so I was hoping it would be good.
The only complaint I have about this book is that it is too short! It is well written, has great pacing and characters that pop off the page. I had to pace myself by only reading before bed when I wasn't too tired or this book would have lasted less than 2 hours, lol.
I an intrigued by Olivia and Javier especially ... Detective Martinez was a bummer and for a change I didn't see it coming though with hindsight I should have.
Give it a read ... I just grabbed book 2 Price of Magic on Kindle Unlimited.
I won this book in an Author Contest and decided to give it a try. I had never read anything by Stephanie Foxe so I was hoping it would be good.
The only complaint I have about this book is that it is too short! It is well written, has great pacing and characters that pop off the page. I had to pace myself by only reading before bed when I wasn't too tired or this book would have lasted less than 2 hours, lol.
I an intrigued by Olivia and Javier especially ... Detective Martinez was a bummer and for a change I didn't see it coming though with hindsight I should have.
Give it a read ... I just grabbed book 2 Price of Magic on Kindle Unlimited.
October 9, 2018
Overall 4 Stars Performance 5 Stars Story 4 Stars My review is based on the audiobook. I really enjoyed this story. I was captivated from start to finish. I wish it were longer because I do feel that the world building and backstory needs more explanation but being as this is only book 1 and the subsequent books are at least double in pages I have faith that the author will elaborate in future books. The narrator was on point in bringing the story and characters to life - I would not hesitate to listen to more of her work. I look forward to more in this series and from this author and narrator
January 16, 2018
I enjoyed this.
The leading lady is a low level healer on retainer for the local vamp clan - she heals their dinner if things go too far during a feed. But when her last patient ends up dead and drained, the police turn up on her doorstep and the local coven tries coercing her into providing false intel against the vamps...
I liked the down on her luck hedgewitch and I am curious because there seems to be more to her than we are first lead to believe. The story wraps up pretty quickly - ending just when things got going - still it did inspire me to check out the next book.
The leading lady is a low level healer on retainer for the local vamp clan - she heals their dinner if things go too far during a feed. But when her last patient ends up dead and drained, the police turn up on her doorstep and the local coven tries coercing her into providing false intel against the vamps...
I liked the down on her luck hedgewitch and I am curious because there seems to be more to her than we are first lead to believe. The story wraps up pretty quickly - ending just when things got going - still it did inspire me to check out the next book.
November 20, 2018
Olivia is a witch who is good with potions, and brews. She's made some mistakes in her life and no coven seems to want her. So, she starts working with the vampires. But that proves to be not such a great idea when she has people trying to frame them for murder, and then the cops start to suspect Olivia.
This book was very interesting, but not great. I enjoyed the overall story line, but I was a bit annoyed with some of the things that happened, and how some of the emotion was overshadowed. Other than that, I liked it.
This book was very interesting, but not great. I enjoyed the overall story line, but I was a bit annoyed with some of the things that happened, and how some of the emotion was overshadowed. Other than that, I liked it.
July 6, 2018
Short but just the right amount of action. I flew through this book just inhaling every word. I couldn’t believe when I looked at the pages that I had only 24 left and inwardly I groaned because I knew that I had to get book 2 straight away to find out answers.
Our MC, Olivia, is head strong, loyal and aware of her limitations. I really connected straight away with her. There is a great balance between the character descriptions, world building and plot line. This kept the story steaming along. Not once did I feel bogged down with unnecessary words.
Really enjoyable book and talented author.
Our MC, Olivia, is head strong, loyal and aware of her limitations. I really connected straight away with her. There is a great balance between the character descriptions, world building and plot line. This kept the story steaming along. Not once did I feel bogged down with unnecessary words.
Really enjoyable book and talented author.
November 19, 2017
Very good read...
This is a new author to me and I was not sure how I was going to like t he book. It surprised me...I very much enjoyed this book. The main character is strong with a fantastic sense of humor and wit. The storyline is original and very enjoyable to read. There are enough twists to keep you reading page after page. This is the beginning of a series but ends in such a way that you can read as a stand alone. That being said, I cannot wait to start book 2
This is a new author to me and I was not sure how I was going to like t he book. It surprised me...I very much enjoyed this book. The main character is strong with a fantastic sense of humor and wit. The storyline is original and very enjoyable to read. There are enough twists to keep you reading page after page. This is the beginning of a series but ends in such a way that you can read as a stand alone. That being said, I cannot wait to start book 2
March 8, 2018
Supernaturals are out
Olivia is a minimally talents healer witch with a bad background. Bad enough that the local coven wants nothing to do with her. So, she makes legal potions and works for the vampires, taking care of the partners they have established, and patching up people they get too carried away with. When a couple of girls go missing and are found drained of blood, the police and the coven want to talk. But, are the vampires guilty?
Olivia is a minimally talents healer witch with a bad background. Bad enough that the local coven wants nothing to do with her. So, she makes legal potions and works for the vampires, taking care of the partners they have established, and patching up people they get too carried away with. When a couple of girls go missing and are found drained of blood, the police and the coven want to talk. But, are the vampires guilty?
April 30, 2018
Wow, brilliant and enjoyable
I'd just finished another book and this looked appealing, so I thought I'd try it. Well, once I picked it up I couldn't put it down. A fantastic read, I can't recommend highly enough!
Now I'm desperate to find out what happens next to Olivia, Javier and co. I'm so glad I found this new author!
I'd just finished another book and this looked appealing, so I thought I'd try it. Well, once I picked it up I couldn't put it down. A fantastic read, I can't recommend highly enough!
Now I'm desperate to find out what happens next to Olivia, Javier and co. I'm so glad I found this new author!
June 25, 2018
Good read
This was a pretty good little story. There were a few spots where an extra word wasn't take in out during editing, but not enough to be distracting as in some of the other books of this type.
All in all, the story was entertaining and the cast was fleshed out pretty good for a first book in the series.
This was a pretty good little story. There were a few spots where an extra word wasn't take in out during editing, but not enough to be distracting as in some of the other books of this type.
All in all, the story was entertaining and the cast was fleshed out pretty good for a first book in the series.
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