A cursed witch, four intriguing young men, and a shadow realm hidden within their academy.
After graduating high school, Willow Oliver watches her friends go away to college while she makes the ten-minute trip to Harper Academy, the school full of the ordinary. Even with the help of her uncle, staying close to home is crucial for her to continue to care for her mother’s declining mental state and constant talk about their family being cursed.
When Willow notices things her fellow students don’t, she starts to uncover mysteries about not only the school she now attends, but herself, and the four guys who seem to be drawn to her.
Can Willow handle the truth of her lineage and fight the many battles she’s soon to face in her first year at Harper Academy? Or will she succumb to the curse while risking the lives of the ones she can’t help but care for?
Hidden Magic is the first installment in a YA/NA paranormal academy reverse harem romance series full of magic, danger, and tantalizing secrets.
A girl who doesn't know she's a witch walks into a magical school and falls in love with a human, vampire and a werewolf. There's a curse and in the end some action. But the majority of the book is kind of boring. Seriously, it feels like 3/4 of the book is just set up. And like the last book I read, there seemed to be instant acceptance to the supernatural world being discovered. Oh I'm a witch? Huh! Oh, one of my boyfriends is a werewolf and another is a vampire? Brilliant! I need to read different kinds of books, this is driving me insane.
I haven't experienced much of the reverse harem genre outside of anime. Honestly I was pleasantly surprised by Hidden Magic. I came for the plot and stayed for the cute guys. I am interested to see how things go for Willow in book 2! Actual rating 4.5 stars.
I don’t think I’ve read a true reverse harem book before, so “Hidden Magic” was a first for me. Set in a small town, Willow has always considered herself to be a freak, having to grow up too fast because of a mother who talks to herself and swears she’s a witch and their family is cursed. Willow is desperate to have some kind of normal life as she starts college at the local school, but Willow finds out very quickly that nothing will ever be “normal” for her. “Hidden Magic” is an incredibly fast read (maybe too fast?) and just as one question gets answered, a new and devastating mystery takes its place.
Outside of a few curse (ha) words, the romance is rather sweet in this first book so I’d say this was still appropriate for YA readers. I did really enjoy that the relationship Willow has with the guys (very, very hot guys too) felt wonderfully polyamorous in that outside of some of the guys not liking what one of the guys is, they don’t really fight over Willow. There’s no toxic masculinity with these young men trying to out macho each other for Willow’s attention. They each fulfill a role, offer her an emotional fulfillment that’s unique to each one, and seem to accept that, and support Willow regardless. It’s very sweet and refreshingly healthy in terms of romantic relationships!
Because of the quick nature of this book (it’s under 300 pages), we don’t get a lot of the magic until the second half of the story, and that includes the secret that dwells within the halls of Harper Academy. Also, because there are four guys that Willow falls for, and who fall for her in return, you don’t get a lot of the men in Willow’s life. We get brief introductions into each of the guys and their personalities, a few one-on-one interactions with Willow, but don’t necessarily get those prolonged “falling” moments that are more common in the slow burn romances. Everything is a bit instant, but given this is the first book, now that all players have been introduced, I’m confident that the next book will have more of those deeper romantic moments. I am a sucker for the slow burn romance personally, so I’d have loved to see more of Willow falling for the guys and them her, instead of it being more fated romances, and given how intensely these men feel for Willow, a little more of the why and seeing their interactions would have been greatly appreciated by yours truly! I did like 2 of the 4 guys way more, and just wanted more of them period, but I won’t give any names to avoid potential spoilers.
Pierce creates a unique setting in the Harper Academy and how it bridges the gap between the human and supernatural realms. The magic is colorful and the supernatural elements touch on everything from witches, werewolves, vampires, to even some creepy paranormal baddies! The college campus is small and that makes it quaint, and the picture that Pierce paints of the campus grounds is utterly dreamy. I will say I was a bit confused as to if the guys Willow meets are freshmen like she is, since they all seem to know what’s happening and how things work more akin to sophomores or juniors, but were in the same GE classes as Willow… And while this book is quick and fast—which is great!—it felt a little too fast to where I couldn’t really believe the romance as much as I wanted to at times, which is why I am giving it 4 stars. But again, I think the romance and the reverse harem aspects get more fully explored in later books. If you’re a fan of sweet romances, magic and supernatural elements (really, this book has something for everyone), and are craving a quick summer read, then check out “Hidden Magic”!
I want to call this a coming of age witch story with a PG reverse harem twist. Completely unique in its magic and plot.
Willow is just a normal girl. Well... a normal girl with a mom who went crazy and started telling folks she was a cursed witch. Willow had her mom medicated for years to keep the crazy talk at bay.
Then Willow goes off to college at Harper Academy where the real story begins. Before her classes even start, she finds herself the center of attention by 4 gorgeous guys. She's attracted to all of them in a unique way.
She starts seeing strange shadows and her energy levels are acting pretty bipolar. One of the guys let's it slip that she might be a supernatural. A witch. So her mom wasn't crazy after all? But what about the curse?
With the help of the guys, Willow manages to learn more about her powers and her curse. She has a long way to go, but with the help of her friends, she knows she'll get through it all ok.
I rather enjoyed this story, the characters were great, it’s well paced and nice world building. Willows life has not been particularly easy, but when she gets to Harper Shadows academy not all is as it seems and she learns a lot about herself, add in some great friends and 4 hot and different guys and voila, a great read. Looking forward to book two!
This was my first time reading a reverse harem novel. I found it to be a light, fast paced read with mystery, suspense, friendship and romance. I enjoyed the different dynamics Willow had with each of the four young men. Deghan is my favorite! I can't wait for book two!
Willow has been told all her life, by her mom, that she is a witch. She's also been told that her mom is crazy. Willow believed everyone else and ignored her mother's ramblings. That is, until she goes off to college to enjoy a normal teen experience, and instead, is met with an array of strange things happening to her. On the flip side, Willow makes many new friends during this endeavor. Willow meets four attractive young men, each drawing her to them in different ways. She makes fast friends with her dorm mates, the four girls becoming very close rather quickly. All of Willow's relationships ships happen near instantaneously, which does sometimes happen, but I like the slow burn and tough relationships. Despite this, all her relationships feel wholesome and organic and they grow in a natural and innocent way that I found to be cute and heartwarming. The combination of Willow's curse, her many relationships and all the new info she receives becomes too much. Personally, I don't feel Willow handled it well, but with a push from a new friend, she figures things out, somewhat. I love how Willow grows and learns throughout this ordeal. Despite it being a fast-paced book, she still learns to love her new friends and be more honest. She faces her problems head on and no longer hides herself away. The quick pace of the story sometimes made it hard for me to stay engaged and I predicted a few of the twists and turns. This books is still a sweet coming of age story with the beginnings of an interesting romance and thrilling paranormal events. I'm still very eager to read the rest of the series and see where Willow's journey takes her.
I really wanted to love this one. I am a huge fan of paranormal academy books especially those that don't include the bully trope. For some reason though, I just never connected. In the first part of the book I was confused then as information came, I was a little bored. The guys were just there with no real thought or discussion about the alternative relationship. Since there was very little dialogue between the characters to show relationship building, I didn't feel anything. Also, there was very little class time, the female friends were ditched and the heroine was alone which took away everything I enjoy about YA academy books. I do think others will really like this one but for me it was just OK.
I loved this magical book. Willow is a fantastic character, who discovers the world isn't all what it appears to be. Going to an academy after having a tough childhood, she finally gets to do something for herself. I really enjoyed the academy aspect and how Luna pierce doesn't rush willows story and lets us follow her journey of school life and of discovery. The men in her life are great companions to her character and keeps the story interesting. Looking forward to book two!
Willow is finally able to give the caretaking of her mother to her uncle and live for herself. Once at college, it seems all is going great. But suddenly strange things start to happen. Willow thinks she might be losing her mind like her mother. But there are 4 gorgeous guys, willing to help her figure out what’s going on.
What an absolutely fantastic freaking book from the very start to end. The author did an awesome job keeping your attention on the story and loving the characters so much. Really liked Willow a lot. I can not wait for the next book to see where it goes next and what will happen.
This is a young adult book in an academy setup. The start I found a bit similar to Supernatural academy.⠀ ⠀ Willow goes to a college which is pocket friendly and in her town so that she can take care of her mother. She discovers a shadow academy inside her academy and her magical abilities she was unaware about along with some family lineage just the tip of the iceberg. And There she meets these 4 hot guys which she can’t seem to choose between. truly adorable 😍 but Deghan is my favourite ❤⠀ ⠀ ⠀ This book is a light read but with suspense and drama. It’s a little too fast paced for me at certain times because I like myself a slow burn.⠀ ⠀ Overall I loved the book and I was hooked. I finished it in half a day or you can say half a night as I started late in the evening but i had to uncover the mystery. If you like suspense, drama, magic, curses, witches, werewolves, vampires you will love this book.⠀ ⠀ I’m looking forward to reading the next book to know more about Oliver witches and their curses and offcourse some hott stuff coz this book didn’t have any 😅😉 ⠀
The story is sort of unique some familiar elements. I like the men. I think this book would've better if it explored the men a little more. They had sudden friendships and it is a little unbelievable. Overall, still a very good read.
The book would have been okay if not for the RH aspect. I don't know if more of these Academy books are RH or if I'm just unlucky enough to keep getting recommended them, and they don't say RH in the description.
I really enjoyed this book. Willow is unaware of her history but when she starts college, she starts finding things out. It’s hard to write this review without spoilers so I’m just going to say that this is a great read
This is was really, really good book, it starts the premise for what I am sure will a fantastic series. This book we get to learn, what the series will be about, and who the characters all are. There is no sex whatsoever there is some kissing, but it's very minimal. So if you are looking for that, this ain't for you. As the book continues we get to see growth of the characters, and see some of the secrets revealed, but not all mind you. Probably not even the tip of the iceberg. I will for sure be interested in reading more of this series to see how everything unfolds. I am invested now. It's told in first person pov.
Slow burn RH paranormal romance. I liked the h Willow. Struggled to take care of her mom, home schooled herself. She is used to be a loner. Now that she has started the academy she's making friends and meeting guys for the 1st time. Four in particular she has a connection with. Dehgan is a shifter, Cameron is human, Solar is a vampire and last, but no least Sydney a magic user like her. Willow didn't know magic was real, much less that she could wield it. Apparently, she's also cursed. Multiple times over. We still don't know why, how or what needs to happen to remedy the issue. Hopefully that'll happen soon. The guys are all instantly smitten, but at least there was a build up to more. This book is PG. YA romance Told only from h POV. Series is gonna need to be read in order. No cliffhanger, but but a full book either. On to book two.
Of you like Academy, look no further than this book. The story development is next level. Great background story for the FMC with nothing too complicated or traumatic compared to some I have read. The potential romantic interests are written well with their own unquie personalities, the only part that threw me was Cameron being described as 'hillarious' when I felt he was more caring or romantic in the way he has been written. Being the hopeless romantic I am, this line was potentially my favourite "his niceness is a bandage over my aching soul". The relationship development between Willow and all the other characters is really well written also, and there is a huge potential for some serious suspense and twists in later books. I knew I was invested in the book when I cried with the FMC. This was how I felt that the author enabled me to connect with her. Towards the end, it was written a bit like a wind up, but then still had a couple of chapters to go. The end was good, it ended with a vibe of 'if you want to read more there will be more' I will be keeping my eye out for the second book
I needed this story. It was really good. The FMC was someone I would hang out with it, if she was real of course. The story had a lot of mystery and cute quirky moments that were very touching. The writing was really great! If your looking for a sweet YA/NA read with a good story line and of course magic this is the book for you. I definitely recommend and I've already pre-ordered the next in the series.
Really bad writing. Meant well and that's why I stuck through book 1 but... She's in college acting like a kid. The words are like kids. She's taking basic lessons but went to shadow realm alone and knows words for protection spells and other things. I mean come on. And all the guys are wayyy too nice. Like young highschool children. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ no spice
This book is absolutely amazingly awesome. I loved every bit of it. Wills grows up fast taking care of her “ crazy “ mom but what if her mom isn’t actually “crazy” and the this that go bump in the night are real ? I can’t wait for book two I’m so excited to see what happens next in this series.
Hidden Magic is a YA RH academy read that had potential with the whole curse situation but the supernatural world building falls short on adding some zest to the story.
The initial parts of the book is spent in this confusion of trying to be mysterious about this academy but I don't know why it didn't hit the mark. Then the transition towards learning about the supernatural is wonky at best. I was still fine at that point hoping to get more world building elements once she is in the know but it's alright, it just doesn't have enough space to add depth and characterisation to this academy.
The characters were nothing complicated, in fact the harem was on a somewhat same wavelength. There wasn't much variables in the dudes to be interesting. The interactions are mainly brief to even get a chance at developing these characters or get a sense of this relationship that's already intense for the amount of content we are seeing.
The book is fine overall, pretty quick read and might be an option if don't want to read a typical RH academy book since none of the guys here are assholes. Imagine that.
A fantastic read! This story was brilliantly detailed and descriptive, intriguing and original, and full of action, emotions and magic!
From the original and unique storyline, to the brilliant characters that each bring their own intriguing presence to the story, and the mystery that lingers under the surface that constantly keeps you on your toes and wanting to devour each word!
I feel this pull towards Willow. Her strength and also her vulnerability make her a truly interesting and complex character that makes you want to get to know her more and see her journey unfold.
Then there are Cameron, Deghan, Silas and Sydney...these gorgeous, kind, caring men have it all. *Willow is one lucky lady!* They each add something unique and captivating to the story that makes you get lost in the words and never want to leave.
I was absolutely enthralled from beginning to end and I can’t tell you how much I look forward to book 2!
This book draws you in from almost the minute you start reading. I was hooked & didnt want it to end. The characters show growth & potential & I want more. I want to see where this goes & see the different dynamics of everyone as time goes on.
I have several favorite characters that I want more of (Deghan & Lills). I want to see their back story. Im so excited for the next book. I want to see what happens.......patiently impatiently waiting.......
What an amazing start to a series! Once I started this book I had a hard time putting it down.
A normal young girl reluctantly leaves her mom behind to head off to college. What she finds is anything but normal. Witches, Werewolves, and Vampires are definitely real, and it turns out she is one of them.
She quickly makes friends with her 3 roommates and before long has 4 handsome young men who are each drawn to her and she to them.
This is a magically lighthearted coming of age take on the reverse harem genre. I enjoyed every second and can not wait for more!