Would-Be Witch (Southern Witch, #1) in SOS: Serious Overload of Series

Aug 09, 2009 The Flooze rated it really liked it

Shelves: urban-fantasy-paranormal, vanquished_2010

Would-Be Witch is a little helter-skelter at times, but it's a very fun read. It reminded me a bit of the Sookie Stackhouse series, but with a much greater focus on humor.

Tammy Jo Trask is a likable, sweet narrator with just the right streak of sarcasm to keep her interesting. (She's also proof positive that us redheads have fiery tempers when crossed!) As an untrained, late-blooming witch, she's obviously going to make a lot of blunders, and with her family out of town she can't be too choosy a Would-Be Witch is a little helter-skelter at times, but it's a very fun read. It reminded me a bit of the Sookie Stackhouse series, but with a much greater focus on humor.

Tammy Jo Trask is a likable, sweet narrator with just the right streak of sarcasm to keep her interesting. (She's also proof positive that us redheads have fiery tempers when crossed!) As an untrained, late-blooming witch, she's obviously going to make a lot of blunders, and with her family out of town she can't be too choosy about whom she gets to help.

Enter Bryn Lyons, who fits the arrogant hottie mold to a tee. He's suave and devilishly handsome, and has the intelligence and magical ability to back up that arrogant attitude. Tammy Jo dearly loves to yell at him, while he fiercely enjoys taunting her into a tizzy. I can see much amusement coming from his efforts to win her over.

While I appreciated that the author didn't dump oodles of info in my lap, the world-building here is very thin. I'm hoping that's because Tammy Jo herself is a little clueless about how things work, and that we'll learn right along with her. It makes me wonder though--just how flakey is her family that she doesn't even know there are authorities that deal with magic? The laughs were more than enough to distract me, but I hope she bulks up the world a bit in future books.

As key as Tammy Jo and Bryn are to this story, the entire town plays a significant role. There's Tammy's ex-husband, who's a good ol' boy with a big heart and the right intentions, but he's far too bossy for his own good. There's Johnny Nyguen Ho, the town's only nod to ethnic diversity, who believes himself psychic and is fabulously creative when it comes to clothing designs and hair. Johnny comes complete with diva vampire boyfriend Rollie, and Tammy Jo's conversations with them prompted a lot of chuckles. And then, of course, we needed a life-long nemesis (everyone in a small town has one), so sprinkled throughout the story are run-ins with some rich-bitch nasty-pants who has it out for our Tammy.

It's a great popcorn read, and I'm certainly intrigued enough to keep on reading. These sorts of misadventures are right up my alley. ...more

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Apr 25, 2011 Kristen rated it liked it

While wrongly, in my opinion, categorized as PNR, it was a cute little story. Not quite as snarky and funny as the Accidental Series, but funny and enjoyable. The inevitable love triangle looks like Tammy-Zach-Bryn. With Zach being the typical can't-accept-her-wolrd guy and Bryn the all-powerful-he-can-never-understand-you-like-i-can guy. There was just enough character development for me to like them, Tammy Jo as the narrator was funny and engaging, and yet there's still enough mystery that I a ...more

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Oct 23, 2010 twinfish2 rated it liked it

Pretty good first in a series. The heroine had flashes of stupidity and sometimes did not stick up for herself but she shows promise. I really liked the characters of Duvall Texas. Quirky, folks. I liked the ex-husband Zach, and also the warlock Bryn. But Bryn had better turn into a better person in the next book if the author wants me to continue to care about him. He made some iffy choices concerning Tammy Jo and his quest to win her from Zach. I will read the next in the series BARELY BEWITCH ...more

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Oct 01, 2010 Drea rated it really liked it

Shelves: kindle-book, october-2010

Good, fast read. Loved the Southern charm. Liked the character of Tammy Jo, thought she was a little ditz at times and needed more of a back bone here and there. Did not like the overpowering and condenscending attitudes both the male leads - Zach, her ex-husband and Bryn, possible love interest - exhibited, but this could be because that's not my thing to put up with. I will more than likely read the next book - probably get it from the library as it is $14 for the Kindle. ...more

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Dec 25, 2010 Thenia rated it liked it

Shelves: reviewed, series, paranormal, 2011, shifters, magic

A light easy read about Tammy Jo, a not-even-real witch who gets herself in heaps of trouble.

The story's fluffy, seen from Tammy Jo's point of view, so we get to see how immensely STUPID she can be. Most of the time, she's okay, but some of her decisions... Her total ignorance about her abilities and her blind acceptance of some things really aren't speaking very well of her, but she manages to balance them out with her charm and good nature.

Ex-husband Zach tends to be a little too overbearing a ...more

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