SOLVED. YA Trilogy involving magic, some witches, a shape-shifting dog/wolf, and a talking, dismembered head disguised as a watermelon. [s]

[Jemray]

I don't remember much, so this is going to be messy. I really hope someone know what I'm talking about, or else I'll just sound slightly cray.

Ok:

1) Pretty sure it's a trilogy. Female author. (Not the 'All Souls' trilogy, as there are no vampires, at least in the 1st 2 books, which is all I've read). I think only the last book has the word 'witch' somewhere in the title.

2) Main character is has a lover who dies in the first book. In the second, she is engaged to someone she does not love (maybe a professor?).

3) At some point, maybe in the 2nd/3rd book, she is kidnapped by a witch and badly treated.

4) The main character visits someone in the hospital, accompanied by some other people, and for some reason she has a talking, living head in a satchel. A guard comes to check it out, and all he finds is a watermelon, as someone there has magical abilities.

5) Random tidbits:
-The first book starts off with a prologue, with sea creatures (mermaids maybe) who talk about the main characters lover who died--I think he may have died on a boat in a storm--so we know from the start of the book that he is going to die
- there is a unicorn in the book, who befriends the main character, then leaves her after she loses her virginity to her lover on the beach.
-I am almost certain there is a dog/wolf that has the ability to shape-shift, and who starts off watching the main character's house from a distance, but eventually comes to play a central role in the book.

This is a really bad description; I read it maybe 5 years ago. I just remember it being a really good read (much better than my poor memory and descriptive abilities will allow for). I keep Googling, and all I come up with is All Souls, which is definitely not what I'm looking for.

[Kagama-the Literaturevixen]

The only book I can yhink of with a disemembered talking head isThe Master of all Desires

But I am pretty sure its not your book :/

[Ann aka Iftcan]

There is a talking Zombie head in one of Katie MacAlister's novellas. But since the series that's in definitely has vampires, I am positive it's not that series. But, just in case that 1% chance it's something from one of her other series, I'll toss her name out there for you Jemray.

[Wren]

That sounds like an awesome book. Unfortunately I have no idea which book it is.

[Jemray]

Kagama-the Literaturevixen wrote: "The only book I can yhink of with a disemembered talking head isThe Master of all Desires

But I am pretty sure its not your book :/"

Thanks for your reply, Kagama. No, it's not the same book.

I think I may have made it sound like the dismembered head played a larger role than it did. I'm pretty sure it was only in a small chunk of (maybe) the first book. But, considering the rarity of living, dismembered heads disguised as watermelons, it seems to have been one of the parts that has stuck with me.

[Jemray]

Been entering random pieces that I remember from this book into google, and finally found it:

1. Prospero's Children
2. The Dragon Charmer
3. The Witch Queen