Is a Witch Without Powers Still a Witch?

 

TITLE: The Late-Night Witches

AUTHOR: Auralee Wallace

PUBLISHER: Ace

PUBLISHING DATE: SAugust 19, 202\5

PAGES: 400   

SOURCE: Library 

FROM GOODREADS: Cassie Beckett’s life is anything but magical. With a wild younger sister, three unruly kids, and an absent husband, she’s really not looking forward to the witching month of October. At least the gorgeous, foggy Prince Edward Island is always quiet. 

That is, until the vampires arrive. 

As the creatures sink their teeth into Cassie’s tenuous grip on normalcy, she’s forced to come face-to-face with long–disregarded family secrets. The legacy gifts her with power, but also a lofty rid the island of vampires, or let them win. (Both options suck, in more ways than one.) 

Armed with her family, newfound friends, and a baby in a spectacularly garlicky onesie, Cassie must learn what it is to be a witch and how to fight for what she loves before time runs out. Because on Halloween night, the stakes will be higher than ever before...and it’s up to Cassie to finish what the witches that came generations before her started.

MY THOUGHTS: I thought this would be a cozy read as we move into spooky season and I wasn't wrong. I also know this author has a cozy mystery series centering around witches which I have always been interested in so I figured it was about time to give her a try.

Cassie and her three children live on Prince Edward Island.  Her husband is overseas working with Doctors Without Borders and her days are spent trying to keep her family together and raise her sister Eliza - even though she is a full-grown adult.  Cassie's mother died when Cassie was young and the two entered foster care when her aunt Dorcas, refused to care for them.  Or at least that's how Cassie remembers it.  

Now strange things are happening in Cassie's neighborhood and one night, Eliza's boyfriend shows up sick, or is he?  Cassie comes to realize that there is actually a vampire curse which comes to fruition on Halloween Night, and she is actually the "Witch of Her Generation." She is tasked with killing the vampire who has recently broken his bondage and failure to do so with certainly mean the end of life as she knows it on the island, and possibly the whole world.  

This book really tries to do a lot and although not perfect, I think it does it fairly well.  Cassie is dealing with single motherhood, questioning her marriage to a man who always wants to do good - elsewhere, an aunt she hasn't spoken to in years, tingling hands and a burning coin in her pocket.  Her sister Eliza is a fun yet hot mess who leaps before she thinks and Cassie is really sick of bailing her out.  There is also a sexy neighbor next door who recently took on the responsibility of raising his infant niece after her mother took off.  Together, all these individuals find themselves coming together for one cause. Even though Cassie is struggling to figure out if she does have witchy powers and honestly believes she will die rather than kill the Vampire King, she is determined to find her lost memories and hopes her powers show up along the way.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book.  I only had two small concerns.  One, there is an element of infidelity and even though it really doesn't play a big role in the plot, it's a pet peeve of mine and something I don't like at all.  And secondly, I found the pacing to be a bit slow.  There is a lot to unpack in the novel and there were times I found myself setting the book aside and not really picking it up for a few more days.  

This book STRONGLY gives off "Practical Magic" vibes, so much in fact I wonder how much it was an inspiration to the author during her writing.  There is definitely a found-family element as well which I always seem to enjoy.  Halloween season is quickly approaching and if you want something that fits the mood without being full blown-out horror, look no further. 

MY RATING: 4 PAWS