Rise and Divine by Lana Harper
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
**3.5-stars**
Rise and Divine is the 5th-book in The Witches of Thistle Grove series. This is an Adult Romance series all set in the quaint town of Thistle Grove, where witch families can live and pursue their various passions and gifts.
For those unfamiliar with the series, the books are all companion novels. They take place in the same small town, following the same timeline, but each book focuses on different main characters.
In this installment, we’re following Dasha Avramov and Ivy Thorn. For those familiar with this series, you’ll definitely recognize these names, and if you’re not, it doesn’t matter, you can still read this book and enjoy the story.
Dasha is a special kind of witch. She’s what’s known as a devil eater, which means she has a very rare ability that allows her to banish demons and traverse the veil. It’s also on of the most dangerous affinities.
Since the loss of her parents, Dasha finds herself, in her grief, more and more curious about what lies beyond the veil; in a very unhealthy way.
She’s also been isolating herself from family, friends and as much as she can, the rest of the community. All that’s about to change though, when she is forced to work with her old flame, Ivy Thorn, to plan an upcoming local festival.
The tension is high between the two, but it’s obvious a spark is still smoldering. Their work forces them into contact, but that work on the festival starts to pale in comparison to the teamwork needed to defeat the otherworldly force suddenly focused on their town.
Through these treacherous circumstances, the two women start to open up to one another, and trust another once again, but will it be enough to make this second-chance romance a success?
I’m going to be brutally honest for a minute; wild, I know. I haven’t been blown away by any of the books in this series. Sometimes, I wonder why I am continuing with it at all.
They’ve all been a bit mediocre for me, but with this being said, every time I see a new one announced, I get excited to see what characters it will follow and what the basic plot will be. Also, the cover art. I always love it.
So, at the end of the day, while I wouldn’t say this is necessarily a series that will blow your hair back, there’s still something so cozy and relaxing about returning to Thistle Grove. Each book brings something new and examines romantic relationships in a different way.
I liked the second-chance romance element. To me, it seemed unlikely Dasha would be able to give Ivy what she needs in the long run, but I’ll let you read it and decide for yourself whether or not that’s true.
I did really enjoy the darker elements in this one. The threat to the town felt real. I liked how brave the women were in taking that on; particularly, Dasha.
Yeah, if there’s another book, I’m game. I like this town. I think it is fun to see where each new book is going to go. Do I think they’re the most memorable romances in the world? No, but also, I’m still here for what they are.
Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I always appreciate it!
