In this Midnight Magic series installment, Mona McGregor runs a store in small town Goodnight, Virginia. Her two little nieces were dumped on her by her sister, she is helping to organise a wedding, she's single and lacking in confidence, and oh yes, she's High Priestess of a large witches' coven. A werewolf unexpectedly arrives bleeding on her doorstep and she's behind with potion making, so just another Saturday then!

Adam the werewolf has been harmed with silver and can't stop bleeding but Mona does patch him up and clothe him. He warns her that someone in her coven is trying to kill her, even hiring werewolves for the job. Witches are pacifists normally, working with nature, and the fact that they know vampires and other preternaturals abound doesn't mean that they go public with information. The only reason to kill Mona is to supplant her as High Priestess, and now Mona has to suspect everyone.

The charming way Mona tries to lead a normal life, with to- do lists and school runs, and a cat that's terrified of the visiting werewolf, lends a lot of appeal to WHAT'S A WITCH TO DO? Adam, who is dyslexic, is good with his hands and sets about refurbishing the magic shop while acting bodyguard. A demon on the scene provides menace while Mona checks out various people's homes and cars, and the town carries on with bake sales and parties. Maybe Mona does say 'hell's bells' a little too often, but she finally gets a pretty interesting love life and we are kept guessing as to who wants her dead.

I liked Jennifer Harlow's way of combining the real with the surreal and I'll be checking out more in this series. While it's not the first book, WHAT'S A WITCH TO DO? can be read as an occasionally humorous standalone and will please a lot of fans of adult paranormal tales.

Book Summary

High Priestess might sound like an ’80s hair band, but its Mona McGregor’s life. She runs the Midnight Magic shop in Goodnight, Virginia, and leads a large coven. She’s also raising two nieces and hasn’t been with a man for fifteen years…until a handsome doctor takes an interest in her. But Mona’s life really heats up when Adam Blue, a sexy werewolf, arrives at her door. Adam informs her that someone wants her dead and he is there to protect her. Hell’s bells! When a demon begins stalking her, Mona has to suspect her coven members, and even her family. With two handsome men and a determined demon after her, Mona teams up with Adam to find out who really wants her dead . . . and who really wants her.