WILD AND HEXY

Author: Vicki Lewis Thompson ISBN: 9780451412584 6/2008 PARANORMAL Publisher: ONYX

Nerdy computer whiz Jeremy Dunstan has wanted Annie Winston since high school, but back then, he lacked the courage to woo her. Now fate has given him a second chance; Annie is returning to Big Knob for her younger sister's wedding, and Jeremy's the best man. Unfortunately, coming face to face with the woman of his dreams still has the power to turn his genius brain to mush. Perhaps what he really needs is a touch of magic.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Get ready for a truly WILD & HEXY ride as Vicki Lewis Thompson's second novel in her 'Hex' series is brewing with lots of magical fun, mishaps, and most important of all—romance!

Journalist Annie Winston returns to her hometown of Big Knob, Indiana, to serve as the maid of honor in her sister's wedding. But the former Dairy Queen is coming back a little worse for wear as she has just gone through an emotionally draining divorce and is dealing with weight issues after eating her sorrows away. But Jeremy Dunstan, the town's resident computer whiz and owner of the local internet café Click-or-Treat, only sees that the beautiful girl he once had a major crush on has turned into an even more beautiful woman. And as inept as he may be with the ladies, Jeremy knows this may be his only chance of impressing Annie during her short stay. After getting some help from the town's resident witches, Ambrose and Dorcas, Jeremy is a new man, able to perform magic tricks at will and much more confident than his old self. And the new Jeremy isn't going to let Annie go without the good fight.

This story was enhanced with the wonderful cast of secondary characters, of which Ambrose and Dorcas are the lead, as they use their magic to bring Annie and Jeremy together while keeping an eye on the town's lake monster and resident dragon. Yes, I did say dragon. In fact, it's the dragon that keeps Annie around longer than her originally planned stay as she wants to get a story to take back to the Chicago Tribune. But with Ambrose and Dorcas running the show behind the scenes, and a third witch in town to stir some mischief into the cauldron that is Big Knob, it proves to be very WILD & HEXY ride as the main couple falls in love with a bit of help from their magically inclined friends.

I enjoyed Annie and Jeremy, as both characters were very real. Annie had just gone through a divorce that brought down her self esteem and ironically, it was Jeremy, usually unsure of himself, who gets a second wind (with the help of some magic) and is able to rebuild her confidence in herself as well as her sexuality. That, too, was fun to watch as Jeremy transformed into a confident Alpha male while keeping his sweet and caring personality intact. The two shared some very steamy scenes together that were both hilarious and sensually romantic.

Vicki Lewis Thompson has penned a fun paranormal tale with likeable, relatable characters and a wonderfully rich supporting cast that is just as interesting in their own exploits as are the main couple of Annie and Jeremy. Though it is not a keeper for me, Thompson's WILD & HEXY was an enjoyable story that lovers of romance and magic will have fun reading.

Maame Kanbi