DON'T HEX WITH TEXAS

Author: Shanna Swendson ISBN: 9780345492937 5/2008 PARANORMAL Publisher: BALLANTINE

Katie Chandler has fled fast-paced Manhattan and returned home to a simpler life, working at her family’s feed-and-seed store in Cobb, Texas. Leaving the sexy wizard Owen Palmer to battle his demons in the magical realm may have been a selfless gesture—after all, Katie seemed to attract evil, which only made Owen's job a lot harder—but now it seems like trouble has followed her home. And despite the fact that Merlin, Katie’s old boss at Magic, Spells, and Illusions, Inc., has assured her that Cobb is free of enchantment, magically speaking, Katie begins to notice curious phenomena. Soon Cobb is being plagued by a series of unexplainable petty crimes and other devilish mischief, and after her experiences in Manhattan, Katie knows "unauthorized magic" when she sees it. As this new dark magic strikes deep in the heart of Texas, Owen appears (literally) to investigate. Now Katie’s friends and family must show the bad guys why it’s bad luck to hex with Texas, while Katie and Owen combine their strengths like never before to uncover a sinister plot before evil takes root in the lone star state.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

For laugh-out-loud fun, DON'T HEX WITH TEXAS by Shanna Swendson can't be beat! I knew by the cover, with its Stetson-wearing, dancing green critter and wand-waving woman that this was going to be an interesting, and probably entertaining story, but I honestly had no idea how good it was going to be. You know how they say you can't judge a book by its cover? They lie! Sometimes you can, and this is an example of the interior complementing the cover perfectly.

When Katie discovers the man she's fallen for is, well, more than an ordinary man, and that her nearness to him persuades him to make bad decisions about fighting evil in the world as well as guarding his own life, she returns from New York to Texas, to the middle-of-nowhere family nest. Half expecting Owen will follow her, or at the very least call, Katie settles in to work in her family's feed store. She's surrounded by kooky relatives, and if that isn't entertaining enough (which it pretty much is!), weird things begin to happen in town. With her New York experiences, she's able to recognize the paranormal has come to Cobb. Of course, Owen shows up just as things begin to get really crazy. Together, along with help from Katie's granny and some others, they go after the evildoers and try and restore order to Cobb.

Even writing this review has brought a smile back to my face. This book is just fun, pure and simple. It's got a comical, fast-moving plot that's well written, characters who are over-the-top and romance enough to satisfy anyone looking for a little love fix. This is one of those books you read for the sheer pleasure it brings. Wonderfully well done!

Kay James