Dead witch? As if.With no memory of recent events, I’m fighting a losing battle. With a serial killer. My team work closely to not only find him, but to help me harness the magic of the ley line. With my magic failing, my memories forgotten, and my team the only thing keeping me alive, I don’t have much time left.Not only is the serial killer threatening me, but the terrorist group Paranormals … terrorist group Paranormals For Freedom (PFF) are about to play their hand. Unsure if the two cases are connected, my team and I have to work double time to stop them all before more innocent lives are taken. Fighting the killer, the PFF, and my own death demons, I’m barely hanging on. Can I regroup in time to save London?
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I adore Rachel Medhurst’s Paranormal MI5 series and especially it’s lead Gemma Abbott, a pure Essex witch, who technically should be deceased but is kept going by the life force in the pure magic of Mother Earth’s ley lines, which she is permanently attached to. Her utterly cool job as a paranormal MI5 agent works perfectly with this since she and her team are tasked with protecting those very ley lines. In book 1 of this series (Spells & Death, separately reviewed) we met her and her MI5 team and started the hunt for a serial killer of witches (the death of whom are impacting poor Gemma). Now in Spells & Life (Book 2) we pick up where book 1 ended. Gemma comes out of her coma to find herself missing memory but she can’t take time to recover since she and her team are still on the hunt the Essex killer (no pressure but the killer must be stopped before destroying the world). Action and thrills ensue, truths are finally revealed (about Gemma’s family, especially her dad and the awful things he did before his death) and the embers of romance (with Dave: yaay) get lit. Total craziness and addictively enjoyable. But for the fact that I’m literally dictating this review to my husband from my hospital bed I could go on and on with praises – the book definitely deserves it. Since I can’t do that I will simply note that the book is most definitely one to read, it is easy to highly recommend. I’m definitely looking forward to the next book in this series.
This book picks up just after book 1 ended. Gemma doesn’t know what happened right off when she comes out of the coma, but is unwilling to hang around the hospital. I love how she finally is letting Dave get close to her. It may only be out of necessity, but he is always there. I also love how she realized she is the team leader and she knows nothing about her team. Poor girl has her hands full with the serial killer, the evil witch her father lost the bet to, her powers not working right, her boss/mother and the ancestors. All this combined will take us on one wild adventure with Gemma. The drama’s not over yet. Next up saving her best friend from the serial killer’s accomplice. I volunteered to read an advanced reader copy and am under no obligation to leave this review.
This was a great sequel. The story was fast paced and exciting with a good amount of action and suspense. There were also a few surprises. I enjoyed seeing Gemma grow as an individual, friend and agent.
Gemma wakes up with no memory. In order to get it back she’ll have to reconcile with one of the last people she wants to talk to. Obtaining her memory is only the beginning though. She’ll have to accept a truth she’s been denying. Then find the Essex killer and stop him from destroying the world.
Sometimes admitting we need help and asking for it is the hardest part.
Gemma will discover that allowing others to help her doesn’t make her weak. It makes her and her team stronger but will their combined efforts be enough to thwart the enemy?
I look forward to reading the next book.
Super excited that Gemma was able to find some answers and rid herself of an enemy, overall it was an enjoyable read that kept me hooked.
Despite this, I gave three stars because the world building was lacking compared to the first, the writing seemed very rushed, and the interactions between characters and their events seemed disjointed. I admit I was also pretty annoyed with Gemma this time around because the book felt like one big pity party. It’s clear that the author has set Gemma up on a journey of self-discovery and learning how to let people in, but then the author writes that Gemma only feels powerful and confident with magic in her, and she’s still not understanding that stepping up to do her job doesn’t always mean she’s letting people in. I honestly think that my frustrations with Gemma are the same that she’s feeling about herself. I do love this author, so I will be reading the next book confident that my mind will be blown
This is the second book in this series and I am loving them. The characters are fantastic and the storyline has so many secrets, twists and turns.! Did i mention secrets? Holy cow there’s some doozies!! I love the pop up appearances by characters from the Hunted Witch Agency series too!!
Things are heating up in the MI5 Division. Gemma has lost her memory and maybe her mind! 😉 The story picks right back up and is so action packed and full of amazing energy that it was over before I knew it! I love this series and I cannot wait to see how things pan out in the next series installment!
I was gifted an ARC in return of an honest review.