A Witch in Winter by Ruth Warburton

Anna Winterson doesn't know she's a witch and would probably mock you for believing in magic, but after moving to the small town of Winter with her father, she learns more than she ever wanted to about power. When Anna meets Seth, she is smitten, but when she enchants him to love her, she unwittingly amplifies a deadly conflict between two witch clans and splits her own heart in two. She wants to love Seth, to let him love her – but if it is her magic that's controlling his passion, then she is as monstrous as the witch clan who are trying to use her amazing powers for their own gain.

A Witch in Winter is an incredible tale of one unknowing witch who falls into a world she never knew she belonged in. After accidentally casting a love spell on her crush, Anna soon realizes that she's much more powerful than the average teenage girl- she's in fact a witch. With new friends and a newfound power, Anna is faced with making the decision to control her magic under a power hungry witch clan or remain true to herself and those she loves.

This story had some fantastic elements that really sets it apart from other paranormal reads. I loved that the focus was solely on witches and no other creatures. Too often paranormal books focus on the vampires or werewolves (who I still love) but its really refreshing to have a new creature take the spotlight. However, I would have liked to have seen a stronger focus on the witches. This book really reads like a contemporary, where the witchcraft doesn't feel as prominent as it could have (at least not until the very end). There were some scenes where magic is used, but it kind of just felt like Anna focuses her mind and something happens. There wasn't any real wow factor about it.

I did enjoy the relationship Anna had with her crush, Seth. The two have a bit of a rocky start, especially when he realizes he's been cursed, but there is still an underlying connection. The love spell really hides the fact that there is insta-love in this book which is a positive because it wasn't as noticeable as I would have thought. Anna herself was a likeable character. There wasn't anything too outstanding about her, but I definitely didn't find any annoying features either. I wasn't completely sold on Seth as a love interest right away, I had more of a 'book connection' with the character Abe actually, but around halfway through the book I started to soften up to the idea of Seth. This may have something to do with a comic drunk scenario that left me grinning!

The other characters, including Anna's new magical friends, were my favorite part of the book. Their banter and instant connection was hilarious and the needed comic relief to this story. Abe in particular has some great one-liners. Anna's dad is one of those, not-always-present types, which is frustrating because of its unrealistic nature.

I do see the potential that this series has. I know that the first book isn't always the strongest and so I have high hopes in the developing story. If you're looking for a new spin in the paranormal genre, then I recommend checking out A Witch in Winter!