This was a fast, enjoyable escape for fans of paranormal romance, and the world-building/magic system especially impressed me as being really well thought out for this genre. There were moments where the actual chemistry between the characters, as well as the explicit scenes, began to feel a little bit repetitive, but Bast's writing combined with the magic system and the believable characters made up for that to the extent that I'm planning on reading the next book in the series. There's nothing truly surprising here for fans of paranormal romance--it's exactly what you'd expect from the blurb--but the writing and the story are both so strong as to make the read a real escape and fully engaging, despite the lack of surprises around the plot. I will say that the ending and the final resolution felt a bit rushed, but all things considered, I enjoyed the book as a whole and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to fans of the genre. ( )

Quite disappointing! I'm not a prude and I enjoy reading erotica but from this book I was expecting more than a bunch of sexual escapades: of the 278pages I had to read in fact, probably only 30 or so were dedicated to the actual plot of this story!
Moreover I found Jack's angst about the decision to reveal his past to Mira pretty unnecessary, even more so since all his overreacting clashed miserably with the anticlimactic way the whole (big secret revealed-heroine's angst/anger-heroine's forgiveness) scenario was portrayed in the end.
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Jack is the son of an evil warlock bent on capturing and killing witches for his own gain, who's assigned to protect Mira. Mira has led a sheltered life and has no idea she's an air witch. It's a quick romance with sparks flying with these two right away. Lots of sex scenes once they started, while well written it was a bit overdone and after a point I just wanted to get back to the story. Some of the characters decision making was annoying and the overall story felt abbreviated.
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Witch Fire
4 Stars

Newly divorced and working as a waitress to save up for college, Mira Hoskins is completely unaware of the fact that she is about to play a pivotal role in the ongoing conflict between witches and warlocks. Not only is Mira a rare air witch with the potential for tremendous power, but she is also the target for warlocks who seek to use her in a demon summoning ritual. The only person standing between Mira and a certain death is Jack McAllister, a fire witch who will do anything to protect Mira for reasons that are becoming more and more personal.

It has been a while since I read Anya Bast’s excellent Dark Magick series and I’d forgotten how much I enjoy her writing. Bast’s world building is engrossing and her characters have depth and intensity.

Not only do Mira and Jack have explosive chemistry in and out of the bedroom, but each has a well-fleshed out background that makes them all the more appealing. My one small nitpick regarding their romance is the annoying keeping secrets trope. Thankfully, it doesn’t overshadow the relationship too much and is resolved quite easily without the equally detestable silly misunderstanding stemming from a lack of communication.

The plot is secondary to the romance, which is understandable given the nature of the genre and the relatively short length. Nevertheless, what there is to the story is very intriguing and the set up for the next book has potential.

In short, a fast, fun read recommended for lovers of steamy paranormal romance. ( )

An interesting start to a new series. Looking forward to the next one. ( )