Wicked by Any Other Name-Linda Wisdom

Wicked by Any Other Name
Linda Wisdom
Sourcebooks Casablanca, Mar 2009, $6.99
ISBN: 1402217730

Seven centuries ago student witch Stasi Romanov and twelve classmates were kicked out of the Witches Academy for unruly behavior. Over the years Stasi matured somewhat; some insist experience taught her to hide her impish side though she uses a bit of magic to insure success at her lingerie shop and to sell love charms in Moorstone Lake.

However, her luck runs out when one of her luck charms fails to bring satisfaction to the client. The customer Carrie the human abomination hires wizard attorney Trevor Barnes to sue Stasi. She is outraged when she receives the summons to appear in Wizard’s Court. Meanwhile Cupid decides to have impish fun when he sees the attraction between Stasi and Trevor while an unknown evil adversary is playing games with the townsfolk and an eclipse is leading to a witch hunt. As Stasi and Trevor fall in love, a taboo as everyone knows witches and wizards are oil and water, the old gang of thirteen come together to try to save the day.

This is an entertaining lighthearted romantic frolic starring two likable opposites (a given when a wizard meets a witch) and a charming support cast; except Cassie who contains no charm in her make-up as even her bone marrow can wither a love charm with her caustic personality. The story line is brisk, breezy and irreverent yet droll and amusing as Linda Wisdom cats a spell on her fans (see 50 WAYS TO HEX YOUR LOVER and HEX APPEAL).

Harriet Klausner