Harley Merlin and the Secret Coven ~ Bella Forrest (book 1)

Harley Merlin and the Secret Coven by Bella Forrest
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Coming straight from reading the Harry Potter series with my son honestly anything else seems sub standard. That being said I kept getting facebook ads for this series so I figured I'd give it a try.



Summary:
When a rogue 19-year-old witch is recruited to help guard an ancient magical Bestiary, a breath-stealing journey begins...
Being an empath has its advantages. 

Harley Merlin can sense people’s emotions, among other things. It’s how she snagged her first job pinpointing cheaters at a casino.

But she has no clue where she got these freakish powers because she spent her childhood jumping from home to home in the foster system, and her father left her with nothing more than a cryptic note.

Then she crosses paths with a terrifyingly real monster. Which is when a mysterious and annoyingly arrogant young warlock named Wade Crowley steps in, introducing her to a hidden world of beasts, magicals, and covens riddled with secrets—as well as clues about her murky past.

My Take:

Overall I really enjoyed the world and the story line. There were a few unpredictable twists and turns that made it really stand out. My only big hold out going to 5 stars was the fact that the author seems to revisit the fact the main character is a foster kid over an over again. It is a plot point that is important to Harley's overall character but I think the author over emphasized it.  Also there are some other little moments where you get that feeling like its the first book in a series. A little over explaining here and there. If you can get past those little road bumps this is a good first installment.
The magic is interesting and there is definitely enough mystery to make you want to pick up the next book. I get that the Harry Potter similarities are there. Everyone living together and competing against other covens. The big bad who is of course fixated on the main character. Anyone who reads urban fantasy will tell you that this is not an uncommon theme across the board. Its really what the author does with it that makes the difference. In this case I felt there was enough originality to make this a good series.

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