Over Hexed by Vicki Lewis Thompson

This year, I'm making a New Year's Resolution(never mind the fact that I still have a week to go before the New Year hits). This will be the first Resolution I have ever made and truth be told, I'm a bit nervous about doing so. At any rate, I'm making it, and I can only hope I manage to stick with it. What is it, you ask? Well, I resolve to post at least three new dishes each week, and if the dish happens to be news from the publishing side, or other tidbits, well, it still counts. That's my goal, three a week. Think I can do it? Maybe. We'll see. I'm gonna make a good faith effort at any rate. And now, on with it...

Over Hexed by Vicki Lewis Thompson
(BCC)

The key to finding true love...

Banished. Until their unconventional techniques land them in hot water, Dorcas and Ambrose are the matchmaking therapists for lovelorn witches and wizards. The Grand High Wizard has exiled them to the very conventional and unmagical town of Big Knob, Indiana. Population: 947. But that doesn't mean they've given up matchmaking....

...is a good hex life.

Now they're doing it for mere mortals - although all agree: Sean Madigan is something of a god. Because he's tired of being the town sex object, Dorcas and Ambrose strip him of his appeal and then introduce him to his destiny. Maggie Grady. This time winning a girl's heart won't be so easy for Sean. It means rediscovering the charms buried beneath a gorgeous surface, and finally proving himself to be more of a man than ever before.

As far as this BCC, well, it's damn good. That's not something I'm used to saying, but it's the truth, and I have no problem saying so.

I've made no secret of the fact that I have a total FGSF every time I get a new Thompson book. I LOVE her Nerd books, and when I read that Thompson was going to be putting out a new paranormal series, well, I nearly wet my pants I was so excited. Paranormal plus one of my favorite authors? HOG HEAVEN. Then I read another of my favorite author's books that had gone from Romance to Paranormal, and well, I was nervous. But, ya know what? I had absolutely no need to fret. Thompson, for me, has done it again.

When Dorcas and Ambrose give the Grand High Wizard's brother-in-law a potion that goes awry, they are sentenced to exile in Big Knob, Indiana until they can straighten out George, a dragon living in The Whispering Forest there. You see, George is supposedly ADD, and would rather play poker with raccoons, and blow shaped smoke rings than patrol the forest and keep it protected.

Sean Madigan has never had a problem getting a woman. In fact, Sean's problem is just the opposite, he can't even walk down the street without the women of Big Knob assaulting him trying to get a date. Fed up with it all, Sean just wishes he could live like a normal man. Dorcas and Ambrose happen to be walking in town one day and see Sean being accosted and step in to help. And this is when Dorcas and Ambrose get their big idea.

In exchange for Sean, who is the local handyman, building them a sex bench, Dorcas and Ambrose agree to help Sean become less attractive to the opposite sex. Sean doesn't see how this can happen, but Sean doesn't know that he's dealing with a witch and wizard. But Dorcas doesn't want to just stop with Sean becoming less attractive to all women, she wants to help him find his soul mate. If the plan just happens to take care of their problem with George, well, so much the better. So they set a plan in motion to bring his soul mate to town, throw them together, and help them see when Sean is acting like a man.

Maggie Grady is a location scout for a big super saving chain store. When three of her big deals fall through, she's in jeopardy of losing her job, and convinced that there is a mole in the company. When she gets an e-mail saying that some one has a great location for a new store, Maggie hops the red-eye to beat out the competition.

The location for the store, just happens to be the house that Sean has been wanting to buy since his father lost it and fled, years ago. Unfortunately for Sean, Dorcas and Ambrose had already started working on his appeal to women, and Maggie isn't the least bit charmed just by looking at him. Sean, on the other hand, is instantly smitten with Maggie. And, against her better judgement, Maggie finds herself more and more attracted to Sean.

The cast of characters in Hexed are hilarious. There's the beautician that can't stop talking about her sex life, the 80 something Edith Mae Hoogstraten, that has no business driving but does so anyway with the town just making way for her, George the dragon who refuses to be responsible, and Sean himself who uses skunks as a way to keep the women away, and the rock in which the town was named, Big Knob that resembles sometime very sexual. No wonder the town is oversexed.

Hexed is what happens when a great Romance writer tries her hand at paranormal without veering too far from her roots. Filled with incredible sexual tension, laugh out loud moments, and sweet Romance, Hexed is an amazing start to a what promises to be a great series of related books. While each book will feature a different H&H, with such a small town, characters are sure to repeat, and with the cast featured, I can't think of anything better.

For a great, fun, fast paced read, grab Hexed. I honestly don't think you'll be disappointed. It really is lighthearted fun at it's best. And although I love these books and hope to read many more, I have to hope that the Nerd books are not taking a backseat, I didn't see any mention of when the next one would be out, and I really don't want to do without those. Any one know about those?

Take Care