If you rewatch Practical Magic every year and love everything about Halloween season, you're in for a treat. Immerse yourself in all things witchy with these seven audio romances.
Vivienne’s cousin and fellow witch Gwyn Jones from THE EX HEX is back in Erin Sterling’s follow-up, THE KISS CURSE. Narrator Shannon McManus is ready to dive into all of Gwyn’s challenges—her new coven; her magic shop, Something Wicked; and Wells Penhallow, a fellow business owner whose arrogant presence is both aggravating and intriguing. McManus uses a lower register and a shoulder-shrugging insouciance that plays up Sterling’s calamity-driven humor.
Zura Johnson narrates NOT THE WITCH YOU WED by April Asher, a witchy romance set in New York City. Facing dating pressure from obscure supernatural law, magic-less witch Violet reluctantly agrees to pretend date Lincoln, a guy from her past who also happens to be a wolf shifter. Johnson's performance highlights the snark in this lighthearted paranormal romance.
In PAYBACK'S A WITCH by Lana Harper, narrator Jeremy Carlisle Parker swoops and swishes through the magical town of Thistle Grove. Witch Emmy Harlow has mixed feelings about returning to her hometown, much less running into the ultimate evil ex, Gareth Blackmore. When Emmy and the intimidating Talia discover Gareth is up to his old tricks, they turn to thoughts of revenge. In narrative sections, Parker’s voice dips and rises melodiously, while in dialogue, her vocals are both precise and intimate.
Emerson Wilde is your typical small-town Chamber of Commerce president . . . except she’s also a witch. In SMALL TOWN, BIG MAGIC, narrator Natalie Duke totally gets Emerson’s Type A personality and her oversized love for her planner and sticky notes. Her bold delivery matches Emerson’s outsized ambitions and her tendency to leap before she looks, dragging her mini coven of friends with her.
Golden Voice Barbara Rosenblat is in her element with SWEETWATER & THE WITCH by Jayne Castle. Peril, cults, and accusations of witchcraft lead to a palpable feeling of dread, and Rosenblat is more than ready to fan that flame. Even if Ravenna Chastain manages to escape her very own witch trials, she’ll be unemployed, with a very limited skill set. Luckily, Rosenblat is ready with a wicked sense of humor to highlight Ravenna’s resigned self-mockery as she navigates her life challenges and the man who appears to share them. Press play for the adventure, stay for the laughs.
Narrator Samara MacLaren is ready to let listeners in on the delightful mysteries of THE VERY SECRET SOCIETY OF IRREGULAR WITCHES by Sangu Mandanna. Well behaved and quiet Mika Moon takes a huge step out of her comfort zone when she accepts an online job offer to tutor young witches on a remote island with an usual group of inhabitants. MacLaren’s British accent and proper diction will charm listeners while her quiet, arch manner hints at Mika’s hidden depths. Her careful pacing allows listeners to steep themselves in Mandanna’s worldbuilding.
In Celestine Martin's WITCHFUL THINKING, a hex turns Lucinda into the “girl who can’t say no.” She even agrees to help her neighbor and secret crush Alex with his jinxed house. Narrator Zara Eden lingers over words, creating magical spaces where only Lucinda and Alex exist. Cary Hite provides an endearing masculine foil with a clear, well paced narration.
