Book Review & More: The Witches Walk by Jeanne Adams

Sep 20, 2016 | Blog, Jeanne Adams, September 2016

The Witches Walk by Jeanne Adams is the first book in her Haven Harbor series and it introduces us to the Witches of Haven Harbor. It’s time to remember those who have the “gift” and why they sacrificed everything to escape death and persecution three hundred years ago.

From the beginning, Jeanne pulls us in with her amazing prologue and from there, right into the annual Witches Walk. Nothing stands out more than a committee desperate to make changes with a new coordinator. Mari Beecham fits the bill and is hired yet she isn’t exactly forthcoming on her past. What will the town do when they discover who she really is? When Mari sets off for Haven Harbor she has no idea what to expect and the unexpected finds her!

Leave it to the Town Council Chair and local hottie, otherwise known as Pere Hestworth to further intrigue Mari and spice things up. The man is scrumptious, wicked and absolutely sinful. Pere must battle both his mother and his feelings towards Mari when he realizes that there is more to her sudden appearance in Haven Harbor than meets the eye. Mari’s going to set his world on fire and that’s just the beginning..

Not everyone is content with witches walking about town and when employees affiliated with the Witches Walk start disappearing, it will take a town and it’s coven to uncover the danger. There are too many unexplained coincidences, and far too much danger for Mari and other women in Haven Harbor.

Discover Haven Harbor’s Witches Walk. This fabulous book is written with humor, suspense and sizzle. A town that will do anything to protect it’s coven, well…. almost anything ;). Hopefully Mari and Pere can find out the truth before it all goes up in smoke.

Jeanne Adams has created another tantalizing must read! This two peppers spicy latte hot delight has just enough sizzle to make you tingle and a lot of action! Oh, and yes, it’s for  mature readers 18+.
I received this ARC for a fair and honest review.

**Excerpt**

“Oh, hey, Ms. Beecham?” Carol hurried over as she came out of the ladies room, anxious to impart her news. “Mr. Gus had to leave. Something about his one of his other businesses, you know, the No Colds Barred Urgent Care Centers? He has a couple, and the U-Store-It and the car wash too. Anyway, he said he’d meet you here tomorrow morning, nine sharp. Um, if that suits you, of course.”
The last had been added for her benefit, Mari was sure. She’d lay odds Gus had said no such thing.
“Thank you Carol, and please, call me Mari. Save the Ms. Beecham for when the sponsors show up. Otherwise, we’re working this together, right? You’ve got a lot to teach me, and I’m ready to learn.”
Carol straightened, and her nervous hand twisting disappeared.
“I thought you’d be mad,” she blurted, then blushed. “That he left.” She blushed even more. “And then he gave Ms. Geneva your office.”
Mari made a snap decision, based on that look in the office. “Power play,” she stated and watched Carol’s eyes widen.
“Really?”
Mari just smiled, letting the young woman work it out. Gus wanted to give her a thimbleful of information, then deny her any more until he was ready to dole it out. Damned if she’d let that stop her.
“Let’s get some lunch,” she suggested. They invited Geneva along, but she demurred, waving at two dusty boxes. “If I can get through these first two years today, I’ll have made progress.”
Still wide-eyed at being invited, Carol walked with her to the nearby deli. They came back to the office to eat. In that short hour, Mari got more information from a bubbling, enthusiastic Carol than she’d gotten in nearly three hours with Gus.
“Time for more meet-n-greet,” Mari said when they finished. She slipped her purse out of her briefcase along with her car keys. “I’ll be back before you leave at five. I’m going to stop at Lydia Webb’s shop, then drive out to Mr. Hestworth’s Micro Mechanics Gaming Company to see the Walk’s end point.”
“I’ll wait till you get back then,” Carol said with a smug look of her own, turning back to her desk, “before I lock up and all.”
“Sound’s good,” Mari said. “I’ve got meetings in Boston tomorrow with Boston Chamber, and with the Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce people. Their promotions committee is having a dinner and they invited me.”
Carol looked shocked. “They’ve never asked Mr. Gus to come to Boston.”
“Gus didn’t run an event at the Fogg Museum for four hundred of the country’s top CEO’s. I made some friends in Boston last time I was here.”
“Wow.” Carol’s grin about split her face. “That is majorly awesome.”
“Yeah, it was pretty cool. And on that happy note, I’ll head out.”
Mari turned to the door and ran right into the solid, sexy form of Peregrine Hestworth.Visions of smoke, fire and blood assaulted him the minute Marisol Beecham’s hands hit his chest. Off balance and startled, her attempt to back away warred with the forward motion of her pivot, leaving them both stumbling, and with her nearly helpless in his arms.
He smelled expensive perfume and lush, powerful woman. It reinforced the echo of the vision’s smoky warning.
What the hell?
The hint of foresight passed as quickly as it had come, as they all did, leaving him breathless and hyperaware of the woman in his arms. She was a tidy package of femininity and force. Fairly petite, she’d emphasized her gorgeous legs with stylish heels and a slim skirt. He didn’t know what the fashion was called, but it made the most of every curve.
His body’s instant reaction to her shape, and scent could be chalked up to recent celibacy, he was sure. Still, she was attractive with a wealth of dark hair and snapping dark eyes.
“I beg your pardon, Mr. Hestworth,” she said, untangling herself and pushing away. It wasn’t a shove, but it was a sure warning that she stood on her own two feet.
“No, I should be begging yours, Ms. Beecham,” he replied, and enjoyed the confusion that washed over her mobile features. “I brought you these,” he dangled a ring of keys, shiny and newly cut, between them.
“And these are?”
“Oh!” Carol, who had come to the door when she saw them collide, interrupted, pointing at the keys. “The office, the four temporary storage spaces over at the U-Store-it, the supply closet, and,” she frowned and came forward to tap the last brass key on the ring. “What’s this one? Is that to the big closet in Mr. Gus’s office?”
“It is,” Pere confirmed, resisting the urge to ruffle Carol’s hair as he had when she was younger. She’d hate him for treating her like a kid so he smiled, and nodded his approval. “Keen eye, Carol. Ms. Beecham, you had asked to look at all the financial records, as well as the list of vendors from the past couple of years. Has Gus gotten you those?”
“Yes and no. While I did see the modified version that was used for the Request for Proposal, I’d like to see the final you actually used.” It surprised him that she turned to Carol with the explanation. “Looking at the financials will tell me where we can maximize profits, looking at vendor lists can tell me who’s come before that we might entice back.”
He caught the undercurrent of excitement from Carol. Marisol Beecham had somehow managed to see what few others had, that Carol was brilliant, but it was overshadowed by her need to please and her nervous fear of doing the wrong thing. Pere had tried to hire her at MicroMechanics, thinking some of his staff could encourage her, but Carol had stubbornly clung to her position at the Walk office.
“Ah, that seems…logical.” Carol said the last bit almost as a question.
“I think it will prove to be, if the records are good.”
“I’ve asked Gus to be sure you have them before the end of the week.” Pere approved her proposed methodology. “The records are a good place to start. How was your morning? Did you find everything you needed?”
Puzzled by the almost fearful look Carol shot Marisol’s way, he frowned. “Office not to your liking?”
“The auditor is using the second office at this point. She’s in there now with the first two years of the Walk’s records, so I’ll take them next. Is that the office you meant?” Marisol inquired with a tilt of her dark head. He could see something in her eyes, but whether it was temper or amusement, he couldn’t tell.
“She’s using your office?” he said, going around her to open the door to the office behind them after a brief knock.
Obviously her look had been suppressed temper, because his own temper flared in an instant at the sight of the box-filled room and the startled looking woman who sat at the desk now covered with stacks of paper in manila file folders.
“Good afternoon,” he said, modulating his irritation to a smile. No need to antagonize the woman just because he was pissed with Gus.
“Well hello,” she said, with a surprised note in her voice. “You must be Mr. Hestworth.”
They exchanged introductions and pleasantries, with her assessing him the whole time. Everyone expected him to be older, or weirder, given that he ran a gaming company. It irked him, but he let it pass. He’d had a full plate of that throughout his morning meetings regarding a buyout. He’d escaped as fast as he could, using the keys and the Walk as an excuse.
“I’ll let you get back to it then, Geneva,” he said, using the given name she’d encouraged him to use. “Thank you for being here.”
“Of course, I’m happy to help,” she said, smiling as she sat back down. She might be surprised at his age or his lack of gamer-vibe, but she was serious about her own work. He was pretty sure she’d already forgotten his presence before the door shut.
“Damn it,” he growled as he turned to the two women watching him. “Carol, where’s Gus?”
“Uh, he’s gone, Mr. Hestworth, had something at No Colds that needed his attention he said.”
“He left while I was in the ladies room,” Marisol added, that same tilt to her head, that same watching gaze. Now, he realized, she was waiting to see if he was on her side, or on Gus’s team, since he hadn’t voted for her.
“Idiot,” he murmured, turning away from the door. He shot a look Carol’s way. “Don’t repeat that, Carol.”
Mutely, she shook her head, shifting her nervous gaze from him to Marisol and back again.
“This is ridiculous.” He tapped a finger on his chin, then stopped when he recognized the habit again, one he’d adopted from his father. A solution occurred to him, and he snapped his fingers, making Carol jump. “Perfect. Carol, get Truett Powers on the phone, please.”
“The space next door?” Carol said, going on alert. He nodded, appreciating her quick jump to understanding what he’s decided on the spur of the moment.
“Exactly. Then, call Marcus.” When Carol looked puzzled, he added, “Tell him he’s got a job waiting over here, and to call me for confirmation.”
Carol cocked her head to one side for a moment, an imitation of Marisol’s waiting pose. It was such an obvious hero-worship move that he had to repress a grin. True to form, Carol got his plan within seconds.
“Oh,” she said, glee echoing in her voice. “I get it. Mr. Powers to rent, Marcus to renovate. Should I call your main office or mobile?”
“Mobile. Thanks. Now,” he said, turning to Marisol. “I heard you say you say you were headed out to MicroMechanics after visiting Lydia’s place. Mind reversing the order? I’ll get you back before Lydia closes.”
“That would be fine.” He could practically see her running possible scenarios in her mind. But all she said was, “Where is Mr. Power’s space?”
Before he answered, Carol piped up. “Over on that side, back of the conference room. It’ll make a great office for you for now, and storage, and a second conference room, and then, uh, maybe for an assistant next year.” The last bit came out in a rush and Pere caught a glimpse of Carol’s ambition. Gus would never have considered an assistant, or given a thought to Carol as a candidate.
Interesting.
“Ah, I see,” was all Mari Beecham allowed. He was pretty sure she did see, both the politics and Carol’s hopes. He hoped Mari took his immediate action to solve the problem as him being on her side.
He was. Sort of.

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********** GIVEAWAY CLOSED**********

For a chance to win one of TWO e-book copies of The Witches Walk — tell us what you love most about Halloween.
What’s your favorite candy? What’s your favorite Halloween cocktail?

Contest will close at 1PM on 9/21/16.

Winner will have 24 hours to e-mail booksilovealatte@gmail.com to claim their prize or a new winner will be drawn.

Good Luck to all!

Author Info:

Although Jeanne Adams likes calling North Carolina home, she lives in DC, where The Tentacle Affaire is set, and often jogs on the C&O towpath with her dogs. Her favorite holiday is Halloween. She starts planning the annual yard decor on November 1. Alas, in this case however, the “Adams Family” – one husband, two sons and three dogs – is all bark and no bite.

On another spooky note, Jeanne used to work in the funeral and cemetery business, and knows a thing or two about getting rid of the body….bwhahahah! (She even teaches classes about it to other writers!)

Jeanne has written suspense novels for Kensington/Zebra Publishing since 2007. THE TENTACLE AFFAIRE, her first urban fantasy/romance, was released in Nov, 2014, along with two new Romantic Suspense Novellas, DEADLY DELIVERY and BEHIND ENEMY LINES. A short story, featured in TINY TREATS #2, St. Patrick’s Day, heralds a new series which will start next year.

She loves hearing from readers, so find her at https://www.JeanneAdams.com or on twitter @JeanneAdams or on Facebook at https://www.Facebook.com/JeanneAdamsAuthor