Heart of a Witch

Embracing Darkness Collection

By: Rebecca L. Garcia

Narrated by: Kat Carpenito

Length: 9 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

A vengeful fantasy stand-alone romance perfect for fans of Serpent & Dove

I’d never particularly liked humans, but I’d never wanted to kill one. Until now.

Hidden in a kingdom that hates witches, I’m forced to hide what I am. With my sister working in a secret dark magic club, and our family’s shop gaining unwanted attention, things couldn’t be worse when the notorious witch hunter, Damian Shaw, comes to town.

When my sister shows up dead, and my family’s name is called into question, we’re forced to adopt new aliases and leave the home we cherished. As I watch my life fall apart, I vow to destroy the hunter responsible, but his punishment would not be swift. Death was too easy.

Redforest is a quaint town, with a church, pretty shops, and people who despise witches. When my family and I move in, I set my sights on the Shaw family, quickly learning everything I can about them. Damian’s son, Elijah, is the hunter’s greatest pride. His heir. His confidante. The only family he trusts.

I come up with a plan. I am going to shatter every good thing in Damian’s life, starting with his son. My goal: Make Elijah Shaw fall in love with me, turn him against his father, and ruin everything in his life from the inside out.

With my family and heart on the line, I must be careful, or I may end up becoming the same monster I am trying to kill.

Embraced by Darkness is a collection of stand-alone books set in the same world without an overarching plot, which means you can start with any books in the series and pick and choose which ones you want to listen to. This collection of novels follows different couples as they go from enemies to friends to lovers, while facing dangerous obstacles in a world split between humans, shifters, witches, and gods, set in two kingdoms that separate them.

©2021 Rebecca L. Garcia (P)2022 Rebecca L. Garcia

A hidden gem!

4.5/5 Stars

This book was so, so good! This was my first book from Rebecca L. Garcia but it will not be my last! This book was simply addicting with its intensity, compelling plot, and excellent characters.

I really loved Garcia's writing style. I was really drawn in by the personal feel of her storytelling. The world-building was vivid and detailed. I loved the entire premise of the story and thought that the story was plotted out very well. The only thing that I would change would be the ending. It felt a little rushed and abrupt. I would have liked the climax of the story to have been a little more drawn out.

It was so easy to fall in love with these characters. Garcia makes it so easy to immerse yourself in the lives of her characters. I loved how complex they were and how the author didn't shy away from the more personal and gritty parts of their lives. It really endeared the characters to the reader. I loved the antihero angle and that the author didn't hold back on showing the less appealing aspects of the characters. It added so much depth to them. Apart from the characters being so distinct and multi-faceted, they also had great character growth. I am actually sad that this was a standalone (in a series of standalones) because I hate saying goodbye to these characters.

The romance in this book was tantalizing. It is the perfect revenge story with enemies-to-lovers vibes. Victoria and Elijah shared such a connection that you could feel it like a tangible thing.

Overall, I was really blown away by this book! This book had unexpected plot twists, memorable characters, and atmospheric storytelling. I definitely recommend this one. It is certainly a hidden gem. Rebecca L. Garcia has won a new fan and I can't wait to read more from her.

The ending twist

The audible was hard to get through very rough when transitioning between characters. But the twist at the end was a nice surprise