August 19, 2024
Gilliland’s mixed-bag sequel to the Witch of Wild Things offers a sexy will-they-won’t-they couched in some shoddy worldbuilding. Teal Flores is a “witch of wild lightning,” but she has little control over her powers, conjuring storms with each shift of her emotions. This is especially dangerous, since Teal’s bipolar disorder, trauma from an abusive relationship, interpersonal issues with her sisters and abuelas, and frustration over her malfunctioning magic make keeping control over her emotions difficult. With her ex’s wedding approaching, Teal asks her childhood best friend Carter Velasquez to be her date, hoping to mend their distant relationship. Carter requests an even bigger favor, asking Teal to marry him so he can receive his inheritance. She agrees in exchange for a cut of the money, which she hopes to use to track down her missing mother, believing that finding her will help mend Teal’s magic. This setup is somewhat undermined by the characters’ lack of real financial need, which makes the stakes of their arrangement feel low, but the friends-to-lovers marriage-of-convenience arc is still tantalizingly rendered. Teal’s relationship with her witchy sisters is also a highlight, even as the magic system frequently confuses. It’s not perfect, but fans of book one will find plenty to draw them back in.
September 1, 2024
Pura Belpr� Award winner Gilliland hit the bestseller list with her debut adult novel, Witch of Wild Things. She returns with a fake-marriage story featuring Teal Flores, who can control the weather and needs to find her long-lost mother, and Carter Velasquez, who needs to get married by age 30 to gain his inheritance. Prepub Alert.
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September 15, 2024
In this heartfelt tale, witch Teal Flores has never been able to control her powers over the weather. Every emotion has always been expressed through storms and sunshine, and no matter how much she runs or works out, she can't seem to take the reins of her powers. Still traumatized by losing her little sister and then finding her years later, Teal is resolved to make amends for her past actions. Carter was Teal's best friend growing up, but after a soul-defining kiss led her to run away from him, he's done his best to keep his distance. Except now, he needs a wife to claim his inheritance, and his former best friend happens to fit the job perfectly. Teal is a character with hard edges and a temper, but with a desire to be better that all readers will relate to as she pushes toward her own redemption. Gilliland weaves a touching story about loss and letting go with the idea of being worthy of love, even on the bad days.
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