Book Review: A Witch at Midnight by Cindy Keen Reynders

Title: A Witch at Midnight (Wysteria Hedge Haven Clan #2)
Author: Cindy Keen Reynders
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Age Group: Adult (18+)
Rating: 4 stars
Purchase: Amazon, Goodreads, B&N
Review copy provided by Enchanted Book Promotions in exchange for honest review.

Spirited away by a demon on the eve of her wedding, Cassie Rose, high witch of the Wysteria Hedge Haven Clan, finds herself trapped in the dark Underworld realm of Hades. Determined to return to Wysteria and her husband-to-be, the powerful warlock Viceroy of Oregon, she manages to escape.

While running for her life, she encounters Nik Zaros, a man so handsome she swears he would put a Greek statue to shame. Strapped to a plow being pulled by the mighty Marathonian Bull, Nik has been tortured and is near death. Cassie’s heart goes out to him, and she feels compelled to take him along with her.

Upon recovering, Nik is immediately attracted to the charming sorceress. Though she stirs his blood, he can’t help but suspect her of being in league with the demon, Prince Drakon. He soon discovers Cassie wishes to be free from the demon’s control, just as he does, and only love’s magic can save them.

Demons? Check. Witches? Check. The Underworld? Check. Hot, sizzling romance? Check.

Cassie Rose has six sisters, and together they form the Wysteria Hedge Haven Clan. On the eve of her wedding, Cassie gets kidnapped by a demon and transported to the Underworld. The demon, who’s called Prince Drakon, makes a habit of kidnapping white witches and locking them in mirrors where they’re forced to stay for all eternity. The Underworld is a replica of Hades’ hell of Greek mythology, with a prison called Mount Tartarus Prison. Cassie enchants a broom to fly her out of the mirror-prison and narrowly manages to escape the demon’s clutches. But her journey through hell hasn’t finished yet. Fleeing for her life, she runs into Nik Zaros, another person to be tormented by Prince Drakon. Cassie frees Nik and together they try to escape from the Underworld.

What I liked most about this book were the quirky little sentences Cassie uses every now and then that remind me she’s a witch and not a regular person, like ‘blazing witch balls’ or ‘Holy mother of Lilith’. I liked this, it added to Cassie’s personality. Apart from that, it took a while – a good twenty pages – before we began to see glimpses of Cassie’s personality. I actually didn’t mind because the book starts out with some intense scenes, like Cassie being kidnapped, then her escape from Prince Drakon. It’s only when the action calms down a little that Cassie’s personality comes forth. She’s an interesting person, a little stubborn but definitely very brave.

The world Cindy Keen Reynders created in this book is very rich and detailed. She mixes Greek mythology with the familiar things we know about witches, warlocks, demons and the likes. She has a vivid imagination and shows us just that while we follow Cassie on her journey through the underworld. I liked how some things were new yet familiar – always kept me on the edge of the toes.

Nik is a great character as well, although I would’ve liked him to be a bit more trusting of Cassie. He was a bit paranoid about her being in league with the demon, and while I understand why, paranoia isn’t the greatest personality trait.

And then there’s Cleo, who is…wait for it…a baby broom. Hah. I loved that. Cleo was so delightfully funny and innocent, and made some much-needed humorous comments to lift the tension every now and then.

I enjoyed A Witch at Midnight, and I’d recommend it to fans of paranormal romance. The book is well-written, it has an interesting main character and it has a baby broom. If a baby broom doesn’t convince you, I don’t know what will.