Cat Johnson Braves Doll Lil’s Word Association Challenge!

Author: Carolyn MacCullough
Tittle: Once a Witch
Release: September 14th 2009
Series: Witch 1
Reviewer: Steph (Eowyn)
Source: Personal Library
Purchase: | Book Depository

Tamsin Greene comes from a long line of witches, and she was supposed to be one of the most Talented among them. But Tamsin’s magic never showed up. Now seventeen, Tamsin attends boarding school in Manhattan, far from her family. But when a handsome young professor mistakes her for her very Talented sister, Tamsin agrees to find a lost family heirloom for him. The search—and the stranger—will prove to be more sinister than they first appeared, ultimately sending Tamsin on a treasure hunt through time that will unlock the secret of her true identity, unearth the sins of her family, and unleash a power so vengeful that it could destroy them all. This is a spellbinding display of storytelling that will exhilarate, enthrall, and thoroughly enchant.

I stumbled upon ONCE A WITCH by Carolyn MacCullough while searching for books to read on my recent trip to France. The book showed up in suggested reading on Goodreads and looked intriguing so I purchased it for my trip. How I have not heard of this book is beyond me because I literally couldn’t sit it down. I finished the entire book on my flight!

Tamsin is supposed to be the most powerful witch in her family based on her grandmother’s prediction when she was born yet she has no power! MacCulloough delicately shows us the way this has affected Tamsin. It’s hard to be a teenager but even harder when you don’t fit in to your world or the non-magical world. Imagine growing up with all of the expectation that you are supposed to be the most powerful in your family for years only there is nothing.

When the mysterious Professor arrives on the scene Tamsin’s existence is about to be thrown into a whirlwind. All that she has thought about her family and her own life is about to be challenged and what an exhilarating ride it is for us. We watch Tamsin turn from the whiny misfit teenager into the strong woman she is meant to be. I enjoyed following Tamsin as she discovers who she is and what she is meant to do and this is one of the things that makes this book so enchanting. Family secrets are uncovered as she discovers things about her ancestors that one may have preferred to not know. As the true nature of evil the Professor possess begins to emerge the plot becomes more intense and Tamsin finds herself in a race against time propelling from past to present in a relentless race to the end.

Why did her grandmother declare her as the most talented when she was born? Pick up ONCE A WITCH and follow along as Tamsin discovers the woman she is inside and battles to save her family. Past and present collide as we are taken on the journey. The second book is already out too so you can immediately pick it up once you sit this book down. I know I am.

Steph (Eowyn) is a voracious reader who does not remember a time when she wasn’t engrossed in a book in fact she is often reading two or three. She enjoys a broad range of books including Fiction, Paranormal, Thrillers, Urban Fantasy, Women’s Issues, Historical and Spiritual Novels. Steph believes that reading changes lives and credits her love of books for success in her own life. Since she doesn’t know a stranger she enjoys discussing the latest novel she is reading with anyone who will listen. Steph dreams of writing her own novel in the future and speaking around the world on women’s issues. She currently resides in North Carolina with her husband and cat (Mirabelle).

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