Please Note:  I received an advance reader's copy of this book from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions of my review in any way.  Also, I have linked the book cover to Amazon.  If you buy the book through this link, I will get a small fee.

Synopsis (From Goodreads):
Sixteeen-year-old Meredith is fed-up with her feuding family and feeling invisible at school – not to mention the witch magic that shoots out of her fingernails when she’s stressed. Then sweet, sensitive Jack comes into her life and she falls for him hard. The only problem is that he is periodically possessed by a destructive centuries-old curse. Meredith has lost her heart, but will she also lose her life? Or in true fairytale tradition, can true love’s kiss save the day?

Review:
I read The Witch's Kiss, by Katharine Corr & Elizabeth Corr very quickly.  It was fast-paced and fun.  But I needed some time before I wrote this review.  I needed to sort out my feelings for this book.  For the most part, I loved it.  But there were a few worn tropes that dampened my enthusiasm for this novel.


Characters:
I enjoyed Merry and Leo.  This sister and brother duo were a great pair.  While Merry did have many friends, no one knew her quite as well as her own brother, Leo.   He accepts her as no one else can.  Merry is not a perfect teen.  She makes mistakes when she finds out she can use magic.  Study for a test?  Who needs that when you can create a spell to be able to instantly memorize school work!  I think her use of magic to get around the drudgery of school is something most teens would try.

Leo was also a wonderful character.  A gay teen, trying to figure out how to live in a small town, Leo isn't sure how to behave with this friends anymore.  If he came out, would he be accepted?  I know in the United States, the answer would depend on what part of the country he lived in.  I don't know how being gay is accepted in the U.K., so I was very interested in Leo's story.  

I also loved how strong and protective Leo was of his sister, while still showing her respect.  He was never condescending to Merry, but also could point out when she was in over her head.

Story:
I loved that the main characters were a sister and her brother, and that the brother was NOT regulated to the role of side-kick!  As the story was written from Meredith's point of view, it would have been an easy thing to just focus on her story.  But the book also delves in to Leo's story of being gay in a small English town.  This shows how important Leo is to Merry (Meredith's nickname).  They have such a wonderful bond as siblings.

This was also an anti-fairy tale, that did not go the easy route with a feel good ending.  This ending was better because there was a kind of sacrifice.  I think in these type of stories, a price needs to be paid.  Otherwise, there is not enough at stake to make the reader care.

Falling For The Bad Boy:
I groaned a bit when it became apparent that Merry was going to fall in love with Jack.  Yes, this does make her more invested in his story.  But I thought this was completely unnecessary.  Perhaps Leo and Jack could have fallen in love?  That would have been interesting, indeed.


"Missing Parent" Syndrome:
Can we please stop using this trope!  This is my all-time pet peeve in YA books.  The parent is gone, leaving the teen characters free reign to do whatever they want.  Now, in this story the parent does show up, but only to add a barrier at a crucial point in the story.  Once the dramatic moment has passed, the parent is quickly out of the picture, again.


                                                                  


Rating: 





Release Date:  September 19th, 2017

Genre:  YA Fantasy

Publisher:  Harper Collins Children's Books

Length:  320 pages

Source:  Edelweiss

Format:  ARC E-book

Recommendation: A fun, if at times formulaic,  anti-fairy tale.  This will keep you reading beyond your bedtime!