I devoured half this book in a night, but everything past that started to bore me and I started skimming. I'm not sure if it's because at this point we've heard about The Deep One and his cronies for three books so it was pretty much told at this point. And that little thing that happens at 97% with

Everly getting knocked up

made me throw my Kindle down. Get out of here.  The spice hits but the plot was meh. 

I did like this one was more fantasy and the witchy vibes were immaculate but I didn't particularly like Everly or Callum (too insta-love and no development between innocent and sex expert, give me some pinning and unsure feelings). But maybe because Zane and Juniper are <3 and nothing can beat them.  I still found the trilogy unique by having it told from three different couple's perspectives. I hope we get more in this world because I need me some demon boys.  

I really enjoyed this book, and thought that it was a good end to the trilogy. It was really refreshing to see clear and actual communication between Callum and Everly, and still have the plot move forward in a way that made sense!

I was a little disappointed that we didn’t see more about what happened to Victoria, outside of what we already know, but that wasn’t too much of an issue. Also, the pregnancy trope at the end didn’t even bother me! I found it cute, to be honest.

i’d give this book 10 out of 10 if I could.

I love this series with my whole heart, but this was definitely the book I had the hardest time connecting with. I really love the way each novel has a through plot running concurrently (so you’re always piecing together how things intersect to the larger plot), but each very much has its own story in a story with new characters and new motivations. Callum has been my favorite since he was first introduced, but Everly was always more of an enigma to me and I had a really hard time connecting with her. Their pairing is sweet and I loved the change in power dynamics as they both explore and grow through their traumas. 

When the plot was going, it was full steam ahead. But there were just large sections of this book I found myself skimming over because they felt repetitive. Training, conversations rehashed many times. This book is much more of an emotional book to me than the previous, so the plot almost takes a back seat. 

Overall I still give this series a full 4.5 stars, and the ending of this is a wonderful close to the series. I just didn’t get sucked into this one like I did with the previous books! 

Like the second book in the series, much of this book takes place contemporaneous with the events in the previous. However, I found that there were enough new characters and plot points that it kept me wanting to continue to read. I am glad we got to see Hell, which turns out is kind of a socialist paradise? 💕And the last 10% or so was pretty wild. It definitely kept me on the edge of my seat.

It was fun to finally see more of Everly since her power is hinted at throughout the first two books. I loved her journey and Callum’s unwavering support of her. Reading the acknowledgments at the end, and seeing that Harley Laroux based Callum off of her husband, made me really happy for her, heck, for both of them! In the previous books, Leon and Zane were definitely that swaggering bad boy type. Callum seems much more noble, even though he is arguably the most badass of the three. The plot points that led him to Everly had me sighing and swooning. I wanted to know more about him and Lucifer so maybe a gory story or something at some point can fill in those blanks. Otherwise all of Callum’s traumas and motivations that led him to this point made him a very sympathetic character. 

And for as much as the events of this book are dark, and trust, they are dark, the tone of this book often seems almost lighthearted. As Everly gets to know Callum, and as various other characters, make appearances, I often found myself smiling or laughing. The scene with the picnic was so touching and had me giggling. I nearly marked the book as lighthearted on here but then worried about the poor soul who might take that to mean it was a romcom or something.

Though once The Old Man seemed to hold something back and I guessed that Everly was pregnant, I started bracing myself for Callum to die. That was a rough final battle, expecting the worst. Thank you for not doing that to us, Mx. Laroux!

Both Callum and Everly are bisexual, so there is some diverse representation in the book. Although as a MF pairing, the relationship of the main characters…I wouldn’t call it normative because they are both bi and because of the amount of kink, but it’s not as non-normative as it could be? This issue is complex and requires nuance in real life, and so writing about a fictional representation for strangers, I am finding that I am struggling to convey what I mean. Because it is complicated! I have not read Laroux’s Losers series, but I have read all of the first date novelas. I would definitely not be mad to see characters exploring their bi identity in terms of the relationship pairings in either Losers or future books. Ok. Moving away from the awkward…

The spice levels, as with the previous two, are top notch in both quantity and quality in this book. I loved Everly’s Journey of discovery and how her confidence changes as she learns to take charge. And I have been waiting for TWO BOOKS to find out what game Everly and Callum were playing when Leon interrupted them. The scene did not disappoint. 🌶️ 🥵💦 Definitely read the author’s content warning, because there is a lot to contend with in the book.

Overall, a great way to end the series, with swoony romance,  badass MC action, and spice! 

 lol I'm so devastated. I've been eagerly awaiting this book's release for ages and was fully prepared to adore every last page, but the majority of the story so far has been:

1) a completely unnecessary recap of books 1 & 2

2) Everly being a one-dimensional character with very annoying inner monologues and a horrible case of Mary Sue-ness (which I do almost never accuse a character of, but every single person she interacts with just goes on and on about how she's the most powerful witch they've ever met, etc.)

Seriously, though, the only redeeming thing about this book is Callum's character, and even he hasn't properly drawn me in. I'm dragging through the story and I no longer care enough about the overarching plot to trudge through it.

✨ Representation: queer (bi/pan) main characters 

a satisfying conclusion to this trilogy, but I have some mixed feelings. TBH Everly and Callum were not my favorite couple in the series, but they were very sweet. I loved their devotion to each other and how they helped each other grow. I also loved how they were both switches!! It made their dynamic so much fun. I especially loved Callum and he really made the spicy scenes for me.

The pacing and plot was good overall, but it moved between being gripping and horrifying to being a chore to get through. Parts of the book just left me either bored or wanting more. I think the book struggled to find a good balance between getting the plot where it needed to be and having the magical training and having relationship and character development. I did love the setting of the house with the ghost of Everly's grandma and the forest fae. And we got to see Hell which was exciting.  

i just want to know what was the point of the ritual and the special blade if was going to be pointless in the final battle??? The ritual scene was one of my favorites but we could've just done that for fun if the weapon was going to be a moot point.

All in all, there were lots of moments I really loved, I just didn't love it the whole way through.

Thank you to Harley Laroux and JLRC author services for the digital ARC.
This book will release 08/31/2023

If you love The Vampire Diaries, Twilight, and Beautiful Creatures, the setting is for you, and the smut will not disappoint.
I could not put this book down and I am still thinking about it now.
Harley seems to time their releases just right, because Soul of a Witch is perfect for the rainy-spooky season we have coming up. I promise you, you’re going to want to cozy up with a warm drink and binge this book (and its prequels, if you haven’t read those).
It has been a joy to watch Harley grow with their characters in this book, and they continue to set incredibly high standards for fictional men and/or love interests.
This is the book of the season, you’re not going to want to miss it.

I loved to see the different story pieces finally slide together. Even after having read the same story three times through different POVs, Soul of a Witch still manages to add so many unique things to the story, be it through the characters or the world building. 
Harley manages to lure the reader in through the setting, and then introduces a big scary wolf of a demon with a heart of gold. Callum could be described as a golden retriever boyfriend, and he lives up to his honorary title of “Daddy Callum” alright. 
I loved seeing Everly step into her power — And she really is powerful. I think she will serve as an important character for many people to relate to in different ways, because she will teach readers that abusive situations must not last forever, and that we all have the power to create our own destiny and be the makers of our own happiness.