Title: Bewitched
Series: Bewitched #1
Author: Laura Thalassa
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Published: April 18, 2023
Format: eBook ARC (NetGalley)
Pages: 441
Re-Read: Lost Count
Spice Level: 3/5
Age Rating: 18+
Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Morally Grey Hero, Obsessive/Possessive Hero, Revenge, Fated Mates, Touch Her and Die, Strong heroine, Amnesia, Suspense, Witch x Sorcerer
Bewitched Book Review
The moment I saw the cover and the blurb of Bewitched by Laura Thalassa on her social media, I was looking forward to reading it. Laura’s always been able to hook me into her fantastical world – with The Four Horsemen and the Bargainer series, and I sure had hyped this book up in my mind.
Did it live up to it? HECK YES.
Get ready for a wild ride in this Dark Paranormal bewitching story following a strong heroine who has a case of amnesia and a man she accidentally releases from a curse who believes she is his wife and has betrayed him.
Have you read this book already? Check out my review of Book 2: Bespelled by Laura Thalassa.
"You were my everything, and you betrayed me..."
Bewitched is the first in the Bewitched Book series following Selene Bowers, a 20-year-old witch, who wants to get accepted into Henbane Coven, an academy for the witches. Due to her memory-erasing magic, she has been facing constant rejections despite her consistent attempts. However, this time, the academy gives her a quest.
This magic quest turns out to be a tumultuous experience for her when her plane crashes on some island and she frees Memnon the Cursed, an ancient being, darkly handsome and wicked, who believes Selene betrayed and cursed him.
She escapes the island and resumes her life at the academy, but with Memnon after her, a series of murders happening on the campus, and her memory loss making her the prime suspect, life has taken a dark turn for her.
He’s determined to take every last thing I care about from me—my heart included.
I found Selene to be a really interesting character. The cost of her magic is her memories. This intrigued me because I wondered how that would come into play, especially having this weakness while dealing with the villainish hero.
She is strong and relatable. I was with her every step of her journey. Despite her vulnerability, she stood up to Memnon every time. She fought back (or tried to) against him. Her fear of Memnon, and at the same time that connection between the two that she struggled a lot with.
“I will make you pay for what you have done for the rest of our days.” He steps in close and presses his mouth to mine.
Memnon is the classic anti-hero you’ll love to hate and hate to love. You’ll doubt his motives, fall for him, hate him – He elicits so many emotions. He is emotionally unhinged in a way that pulls you in.
Believing Selene to be his ex-wife who cursed him to sleep and erased his existence, he swears to take revenge on her and reclaim his legacy, especially his wife. He is already obsessed with her and will do everything to get her back.
He is crazy powerful and dark. Because the book is written in Selene’s POV, you experience Memnon through her fear, confusion, and undeniable attraction – riding that rollercoaster of emotions and thrill.
Here’s the artwork for the Bewitched Hardcover version featuring Memnon and Selene:
Every interaction between Memnon and Selene crackles with tension. Their dynamics make the Selene and Memnon pairing and the romance unforgettable.
Their relationship is fire. Selene is scared of him, but she can’t deny the connection between the two. And Memnon is all about her – and that’s one of my favorite tropes (boy obsessed).
If you’re wondering whether Bewitched is spicy – it is! There are several steamy chapters between Memnon and Selene. The passion, obsession, and emotional tension are front and center. When they are together, they are combustible.
Memnon has a lot of terms of endearment for Selene (despite his bitterness), one of my favorites is ‘Est Amage’ meaning ‘My Queen’ which always made my heart race LOL.
“Est amage,” he says, his expression growing fevered, “we will figure it out. Together. I vow to fix all my wrongs. Whatever you want, you shall have. I am yours forever.”
Bewitched by Laura Thalassa is unique. Her writing style has a way of pulling you in and keeping you hooked till you reach the end. The plot and the characters’ storyline are developed so well, it kept me on my toes, questioning every action, and the twist in the story at the end!
This book is a wild ride to the magical dark side. It is captivating, thrilling, addictive, and leaves you wanting more and more.
Looking for more books by the author? Check out my review of Rhapsodic.
Is Bewitched a romance?
YES. My review covers that!
Is Bewitched a standalone?
No, Bewitched is the first book in the ongoing Paranormal Romance series Bewitched by Laura Thalassa.
Is the Bewitched series complete?
Not as of 2025. A novella ‘The Curse That Binds’ will be released in July, and the final book in the trilogy will be out in 2026.
Is Bewitched by Laura Thalassa spicy?
Yes, it does have some steamy scenes, but it’s more about the enemies-to-lovers relationship and the angst build-up between the main characters.
Do I need to read the Bargainer series before Bewitched?
No. The Bargainer and the Bewitched series are set in the same world, but not connected.
Bewitched blurb:
Come to me, Empress …
At age twenty, Selene Bowers desperately hopes to be accepted into Henbane Coven, an academy for young witches. Since one of the requirements for entry is to connect with her powers via a quest through the wilderness, Selene books a trip to South America. When a nefarious supernatural force tries to drag her plane from the sky, Selene’s magic awakens to save her life―at a cost. Using her powers devours her memories, one by one.
Worse, when Selene braves the jungle and discovers the source of the attack, she finds herself awakening an ancient evil, Memnon the Cursed, who mistakes Selene for his long-dead wife. The wife who betrayed him. Selene manages to escape and begin her studies at Henbane, but when Memnon turns up at the coven and witches are found dead across campus, Selene becomes entangled in a dangerous plot. Accused of the murders on the basis of her memory loss, Selene must rely on Memnon’s help for answers―and his plans for her will change everything.
Purchase Links
About Laura Thalassa
Found in the forest when she was young, Laura Thalassa was raised by fairies, kidnapped by werewolves, and given over to vampires as repayment for a hundred year debt. She’s been brought back to life twice, and, with a single kiss, she woke her true love from eternal sleep. She now lives happily ever after with her undead prince in a castle in the woods.
… or something like that anyway.
When not writing, Laura can be found scarfing down guacamole, hoarding chocolate for the apocalypse, or curled up on the couch with a good book.
Next in the Bewitched Series...
