Hidden Gifts: A Free Paranormal Witch Romance (Enemies to Lovers Southwest Supernatural Love Story)

I started to read this book of the new Witches of Canyon Road series with trepidation. I really hadn’t accepted that the original Witches of Cleopatra Hill series was over and this new series had begun. I was almost prepared to dislike it, even though the main character was the daughter of my favorite characters in the old series. I was pleasantly surprised that I found myself very interested in Miranda, the lead character. Miranda, through a series of unavoidable circumstances, had been promised to the grandson of the prima or leader of the Castillo clan since before she was born. Her parents, Angela and Connor, tried everything to find a reason to keep Miranda with them but the prima of the Castillo clan, Genoveva, refuses to cancel their agreement. Thus, Miranda finds herself travelling from her home in Arizona to Santa Fe, New Mexico on her Halloween birthday. Rafe Castillo has spent the years since his mother told him about coming marriage with Miranda in an active state of rebellion against his mother, Genoveva. No matter much he acted out against his fate, however, did nothing to change his mother’s mind. He would marry Miranda no matter what his feelings on the matter. Mired in his own rebellion, sparks fly during his first meeting with Miranda…just not the kind one would be prefable with your future spouse. A big question remains throughout the book: will Rafe and Miranda be able to make this marriage work, even though it is none of their choosing. Then there is the matter of Miranda’s powers; she has none except for the most basic spells. But, now in this new environment, her powers start to manifest themselves. Scared and confused, she turns to someone to help her. It just might be the wrong person to help and may cost he dearly. I really did enjoy this book. I even had some arguments, well not out loud, with some of the characters. I find that a characteristic of a good book; one feels invested in the characters, even though they do things that are questionable. This book ends with a cliffhanger of sorts, which makes me long for the next book that comes out in May. I highly recommend it.

Hidden Gifts is absolutely Christine Pope at her very best. If you are a Witches of Cleopatra Hill fan, you will be captured from the first page. 21 years after Angela and Conner entered a covenant to send their, then unborn female baby, to Sante Fe to be married to the grandson of Isabell Costello, Raff, Miranda boards a train in Arizona headed for New Mexico. Miranda appears to have no out of the ordinary powers and then… Not once, not twice, we are surprised at the very exceptional gifts that are beginning to ignite within her. As she struggles to fulfill the sworn promise of her parents, she must prepare to become Raff’s wife. New characters are introduced to us as, as well as Miranda, each with very prominent personality characteristics, many with a profound effect on the young witch coming into her own. No one, nothing, is quite what we expect. Pope does not give us permission not to consider the clan’s past This story is full of surprises, leaving us with more questions than answers. This book is definitely a page turner, I could not put it down and once I read it (in under 24 hours: a record for me), I could not wait for my husband to read it, so we could talk about the twists and turns and the many “what ifs”. And talk about it in detail, we did. Hmmm, and what about that cat? Bottom line: GREAT BOOK! GREAT INTRODUCTION TO A NEW SERIES! GET IT! Then we can all talk about it on Goodreads but TARGET OUR CONVERSATIONS AS HAVING “SPOILERS.” AB-NS

A captivating story full of heart and magic. I enjoyed this book very much, Miranda is stuck in a situation that she can't get out of. Very easily a relate-able character who is goes through her problems and struggles with grace. I was caught in this books spell after the first chapter. It's full of twists and turns that were unexpected but still enjoyable. I constantly kept yelling out from the surprises and unexpected events that happened throughout. I now want the second one because I just can't with that ending. Characters were amazing developed, we see the relationships between Miranda and the other characters, especially Cat and Rafe grow. She tries to get to know them and understand what is happening to her as she lives apart from her family. For the main characters, it's easy to see just how much they all are trying to help Miranda and understand the situation at hand. Plot, this seemed so predictable at the first chapter. But nope, full of twists and turns that I was thrown. I did enjoy them as the story continued. As we reached the climax, my emotions were all over. This story was a wonderful, yet emotional journey for Miranda. She's navigating her relationship and eventual marriage to Rafe. Yet, we're not done with this adventure and I'm anxious to find out what happens next. As previously stated, a book that I enjoyed. I want to read the rest of the series. I highly recommend this story to anyone who loves witchy stories that feel all to real. A book that has captured my heart and I'll be re-reading.