A fun and flirty romance, which also deals with serious issues like grief and the struggle of being true to yourself.

It was lovely to be back with the WICKed Sisters shop. Liberty is a very complex character and is written to be sympathetic and entertaining. I loved getting to see more of her friendship with Sera and Poppy, the other owners of the shop. The love interest and titular nerd, Merle, is probably my favourite part of the book; he understands Liberty so well and accepts all parts of her in a way that was incredibly sweet to read. I enjoyed the description of Liberty’s witchcraft practices as they provided a way to see inside Liberty’s mind and emotions that was both unique and touching.

I would have liked to have seen more of a resolution with regard to the plotlines involving both Merle and Liberty’s families. They were such an important part of the story and I felt that it all got wrapped up very quickly.

Overall, a wonderful romance that would be perfect for autumn!

I really love witchy books and especially reading them at this time of year. Soon as I seen this one I knew I had to read it.

What really made me like this book was the likeable characters. Both liberty and merle were fun characters which made me really like this book.

I feel as the pacing of the romance was a bit fast which some times it was good but I didn’t see the connection between the main characters

I do wish we got to see more of a relationship with liberty and her father as I felt it was a bit anti-climactic.

Overall, this book is a perfect witchy Autumn read. It was fun it was fast paced and I recommend to you if you’re looking for a fun witchy read over the Autumn period.

*Thankyou NetGalley and mills & boon for providing me this Arc in return for an honest review*

I enjoyed this as I know a little of the world of modern witchcraft from stories - some of which include the 'real' pagan origins as this does; but D&D I knew nothing about before this. I'm sure a lot of people enjoy it and play often, but it still seem strange to me...
All that said, I thought the shop concept and the characterisation of the friends and family was well done, I understood the driving force of Merle's father as a man who was frustrated in his lot and saw his sons as the way to recoup his losses. And that meant that understanding Merle was not in his capacity. Liberty was trickier as she came from a close family where they all followed the same path.
Whilst not high literature, this is a nice read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Mills & Boon Afterglow books and author Katherine Garbera for allowing me early access to this title.

Plot:
Liberty Wakefield is a practicing witch, who follows in her mother's and grandmother's footsteps in their spiritual beliefs and magical lifestyles. She also owns part of a business with her two best friends. One of those friends happens to have a nerdy Dungeons and Dragons loving relative Introducing MMC and Dungeon Master, Merle Rutland!

Merle has known Liberty for many years and has always had an admiration for her. Despite having a brilliant career and being an intellect , he is also the black sheep of his family and likes to keep his nerdy hobbies and interests as far away from his relatives as possible.

In this Mills & Boon Afterglow title, we follow Liberty and Merle as they form a pact. Liberty asks Merle to find out some information about her biological father, while in exchange, Merle asks her to take part in his Dungeons & Dragons sessions for the next 6 weeks to stand in for one of his players who has recently welcomed a baby.

Will the witch be able to charm the nerd? Or will their relationship end up being a critical fail?

Review:
3/5 stars

As a bookworm who reads mostly fantasy and romance books, who has also been playing Dungeons & Dragons for the last 9 years, this book pulled me in from the moment I read that there was a perfect combination of the two hobbies that I love the most!

I really enjoyed getting to know Liberty and Merle while reading this novel, their back stories were so well written and I loved them both as characters in their own right. The inclusion of their own struggles within their families was heartbreaking to read in some parts of the book, nevertheless they were important topics that were written in a way that was sensitive to those who may have experienced these themselves as a reader. *Slight spoiler territory here*, but I really connected with Liberty and her mother as they faced all of the difficult struggles of seeing a loved one facing the world with Dementia. I have experienced this myself as I'm sure many around the world sadly have too, so this is definitely a story that many readers can relate to. It may also bring a few tears to their eyes too. I know it did mine.

As much as I really did enjoy this read, I don't feel the plot was executed as well as it was presented. Considering the title of this book is How To Charm A Nerd" I felt that the story strayed quite far away from this premise and there really wasn't enough of this in the actual story. For example, there wasn't much "charming" that was needed considering there was an intimate scene right at the beginning of the book.

The intimacy scenes were fairly spicy, and there was a lot of them in this book. So readers looking for a saucy read certainly won't be disappointed.

I feel awful about adding this in but this is also just a personal preference for me. The name of the MMC just didn't work for me at all. I wondered if the name Merle may have been a little nod to the famous wizard "Merlin" as the MMC is a fantasy gamer, however I just could not imagine Merle being a name that the FMC would be shouting out aloud in intimate scenes. It just put me off a little. I have no problem with the name in general and actually it sounds kind of fun, but it's not one I'd expect to find in a fictional romance novel. Even if I did really love his character.

On a more positive note, I was quite impressed by the Dungeons and Dragons knowledge that was in this book, I had the best time while reading the scenes where the characters were actually gathered together playing their D & D sessions, I just wish there was more of them. But as a DM myself I was given some brilliant inspiration!

Although I have had a few critiques about How to Charm a Nerd, please don't let them put you off picking it up. I really enjoyed reading it and was always anticipating what I would find on the next page as I made my way through this story.

If like me, you're a book worm and D & D enthusiast then this really is a nice easy read and I have already recommended it to other friends of mine with similar interests too.

This book is absolutely full of action, and decisions and subplots. It is an excellent romp with some very gentle and romantic moment as Merle and Liberty somehow find time to see each other. There is a search for a missing father, a gran sliding into dementia on one side and a family that just doesn’t understand the son on the other. This uncertainty that shapes both Merle and Liberty is what makes the book so real and so emotionally charged and ultimately made me invest so much in wanting them happy,

A cute, easy-to-follow romcom. This is good for a light fluffy read. The DND stuff is very generalised and gives ‘Google search’ and the whole nerd thing is repeated a lot but not a bad book

How to Charm a Nerd by Katherine Garbera
WiCKed Sisters Book 2
Rating: 3/5
Release Date: 15 August 2024

As Halloween approaches, Liberty Wakefield, an occultist and tarot reader, feels her life undergo a significant shift. Ever since her grandmother hinted at the identity of Liberty’s unknown biological father, her world has been thrown into turmoil. Uncertainty seeps into her relationships with friends, family, and the quirky shop she co-owns. Determined to unravel the mystery, Liberty sets off on a quest to uncover the truth, unexpectedly enlisting the help of Merle Rutland, a charmingly nerdy guy she’s been secretly drawn to since the previous summer.

Merle is captivated by Liberty’s vibrant personality and zest for life, qualities he admires despite feeling overshadowed by his hyper-athletic family. Their bond strengthens through shared experiences like Dungeons & Dragons games and intimate moments amidst pumpkin patches and enigmatic encounters.

As their relationship deepens, Liberty and Merle discover their quirks and passions complement each other perfectly. However, with Halloween approaching, unsettling revelations from their pasts emerge, revealing buried secrets and unresolved issues. Navigating these challenges becomes critical as they confront their own ghosts and fears, threatening the fragile threads of their budding connection.

The novel presented itself as a fast-paced, enchanting romance woven with themes of loss and trust, capturing my interest from the outset. However, while the premise was compelling, the execution fell short of expectations. There were moments when I wished the narrative would show actions instead of merely describing thoughts. This imbalance detracted from my engagement with the story.

Overall, while this story had promise, I found the execution lacking, which ultimately detracted from my enjoyment of reading it.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Mills & Boons | Afterglow Books, and the author, Katherine Garbera, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.

How to charm a nerd is a cute Rom com novel by Katherine Garbera.
This was such a cute novel. It was easy to follow and had a good cast of characters that were likeable. The author's story telling is brilliant. I really enjoyed this one and would recommend it to others.
💓 Thank you to netgalley, Mills and Boon and the author for my arc ebook copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.