Hockey player Jason Pickering Goddard is at the top of his game when a knee injury sidelines him. Finessed by his grandmother Bessie, Chairman of The Pickering Foundation, he finds himself serving as head of fundraising for the organization during his convalescence. Jason walks in on his new assistant, Kira Fitzgerald, performing a spell he believes is designed to wither her former fiancé’s significant parts, and he’s both intrigued and wary of the beauty he’ll be working with for the next several months.

Kira has sworn off jocks for life and is less than thrilled by the prospect of working side-by-side with a super-jock. Admittedly, Jason has some good ideas for raising money for the boys of St. Anthony’s, but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s a jock! And quite possibly an idiot, for he’s sent out invitations for a Ghost and Graveyard Tour at one of the foundation’s mansions, a mansion that has no ghosts!

In between ghost-hunting, putting together a bachelor auction, giving hockey lessons to a bunch of enthusiastic orphans and setting up a special on-location segment of popular cooking show Kitchen Witch, Kira and Jason find themselves fighting a growing attraction. Hockey is Jason’s life, and he’s determined to go back to it, and to a life with no room in it for the permanence Kira represents. Still, he’s never known anyone more alluring than Kira, when she’s not waving her wand around. And Jason is destroying many of the jock stereotypes Kira believes, compliments of her cheating ex.

MY FAVORITE WITCH is a fabulous read! Kira and Jason are made for one another, and their witty, teasing, sexy banter is laugh-out-loud fun. Ms. Blair has a gift for layering her characters and revealing them gently, cleverly, allowing her readers to get to know them on a deeper level. She brings back old friends Melody and Logan, introduces adorable twin boys, and intrigues readers with a touch of the supernatural. MY FAVORITE WITCH – I agree!  Paula Myers, Fresh Fiction

Kira Fitzgerald had been engaged to a jock until she caught him in bed with her sister. Now Kira is starting her life anew. Her first step is a new job. Kira is hired by Bessie Pickering Hazard, a seventy-seven-year-old shrewd lady who happens to be Chairman of the Board of The Pickering Foundation. The pay is not high, but Kira has free room and board in a home full of history. Kira is the Coordinator of Events that raises funds for St. Anthony's Home for Boys. Kira's second step is to use her solitary, white witch spells and witchcraft to symbolically rid herself of her ex-fiance's bad karma. Things begin to go bad when her new boss, Jason Goddard, walks in while Kira has her wedding invitations burning within a trash can and is casting a spell. Things get worse when she realizes her new boss is also a jock with a national reputation for changing women as often as he changes his socks.

Former NHL (hockey) Wizard, Jason Pickering Goddard has been temporarily benched while he recovers from a knee injury. Bessie, his "Gram", has managed to bamboozle him into agreeing to help out the foundation for the next six months. He'll be helping to raise funds for the St. Anthony's Home for Boys. Just his luck that he has sworn off women for awhile only to find the most bewitching lady he's ever met hexing another man's private part with a wand over a burning trash can. Staying away from this intriguing white witch is not easily done. He not only must work side-by-side with her at the office, but at home too! Gram has Kira living next to him and they must share the same kitchen.

Annette Blair will make your blood sizzle with this magical tale of contemporary, but by no means ordinary, romance. All the boys from St. Anthony's play secondary roles throughout the book and will absolutely steal your heart. Fans of the old "Bewitched" TV series will especially enjoy this novel. Kira does not twinkle up powers like Samantha Stevens did in the show, but her little white spells are so much fun! And who's to say they do not work? Not I. As an added bonus, if you read the previous novel, "The Kitchen Witch", then you will be happy to know that you will have a sneak peak at what is happening in those characters' lives. This story is a terrific way to start the new year!  Detra Fitch, HUNTRESS REVIEWS

MY FAVORITE WITCH

NHL star Jason Goddard was an inebriated passenger in a car accident with a beautiful blonde, and his leg broken is broken.   He is now, officially, through with women.

Since Jason can’t play hockey for six months, or until he heals, he is helping his grandmother with fundraisers for the Pickering Foundation, a benevolent foundation for homeless children. 

Kira Fitzgerald has had her heart broken; she found her fiancee in bed with her sister.   She has now, officially, sworn off men, especially jocks.   Kira is the Coordinator of Special Events for the Foundation, and will work for Jason.   At their first meeting the sexual sparks flowing between them could light up Manhattan, and it becomes difficult for each of them to remember why they have sworn off of the opposite sex.   Jason’s manipulative grandmother has arranged for them to share living quarters in a suite; each has a bedroom, but shares a kitchen.   Jason has some great ideas to raise money, and Kira takes these suggestions and improvises and improves them.   They are a great team in business and have an excellent rapport, and daily it gets more difficult to deny the chemistry between them.   However, they are both leery of commitment.   Jason doesn’t know if a woman is interested in him as a man, or as a wealthy athlete.   Kira’s self esteem is low; if she couldn’t keep her ex-fiancee interested in her, there is no way she could hold on to a national playboy.

MY FAVORITE WITCH features superb character interaction, sexy banter and innuendoes, and a heart tugging plot featuring lovable orphans, and flawed protagonists who must learn to trust and take a chance on love.   This book will keep you entertained while playing on your emotions; you will laugh out loud one minute, and have a lump in your throat the next.   Kira is a witch, and there is no doubt she bewitched Jason as well as this reviewer.   If you enjoy pure, entertaining romance, this is the book for you, and it comes highly recommended.  Betty Cox

 

ROMANCE REVIEWS TODAY   MY FAVORITE WITCH - Annette Blair Jason Pickering Goddard is a 100% hockey jock star, currently on leave due to a seriously injured knee, and feeling sorry for himself. Though his doctors say he will never return to the rink, Jason is determined he will. Thanks to his mostly absentee and neglectful parents, Jason was raised by a tiny dynamo of a grandmother, Bessie, who shows him no mercy and suggests he stop his pity parties and do something worthwhile as he recuperates. Now, Jason and his grandmother share a deep, unconditional love for each other, but Jason knows when this tiny mite is manipulating, and she's at it big-time right now. He's just waiting for the 'other shoe to fall' to learn his part in her newest scheme. Bessie Pickering Hazard is seventy-seven years old, but has a twinkle in her eye and a mind that never stops. She is chairman of the board of the Pickering Foundation, which maintains Newport mansions as well as St. Anthony's Home For Boys, where Jason has just given a speech he doesn't believe in -- that dreams do come true -- at the suggestion of his grandmother. But this is just the beginning of her hopes for her beloved grandson. Since Jason needs six more months of recuperation, Bessie asks him to give that time to heading up the Foundation; it's desperate for money and about to close down. Jason, a/k/a "The Ice Wolf' on skates, also won a reality contest and carries the title "The Best Kisser in America" and carries a lot of clout in a lot of places. This reputation will enable him to lead successful charitable events, which will bring in big dollars for the Foundation. Jason does owe his grandmother -- lots -- and willingly agrees to her suggestion for six months and heads to the office in one of the mansions to begin working with the Coordinator of Special Events -- and the fun begins! The day after she was to get married finds Kira Fitzgerald in somewhat of a vengeful snit. First she empties her purse of anything reminding her of the jerk, follows that with tossing the wedding invitations into the metal trashcan and touches them with a match. Then she takes her magical wand and weaves a spell on him -- really wanting to wither a particular part of his anatomy, but being a good witch she doesn't include this wish in her spell. She forgot she'd tossed a broken vial of perfume away, and suddenly the trash explodes in flames. Oh but she hates jocks! But, who should appear at that moment? Yep, a hungry looking wolf with a sexy voice and gleaming silver-gray eyes, her new boss, Jason Goddard. From this point on to the end of this story, Annette Blair writes with much wit and humor, gives her lead character Kira a strong outer personality, hides her soft inner thoughts, and gives Jason a twist on the popular jock, allowing tender emotions to evolve. Mixed in with the fun in this story, Ms. Blair shares the beauty of unconditional love in both the relationship of grandmother/grandson as well as the precocious orphans at St. Anthony. THE KITCHEN WITCH, the first book in this series, features Melody and Logan Seabright, who visit Kira and bring merriment, reminiscent of their own novel.   Readers will experience many different emotions in this read, from laughter to tugs on their heartstrings. MY FAVORITE WITCH contains strong words, true to the character types, and has many hot, explicitly sensual scenes, but none of that detracts from the valuable lessons brought forth. MY FAVORITE WITCH is a great story of various kinds of love, and Annette Blair weaves her own spell on you as you reach the end.  Carol Carter

MyShelf.com

 

My Favorite Witch

 

            "White Witch Kira Fitzgerald suffers the ultimate betrayal when she finds her sister and hunky Jock fiancée in bed together.  With her heart torn to shreds, she sets out to make a new life for herself.  She is offered a job as an Event Coordinator by Bessie Hazard who is the founder of Pickering Foundation.  Bessie’s genuine warmth and acceptance has her believing her choice is the right one.  She feels that she has found a friend and confident to see her through these troubled times.  Although the pay is low she receives free room and board as an added bonus.  She hopes the change in scenery will help her put back the pieces of her broken heart.  The day after she was to be married she finds herself alone in her office.  She comes up with the idea to rid herself of her ex-fiancées bad vibes by using her powers to cast a spell. Half way through the ceremony she is interrupted by her new handsome boss, Jason Pickering Goddard.

 

            Jason Pickering Goddard is a well known professional hockey player.  A knee injury has put his career on hold until he is able to recover.  His Grandmother Bessie manages to talk him into helping her raise money for the St. Anthony’s School for Boys.  She feels his star status will help attract more attention to this worthy cause.  His first encounter with his Kira leaves him shaking in his shoes as he finds her chanting over a garbage can casting a spell and threatening men’s private parts. He wonders why his level headed Grandmother could ever have hire someone like her to fill such an important position.  He has a feeling working side by side her each day will be the biggest challenge he has ever experienced in his lifetime.

 

            Kira may be the Witch but Bessie knows a trick or two herself.  By putting two of her favorite people together she hopes magic will occur and sparks of love will quickly be discovered.

 

            Annette Blair is an outstanding author who never disappoints her readers or her fans.  With each book she writes they quickly become permanent fixtures on your keeper shelf.  My Favorite Witch is a delightful fun reading experience.   It works its own magic by providing zany characters that will quickly put a smile on your face and warmth into your heart.  Very highly recommended."  Suzie Housley, MyShelf

 

ROMANCE JUNKIES

Jason Pickering is prepared to face the challenge of pulling the foundation out of a slump as their new Director of Special Events.  But he's not prepared for the surge of emotion he feels when an impish little redheaded orphan grabs him by the leg, and yanks on his heart strings.   He's even less prepared for the deliciously deviant witch Kira, who inspires an entirely different, yet equally strong reaction. 

With a flick of her wand and a shimmy of her pert behind, she literally charms the pants off of him.  It’s a case of prickly-heat though, with Kira’s wand pointed directly at the “heart” of the matter.   Slowly, Jason's enigmatic and sensitive management style wins her over, and together, they turn the Pickering Foundation on its side and ensure a brighter future for the boys of St. Anthony's, and themselves.
 

MY FAVORITE WITCH is magically delicious!  The chemistry between Annette’s characters is incredible; I ached for a connection from the very beginning.  A terrific contemporary romance, told with passion and verve, this book proves magic makes sex even sexier!   Paige Tate, Romance Junkies

 

Love Romances

 

Jason Pickering Goddard, NHL’s favorite playboy and America’s Best Kisser has been benched due to an injury to his knee.  Since he will be unable to play for six months, his grandmother Bessie drafts Jason to stand in as Director of Special Events.  But does his position require dealing with penis withering spells? 

Kira Fitzgerald, a witch recovering from catching her jock fiancé in bed with her sister has taken the position of Coordinator for the Director of Special Events.  Her plans for the future have no place for relationships or men.  So how can Kira explain how Jason attracts her? 

MY FAVORITE WITCH by Ms. Blair is a story of two wounded people who come together through the manipulations of Jason’s grandmother.  The sparks that fly when Jason and Kira first meet makes for an engaging tale. Both are very real characters that this reader would be proud to call friends.  The dialogue between them is sharp and at times incredibly humorous.  The secondary characters such as Kira’s friends Vickie and Melody, Jason’s grandmother Bessie and the boys from Saint Anthony’s are all wonderful.  They contribute greatly to the storyline and even at times tug at the reader’s heartstrings. 

This reviewer was also highly impressed by Ms. Blair’s portrayal of a witch.  She has obviously done her research into aspects of paganism.  This reviewer highly recommends MY FAVORITE WITCH for any reader who enjoys reading romantic comedies with just a touch of magic.  MY FAVORITE WITCH has earned a place on this reviewer’s keeper shelf and Ms. Blair a coveted place on the auto buy list.  Reviewed by Shaila

 

Reviewer’s Bookwatch

My Favorite Witch
Annette Blair
The Berkley Publishing Group
375 Hudson Street, NY, NY 10014, USA
ISBN: 0425207234, $6.99, 286 pp.

Jason Pickering Goddard is a playboy hockey star who is injured and swears off women. Kira Fitzgerald is a sexy witch who, after a cheater, swears off men. Gram is Jason's grandmother who brings them together to help her foundation's foster home for boys. You can figure the rest.

My Favorite Witch is traditional romance genre and would be considered a paranormal romance-fantasy magical-in that the story takes place in the natural world but features a being with unnatural abilities. The focus is on a central love story involving the development of an emotionally committed relationship between two major characters and a positive outcome.

Of course you need the conflicts and tension in order to overcome or you have no story, and it's truly amazing how a sexy body and really good sex can be the key to a man's heart or his . . . . The clever verbal sparing keeps it moving.

From the back cover: "The clash of their strong personalities ignites Jason's competitive streak and sparks an inner fire that threatens to melt the ice around his heart-a slow warm-up that weakens Kira's own defenses."

This books will appeal to romance lovers who want a light, humorous read with lots of fun sex. Annette Blair handles all aspects of writing well. Other books by this writer include The Kitchen Witch, An Unmistakable Rogue, An Unforgettable Rogue, An Undeniable Rogue and her next novel The Scat, the Witch & the Wardrobe.  Kaye Trout, Reviewer’s Bookwatch