cosyqueer's reviews
291 reviews

Of Heists and Hexes is at once an adventurous romance about two lovers on opposite sides of the law, and a cosy, heartwarming old-timey romp between a cocky Sheriff and a seductive yet equally cocky outlaw.

Overall, Prater‘s language throughout the novel was really well balanced and flowed beautifully, with equal time spent on exposition, descriptions and dialogue with a sprinkling of introspection from Noah. The dialogue was very natural and authentic, often heartwarming and relatable. But my favourite thing about this whole entire book was the descriptions of the magics. In this world, magic is everywhere and Noah has an ability to sense magics on others. From scents like cinnamon, honey wine and raisin, to bursts of warm yellow and white, Noah experiences magics in such a divine, sensory way and it’s a pleasure to read about.

These characters were so brilliant! Noah, our main character and whose point of view we read from, is introduced as a fiercely lawful Sheriff with a reckless streak that has earned him the nickname The Red Sheriff. Throughout the story, however, we see Noah’s quick wit and cheeky banter seep through his brutish facade. I came to love Noah’s ferocious protectiveness of his family and eventually the story’s heroine Robin. As we see Robin through Noah’s perspective, I couldn’t help but be drawn to her as he is. The way she is described is lavish and seductive and Noah is perpetually curious about her. It was really fun being swept away in the romance between them by unravelling Robin’s secrets as Noah does. I wanted to mention Noah’s younger sister Marian as I thought their relationship was written superbly. By making little Marian a loveable and feisty character, the stakes were immediately higher for Noah in his endeavours as Sheriff and also his decisions regarding Robin. Their strong sibling dynamic was really well written and added a lot to the story for me.

The plot lost me in a few spots, I think this was due to the amount of things going on at once, which was great in terms of solidifying the stakes of Noah’s journey and creating a sense of adventure, but it did slow down my reading at times.

Finally, the romance! The yearning and pining was exquisite, combined with some teasing and witty banter and I was floored. The spicy scenes were also fabulous and very natural, the characters felt very raw and vulnerable during these moments together. Noah and Robin’s chemistry was so tangible on every page and their slow burn romance was a delight to read.

A cracking read overall, and I’ll definitely be recommending this book to fans of historical romances, as well as lovers of vaguely western-like settings and cosy magical vibes! Also Robin Hood stans.

I received an advance review copy for free via. booksirens.com, this is my honest and voluntary review.