Strange Brew by Angela Colsin

Strange Brew is Book 3 of The Crucible Series by Angela Colsin, an independent author I recently found.

First, the Blurb:  Feeling out of touch with her magical gifts, Aislinn Carmichael is a witch seeking a means of restoring her ability to its fullest potential. Despite the warnings of family and friends, the endeavor inevitably drives her to accept the initiation trial of a witch coven called The Trine. 

Their test demands the capture of a supernatural creature, a task Aislinn has little doubt she can accomplish with relative ease. But of all the potentially benign creatures she could’ve snared, none other than a feral werewolf stumbles into her trap. Making matters worse is The Trine’s intentions for her dangerous captive, forcing Aislinn to release him and potentially risk retaliation. 

But vengeance is the farthest thing from the werewolf’s mind. 

Troy Ashland is a werewolf standing at death’s door, slowly losing his humanity until there’s nothing left but savage instincts. It’s a process all werewolves face, and the only thing that can appease his restless beast is his mate. So when word arrives from an oracle saying to travel to the Southern US to find her, he’s on the next flight out. 

After his arrival in Arkin City, the last thing Troy expects is to be caught in a magical trap. But all is forgiven with one glimpse of his temporary jailor, who turns out to be the very woman he was searching for. Still, his efforts of winning her are surprisingly difficult. Not only is Aislinn inexplicably resisting their attraction, but The Trine won’t leave well enough alone …

My thoughts:  Stay with me on this review:  I will get to the point.  Maybe I need to state the point first. Okay, I will.  One of my mantras is “Trust Your Author” and sometimes I have to remind myself of this.  Now, stay with me!  Aislinn is a human witch and Troy is a 195 year old werewolf who is desperate to find his mate because he is turning savage and will run the risk of having to be put down before he becomes uncontrollable.   Aislinn is working on a ritual spell that needs her to capture an immortal for one night as part of this spell.  She captures Troy.  They are fated mates and this is how they find each other.  The first part of the story centers around their relationship and becoming mates through a series of interesting events.  Admittedly, I was concerned a little bit at first because I usually like relationships in stories to unfold over time.  However, it worked in this book and was necessary.  Trust Your Author and they will take us where we need to go! And Ms. Colsin did.  Once they become mates, they have some issues to solve, especially considering we have a witch and a werewolf.  But then, the real story starts to unfold and I really enjoyed that story.  It surrounds a coven of witches, a dead spirit and entities looking for a long lost magical book! I thought this story was very enjoyable. The point of “Trust Your Author” came when I realized that Aislinn and Troy’s mating was crucial to the unfolding story.  To see how, you will need to read the story.  I hope you enjoy because this is a fun read.

Happy Reading,

Debra