The Babysitters Coven (The Babysitters Coven, #1)

by Kate M. Williams

[Sam@WLABB]

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Esme was content with her babysitting gigs and planning her daily fashion statements, but the tides were a-changing. First, there were the inexplicable babysitting events, as well as a chain of strange accidents that occurred in Esme's presence. With the arrival of a mysterious new girl, Cassandra, she began to discover more and more about her mother's past and how it affected her present. Together, Esme and Cassandra assumed their roles as babysitters, but would they be able to fulfill their destiny?

I have a thing for books featuring present-day witches. Maybe it's all the episodes of Charmed I watched back in the day or it could be my love for The Craft, but I always tend to enjoy these witchy stories, and I can say, I had a fun time reading about Esme's adventures.

Initial Impressions

I adored Esme. I am all for the snark (as long as it's not directed at me), and Esme was well-versed in the art. Her observations and musings were quite amusing. I laughed a LOT as I was being introduced to her and her world.

What I Liked

• I had a great time getting to know the ins and outs of Esme's daily life. Her dad and her dog were top-notch. Her father had a lot on his plate, but he tried to be as present as possible for Esme, which was a challenge, given their situation. And, you know, the way to my heart is via the pet. Piggy was a great sidekick, and Williams let the dog shine quite a bit.

• Janis was a delight. She was a good friend, and she really surprised me later in the story.

• Esme and Janis' passion for fashion was too much fun. I loved waiting to hear about their daily outfits, which were so outrageous, and I had the best time shopping with them.

• The spells used to activate their kinesis were rather amusing. They often had to gather quite an interesting array of items, and I got a hoot of trying to figure out the connection to the power.

• There were a few interesting reveals, and I thought the idea of the babysitters, the lore, and their mission was pretty cool.

• I liked that Williams acknowledged the Buffy vibes head-on, and the story did seem to go for the camp of the original film. I remember reading a part, and thinking, "This reminds me of Buffy," and on the next page, Esme directly drew the comparison. I am a huge Buffy fan and was not sad to see those allusions, though there were these "vibes, I felt like this was still very much its own story.

• When I read a series, I like when there is an overarching story arc, and one that is exclusive to each book. That was how this story was structured, and I am always grateful for any amount of closure I can get.

What I Didn't Like

I wouldn't say there was much I didn't like. As far as criticism goes, it did take quite a while for the whole idea of the babysitters to be revealed, but once we delved into that world, things really took off.

Overall

I think it's important to understand, that this is the first book in a series, and I didn't expect to learn each and everything about the babysitters in this book. With that said, I am looking forward to learning more about Esme and the other sitters and seeing them restore order to their world.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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