50 Ways to Hex Your Lover    by Linda Wisdom Order:  USA  Can Sourcebooks Casablanca, 2008 (2008) Paperback     Reviewed by Martina Bexte Seven hundred years ago, Jazz Tremaine and a small group of sister witches had broken a cardinal rule at the Academy for Witches. Each young witch was summarily cast out by their headmistress who decreed they were 'banished from this place for 100 years with only the powers you presently control. If any of you dares to cast a spell not meant for the greater good, your banishment will be extended.' Jazz has fared well enough since then and these days earns her pay cheque by lifting hexes and driving limousines for Southern California's All Creatures Limo Service. Yes, her boss is a jerk and a cheapskate, but a girl has to earn a living, doesn't she? At least until something better and more tempting comes along. But Jazz never expected that something else to be her on-again, off-again, incredibly tempting vampire lover, Nikolai Gregorivich. She hadn't seen him since the turn of the century and he just happened to be a bigger jerk than her current boss! The man was insufferable, always throwing her in jail when all she'd wanted to do was help with his current case. So what if he worked for the high powered Vampire Protectorate at the time and had claimed to have her best interests in mind? And who cares that he works on his own right now and wants her help tracking down whoever is responsible for the disappearances of many of Nick's undead friends. She isn't about to give him the time of day, even if he begs on his hands and knees - or kisses her senseless! But when Nick reveals that the killer could well be an enemy from her past, a creature she thought she'd destroyed, Jazz reluctantly agrees to help him. Readers who like their paranormal romances on the light and fluffy side will enjoy Wisdom's entry into the sub-genre. She's created a well-imagined mythology where all manner of magical beings co-exist with humans, but not always in a positive way despite the overall tone of the story. Jazz's various sidekicks like Irma, the smart-mouthed ghost who haunts her snazzy sports car and is never short on helpful advice, are a hoot. As are her ferocious bunny slippers, Puff and Fluff, whose cuddly appearance belies their true demeanour and who are dedicated to their mistress's protection after she rescued them from an evil magician. Despite the many moments of humour though, Wisdom centres the action and romance around Jazz and Nick, whose own incendiary past is unravelled with skill and whose future depends on their tracking down a killer intent on decimating the vampire race. 50 Ways to Hex Your Lover is a story filled with loads of sass and sensuality, plenty of laughs and a host of oddball characters who'll leave you in stitches and asking for more. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Romance books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews