Author: Jessalyn Thorn

First Published: 30 September 2023

“I want to be with you. I’m tired of fighting this… Even if you’re broken. All the best people are.”    

I will start by saying that I was given an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. Thank so much Jessalyn and the team over Peachy Keen for sending a copy my way!

Thirteen years ago, Emery Lockwood gave in to the temptation of forbidden magick, leaving the ruins of her home to go on the run from the local coven.

Forced to leave her three best friends behind, she never expected her childhood sweethearts to find her again. The boys she once knew have become troubled men, and they need her help.

Reaper’s Hollow is under attack.

Haunted by an evil force that loves to play sick mind games, a decade of death and despair have left countless innocent lives caught in the middle. Emery has no choice but to return and fight.

Reunited in a war zone, friendship and heartbreak grow into something more.

When ancient secrets are exposed, Emery must race against the clock to save a world that cast her aside. Only she can end the onslaught of evil threatening to consume them all.

For far too long, dark witches have been hunted and killed. The bloodshed must end. At the dawn of a new age, destruction is inevitable.

The world must burn before it can be reborn.

Departed Whispers is a deliciously dark, witchy paranormal romance that is perfect for the spooky season. I also adore that it is set in the UK, as I don’t think I have read many paranormal romances set outside of  America.

Emery left her friends, the only family she’s really had, behind after fighting to keep herself alive from the light witches who tried to take her magick. She has been ostracized from her coven as she manifests dark magick. After saving herself and killing the witches who wanted to kill her, she is on the run. 13 years later, Luther, one of the boys she left behind, finds her and drags her back to Reaper’s Hollow. The boys are under attack from a sinister being who is forcing them to commit evil acts to save people. While fighting to defeat this evil force, Emery, Luther, Kody and Atticus repair their friendship. Out of the heartache, those 13 years created they finally take the chance to move their relationship from friends to lovers.

Emery is my spirit animal. She is a kickass, goth witch who refuses to apologise that her magickal ability comes from dark rather than light sources. While on the run, Emery offers her dark witch services to help people, including any light witches who cannot turn to the covens for help for fear of punishment or banishment. Despite hating most people, she’s willing to risk her life to protect Luther, Kody and Atticus, even at the risk of her own life. As her magick is dark, there is a hint of necromancy and lots of blood magick.   

In this world, the covens hold on to traditional values, which makes some of their thoughts and practices archaic. They see dark magick as being evil and will persecute and execute any dark witch they find. I loved how Jesslyn included the Salem Witch Trials as part of the covens’ history, noting that these witch hunts were run by the light witches who were destroying the dark witches. I enjoyed that the two forces have to put aside their differences to help defeat the evil being. We see from the younger generation of the coven witches that do not agree with the archaic practices and are learning that to have balance, you need both light and dark magick.

There are a lot of amazing romance tropes in here, including second chance, friends to lovers, and, my all-time favourite trope, why choose romance. The relationships Emery has with each guy slowly develop in different ways. Emery and Luther’s comes to life full steam ahead – pun very much intended – as they repair their hurt in some hot and spicy BDSM-style scenes. Kody and Emery’s relationship has a sweeter development as Kody is worried that Emery still sees him as the kid brother she needs to protect. Atticus takes the longest to come around to Emery being back as he holds on to his hurt and anger, which makes sense given what we learn about his past. I will say, that I wish we got some group scenes given this was a why choose, but might just be me being greedy.

While the plot is mainly focused on taking down this evil being who is tormenting the town, there is still a ton of spice. Helped by the fact that the fastest way Emery can charge her powers back up once she used them is with spicy times.

I will say I was a little disappointed in the end. We have this massive, emotionally tense, cliffhanger, which had me on the edge of my seat wondering how in the world Emery and the guys are going to get out of this one only for the the next chapter to be an epilogue which jumps forward in time to their HEA. So, we are told the resolution rather than being shown. I would have liked another few chapters to flesh out what happened.

Overall, I enjoyed Departed Whispers. I loved the details Jesslyn gave the world and her witches. If you loved the sound of the dark witchy paranormal romance with a second chance, why choose romance, I highly recommend that you pick it up this spooky season.