Rise of the Witch

Witches of Keating Hollow, Book 17

By: Deanna Chase

Narrated by: Gabra Zackman

Briggs Williams has a problem. For years he’d been unable to control his magic. But all that changed when he moved to Keating Hollow. There’s just something about the enchanted town that settles him. But when an old flame shows up in Keating Hollow out of the blue, his magic flares out of control again. Suddenly he’s a walking disaster. And there appears to be only one person that can help him keep his magic in check—Melissa Benson, the one woman he wants but knows he can never have.

Melissa Benson is determined to find her Mr. Right, instead of Mr. Right Now. If only she had a little bit of magic, she’d cast a love spell to help her find him. Unfortunately, she’s never been magical. It appears her only talent is dating emotionally unavailable men. Which is why she has sworn off the very handsome Briggs Williams, who has made it clear he’s not interested in anything permanent. But when his ex walks into town and Briggs asked Melissa to pretend to be his fiancée, she finds herself unable to refuse his insane request. Now she’s spending all her time with a man she can’t resist who is destined to break her heart.

Just when Melissa is determined to break off the charade, it becomes clear that she has magic after all, and if she leaves Briggs’s side now all hell will break loose. In order to keep Briggs and the residents of Keating Hollow safe, Melissa has no choice but to go through with the fake engagement at least until Briggs can regain control of his magic. But will she lose her heart in the process, or will she and Briggs find they can’t live without each other after all?

©2025 Deanna Chase (P)2026 Deanna Chase

Loved Rise of the Witch

I loved listening to Melissa and Briggs story. There were parts I definitely wasn't expecting and it kept me guessing about what Cassie would do next. It's always enjoyable to go back to Keating Hollow and catch glimpses of There were parts I definitely wasn't expecting. is easy to listen to. I just really enjoyed this book.

Absolutely love Keating Hollow!

With any book in this series, you can't go wrong. This story is about Briggs, Melissa, and Cassie. The main questions being why does Cassie set off Briggs control of his magic? And can Melissa, a normal human with no magic, help Briggs get his magic under control? As always, Deanna Chase is a master with character development and Gabra Zackman, the narrator, is amazing at bringing those characters to life for the listener.
Can't wait for the next book in The Keating Hollow Witches series.

Channeling witches?!

An intriguing story of an intimate connection between two people forming a bond to wield and control the combined magic bringing new meaning to soul mates. An unforgettable series!

Addicting listen

Briggs' ex comes blasting into town and to keep the ex from trying anything with Briggs, he begs Melissa to continue on with their pretend engagement.
What happens next is chaos, uncontrolled magic, mutual pining for one another and a charming small town paranormal mystery in Keating Hollow.
I liked how this one showed more about Briggs' background. We don’t know much about him, so it was nice to get to know him better. Melissa is certainly a keeper. I think she may be a saint. Ha!
My heart warmed so much for Briggs, especially there at the end when someone appears. I’m very excited to read the next story! It’s going to be a fun one.
The narrator, Gabra Zackman portrayed Briggs, Melissa, and several of the other characters well. She kept me engaged till the very end.

Perfect for lovers of:
Fake Engagement
Uncontrolled Magic
Jealous Ex
Childhood trauma
Cozy Paranormal Romance
Small Town

Their lives changed with the stalker intervention

Rise of the Witch by Deanna Chase 4 stars, pub August 25 audio
Briggs & Melissa

He's not wanting to settle. She wants to settle. So--even the attraction won't make them work. Until an ex of his again revs up pursuit. He begs Melissa to pretend to protect him. Ok. What harm can it do? Oh, lots. Read to find out just what.

He knows his magic doesn't work right--unless Melissa happens to be around. He did promise. Funny thing, though, when he's near, his control is different. How long can they maintain?

He wasn't prepared, and neither was she. What's going to happen when a stalker gets added to their lives?