The witch's tears by Katharine Corr and Elizabeth Corr

The witch's kiss bk 2. HarperCollins Children's Books, 2017. ISBN 9780008182991
(Age: 14+) Witchcraft. Magic. Romance. The second in the series, following The witch's kiss will really appeal to lovers of the paranormal and those who like fairy tales mixed up with the narrative. Merry is still trying to get over the heartbreak of losing Jack and to make matters worse she and her brother Leo are drifting apart. Leo is having problems because of Dan's death and when Ronan, an attractive and powerful stranger comes into the district he falls for him. Merry is having other problems as well, trying to learn witchcraft, and putting up with Finn, a young wizard who is staying at the house, and she fails to connect the strange things that are happening around her. Her Gran has disappeared and other witches are being killed around the countryside and ultimately it is up to her to do something about it.
This is an engrossing story that is easy to read and very enjoyable. Obviously it is best to have read the first in the series, as this is necessary to understand many of the references. Merry and Leo's great relationship was a feature of the first book, so it was hard to see them growing apart, and Merry's romance with Finn didn't quite ring true, but the narrative was interesting enough to keep the reader wanting to read on.
The action really picked up towards the end of the book and the strong and startling conclusion to this first book was riveting. This will ensure that readers pick up the next in the series to find out what happens.
Pat Pledger