Fortune's Curse

Olivia does NOT want to be a witch. It only got her mom killed. She still has Mom's spell book and a mentor who is mistaken for David Bowie, but she keeps her head down. Like, "who needs a social life?" down.

Alfred Brawder is the heir to a magical organized crime syndicate, and he'd rather use persuasion than violence to get what he wants--but usually either will do. But then, his target has never been a normal (ish) girl like Olivia. All Alfred wants is the cure to the family curse, a spell that only Olivia's mother knew, but his mission tips off sinister forces to her presence--a sorceress with a past life connection to Olivia.

Battling a sorceress who wants to absorb Olivia's soul isn't Alfred's usual specialty, but he's a nice guy at heart--or maybe he's just falling in love. But if Olivia doesn't grow into her powers fast, she won't even be able to consider if she's up for dating a crime boss...

Set in the same world as The Telepath and the Sorcerer trilogy, Fortune's Curse takes place in the late 1980s and is packed with action, conniving families, slow-burn romances, characters who are all huge nerds, and pop culture jokes.