Prologue Summary, Analysis, and Key Takeaways
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
The Prologue opens with Vivi Jones soaking in a bath at her cousin Gwyn's cabin in the mountains above Graves Glen, Georgia. She's nursing a broken heart and a vodka-cranberry drink, trying to drown the pain of a relationship that ended just nine hours earlier. The family motto, Never mix vodka and witchcraft, is on her mind—it's printed on dish towels, T-shirts, and shot glasses at Something Wicked, the store run by her aunt Elaine—but Vivi reasons that broken hearts deserve exceptions.
Vivi's magic is still relatively new to her. Her mother kept her witchery hidden, and it was only after her mother's death that Vivi came to live with Aunt Elaine and Gwyn and began discovering her powers. She demonstrates this in small ways, like flicking her fingers to summon the scent of Rhys's cologne, a citrusy-spicy fragrance that lingers in her memory.
The source of her heartbreak: Rhys Penhallow, a Welsh Witch Boy she met at a Solstice Revel when she was nineteen. They dated for three months, and this morning he casually mentioned that his father was arranging a betrothal for him back in Wales. He called it being betrothed, not engaged, and seemed genuinely surprised that Vivi was upset. She ended things.
Gwyn, who has pink hair and a pragmatic streak, is unsympathetic to Vivi's wallowing. She points out that Vivi only dated Rhys for three months, and reminds her that she warned her about Witch Boys, especially Penhallow Witch Boys. Gwyn proposes a more active remedy: cursing him.
What follows is a drunken, improvised ritual. Gwyn pours a salt circle on the floor, opens the windows to the cool September air and the full moon, and places a candle in the center. The two women take turns making playful curses: that Rhys never darken Vivi's door (or her vagina), that his dimples never be used for evil, that his hair never do that thing again, and that he forever misunderstands female anatomy. It's silly, cathartic, and clearly not meant to be real magic.
But something goes wrong. The candle flame shoots up impossibly high, both windows slam shut with force, and the flame extinguishes itself. Sir Purrcival, Gwyn's tiny black kitten, hisses and arches his back. The two women sober up fast.
They quickly rationalize the event. Gwyn suggests it was a magical power surge, pointing out that Vivi had made the lights flicker earlier. They note that the candle came from Bath & Body Works—Orchard Hayride is hardly in league with darkness. They laugh it off, recite the family motto together, and clean up the salt before Aunt Elaine can discover them drinking and magicking.
Vivi tells herself she'll never see Rhys again. He's going back to Wales, she's going back to her life. But as they turn away, the candle briefly reignites, its smoke curling toward the open window and the full moon—a quiet hint that the curse may have taken hold after all.
Key Events
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Vivi is in the bath at Gwyn's cabin, drinking and wallowing nine hours after breaking up with Rhys
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She reveals Rhys concealed his father's arrangement of a betrothal in Wales
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Gwyn proposes cursing him; they set up a salt circle ritual with a candle
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They make a series of playful, improvised curses
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The candle flame flares dramatically, windows slam shut, and the flame dies
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They dismiss it as a magical power surge and clean up
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The candle briefly reignites as they leave, smoke curling toward the moon
Character Development
Vivi Jones: We meet her at her lowest point—heartbroken, drunk, and wallowing. But we also see her warmth and humor. She's self-aware enough to know the curse is silly, and she's still new enough to witchcraft that she doesn't fully understand the power she might be wielding. Her grief is genuine, but so is her resilience; by the end of the chapter she's ready to move on.
Gwyn: The pragmatic cousin. She's protective of Vivi, dismissive of Rhys, and the instigator of the curse. She's more experienced with witchcraft than Vivi, which makes her quick rationalization of the supernatural events feel like denial rather than ignorance.
Rhys Penhallow: Though he never appears on-page, his presence looms over the chapter. He's charming (dimples, blue eyes, a Welsh accent), but his failure to tell Vivi about the betrothal reveals a thoughtlessness that Gwyn is quick to label as dickbag behavior.
Sir Purrcival: The kitten's hissing and arched back provide the first sign that something genuinely supernatural is happening.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Never mix vodka and witchcraft: The family motto is repeated twice, framing the entire chapter. It's a warning about recklessness, but also a joke—the Jones family clearly has a history of magical mishaps.
The salt circle: A traditional protective boundary in witchcraft, here used for a curse rather than protection. Its smudging by Vivi's foot suggests the ritual was never properly contained.
The candle: It serves as the focal point of the ritual and the indicator of supernatural activity. Its brief reignition at the end signals that the curse may be real, and that the women's dismissal of it was premature.
The full moon: Associated with heightened magical energy, the full moon over the mountains sets the scene and may amplify whatever power the ritual accidentally tapped into.
Heartbreak and unintended consequences: The chapter's central tension is between the women's intention (a cathartic joke) and the outcome (possibly a real curse). It sets up the novel's premise: careless magic has consequences.
Why This Chapter Matters
The Prologue establishes the inciting incident for the entire novel. The drunken curse, meant as a joke, appears to have actually worked—and the final image of the candle reigniting promises that the consequences will return to haunt Vivi. It also introduces the key characters, the setting of Graves Glen, and the Jones family's relationship with witchcraft. The chapter's tone—witty, warm, and slightly irreverent—signals the kind of romantic comedy the reader can expect, while the supernatural events hint at the magical stakes to come.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Vivi end her relationship with Rhys, and what does her reaction reveal about her character?
Vivi ends the relationship because Rhys revealed that his father was arranging a betrothal for him in Wales—a fact he'd concealed throughout their three-month relationship. Her reaction—deep heartbreak mixed with self-aware humor—shows she's emotionally vulnerable but also resilient. She's willing to laugh at herself (counting the hours since the breakup, making jokes during the curse ritual) even while genuinely hurting.
2. What evidence suggests the curse ritual was more than just a joke?
Several details point to real magic: the candle flame shooting up impossibly high, both windows slamming shut simultaneously, the flame extinguishing itself, and Sir Purrcival's hissing and arched back. The women's quick rationalization (a magical power surge, the candle being from Bath & Body Works) feels like denial. The final image—the candle briefly reigniting and smoke curling toward the moon—confirms something supernatural has been set in motion.
3. How does the Prologue establish the novel's tone and premise?
The Prologue blends romantic comedy with supernatural stakes. The humor comes from the characters' banter, the absurd curses, and the family motto. The supernatural element is introduced through the ritual's unexpected consequences. This combination—witty dialogue, relatable heartbreak, and genuine magical danger—sets up the novel's premise: a curse cast in jest that will have real, lasting effects on Vivi's life.
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