Debora Geary is doing something that few authors do: Giving us the back story on some of our favorite characters.  Going back fifteen years before A Modern Witch, we get to learn how Nell and Daniel met.

To  Have And To Code reveals the story of nerd-girl and powerful witch, Nell Sullivan, and hacker genius Daniel Walker.  When Daniel hacks into Enchanter’s Realm, and even manages to get into the Witch-only levels, sparks literally fly.

With her trademark warmth, love, community, and glimpses of the characters we love from Witch Central, Geary once again delivers.  Nell must learn to be vulnerable, to let herself take a chance on what could be with Daniel. And Daniel has to grow up and learn that maybe he is ready to settle down after all.

My biggest complaint about the story is that perhaps Daniel is just a little too perfect… a coding genius, ex-athlete, good looking and he volunteers with at risk youth? Sigh. That package is pretty scarce.  What I like best about the story, though, is Nell’s growth.

She’s perfectly content where she is. She has her family and her friends and her perfect life.  It takes a lot of soul searching – and ultimately courage- for her to let Daniel into her life, to love him wholly and to let him see (and love) the real her.

That’s what I like about Debora Geary’s books- in addition to telling an entertaining story, they make me want to be a more honest, vulnerable, and authentic person.  And once again, the Witch Central characters make me want to do just that.

In so many books, we want to know what a character was like before we met them- how they came to this point in their life, what drives them, and we get to make up our own back story. Thanks to Debora Geary for giving us that glimpse in To Have and to Code.