It’s inevitable that I have a fixation on something totally out of season every so often. In June 2021, I was struck with a Christmas/Nutcracker vibe, and this year, it appears that the vibe is witches, because there are a few more witchy, magical reads to come.
When 19-year-old Vivienne Jones went through a breakup, she and her cousin Gwen drank some vodka and cast a curse on Vivi’s ex, Rhys Penhallow. Ten years later, Rhys is back in town for a celebration of the town’s founder, of whom he happens to be a descendent. When he and Vivi meet again, a once-dormant spark begins to fly. But first, they must deal with an unexpected corruption of the town’s magic supply, and an old grudge between their ancestors.
I think I might have found a new niche when it comes to rom-com books. Adding an element of witchery to a standard love story makes things a lot more fun and interesting. Exploring the rules of magic and what makes it work breaks up the usual getting-to-know-you scenes and even raises the stakes of the relationship a little.
Of course, the stakes aren’t too, too high since this is still a rom-com, but they’re elevated just enough where it’s more fun and less bogged down in drama.
There are so, so many stories about witches getting invoked with ancient curses and finding star-crossed love in a quest to save the world, so you can imagine what a breath of fresh air this book was.
Not that the book is anything groundbreaking, but it’s got a light, exciting touch of magic that doesn’t rely on melodrama and extended fight scenes to keep the action going.
I like the vibe that Vivi’s family has in their novelty shop (appropriately called Something Wicked). Aunt Elaine is a wise witch who loves her classic witch aesthetic, while Gwen, Vivi’s cousin, is always quick with a snappy remark or a comforting hug. It’s a Practical Magic kind of vibe with three witches living together and learning about magic. And you have to love Aunt Elaine’s advice about never mixing vodka with witchcraft.
There is a bit of a climactic battle at the end, and while I was a little shocked at the tonal shift, it still felt like it was in good fun, and not like the book was trying to be A Discovery of Witches or something like that.
There is some delicious (if extremely relatable) family drama between Rhys and his conservative, traditional father, Simon, and while it built up across the story, it did not really get a resolution. When the battle ended, and I saw there was still some story left, I assumed that we were going to get some kind of conclusion between the two. Alas, not. Luckily, that’s not a huge strike, since the magical stuff is just too much fun to experience.
After all, I did come to this book to watch witches work some silly magic, and that’s what I got.
Like I said, nothing in this book is truly amazing. The characters and the story are perfect for scratching that witch itch, and after a while, you might misremember it as Practical Magic. But I don’t think that’s a bad thing, not when you have fun trying out the ride for the first time.
The Library Key 