A heartwarmingly cosy, fantasy debut whose autumnal, witchy aesthetics will have fans (nostalgic for 90s faves Charmed and Practical magic) completely spellbound! 

Set in the UK (which pleasantly surprised me as I was expecting a Gilmore Girl esque- US town) we follow Belladonna Blackthorn, who, after the disastrous trial to prove herself worthy of her Coven’s magic); is given until the end of October to change their minds, by undergoing a series of magical trials (which she must pass) — or risk losing her magic forever. 

But with dark magic and a mysterious saboteur working against her, Belle will need all the help she can get— from both her magic wielding mother, coven appointed mentor and frustratingly handsome watchman, who is sworn to protect her…

I adored every second of this! It’s the perfect blend of The Ex Hex and Sabrina The Teenage Witch (except our protagonist is a just turned 30 bookseller trying to work through her magic and life based insecurities.) It does start a little slow, but did quickly pick up once Belle started using her magic. 

I really loved the heartfelt sense of whimsy and emotional reflection that Lucy Jane Wood managed to weave into her prose. Allowing us to explore the themes of identity, self love, connection and the fear of failure in such a tender,nuanced and empowering way.

I definitely feel a lot of readers are gonna relate to Belle’s conflicted emotions surrounding the pressures that life and all its important milestones can have —particularly if you’ve recently (or a close to) entering your 30s and still don’t feel like you’ve checked all the socially expected boxes. 

But the compelling cast of characters and their endearing support of Belle as she learns to reconnect with magic, and rediscover everything that makes her soo amazing, was what really made this a standout out read. The romance was also really good; slow-burn and swoon-worthy without taking away from the rest of the plot. I also loved our drool worthy love interest, Rune, (who we definitely didn’t get nearly enough of!) 

Life affirmations and magical coziness aside, we also meet some adorable furry companions in Belle’s cat familiar,Jinx and her mum’s Irish wolfhound, aptly named Wolfie —both of whom I also need to see more of. 

Overall, a wonderfully uplifting, warm hug of a read that cosy fantasy lovers and fans of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches should definitely check out. But do check the TWs.

Also, a huge thank you Book Break UK for the proof.