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dianaschmidty's review
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Okay, so this book was kind of weird and there’s a lot about the plot that I would have changed, but I was genuinely invested and it was a cute book to read right before Halloween.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Violence
Moderate: Sexual content and Gaslighting
sdupont's review
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Looking for a fun witchy read for Halloween? You’re in the right place! This book is written in Meg Cabot’s signature style and voice. I enjoyed reading about Jessica and Derrick. I felt that the romance was more of the secondary plot in this book so I was left wanting more development of their relationship. I was hoping for a little bit more of The Mediator vibes (but witchy) but this book was more mild. I still enjoyed it and found it to be fun and lighthearted.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Bullying
Minor: Stalking and Colonisation
reading_historical_romance's review
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
3 stars for this magical, cozy cute read! (I’m also shamelessly loving that the title can be a 2020s pop culture nod to Taylor Swift.)
I’ve been a fan of Meg Cabot’s writing since The Princess Diaries, so I was very excited to have my ARC request approved by Avon. I went in wanting to love it, and if the manuscript had been edited only slightly so that it was YA or New Adult, I would have. I have to give it 3 stars because it is supposed to be a Paranormal Romance, and it just doesn’t quite get there. For an adult Paranormal Romance, it suffers from a very youthful tone and storylines, overplotting, lack of character development, and heavy-handed moralizing.
The novel follows a self-taught cottage witch, Jessica, and a natural born witch, Derrick, as they work together to fulfil a 300-year-old prophecy, which will ensure that Jessica’s small Connecticut hometown of West Harbor – a town that has a history of persecuting witches -- will still exist after Halloween.
Meg has a great voice, and when she lets free with her humor, using atmosphere/setting as character, and choice of random details in building character, her writing absolutely sparkles. There were some great hilarious moments in this book that reminded me all over again of why I love her writing. The text messages between Jessica, and her best friends, Dina and Mark (who have 3 beagles!), and everything about the Trivia Night, were perfect. Jessica’s relationship with her cat, Pye. I loved how we get to know Jessica by watching her “glow-up” her customers with her fashion sense. We really do care about sweet, dim Billy who is genuinely kind, and deserves to be happy.
I loved the magical elements of the story, the quotes from Jessica’s grimoire, and the “Nine Rules” that good witches should follow. (All of these are good morals.) The underlying plot that there is a “Chosen One” that needs to prevent the destruction of her town from an apocalypse was not explained very well, though. I’m still not sure why Derrick was “sent” to West Harbor in the first place, or what his witch “job” really is? By the end, it seems Derrick didn’t actually “do” anything to prevent whatever bad thing was supposed to happen from happening. I also don’t think that the symbolic use of the wolves was clear.
I think this novel would have worked better if the plot had been simpler: Lost soul Derrick arriving to give lost soul Jessica a mission to mentor a young witch, and they end up finding true love! More time could have been spent on developing both Derrick and Jessica’s characters, and their love story. Instead, we got a paragraph or two of statements telling us why they love each other (after less than a week). We aren’t shown anything in the narrative about what makes them Fated Mates, other than that they’re both witches with complicated histories with their witchiness.
The only content that pushes this novel out of the YA or New Adult category is direct statements about sexual activity occurring between Jessica and Derrick. All of these statements are minor/vague, and none contain detailed descriptions. In all but one scene, sexual activity takes place entirely off-page.
Although most of the characters are adults in their 30s, they read as much younger. There are also overt, outright morality lessons and commentary throughout the narrative. The climax of the novel, in and of itself, is a straightforward didactic event.
For example, the novel includes statements like: “Magic is everywhere and in everyone”; “That’s the real crime—the crime of persecuting someone for their supernatural beliefs, a crime for which people around the world even today continue to be accused, and to suffer and die. I believe the court systems should be held accountable for this”; and “You did use your powers. Your powers of compassion and empathy.”
I do not object at all to a book that's about why it’s important to be a decent human being, and that makes direct statements to the reader about what that means. Those books are targeted to, and properly categorized, as middle grade and YA, not as adult fiction or Paranormal Romance.
Overall, this is a fun, cozy read for the fall, and should be enjoyed when curled up in a blanket and sipping a warm pumpkin spice-flavored something. This is also the first book in a series, and I am looking forward to reading the next one to see the direction the series will go.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.
I’ve been a fan of Meg Cabot’s writing since The Princess Diaries, so I was very excited to have my ARC request approved by Avon. I went in wanting to love it, and if the manuscript had been edited only slightly so that it was YA or New Adult, I would have. I have to give it 3 stars because it is supposed to be a Paranormal Romance, and it just doesn’t quite get there. For an adult Paranormal Romance, it suffers from a very youthful tone and storylines, overplotting, lack of character development, and heavy-handed moralizing.
The novel follows a self-taught cottage witch, Jessica, and a natural born witch, Derrick, as they work together to fulfil a 300-year-old prophecy, which will ensure that Jessica’s small Connecticut hometown of West Harbor – a town that has a history of persecuting witches -- will still exist after Halloween.
Meg has a great voice, and when she lets free with her humor, using atmosphere/setting as character, and choice of random details in building character, her writing absolutely sparkles. There were some great hilarious moments in this book that reminded me all over again of why I love her writing. The text messages between Jessica, and her best friends, Dina and Mark (who have 3 beagles!), and everything about the Trivia Night, were perfect. Jessica’s relationship with her cat, Pye. I loved how we get to know Jessica by watching her “glow-up” her customers with her fashion sense. We really do care about sweet, dim Billy who is genuinely kind, and deserves to be happy.
I loved the magical elements of the story, the quotes from Jessica’s grimoire, and the “Nine Rules” that good witches should follow. (All of these are good morals.) The underlying plot that there is a “Chosen One” that needs to prevent the destruction of her town from an apocalypse was not explained very well, though. I’m still not sure why Derrick was “sent” to West Harbor in the first place, or what his witch “job” really is? By the end, it seems Derrick didn’t actually “do” anything to prevent whatever bad thing was supposed to happen from happening. I also don’t think that the symbolic use of the wolves was clear.
I think this novel would have worked better if the plot had been simpler: Lost soul Derrick arriving to give lost soul Jessica a mission to mentor a young witch, and they end up finding true love! More time could have been spent on developing both Derrick and Jessica’s characters, and their love story. Instead, we got a paragraph or two of statements telling us why they love each other (after less than a week). We aren’t shown anything in the narrative about what makes them Fated Mates, other than that they’re both witches with complicated histories with their witchiness.
The only content that pushes this novel out of the YA or New Adult category is direct statements about sexual activity occurring between Jessica and Derrick. All of these statements are minor/vague, and none contain detailed descriptions. In all but one scene, sexual activity takes place entirely off-page.
Although most of the characters are adults in their 30s, they read as much younger. There are also overt, outright morality lessons and commentary throughout the narrative. The climax of the novel, in and of itself, is a straightforward didactic event.
For example, the novel includes statements like: “Magic is everywhere and in everyone”; “That’s the real crime—the crime of persecuting someone for their supernatural beliefs, a crime for which people around the world even today continue to be accused, and to suffer and die. I believe the court systems should be held accountable for this”; and “You did use your powers. Your powers of compassion and empathy.”
I do not object at all to a book that's about why it’s important to be a decent human being, and that makes direct statements to the reader about what that means. Those books are targeted to, and properly categorized, as middle grade and YA, not as adult fiction or Paranormal Romance.
Overall, this is a fun, cozy read for the fall, and should be enjoyed when curled up in a blanket and sipping a warm pumpkin spice-flavored something. This is also the first book in a series, and I am looking forward to reading the next one to see the direction the series will go.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual content, Religious bigotry, Colonisation, and Violence
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