A review by ellelainey
Shroom for Improvement by Jemma Croft

adventurous funny hopeful informative lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Shroom for Improvement 
Mythical Mishaps, Book 1 
by Jemma Croft 
★★★★★ 


438 Pages 
1st person, dual character POV 
Themes: grumpy/sunshine, quiet/rambler, slow burn, UST, mystery, magic, Fae, forced proximity, only one bed, 
Triggers: light bondage (edging, toys etc), mentions of off-page party drug culture; use of mushroom hallucinogenics; parental abandonment, depression, loneliness; non-MC bullying, sexual harassment, attempted murder, suicidal thoughts; body insecurities; punishment and praise kink 


~ 


Full disclosure: I don't normally like puns, books advertised as "funny" or "silly", but I loved the sound of book 2 and took the risk. 


This book was such a surprise! A great one! There were incredibly unique characters, a clever if weird plot, great pacing, a brilliant slow burn, and lots of chuckles. The British humour was spot on! 
Claude - a shroom Fae - is a curmudgeon of a train conductor with that one annoyingly persistent customer who keeps getting into his personal space. After three years they've only said a handful of words to each other, despite Sonny's best attempts. 
Three years ago, Professor Sonny - a magpie Fae - grew instantly intrigued by Claude. Ever since he's been secretly and mostly accidentally swiping little tokens from Claude, due to his magpie nature. It's nothing big, really - just a few pins, a pen... Claude's front door key! 
Then Claude's absent father dies and he inherits a magical house. There are tenants, magical rules, a sentient house and a ritual that must be completed by the solstice - just 2 months away - that no one can explain to him because of ancient shroom magical rules! He's in a pickle and needs a shroom magic expert to help. 
He just doesn't expect that expert to be Sonny! 


Lots of hijinks ensues, fun misunderstandings, magical interference, and unwanted feelings keep getting in their way. Not to mention the mysterious guests that live on the property who get in the way more often than help. 


ALL of the characters were great. Funny, smart, with a purpose, and all well fleshed out. It's not often I get to say that, but really no one was left sitting on a shelf, nothing more than pointless decoration. We even get to see quite a bit of Mash, who is the MC of Book 2, which gave me enough hints and clues to his personality that I can't wait to delve in. I particularly loved Jenny and how it completely changed the tone of what we knew. Talk about an unreliable narrator! John was also incredibly interesting, a complete mystery but brilliant. 


As for the plot, I loved everything about it - the intense UST, the simmering slow burn and the magical mystery. I loved that both Sonny and Claude are vers, with their own preferences, but also that they have different ideals for life. Claude just wants a bigger TV and a nice chai tea, while Sonny wants to save the planet with every fibre of his being. Neither are conventionally attractive or fit, but they're each other's ideal. 


I need to commend the author for the full page and a half of content warnings. Some of them were more literal - as in, lots of dick jokes and contempt of estate agents - while others were more triggering content warnings, like bondage, secondary character suicidal thoughts and bullying. 
Not only is this book one of the best of the year so far, but it gets the award for the weirdest, most oddball but loveable characters ever!) 


~ 


Favourite Quote 


 “I wanted to tell him the same. That he was different. But Sonny was everything I'd imagined he'd be, and I realised in that moment, I'd imagined I way more often than I cared to admit. He was warmth, and lightness, and optimism, and passion, and rosy cheeks, and crooked smiles, and sexy, filthy fingers.” 


 “It was always going to feel like the end.”