by Naomi
There are a lot of books I read and enjoy, but I don’t feel like I have enough to say for it to qualify as a Book Review. I thought it would be fun to group books that have some things in common together, so that readers who are looking for something specific get some options. You can never have too many books on your TBR! In this round of mini-reviews, I have a romantasy set during a magic-prohibition era, the work trip from (to) Hell, and a magical recipe book of sorts. All great reads if you want to add a dash of magic to your life. Happy reading!
Spellstruck by Martha Waters
Chemistry isn’t only for cocktails in this lightly magical, enemies-to-lovers rom-com about the owner of a speakeasy supplying magical drinks and an enforcer of the ban on magic who must team up when potions begin to go awry.
To me, this was a perfect book! Every single part of it was just executed so well. You have wonderful characters: Vesper is an independent, competent, kind person who is very willing to see other people’s viewpoints and change, but she’s no pushover. She’s witty, clever and inventive, very sexy and she knows her own worth. Max has a huge stick up his ass, but in an entertaining way! He’s not an asshole, and his prejudices make sense. He, too, is willing to hear other people out and admit when he is wrong. He was so attracted to Vesper’s competence, which is very sexy. All the side characters were such fun, and fleshed out just enough that they felt like real people. I would have loved to know more about all of them, though, because they seem so interesting! The plot is interesting; it’s a fun little mystery that moves the romance along very well. Everything gets wrapped up very neat. I loved all these bits so much, and they made for an excellent book! The tension and banter between Max and Vesper, the vulnerability, the very, very hot sex scene (this is a low-spice book, with only the one explicit scene, so don’t let my references to the sexiness put you off! I just find competence and kindness very attractive, what can I say). My only note is that the magic system could’ve been more fleshed out and present, but I only thought about that after finishing, because while reading I was too wrapped up in the delicious romance.
I Hope This Email Finds You In Hell by Mackenzie Reed
When staying late at the office leads to witnessing an exorcism, Brie Benson’s mundane life takes a hellish turn…literally.
While this book started off strong, it lost steam fairly early on in the story. I’m still not sure if it’s the writing style or the plot, but it got a little … boring, I’m sad to say. The characters’ motivations were unclear, and especially towards the end I was very confused about what was happening. I did like Brie as a character, I thought she was an interesting combination of clueless and brave. She felt like a real person, and while I certainly wouldn’t have lasted as long as she did in Hell, it seemed realistic. I liked that the story was revealed in layers, and the truth about Luke came out in bits and pieces. I do wish Brie had questioned everything a bit more, but I can accept that she had a lot going on (what with being in literal Hell, you know). The pacing was a bit off, very fast in the beginning and end, and dragging a little in the middle. The romance could’ve also used some more time, but I guess close proximity does what it always does. I would have like to spend some more time on world-building, because it was an interesting interpretation of a bureaucratic Hell, and I do feel that there are some plot points that have gone unaddressed. This was a fun and interesting story, that could have been fleshed out a bit more.
The Hocus Pocus Handbook by Ann Aguirre
From NYT bestselling author Ann Aguirre comes a cozy fae fantasy romance featuring a sunshine-shadow slow burn, a grumpy-but-secretly-tender love interest, an unforgettable found family, and a world lush with wildcraft magic.
This book was not at all what I expected it to be, but much better. Each chapter opens with a recipe for magic and/or mischief that Thea’s hobgoblin father-figure has lovingly written out for her. Thea is a wonderful character: she’s a changeling, a human, who was abducted as a child and grew up in a fae kingdom. While she has always felt a little out of place, she does feel a deep connection to fae magic and she is so sure of herself, and who she is as a person. The recipes set the scene for each chapter, and they’re insightful and sweet, giving the reader something to think about. Kerboros, the love interest and second point-of-view character, is one of those strong and silent types. He’s an indentured hunter for the Winter king, but beneath the surface there are a lot of surprising (to him) emotions happening. It was so sweet to see him accept those, and become more open with Thea and the other members of their motley crew. This is a story about found family, with a lovely romance as a cherry on top. I must admit that the pacing of the story is quite uneven, and the ending felt a bit rushed. However, The Hocus Pocus Handbook is a very gentle, cozy book, with very low angst. It’s perfect for those cold, dark days that are coming.
