This Spells Disaster by Tori Anne Martin

Pages: 354 

Publisher: Penguin 

Released: 14th of September 2023 

When 'messy witch' Morgan Greenwood drunkenly offers to fake date her dream woman Rory Sandler during the New England Witches' festival, she's sure she was hexed at birth. And things go from bad to complicated when Rory accepts.

But although they're 'pretending' to be a couple, their undeniable chemistry soon starts to feel like the real deal -until Morgan realizes she may have broken one of the most sacred Witch Council Laws, and accidentally given Rory a love potion. If this is true, she'll have to prove how incompatible she and Rory are to break the potion - and her heart in the process.

Morgan is no stranger to a disaster, so ruining their relationship should be easy.

Is Rory destined to be Morgan's latest screw-up?

Or could the magic between them be real?

What I Have to Say 

This book was really cute and I loved the couple in it and the setting and everything really, except that I found that I couldn't enjoy a good half of it as much as I wanted because it used my least favourite trope, when lovers don't talk to each other and so they spend most of the book struggling with a problem that could be fixed in five minutes. It was also a little predictable 

Morgan should have told Rory about the love potion immediately. Honestly, I think the fact that she didn't is almost as bad as giving someone a love potion to begin with! Rory deserved to know that her feelings were being messed with. And although the consent issues in this book were definitely handled well, I just hated Morgan the whole time for not telling her. 

I loved the magic in this book. It was interesting to see the rituals and spells woven into the life of everyday witches, using potion-infused bath products and drinks that are spelled to create different effects was so interesting. Honestly this was the sort of book that I would like to live in if I could. 

Overall, the issues around not telling Rory was really the only problem I had with this book. The plot, the humour, the characters, the settings all added up to be really entertaining. I would recommend it as a good witchy read. 

4 stars 

My thanks goes to Netgalley and Penguin for providing me with this gifted copy for review. 

Three Kisses, One Midnight by Roshani Chokshi, Evelyn Skye and Sandhya Menon

Pages: 288 

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton 

Released: 1st of September 2022 

Three New York Times bestselling authors craft a delicious concoction of storytelling about best friends who discover that love is the most powerful magic of all.

This Halloween, magic will reawaken in the town of Moon Ridge, and any love forged that night will last forever. At least, that’s what the founder’s fable says, and best friends Onny, Ash, and True—better known as “The Coven”—aren’t taking any chances.

After brewing a supposed love potion from a recipe passed down by Onny’s grandmother, each member of The Coven sets off to try to charm the love of their life. One falls for an unexpected suitor. Another paints himself into a corner. And the third refuses to believe in magic at all… until true love proves her wrong.

To All the Boys I've Loved Before meets Gilmore Girls: Three Kisses, One Midnight will put you under its spell and keep you reading long past the witching hour!

What I Have to Say 

This was so cute! It was such a comforting read, three adorable romance stories and a load of small town charm. I don't know which author wrote which story, some were better than others, but I really enjoyed all three of them. 

The first story was a bit predictable but damn if I don't love an enemies to lovers plot line. All the sass and bickering. The second was my favourite. A shy artistic boy and and the girl next door! What's not to like. It was still predictable in places, but in a good way. In a comforting way. The third was also good though not as good as the first two. it felt a bit like True being closed off was forced, especially towards the end when it was clear she was gonna open up. 

The overarching story was great too. The star missing from the sky, the ghost making appearances and all the spooky romance of the anniversary. This would be a great read for Halloween if you're looking for something that isn't too spooky with a lot of romance. 

(4 stars) 

My thanks go to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with this copy for review.