TL;DR: Such a fun and quirky adventure!
Source: NetGalley, so many thanks to the publisher!
Plot: Ben needs a memory erasing spell, and that’s all it takes for some BIG MAGIC to cause havoc.
Characters: I really grew to love these characters. They were dynamic and didn’t quit fit at first but by the end I loved them.
Setting: This was surprisingly strong for the story, it really helped carry it through.
Cozy/Romantasy: The cozy was less cozy but I love the groundwork of the romance here, and the fantasy.
Summary:
The Spellshop meets Legends & Lattes in this new cozy romantic fantasy trilogy about magic gone wrong, by the bestselling author of The House Witch series! Spidena Kettle runs a quiet magic shop at the edge of town, selling just enough spells and potions to keep herself afloat—and out of trouble—when Benthrop Hozel enters her shop one day. On the run from the nefarious sort, he simply wishes to be forgotten by his pursuers. In exchange, he promises a favor. Such a deal could have dire consequences if Ben is unable to fulfill his end of the bargain. Not that the witch is overly concerned—after all, there’s no risk to her making such an arrangement with a normal human. Only…Ben may be more than he seems. With their fates forcibly intertwined for a full journey, Spidena and Ben must not only evade their enemies and use precious magical resources to get by, but confront the secrets they’ve long kept…that is, if they can manage to stop getting on each other’s last nerve for long enough to do so.
Thoughts:
This one was very unique, and I loved it. Ben needs to have some gentleman forget him so he runs into Spidena’s magic shop and gets a spell for just that. Unfortunately magic has a lot of rules and costs and Big Magic trips into play, binding the two together.
This world, I’m going to be honest, was a bit confusing for me a first but once I was along for the ride it fell into place. The characters are both grumpy as well which ultimately ended up being hilarious. This is no grumpy sunshine. This is Grumpy Grumpy and I loved that. We get a phenomenal cast of side characters (I would fight for Filif), and the world itself felt very integral to the story.
Is it perfect, nah. But did I have a blast? Oh yeah. This one is a great start to a series that has some cozy notes, some romantic notes, and a wonderful fantasy world I want more of. This is a huge recommendation from me, I loved it.
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