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BOOK REVIEW: Books & Bewitchment by Isla Jewell

Dutiful and hard-working, Rhea Wolfe lives a simple, if mundane, life with her pet parrot in small-town Alabama. Sure, she may not love her desk job working for an insurance agency. And her on-again-off-again relationship with the local mechanic may not have the fiery passion she’s read about in her favourite books. Still, things are stable, which is more than she can say about the two hopelessly immature younger sisters who rely on her.

But when Rhea’s estranged grandmother dies, leaving her everything—including a magical heritage Rhea never knew she carried—she finds herself in Arcadia Falls, the quaint mountain town her mother made her swear to avoid at all costs. While the defunct video store she’s also inherited needs a serious upgrade, Rhea’s lucky that resident handyman Hunter Blakely is more than happy to help—and more than easy on the eyes. If only he wasn’t the grandson of her grandmother’s sworn enemy in witchcraft.

Yet as Rhea makes plans for the bookstore of her dreams, she learns that her grandmother made a terrible choice, one that could ruin her own chance at happiness. As she gets ever closer to solving the mystery of what exactly is happening, each clue points to Arcadia Falls’ magic hanging in the balance. To keep her new home safe, Rhea must step into her enchanted birth right and harness her newfound powers . . . before it’s too late.

"No matter how bad my day is, someone in a book has it worse and will still get a happily-ever-after eventually. Maybe that's why I read so much. It gives me hope - and an escape."

I definitely do judge a book by it's cover - because when it's as cute as this one, I just can't resist picking it up. And I am happy to report, I judged it correctly. 

A small-town, cosy story full of magic, love, family and bookish goodness. This is a book for the book lovers, capturing that beautiful feeling of escaping into a story and the inexplainable happiness it can bring. 

A sentiment that our main character, Rhea can agree with. She's a bit messy, a bit lost: recently fired, toxic on/off relationship and searching for purpose. Cue the classic book drama - a mysterious inheritance she's not meant to accept in a new town where everyone knows her family and the magic happens. Arcadia Falls was a character itself, a beautifully vibrant town full of charm that I'm quite upset I can't visit. 

And of course, it's not complete without a stunning love interest to finish the cosy reading checklist. Meet Hunter, as Rhea said, "the best-looking man I've ever seen." who enters the story in a ridiculous meet-cute involving a cockatoo, a pot of tea and a broken iPad and is honestly up there on the list of book crushes. He's sweet, well-read, genuinely likes women and of course, is someone Rhea absolutely has no business being interested in. He and the rest of the Arcadia Falls townsfolk were absolutely delightful, so full of charm with rich histories and some stand-out personalities. 

It's a little off-kilter, slightly zany and so much fun. We follow Rhea has she discovers the unbelievable truth about her family, unravelling small town secrets and rivalries, learns about magic and ties not to fall in love with a gorgeous tattooed handyman - all while trying to open the bookstore of her dreams to save her and her sisters from financial ruin. What a life. The story was addictive, so bright and vibrant that I could see everything playing out on the pages and once I'd settled into the town and it's stories, the mystery really starts and it's an exciting race to save the day and restore Arcadia Falls. Every single pace was full of love and the vibes were immaculate. 

Think Charmed with a small-town makeover, this has everything you need in a cosy winters read: romance, books, family secrets and a bit of magic. I am quite simply bewitched. 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

  • Books and Bewitchment will be available from 3rd Feb 2026 with Del Ray/Random House Worlds. 
  • I received a reviewers copy of this title. 

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