Something Wicked is the ultimate cosy autumn read, blending witchy magic, small-town charm, and a murder mystery in one enchanting package! Gretchen Rue’s novel is a delightful mash-up of Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Gilmore Girls, offering a captivating story that’s perfect for curling up with as the leaves begin to fall.

The protagonist’s journey from moving into her late aunt’s house to discovering her own magical abilities is engaging and heart-warming. Rue perfectly captures the quirky, tight-knit community with its prying neighbours, childhood friends, and, of course, the mysterious apothecary tea shop that serves as the story’s magical hub. The murder mystery adds a thrilling twist to the otherwise cosy atmosphere, keeping readers on the edge of their seats while still embracing the warmth and charm of the setting.

The mix of magic, romance, and intrigue is expertly balanced, making Something Wicked impossible to put down. The chemistry between the main character and her childhood friend is sweet and adds just the right touch of romance without overwhelming the plot. And the magical elements feel fresh and fun, adding to the book’s unique appeal.

Fans of witchy tales, small-town mysteries, and light-hearted but gripping stories will find Something Wicked absolutely enchanting. It’s the perfect Halloween read, packed with warmth, wit, and just the right amount of wickedness.

Gretchen Rue's "Something Wicked" is a gripping and atmospheric thriller that captivates with its chilling suspense and intricate plot. The novel weaves a dark, compelling narrative that delves into secrets and mysteries lurking beneath the surface of a seemingly quiet town. Rue’s writing is taut and engaging, with a well-crafted plot full of unexpected twists and richly drawn characters. The tension builds masterfully, keeping readers on the edge of their seats as they unravel the layers of intrigue. "Something Wicked" is a thrilling read that offers both a satisfying mystery and a deep dive into the human psyche.

Thank you for my earc of this book. I liked the premise but it felt a little overwritten and slow so I DNF

You’ll remember I gushed about Spellbound and had to get to something wicked’, the first in the series, and so here I am!!! I absolutely lived for this, a small town cosy, that did a great job in setting everything up with intrigue and a murder mystery. Loved the intricacies, with details making everything unfurl and having me sit in front of the fire absolutely transported. The fact that so much of this was the everyday and so you walked with Phoebe through the lot made is particularly charming and special. Definitely an author that’s going on my permanent list!!

A slow burn, small town, witchy mystery. With cosy vibes and murder.

The world building and scene setting in this is great, tje author uses a great level of detail throughout, along side a use of short chapters- a personal favourite for me.
I feel the book opened up the way for a second book.

Loved the start of what I hope is a series about Raven creek and it’s residents . Nice light easy read

a fun witchy mystery book who wouldn’t enjoy this book.
an easy read that was slow to start but stick with it as it’s an enjoyable read

A recipe for a potion to demolish life as you know it:

Step 1: pack up your life and move to your aunts old house in a small, sleepy town.
Step 2: discover that she was a witch
Step 3: discover that you are also a witch
Step 4: add a sprinkle of butterflies for your childhood friend, a dash of prying neighbours who want you to leave their town and never to come back, and -the key ingredient-a murder on the steps of your aunts old tea shop (which is also a magic apothecary).

It was a cute, cosy read and what I was just looking for at the time. I loved the small town vibes and the description of all the food and drinks... and the author also added some recipes at the end (I love when authors do this). Would I say there's romance in the book? hmm not much it's more of subplot (though I don't mind it tbh I quite liked it) and its mainly more of a cosy mystery. However, I did feel like the end was a bit rushed and felt unfinished.

I started reading this book and got half way through but I wasn’t drawn to the book I put it down and had no want to read it maybe I just wasn’t interested. However from what I did read I enjoyed the writing style

A fun easy book to read and enjoy

I really enjoyed the murder mystery plot although I personally would have liked a bit more romance as although that’s what it was advertised as there’s very little of it present.
The small town atmosphere was lovely and it was very quick to read as it’s so engaging.

If you’re looking for a cozy murder mystery I’d recommend this book.

A fun, cute read! I liked the murder mystery plotline.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC copy of this book, in exchange for this honest review.

This is a pretty sweet book, and the inclusion of the murder made it all a little more exciting to read.

I was really intrigued by Deirdre (though annoyed by how her name was so frequently misspelled, then spelled correctly, then misspelled again) and what her deal was. The romance between Pheobe and Rich/Ricky was also really lovely.

Such a fun book to read on Hallowe'en.

I was a little bit disappointed with this - the small-town atmosphere is great, and the characters are fun, but the pacing is absolutely all over the place! The first 90% of the book feels like set up, to the point where I genuinely wondered if it was going to end on a cliffhanger and require a sequel to unravel both the mystery plot and the romance and magic arcs, but nope, it just all ends abruptly in a scene that comes out of nowhere, ties basically nothing together and finishes the book without ever actually starting the romance. Very weird choice of comp titles (The Kiss Curse and The Ex Hex) if this wasn't meant to be a romance, only a mystery; very weird marketing in general and truly bad pacing. Shame, because the world was really nice and I liked a lot about it.

Fantastic book had me hooked straight away I hope there is more to make this a series as that ending I just want more

The minute I saw that this was Sabrina the Teenage Witch meets Gilmore Girls I knew I had to read it. Then to find out it had a sprinkle of murder mystery in it had me even more excited!

I really enjoyed this one and I loved the whole premise of it all! I ended up devouring this book so quickly and loved every minute of it.

I think Phoebe was an amazing character. This book primarily deals with her moving to a new town and learning new things about herself.

I would have liked to have seen more of Pheobe's powers or at least a bit more information about it! I would have also loved more romance but that's just me!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

When Pheobes aunt dies she inherits The Earls Study a book and tea shop in the small town pheobe used to spend her summers. After a recent divorce she grabs the opportunity with both hands. But her new home and life opens her eyes to her and her aunts real lives and she soon discovers who they really are. When a murder happens outside her shop she finds herself in the middle of a murder mystery and she soon realises her life is also in danger.

I didn't enjoy this as much as I thought I would. Pheobe is a great fmc and is very strong willed and ready to take on anything. This would've been better for me without all the tea stuff I don't need pages and pages on how to make a cup of tea so I skimmed over them. I like to have action and something going on.

I know most people are going to love this so I do highly recommend to anyone who enjoys witchy books and tea.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book. All opinions are 100% my own.

First of all, Goodreads suggests that this book is a romance. I wouldn’t call this book a romance and the man on the cover barely features in the book. This book is actually a cozy, small town mystery/fiction.

Second, the female main character, Phoebe, is a witch, but apart from right at the end, this didn’t actually serve a purpose to the plot. I would’ve liked to see Phoebe discovering and developing her powers more and see how her life changed after learning she is a witch,

Third, there was very little character background. Apart from being divorced, the reader learns very little about Phoebe’s life prior to moving to her dead aunts house. The other characters key facts are only how long they’ve lived in the town, and if they knew an old businessman who lived there. There is such a cute collection of characters introduced in this book that Gretchen Rue could’ve done so much more with.

Overall, this wasn’t a bad book. It was an easy, short read perfect for October. However, I believe that the short length has held this book back in places, and an extra 50 pages could’ve made it so much better.

This was a fun read! It gave small town cosy vibes meets witchy magic which was a fab setting. I love a murder mystery and this one was so good. I loved the characters and found the plot captivating and I was kept guessing.

Overall, an enjoyable read and perfect for spooky season!
Thank you to Netgalley and Aria & Aries for this E-arc exchange for an honest review.

Thank-you NetGalley and Aria & Aries for allowing me to read this book as an ARC

I must admit, after reading the first chapter I ended up putting it on the back burner for a couple of weeks. I wasn’t gripped and thought I’d wait and read it as a cosy October/Halloween-y vibe book.

So I picked it up again a couple of days ago and I am so glad I did. The initial couple of chapters are more background than anything else but after these it gets quite good.

A murder mystery, Phoebe finding out she’s a witch and a big fat cat, makes this the perfect, cute October read I was looking for.

The book is written really well, adding the right amount of depth to the characters and plot. It was easy to read and albeit a short book, a very quick one too.

I wouldn’t really say there is any romance to this story, a sort of maybe love interest that could flair up in a future book if it were to become a series but nothing to note. Which for me at the current time was perfect as I am getting bored of romance books.

The only thing that didn’t make this a 5* book is the fact that the ending was very abrupt and felt like it could have had a lot more going for it.

I read this book without reading the blurb, I had no idea what to expect. This was such an easy going read, just when I thought this was going to be a gushy romance, then a shocking murder mystery begins. I loved the small town setting, and everything that small towns bring. The characters were really entertaining, I enjoyed reading how people came together to help Phoebe. It was a slow burner but that helped to build a bigger picture. I also loved the recipe section at the back