"Something Wicked" by Gretchen Rue is a delightful brew of mystery, magic, and small-town charm. The story unfolds as our protagonist, who has recently moved to her aunt's house, discovers her own latent magical abilities. With elements of witchcraft, childhood friends reuniting, and a dash of murder, Rue concocts a spellbinding tale that keeps readers engaged from start to finish.

The characters are endearing, and the chemistry between the childhood friends adds an extra layer of intrigue. Rue's writing is captivating, balancing the magical elements with a cosy small-town atmosphere. As the plot unfolds, secrets are revealed, and the mystery deepens, keeping readers guessing until the end.

"Something Wicked" is the perfect blend of magic and mystery, offering a fresh take on the supernatural genre. Whether you're a fan of cosy mysteries, paranormal romance, or simply looking for an enchanting read, Rue's book will leave you spellbound.

When Phoebe inherits her aunt's house and teashop, she starts to discover that the magic in the tea may not just be the taste. Secrets abound the small town, and between the dead body and a discovery of witchcraft, a mystery is afoot.

I enjoyed this quite a lot once it got going after the initial descriptive chapters. I personally don't need quite so much detail at the beginning, instead learning it as the book progresses, but it did build a picture.

The hint of romance was sweet, if not only a pinch, and the book ends with a tease rather than an HEA.

Overall, this was a well written, charming, witchy read.

This was a cute cosy read but it didn’t quite hit my expectations. If you’re going into this expecting romance, you’ll be disappointed as there really wasn’t any.

This book is more of a cosy mystery with witchy vibes, which it definitely delivered on, I was intrigued to find out who the murderer was! I enjoyed the characters, especially our main character Phoebe, and Bob the cat, but I do wish we had a bit more from some of them. I was a little bored at some parts and also felt like the mystery wrapped up pretty abruptly at the end.

Overall if you’re looking for a witchy, cosy mystery for the autumnal vibes, I would say give this a go!

Overall, this is a good story, but not very exciting. I think I was expecting something more: more magic, more romance, more mystery, but I was a bit disappointed. The concept of the story is interesting. A woman who starts a new life in a small town, following the death of her aunt who left her Victorian house and her bookstore/café. This is her chance for a new life, following her divorce, but not everyone in town is happy to see her and there are also family secrets to uncover.

I enjoyed the cosy atmosphere and the protagonist is likable, but, unfortunately, the story fell a bit flat.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Some might say that it’s an unusual blend, but I relished the combination of tea, baked goods & cosy vibes alongside witchcraft, shady characters & murder!

The story gave me those small-town, homey vibes that I always revel in, and I was immediately hooked. The author was in no rush to get to the nitty-gritty of the darker side of the story; she set the scene perfectly and being able to vividly picture the town & the citizens who inhabited it only added to the experience.

Every little thing was described in so much detail, but it never felt pointless or overwhelming - I found myself yearning to know more about everything, even the different types of tea used in the tearoom! Additionally, the short chapters & overall comfortable feel of the book were more than enough to keep my focus.

Whilst we only got the basic background & past of the main character, we honestly didn’t need any further specifics to be easily immersed in her development. I do, however, wish that her magical abilities would have been explored more - I think that a newly discovered witch would be experimenting with her powers a hell of a lot more than she actually did.

On a more positive note, I think that this book easily opens itself up to a sequel - especially with how the ending is worded - as it would give ample opportunity to further explore the magical & romantic elements. It would also compensate for the lack of relevant detail in certain parts of the story.

⭐ 4

There were parts of this book that I really enjoyed.

I went through a period of reading nothing but crime/mysteries. I read so many that I could solve the crime/mystery in early parts of the book. I did not see the twist coming. Honestly, had no idea. I loved that it surprised me.
Bob. I love Bob. He reminds me of my own cat.
I loved the town. Autumn, small town vibes! It made me want to wrap up in my cable knit blanket and make the house smell like the teas in the teashop.

This was a really cute read and perfect for Fall…..I just wish the story was longer; it finished fat too quickly, I wanted to read more about the town and the wonderful characters residing there.

If you're looking for a cosy autumn read, with a halloween-esque vibe then THIS is your perfect book. Not only was I in love from the moment I read that it involved a small town, with a book shop/tea room; but then to see that magic was involved really drew me in. Gretchen involved the perfect amount of mystery to keep the book aa cute and cosy read without making it too much of a thriller.

The characters are perfectly written as well as Bob, the cat. 'Mrow' is now my favorite form of cat language. I would totally love to read further books in the series about this town & it's mysteries.

Thank you to Gretchen Rue, Aria & Aries and Net Galley for this ARC!

Something wicked is a cozy, small town vibe (think gilmore girls) with a pinch of murder, mystery and witchcraft thrown into the mix.

When Eudora leaves everything in her possession to her niece, Phoebe uproots and moves to Raven Creek. Phoebe moves into Aunt Eudoras old house, takes over her book and tea business as well as the apartment above in this small town where everyone knows everyone. Phoebe must figure out how to navigate this new world which is vastly different to city life. That is until a body is found on the back steps of her bookstore just days after she arrives. The questions keep piling up. Who is the dead man? What was he doing outside her store? Why was he killed? And why do certain town people seem desperate to buy Phoebe out of the business and the house and will stop at nothing to get them. Add in the small detail that Aunt Eudora appears to have been a witch and you get this brilliant masterpiece.

I loved this book so much. As a huge fan of gilmore girls this had the perfect small town vibe. The character and world building was everything and more. The mystery of the murder will keep you guessing right to the very end but also ties all the loose strings together perfectly. A really cozy book perfect for anyone who loves witches, mystery and a little hint of romance.

When I read the name of the author, Gretchen Rue, i went on autopilot as Witches' Brew Mystery is one of my fav series and I loved both the novels in this series.
This means that i already read this novel with a different title, Steeped to Death, and fell in love with the Bob the Cat, aunt Eudora, Phoebe and her friends.
This is a well plotted and entertaining cozy mystery with an intriguing magical system and a solid mystery.
There's some twists and it kept me guessing.
I strongly recommend this mystery as it's very funny and compelling.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I absolutely loved this book, I couldn’t put it down. A loveable may character who you really root for. A lovely Halloween read.

The Good Witch tv series kinda vibe!

It was cute, fun little witchy cosy mystery, I liked the characters especially Imogen and Amy from the bakery.

It would be nice to have seen a bit more witchiness but the premise was that Phoebe has only just got her powers and taken over her Aunts estate.

Would be nice perhaps to have a little series going perhaps..

Ps Bob was my favourite! Hehe

Unfortunately this one didn’t work for me. Although, I would still recommend it because it really didn’t do anything wrong, I just couldn’t connect to the characters. The story itself was fine but it wasn’t interesting or entertaining enough to keep me engaged.

First of all, I wanted to thank you @netgalley, Gretchen Rue and publisher for giving me an opportunity to read this book as an advance reader💜

Rating: 4,5⭐️ book

Read, if you like:
🔮 Witches and magic,
🔮 Bookstore, cats, tea rooms,
🔮 Cosy vibes,
🔮 Fantasy,
🔮 Mistery,
🔮 Childhood friend,
🔮 Slow burn.

It was such a cosy, adorable and easy read, I could not put it down. It got me the vibe of Good Witch show.

I was so immersed in all the aspects dealt with in that book: dealing with grief, founding a new happy place, discovering a true nature of MFC, mistery, new romantic feeling, making friendships.

Both descriptions and characters were so vivid I could imagine being there and witnessing all the events.

I loved Phoebe, Imogen and Victoria - I could become their best friends in no time😀

I wish there was more of Phoebe using her magic skills and I was hoping to get more Phoebe and Rich as a couple.

All in all, it is a fast paced and entertaining book - perfect autum read.

QOTD: Do you like witchy vibes in books?

Pub Date: 14th September 2023

The book was too clunky and far too much being shoved in to one book (magic, murder, romance, new beginnings) It would've been better to just focus on one aspect of the story, new beginnings and romance for example. It would have been a lovely cosy book if it had just focused on that. I really loved the recipes at the back, was a lovely touch. It would have been brilliant if more recipes (lavender and lemon scones for example) were interspersed throughout the book.

This book gives autumnal vibes! A nice easy read which I throughly enjoyed.

A story based on a women who doesn’t know she is a witch, inherits her aunts shop and house and then discovers more which ends up someone being murdered.

This was a delight from start to finish. It was super cosy and had all the vibes I was looking for. A cute, close community feel and a great main character to get behind.

Phoebe is our MC, she inherits her aunt’s tea shop and seems also to inherit more than she bargains for… and Bob is definitely worth a special mention and he easily stole the show. The cutest little ginger cat, an easy to get into light romance/ murder mystery/ witchy fantasy drama hit all the marks and I read it in no time.

I found it to be fast paced and entertaining. It also set itself up to be a great series and definitely left me wanting more! I loved all the elements in this and getting to know the people, characters and the town.

I also loved that it included some of the recipes mentioned in the story at the end and I shall definitely be endeavouring to make those soon as they honestly sounded absolutely delicious.

Something Wicked by Gretchen Rue.
Phoebe’s beloved aunt Eudora has passed away and she bequeaths her house and business to her. Strange things start to happen. Can phoebe get to the bottom of it?
I did enjoy this book. I loved Phoebe. I liked Owen and Imogen. Wasn't who I thought it would be. I do hope there is more to come from Phoebe. 4*.

I really liked the premise of this book but it just missed the mark slightly for me.

The MFC discovers she’s a witch after inheriting her aunt’s old home and business and moving to her small town, but the witch discovery is only mentioned a very small number of times and hardly explored further? I would have loved to have read a witchy murder solving book with a splash of romance. This book has SO much potential but just misses the mark which is such a shame.

There’s a tiny hint of romance, but the majority of the book is focused on solving a murder - in a cosy murder solving kind of way 😅

The pacing is a bit off, the first half feels very slow, and the second half feels too rushed. A lot of the book is the MFC’s internal monologue and it feels like not much is happening.

Overall I found the book okay. If you go into it expecting a cosy murder mystery, I think you’ll enjoy it more. I don’t think this should be marked as romance.

When Phoebe’s beloved aunt Eudora passed away she bequeaths her house and business to her. Strange things are afoot and a murder happens. Can phoebe get to the bottom of it? How I wanted to love this book but sadly it just fell really flat and wasn’t cosy magic or murder for me. Thank you to netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review.