This was such a sweet story - perfect for cosy, autumnal evenings. I am OBSESSED with the cover artwork too!

I have mixed feelings about this one! I went in with such high expectations but really struggled to get engaged with it. It just didn’t capture my attention the way I anticipated.

I took a break from reading it and came back to it, which did help and the second half was significantly more engaging.

Perhaps just a “right book, wrong time” moment?

I did enjoy it, I think I just expected too much.

this was such a fun, cosy & magical book. i adored the writing and the characters, such a good book. i 100% recommend!!!

YES, YES, YES 👏 exactly what I was looking for after months of being in a reading slump. The cosiest of vibes with characters that pull on your heartstrings! Can I dive straight into this book please? Immediately bought a sprayed-edge edition and have preordered the second book!

✨magical realism
✨self discovery journey
✨90s witch nostalgia
✨female friendships
✨found family

📖
Belle is a bookseller, but she’s hiding a secret, she is also a witch, but she has neglected her magic. On her 30th birthday she might lose it forever, & we follow Belle on her quest to try and keep it.

📙💭

✨Rewitched is a charming and cosy witchy autumnal read! It blends magic, friendship, and personal growth into a dreamy cosy fantasy book. I really liked the FMC Belle, it was so reassuring to see a main character in her 30s who doesn’t have her life together! The sprinkling of magical elements was woven through perfectly and I really enjoyed the little details about how magic was personalised to each person.

✨Rewitched explores themes of self-discovery and empowerment, and it was so great to see Belle try to overcome a fear of failure, something that stops me in my own life so I felt such a personal connection to her journey. The overall message: it’s not too late in life to go after your dreams, something we should all live by!

✨Overall, Rewitched is a feel-good read, perfect for those looking for a mix of magic and real-life relatability. It’s a story that celebrates female friendship and self-empowerment, making it a delightful and heartwarming read. If you loved Sabrina the teenage witch and charmed I think you are going to really enjoy this one!

Thank you @panmacmillan for my gifted copy.

Belle Blackthorn is on the verge of turning 30, when she is summoned unexpectedly by her coven to be tested on whether her wicche magic is worthy. This leads her down a road of self discovery, family and ambition.

I really lolved this book. It is cosy and warm, but also took me by surprise on many occasions. Belle is a really relatable and well written character, and is perfect for it's target audience, who can all find something to relate to her by.

The denouement was really unexpected and clever. As someone who is new to fantasy, I completely understood all the wicche references and the world Lucy had built.

I loved that the romance was secondary to the key story. it was subtle and gentle.

Lovely story.

This is yet another book I picked up purely because of its enchanting cover design. Warm, inviting, and radiating the golden hues of autumn—it seemed like the perfect cozy read for the season. Or so I thought…

The protagonist, Bella, is approaching a milestone birthday—her 30th. Coming from a family of witches, this isn’t just any birthday; it’s the day she must decide whether to embrace her magic or give up her powers forever. Despite barely using her abilities (if at all), Bella struggles with the idea of losing them. What should she do? How can she prove to the Witches’ Council that she’s worthy of her lineage? And why does it feel like someone is trying to sabotage her every step? Oh, and let’s not forget her assigned guardian, who is suddenly far too handsome for her peace of mind.

Oddly enough, as I started reading, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this book bore a striking resemblance to Laurie Gilmore’s The Cinnamon Bun Bookstore. Another story about a bookish protagonist facing a transformative birthday, with a dangerously attractive love interest and a challenge that forces her out of her comfort zone. However, this book had an additional magical twist—actual magic! Spells, potions, and cats. The kind of magic that can go horribly wrong with a misplaced word or the wrong ingredient. And Bella is about to learn the hard way that not all magic is good, especially when someone seems determined to ensure she fails.

Unfortunately, my overall impression of the book can be summed up in one word: underwhelmed. While I made it through to the end, most of the story felt sluggish to me. Long-winded internal monologues and descriptions—while beautifully written—often felt overly drawn out and could have been more concise and impactful. The standout moments were Bella’s interactions with her roommate or love interest; these were genuinely entertaining and engaging. But everything else, from family secrets to personal struggles, sadly didn’t leave much of an impression. Even the supposed high-stakes sabotage failed to hold my attention for long.

This book might appeal to readers who enjoy slower, introspective stories with a gentle pace and a cozy vibe. But for those who prefer a more dynamic plot and faster-paced action, this might not be the right pick.

Thank you so much, NetGalley and Pan Macmillan, for providing this ARC and the opportunity to explore Bella’s magical journey!

When I saw this book I thought yes this is 100% my type on paper and although I was really bored through the first part of the book I’m glad I stuck it out! It needed a lot more of the bookshop which I’m hoping to get from book 2, maybe this series will be a slow grow on me

I wish I'd enjoyed this book more 🥲

The first few pages started well and the ending was pretty good too, but the middle of the book was very, very boring. There was nothing much going on, no plot development, no character development. I seriously thought I'd get a worse rating. What saved this book for me was the ending. The chapters were huge, there was too much description and not enough development in the story.

Apart from its negative points, the book has many qualities. The witchy vibes are there, the autumnal vibes too. It's a book about magic, self-discovery, adulthood and much more 💕

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the copy 🙏🏼

A cute witchy story for the darker season with sprinkles of cozy magic inside!

I wanted to love the book, but ended up having a really enjoyable time with it and sadly nothing more ~ maybe my expectations were too high. The writing was really good and made flying through the pages so much more easy and the MC was relatable in a lot of ways, but couldn't really involve me? It's hard to describe, but I had a lot of fun accompanying her.

The story itself was decent, however the story couldn't really catch me and the same goes for the ending. I expected something like this but didn't really enjoy it and I just hoped for something a little bit more believable.

Witches get their powers when they’re 15 and are pretty much left to their own devices after that, as is custom. Belle is almost 30 and as witches are getting rarer and rarer, the only other witch in her life is her mom.

Belle only uses her magic in small every day ways and she absolutely loves working at Lunar books. But when the owner is about to retire and asks her to buy the bookshop from her, she feels too insecure to do so.

A magical letter, brought to her by a male which, who seems a bit too sure of himself, changes everything. Belle is about to fail one of the biggest challenges of her life and it’s the start of a journey full of heart, magic, mystery and self discovery and maybe even love.

Thank you Pan MacMmillan and NetGalley for providing me with an arc of Rewitched and thank you Lucy Jane Wood, for writing this magical comfort read, a new favorite of mine.

Rewitched was so much more than I expected. The fantasy part is so good, it’s not just a comfort read. And there’s so much love woven into this magical story.. Belle has such a fun roommate/best friend and the mother-daughter relationship is chef’s kiss! I did feel like the portrayal of the supposedly warm and amazing relationship between her and her mentor was a bit lacking, I didn’t completely feel what was told.

There’s a blossoming romance and although it was pushed into the enemies to lovers corner a bit too forcefully at the start (especially her overreacting to him barely saying/doing anything), once that was over and especially when we got to see how he really was, I loved it!!!

This was the perfect autumn read and I just know you will fall in love with this book too if you love a good story where you slowly get to discover a magical community and lots of different kinds of magic, while still mostly staying in the real world and where a lot is at stake and several mysteries are being unraveled but there’s always the support and love from family, friends and even a new romance.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

This was a warm hug of a book. The characters were really well-developed and I really loved the relationship dynamics, particularly Belle's relationships with her mother and Ariadne. While the initial plotline is slightly contrived (what is Belle hadn't been born on 1st October?!) the overall narrative is satisfying and it's a perfect cosy autumn read.

I requested this on NetGalley after being drawn in by the gorgeous cover but then worried that the book itself wouldn't live up to it - but I was wrong! It was such a cosy, uplifting and heartwarming story and I was sad when it ended. Bella is a relatable and loveable character with all the self-doubt, worries, and life dramas you'd expect from a 30yo main character, and her relationship with her best friend Ariadne was just beautiful.

It felt like the plot unfolded rather slowly, but ultimately this didn't matter in the end as I loved the story so much. Lucy Jane Wood's descriptions of settings, sounds, sights and smells is so rich and vivid that I could clearly imagine Belle's flat, Lunar Books, and chilly autumnal London. I also love a backstory and so learning the dark history of the Selcouth Coven added a twisted extra dimension to the story.

Would 100% recommend Rewitched for the perfect read for cosy nights in. It took me a while to read it (life etc) but I could've absolutely read this in a couple of nights otherwise!

Absolutely loved, loved, loved this book. If you like witches and warlocks, this is the book for you.
Belle is a 30 year old witch who has to pass her final tests to reach the full potential of her powers. But someone seems to want her to fail. Belle is assigned a mentor to help her achieve her full potentials. Will she succeed?
This book was like being wrapped in a cosy blanket.
You would be a fool to pass this book by.

I really wanted to love this sweet witchy tale, but it ended up just being sort-of-okay. The pacing is wildly off, for a start - it takes nearly half the book to get Belle into the position she's at by the end of the blurb, so there's no suspense in the first half of the story. The minutiae of Belle's life are painstakingly described, and while this could be considered cosy, for me, it was boring. And I'm someone who often falls in love with characters and their lives *before* the inciting incident in a fantasy, and would happily read more of them going on in their regular situation; not so with Belle, who I found myself desperate to see doing *anything* interesting. Belle's witch training should have been a particular highlight for me, as this is the kind of slice-of-life fantasy I live for, but it was oddly flat. The romance is half-baked and barely features, which is a let-down when it's treated like it should be a hugely satisfying part of the plot. The final chapters were fun, because there was finally something going on in the plot department! I honestly think this is just a misclick for me; so close on so many levels, but I really struggled to get invested.

I genuinely hope this is the beginning of a long and vibrant author career for Lucy Jane Wood! What a beautiful story, and something that was so desperately appreciated and needed as someone approaching 30! This is amazing for a debut novel, and Belle was an equally frustrating and relatable character, I think she will stay with me forever.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the ARC.

Review posted on Instagram 22 Oct 2024
Review posted on StoryGraph & Goodreads 03 Nov 2024

Rewitched by Lucy Jane Wood is a charming, heartfelt spell of a story that feels like coming home to a cozy world of magic and self-discovery. Lucy’s writing is witty and warm, capturing the humour and wonder of embracing one’s quirks and finding power in unexpected places. With endearing characters and a plot that sparkles with light-hearted whimsy, Rewitched is the kind of book that wraps you in a gentle hug, reminding you of the magic in the everyday. It’s delightful, refreshing, and impossible to read without a smile.

Unfortunately this was not for me, I struggle with authors who (imo) over explain/describe everything, so I struggled to want to pick it up. I will try this again in another format.

4.5⭐ rounded to 5⭐

Belladonna Blackthorn hasn’t lost her magical spark, but she hasn’t seen it in a while either. Balancing work at her beloved London bookshop, Lunar Books, with handling her toxic boss and concealing her witchcraft from those around her – Belle is burnt out. But, when her thirtieth birthday brings a summons from her coven and a trial that tests her worthiness as a witch, Belle risks losing her magic for ever. With the month of October to fix things and signs that dark forces may be working against her, Belle will need all the help she can get...

I really loved this book so much. I loved the characters, I thought they were incredible - they were so fleshed out and distinctive. There was beautiful familial relationships and it gave me such found family vibes, which is my favourite trope of all time. I love how it had conversations about self doubt, believing in yourself, confidence, bravery, standing up for what is right and your beliefs, not letting fear overcome you and stop you from being able to do things. I feel like that hit such a cord with me and I loved it. I feel like it's a book that I'm going to be thinking about a lot and at the time I read it, it felt this book had came at the perfect time because I related to Belle so much.

I was obsessed with the atmosphere, I felt like I was inside the book and it had the most perfect autumnal vibes. There was such vivid descriptions for the setting, which just added to the great time I had with this book. I truly couldn't put this book down as every time I did, it lived in my mind rent free and I couldn't wait to get back to it. I truly didn't want this book to end.

I loved the plot and found it so interesting. I was so intrigued and wanted to know more because I adored the writing style. However, I do truly believe that the ending let this book down because to me, there was things that just didn't quite make sense. I feel like I still had a lot of questions about how certain things had went down. I also think the ending was quite rushed, it truly needed a bit more to make it more fleshed out to give it the extra detail that it deserved. I do think that it was quite predictable at times, which is not necessarily a bad thing but I would have liked to be kept on my toes a little bit more.

Thank you to MacMillan and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book early, in exchange for an honest review.

⚠️ CWs: body dysmorphia, death, murder, grief; mentions vomiting, misogyny, alcohol use, derogatory language⚠️

Sweet, enjoyable and a lot more believable than the fantasy premise might otherwise have suggested. Almost-30 year old Belle, doesn't exactly embrace her wicche status but isnt above using the odd spell to tidy up the bookshop she works in either. One day a mysterious stranger comes into the shop and tells her she's going to have to face up to her magic talents and it transpires that unless Belle completes some tests before October is out, she runs the risk of losing her status altogether.

I wasn't sure fantasy like this was for me but the witchiness is just a part of Belle's character and it's dealt with in such a matter of fact way that I stopped fussing about it really early on.

I'm not entirely clear what age group the book is aimed at, as I'm considerably older than Belle and did find some of her actions and thoughts quite naive and wondered if I was maybe too old but the themes of family, friendship, growing self-belief and finding your own way in the world felt relevant whatever your age.

An enjoyable read, just the sort of book that's perfect for reading whilst curled up in front of the fire with a cup of tea.