𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪: 3/5 𝓢𝓣𝓐𝓡𝓢 ⭐️

M.J. Etkind’s The Witch of Wall Street offers a delightful blend of magic, romance, and finance in a bustling New York City setting. The book follows Miriam Blum, a powerful but unpredictable witch navigating the high-stakes world of Wall Street, and Nelson Copperfield, a wizard working in the nonprofit sector. When a magical mishap forces them on an unexpected adventure, their long-standing rivalry turns into something more.

The strongest aspects of this novel are its unique premise and whimsical world-building. The idea of a supernatural financial world—complete with an enchanted dumpling house and a Jinn-run CPA firm—is creative and refreshing. The dynamic between Miriam and Nelson is engaging, especially as their contrasting personalities spark both tension and humor.

However, the execution doesn’t always live up to the concept. The pacing feels uneven at times, with some sections dragging while others rush past important moments. Miriam’s character, while fun and fierce, can be a bit frustrating, making it difficult to fully connect with her journey. The romance also leans heavily on familiar tropes like friends-to-lovers and opposites attract, but without enough emotional depth to make it feel fresh.

Overall, The Witch of Wall Street is an entertaining read with clever ideas, but it doesn’t quite reach its full potential. Fans of magical rom-coms will likely enjoy it, but those looking for a more developed romance or deeper character arcs may find it a bit underwhelming.

Thank you so much to M.J. Etkind, Izzi House Books & NetGalley for the ARC!

The Witch of Wall Street is a fast-paced, magical romp through New York City, filled with whimsical supernatural encounters that keep the adventure fresh and fun. From an enchanted dumpling house to a Jinn-run CPA firm, the novel brims with clever worldbuilding that introduces readers to a variety of magical entities, each adding charm and chaos to Miriam and Nelson’s quest. But beneath the humor and high-energy escapades lies a heartfelt exploration of what it truly means to help others—and to accept help in return. Miriam, fiercely independent and determined to control every aspect of her life, must learn that leaning on someone else doesn’t make her weak. Likewise, Nelson, ever the altruist, begins to understand that not all help is welcome or needed. At its core, the novel is also a journey of self-acceptance for Miriam, who has spent years suppressing her messy, chaotic magic and distancing herself from her unconventional upbringing. As she embraces her quirks rather than hiding them, she discovers that being true to herself is far more powerful than trying to fit into the mold she thought she needed to.

This book was so whimsical. I appreciate a well thought out magical community with insight and a variety of magical findings - not just a run of the mill witch or wizard. I also found the main characters occupations and morality fascinating and thought provoking. Funny enough I’m a Nelson and many of the social work themes presented such as affordable housing and people over profit hit close to home. Overall the heavy themes were balanced with fun, lighthearted happenings - the dumpling shop! Would recommend!

An adorable story about a chaotic witch working in a prestigious finance role and her encouter with her frienemy, a happy-go-lucky, non-profit hero who gives little miracles with a flick of his hand. The story follows along the two as they navigate their friendship, banters, and sudden yearn for each other, while trying to find their missing magical items, all while hidding the fact that their day work is pitting themselves against each other.

This is my first book of the author and I'm so happy to have found her. I don't usually read a lot of cozy fantasy because most of the time it's a little too 'tame' for me. But I really enjoy the little spice and banter hidden within the coziness that made this book a perfect wind down read while still having that elements of excitement.

Thank you to the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. #TheWitchofWallStreet #NetGalley

Such a fun fantastical read with great characters, including a chubby cat, a love interest who lives above an ice cream shop (I’m jealous) and a chaotic yet relatable witch. I really enjoyed this one, the story is a fun magical adventure, while also touching on deeper subject matter including women in the workplace and the housing crisis. The writing is smooth and detailed with some insightful excerpts. The story is very rich with lots of plot points to keep things moving quickly. Never a dull moment. I finished it in a day! Ps can we pls give a round of applause for this cute stylish adorable book cover bc I love it!

3.5 rounded up to 4

A really cute little witchy romcom, with some fun magical elements, a giant, fluffy cat & some likeable leads. It's also a shrewd observation of class divides in New York, with the rich getting richer at the cost of the poor. An easy to read novel that has a series potential.

4.5 This made a perfect Saturday read in Valentine's February. My readers know I am not a ROM reader, but they also know that I can't resist a well-written book with a witch in contemporary modern times. The author caught my heart with two elements the characters notice that while spending time together, her broom and his medallion are missing. So this is not a novel where she has to hide her powers from him. On the contrary: her magic is chaotic, and his is organized. He couldn't be the better match for her life, her magic, her career. The second element is social issues. While he is a social worker trying his best to help people in need and give them housing, she is a great lawyer but playing for the wrong side. Together, they search for their items, but they'll have to deal with their different goal in their lives.
Sweet with what my romantic readers say some spice, and I like how it actually has a lot of action.

I got a digital copy in exchange for an honest review, and I had a great time dedicating my St Valentine's reading weekend to this one, but it's for all year. It has covens, modern witches, and a jinn who has a lot of work in tax season ahah. My favorite chapter is them visiting the jinn (not for their taxes, hehe).

I received this book as an ARC for free in exchange for an honest review, I do follow the author on social media however this was the first piece I had read by them. With that in mind, I will do my best to be as honest as possible. The book is set to be released on March 25th 2025.

I'm not typically a romance reader, but Ive been trying to expand my genres and was drawn to this book immediately by the cover and description. And yknow what, I was not left disappointed!

The MCs were very loveable and felt like tangible human beings with their flaws. Miriam being fiercely independent, strong willed, intelligent, but sometimes a bit stuck up and absorbed by her own thoughts/experiences. Nelson being the golden boy who never does wrong, but makes your eyes roll when he's stumped by something he isn't instantly good at or has to work harder than he's used to. Their enemies to lovers (academic) arc was so believable and as you watched it develop you couldn't help but will them to get together already! Seeing how the MCs grew as individuals as well as into a couple from their experiences on the journey to try and retrieve their lost magical artifacts was very heartwarming. I don't think at any point I was unhappy with how either character acted at any point in the book, each acted as you would have expected they would given what was happening. I did have the worry at one point Miriam, who is so career focused and did come across as to look down on those who choose to leave their careers behind to become SAH parents, was going to lose this part of herself because of her relationship with Nelson (and I mean you see it all the time in romcoms etc); but thankfully this did not happen. The ending felt true to the characters whilst as close to a HEA as possible.

There was such a diverse range of characters too, it was really freshing to see in a heterosexual main love interest book. Whilst it also really reflected elements of our world like the issues women in male dominated fields experience, racism and injustice of institutions such as the law/criminal justice system and the effects of the few (billionaires) have on the majority and most vulnerable. That's another thing I'm happy with the ending about, is that it truly reflected how hard and conflicting it can be to achieve a HEA for the average person and how sometimes we have to work using the systems around us and what's available, even though it may not be ideal but we sometimes have to make do with what we have to then hopefully build upon that later on. If it had been a stereotypical HEA it would have felt so swept under the rug, so I'm glad the author did what they did.

The only tiny thing I have with this book that is preventing me from giving it the highest rating is how Miriam acted with her solution to her moral conundrum near the end. It felt as all the other chapters were so well thought out and detailed, that this felt just slightly rushed perhaps and if it had been expanded on just a little to show a bit more of how we got there and what happened, then it would have been perfect.

Honestly I enjoyed this book so much, it had some terrific chapters of adventure for the MCs to fight/face that I didn't expect, but it made it so rich and better for being there!

I will definitely be checking out future work by this author!

Here is the full review, with NO SPOILERS. I want to clarify that I do follow MJ on instagram and did get the ARC for free, but I will still do my best to be as honest as possible. The Witch of Wall Street is set to release March 25th 2025.

We follow the FMC Miriam, who is a banker on Wall Steeet. The ethics around her job is explored throughout the book, and her identity as a woman in a male-dominated field is a big part of the plot and character. The Witch of Wall Street is a romance, but I found the aspect of the ethics and societal issues really intriguing.

I had no issue reading this during my exam week, as it was an easy read - as in an easy plot to follow, but also plain and understandable language. Definitely a plus, as I have been struggling with my reading this semester.

As this is a romance, the romance is important. I would say there are several tropes: There is rivals to lovers (in an academic sense), grumpy x sunshine, golden retriever bf, and he falls first trope. There are probably way more, but I'm not really a romance-reader, so I wouldn't know to be conpletely honest.

There is sex. Not an overwhelming amount - I would say about 5% was sex itself, but there are of course some moments where the FMC is horny, thinking about the MMC (Nelson) and more.

I'm a little unsure of what I think of the romance. I didn't hate it, but it didn't work that well for me. I enjoyed it more towards the end, and unfortunatly I can't really say what irked me. I just didn't vibe with it. The FMC and MMC are not the problem, I can tell you that much. I loved Miriam and Nelson! The plot was superfun, and I loved the treasure hunt vibes.

I rated it 4.25 stars on StoryGraph. It was enjoyable and I would definitely recommend it - but I'd see if there are tropes you like first. If there are tropes you like - I think you'd like this! The plot is fun, chaotic and adventurous - even if you don't love the romance, the plot might be worth the read.

The Witch of Wall Street by M.J. Etkind is such a good book. I loved every single page of it. I read it in 16 hours. I couldn't stop reading this. So good.

Tropes
🧹He Falls First
🧙‍♀️Witch
🧹Golden retriever
🧙‍♀️Enemies to Lovers
🧹Unrequited Pinning

Despite the adage that one should never judge a book by its cover, I was drawn in by this book’s cover and have no regrets about it. With its fascinating characters, this story is a delightful magical fiction. I believe that many women can identify with Miriam. Her chaos magic is the only thing preventing her from achieving her dreams. She seemed to have trouble accepting that aspect of herself. Throughout her journey, she must come to love these aspects of herself. This novel was enjoyable and fascinating. This book gave me Percy Jackson meets Hocus-Pocus vibes with a love story. I read this book in a single day, and there was never a dull time. I’m eager to read more by M.J. Etkind.

Miriam is an investment banker who aspires to become a partner in her company. When Miriam encounters Nelson, who happens to be her childhood nemesis, at a fundraising event for his company. Miriam is there representing her company and also trying to get more information about an upcoming deal. The last time they saw one another was in high school. Nelson serves as Housing Magic’s executive director in addition to being a social worker. For those who are unable to pay for housing, Housing Magic provides free housing and aids in people’s recovery. Miriam ends up leaving the fundraiser with Nelson and having a one-night stand, or so she thinks. That is until his enchanted medallion and her broom run away together. Miriam and Nelson embarked on a quest to discover where their broom and medallion could have taken off together when they found themselves becoming closer along the way.

“One night, old friends, taking care of each other. That’s all.”

Are you looking for a fun fantasy read? Check out The Witch of Wall Street by MJ Etkind. It was a highly enjoyable witchy read.

The Witch of Wall Street is a whimsical and creative blend of magic, finance, and romance that delivers a fun and unique ride through an enchanted version of New York City.

Miriam Blum is a fiercely independent witch working in high-powered finance, while Nelson Copperfield, her old high school rival, is a wizard who specializes in small miracles and do-gooding. When a magical mishap forces them into an unexpected adventure—complete with enchanted dumpling houses and Jinn accountants—their chaotic dynamic becomes even more complicated.

I loved the imaginative world-building and the clever integration of magic into the corporate world. Miriam’s sharp wit and Nelson’s golden-boy charm made for an entertaining opposites-attract romance, though I wished for a little more depth in their emotional connection. The fast-paced plot kept me engaged, and the humor added a lighthearted touch. Overall, this is a fun and inventive read, perfect for fans of witchy romances with a bit of corporate drama and magical hijinks