Book After Book

Publication: 28th August 2025 – Gollancz

DARKNESS ALWAYS FINDS ITS WAY BACK.

As Fey wage hopeless war against the oncoming storm of mortal conquest, Fairfax Manor lies in ruins. The first witches of Blackthorn forged the ancient fortress from their very souls to keep those of their bloodline safe. No one is safe now.

Katherine Woodrow might have survived persecution at the Institute of Magic and journeyed across the divided lands of Elysior to study magic with the legendary Lord Emrys Blackthorn himself, but losing her heart and almost her life wasn’t on the curriculum.

All magic has a price – a price Alma would rather have died than see Kat pay. But the dark isn’t finished with Kat yet. And Alma will stop at nothing to save her, drawing on the power of the beasts that simmer beneath her skin and even facing the secrets of her own past to help her friend.

And there’s no time to lose. Because more demons are escaping from the cursed texts the mortals failed to guard. The world is slipping back into darkness. And something is returning…

A tale of deadly devotion.

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Tales of a Deadly Devotion is one of the sequels I have been waiting for, after that unexpected cliffhanger of the first book, Tales of a Monstrous Heart, and it didn’t disappoint. Not at all. I actually liked it even more than the first book.

Once again, the author’s writing kept me glued from the first to the last page and I love the dual perspective, from Kat and Alma, as we get not only more of their background story, but also their struggles as they face their pasts and their traumas.

The book starts right where it left off and there is as much darkness and magic as in the first book. We have curses, forbidden magic, monsters, and ancient texts. There is also a lot of banter, tension, and slow-burn romance. I loved how Kat and Emrys’s relationship develops, but my favourite theme is the found family as Kat, Alma, Emrys, Gideon, William, and Thean stand together against powerful and dark enemies. Kat is brave and clever, Emyrs is adorable and fierce at the same time, Alma is loyal and courageous, Gideon’s sarcasm was my favourite thing, and William’s naivitè made me laugh, while Thean was full of surprises. Also, let’s not forget the magical manor that keeps playing matchmaking and moving rooms and people around.

Tales of a Deadly Devotion is a brilliant gothic academia novel with brooding heroes and tenacious heroines, magic and ancient lore, and yet another cliffhanger that left me looking forward to the next book!

A huge thank you to Gollancz e NetGalley for providing me with a proof of this fantastic novel.

Jennifer Delaney lives in Liverpool, England. She has always had a deep love for troublesome characters, heart stopping romance, and all things gothic

Publication: 6th August 2025 – Storm Publishing

Some holidays are to die for… others are just deadly.

A scenic tour of Cornwall’s dramatic coastline should be the perfect getaway for the awesome foursome – and it is – until the tour’s history expert takes a fatal plunge from Tintagel Castle.

Lady Marjorie Snellthorpe has seen enough suspicious deaths to know an accident when it isn’t one. While the local police write off the victim’s demise as a tragic mishap, Marjorie and her three unlikely companions – sharp-tongued Edna, charming Horace and methodical Frederick – start digging deeper.

What they uncover is a web of bitter vendettas among their fellow travellers. The victim had a talent for making enemies – from his vengeful ex-wife to students nursing old wounds. When a second member of their group barely survives a drowning attempt, the message is clear: the killer isn’t done.

Armed with savvy instincts, endless curiosity and a healthy supply of tea, can Marjorie and her friends solve the case before their Cornish adventure becomes their final cliff-hanger?

A delightfully British cozy mystery filled with friendship, wit and just enough red herrings to keep you guessing until the very last page. Fans of Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club will adore this.

AMAZON

Even though Murder on a Bus Tour is the seventh book in the Lady Marjorie Snellthorpe series, it’s the first book I read by this author so I can tell you that it can be easily read as a stand-alone and that the hints to their previous adventures make me want to read the other books.

The protagonist of the series is Lady Marjorie Snellthorpe, recently widowed and still feeling the absence of her beloved husband, she is a force of nature, managing to get into the investigations and get people to confide in her. Her travelling and detective companions are her vibrant cousin-in-law Edna, the charming and affable Horace, and the steady and thoughtful Fred.

It seems that whenever the four friends go on holiday, they get involved in a murder investigation, and this time is no different as, during a bus tour of Cornwall, a man falls to his death at Tintagel Castle. The suspects include a married couple who’s been behaving strangely since they first met them on the train, a crime author in search of inspiration, a PhD student with a grudge, and a local artist who is hiding something.

Murder on a Bus Tour is a fun cozy mystery. The story is well-developed and moves at a good pace and there is suspense and a few twists. The quirky characters are entertaining and their dynamics are interesting. Overall, this is an intriguing and engaging story, the perfect read to enjoy during the weekend for a few escapist hours.

A huge thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a proof of this charming mystery.

Dawn Brookes is an award-winning and occasional international bestselling author with an MA in Creative Writing. From an early age, she enjoyed losing herself in stories. After a four-decade career in nursing and midwifery, Dawn turned her hand to writing. With over twenty-three novels and more to follow, Dawn loves writing the stories she would enjoy reading. Her keen sense of humour comes out in her writing. “My years as a nurse, midwife, and community matron have given me a wealth of experiences to draw from,” Dawn explains. “I’ve seen firsthand how medical situations can quickly turn complex and even dangerous. I believe this knowledge adds an extra layer of authenticity to my mysteries.” Dawn’s passion lies in character-driven books, films and TV programmes. In her spare time, she enjoys playing golf, watching tennis, reading, travel (especially cruising), and adopting the occasional rescue dog. “I believe there are no limits to what a person can achieve if they set their mind to it, no matter what background we are born into, we should not be restrained by boundaries.” Check out her website for a free prequel novella to the Lady Marjorie Mystery series.

Publication: 7th August 2025 – MichaelJoseph

Aya has gone missing after Kakos’ brutal attack on Dunmeaden. Will is desperately searching for her and is joined by Aidon, who’s on the run after showing his forbidden power during the battle.

But what no one knows is that Aya has been abducted by the vengeful first saint, Evie, who plans to join Kakos and help destroy the gods who killed her 500 years ago.

Aya must decide her true fate. Can she fulfil the prophecy and save the realm?

Or should the gods pay for what they’ve done?

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The Curse of Sins ended with surprising and explosive twists so I was really looking forward to reading The Curse of Gods, the third and final book in the fantastic Curse of Saints series.

I’ve loved this series from the very beginning. I fell in love with the characters, who feel authentic and relatable, flawed and complex. I loved the theme of enemies-to-lovers and the slow-burn romance between Aya and Will. Also, I was a fan of the found family theme and the friendships that are born throughout the story. The world-building is fantastic and well-developed and the author’s writing is addictive and I would probably read anything she writes.

In this third book, Will, Aya, Aidon, and Josie need to survive and fight for their world. Aya is prisoner of a saint on a vengeful path; Will is desperate to find her and he’s helped by Aidon who is trying to keep control of his powers, while his sister Josie is determined to take back the throne for him. In all this, the characters will face losses, grief, and fears, but also new romances and friendships.

The Curse of Gods is long, almost 600 pages, but the story never feels heavy or like it’s too much. There is a lot of happening, much tension, twists and revelations, epic battles and intrigue, but the narrative flows easily and I read it in two days. The Curse of Gods is such a satisfying, immersive, and wonderful ending to one of my favourite series that it made me want to reread the entire series from the beginning!

A huge thank you to MichaelJoseph and NetGalley for providing me with a proof of this wonderful novel.

Kate Dramis is an Atlanta-based writer whose obsession with fantasy worlds and escaping into a good love story eventually drove her to chase her dreams of being an author.

When she’s not busy writing banter that makes her laugh in an embarrassingly loud fashion, you can find her impulse-booking her latest travel adventure, snuggling with her dogs and cat, or tormenting her growing legion of readers on TikTok and Instagram with vague book teasers.

You can connect with Kate on her social media sites, and visit https://www.katedramis.com/

Publication: 7th August 2025 – Penguin Books UK

REWARD OFFERED: Apprentice to The Villain wanted for treason (light), magical property damage (alleged), and one incident involving a weaponized scone (accurate). Frequently seen with a grumpy frog (crowned, judgmental). Answers to “Evie” or “Stop that.”

Evie Sage didn’t mean to become the right-hand woman to the kingdom’s most terrifying villain. One minute, she was applying for an entry-level position that promised “light paperwork and occasional beheadings,” and the next, she was knee-deep in magical mayhem, murder plots, and an entirely inappropriate crush on her brooding, sharp-jawed, walking disaster of a boss.

Now, with a magical prophecy unraveling, assassins showing up in the break room, and a suspicious amount of frogs wearing crowns, Evie has to figure out how to survive her job without setting the kingdom on fire?or her dignity, which is hanging by a very sarcastic thread.

Being evil-adjacent was never part of the five-year plan. But then again…neither was falling for The Villain.

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I am so happy that Accomplice to the Villain isn’t the last book of this fantastic series because I can’t get enough of the characters, their stories, and the author’s brilliant and witty writing. I get completely immersed in their chaotic, never boring lives: it’s not only the two protagonists, Evie Sage (also known as the Accomplice) and Trystan Maverine (also known as the Villain), but also Kingsley, Blade, Becky, Lyssa, Clare, and Tatianna.

As it is revealed from the title, Evie has now been promoted to the role of Accomplice. She and Trystan persist in their slow-burn romance for the amusement and frustration of those around them. At the center of the story, there are also the ongoing war with the king, a curse to break, a magical creature to rescue, traitors to unmask, and loyalties to test, while siblings, parents, and friends keep interfering in their lives.

This series is such a fun read. It’s not a typical fantasy. There is lots of humour and ridiculous situations. The manor of the Villain is adorned with the heads of his enemies, there is a frog who communicates through strategically placed signs, and a dragon called Fluffy. There is a lot of banter and chemistry between all the characters, who are engaging and likable. Evie is a badass, confident, and strong woman who’s come on her own, especially more in this last book, and I love how she always stands up for herself and those she loves. Trystan is grumpy and mysterious, but also sweet and protective. 
Accomplice to the Villain is hilarious, original, and fascinating and, after the few surprises at the end, I can’t believe I have to wait yet another year for more.

A huge thank you to Penguin Books and NetGalley for providing me with a proof of this fantastic novel.

Hannah Nicole Maehrer, or as TikTok Knows her, @hannahnicolemae. is a fantasy romance author and BookToker with a propensity for villains. When she’s not creating bookish comedy skits about Villains and Assistants, she’s writing to Taylor Swift songs. Her biggest passions in life include romance, magic, laughter, and finding ways to include them all in everything she creates. Most days you can find her with her head in the clouds and a pen in her hand.

Publication: 31st July 2025 – Headline

Ellie Parker had everything.
Perfect husband. Perfect apartment. Perfect friends and the perfect job.
As an internet celebrity – famed for her random acts of kindness – everyone knew it.
So when a betrayal causes her to lose it all, millions of people are watching.

But even at her lowest, Ellie will always help someone in need.
Which makes her the perfect target for a sadistic game.
Because as she soon learns, you can never trust a stranger – and a seemingly random encounter plunges her into a nightmare worse than she ever imagined.

The only person she can turn to is conman turned trial lawyer Eddie Flynn, who must take on a case where nothing is what it seems. With the most cruelly ingenious mind manipulating events from the shadows, everyone is in danger – including Eddie and his family.

The award-winning, Sunday Times Top Five bestseller returns with a brand new thriller featuring the unforgettable Eddie Flynn.

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I have read almost every book in the Eddie Flynn series (I may have missed a couple, but they can be easily read as stand-alone) and I do love them, the cases of the ex-con turned lawyer who, together with his crew of “misfits”, defends only those who are innocent and who is not afraid to cross the lines.

Eddie’s latest case involves the social media influencer Ellie Parker, known for her acts of kindness to strangers. Except that her latest act of kindness gets her arrested for the murders of her husband and her best friend, who, only two weeks earlier, she had caught together in bed in live stream for millions of people to see. Someone, a stranger, has targeted Ellie, pulling the strings to make sure she is found guilty of the murders. 

As with any Eddie Flynn’s novels, Two Kinds of Stranger is action-packed, full of twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. Eddie uses every trick in the book to prove Ellie’s innocence, but things get more complicated and more personal when his own family gets involved in the killer’s game. His colleague Kate Brooks faces moral dilemmas when it comes to crossing the lines, while Bloch and Gabriel Lake are the targets of someone very dangerous, and former judge Harry Ford, his loyal dog Clarence, and Denise are the steady members of the group keeping everything and everyone together.

The story is told from many perspectives, from Eddie to Kate to Bloch and Lake. But we also get the point of view of the victim, Ellie Parker, and the killer, which was my favourite because I found him a complex and interesting character. Who is this person in the shadow and why does he want to ruin Ellie’s life? Two Kinds of Stranger is another clever and addictive novel in the Eddie Flynn’s series and I can’t wait for more!

A huge thank you to Headline and NetGalley for providing me with a proof of this fantastic novel.

Steve Cavanagh has sold over a million copies of his novels in the UK alone. His nine books have all been nominated for major awards and many are international bestsellers. His third novel, The Liar, won the CWA Gold Dagger for Crime Novel of the Year 2018. Thirteen won the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2019. Fifty-Fifty was a Richard and Judy Book club choice and was also selected for the BBC ‘Between the Covers’ book club. Twisted, Fifty-Fifty, The Devil’s Advocate, The Accomplice and Kill For Me Kill For You were all Sunday Times Top 10 bestsellers.

Publication: 31st July 2025 – Tor Bramble

A golden thread joined them, a bond that went deeper than love – and it had nearly destroyed them.

Wren Embervale and Torj Elderbrock share a dark and bloody history. With Thezmarr on the brink of another war, and overwhelmed by the force of their feelings for one another, Torj discovers there is far more to their bond than mere passion. The legendary Warsword is determined to protect Wren at all costs, even if it means lying to her . . . Even if it means losing her forever.

Meanwhile, Wren is struggling to find her place in the world – both as an advanced student of alchemy at the ancient academy of Drevenor, and as one of the heirs to a lost kingdom. With the midrealms once again facing destruction, Wren must decide: Loyalty or liberation? Legacy or love?

As new political players emerge, Wren discovers that her gift for alchemy is more powerful than she ever imagined – and that it could tear the kingdoms apart.

Will she and Torj find their way back to each other, or will the ancient magic that binds them become their undoing?

Perfect for romantasy fans, Thorns & Fire, Helen Scheuerer’s spellbinding sequel to Iron & Embers, delivers heart-wrenching choices, a found family to root for and a love that defies the odds.

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In this fantastic and gripping sequel to Iron & Embers, we are back right where we left off, as the protagonists face all the consequences from the end of the first book. The relationship between Wren Embervale and Torj Elderbrock is more complicated than ever, and there are more intrigue, secrets, and conspiracies and I loved every single moment of it.

The story is well-paced and action-packed with an intricate plot and complex characters. The author masterfully delves into the emotions of the two protagonists as they face not only rebellions and the risk of a new war, but also their fears, their insecurities, and their heartbreaks. Wren is a strong heroine determined to do what is expected of her and face her future despite a stubborn and sometimes frustrating (but also sweet) big man in an overprotective state of mind. I loved how both the characters and their relationship developed throughout the novel and that surprising ending left me really looking forward to the next book. 

The Ashes of Thezmarr series is a spin-off of the The Legends of Thezmarr series. I haven’t read the first series (yet!), and I can assure that you don’t need to read it first to read The Ashes of Thezmarr. The author gives a lot of background about the previous events, the first war, and also Wren and Torj first meeting. However, I am definitely going to read it not only because I love this fantasy world, but also because I have become a fan of its protagonists, Thea and Wilder, who we meet both in Iron & Embers and Thorns & Fire (especially Thea, who is as tough as her sister Wren).

Overall, Thorns & Fire is an addictive and compelling read, full of suspense and twists, political intrigue and magic, slow-burn romance and found family. I love the author’s writing, the world-building, and the characters and I can’t wait for more!

A huge thank you to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for providing me with a proof of this fantastic novel.

Helen Scheuerer is the author of the bestselling fantasy series, The Oremere Chronicles, the Curse of the Cyren Queen quartet and The Legends of Thezmarr. Her work has been highly praised for its strong, flawed female characters and its action-packed plots. Helen’s love of writing and books led her to pursue a creative writing degree and a Master’s in Publishing. She has been a full-time author since 2018 and now lives amidst the mountains in New Zealand, where she is constantly dreaming up new stories.

Publication: 31st July 2025 – HarperCollins UK

From the Sunday Times bestselling author comes a delicious new romance…

He wants a wife. She wants to be jilted. This. Is. War.

Rich, handsome and titled Lord Ashford has every lady in England longing for his hand in marriage.

Everyone, that is, except Miss Lydia Hanworth – the only young woman Ashford wishes to marry.

Pressured into accepting Ashford’s proposal, the announcement must be kept secret for ten days. Can Lydia free herself from her obligations before the engagement is publicly announced, without ruining her reputation? You can achieve an awful lot in ten days, after all…

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I forget how many times I have watched the movie How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days, but I haven’t forgotten how fun it was to watch Matthew McCounaghey and Kate Hudson play pranks on each other and fall in love. If you are looking for something like that, something with humour and romance, but set in the Regency era, then How to Lose a Lord in Ten Days is perfect for you.

We have two protagonists. Miss Lydia Hanworth, an heiress with no interest in a marriage of convenience who just wants to be left alone with her books. And Lord Ashford, eligible, but in need of money to run his father’s estate and, for this reason, he needs to marry a rich woman and Miss Lydia, with perfect manners and a substantial dowry, meets his requirements. After a quick marriage proposal that is everything but romantic, Lydia has no choice but to accept it, but she has every intention to make him regret it. A house party in the countryside is the perfect setting for Lydia to lead Lord Ashford to call off the engagement. Armed with colourful and ridiculous dresses (there is a large number of feathers), bad manners, and a twin brother set to make use of his detective skills, Lydia is ready to do anything to reach her goal, but she doesn’t expect to meet her match in Lord Ashford.

Hilarious, cheerful, immersive, romantic, and full of surprises, it’s a good thing that I started reading it during the weekend, because I couldn’t put it down. I am a fan of Sophie Irwin. I love her writing and I have enjoyed all her novels, but How to Lose a Lord in Ten Days may be my favourite so far!

A huge thank you to HarperCollins UK and NetGalley for providing me with a proof of this novel.

Sophie Irwin grew up in Dorset before moving to south London. She has spent years immersed in studying historical fiction, from a dissertation on how Georgette Heyer helped win World War Two, to time spent in dusty stacks and old tomes losing herself in Regency London researching this book.

Publication: 22nd July 2025 – Hodderscape

✨ Are you ready to claim your destiny? ✨

A woman who wields magical tarot cards lands herself in a false engagement with the headmaster of a mysterious academy in this first installment of an enthralling romantic fantasy series from the bestselling author of A Deal with the Elf King.

Clara Graysword has survived the underworld of Eclipse City through thievery, luck, and a whole lot of illegal magic. After a job goes awry, Clara is sentenced to a lifetime in prison for inking tarot cards-a rare power reserved for practitioners at the elite Arcana Academy.

Just when it seems her luck has run dry, the academy’s enigmatic headmaster, Prince Kaelis, offers her an escape-for a price. Kaelis believes that Clara is the perfect tool to help him steal a tarot card from the king and use it to re-create an all-powerful card long lost to time.

In order to conceal her identity and keep her close, Kaelis brings Clara to Arcana Academy, introducing her as the newest first-year student and his bride-to-be.

Thrust into a world of arcane magic and royal intrigue, where one misstep will send her back to prison or worse, Clara finds that the prince she swore to hate may not be what he seems. But can she risk giving him power over the world-and her heart? Or will she take it for herself?

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This book was fantastic! I didn’t know what to expect because I’ve never read anything by this author, but I found the synopsis intriguing so I decided to try it and I wasn’t disappointed. I will definitely keep reading Elise Kova’s books. I loved the world-building, the characters, the story, the pace, and the writing, and that ending left me excited for its sequel.

The story is set in a school of magic, the Arcana Academy of the title, where the students are taught to ink and read tarot cards and wield their magic. The protagonist, Clara, is strong, fearless, and determined, but also quite stubborn, and she enters the school not only as a student, but also as the fake future wife of Kaelis, the dark and enigmatic prince and headmaster of the academy. In reality, Clara has just escaped prison, helped by the prince himself, in exchange for her help in stealing his father’s cards and creating a new world. However, Clara has her own agenda for helping Kaelis…

I really enjoyed this novel and, even though I often got lost in the intricate tarot-based magic system, I found it fascinating and original. I also liked the characters. Clara is a heroine with a tragic past and lots of secrets (both to keep and to uncover), she is reckless, but also caring and loyal. Kaelis is brooding and cunning, but also adorable. I loved their chemistry, their interactions, and the slow-burn romance. Fake engagements, forbidden magic, secrets, betrayals, alliances, romance, found family, royal intrigue, secretive institutions… there is a lot to keep you immersed in Arcana Academy!

A huge thank you to Hodderscape and NetGalley for providing me with a proof of this fantastic novel.

Elise Kova is a USA Today and internationally bestselling author. She enjoys telling stories of fantasy worlds filled with magic and deep emotions. She lives in Florida and, when not writing, can be found playing video games, drawing, chatting with readers on social media, or daydreaming about her next story.

Publication: 17th July 2025 – Simon & Schuster UK

Lily Brown is ready to turn the page and see what adventure awaits . . .

Lily Brown prides herself on her organised, surprise-free life. Whether it’s charity yoga for polar bears or crafting a ninety-six-piece balloon arch, Lily always goes the extra mile. But when her adoptive father asks her to reconnect with her birth mother, Lola Starr – a legendary pop punk singer who vanished from fame – Lily decides to venture off the well-trodden path.

With her best friend Seb, Lily tracks Lola to her humble hotel on the beautiful Isle of Skye in Scotland, far from the glamorous life she imagined. Hiding the truth, Lily gets to know Lola and finds a kind, free-spirited woman. If life wasn’t complicated enough – she meets Noah, a charming travel writer on a quest to discover hidden gems.  
As Lily takes a chance and embraces new possibilities, she begins to question whether the safe rules she’s built her life around are what she really needs.

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The Next Chapter is a beautiful and entertaining novel about second chances and facing the past. Lily Brown is a fantastic protagonist: funny, smart, and genuine, she is a fan of to-do lists, making plans, and eating super healthy. She is on numerous Whatsapp groups, she is looking for a stable and boring relationship and no surprises. However, her life is about to be full of surprises, when she finds a letter from her late adoptive father asking her to go and meet her birth mother, Lola Starr, a former rock star who disappeared from the music scene thirty years ago, around the time she was born. Convincing herself that she just wants to persuade Lola to let her write her memoir (which will also save her company), Lily and her best friend Seb travel to the Isle of Skye where Lola runs a hotel. Here, Lily not only will have the chance to connect with the woman she spent her entire life wondering about, but also it’s her opportunity to discover more about herself.

At times hilarious, at times emotional and heartwarming, I really enjoyed The Next Chapter. There is romance and comedy, found family and friendship, and also a new one for me, fake siblings, all framed in the beautiful setting of Scotland. The cast of characters is wonderful and authentic. On the Isle of Skye, Lola is not the only person that Lily will have to face. There is also Noah, the handsome and adventurous travel writer who convinces Lily to go on a motorbike and hike mountains even though Lily doesn’t have an adventurous bone in her body, so this creates some quite hilarious scenes, and Harper, the troubled teenager on holiday with her foster parents. The Next Chapter is a witty, immersive, and charming read that kept me immersed from the first to the last page!

A huge thank you to SJV and Simon & Schuster UK for inviting me to the blog tour and providing me with a proof of this wonderful novel.

Rebecca Ryan is the author of My (extra)Ordinary Life, The Philosophy of Love and The Next Chapter, although she can’t quite believe that she’s written three whole books. She left a career in teaching to pursue writing full time, and now mostly spends her days making up stories, replying to emails from her children’s school, or killing off brain cells watching reels on Instagram. Rebecca lives in Bradford with her three children, no small number of notebooks and an expansive collection of scatter cushions. And she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Publication: 17th July 2025 – Hodderscape

What if love is the best magic of all?

A witch has a second chance to get her magical powers – and her life back on track in this feel-good, whimsical new cosy fantasy from the author of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches.

Once, Sera Swan was one of the most powerful witches in Britain. Then she resurrected her great-aunt Jasmine from the (very recently) dead, lost most of her powers, befriended a semi-villainous talking fox, and was exiled from her Guild. Now she helps Jasmine run an enchanted inn in Lancashire, where she deals with their quirky guests’ shenanigans and longs for a future that seems lost. Until she finds about an old spell that could restore her power . . .

Enter Luke Larsen, handsome magical historian, who might have the key to unlocking the spell’s secrets. Luke has no interest in the inn’s madcap goings-on, and is even less interested in letting a certain bewitching innkeeper past his walls. So no one is more surprised than he is when he agrees to help.

Running an inn, reclaiming lost power, and staying one step ahead of the watchful Guild is a lot for anyone, but Sera is about to discover she doesn’t have to do alone – and that love might be the best magic of all.

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It’s been a long wait for this book, but it was worth it. After adoring The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, I have been waiting for the author’s new book and I wasn’t disappointed. A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping is another fantastic story of magic, found family, and second chances.

The story is well-developed, heartwarming, and immersive, but what I love most about this book is the cast of unique and adorable characters who live at the inn. The protagonist, Sera Swan, was once a witch prodigy until, when she was fifteen years old, she performed forbidden magic and she was not only banned from the Guild of witches, but also shunned from the entire magic world. Now, fifteen years later, Sera has been running, together with her great-aunt Jasmine, an inn that welcomes only the people who are in need. Amongst those there is Matilda, devoted to her vegetables and determined to convince Sera to adopt goats; Nicholas, who wears his knight costume even when he is not working at the medieval fair; Theo, Sera’s 11-year-old cousin from Reykyavic who moved to England because his parents couldn’t handle his magic; Clemmie, a witch trapped into the body of a fox who hopes that Sera will find a way to free her; and Luke, the handsome and grumpy magical historian, who arrives at the inn with his sister Posy intending to stay only for one night, but who can’t seem to be able to leave. Each character has their own story and their development, especially Sera who will have to come to terms with the decisions she made when she was only a teenager, but that have affected her whole life.

I so enjoyed A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping that I read it in one day. It’s witty, charming, and entertaining, there is a slow-burn romance that is not central to the story, but that still captured me, a fantastic magical setting, and a resurrected rooster that created quite a few hilarious scenes.

A huge thank you to Hodderscape and NetGalley for providing me with a proof of this fantastic novel.

Sangu Mandanna is the author of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, Kiki Kallira Breaks a Kingdom, and other novels about magic, monsters and myths. She lives in Norwich with her husband and kids.