Member Review
Review by
Beth B, Reviewer
This is Zelda and Morgan's story, the second of a series that started with "Old Flames and New Fortunes" (Moonville series). Both characters were introduced in the first book, and this book relies heavily on prior knowledge from that book so I'd recommend you read it before you dive into this one. Zelda is the only sister in a family of witches who is a staunch skeptic when it comes to magic. Recently moved back home and struggling with writer's block after penning a very successful series, she's also in denial about her own witchy powers. Morgan is a high school acquaintance and current friend of Zelda's sisters and a bit melodramatic, but he's also a fervent believer in magic. When the introverted Zelda starts seeing strange animals around town that no one else does, a delighted Morgan helps her to investigate.
This one felt like less of a romance and more like Zelda's journey back to magic and her childhood self (as well as a heartfelt love letter to books and writing). For a large part of the book the Zelda-Morgan vibe was mostly friendly exasperation with some lust mixed in. The fantasy element was heavy here, which worked well for the story. There's not a lot of steam for the majority of the book, the tone is more yearning and realizations and self-growth. But when the steam is there, it's open-door. There's also some nice humor and ridiculousness woven throughout.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this imaginative story. I found it to be more engaging than the first book, which I think is partly because I found Zelda to be so much more entertaining than Romina. She's charmingly deadpan: think Lydia Deetz but with red hair and sisters. Morgan had a long way to go before I liked him but he got there eventually. Although he's handsome and charismatic, he's oddly immature and annoying at times. As a GenX-er, though, I appreciated millennial Morgan's devotion to wearing stereotypically '80s vintage clothing.
I felt that the author found her stride with this second book. It has a different (and preferable) energy compared to the first one, closer to what I was expecting based on books of hers that I've enjoyed. I really hope Luna's story, which I assume is next, is as entertaining as this one. Publishes April 8, 2025.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book in exchange for my objective review.
This one felt like less of a romance and more like Zelda's journey back to magic and her childhood self (as well as a heartfelt love letter to books and writing). For a large part of the book the Zelda-Morgan vibe was mostly friendly exasperation with some lust mixed in. The fantasy element was heavy here, which worked well for the story. There's not a lot of steam for the majority of the book, the tone is more yearning and realizations and self-growth. But when the steam is there, it's open-door. There's also some nice humor and ridiculousness woven throughout.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this imaginative story. I found it to be more engaging than the first book, which I think is partly because I found Zelda to be so much more entertaining than Romina. She's charmingly deadpan: think Lydia Deetz but with red hair and sisters. Morgan had a long way to go before I liked him but he got there eventually. Although he's handsome and charismatic, he's oddly immature and annoying at times. As a GenX-er, though, I appreciated millennial Morgan's devotion to wearing stereotypically '80s vintage clothing.
I felt that the author found her stride with this second book. It has a different (and preferable) energy compared to the first one, closer to what I was expecting based on books of hers that I've enjoyed. I really hope Luna's story, which I assume is next, is as entertaining as this one. Publishes April 8, 2025.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book in exchange for my objective review.
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