Simon Schuster Something Close to Magic.

by Emma Mills

It’s not all sugar and spice at Basil’s Bakery, where seventeen-year-old Aurelie is an overworked, underappreciated apprentice. Still, the job offers stability, which no-nonsense Aurelie values highly, so she keeps her head down and doesn’t dare to dream big—until a stranger walks in and hands her a set of Seeking stones. In a country where Seeking was old-fashioned even before magic went out of style, it’s a rare skill, but Aurelie has it.

The stranger, who turns out to be a remarkably bothersome bounty hunter named Iliana, asks for Aurelie’s help rescuing someone from the dangerous Underwood—which sounds suspiciously like an adventure. When the someone turns out to be Prince Hapless, the charming-but-aptly-named prince, Aurelie’s careful life is upended. Suddenly, she finds herself on a quest filled with magic portals, a troll older than many trees (and a few rocks), and dangerous palace intrigue.

Even more dangerous are the feelings she’s starting to have for Hapless. The more time Aurelie spends with him, the less she can stand the thought of going back to her solitary but dependable life at the bakery. Must she choose between losing her apprenticeship—or her heart?

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Young Adult Fantasy, Magic, Adventure, Cozy Fantasy

384 pages, Paperback

First published June 13, 2023

About the author

Emma Mills is the author of several novels for Young Adults.

She holds a PhD in cell biology and is known for her YouTube channel, Elmify. She is also the co-creator and co-host of the "life skills" channel How to Adult, which ended in 2016.

Mills lives in St. Louis, Missouri.

Reviews

[emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

this might have been made for me in a lab.

the best way i can describe this book is it's as if foolish hearts, which is perhaps my all time favorite YA contemporary, were transformed into a quest-based goofy middle grade fantasy, perhaps my favorite made up hyperspecific subgenre.

the actual Plot part is a lil weak but who cares. i'm in it for the banter and the crusty bread and cheese.

more authors should write the same narrow niche for ages and then just be like "f*ck it we ball" and write a totally different, equally specific book. it worked for taylor jenkins reid, it worked for emily henry, and i'm ready to declare it works for emma mills!

bottom line: huge win for the me community.

-----------------
tbr review

trying YA fantasy for the first time in years just to feel something

(thanks to netgalley for the e-arc)

[megs_bookrack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute, funny and comforting, reading Something Close to Magic feels like a warm hug. Mills has done well with her debut into the YA Cozy Fantasy space.



I've loved some of Emma Mills' YA Contemporary stories and was so excited to see her explore YA Fantasy. Unsurprisingly, she was able to deliver her same heart-warming and humorous writing style to this tale.

In this story we follow 17-year old Aurelie, an overworked and underappreciated baker's apprentice at Basil's Bakery.



Nevertheless, Aurelie persists. She keeps her head down and does her work, trying not to attract the attention of the grouchy and miserable bakery owner.

Aurelie's life is up-ended one day when a determined bounty hunter, Iliana, enters the bakery and asks Aurelie to assist her on a quest in the dangerous Underwood.



Iliana has Seeking Stones she would like Aurelie to use to help her to find a kidnapped Prince and she's not taking no for an answer.

Seeking is a magical skill that Aurelie has, but it's not one she utilizes often. Eventually though, Aurelie caves. Iliana is persuasive and as it turns out, she's got some time off of work anyway, and oh yeah, thanks to her miserable boss, no place to stay during her break.

Might as well go on an adventure!



They set out on their quest, they make friends, they find the hapless Prince, aptly named Prince Hapless and charming hijinks and character growth ensues.

Mills nailed her transition to Fantasy. She delivered her signature witty banter, cutsey romance, cozy vibes, light magic, court intrigue and sweetly-charming characters.

The perfect potion for a fun story!



I would absolutely recommend this to Readers who have enjoyed Mills' work in the past, or any Cozy Fantasy Readers in general, YA or Adult.

For example, if you loved My Lady Jane, A Far Wilder Magic, or Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries, you should definitely check this one out.



Thank you so much to the publisher, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I adored my time with this story and really hope Mills continues on in this space.

[Meg]

If Emma Mills writes it, I will read it.

[may ➹ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I stayed up until 6am reading this so. yeah it was good or whatever

[h o l l i s]

we don't need no title, we don't need no cover. we don't even need a synopsis. all we want is more Millsy!

[Norah Una Sumner]

update, april 2022: this is going to be a ya fantasy and I am about to scream from excitement!

there's no info on this but I know damn well I'll be reading it and loving it.

[Lindsay (pawsomereads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 4.5⭐️
This book is so good!! It was such a refreshing read, I had the best time reading it and I wish I could do it all over again. The writing was so engaging and it was the perfect mix of magic, romance and adventure. The story flew by, which just tells me that the pacing was on point. I loved all the adventures and escapades and I really enjoyed this group of characters.
What I love about Emma Mills’ YA contemporary books is still present in her first YA fantasy. Her stories always have the best friend groups and Something Close to Magic was no exception. I loved the found family feeling of this one as four unlikely heroes came together to figure out who was behind a mysterious attack on the prince. I loved the sarcasm, sass, charm and bravery that these main four characters had. They were so easy to root for and it was so great following along with their story.
This book was so entertaining, clever and fun. I really hope Emma Mills considers writing more fantasy in the future! She’s always been such a reliable author for me and I highly recommend checking out her books if you haven’t before!
Thank you to Atheneum for an early copy of this book!

[John Gilbert · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a departure from Ms Mills previous books. I gave three of her books five stars, so I had high expectations, but unfortunately this one matches her other two as three stars. Her first venture into fantasy, which unfortunately is not entirely successful.

Aurelie is a bakers apprentice, a very poorly treated one at that, before being dragged into adventures by the mysterious bounty hunter Iliana and her troll sidekick Quad as she has some ability at magic, specifically in seeking. There is much of the valued reparte from her previous books, but the story and just what Ms Mills is trying to accomplish here is muddled at best. Likeable characters all, but the narrative just does not make muster for me. OK and sometimes enjoyable, but ultimately three stars. Readable but not special.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS YEEEAAARRRRR?! 🤞🏻
Emma Mills ? *marks as want to read in less than a millisecond... or whatever*
😉

[mith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Call me a clown but I did not really like this.
---
You're all filthy TRAITORS for not telling me about this book.

[Leigh Kramer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful cozy fantasy about a baker’s apprentice who gets caught up with a bounty hunter, an actual troll (who is my favorite!), and a prince named Hapless. Aurelie is a 17 year old baker’s apprentice who has magical gifts she rarely uses when queer bounty hunter Iliana appears at her door. This eventually leads to teaming up with Quad, a troll who is older than some trees and rocks but considered a child in troll years, and enjoys noting what things are mortal inventions. When they rescue Hapless from an attack, Aurelie is not expecting to have a connection with the sunshiney prince that will last beyond their quest. Nor does she know what to make of her new companions.

There’s adventure, palace intrigue, and magic. It touches on classism and the power of names. The banter was impeccable and I adored the found family formed by this unlikely crew. I read it with a giant smile on my face the whole time. Fingers crossed this turns into a series!

A great fit for readers who enjoyed The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna.


Content notes: workplace abuse, missing person, abduction, stabbing (recovers), attempted murder, physical assault, past emotional and financial neglect by Aurelie’s parents, classism, past death of Hapless’s mother, alcohol, inebriation, pipe (secondary character), ableist language


*Buddy read with Vicky!

[tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

emma mills' writing is gold in this book! like the smallest detail will be dropped, and then pages later, it'll be brought up again in banter between characters and it's so good. it worked every time! the writing is so engaging with such a nice flow, and the banter was so so good. never did it feel like it was trying too hard, and the dialogue felt so natural. genuinely the perfect mix of dry and sarcastic, and every joke just hit the spot. chapter 14 was literally my humor exactly.

the plot was so weak, but i didn't even care because this book was so good in every other department.

honestly to me, aurelie and iliana had more chemistry, but aurelie and hapless were still cute. although this was mostly because the author was just constantly shoving down my throat lines like "Aurelie peered out at the scenery often, but when her eyes met Hapless’s every now and then, he couldn’t help but feel it as a sort of achievement" and "And when the corners of her lips twitched at something he said—well, that felt like an even better achievement". but it's whatever! they were cute!

aurelie is the most perfect main character i've read about in a while. god i love her.

[Ewa (Fedra) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Przyjemna i zabawna, ale nie zostanie w moich myślach na dłużej.

[Getlyn♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an adorable, magical, super cute fairytale!
I was having a bad day and this book managed to calm me down and made me feel so fuzzy inside ahh gonna get a good sleep tonight!

[Patrycja · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

Macie czasami ochotę poczytać coś lżejszego? Ja zwykle, gdy życie dołoży mi dodatkowego stresu, sięgam po tak zwane „cozy fantasy”, które działa kojąco na moje zszargane nerwy.

„Coś jakby magia” Emmy Mills opowiada o siedemnastoletniej Aurelii pracującej w piekarni, która należy do bardzo wymagającej pani Basil. Gdy pewnego dnia próg piekarni przekracza nieznajoma z magicznymi kamieniami, życie młodej dziewczyny wywraca się do góry nogami. Wyruszą one w podróż przez tajemniczy Bór, a po drodze napotkają nawet pewnego zagubionego księcia.

„Coś jakby magia” pozwala nam śledzić losy kilkorga bohaterów. Pierwszym z nich jest młoda piekarka Aurelia, która żyje pod presją roszczeniowej pani Basil. Kolejnym jest książę, który choć do najbystrzejszych nie należy, jest bardzo oddany i ma ogromne serce. Oprócz nich znajdziemy tu również kilka pobocznych postaci, z których każda jest nietypowa i różnorodna.

Jest to bardzo lekka książka z wątkiem fantastycznym i romantycznym skierowana raczej do młodzieży. Cała fabuła skupia się na zwariowanej przygodzie spowodowanej pewną polityczną intrygą. Przeplecione jest to cudownym poczuciem humoru autorki oraz oprószone szczyptą magii.

Emma Mills w bardzo przyjemny sposób przekazuje wartości takie jak przyjaźń, odwaga czy miłość. Natomiast sama lektura potrafi czytelnika otulić i rozgrzać zziębnięte serduszko. Myślę, że może być to idealna książka na ponure dni czy gorszy humor.

Jeśli więc lubicie historie pełne ciepła i humoru albo macie ochotę na coś lżejszego z odrobiną magii i romansu rzućcie okiem na książkę „Coś jakby magia” autorstwa Emmy Mills.

[ współpraca wydawnictwo Must Read ]

[michelle (magical reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

read on my blog

rep: sapphic side characters

**I received an ARC from the publisher through Netgalley. These are my honest opinions, and in no way was I compensated for this review.**

“I’ll think of you if that day arrives.”
The smile turned brighter. “I do hope you’ll think of me before then.”

I am the biggest Emma Mills fan ever, so I have been desperately counting down the days once she finally announced a new book. And! This is a fantasy, which was an interesting departure from her contemporary books but I knew it was going to be good. With the same heart and wit of Mills’s other works, Something Close to Magic was an adorably cozy fantasy with a lovable cast of characters.

A baker’s apprentice, Aurelie is resigned to a mundane life. When Iliana walks into her shop one day looking for a seeker—someone who can do the rare act of magic of finding—Aurelie agrees to help her with her bounties. Soon enough, she finds herself dragged along for a quest to find someone, alongside Iliana and Quad, an Uncommonfolk troll. They run into Prince Hapless after he was ambushed and detour to take him back to the capital. There’s a plan afoot though, and he might be in more danger than they originally anticipated.

Much like in my reviews of this author’s other books, I don’t know how to properly express my love for this book in words. I had to reread it just to put my thoughts in order, and even then, I’m still at a loss for how to capture what I loved about this book but I’ll give it a try.

If you’ve read Lucky Caller, you’ll probably recognize these characters’ names. While I don’t remember everything about the game in that book, I believe some of the basic characterizations took inspiration from the personas the characters in Lucky Caller played as. This was just such a fun connection to Mills’s other book and made me want to reread Lucky Caller all over again.

I loved the characters in this book, as well! Aurelie can do magic, which is more-or-less unfashionable in the kingdom now; she’s trained in seeking, which is even more rare since it’s so out-of-date. She very much just wants to live her quiet life until she meets Iliana. Once the quest to help Hapless sets off, how can she return back to her apprenticeship?

Iliana, meanwhile, is very different from Aurelie, in ways that sometimes frustrates her. She’s mysterious and keeps her secrets close to her chest, yet incredibly perceptive and helpful. Quad brought even more humor to this book with her acerbic asides about mortal inventions (including age, since trolls track their age by what rocks they’re older than). I laughed so much throughout this book! And then we have Hapless, a lovably clumsy and kind-hearted prince. He’s forever characterized by his penchant for being absent-minded, but he learns to stand up for himself.

The plot was fun to follow, and this book is a pretty fast read too. I just love Emma Mills’s writing so much that I flew through this both times I read it. There’s also a letter-writing interlude by the way, and Aurelie’s and Hapless’s voices shine through these letters. Mills is such a strong character writer, and I always love seeing how she builds up characterizations.

Something Close to Magic was such a sweet, soft fantasy with a new cast of characters that I adored. I genuinely couldn’t stop smiling and laughing while reading this book, and I need everyone to read it immediately. I can’t recommend Something Close to Magic enough, especially if you like cozy, light-hearted fantasies with a lovable found family and great writing!

original review:

emma mills does it again,,,the softness and the love radiating throughout the entire book,,,honestly in tears rn

this has a letter-writing interlude!! and found family, comprising of a practical baker who can do magic, a clumsy and kindhearted prince, an all-knowing bounty hunter, and a troll whose asides about mortal inventions made me laugh so hard. I love them so much and already want to reread this book

[Anni K. Mars · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5
Sehr cute cozy fantasy 💖

[cece · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ☆

I already suspected it after reading and adoring all her previous books, but Something Close to Magic definitely confirmed that Emma Mills is THE author for me. Even when straying from her usual genre and delving into fantasy for the first time, she was able to take a premise I’d normally be less than uninterested in and turn it into not only a pleasant reading experience, but an enchanting one.

Just like with everything else she’s written, the characters were the best part of this book. I loved them all so, so much—as individuals, but even more so as a group. Emma Mills has the ability to write some of the best friendships I’ve ever read about, and this book was no exception: Aurelie, Iliana, Quad and Prince Hapless were an excellent core four. These characters were first “introduced” in Lucky Caller, but to me Aurelie, Iliana and Hapless were quite reminiscent of Claudia, Gideon and Iris from Foolish Hearts, whom I love so very dearly. Quad was the most original one out of the four—not that the rest were carbon copies of her older characters, don’t get me wrong—and proved to be a charming addition to the dynamic. The romance was also as sweet as usual, and it had me kicking my feet from the very first time Hapless and Aurelie met.

It’s definitely a character driven rather than plot driven story, but I didn’t mind that at all, and even though there were some moments in which the plot was a little thin, they didn’t make the book any less enjoyable.

If you’re into cozy fantasy, whimsical adventures, heartwarming friendships and tender romance, then this book is for you! It’s fun and captivating and so full of heart, you will have no chance but to love it.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[-ˏˋjamieˊˎ- · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book was so adorable!! aah!!

friendship: the best thing in every Emma Mills book, and this was no exception! I loved this core group of friends; their banter was on point, and I really felt like I was going on all these adventures with them. Aurelie’s relationships with Iliana and Hapless were both very sweet (lowkey she had better chemistry w Iliana tho??), and Quad’s lines always brought a smile to my face.

characters: while I loved all the banter and dynamics between characters, I found myself wishing for more individual character depth. after reading this entire book, I feel like I still don’t really *know* these characters at their cores. Iliana’s whole thing is being secretive, and by the end, she’s still pretty much a mystery. similarly, all I know about Quad is that she is a magical being, and I wish that Aurelie had gotten to know her better outside of being comedic relief. as for Aurelie, while I enjoyed seeing the world from her eyes and watching her become more confident in herself, I feel like she didn’t have a super distinct personality. maybe that’s what made her relatable, but I also feel like we were just told over and over again that other characters found her very interesting without having the chance to come to that conclusion myself. as for Hapless…he was cute, and a good love interest, but honestly I didn’t have any super strong feelings about him.

the writing: 100% worked for me! I loved the quirky young YA fairy tale vibe, and I really enjoyed seeing EM try out this different genre. I do feel like this specific writing style sometimes lent to more telling than showing, and kept things fairly surface-level, but it was still very easy to immerse myself in this world and these characters.

the plot: on the simpler side; I did enjoy it overall, but I wish we’d gotten more world building! the magic system was so interesting, and I would’ve loved to see more of it. in terms of pacing, I did feel like there were some slower parts, especially the way the book was basically split down the middle with two different adventures. I think it worked out well in the end, but my interest did stall a little around the interlude.

in conclusion: I think this type of book might only really click with certain types of readers. luckily, that included me! but I do feel that this is for a specific audience, so for people who don’t connect with the story within the first couple chapters, it might be a good idea to stick with EM’s contemporaries instead :) I hope she keeps exploring different genres tho!!


~~

omg! not one of my fav authors writing a ya fantasy!!!!!!!

[Jillian Reynolds (Jillian Loves Books)]

I'm a simple girl. I see Emma Mills, I add to my TBR.

[celine · Rating 4 out of 5]

emma mills has done it again!!!!!!

[Sam I AMNreader]

9% and I want to pretend this never happened. 😬 may be back. Another day. Maybe I’ll just reread her4 year old books

[Marta · Rating 3 out of 5]

jakie to było urocze! pierwsza część tej historii podobała mi się bardziej i w sumie to też liczyłam na więcej wypieków... ale to zakończenie - cudne! 👀💕🥐


______________pełna recenzja:
"Wnętrze płaszcza skrywało kilkanaście kieszeni wszytych w podszewkę. Aurelia sięgnęła do jednej z nich i ze zdziwieniem odkryła, że jest obszerniejsza, niż przypuszczała, bo jej ręka schowała się w niej aż do ramienia."

"Coś jakby magia" jest po brzegi wypełniona magią. To opowieść o siedemnastoletniej Aurelii, która na co dzień pracuje w piekarni U Pani Basil. Niestety właścicielka nie jest dla niej pobłażliwa, a wręcz uprzykrza jej życie. Dziewczyna odmawia sobie prawa do marzeń, jednak gdy próg piekarni przekracza znana łowczyni głów, Aurelia jest gotowa zaryzykować.

Pomoc w ratowaniu członków rodziny królewskiej z osławionego mrokiem i tajemnicą Boru brzmi jak wyzwanie. Przez moment nawet sama chciałam wybrać się tam wraz z bohaterkami. A trzeba przyznać, że stanowiły zgrany du... trio! Tak, tak, do naszych ryzykantek dołącza jeszcze jedna istota, której maniery nieraz wprowadzały mnie w zdumienie (albo śmiech 🤭). Ta książka stoi na relacjach przyjacielskich, które czyta się z wielkim wzruszeniem. Żeby nie było tak pięknie, magicznie, ta historia momentami potrafi mrozić krew w żyłach. Oczywiście do pewnego stopnia... "Coś jakby magia" jest nową odsłoną Emmy Mills, taką nadnaturalną odsłoną. Magiczne zaklęcia, kamienie, a nawet zmiana czyichś rysów twarzy. To było naprawdę ciekawie przedstawione! Jednak każda magia niesie ze sobą pewne konsekwencje, o których musicie dowiedzieć się sami. Aurelia, nazywana przez kilku Piekareczką (patrzę na Ciebie, Iliano), potrafi oczarować nie tylko swoimi magicznymi zdolnościami, ale i charakterem. Widać to przy jej poświęceniu dla bliskich czy w marzeniach, o które codziennie próbuje walczyć. Choć nie zawsze jej decyzje mi się podobały, to każda z nich miała swoje wytłumaczenie. Mills znana jest ze swoich uroczych wątków romantycznych i także w przypadku tej historii, nie mogło być inaczej. Książę Markot jest kolejnym przykładem bohatera, którego wypowiedzi czarują całą fabułę. Jako członek rodziny królewskiej ma on inne przywileje i tradycje, przy których się wychował. Autorka w bardzo zgrabny sposób wplotła do tej opowieści nieco polityki i dworskich intryg. Nie opuści Was także ten mroczny, tajemniczy klimat, który do ostatniej strony będzie budował Wam rozwiązanie pewnej zagadki. Przeurocza była ta historia! Jednak "Coś jakby magia" wypada według mnie słabiej od swoich poprzedniczek (wydanych w Polsce). Jako opowieść o piekarni i najróżniejszych wypiekach liczyłam na ich utrzymanie w fabule, a niestety dostałam naprawdę małą część słodkości. Tego mi tu brakowało... A czego tej powieści z pewnością nie brakuje? Zdecydowanie humoru! Nie zliczę, ile to razy wybuchałam śmiechem podczas lektury, a w szczególności na stronie 153 (Markot, jesteś najlepszy).

Szukacie lektury, przy której miło spędzicie czas? Zatracicie się w magicznych zdolnościach, poznacie nieco dworskiej etykiety? Sięgnijcie po "Coś jakby magia" - ta przygoda czeka na Was! 🥐🌿🌰👑

[ Współpraca reklamowa z Wydawnictwem Must Read ]

[nela.reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

[Współpraca reklamowa z Wydawnictwem Must Read] Książka “Coś jakby magia” to idealna kandydatka na Waszą comfort book. Otulająca niczym kocyk i ciepła jak cynamonowe bułeczki, przypomina baśń i przenosi do zaczarowanego świata, gdzie zagadkowe portale zwiastują przygodę, a starożytna magia ożywa. To przede wszystkim pełna kontrastów, przyjaźni i miłości historia, która bawi, wzrusza oraz pokazuje, że warto wierzyć w siebie i spełniać swoje marzenia.

Takiej wiary potrzebuje Aurelia, która pracuje w piekarni u bezwzględnej pani Basil i pokornie znosi ciężkie warunki oraz przytyki swojej pracodawczyni. Za sprawą łowczyni głów nastolatka wkrótce wyrusza ze swoją towarzyszką do Boru i rozpoczyna się dla nich prawdziwa przygoda. Podróż nabiera barw, a jednocześnie mocno się komplikuje, kiedy do Iliany i Aurelii dołącza trollka oraz książę Markot - młodszy brat króla, uznawany w królestwie za osobę nieodpowiedzialną i mało inteligentną, uwikłany w pałacową intrygę. Okazuje się, że magia, którą włada główna bohaterka może pomóc w schwytaniu zdrajcy. Ale to, czego Aurelia nie była w stanie przewidzieć to rodzące się uczucie do księcia, który zdaje się być zupełnie poza jej zasięgiem.

Na początku ciężko było mi się odnaleźć w tak specyficznym świecie wykreowanym przez Emmę Mills. Tym bardziej, że przedstawione w nim postacie są bardzo oryginalne, chwilami wręcz ekscentryczne. Okazało się jednak, że po kilkudziesięciu stronach oswoiłam się ze wszystkim na tyle, że mogłam dać porwać się tej historii bez reszty. Miałam poczucie, jakbym zamiast zwykłej książki czytała baśń lub bajkę, która spokojnie wpasowałaby się w klimat ze “Shreka” (a “Shreka uwielbiam!). Fantastyczny świat było czuć na każdej stronie, ale był on jedynie tłem dla relacji bohaterów. Mimo, że “Coś jakby magia” zawiera wątek romantyczny to nie skupia się wyłącznie na nim. Podobało mi się jak Aurelia zawierała nowe przyjaźnie, uczyła się ufać innym i na nich polegać, a jednocześnie nabierała pewności siebie i wiary, że zasługuje na znacznie więcej niż sypialnia na zapleczu piekarni i brudny worek po mące.

Bardzo polubiłam w książce księcia Markota, który na samym początku był kandydatem do najmniej lubianego przeze mnie bohatera. Okazało się jednak, że Autorka książki wiedziała co robi i z każdym rozdziałem powoli znikały warstwy głupiutkiego, zapatrzonego w siebie królewicza, a czytelnik miał okazję poznać jego drugie oblicze. Uważam, że była to najlepiej wykreowana przez Emmę postać.

“Coś jakby magia” będzie idealna dla osób, które szukają czegoś uroczego z mało skomplikowanymi wątkami, motywem found family i postaciami, które ogrzewają serce i których po prostu nie da się nie lubić. Pamiętajcie jednak, aby wcześniej zaopatrzyć się w składniki potrzebne do wypieków, bo wspomina się w książce o takich pysznościach, że pierwsze co będziecie chcieli zrobić po jej skończeniu to upiec cynamonki – to dopiero prawdziwa magia.

[Abbey Howe · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A delightful romp of a read! I would categorize it as cozy fantasy adjacent. I love Hapless and his character development. So many moments in the book made me chuckle. Every little thing was just so charming!!! I would recommend this to all my fantasy friends but would definitely let them know that this is no epic fantasy tale. It is a cozy, medium-stakes, found family, quest story. 😊

[Eden]

DNF @ 6%

This probably would’ve ended up being a 3 star read for me & I just don’t have the mental capacity for not-a-new-fav rn.

[PErvOL Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kaja, do ciebie, to jednak wiadomo, że można mieć zaufanie w polecajkach. Trafiłem na nią w idealnym momencie!💜🥰

[Ewa Cat Mędrzecka · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5⭐️

[Quill&Queer]

...asks for Aurelie’s help rescuing someone from the dangerous Underwood—which sounds suspiciously like an adventure. When the someone turns out to be Prince Hapless, the charming-but-aptly-named prince, Aurelie’s careful life is upended. Suddenly, she finds herself on a quest filled with magic portals, a troll older than many trees (and a few rocks), and dangerous palace intrigue...

[Victoria (Eve's Alexandria) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This gets 5 pure delight stars. It’s cosy and emotional and honestly quite funny. I could spend hours just watching these characters bicker and talk about inconsequential things. I hope this is going to be a series.