The Cottage Around the Corner

by D.L. Soria

A feisty witch and a handsome mage must put their heated business rivalry aside to save their small town from supernatural forces in this charming contemporary fantasy romcom from the author of Thief Liar Lady.

Chanterelle Cottage is Charlie Sparrow’s whole world. The cozy spellshop where she and her moms practice their witchcraft, selling goods and services to the people of small-town Owl’s Hollow, has been in her family for generations.

Okay, business has been a little slow and a recent burglary hit their inventory pretty hard. And the bank may not agree to restructure their loan. But Charlie is talented and savvy, and she’ll keep things afloat once her parents finally let her buy into the business as a co-owner. Still, when a competing magecraft firm opens in town, things start to look bleak. After all, everyone knows there’s room for only one magic shop in Owl’s Hollow.

So what if Fitz, the mage who owns the new Maven Enterprises, happens to be ridiculously handsome in his ridiculously expensive suits? Who cares that, when Charlie can forget for a moment or two that Fitz is her competitor, things between them are as easy as breathing? None of that matters—because Charlie is not going to get involved with the competition. In this battle of the businesses, she’ll do whatever it takes to make sure Chanterelle Cottage is the last spellshop standing.

But when strange supernatural events begin to plague the citizens of Owl’s Hollow, Charlie and Fitz must put their rivalry aside and their magic together to save the town. As they grow closer, it becomes harder for Charlie to keep her carefully drawn line in place—maybe Owl’s Hollow is big enough for a witch and a mage, after all.

Genres: Romance, Fantasy, Witches, Romantasy, Cozy, Fiction, Cozy Fantasy

416 pages, Paperback

First published September 3, 2024

About the author

Pseudonym for Destiny Soria.

Reviews

[Olive Fellows (abookolive)]

Okay, I just can't anymore. Feel-good fiction is supposed to be fun, but when the author is making me HATE the main character, it ceases to be fun for me. Charlie has a victim complex and is blatantly two-faced, being friendly because she wants to appear kind, but then proceeds to have extremely judgmental thoughts and performs vindictive spells in her private time (casting a rain spell so your competitor's grand opening party will hopefully get rained out? That's mean girl behavior).

She is also extremely inconsistent. She'll describe herself as disheveled in one scene, saying she's out and about in clothes she sleeps in (isn't she in her 30s? I could see this from a college kid, but at 30, it's quite odd), but then gets offended when someone says she looks nice after she actually makes an effort toward her appearance. Yes, Charlie. If you take time to look nice, you'll probably look nice. If you make no effort, you likely won't.

[lookmairead · Rating 4 out of 5]

THEM: “Don’t judge a book by its cover.”
ME: “…but! when the cover is this stunning, make an exception.”
Seriously, this is the prettiest cover, hats off to the designer on this.

QUICK REVIEW:

Okay let get down to business. And to the FMC, business is not good. Let me explain…
D.L. Soria isn’t afraid to call a spade a spade. The “elevator pitch” is
You’ve Got Mail x Magic.

Add a closed door scene. But also make it feel a little Hallmark worthy if they were having a cozy mystery week.

WHAT I LIKED:

- Sibling love, it’s one of my favorite troops. (Yes, I even loved the broom “sibling”. 😁)
- The dialogue.

MINOR TIFFS:

- I wanted less meeting-the-town and deeper fantasy detail. I felt the overall mage magic system a little too vague. I realize though I read a lot of fantasy and my bar is set high in this regard.
- I predicted a few plot things… and though I’d love to pet myself on the back, I want to be surprised.

FAVORITE PART:

- “ ‘Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live,’ ” he quoted, which would have been more frightening if his voice ’weren’t shaking as hard as his legs. He earned himself several harsh looks with that—the market was a mainstay in the witch community. An elderly Latina woman in a nearby booth pointed a bony finger at him and hissed something in Spanish that I’m sure he thought was a bruja curse. (In fact, she told him to fuck off.)”

- But like the banter around the “Goddamn Dickosaurus” is a close second. 😅🦕

RECOMMENDED…
- For Fans of Lovelight Farms (B. K. Borison) & Ashley Poston. Add a sprinkle of Heather Fawcett vibes.
- When you’re mood reading needs some small town drama.
- When you are looking for an easy and smirk-worthy win in the Fall.
- When you need a book that shows love is love is love is love.

3.75/5 Rounded up, because I wish the Chanterelle Cottage was real. 😩

———
Awwwww, it is baby’s first #netgalley review. (Sniff, sniff.) My thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this ARC.

[Quirine · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you feel like reading some cozy small town witchy novel, this one definitely delivers! I have a deep dislike of sex scenes in cozy novels + this one could have been a little shorter, but other than that it was exactly what I was looking for

[Claire · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hated this. I should have DNF’d at 30% but I have an autumn book reading goal so I chugged on hoping it would get better. It did not. The main character acted like a teenager. I was shocked when she said she was 32. In her thirties?!! And she lived with her parents and threw tantrums. The MMC loved to mansplain. Predictable plot. I also couldn’t tell you what the difference was between witches and mages in this story. There’s so many better witchy rom coms out there. Skip this one.

[Manda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't too sure what to expect with this book. Reading a new author to you is always a risk, but this one also had a beautiful cover so I was hoping the inside matched the outside. I thought this was a really cute story. If I had to describe this story, maybe a cross between Gilmore Girls and Charmed. The main character has good wit and that comes out in banter with mostly everyone. The You've Got Mail inspo is evident and loved the referencing to that as well. I thought the story could've used a bit more spice but even more flirty romance would have been nice. There was one spicy scene and a few kisses. I still really enjoyed this read. I will say I wish there was more closure for the characters at the end, unless their story is going to continue. 3.5 stars

[Jessie Yu · Rating 2 out of 5]

Literally cant do it anymore DNF at 72%, the fmc acts like a PETULANT CHILD? And she’s in her 30’s?? I wanted to DNF by like 30% but trudged through unwillingly. She’s always throwing herself a self pity party and when anyone offers her advice she gets snappy and defensive. Okay then why don’t you do smtg with your life?? This book made me mad NOT the comforting fall read i wanted. And how are you going to claim it’s not your fault, it IS YOUR FAULT.

[Hannah Moehrke · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a super cute book, especially if you love You’ve Got Mail. I loved the shop girl vs. shopgirl references. One serious plot hole that bothered me for the last 250 pages though was the town animal transmutation issue …. Originally, Charlie stated that it would cost $500 for her to do her witch woowoo to help, which is what she charges Tandy (?)… so with that mentality… if she had just charged everyone in town during the crisis later on then the Cottage could have turned a profit of $100,000 in two days! With that profit, Charlie could stop bitching about the cottage going into bankruptcy and she could have felt useful which would have stopped her self-loathing that was mentioned every other page… it was just all I could think of for the entire rest of the book after realizing she didn’t charge anyone.

Also, she went to Duke??? You’re telling me my gal is 32 and working as a shop girl in her family store with no student debt and she went to Duke?? And she has saved $30k since graduating? No ma’am.

[meggy (readsinbloom) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75⭐️


“The Cottage Around the Corner” by D.L. Soria follows Charlie, a witch who works at the Chanterelle Cottage with her mothers. The Cottage provides magic to the residents of Owl’s Hollow. However, when a new mage sets up shop in Owl’s Hollow, Charlie’s livelihood is threatened.

The setting of and characters in Owl’s Hollow are one of the main highlights of this book for me. I love a small town, especially when it is equipped with magic. I also love the band of characters that live there. It very much reminded me of Stars Hollow in Gilmore Girls.

I enjoyed the magic system in “The Cottage Around the Corner”. I could tell that Soria put effort into crafting this magic system. Sometimes the solutions to the problems that occurred in the town felt too simple, but it did not bother me too much. I wouldn’t say it is the most high stakes cozy fantasy I have ever read, but it wasn’t the lowest either.

I enjoyed the romance between Charlie and Fitz. I especially loved Fitz as a character. I’m not familiar with the movie that the book is based off of, You’ve Got Mail, so I cannot compare them to the movie. However, I did become somewhat frustrated with the couple towards the end of the book. Like, I just wanted so badly for them to figure it all out.

Thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[LadyAReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cozy, small town, witchy, contemporary, magical realism, all wrapped up into a sweet romance.

# The Cottage Around the Corner
# 10/20/2024 ~ 10/21/2024
# 4.5 / 5.0

[Jessica]

Cute and very meta reimagining of The Shop Around the Corner/You've Got Mail, only with competing magic shops. This is a world where witchcraft and magecraft are known, but frequently still looked at askance, and which was quite an interesting element. Warning, tho: There is a Scene of an Adult Nature in this book that is Quite Detailed and also Goes On For Many Pages.

*I am not rating books read for the World Fantasy Award.*

[Syn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely magical read. Sometimes I like to escape into a cute and cozy book and this did the trick. A fun witchy story best enjoyed under a warm blanket with a hot or cold beverage of choice.

[Sohini Roy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fitz and Elinor were the only good characters. Charlie was absolutely insufferable. How do you, firstly,not do anything for your business,then get angry at competitors for doing the bare minimum? Secondly,she's supposed to be in her 30s and she acts like a child. Neither does she nor her mums ever do anything for the betterment of the business. But they're all fired up at the mere mention of competition. What exactly did Charlie did to make Fitz fall for her i wouldn't know. Neither of the two interacted properly for anyone to understand this star crossed lovers thing.

Also the book was hella boring

[Corrine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Couldn’t finish, got bored most of the way through. Rip.

[MacKenzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This could have been a 5 star book if it was maybe 100 pages shorter.

[Sherry Sharpnack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlie Sparrow works as a witch in her moms' family business - a spellshop = in the small town of Owl's Hollow. [Apparently, magic is simply a part of life here.] Charlie does a tarot reading for a new customer, and finds out that he is Sterling Fitzgerald -- the new owner of a magecraft business. In this novel, witches do their magic through crafting spells with crystals and found objects; mages are inherently magical, and are hired for larger magical workings. Thus begins the "frenemy" romance trope: Charlie and Fitz are drawn to each other romantically, but their businesses are in direct competition. Sparrow Cottage is barely staying open as it is; they don't need flashy competition from Boston.
But when weird hexes start affecting the whole town, such as folks turning into animals, Charlie and Fitz have to use their unique skill sets to work together, all while realizing that the final approval of Fitz' business by the town board could spell the end of Sparrow Cottage. What wins: the businesses or the romance? The denouement was exciting, yet the ultimate end left me a bit disappointed.
*
I couldn't quite put my finger on my disengagement with the novel at times, but other reviewers found it for me: Charlie is SO inconsistent! She wants her moms to treat her as a full adult partner, but then will act immaturely. One more caveat: there is a long, sweaty, to-me-open-door sex scene, which I found as yet another example of Charlie NOT acting like an adult. 4 stars as I really did enjoy the descriptions of spellcrafting.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️ 1🌶️ Charlie and Fitz

If You’ve Got Mail and Sabrina the Teenage Witch made a baby book, this would be it!

The beginning tension between Charlie and Fitz was so cute! I love a determined man. I wish we got a little something more from this couple, but I loved how in the end Fitz was part of Charlie’s character arc.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gilmore Girls and You've Got Mail but make it witchy. This was a delightfully cozy romantasy of a witch trying to keep her business afloat when a new Mage moves to town. But when strange magical things start to affect the whole town, these two have to put thier differences aside and try to solve the problem.

[ß]

cant even remember anything about this book that’s how u kno it was boring af

[Gabi D'Esposito · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 rounded up

It was just okay for me. I like the magical elements but found the conflict keeping the two MCs apart to be less than believable so I just felt a vague sense of annoyance at them having the same issue over and over again.

[Danae Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re looking for a funny, low-stakes witchy easy read this is it. It’s delightfully cozy and the town felt a little like Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls.

[Maeve Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this from San Diego Comic Con. The witchy vibes were right up my alley, and the writing style was superb, but I found myself bored often while reading this novel, to the point it took me 2 weeks to get through. I can only really attribute this to the plotline similarly following a Hallmark movie. Unfortunately I’ve just seen the “we need to save our small business while also changing the heart of this man” too many times to count.

In terms of positives - as someone who mainly consumes sapphic fiction these days, I was at least really happy to see a bisexual main character SURROUNDED by other sapphic female characters. Straight couples felt like a minority in this book, so it made the main straight romance more digestible. And I honestly didn’t mind the romance either! I think Charlie and Fitz are an equal match of wit and intelligence. The “will they won’t they” that continues to the bitter end was an annoyance, but given this is a romance novel, I had no doubts they’d work it out.

I’d say this is a pretty decent take on the romance genre, but it was quite slow moving at times and didn’t really succeed in ever capturing my full attention.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Cottage Around the Corner was very readable, but I had a major problem with the main character. Charlie is in her early 30s and acts like an immature 17-year-old. At one point, she and the antagonist love interest want to have sex but don’t have a condom. So she turns off the magic that keeps anyone but family members performing magic at their shop so he can conjure up a condom, leaves the protective spell off, leaves the door unlocked, and moves the bell that alerts them to someone in the shop. The shop is then thoroughly trashed while she and Fitz are enjoying themselves. It’s no wonder her parents don’t want to make her a co-owner of their magic shop.

The shop cat kept entering the story as if she were going to be important somehow? But she never was. The author clearly thought she needed a cat but couldn’t figure out what to do with her.

I mean, the book was ok, but Charlie acts way too young for her age, and the relationship feels way more like a hook-up than love. (Also, early in the book Charlie notes her attraction to Fitz's younger sister. Which, sorry, personal ick.)

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed exploring a different take on witchy worldbuilding in "The Cottage Around the Corner." Witches in this world are publicly integrated with society and more aligned with currently popular witchy vibes. Think tarot, crystals, cleansing, etc. It was especially interesting to see the witches and their work contrasted with the more corporate take on mages.

Unfortunately, the story is repetitive and a little long and our leading lady Charlie is irresponsible and childish. She doesn't take responsibility for her actions or emotions and responds by lashing out or reverting to silent treatment when her actions have consequences. She didn't grow as a character, but everything worked out in her best interest regardless. I would have loved to see her earn it.

Fitz, on the other hand, is a gem. His character was intriguing from the start and by the end of the story I wanted better for him!

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

[venu k J · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️
charlie ruined this by throwing a tantrum at every possible opportunity 🫤
free my man fitz ✊🏽

[Alicia (A Kernel of Nonsense) · Rating 4 out of 5]

D. L. Soria’s The Cottage Around the Corner, a cozy fantasy, is filled with the magic of family, community, and love. Charlie Sparrow wants nothing more than to save her family’s struggling business. The small town of Owl’s Hollow has been her family’s home for generations. Charlie’s love of magic comes from her mothers and the line of witches from which she descends. After a mishap that resulted in her family’s reputation being questioned, Charlie is determined to prove her worth and restore their good name. When mages move into town, opening their own magical business, Charlie fears their own business might have to close for good. What’s worse is the new owner, Sterling Fitzgerald is about as infuriating as they come. When the town is struck by a series of curses, Charlie and her family rush to find a solution before the new arrival can. From Charlie’s family to the lived-in and homey witchy shop, Soria’s world radiates warmth. Every nook and cranny of Chanterelle Cottage feels meticulously designed, there is comfort and charm even in its chaos...

Read my full review on my blog here.

[Haley Calvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m so weak for a guy with a pretentious name and a cutie nickname

[Bethanie Brosnaham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a great feel good cozy book

[Melissa Rhiann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Small town witchy vibes. Cute, fun and I enjoyed.

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one! Cozy fantasy romance but leans more on the romance and with a little bit of mystery! I loved the witches and mages set up.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightfully cozy, magical small town enemies to lovers romance set in Owl's Hollow that sees tarot reading witch Charlie Sparrow and her two moms' Chanterelle Cottage magic shop suddenly in stiff competition with the new corporate Maven Enterprises magic store, run by a rich city mage, Fitz.

This was an utterly enjoyable You've got mail retelling with fantastic banter and chemistry between the leads. Full of romance, small town charm and a mysterious vandal Charlie is determined to track down. Forced to choose between her beloved shop and her newfound love for Fitz, Charlie has tough decisions to make.

Good on audio and perfect for fans of books like The Crescent moon tearoom or Hazel Beck's Witchlore series. Many thanks to @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!

Steam level: some open door scenes